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Wednesday, June 7, 2017 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon
Of a certain age…..
By Sue Stafford
Columnist
Every year on Saturday
morning of Rodeo Weekend,
I can be found standing on
the corner of East Cascade
Avenue and North Larch
Street, where the parade
turns left, watching the
quintessential small-town-
America affair with horses,
hotrods, flags, floats, and
fire engines.
The parade holds a spe-
cial place in my memory
because when I was eight
years old, I rode a horse in
the rodeo parade.
My longest-time friend
(we’ve been friends since
we were four) had an Uncle
Ralph, who, at that time,
owned a ranch in Camp
Sherman. That ranch, across
the road from Lake Creek
Lodge, is now the residen-
tial area known as Metolius
Meadows, with houses
standing where cattle and
horses used to graze.
I was fortunate to spend
many wonderful carefree
summer days on the ranch
because my friend’s father,
Harold, was Ralph’s brother
and also had a house on the
ranch. The house backed up
to Lake Creek and is still
there today, although it has
been broken up into several
condo units.
As a child, I didn’t just
wish to have a horse – I
wanted to be one and would
gallop around snorting and
pawing the ground. When
at the ranch, I lived for the
time spent with the horses in
the pasture. I loved the trail
rides we took with Judy and
Terry Moye, the children of
the ranch foreman and his
wife – Dolly and Ardith.
The previous summer,
my friend, also named Susie,
was thrown by her horse,
Rosie, as they were riding up
Black Butte. Besides being
badly shaken and frightened
by her fall, Susie received a
deep gash on her chin, which
required stitches and is still
faintly visible today. For the
rest of that summer and the
beginning of the next, she
was a little horse-shy.
When plans were made
for Terry, Judy, Susie, and
me to ride in the Sisters
rodeo parade that next sum-
mer, Susie refused to ride
alone on her own horse, so
we rode double, with me at
the controls, on the old gray
gelding Syracuse. Donning
our cowboy hats and boots,
we piled into the back of
Dolly’s pick-up with the
horse trailer hitched behind
to drive into town.
Sixty-five years have
ENROLL
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Space is fi lling up!
Tours available.
Call 541-549-4133.
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Rated!
passed since that one and
only time I got to ride in
the parade. After moving
to Sisters in 2004, I did
march in the Garden Club
rake and shovel drill team
once.
Lots more horseback rid-
ing took place in the years
following that summer of
1952, and Susie and I remain
close friends. Neither of us
still rides horses but we love
to reminisce on her visits
to Sisters about our grade
school summers spent at the
ranch. We caught crawdads
in Lake Creek. Raw bacon
on an open safety pin at the
end of a string attached to a
willow branch worked well
for catching those small
crustaceans.
The fresh cold water of
the creek was used to fill
the ranch swimming pool.
The only way to get in the
pool was to run and jump
because it was just too frigid
to submerge slowly.
The square dances on
the weekends at the Camp
Sherman Community Hall
held great allure for us.
I liked watching all the
young cowboys because, at
that point in my life, I had
decided I was going to marry
a rancher and have five boys.
Things changed!
The Camp Sherman Store
was a big draw for us to wan-
der on down for candy or ice
cream or soda pop. In those
days we would stand on the
bridge over the Metolius and
throw breadcrumbs to the
fish.
I still remember the
straight stretch of Highway
20 after coming down off
the pass. It was paved with
red cinder asphalt and was
beautiful with the giant
green ponderosas right down
either side. We were filled
with anticipation from that
point to the turnoff to Camp
Sherman and could hardly
wait to pull through the gate
onto the ranch and one more
memory-making visit to
Camp Sherman.
As I watch the parade
this Saturday, in my mind’s
eye I will see Susie and
me and old Syracuse com-
ing down Cascade and
waving.
Great hair
doesn’t happen
by chance.
It happens
by appointment.
Tim & Ronnica Westcott
Jenny Duey
541-588-6611
220 W. Cascade Ave.
Come in, Relax, Enjoy!
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Headaches
Sciatica
541-588-6848
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