Overseas Tour 2010
Living a Dream – U.S. Tour 2010
Day one, a touristy day in San Francisco, riding the cable car, dinner at Fisherman’s
Wharf. Then a train trip through the Rockies from San Francisco to Denver was
a good way to unwind from the long flight and to see the most awesome scenery – and
animals – imaginable. The first week was taken up with concerts and writing
workshops in the schools (Primary to High) in Colorado. Some shows - the “Pickin’ Parlour” and
at private functions for Rotary, Chamber of Commerce and various business and
professional people in the Denver area. The National Stock Show was on for
two weeks and this was a must go for me. I saw the Ranch Classic – trail
classes and Western Pleasure events and cattle judging on the first visit.
Next time the Stock Dogs were working cattle (sheep dog trial fashion) and
then I got to judge the Chuck Wagon Food and have a sit on a Texas
Longhorn!
Saw Mule teams for the first time and also watched a Six Horse Hitch - sixty
six horses and wagons in the arena at once!
The Arvada Cowboy Poetry Gathering was just phenomenal – brilliant
entertainers, great atmosphere and camaraderie. The main stage was a movie
set! Everything
done so professionally and on a grand scale and the audiences hugely
enthusiastic, particularly about good stuff (not just jokey junk). They just
love our poetry and my first show was thrillingly successful.
The shows from then on were standing
room only and consisted of several ‘themed’ sessions and concerts.
Generally four performers – usually two poets and two singers or a group.
And it was all the Real McCoy. Ranching and horse people - fair dinkum cowboys
in eye popping gear! Jam sessions till 5am with some of the best performers
and musicians in the world. I just loved it all. And the hospitality was unbelievable.
AND the food! (half a stone on but I’m sure it was the just the altitude…)
More gigs seemed to come out of the woodwork while I was there, but still
managed to do all sorts of things. Went on a Ranch Tour (as an entertainer)
and got
to see the cowboys bringing cattle in to yards (right beside me) to ship
to California for the rest of the winter. Had (camp oven) lunch at the
Trail Centre
where the early wagon trains used to go through the gap in the Rockies
to Oregon or California. Met TV star of ‘Wagon Train’ series there (my teenage
hero). Trip to Red Rock, a natural amphitheatre in rocky canyon where John
Denver and the Beatles have performed. Then to see buffalos and to Cheyenne,
Wyoming to the Old Frontier Days Museum (The Deadwood Stage etc.), to Leanin’ Tree
and to Estes Park (had lunch in the Stanley Hotel of “The Shining” starring
Jack Nicholson), went to Ye Old Spaghetti Factory, a restored old saloon – huge
- where the tables were four poster beds. Then to The Buckhorn Exchange, with
420 shot and mounted animal heads on the wall (eek). To ‘Tooties’ which
was like stepping straight into ‘Happy Days’. Also went to Indian
Markets (all indoors) - 240 stalls of beautiful art, sculpture, jewellery etc
with full on shows from Aztec Indians and Kiowa Indians in native costume.
Wow! And shopped, shopped, shopped. (Lucky my CD’s and books sold out!)
So loved the first train trip that several of the performers and I went on the California Zephyr again, to Elko, singing all the way (well, till we nearly got kicked off). Elko, Nevada – and The National Cowboy Poetry Gathering. Can it get any better?? The Western Folklife Centre is the hub of it all with a great long bar where ALL the entertainers socialise before, during and after gigs which are in various locations (main ones in the convention centre) all over town. The who’s who are there. Big names like Baxter Black, Ramblin’ Jack Elliott, Waddi Mitchell. Every show was just great (as were the parties and jam sessions) My main show “Hold Yer Horses!” (yes, believe it or not the name of my new book) was with Jerry Brooks (reciter) Dave Stamey (outstanding singer/songwriter) and our own wonderful Milton Taylor. My poems “Rosie” “Angels on Horseback” and “Tacky Hacky” were hugely popular and there was a standing ovation (I was moved to tears.)
Several themed concerts followed
and the days and nights were ‘jam’ packed. (All up, did sixteen
shows.) I was invited to a ranch out at Spring Creek on the last day where
several of us played music and were treated to yet another fabulous meal. Then,
yes, I went riding in the Rockies – a perfect finish to the trip,
and the month, of a lifetime.