Tuesday, March 25, 2014

Come on a journey on my train of thought

Apart from Carry On films I watched a lot of cowboy programmes in my youth. I was thinking about this when I was wandering through Clyne Gardens. For some reason I don't recall I'd just made the oo-oo oo-oo  noise usually associated with creepy films but today, in my head, it turned into the theme from Rawhide.


Most of the television shows I remember were cowboys and I was wondering why there were so many of them. I suppose because most were made in America and cowboys were American history. So there was the Lone Ranger, Laramie, The Virginian, Rawhide (Rowdy Yates), Wagon Train, Bonanza (Little Joe), and later the High Chaparral (Manolo{?} was my favourite over Blue) and even later, jumping on the Butch Cassidy bandwagon, Alias Smith and Jones. I'm sure I must have forgotten some; what do you remember?

From there my mind leapt to whittling. I have to do some whittling later on and when I made my first attempt a couple of weeks ago, I found it a lot harder than I expected. Possibly because I had a rubbish knife and I was petrified of cutting my finger off. 

When I was in grammar school at about the age of 13 I had the chance to learn basic first aid in the lunch-hour. My friends signed up for it so I did too. I got through the first lesson okay but then the second week the teacher, a Russian named Mrs Staples, asked what we thought was the most common injury for butchers. It turned out to be cutting open the artery in their leg with their meat cleaver. 

That was enough for me. I was on the floor before you could say, 'You look pale, Liz; are you feeling faint?'

Afterwards Mrs Staples encouraged me with Slavic stoicism to keep coming to class and fight it. But I didn't. I knew she only wanted me as a living model for her 'what to do when someone faints' class. And I've been fainting ever since.

The people around me always seem more concerned than I am when I faint. But it's not a big deal. Not that pre-faint isn't horrible. Both the feeling and the panic: should I make a fuss now or will it go away or should I embarrass myself by asking to lie down or ... oh oh, too late, booomph. 

I don't think the pet cemetery in Clyne was what made me go oo-oo oo-oo. Isn't it annoying when you can't remember stuff?

Fallen rhododendron blossom
P.S. Bronco. I can't believe I forgot Bronco Laine!

6 comments:

Furtheron said...

High Chaparral - I remember that and Bonanza, The Verginian... flipping heck loads of memories coming back now.

Katney said...

We watch Gunsmoke and Bonanza reruns almost every day.

Anonymous said...

I 'watched' cowboys and Indians & Dr Who from behind the studio couch (bed settee to you & me now).
Severe pain makes me faint and that's been a lot in the past year so I empathise. Knowing it is happening ...hoping it won't ...oops, here we go ...oh, where was I? Horrid!
Hope you still have 8 fingers ...and two thumbs, Liz xx

Leslie: said...

I remember watching Gunsmoke, Bonanza, The Lone Ranger, Have Gun Will Travel, and the one with the kid...can't remember its name.

Rose said...

I watched all those Westerns when I was young, too, probably because there wasn't much else on TV. Husband still likes to watch the old Western movies , but they seem so dated to me now I can't watch. I can't remember what I did five minutes ago, but I can still hear the theme to "Rawhide" in my head:)

Liz Hinds said...

They were great shows, furtheron.

We don't have that option here, katney.

Oh remember those divans, Shirl? Horrid uncomfortable old things. I'd forgotten those.

Don't know Have Gun Will Travel, leslie.

Some of the old movies are good though, rose. I can still enjoy Rio Bravo for example.