News From The Trail
Rodeo Mania!
From time to time, we'll share our travelogue with you, in hopes that our exploits can give you a little vicarious enjoyment! (If you subscribe to our E-mail mailing list, you'll be the first to know when a new journal entry has been added!)
August 16-17, 2002
Rodeo Mania
Even
further down the trail, we find Buffalo K, Too Short and Frenchy performing at their
first rodeo. This long overdue adventure returns Frenchy to her old stomping grounds
of Spartanburg, S.C. And you thought that Spartanburg was famous only for its peaches!
The
gals and Ropin' Rodger are directed to The Beacon, one of the oldest drive-through
diners in the country. (Although you can no longer drive through.) They set up their
instruments in an empty corner and prepare to perform a "teaser" concert
to entice the lunch crowd to come to the Rodeo. One of Frenchy's brothers, Gary,
recommends the Chili Cheese Delight (author takes liberty with product name) but
warns them not to eat the bottom inch. They decide to forgo that taste treat and
stick to the tried and true sweet iced tea and onion rings. (The best in the World.)
Andy, Mary, Gary, Ann, little Matthew and Frenchy's Mom cheer them on as they perform
their own brand of cowboy music. When Frenchy was even younger, she came here with
the after school crowd to be seen. Back then, she knew nothing of the cowboy life.
Can you imagine?
In
the early evening, our little cowboy band is buzzing with excitement as they drive
to the fairgrounds. A few rain drops fall, but not enough to dampen their spirits
or to keep folks away. The grounds are wide open with a nice crowd in the bleachers.
Frenchy can see her Mom and little Matthew and Gary beaming with pride, or something.
After the terrific warm-up band leaves the stage, Cowboy Envy breathlessly jumps
onto the flat bed truck and proceeds to wail. Okay, there is some misting during
Texas Plains, then a light rain on Back In The Saddle Again. A few of the weaker
audience members dash for cover. It is during the third song, which they professionally
and bravely finish, that Frenchy's Mom tears away from the bleachers. Cowboy Envy
starts to jump off the flat bed stage, but the flat bed is moving! Buffalo K, as
it turns out later, is hidden under a hastily thrown blue tarp. Frenchy discovers
that holding on to a mike stand on a moving flat bed truck is no good. There's Ropin'
Rodger, shielding his old accordion from the relentless rain with his body. Thank
goodness it's not the shiny, new red one that will arrive from Italy in a few weeks.
The band reunites when the truck finally stops and they are helped down by Wayne
West. Wayne West was always Wayne West and did not change his name to promote rodeos.
On
night two of the rodeo, the flat bed doesn't leave the carport. They are about a
half mile from the fans in the bleachers and only folks with strong binoculars and
hearing aids could see or hear them. No one from Frenchy's family is here but she
does connect with an older friend. (Curiously, they had been the same age at one
time.)
Cowboy Envy did get to see some Cow people rope and ride and that made the whole ordeal almost worth it.
On
Sunday morning Cowboy Envy heads back to Atlanta. Frenchy's Mom loads them up with
cookies and lemon sticks and jelly beans. (The tiny remainder of these items will
be found in Frenchy's trunk weeks later, in a sorry state.)
Perhaps there's a dry rodeo in their future, where people can see and hear Cowboy Envy clearly! Speaking of their future, it's said that there could be a third CD.