Jun 3, 2009

The Family Tree Straight Up With A Twist.

Walt and Bert and Dondi are living in Dumas Texas, in a motel transformed into apartments when commercial oil production brought transient workers to the area. This particular motel complex is set back from the road behind a dismal mechanic’s garage, overlooking nothing, nothing, nothing.

The mechanic owns the whole shootin’ match: the garage, the motel, and the land. This mechanic fellow travels to Colorado a few times a year and rounds up wild horses in order to sell them off.

The horse pictured with Dondi is not one of those horses — this is Babe. Babe lives in a half-assed corral, littered with cast-off items, and Dondi has attached herself to this gentle giant in no small way.

Dondi has no real experience with horses, and yet she is a natural, flinging her leg up and over the horse, riding around the property bareback because Babe never was afforded a saddle.

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27 comments

1. 1
   on June 3rd, 2009 at 9:32 pm
   Rebecca Regnier said:

   I expect the Joad family to wander through the back of the shot.

   And Dondi here looks like she’s about to beat out all young starlets for the lead in National Velvet. So pretty.


2. 2
   on June 3rd, 2009 at 10:38 pm
   steph said:

   Oh, I’m afraid. Is this going to lead to another devastating loss for Dondi?


3. 3
   on June 3rd, 2009 at 11:48 pm
   Joie said:

   Love the update. Wish I had the photos and stories like you do. Probably one reason so many of us are glued to this story.


4. 4
   on June 4th, 2009 at 9:15 am
   Grandma J said:

   Of course Dondi can just fling her leg up and over Babe…she inherited Bossy’s long legs. Yeah, I said that.

   I can picture her riding off in search of Pug. Please tell me Dondi and Babe have a lasting relationship, with lasting meaning at least a year.


5. 5
   on June 4th, 2009 at 9:43 am
   corrie said:

   Dondi and her indominable spirit!


6. 6
   on June 4th, 2009 at 10:11 am
   bdaiss said:

   You are so blessed to have such wonderful stories and photos from your families history…and I’m thankful you decided to keep up with the Family Tree posts!

   And just look at those coltish legs! (On both the colt and Dondi…) Once upon a time I could ride bareback. I’d say Dondi truly is a natural!


7. 7
   on June 4th, 2009 at 10:15 am
   sherry said:

   If there is a glue factory in Babe’s future, please, please, please don’t tell us!


8. 8
   on June 4th, 2009 at 10:42 am
   julie said:

   Can I just say that everytime I see a new picture off on the sidebar I do a little happy dance?


9. 9
   on June 4th, 2009 at 6:48 pm
   foolery said:

   Bareback riding builds character and grace. I’m pretty sure Dondi did a lot of it.


10. 10
    on June 5th, 2009 at 1:08 pm
    Eliza said:

    Please don’t let this end badly. Poor Dondi has had it so hard already.

    Buck up little girl–someday you’ll have the best kids and grandkids in the world!!


11. 11
    on June 6th, 2009 at 5:19 pm
    dgm said:

    I’m so glad Dondi found Babe after the pug incident.


12. 12
    on June 6th, 2009 at 10:37 pm
    Momo Fali said:

    I second what dgm said. What a relief!


13. 13
    on June 7th, 2009 at 10:04 pm
    Eloise said:

    I always enjoy these installments!


14. 14
    on June 30th, 2009 at 4:42 pm
    MJ Krech said:

    I’m so inspired by how you write your family’s story! I love your idea of telling the family history by lining photos up and writing a short narrative for each, filled with humor and sadness and advancing over time. Just a yummy way to tell the story! Way to go! And Keep It Up! I come back every few months to catch up and always APPRECIATE the telling of your family’s story!


15. 15
    on July 1st, 2009 at 7:39 pm
    Joie said:

    Hey there, Bossy, don’t leave us hanging! We love your family story and want more. Maybe you should write a book.


16. 16
    on August 5th, 2009 at 9:58 am
    Bev said:

    As a fairly new follower of your blog, I just read the entire Family Tree this morning and love, love, love the photos and stories! I do hope you continue. I’m enjoying your camping vacation this week too…we bought a small camper last weekend and will be heading out with it tomorrow.


17. 17
    on August 11th, 2009 at 11:08 am
    Nat said:

    I never comment, but I have been following the family tree and I hope you keep posting more even after these long breaks inbetween because I want to know this story, know it all turns out for the best


18. 18
    on September 16th, 2009 at 5:13 pm
    Domestic Spaz said:

    More please?


19. 19
    on September 16th, 2009 at 5:14 pm
    Domestic Spaz said:

    No pressure.


20. 20
    on October 11th, 2009 at 8:43 pm
    Martha said:

    oh come on, Bossy…..please finish the story! You posted the other day that your mom has a much younger brother…..an uncle/cousin to you. So there has to be MORE to this story!!


21. 21
    on October 14th, 2009 at 10:39 pm
    Joie said:

    Um, Bossy, over here. Yeah. Don’t you see me? This is your family story begging to be told.


22. 22
    on October 27th, 2009 at 12:37 pm
    Grandma J said:

    I’m still waiting for Dondi and Babe to get out of that dusty corral.


23. 23
    on December 26th, 2009 at 6:14 pm
    Eloise said:

    Adding to the chorus of Bert and Dondi fans begging for more of the story!


24. 24
    on December 30th, 2009 at 11:25 am
    Joie said:

    I hope you New Year’s resolution will have something to do with this story!


25. 25
    on January 12th, 2010 at 12:56 pm
    confused said:

    Okay, I’m ready now for more here; no pressure!


26. 26
    on January 12th, 2010 at 3:18 pm
    K said:

    What exactly does soon mean?


27. 27
    on February 8th, 2010 at 11:02 pm
    Eloise said:

    Boo hoo! Sad to see Bossy’s Family Tree disappear from the sidebar. I hope this doesn’t mean you’re not going to finish the story.