COL.0423.Canda Chronicles. High heels and mud.500
Spring is in the air, and several events this past weekend confirmed what we are hearing in the song of the first meadowlarks and watching, as fresh, lively red calves begin to dot the newly greened meadows.
Our first clue to an exciting change of season was the rumor of a weekend snowstorm on the horizon which would bring feet, not just inches of the white stuff. Phone trees went to work: The prom was on, the after prom party was snowed out; baseball and track were postponed; the county fair small livestock weigh-in was on. We were busy just keeping track!
One of our favorite spring rituals is the school prom. I am always impressed how girls can find pretty dresses and fancy shoes no matter where they live.
Our local ladies seem to instinctively know how to find that certain color to bring out the sparkle in their eyes and the dress style to bring out the sparkle in their dates’ eyes.
This year, the junior-senior prom took place at the new Club at Pizza Madness. It was attractive and sophisticated, made more so by the tasteful decorations the committee chose to use in “Night Behind the Mask.”
Bill and I sneaked in during the promenade, when parents and friends are encouraged to come see the clothes and decorations. As we entered the darkened room, we heard strains from “Phantom of the Opera.” We were pleased to see the youth’s nice manners toward each other.
Even our school’s cowboys, who often eschew formal wear, knowing they look dashing no matter what, decided to dress up, respecting the feelings of their beautifully coiffed and coutured dates.
When Sunday arrived after only a few hours of sleep, our hardy youth noticed another welcome sign of spring—mud!
At our house, Bill and Mark loaded up our youngest son’s FFA pigs wondering if the stock trailer would get stuck as it backed up to the animal pens. Luckily, we didn’t even get stuck at the other end, Custer County fairground, which was even sloppier, if possible.
It tickled me so much to see the same lovely young girls, again appropriately attired, this time in Carhartt farm jackets and knee high rubber boots. They looked just as beautiful to me, and I felt so happy because our lovely princesses and their handsome princes are not too fancy to appreciate their ranching heritage and get a little muddy doing so.
Within 24 hours, these kids had managed to get themselves to a formal party despite a couple of feet of snow, then brave excessive mud and little sleep to further their agricultural projects and dreams.
Ahh spring! When a young person’s fancy turns to romance and visions of profit at the county fair, which is a mere 80 days or so away!
We are lucky to have such spunky kids in our midst, and they are lucky to be growing up in our beautiful Valley!
Joanne Ca