The military career of Robert Gordon Scribner, my father, was the subject one of my early blogs [Awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, posted in May of 2020]. He retired from the U.S. Marine Corps in 1963 after a successful career in aviation with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel, and while he was still in his early 40’s. He could see that his flying days were coming to an end. He always said that he retired because he did not really want a desk job.
While stationed at his last assignment in Yuma, Arizona, my parents invested in a ranch in Deming, New Mexico, the Palomas Ranch, and horses started to become a part of our life. According to Dad, when he was young his parents wanted him to become an engineer like his father. He was more interested in becoming a veterinarian; however neither of those career choices came to fruition. Dad went to Virginia Polytechnic Institute in June 1942 to begin studying engineering, and before year end he left to join the Navy V-5 program for pilot training to become an aviator.
Both of my parents were great readers, and had an active mind for continuing education as a lifelong interest. Dad was a huge proponent of adult education and took numerous classes while in the military on animal husbandry, and the kind of skills that a rancher would need like welding, machinery repair and construction. Soil & water conservation was also of great interest to Dad.
With over 20 years in military service, my parents made the decision for Dad to retire in 1963. Before he retired, Mom & Dad looked for property suitable for a small ranch with horses and cattle. One location that they liked was the area around Ruidoso, New Mexico which we had visited a couple of times on vacations when he was stationed in Albuquerque, New Mexico. It was cooler than Arizona and a couple of us children with asthma did well in the mountain air – we were five children by the time Dad retired. No more military life for this family or moving every two years.
Growing up on a rural property has its advantages and disadvantages. As a child there was a lack of nearby friends and playmates. We were at the end of the line for the school bus which meant that we started early and got home late. And we all rode that darned school bus until graduation day! While some of our friends had cars in high school, we were never conveniently located to catch a ride with anyone. Our parents allowed us to drive the family car into town to run errands or attend school functions, but not on a daily basis to attend school.
I remember so many special times like taking the toboggan out in the snow during the holidays to find a perfect Christmas tree to bring back to our home, dragging us on the toboggan behind a horse for fun, learning to drive on rural roads and taking the car into the pasture so we could drive fast in tight circles, called “donuts” and feel how to handle a car that is out of control, staying up late at night to watch the birth of a new foal, seeing deer and turkey out the windows of our home, and wandering around the woods beneath the house and down to Eagle Creek, a lovely clear mountain stream that bordered our property on one side.
High Mesa Ranch was mostly pasture land on the mesa top
and the wooded acreage down three sides of the mesa. The ranch was 2 sections of land, a total of
1,280 acres. The pastures were planted
in winter wheat for grazing. The front
section on top of the mesa had an old farmhouse, barn and orchard on the
property when our family purchased it, and for many years it was used as a home
for a ranch foreman and their family. The
back section of our land was called the School Section and it was mostly wooded
until a forest fire in 1967 took out many of the trees, and almost reached our
home.
The ranch operation was predominately the raising of Brangus cattle for sale, and breeding and raising horses. There were two stud horses on the ranch with more than a dozen brood mares at one time.
The horse stables that were built had 20 stalls, each stall with its own 14’ x 80’ run, and three hay or straw lofts in the middle section along with an office, tack and grain room, and a foaling stall. There was a small bunkhouse with a window looking into the foaling stall. They also built a 3/8 mile training track in front of the stables with a four-horse starting gate – and a tongue-in-cheek sign that read High Mesa Downs.
One interesting aspect about the horse stables is that my parents built it with a significant water conservation feature. The stables building was 375 feet long. Rain water was collected from the metal roof with rain gutters and directed into an 18,000 gallon cistern. The rain water was then pumped out of the cistern and available to supply all of the water for the horses, the horse showers, bunk room and other needs.
Additional ranch income came from boarding and exercising race horses that were coming to the Ruidoso Downs Race Track prior to the start of race season or for resting and rehabilitation when needed. The horses were prepared for the upcoming race season with regular workouts so that they could get acclimated to the higher altitude. There was also a lot of the initial breaking and training of 2-year-old race horses from first saddle to gate training.
Mom & Dad even had a few horses that raced at the track in Ruidoso Downs, but in the end it wasn’t a profitable endeavor. Our jockey colors were scarlet and yellow. I remember thinking that a day at the track was pretty boring. The race would certainly be exciting, but it would only last a couple of minutes, and then there would be a very long 30-45 minute wait for the next race. Everyone was busy during that time getting drinks or food and placing bets, but I would just bring a book and read to pass the time.
After the children were grown, my parents often traveled. They went on trips with a group called the New Mexico Amigos who were business men and women that promoted New Mexico to businesses. They developed a keen interest in art and were supporters of local artists and southwestern art. Needlepoint conventions were also on their list of fun things to do – Dad was a great needlepointer and won several ribbons at these events. When I was about college age I came home with a needlepoint project and brought one for Mom to do as she always enjoyed craft projects as well. And then before I knew it, Dad was needlepointing! He found needlepoint to be a great pastime while watching football games or TV. For a couple of years, it was a family secret and he would put it away if anyone came over. In the end, he took great pride in his needlepoint projects which were finely executed and often became special gifts for family.
My folks also traveled worldwide with trips to Spain and Egypt. And they enjoyed many extended vacations in Mexico until Mom’s health began to decline. New Mexico was home to my parents for much of their long life together. Dad died on January 26, 2006 from heart failure, and Mom died only 2 days later on January 28, 2006 after years of dementia or Alzheimer’s and loving home care from Dad. Bob & Ann were partners in life and they left this world together as well.
Mom & Dad had 5 children, 8 grandchildren, and now a growing
number of great grandchildren to carry on their legacy.
Note: Grandchild, Shane Scribner, not in this photo.
* * * * *
Notes:
While this blog is mostly about my Dad; my Mom and I were very
close, and I plan to make her the subject of my next blog post.
Key Individuals:
Robert Gordon
Scribner (1923 – 2006)
Ann Hart Hughes Scribner (1921 – 2006)
- Jane
Scribner McCrary
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