Compiled by Betty Story

Cuckleburr the burro, Cuchara’s unofficial mascot for nearly 30 years, arrived at the Jameson ranch, Yellow Pine, in 1962 at the age of 2 weeks. There he was patiently raised on a bottle by the family. The Jameson children experiencing difficulty saying “burro”, referred to him as burr-burr. Dick and Shirley, taking their cue from the children, decided the Cuckleburr, (an irritating plant with and irritating seed pod) would be an appropriate title for their interesting new critter. That he lived up to his name can be attested to by many, many Cucharans who have encountered Cuckleburr in one way or another.

Many have heard about Cuckleburrs’s ability to unlatch gates and barn doors which allowed him the freedom to become better acquainted with the valley residents on his day and nighttime wanderings. But you may not be aware of the full scope of his talents. Dick tells, for example, of Cuckleburr’s penchant for turning on the yard sprinklers in order to drink his fill. And then, as Dick tells it, during heifer calving season, Dick would often be surprised, when going out to the barn to check on things, to find the barn lights on. One night he decided to try to account for this. He stationed himself, in the dark, in an expectant heifer’s stall. Soon, to his astonishment, here came Cuckleburr-lifting the strap on the gate, nosing up the latch on the door, and using his head, pushing up the light switch and then proceeding to a stall for a late night, but well-lighted snack of sweet hay. Wryly, Dick notes, Cuckleburr’s talents did not extend to turning off lights or sprinkers or closing barndoors or gates. Neither did he return home from his wanderings, usually, without out encouragement or guidance. The only time the Jamesons can recall Cuckleburr making it home on his own, and with great dispatch at that, was following a visit to the then resident manager Lynn Shank’s house where he consumed some jalapeno peppers drying on the front porch.

What Cuckleburr ingested and lived to bray about has become part of his legend. Shirley tells about his liking to eat/chew tobacco. She suspects Albert Jameson of introducing the substance to Cuckleburr. She also remembers the time the burro gulped down a quantity of antifreeze without any apparent after-effects. Strongest of all his appetites, perhaps, at least it seemed so to Vern and Betty Story, was his desire to bite great chunks out of the window sills of their then Pinehaven home during late-night stomps across the deck.

It was obvious to al concerned that, with the change of ownership of the ranch from the Jamesons to the Evans, Cuckleburr went with the territory. Mary Webb relates that the Jamesons did, however, issue several warnings about Cuckleburr’s rather unpredictable habits and suggested that the Evans kids might do well to “leave him alone”. It was a bit of a shock , then when Mary, looking out of the window of Log-a-Vista where the family was staying during the rebuilding of the “big house”, to see Barrett fearlessly slip a rope over Cuckleburr’s head, leap astride him, and calmly ride off to the store to fetch some cold pop.

Cuckleburr loved to go “downtown.” Mary remembers the day the Chuck Wagon restaurant (located where the Timber restaurant is now) opened with a gala celebration. Always ready to be a part of any social gathering, Cuckleburr proceeded  around the premises, sticking his head in every open window, braying a toothy and wide-mouthed welcome to all the somewhat startled and bemused diners. Frequently, he could be seen sticking his head into open car windows as well. He particularly enjoyed giving a hee-haw hi to any canines within who usually responded frantically. Standing cross-wise in the door-way of the Cuchara Country Store was another favorite pastime much to the consternation of the Baldwins.

Dave and Diane Baldwin have had many encounters with Cuckleburr. One that comes quickly to mind is the time there were four-wheeling on the Yellow Pine Ranch looking for a Christmas tree. Cuckleburr followed the truck and when it got stuck in the snow, encouraged the occupants to continue their search on foot by nipping at their backsides as they slogged through the snowdrifts.

All of the foregoing tales were related verbally to Betty Story who has attempted to write them down for your enjoyment. Others have told their tales in their own words and they follow for your reading pleasure:

Reg and Maxine Farber, Cuchara

We discovered several years ago that Cuckleburr was a music lover. Before Reg and I built our house, we stayed at Yellow Pine Ranch and Reg would  always bring his horn along so that he could keep in practice. One day, he was tooting away in the picture window in Lazy Days, when who should appear but Cuckleburr with his nose practically pressed against the window and listening intently. He kept pressing closer and, for fear he would lean on the window, Reg shooed him off. In a short time we heard a noise at the back door and there was Cuckleburr listening again, not wanting to be denied his enjoyment of music

We also enjoyed staying in a cabin facing Wanda’s garden, Meadow View. Often Cuckleburr would yearn for a different diet then pasture grass and would head for the Garden. We spent many enjoyable minutes watching him carefully lift the leather strap from over the fence post with his nose, open the gate a proceed to chow down on lettuce, turnip tops, and whatever other greenery he fancied.

One day Reg and I were heading for La Veta and there was Cuckleburr right in the middle of the highway.  We thought of going back and telling Dick but Reg finally settled on a better way to get him back home. He hung his head out the window and hee-hawed, sounding exactly like Cuckleburr, and, sure enough, the burro turned around and followed us back up the hill, he and Reg hee-hawing in concert. Some of the passers-by are probably still wondering what was going on as they passed by a car followed by a donkey and apparently being driven by another donkey.

Marion Lampe, Edwardsville, Illinois

I remember this heavy head on my shoulder as he sneaked up behind me, and then laughed at my surprise. What a character!

 Suzanne and Bruce Johnson, Atlanta, GA

One summer day in 1964 Cuckleburr wandered down to Beaver Bend. He found Suzanne and Bruce Johnson playing in the picnic area behind their cabin. Now in 1964 Suzanne was 10 years old and Bruce was just 7.. When Cuckleburr arrived, Suzanne and Bruce ran to tell their parents, Harold and Catherine, and grandmother, Vicki Johnson that Cuckleburr had come for a visit. Well, Cuckleburr, in his frisky youth, thought Suzanne and Bruce were running to play with him-so off he ran in a delightful game of chase! Suzanne and Bruce were startled when Cuckleburr began to run after them-quickly catching up with them! As the screaming children rounded the corner of the cabin to the front door, their parents and Grandma Vic jumped up from the table to investigate all the commotion. Suzanne and Bruce flew through the doorway with Cuckleburr in hot pursuit. Cuckleburr made it halfway into the house before he was greeted with Harold’s strong arms-Cuckleburr retreated to the porch and mournfully looked through the window wondering why the Johnson’s wouldn’t let him in for lunch.

Bill Williams, Stockton, CA

Cuckleburr always know he was the true aristocrat of this community but he also loved to socialize (totally his terms) and rarely by appointment. He often appeared on our front porch and clearing became miffed when we chatted only briefly and did not invite him in. My sister (Betty Story) and enjoyed offering, nervously, bunches of grass when he came to the roadside fence.  We made certain the bunches were quite long, and he accepted them though with mild condescension.

Our mother’s best friend, Lola Bronson of Denver was an avid and expert fisherwoman who loved the entire fishing experience including the complete costume with the all important waders. This proved most fortunate on the occasion she was fishing stream side along the Jameson meadow and suddenly found herself seated with a great splash in the Cuchara shallows. She had been firmly nudged or nosed into the river by Cuckleburr whom she had neither heard or seen. When she did discover him, his expression did not indicate any motive. She was never certain whether he was protecting his territory, annoyed at her failure to recognize him, or urging her on to more adventurous fishing.

Wanda Davis, Wichita Falls, TX

One late evening when our daughters were small, we were walking up Eddy Acres (Hill Road).  Gene, my husband, had asked us not to go up there as some people had been feeding the bears. We were laughing and discussing bears hoping  we could see one. Almost instantly, we heard this rustling of leaves and a noise behind us. I cautioned the girls to be quiet. We stopped and listened. The noise stopped. Should we run, walk backwards, or play dead? While in this dilemma we heard a “snort.” Looking through some bushes we saw a flash of greyish hide. This was probably the best that Cuckleburr looked to us.

Gene Davis, Wichita Falls ,TX

Cuckleburr-the Fumes Sniffer

 A number of years ago we had our first encounter with Cuckleburr. Some friends of ours from Wichita Falls were building a cabin in Pinehaven. One day, while my wife and I were “supervising” the construction project, we noticed Cuckleburr following their jeep with his head down. I said something to the friend about it and he told me Cuckleburr followed his jeep or pick-up whenever he had the chance—he loved to sniff the exhaust fumes!! Maybe this accounts for some of Cuckleburr’s idiosyncrasies.

Troh Robinson, Dodge City, KS

Years ago it was the practice of the Jameson’s to turn Cuckleburr loose in the fall after most people were gone. We were here late to watch our house being built. 

One day, before the doors were on, were in the bedroom area and heard this horrible noise. This sounded like a sick elephant. Upon going to investigate, there stood Cuckleburr, braying, in the middle of our living room of our new home.

It took a took a couple of good whacks across the rear end to get hm to exit out the way he had come in. This was in the late Fall of 1972.

This same Fall, we watched Cuckleburr try to be friendly to a lady. This occurred in the front of the Cuchara Country Store. She was scared silly of him. He would try to put his head on her shoulder. She was trying to run from him, but she could not go fast enough. Finally he was distracted by some other noise. The last we saw of the lady, she was headed down the hill-towards La Veta.

It is hoped that you have relished these tales. Add them to your own or other you’ve heard for re-telling so that the legend of Cuckleburr will continue to add to the uniqueness of this place called CUCHARA

THIS WAS COMPILED AND WRITTEN BY BETTY STORY