The horse lot, located on the east side of Hamlin, bordered the highway that led to Anson, then to Abilene. Then the T&P railway would carry you to Fort Worth.
I rode my bicycle when I went to cut Johnson grass to feed Mom’s horses. Couple of Tennessee Walkers that Dad took as payment when the drilling contractor announced he was going to take bankruptcy, protect his ranch as a Texas ‘homestead.’
Remember when this Grammar School kid decided tending horses was no way to spend a Saturday morning. I decided to run away from home.
At the horse lot, I mounted my bike. Started running away. My pedaling weakened after about eight miles, near the Nienda cotton gin. About halfway before the road reached Anson, the Jones County seat. Then long way to go to Abilene. That’s when I got some ‘horse sense’ and turned back.
Back home, Mom was waiting with a compliment. “Thank you for spending most of Saturday morning looking after my horses.”
Photo at Shutterstock
