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LITTLE MORE VIDEO

Here’s a short video of our recent trip to the Cowboy Poetry Gathering in Elko, Nevada

NATIONAL COWBOY POETRY GATHERING

Some years ago, we were in Durango, Colorado on one of our RV trips.  While walking around in the downtown area, we discovered that at the local theater there was a cowboy poetry recital.....and it was free.  Since it was in our price range we figured, Why Not?  I don't know it if was comedy night or what, but we heard some of the funnest poetry we had ever heard.  We laughed so hard, our sides hurt.

Some years later we discovered that each year in Elko, Nevada is held the National Cowboy Poetry Gathering We told ourselves that someday we would have to go and check it out.  Well finally after about 10 years, the time had arrived.  We discovered that the gathering is held in the dead of winter as that is when most cowboys get time off.  I should add, that most of the poets and the attendees are real working cowboys, either working on a ranch or owning one.  Sponsored by the Western Folklife Center in Elko, it draws people from all over the US and Canada.  Much like any professional conference it covers a week and each day there are different sessions or shows you can go to.  Most sessions are included in the cost of the conference, but there are others that are ticketed shows.  By joining the Folklife Center we were able to get a reduced rate for the conference, free entrance to some of ticketed shows as well as first crack at tickets for the other ticketed shows.  Some are quite popular and sell out fast.

As flights to Elko are few and far between, we opted to drive.  With a stop in Tonopah, NV we took two days getting there.  Out stay in Tonopah was at the Mizpah Hotel. Built in 1907, it is said that the hotel is haunted by numerous ghosts. We were given a room on the fifth floor, where back in the day, a woman dressed in red was murdered by her lover.  Guests have reported the chandeliers swaying and at times finding pearls left on the the their nightstand by the deceased woman in red. No such luck for us.

We arrived in Elko in the early afternoon, checked into our hotel and then headed to the convention center.  We checked in, picked up the schedule and decided what to do first.  Now there are lot of choices that don't include poetry, like workshops in rope halter making, cooking street tacos, and pizza.  There was also a ranch tour, but we opted for an open mic session in poetry.  Anyone can sign up to recite their own poetry.  There are also open mic sessions for music, but poetry was what we came for.  Some pretty good stuff, from a young man, his little sister and a woman who wrote her first poem entitled, Not a Cowgirl.

There were a few of us non cowboys and girls, but not many.  I've never seen so many cowboy hats and western style clothes anywhere before.  Also lots, of talented people.  We heard so much poetry and country music I started talking with a twang in my voice.  All of it good by the way.

The big headliner was Marty Stuart and his band The Fabulous Superlatives.  A country singer of some note, he put on a great show, all the better in our front row seats.  I like that he really showcased the members of his band.  Everyone got to preform while Marty stayed in the background.  Also, after the show he was standing by to greet fans as they left the venue. 

To give you an idea, here are the names of some of the other sessions, which included, music, poetry, and storytelling.  Bull-Slingers, Braggarts and Blowhards, Muses Don't Need No Stinking GPS, How Far is Lonesome, Fiddling Around and Laugh Kills Lonesome.

One of the poets, Yvonne Hollenbeck  of South Dakota along with her husband own and work a cattle ranch.  Yvonne has become a well known poet and has been appearing at gatherings around the country.  She recited this one poem that I could relate to.

THE GOOD OLD DAYS

I wonder who the person was who one-time termed the phrase,

"that life begins at sixty, thus begins the good old days"

They're not what they're cracked up to be, I know because I am here,

and the good old day are not as good as what they might appear.

The first thing that you notice is your body shifting around.

What used to point outwards is now pointing to the ground.

Your ears and nose grow larger, you no longer have a lap,

and the things you once enjoyed most is now a handicap.

A feller's hair starts falling out, at least what's on his head,

but grows profusely in his ears and out his nose instead.

A woman's hair starts turning grey, and then it starts to thin,

but starts appearing on the face...especially on the chin.

And then your tongue gets twisted; you sometime stall and fret

trying to remember things you never should forget.

your grandkid comes for dinner; you great him at the door,

but before you get his right name out, you've called him several more.

Probably what is just as bad, and something we all fear,

is when your friends quit speaking up and you can't seem to hear.

Then you lose your eyesight and become blinder that a bat,

and last to go is memory...lets see...where was I at?

There's not much else to do in Elko in the middle of winter.  Sure there's a couple of casinos and a few good restaurants, but when it's 20 degrees outside and it's snowing you tend to stay indoors.  There is one other activity, but we opted to see another show.

SOME PHOTOS OF THE GATHERING

OPEN MIC

SOURDOUGH SLIM

BRIGID, 18 AND HER BROTHER JOHNNY 15

JUST SOME COWBOYS

Ok, I'm about done, but this one poem stood out.  Not politically correct mind you, so you snow flakes out there might want to skip this one.  It's called The Donner Party, by Pat Richardson

They sent invitations to the remnants

of the Donner Party crew:

gonna have a big reunion

and an old time bar-b-q.

There'll be dancing, there'll be drinking

there'll be old-time friends to greet,

and they'll be holding special services

for the folks we had to eat.

We need to stick together

'cause we're shunned by lots of folks,

and I fail to see the humor

in those Donner Party jokes.

That sick humor is beneath us,

....though I will admit

that one about the "finger food"

amused me just a bit.

Bill's agreed to do the cooking,

he's the one you might recall

who got us through the winter

when our wagon train was stalled.

Remember old man Parker?

He was deemed unfit to eat,

but Bill, with secret sauce

produced a meal that's hard to beat.

What a feast he concocted

with that guy from Abilene,

but Bill complained that Irishmen

 were awful had to clean.

He said, "Once you get their innards out

and throw away the poop,

it take at least three big ones

just to make one pot of soup."

And that feller that joined us in Utah,

his name I can't seem to recall;

God, he was good while he lasted,

it's a shame the poor bugger was small.

But eating humans can become addictive;

I know that sounds morbid and crude,

but there's times that I just get a hankering

for a big dish of Mexican food.

So if we all stick together,

we can make this thing a winner.

And in case I didn't mention it

...bring a guest along for dinner!

Well, that's about it.  We had to take the long way home through Salt Lake City as US 395 was closed due to blizzard conditions.  We had a great time, singing along, meeting some of the poets and musicians, all of which were very approachable.  We're already talking about next year, so we shall see.