This afternoon, I
engaged in a thoughtful conversation with Candace Matthews Bridgewater.
Recently in Athens for Bounty on the Bricks, Mrs. Bridgewater is a 1963
graduate of Athens High School who grew up at Windy Hills Farm,
surrounded by American Saddlebreds. Her family previously owned Pete and Jody’s
farm. According to Candace, “Dick Vaughn, our horse trainer, lived in
the house where Pete and Jody later resided. I have fond memories
of Windy Hills, McDougal Church, and Amesville Township.” For additional
information regarding the Bob Matthews/Fred Beasley family, I encourage
you to visit the Athens County Historical Society, where Candace’s
photographs and memorabilia are archived.
Today’s Milliron Monday features Jody’s final journal entries from 1984; Junie’s antics/aging,
Jody’s ongoing activities with her dogs, equestrian pursuits, reading, and
encounters with trespassing hunters.
October 1984
·
To barn/clinic
> went to hear Amarl (Gordon) at B. Campagnola’s
·
To barn/clinic
> Athens Training Club, took Puff, Pizza Hut, Pete jogged
·
Tim, Gordon, Pete
replaced wooden bridge with concrete slates > to barn/clinic > Sizzler,
Movie “All of Me” very funny
·
To barn/clinic
> J ran errands, left for Mifflin cabin > Gordon brought grain up >
soaked chili beans > worked at desk
·
> made chili,
threw most of it out > to clinic
·
To church >
Old Coach, lunch > rode
·
To clinic/barn,
ran errands, Athens Training Club [ATC]
·
To clinic/barn,
Gordon, Pete flushed 2 new cattle, Athens Livestock Sales > Sizzler, Diane,
Gordon, Johnny Price
·
Early church >
TD – TDX test at Jackie, Ray’s, took Puff > rode Junie, took Colonel, Pete cutting
firewood up by Tim’s camp
·
Took burros,
horses down to clinic, Persimmon, Alrod, feet trimmed; Apple, Alrod, Badge
donated blood > picked raspberries > Pete to Windy Hills, Ruth/Seth
(Collie brain tumor) > wrote letters
·
To clinic >
drove to Mansfield, took Puff, got Aggie, Jessica, Est Trainer, follow up
meeting, Cleveland
·
Gary filled
teeth, left side > to Quarter Horse Congress, watched Jolen, stopped at Bargain
store in Lancaster
·
To clinic,
Gordon, Allen Crippen, Pete got blood for horse > to Pizza Hut
·
To clinic, showed
Craig about feeding animals > picked up yard > Pete on calls > worked
at desk
·
Early church >
Pete treated Paint horse, blood
transfusion/plasma > left for Reprotech, Gordon, Jessica, short visit at
Appalachian farm
·
Jessica, I
dropped Pete, Gordon off at Reprotech; drove to Cullowhee through park/heavy
traffic, ate lunch with Mom, toured Appalachian Heritage Center > Jessica
drove back around park
·
Walked briefly
with Mom, picked up Jim, drove back through park, still heavy traffic, ate in
Pigeon Forge, Duff’s, went to Knoxville, watched TV, movie
·
Toured cave “Lost
Sea” boat ride/trout, foggy, bought boots, lunch at BBQ restaurant, left
Knoxville, drove up thru Virginia off interstate, Maranatha Farm, home 1:30 am
·
To clinic/barn
> right lens cracked, upset stomach > to symphony Mem Auditorium, Pete and I,
took Puff and Ruff in car > read > Pete jogged > I called Mom
·
Groomed dogs/cats
> Pete up for lunch > Pat, Tim, etc., took logging truck after railroad
ties near Belpre > Pete, Gordon, logs
·
Took dogs down
after newspaper, to church, Croxton’s > rode Junie, rain, took Colonel, saw
several deer, grouse, hawk > Jessica, Pete rode > listened to rodeo,
popped corn
·
To clinic, paid
bills, ran errands, went over charges with Joe Limoli, eye exam, ordered new
right contact > to barn at dark
·
Pete, Jessica to
Charleston > un-waterlogged wheel pump > mended > napped > to
clinic, laid track for Puff, let dogs run, tracked Puff, Colonel, didn’t get
idea
November 1984
·
To clinic/barn, 4
gold fish, water tank, put them back
·
Carl Sweeney
here, Streak > barn, took Bullet, Sissy for walk, dumped dog manure3 by gate
to hay meadow > listed to Prairie Home Companion, made cookies for church
> to clinic, Alrod breeding Lolly
·
To clinic/barn,
worked with Carol James, Diane Jones, Darlene Smith, dogs/barn
·
To church >
Croxford’s > drove Junie > Mom, Pete, Josh rode; Junie bolted, ran from
noise, brush on cart, drove him in bottom
·
To clinic, CJ’s,
movie > worked dogs/barn
·
Wrapped J’s
shower present > fed at barn > walked Sissy, Bullet > Pete on calls
> went down to clinic, wrote checks
·
Early church,
COKC, Darlene Smith stopped at doughnut place, Lancaster > saw Al Breeze, Carol
St., etc., at dog show, stopped at Bob Evans for dinner, roads slushy with snow
·
To clinic/barn,
ran errands > Pete, Gordon dug up gas line > turned ram out > wrote
letter to Mom
·
To church >
picked up Pat, Karen, to Mansfield, Pat 3 fillings replaced
·
To clinic/barn, worked
Colonel > Pete up for lunch > took dogs for run to white gate > got
out storm windows
·
To church >
Old Coach Inn > J, I rode, Pete bulldozer up barricades
·
Rode Junie, drug
in doe Pete shot in cliff pasture; warm day, rode Junie
·
Gordon here for
breakfast; I drove Scottie around, took Puff; rode Junie, drug doe in Pete shot
in 3rd meadow, bad leg >
drug deer in for Mark S. trail above blackberry meadow
·
To clinic/barn
> worked Colonel, Diane Jones worked Dusty
·
Gordon here for
breakfast > Pete shot buck by turtle shell pond (by hollow sycamore tree);
drug it in with Junie; herded sheep in with Colonel > ran errands, got
groceries > 3 or 4 hunters in between house and clinic after I left
December 1984
·
Pete drove around
block > I rode Junie > worked on greenbriers on trail up valley behind
Wagner’s, worked on trail to fence rocks, hauled locust tree off trail with
Junie, saw cattle-like critter above fence rocks > braided a rope at barn,
listed to Prairie Home Companion
·
Took dogs down
after paper > to church > stoked woodstove at Pat’s > Old Coach Inn
> rode with Jessica, Ann, Joan Walton rode Alrod > Pete split wood on
porch
·
To clinic >
talked about deer hunting problems, filed SCC claims
·
To clinic/barn
> worked Colonel, Carol James worked Yolande, helped Jessica milk “Vicki”
> LTE on hunters published
·
Snow, drove
Doris, stalled top of Dividing Ridge 3 or 4 times; observed arraignments,
hunters charges > worked at clinic/barn > Pete to Charleston, snowed in,
stayed overnight
·
To barn/clinic,
worked Colonel, Dianne Jones worked Dusty, baked cookies for potluck, church
·
Craig’s wedding,
reception; Vicki, Ron’s wedding; dinner Shirley S. (Greens, Eliz Smith)
·
To church,
Croxford’s, clinic > rode Junie, led Apple, Pete measured gas line; saw doe
injured left hind leg, saw turkey tracks, brought black/tan coonhound bitch puppy
back out of woods (running deer?) > Abbott called, I wrote letters; wrote
Mom
·
To clinic/barn;
sneezing, bad cold/cough > worked dogs, Carol James, Diane Jones
·
Ran errands, took
coonhound puppy back
·
To clinic, bad
cold > Pete on calls, Charleston
·
To church,
Croxford’s > to clinic, set snares (4) up on ridge, rode on around, up
valley behind Wagner’s
·
To clinic/barn,
wrapped presents
·
To clinic >
Dianne Jones, Carol James, gave me Border Collie stamp postcard (framed) >
checked snares, took Puff, Colonel, Streak, took 25 minutes picked up yard >
Pete to Sam Jones’ kickboxing
·
To clinic/barn
> checked snares, fired blanks, Colonel very gun-shy > Pete to Sam Jones’
> CJs office dinner > movie “Beverly Hills Cop” Eddie Murphy
·
To clinic,
Colonel castrated > to barn > made batches of fudge for Windy Hills,
office party, Rita S.
·
To clinic, used
Junie to pull gas line over hill, took Puff, Streak; reset snares in dark >
gave puff a bath
·
Early church >
breakfast Croxford’s > to Nancy Bonnett’s collie bit my left wrist, 2
fingers on right hand > attempted to wrap presents
·
To clinic >
checked snares, came back by way of trail above New Covenant, took Puff, Streak
> to Jessica’s dinner, took spiced cider > Christmas Eve Service,
Pat/Karen engaged
·
Pete worked on
getting some wood for Marshall; Pete fed at barn > roasted turkey, leg of
lamb, made cranberry sauce, etc., > to Windy Hills
·
Check snares >
to clinic/barn > wagged > fed at barn > Pete to Sam Jones’
·
Rode Junie, J rode
Badge, Ann Howland, Joette Weber, Wooley girl, put salt feeder in lower shed,
worked on alleyway, etc. > roasted leg of lamb, took to Larson’s potluck
·
To church, Old
Coach Inn > Pete went riding, I took Bullett, Sissy for walk
·
To clinic/barn,
Pete turned gas on from Strode well > Pete ran, I cleaned, read by fire, bed
by twelve
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