July 10, 2020 - Ranch Girls, Rough stock Years: Lyn Goffaux Remembers 1950’s Canyon Roundup Life

In this vivid continuation of her life story, Lyn Goffaux invites listeners back to the year 1950, a season she remembers as one of the busiest and most unforgettable on the ranch. She recalls how, after the quiet war years, the dude ranch filled up again with guests, survey crews, and bus tours from Chicago, all converging on the wide open country around Sunlight and Yellowstone.Lyn paints a rich picture of long days and late nights as her family scrambled to keep up with the crowd: men hired to survey land for a future lake, sheep wagons parked across the river, new gas pumps going in, and a big shed built so bus tours could stop for a panoramic view and a hot meal. Her father adds a second bathroom—an unimaginable luxury—and tent houses go up for the young survey crew, while her grandmother settles in and quietly holds her own amid the chaos.Horses are at the center of everything. Lyn shares intimate stories from the saddle: riding a mare named Gypsy who loved to buck her off whenever the kids begged to go faster, the relief of switching to steady Shoepick on a friend’s advice, and the careful way a seasoned horse named Goldie took care of inexperienced riders. Summer days are filled with taking “dudes” out, watching younger kids push the limits, and learning, at just thirteen or fourteen, what it means to be trusted with real responsibility on a working ranch.The human relationships are just as compelling. Lyn remembers Jane returning as a teenager suddenly interested in boys, the easy companionship of her friends Claudette, Pokey, and Francis, and the visiting schoolteacher who became part of the family. She describes the thrill of evenings with live music when young men from the survey camp came back, bringing fiddles and guitars for square dances that left the floor scuffed and her mother protesting about all the extra mopping and waxing.In one of the episode’s most charming threads, Lyn tells of the Canyon Roundup, her grandmother’s chosen name for the viewing spot where bus tourists were treated to horseback demonstrations, sweeping views, and meals served at long tables. Young Lyn leads riders through the gate, galloping up and down the pasture as little Pokey scrambles up on her horse, then stands behind Lyn on a galloping mount, clinging to her shoulders in a display that never failed to delight onlookers. Inside the shed, they serve hot rolls with honey—never jam, as one short‑lived experiment proved when guests insisted on what they had been promised.Yet the story is not all romance and nostalgia. Lyn also steps into the tension of life after the “big year,” when money is tight and help is scarce. She recalls being left in charge of the ranch’s small hydroelectric plant, carefully oiling the brushes and scrambling for replacements when the lights flicker. She recounts a conflict with a hired man who imagines himself the foreman and nearly sends a cow, Jenny, to town—until Claudette’s sharp eye notices that the cow’s bag is filling. When Jenny finally calves, Lyn names the dark brown, white‑faced calf “Claud” in honor of her observant friend.A simple act—Lyn offering the calf water without asking permission—pushes the proud hired man to quit, furious at the idea of being “bossed” by a 14‑year‑old girl. Lyn’s matter‑of‑fact telling reveals both the absurdity of the situation and her growing sense of competence, as she takes on milking cows and more of the hard work without complaint.Threaded through these ranch memories are hints of later trials and enduring loyalty: her mother Ally’s long absence for surgery back East, letters written from school that pull Ally home again, and Lyn’s own health struggles with a stroke and a broken elbow that affected her speech and memory. She speaks honestly about recovery and about lifelong friendships with Claudette, Pokey, and Francis that have endured across decades and miles.