Stories from the Stringam Family Ranches of Southern Alberta

From the 50s and 60s to today . . .



Tuesday, July 9, 2013

Happy Trails

Mom
Usually, the first thing we kids in the Stringam home heard in the morning was the kitchen radio.
On a country channel.
This was followed almost immediately by the sound of pots and pans.
And . . . cooking.
We instantly knew that Mom was awake and had taken up her front-line position before the stove.
Good food was imminent.
Even now, fifty-some years later, the sound of a radio in the early morning means good food.
Though I may have to be the one making it.
But I digress . . .
Mom’s radio played throughout much of the day. If it got switched off, her country records would take up our air waves.
I loved it.
Have you ever noticed that much of the old-time country music has a certain . . . beat?
A slow, bomp-ba-dum-dum, bomp-ba-dum-dum beat?
Well it did.
And whenever it came on, I would pretend I was riding a horse.
Across the ‘lone prairie’ of the living room.
The beat was perfect.
I could keep this up for hours.
Or as long as the song lasted.
My favourite was Dale Evans’ song ‘Happy Trails’, sung by Roy Rogers.
I would ride my horse and sing at the top of my voice, “Happy trails to you! Until we meet again. Happy trails to you! Keep smiling until then.”
And, somehow, that song and my Mom became synonymous with each other.
Moving forward many, many years . . .
My Husby and I were in Jasper National Park here in Alberta.
He was attending a conference.
I was  . . . doing other stuff.
Part of my day included a long, lovely swim in the huge pool.
I know, life is tough.
I had finished my laps and was simply lying back in the water, looking up at the perfect eggshell-blue sky and smelling the scent of pine in the fresh air.
A group of men were doing some work on the roof of the great main building next to me.
The sound of saws and hammering quit for an instant.
And an exquisite (can I use that word here?) male voice floated down to me. “Happy Trails to you! Until we meet again.”
He was simply singing while he worked.
I wonder if he noticed the woman in the pool below him.
Crying.


19 comments:

  1. Oh, Diane ... I am sniffling along with you ... music can take you there in a heartbeat ...

    ReplyDelete
  2. Interesting how Roy Rogers has stayed with so many of us through the years. I still occaisionaly watch some episodes on Netflix.

    I regards to the beat of music, back when I lived in a house at the head of a T. I used to hear the pop-poppa, pop-poppa sound growing closer until I was sure it was on my front lawn. I'd look out to see another kid with a $5K sound system with a $200 rust bucket wrapped around it, turning the corner.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. That always astounds me! I can't believe they can still hear!

      Delete
  3. A little perfect moment. They happen sometimes.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Remember Tumblin Tumbleweeds? The old stuff did have a clip clop type of beat didn't it?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh, I do remember that song! "Drifting along with the tumbling tumbleweeds."

      Delete
  5. What a beautiful experience! How moving!

    ReplyDelete
  6. My first time here from the Twisted Mixtape hop and I love your blog! Very nice. Such great memories and you know, I play the radio or some sort of music around the house all the time and I've always hoped that it would make an impression on my kids and that someday they'd remember it fondly. My mom used to listen to her records on a big old record player/radio. It was a piece of furniture and the radio crackled as Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass bursted forth from its speakers.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. My Mom also love Herb Albert!! Tijuana Taxi?! Oh, the memories!

      Delete
  7. i love your posts so much. So beautiful. I always think of Late in the Evening, by Paul Simon when I think of radios playing. I wish my mom loved music as much as me and my dad did. This is such a lovely memory!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Isn't it amazing how music can bring it all back? Thanks so much, Jen!

      Delete
  8. I grew up in a household where Country was King! My dad used to wake up at the wee hours of the morning and he would play the local country music station so I woke up to country and went to bed to country! I lived and breathed country...so I can relate to your blog post!

    Visiting from the Twisted Mix Tape Tuesday Blog Hop!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm so happy that I can help trigger a memory! Thank you!

      Delete
  9. Wanted to Honeymoon in Alberta but couldn't afford it at the time. I have a kitchen radio (though it is normally tuned to NPR!). My grandpa always had the radio on, and so do I. Songs can really take me back too, which is one of the reasons I am trying to find new music for new memories with my own children.
    visiting through Twisted Tuesday Link-Up

    ReplyDelete
  10. I grew up watching Roy and Dale's TV show. When Roy said, "I gotta an idea..." we knew that all would end well. Such good memories.

    My mom listened to the radio non-stop all day. The dial moved though, from music to local up-dates on who died that day, to soap operas, and Arthur Godfrey. Good stuff.

    ReplyDelete

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