Monday Morning Mutterings

My friend Hallie from Vermont sent me a private FB request:  I have something for you; what's your mailing address? 

Twas out of the blue, and I must say that Hallie and I have been friends from afar for quite some time. Actually, we've met in person only once.  

That's when she and her University of Vermont professor hubby Thom McEvoy came and spent a night at our farm over on Great Northern Road.

Thom's a well-known author within the national forestry circles, and I met Hallie over the phone several years ago while compiling a story for the Appaloosa Journal about equine writing careers.

Hallie's a freelancer with great knowledge of the horse racing industry.  She's written a few books herself.  

So, it was a natural match for two foresters and two equine writers to spend time together.  Their visit included a trip to the Ross Creek Cedars and a fun dinner on the lake at Hope. 

Anyway, when I got involved with Facebook, it wasn't long before Hallie and I were FB friends. 

Still, I was pretty curious about what the heck Hallie would be sending me.  So, I responded with a thank you and my address.

Time went by, but the past week, a box from Hallie came in the mail.  I opened it and first sniffed and found a lovely bar of mango-flavored soap. 

The second item is pictured above. All kinds of questions swirled in my mind as I wondered if my "dah" brain just wasn't catching the significance of this gift. 

When I mentioned the contents to my sisters, one said, "Maybe the hanky (as Hallie calls it) aka bandanna had a musty smell to it so she sent some soap to make it smell better. 

Seemed plausible, but I had detected no hint of must.

I let the items sit for a day or so and then wrote to Hallie, expressing my appreciation, telling her the soap aroma was lovely and that there MUST be a story behind the hanky/bandanna. 

Hallie wrote back and acknowledged a story but that it needed to be discussed over the phone.  So, again, I waited until the house was quiet and the dogs might not bark. 

We visited about a variety of items in our first one-on-one talk since 2006.

When I asked about the bandanna, that's when I learned that in East Coast terms it might be considered a hanky. 

Hallie told me that she and her sister Hope (the whole family of sisters have names starting with "H") like to go shopping in second-hand stores and other venues where choice items with a history often can be purchased. 

Hope found the hanky somewhere and then told Hallie she didn't know a soul from Montana who would want it.  Hallie figured Idaho was close enough to Montana, so she chirped, "I know someone." 

Someone is Marianne, and Hallie figured Marianne would know the story behind this "collector's item No.2). 

Well, Marianne didn't, and that was disappointing because Hallie and Hope had a $20 bet going on the fact that I would know. 

I'm HOP(E)ing Hope isn't reading this cuz I told Hallie we could cheat so she'd win the bet.  BTW:  the $20 goes to the charity of the winner's choice, so it's a win-win situation, even if we did cheat a little.

I told Hallie I knew someone who might know something.

Yup, my longtime, dear friend Becky who moved to Montana last year and her husband Boots (Reynolds) knew most of the Western cowboy artists, and they often attended events like the one promoted on the hanky. 

So, I sent a hanky photo Becky, and, sure enough, she had the scoop. 

Here's Becky's response:  

Hi, Marianne, 

Boy, seeing this scarf really took me back. Boots and I went to Wolf Point one year for this event and it is something else. It was about the same time, maybe a year or two earlier. Anyway, it is fairly famous in Montana and the rodeo world. 

All the professional saddle bronc riders come and the are matched one against another and then you place your bet on which one you think will win the match. 

I think the winner moves on to the next round against someone else or something like that until there is an over all winner and they get most of the money advertised. 

Very interesting because there are big bucks involved and you can bet in various ways I think, like at a racetrack.

Don't remember all the details, but was lotsa fun and Wolf Point is a reservation town kinda by itself in the northeast corner of Montana. 

Was very hot and pretty drunk out the entire weekend! 

 Not sure what you are referring to in the comment about "collector's item #2". I see that in the lower right hand corner, but I don't see Larry Jordan anywhere. 

We knew Larry Jordan and he was from Wolf Lodge, not Point, Montana and was a saddle bronc rider in the 60's and early 70's. 

He stayed connected to rodeo by being an announcer and involved with the PRCA concerning saddle bronc riding and I think he eventually became the director of that event or something. 

He might have helped to put on Wolf Point and other events and I kinda remember that maybe he was an artist, too. This is about the best I can do since I am trying to remember stuff from WAY BACK in the Dark Ages! 

 How interesting that this ended up back East. Have no idea if it is valuable or not, but could check on ebay.

Becky

So, Hallie wins $20.  Now, we all know most of the story, and once more we learn that it's not so much what you know but it's who you know so that you will know something.  

BTW:  the hanky/bandanna will go on my wall here in the computer room with all the other funky stuff from which good stories come. 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

In other news, I liked the message in the photo below, which Annie posted from her weekend trip to New Mexico. 

We're at the "passing" stage and waiting for the daisies.  In preparation, I pulled the tarp off from my lawnmowers yesterday and cleaned one up.  

Earlier in the week, I had called Tony, the wizard, who repairs our equipment.  Hadn't heard from him but knew that eventually he'd call and we could set up a time for him to come can get the mowers ready to roll. 

Well, Tony called yesterday, and the news wasn't good.  He broke his upper leg snowmobiling and will be out of commission for nearly three months. I felt bad about the lawnmowers but was devastated for Tony.

He works so hard and does wonderful work, and I know how frustrating this has to be, along with the pain. 

Tony assured me that his helper would get in touch with us, and the job will get done. 

Wishing my friend the best and good healing. 

In the meantime, we'll keep plugging along getting ready for those daisies and pansies and daffodils and green grass. 

Finally, this morning, I've gotta brag about my little CB. He is the BEST.  Yesterday, I led him from the corral to the cement slab at my sisters' barn. 

We're not tying him just yet---just wrap the lead rope around the fence rail.  He probably doesn't even need to by tied because he LOVES his grooming sessions. 

Later, after walking him back and forth from the slab, through the barn and back, I decided to try out a new activity in the little guy's life:  clipping. 

Holding CB with the lead rope, I turned on the clippers, rubbed them along his neck and gently began to clip little hairs near his muzzle. 

Soon, I could have dropped the lead rope because CB seemed to love his first shave as much as he enjoys being groomed. 

As my dad said years ago about another horse we owned, CB, with his calm, quiet and sensible demeanor, is worth his weight in gold. 

Lovin' him more every day. 

And, with that, Happy Monday to all. We're all excited about the ZAGS next big appearance in the Big Dance this Thursday when they take on Florida State at the Staples Center in Los Angeles.  

Should be fun. Have a great day.  GO, ZAGS!

Siri nuzzles up to clean-shaven CB.