This choice: The weird, the strange... • Go Back...Chapter #8The weird, the strange... by: Pony.Mike   Another door there beckoned its opening, and with opening it the smell of leather then permeated the room. Peering inside, the light there came on with the opening of the door.
I saw a dusty collection of racks and wooden pegs holding or hung on them were all sorts of leather strapping, harnesses for horses, halters, bridles, and collars galore, as standing on end in one corner was the neck yoke for an Ox..
Interest was peaking, as becoming inquisitive did begin to poke about, the desk set coated over with the sifted dust and hay that came down from the barn floor above. Intrigued with what might be in the drawers, I did open the top right hand drawer. There filling the length and width of the drawer, lay a book. Lifting the heavy book out of the snugly fitted drawer, and placing it on the desk, flipped it open beginning with the front cover.
There on the first page of this book or ledger, as written in broad print from a quill pen and ink said, “Granted unto friend Ned be the power to decide and bring on change for any reason!”
Flipping one page after another, I stood there mesmerized seeing there a photo of that black stallion, he the one uncle warned me not to go near.
Paging further, was an index that had a detailed example of what each line of information represented. As reading from top of a page to the bottom last line written told of varied animal breeds, a date, a name of each animal, the names of farms, ranchers, or scientific companies where those animals were sent for leased breeding, or sold. As noted were the mention of what became of the animals Uncle Ned had or held for an owner/donor, even shown was the dates the animal finally died.
Moving on to the next page it had a pasted photo and below it was information written about the animal. A quick look at the book, it had page guides, owing to sections of the book dealing with alphabetized breeds of animals as if the ledger was a history book about what uncle did during his life working and owning a farm.
The book sparked a strange kind of interest, and taking a seat there in the swivel chair, I began to page through and look at photos as well read what was written in the book. Beginning with the tabbed section on cattle, I looked at a picture of a large bull. In generality what was written about him began with a name. The name was not some singular name as given to a pet, but a name as if a personal name; something already did not seem right.
The date there as to when the animal must have arrived here on the farm, and behind that as if a memo some six months later was another date. Dated, 06-11-49 as written, and the name of the bull, he being returned happily to his grateful parents?
Flipping a page there was another photo of a bull, this one looking as if smaller, more compact, all black. Here too another name, a date and then a date of some four years later, along with a note the animal was leased to the Wilson farm for breeding purposes, but by accident they sold it along with the herd serviced, all sent to a feedlot operative and slaughter.
Flipping next page and several more, there was a grouping of bulls, no cows. These bulls were red with white markings, and the photos of them I noted they had in a couple, brass rings poked in the bridge of the bull nostrils. Named bulls on these pages that had ringed noses made odd mention as of the date arrived, but no date when sold.
instead a notation of the implied personality decided as preferable to liking farm life and asked not to ever return home!
Further notations as for this bull there was a complied record of numbers of sired calves, all of the Hereford breed. Paging on and reading about so many animals and their owners, a rare few animals remained with uncle for more than six months. In the section dealing with goats, a pair of them were at the farm but just for a month, and then notated they were reluctantly relinquished back to the donors.
Cattle, Capra, Equine, the breeds and list numbered maybe close to a thousand animals, but so many and seemingly in the past twenty-four years. The oddity of the number of animals being as Uncle Ned was born at the farm owned there by his father, residing as working and since owning it, he was in age some seventy years old. Why all these animal trades and leasing for the more recent and previous years?
Getting up and walking around the room, I took note of some pictures hanging up were of the same animals a named in the big book. I took note of breeds and names previously mentioned near the photo of the animal, had written again as of which harness, halter, bridle, or odd apparatus was primarily used to keep those altered under control. Strange that certain animal pictures were when studied and then compared to the photos that were as well hung on the wall, the larger a framed picture of an animal, defined it as if they were really exceptional or especially dear to the heart of Uncle Ned.
One took special attention, that of a large Hereford red bull, with a tag label placed under the glass, it read, “Norton proud to serve.”
Eyeing closely the photo and so noted the large leather strap hung around the bullish neck, the same strap and bull bell as one setting on a shelf there in the room. Walking to where the neck halter lay next to the brass bell, with some exertion, I did pick it up. Holding up the broad leather strap, it like a collar, thought for a fleeting moment to put it over my shoulders and around the neck to see as feel what it might be like to wearing it.
Walking then back to the desk and plopping into the chair by it, did mumble aloud, "This does not make any sense!"
  indicates the next chapter needs to be written. |
| Members who added to this interactive story also contributed to these: |
<<-- Previous · Outline  · Recent Additions © Copyright 2025 Pony.Mike (UN: pony-mike at Writing.Com). All rights reserved.
rennat45 has granted Writing.Com, its affiliates and syndicates non-exclusive rights to display this work within this interactive story. Poster accepts all responsibility, legal and otherwise, for the content uploaded, submitted to and posted on Writing.Com. |
View Portfolio
Visit Notebook
Send Gift Points
Awards
Badges
Send Email
Community Newsfeed
General Discussion
Sponsored Items
Book of Trinkets
Static Items
Books
Groups
Interactive Stories
Audio
Campfire Creatives
Community Notes
Crossword Puzzles
Documents
Folders
Images
In & Outs
Madlibs
Photo Albums
Polls
Product Reviews
Quizzes
Survey Forms
Web Pages
Word Searches
More by this author