Mother's Day

"MOTHER"

What a beautiful word to give title to the one who suffers a life time for her children. I have been blessed by enjoying the love given by my Mother and the Mother of my children. God, called my loved ones home much too early and as years pass, the empty feeling in my heart never goes away. On this upcoming day of remembrance I hope everyone takes the time to wrap arms around their living Mothers and praise them for all the years of giving.

One day in 1963 I was reminded just how special my Mother was when she was chosen as "Queen for a Day" on a television show. She was chosen for the story she told of the love of my older brother who had lost a leg in a hit and run auto accident while in the Navy. This accident ended his quest for a naval career. She lost a battle with liver disease at age of 65.

The Mother of my children passed away at age 37, no one could really fill those shoes . My children and I still wonder how we made it though so many years without her.

Just Wondering

Thinking back to the time I served in the US Navy, it was the so called cold war era. I was just a fresh kid from high school not even yet a grad and only seventeen. Two older brothers were already serving and knowing I would be draft age soon I chose to leave school and see the world with my Uncle Sam.

For years after I was honorably discharged, I kept getting all these inviting brochures in the mail inviting me to join other Vets and become a member of the American Legion. That really seemed to be an honor I would be happy to accept; however I was rejected for the time frame I served was not warranted. I don't know if any other Cold War Vets feel as I do but it appears to me that my service was not appreciated just because I never came under fire. In order to be recognized for service rendered to the country you must serve in a combat zone. Oh sure I got a medal for "China Service," playing war games with the nationalist Chinese and we found and destroyed old mines around Korea which could have killed us, but my service upon discharge was forgotten.

Even the old wooden hull minesweepers that was home to many MSO sailors are only a memory now. I still love this great country, its military forces and all the citizens who is protected by men and women in uniform who may never see a battle but are ready when called.

Perhaps someday an organization such as the American Legion will honor those who serve regardless of whether time is during a conflict or not.

Pagosa Adventure Guide | Margaret Archuleta | Pagosa Springs, Four Corners, Southwest Colorado, Indian and Settlers History in Archuleta County

Pagosa Adventure Guide | Margaret Archuleta | Pagosa Springs, Four Corners, Southwest Colorado, Indian and Settlers History in Archuleta County

Lumber Barons and Timber Pirates

Lumber Barons and Timber Pirates

While researching to try and find photos of Pagosa Springs during my childhood of the 40s and 50s I found some interesting sites and stories posted on web sites. One of the historical stories was of the way the narrow gauge found its way to Pagosa. I remember as a young boy playing in the area of the old narrow gauge train station, using a coal shoot shed as a hideout playing cowboys. The coal shed has long disappeared like so many other memories, it was located on highway 160 at Putt Hill.
One my favorite old time friends Margaret Archuleta did a marvelous job of telling her memories of Pagosa. The Archuleta family were life long friends of my family and Pagosa lost a great patriarch of the comnmunity with her passing.
One of my favorite memories of Margaret was during the big 4th of July celebration in 1965. I had proudly taken my in-laws to Pagosa to see the parade and rodeo. My father-in-law who loved to drink his beer ; sat down in Margaret's bar enjoying a cool one, when one of my old friends thought it would be funny to send a couple of Indian ladies to flirt with him. Little did my father-in-law know that they were quite serious and began bartering to see who would take him home. Margaret,seeing what was happening came to the rescue made them leave him alone. Later in the day my father-in-law left the bar with a cold bottle of beer only to be told by a deputy to get back inside. He always told the story of being thrown into a bar in Pagosa!

Changing Corner

Remembering how the corner of 4th and Lewis was when I was a youngster running across the street for a day of schooling. Lewis street where our house sat was still a gravel road,the land that now houses a gym for the school was a small hotel and grocery store with frozen meat lockers to rent. The owners of the little store would hire high school boys to help dress out deer and elk taken during hunting season. I recall one day when I was helping to prepare some of the game when a pick up pulled up and the carcass in side had shoes on the hoof, some poor farmer lost a mule to a hunter who mistook it for a deer.
Long before my family ever arrived in Colorado there was building on Lewis street across from the gym that once served as the local jail. This was one of my favorite places to play cowboys and Indians. This building was still standing
when I made a trip there in 2000 for a high school reunion. The vacant lot across the street from our house soon became home to the Post Office, which made it real nice for us to get our mail.

St. Pattys Day

Just looked over a blog titled "All things Pagosa" and was surprised to see that the little town has grown large enough to have a St. Patty's day celebration. The restorations of the buildings downtown leaves very little resemblance to my memory bank. The parade route seems to travel the same way the "Red Ryder Roundup Parade" has for many years. It was refreshing to see so many folks get into the spirit of the day and everyone decked out in green.
Soon the snow will give way to new spring flowers, high school's will be looking for the day of graduation. I hope many of the new grads find a way to continue their education, its their generation that we must put our trust in to make this world a better place for everyone, long after us old timers have gone to greener pastures.
I sure don't ever want to see this country go back to having to rely on such things and tokens and stamps to get by.

These are samples of the way things were when all Americans had to give up simple things like sugar and gas, my Mother made sure such things were kept as a reminder of the price of freedom.

I see also from posting of Pagosa that music is still alive in the mountains with bluegrass bands performing along with other types of festivals. We never had such things to entertain us, we did manage to have a shin dig now and then. There was an old one room school house long abandoned that served as a dance hall and when there weren't local musicians a stack of vinyl records did the trick. The only advertisement that a dance would be going on at Bales School was by word of mouth, but it always got filled up. The grown ups would pack up their spirits of choke cherry wine, all kinds of goodies to eat. Those we cared for more spirited drinks would make many trips to their supply in the trunk of the cars. If there was not dance at the Bales then the next best thing would be at "The Pine Grove Inn" but getting in could be tricky if you weren't of drinking age. I always seemed to find me a chaperon to promise to keep me out of trouble if they let me in, I always hung out next to the band stand enjoying that good old country music.