JA Ranch Reunion 2002
Old and new hands with the JA again met in October to celebrate their lives at the JA. Ninia Ritchie again invited everyone into her yard and brought out the chuckwagon to provide a great ranch meal. The main difference in 2002 is that everyone brought their instruments and the music was fantastic. There were numerous guitars, a base fiddle, a washbord, three fiddles, a banjo and two harmonica players.
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The Hollowells man the sign in table. |
Ninia got some heat about the flowers on the Hooligan Wagon, but everyone loved it. |
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Tony Sparks did a great job as President. |
Our hostess--Ninia whatshername |
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| The JA Crew: Rhett Cauble, John Anderson, Ninia Ritchie, then foreman Billy Hollowell, Jay O'Brien, Nick Auker and present foreman, Randall Gates by the restored JA chuckwagon. Powder Horn can be seen below. | Don Ransom said he didn't know a young man could tell such tall tales. |
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| JA chairs were built by JA cowboys and were perfect for using on the hill. |
Bringing in the bisquits behind the fly. |
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| Weston throws a loop. |
A perfect loop floats in the kids roping contest. |
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| Carried away by the music, Truman does a private jig. | |
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| Musicians kept coming until they filled the fly. | Percussion section |
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| Nick Auker and Fish Wilson listen as the band plays. Behind Fish is Kathy Sennholz, German intern at the Swamp, (see her poetry). Fish tells his stories but has been the oldest at the reunion for so long he no longer accepts the award. | Rhett Cauble, Randal Gates, Tony Sparks and Bunk Skeleton prove that that cowhands can play music. |
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| Bobbie Campbell, Buster Shields, Jack Moreman and Mark Fires. | Ruth and Joe Robinson with Oscar and Lily Auker and their prizes. |
 Powder Horn and his family lived at the Davis Camp. |
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