Cowboy Jim Garling

While Oklahoma was experiencing a storm of  ice, sleet, and snow, I was fortunate enough to have a job at the trade show of the National Cattlemen's Beef Association Convention in San Antonio, Texas. My time there was sponsored by Jan Huck of Plain Jan's out of Scott City, Kansas.  Even though the days were long, there were some very nice perks---meeting lots of nice friendly folks, enjoying the town of San Antonio, and jamming with other musicians one evening. Pictured below: Jim Garling, Jamie Parkinson, Jan Huck  -  Second photo:  Jim Garling & Baxter Black.

Christmas is always a fun time of year for music.  Janine Handler and I have been working hard on our Christmas repertoire. We started the Christmas season  with two programs--one at a retirement home and a private party for a local bank.  I'm looking forward to more gigs for the season with the Prairie Drifters, Sons of the Sage, and Janine.

   

     On the fourth Saturday of October every year the City of Wewoka holds their Sorghum Day Festival. I was fortunate enough to be contacted by the Seminole Nation to provide entertainment on the Seminole Nation Museum's stage on the day of the festival. So  Prairie Drifters (myself, Richard Sharp & Janine Handler) had two slots on the program. The weather was perfect; the parade & activities made a special event. We hope to be invited back next year.

      The whole City seems to come out in participation of the day. There was a parade, live entertainment on 2 stages, all kinds of vendors along the main street. The Seminole Nation Museum provided a look back into time with sorghum grinding using horses (or was it mules?), a vendor making home made soap, ladies showing & selling Indian handwork, a stage providing live entertainment and many other activities.

I believe this was my third year at the Western Heritage Weekend in Dewey, Oklahoma, and it has grown to be one of my favorites.  Each year on Saturday of the weekend there is the Tom Mix Festival in downtown Dewey with lots of activites, look-a-likes (Tom Mix, Pawnee Bill, Rooster Cogburn, etc.), gun fights, chuck wagons, stages with entertainers, a bonafide western parade with trick ropers, trick riders, drill team, and new this year, cowboys driving longhorn cattle along the parade route.

Then on Sunday activities at the Prairie Song Ranch east of Dewey begin with chuck wagon breakfast and cowboy church, followed by entertainment--my part, cowboy singing, simultaneous with gunfights and other  western reenactments leading up to the great Wild West Show with authenic bronc riding, wild cow milking, trick roping, trick riding, rodeo clown act, Sky High Angels drill team, and much more. Click on the following link for a slideshow that Doris put together:

http://s211.photobucket.com/albums/bb277/HowdyDG/09%209%20Tom%20Mix%20Fest/?action=view&current=bbf4a29b.pbw

Yes, I'm enjoying time in the mountains.

     August going into September is usually a slow time for my music business--students often are returning from vacations and/or preparing to begin school again.  So what can I do? Take a vacation myself!

     We often go to Platoro, Colorado, so I offered to help out at the Skyline Lodge there and also do performances for the guests on Saturday nights.

    The performance last Saturday was very successful; I will do one more before I leave.