Part 2 of 7

Chapter 4
As was mentioned before, when you live miles from nowhere you have to make your own entertainment on those long winter evenings or slow summer days when nothing else demands your attention.

Ruth found pleasure in knitting, but preferred to make her own yarn from the small flock of Merino sheep she kept in addition to the usual meat and wool-producing variety. The wool from the Merino breed is particularly prized for its softness and luxurious feel when made into clothing.

It takes a lot of work to get the wool off the sheep and finally turn it into something to wear. Shear it, then wash it because the little critters do run around in the dirt, you know. They get just as filthy as any small child playing in the dirt. Sometimes as much as half the weight of shorn wool is dirt and lanolin naturally produced by the sheep that has to be washed away.

Then the wool is picked and carded, which lines up the fibers. If you want colored yarn you have to dye the wool, and there are many vegetable and synthetic dyes to do the job, but it gets messy. Finally it's ready to spin into yarn.

Most people will have a picture in their heads of a pretty young girl sitting at a spinning wheel (remember Sleeping Beauty and pricking her finger on a spindle?) but modern spinners use a compact, electric powered spinner that sits on a small table. Ruth found great satisfaction spinning the wool from her sheep as she sat with the family in the evening, then knitting beautiful and unique garments for her girls.

While she worked she hummed and sang tunes that her own mother sang and gradually, as the girls got older, they began to sing with her.

Without quite knowing it, by the time Rosie Ann was five or so, Ruth's seven daughters were sounding pretty good when they sang together. Raina, the second youngest, emerged as the group leader and spent time on You-Tube finding songs that struck her fancy and teaching them to her sisters. Their repertoire of music would cause many heads to shake in its breadth and disregard for Texas traditions.

Father Travis took the role of audience, opining that it was a good thing they didn't have a farm pond too close to the house or the frogs in it would be better singers than he was.

So it was when Rosie Ann was five, the County Fair rolled around and the family made their usual pilgrimage. The older girls had 4-H projects on display, Ruth had a knitting project made from their own sheep and dyed with natural colors from their land, hand knitted in the evening hours while supervising the girls' homework. Yes, they had homework, even if the school was their home. Mom and Gabby needed a rest sometime!

They made quite a sight as they entered the fairgrounds, Mom and her seven daughters in matching dresses that she and the older girls had made themselves and Dad in a Western shirt of the same material; many heads turned as they made their way through all the exhibits. Taking a break for ice cream, it was eleven-year-old Raina that spotted a sign-up sheet for an open mike at one of the outdoor stages at 4 PM that afternoon.

Raina got all excited and insisted that the Magnificent Seven should sign up to do their two songs right now before anyone else takes all the spots!

Twelve-year-old Ramona, perilously close to the teenage years where everything was embarrassing, wasn't sure she wanted to sing in public, but the rest of the crew liked the idea. With some soothing words from Mom and Dad, Ramona acquiesced and they found their way to the stage and signed up.

Five-year-old Rosie Ann wasn't really sure what was happening, but her sisters were excited so she got excited, too. She really liked singing with her sisters.

There were still several hours before the show, so a pass through the midway and a few rides were in order, then more exhibits. Mom and Dad were determined to keep their brood focused on the more agricultural (and less expensive) parts of the fair.

The argument about just what to sing lasted all the way to the midway, with the girls finally settling on The Yellow Rose of Texas for a traditional number. Rosie Ann particularly liked that one because she got a solo. For something more modern, their version of Pentatonix' Sing made the cut.

With that settled, the family split up and the parents proceeded to once again warn their brood that no one wins at the games on the midway. The Gods of Irony must have been listening, because Rosie Ann came back lugging a teddy bear bigger than she was, and Rhoda had a plastic bag with a goldfish swimming in it.

Just what the heck were they supposed to do with that fool goldfish while they rode the rides and then had their five minutes of fame on stage? Fortunately, Jake's Tractor Supply had a booth in one of the show halls, so Travis prevailed on his friend to guard Goldie and Teddie with his life until their owners could return for them.

It pays to have friends.
 

Each girl was given a pile of tickets and solemnly warned that when they were gone, they were gone. Travis guided the younger set to the more sedate rides while Ruth rode the Ferris wheel and the Wild Mouse with the older set. Travis had long ago learned that whirling and twisting rides and his stomach did not get along. Even the teacup ride could be upsetting with a child who insisted on reversing directions frequently and erratically.

The anguished cries of 'just one more!' were eventually extinguished with the advice that they needed to start over to the stage if the Magnificent Seven were to perform today. This started a mad rush in that general direction while Mom and Dad prayed (sometimes religion is a help) that they wouldn't lose any of their little chicks before they found the stage.

When the first burst of speed waned, Dad asked if they just might want to find a quiet corner and run through their songs before taking to the stage. Nobody had thought of that in their excitement, so they found a quiet corner to practice.

Ramona, as the oldest, signed the group in and they all took seats in the audience. Someone had done some strategic thinking and placed the stage near the picnic tables and the food booths so that there would usually be someone besides friends and family at the open mike. The older girls were impressed by the three boys that were on stage when they arrived, although whether they were praising their talent or their looks Ruth carefully didn't inquire.

A yodeler, a kid with a guitar and a harpist did their thing and then it was showtime for the Magnificent Seven.

To say that the seven cute girls in matching dresses attracted some attention would be understatement. They automatically lined up in order of height (which still made Roxy annoyed because her younger sister Rhoda was an inch taller) and smiled when the MC introduced them all by name in his show-biz voice and presented the Magnificent Seven.

Of course being a county fair in Texas, no one was surprised to hear the praises of the Yellow Rose, but in seven-part harmony it commanded attention. When little Rosie Ann did her solo verse in her sweet soprano she got an enthusiastic ovation and the girls were flying high when they finished their song. A short conference and Raina (Ramona, the eldest, was too shy) announced they would do Pentatonix' Sing. This got some shouts from the teens in the audience and some blank looks from the older crowd. Pentatonix is not a group played in your average Cowboy Bar in Texas, nor is the semi-hip-hop Sing.

The music may have been strange to some, but the girls clapping and bopping to the beat were visually arresting and their harmonies, crafted at night when their Internet time was cut off, were striking. Some purists might have opined that they needed a bass line in there, but such a Philistine would be hurriedly hushed. The girls were a hit.

By the time the family arrived back on the ranch, the girls were soundly asleep. With Rosie Ann's arms encircling Teddie and Rhoda clutching her goldfish, Travis and Ruth looked at their brood sleeping innocently in the van and once again knew that raising a family was one of the highest callings on this earth.
 

Chapter 5
Sunday morning dawned after the Saturday spent at the fair, and the Magnificent Seven could be more properly be called the Delinquent Seven. No matter how much fun they had the day before, the ranch work was still there waiting for the girls. Rosie Ann fed the chickens and gathered the eggs, Rita and Rhoda fed the goats, Roslyn and Roxy fed the pigs and Ramona and Raina mucked out their horse's stalls. Ruth and Gabby made breakfast and Travis consulted with the hands about the day's work.

With the chores finished, they all got dressed in their best and headed for church. Raina, who dreamed of stardom, was particularly down that the Good Fairy, or at least a Hollywood Agent, hadn't come by to bring them all fame and fortune after their singing debut.

Rosie Ann and Rita did fall asleep during the service, but being the youngest that was excusable. The other girls sang their hearts out on the hymns, dreaming of being on stage one more time to the applause of thousands of fans.

As it turned out, the Magnificent Seven had one True Fan in the congregation. Good 'ole Jake, that stalwart Teddie watcher, had been impressed and made sure to let Preacher Tim know he had a choir of angels in his flock at the social hour after the service.

This brought a gaggle of giggles from the girls, who immediately went into shy mode at the unexpected praise. Well, all except Rosie Ann, who was too busy sneaking another cookie to be paying any attention to the man talking to her parents.

Preacher Tim was impressed, he knew the girls sang very well during the service but hadn't realized they sang together for fun. Raina, deciding that Preacher Tim would do in the absence of a Hollywood talent scout, convinced her sisters to sing the Yellow Rose for him to prove their talent.

With some encouragement and persuasion from Mom and Dad, they lined up and sang, bringing the social hour to an abrupt stop. Once again Rosie Ann's sweet soprano brought the house down. Hey, if Michael Jackson could do it as a little kid, why couldn't Rosie Ann? For that matter, with the feminization of Michael Jackson as he grew older, there might be more than a casual connection here.

The girls basked in the glory of a second fifteen minutes of fame and Preacher Tim invited them to sing for the service next Sunday. What he carefully didn't say was the choir in his small church was pitiful at best and some real harmony would be a welcome addition to the service. He gave them a hymnal to take home and said he would call to tell them what hymn he was interested in.

There's nothing like a little praise to give a kick start to a project, and the girls suddenly found that singing together was more than a way to pass the time of an evening. Preacher Tim, who was a closet bluegrass fan, wanted to start with The Little Old Church By Side Of The Road, since he was preaching in a little old church by the road. So OK, it wasn't a hymn from the hymnal but he included a link to You-Tube with the Dry Branch Fire Squad version. Hey - even the Baptists can use modern technology when they want to.

When everyone had finished laughing at Ron Thomason's monologue, the girls were itching to work out parts for the song with the help of their parents. The complex harmonies and oversinging of the lines were a greater challenge than they had had to date, but they were sure they could figure out how to do it.

It took some work, but they were sounding pretty good by the time the next Sunday rolled around. Ruth and Travis eased back on the schoolwork as the girls were working hard to come up with harmonies as good as they heard on the computer.

It might sound strange to say it, but they were a hit at church. Over the next few weeks the girls were asked to sing at the Grange meeting and even the Odd Fellows meeting. Not exactly Carnegie Hall, but they were getting a local reputation.

The fame, such as it was, did not go to their heads as the work and chores around the ranch were still waiting to be done and school work was not to be put off indefinitely. Music became just one more thing that the family did together.
 

Chapter 6
Time passes as it always does, and the following year brought a letter from the County Fair Association the next spring. It contained a formal request for the Magnificent Seven to perform two half-hour shows on the main stage. Since the letter was addressed to The Magnificent Seven, Raina tore it open and started screaming when she read the contents.

Naturally this brought the rest of the family and she handed the letter to Ramona who also started screaming. Pandemonium reigned until Ruth snagged the letter and read it herself. She was too mature to start screaming, but her smile was a mile wide. "Ladies," she announced, "you have been invited to sing at the county fair - and they want to pay you for it!"

Travis looked up from the project he was working on at the sound of a hoard of children streaming toward him. Glad cries of "Daddy! Daddy, guess what!" told him that good news was impending, but just what could be so exciting that his entire family were running and skipping merrily toward him?

"Read it, Daddy!" commanded Raina, who had emerged as the leader of the Magnificent Seven. He read it and replied "Well, I do believe you girls have hit the Big Time!" You're going to have to learn lots of new songs so you can have some choice when you perform. If you're getting paid you want to be sure you can do the job right."

"Of course we'll do it right, Daddy," scoffed Roslyn. "We're going to be famous!"
 

That evening, Ruth hit Travis with the famous line: "We have to talk."

"We do, eh?"

"Yes we do. Remember when you started planting kids in me we decided to put off what to do with them around high school age?"

"I remember the planting quite well."

"You would. You still do a pretty good job of planting even if you don't have live seeds any more, but you're trying to get me distracted."

"Darn! I suppose that means we have to start thinking of sending Ramona to high school in the fall."

"Got it in one, partner. I'm about at the limit of my home-school teaching abilities and so is Gabby, especially since Ramona seems determined to become a doctor. Ramona and Cindy are going to need some formal education if they want to go to college, and then there's medical school."

"I suppose the 'three R's aren't Ropin', Ridin' and 'Rithmatic?"

"Not even if you include Ranchin' in there."

"You talked to Ramona about school?"

"Some, I think she realizes it's time to make a change, but she's not so sure about spending all day in a school with people she doesn't know."

"Can't say I blame her, but it has to happen sometime. I've also noticed she's noticing the ranch hands these days."

"Well, she is thirteen."

"Guess I'm going to have to put new batteries in the cattle prod to keep the boys away."

"Smartass. Let the girl have her fun."

"As long as the boys don't have too much fun."

"You've seen that girl take down a calf in nine seconds. Any boy who get's fresh may find himself hogtied."

"Our girls do have minds of their own, don't they?"

"That they do. Speaking of our girls…"

"Rosie Ann?"

"Rosie Ann. Pretty clear it's not a phase or going to go away, isn't it."

"She's a girl despite what the doctor said when he spanked her bottom."

"I think it's time to talk to the doctor again, don't you?"

"I suppose you're right. I suppose we need to find out if our so-called health insurance covers anything like this."

"We just sign over a couple of the oil wells to them and it may cover the expenses."

"Damn good thing there's oil on our land or we couldn't afford to run the place. Disgusting that a rancher or a farmer can't make a living from ranching or farming these days."

"Just be glad you don't have to go into town to work every day to support your ranching habit like so many of our neighbors."

"Think you can find time to call the doc tomorrow? We've got to move the herd to the new pasture so I'll be gone all day."

"Just like a man - leave the phone calls to the woman."

"You do communication so much better, honey."

"Screw you, buster!"

"Now that's not such a bad idea, is it…"
 

With only a slight bit of annoyance, Ruth called the pediatrician on Monday and got an appointment for Rosie Ann and a consultation with the doctor.

The pediatrician was a young man who grew up in the Big City and was as familiar with gender dysphoria as any non-specialist could be these days. He had come to this rural practice when a program offered to reduce his enormous load of student debt and had found he loved living and working in the country.

The doctor's opinion: Rosie Ann was a normal, healthy well, adjusted girl of almost seven, who didn't seem to be bothered in the slightest by the tackle between her legs. If nothing much changes, don't worry until she's somewhere around nine or ten and puberty starts to get a bit closer. Then, if she still considers herself a girl, it would be time to see a specialist.

Throughout the consultation, the doctor used the feminine pronouns that Rosy Ann preferred, having watched her grow up in a loving family with no sign of problems.

Travis and Ruth were relieved that there didn't seem to be a medical problem, but still worried about what would happen as Rosie Ann continued to mature. Rosie Ann was just glad to get back home so she could play with her sisters and friends.