OklahomaHorses Magazine January 2023

8 OklahomaHorses • January / February 2023 I t was a fabulous Saturday. It was a day full of sunshine, warm temperatures, and a light breeze. We were staying at home together as a family. Mom was not teaching. Dad was not flying. I anticipated the day with excitement because we were all home at the same time. The plan was that my entire family would work out- side completing a large to-do list that my parents had compiled. They had a knack for finding projects that would keep each of us three sisters occupied and nearby. With the amount of land surrounding the house and pond that needed to be maintained, there was always more than enough to keep us busy. We each had a chore list for the day. My older sister, Connie, was given the job of cleaning out the barn. She needed to rake out the manure and old straw, clean out the trough, fill it with new hay, and fill the old milk can with oats. That was a hard job. My chore was to help Mom hang laundry on the clothesline and clean the dogs’ water bowls. I would bring Mom the clothespins and pieces of clothing one at a time from the laundry basket. I liked that chore because I could help Mom and talk to the dogs at the same time. Next, I scrubbed the water bowls, and that was not easy for a five-year-old little girl. I would dump out the old water in each bowl and start to scrub. I had a large scrub brush that was difficult for me to maneuver. I would then refill each bowl with fresh water. Mom was trimming her roses and zinnias in the back flower bed. It was a continuous job for her to keep the weeds out of her gardens. Kellie, my younger sister, gave her a hand. Dad was spraying the weeds and occasionally a sprig of poison ivy. The weeds could get out of control rapidly if not sprayed and mowed. When Dad com- pleted that process, we could walk along the banks casting our fishing lines without worry of tangling them or getting itchy from the weeds. Controlling the weeds also prevented snakes from hiding in the tall grass. A Special Horse and Saddle Connie had a horse named Twister. He was white with large chocolate brown spots over his body and a brown-black mane, tail, and forelock. He was a spirited yet gentle horse who loved spending time with people. He was a good horse and was not known to run off. Connie had saddled Twister and let him graze near the pond on the clover, with his reins loosely Despite a soggy start to their relationship, Twister and Karen Dugan team up at the Tulsa State Fairgrounds in 1971. Drowning under a TWISTER The Human-Animal Bond Saved Me Once Again by Karen Dugan Holman | Photos courtesy of Karen Dugan Holman