1st Day Winchester, Va

I decided to take our trip day by day as we were gone for a week and did so much in that time that there is no way that I can cover it all in one blog entry so everyday I will do a city and maybe I can cover everything. Needless to say we had a marvelous time and saw so much. I can say I have never been so tired in all my life and was so glad to get home, but now that I have rested for 3 days I can say it was really worth it.

The photo above is taken just over the state line from Winchester, Va in West Virginia. I was standing on the stage where Patsy Cline started her career at a little road house named Rainbow Road. If you have seen the movie Sweet Dreams, the scenes relating to this were actually filmed here.It was very surreal to be there. When I was young I thought I was the reincarnation of Patsy Cline. Then I grew up and realized that was impossible as we were alive at the same time but boy have I had a connection with her my whole life. I was singing Patsy Cline songs at a festival in Boise Idaho once and noticed a old man in a wheel chair right at the base of the stage. He cried the whole time I sang. After I finished I went down to talk to him thinking that the songs must have reminded him of his wife who had passed away or something. When I started talking to him, it turned out that he was an old studio musician from Nashville that had played steel guitar on some of Patsy's 4 Star recordings back before she went to Decca Records and really got famous. He said , "It was just like she was here and I was listening to her sing again." I was so flattered. I had his card for a long time but somehow lost it along the way and I can't even remember his name. Shame I never got to work with him, We planned on it but it just never happened.
This is the house Patsy grew up in at 608 S. Kent Street in Winchester, VA
Cliff and I on the porch of Patsy's childhood home. He was so sweet to drive over so I could see all the Patsy stuff. It was about 80 miles out of our way, but he never batted an eye just took me there and let me spend all the time I wanted. We also drove by the studeo where she made her first early recordings and the Drug Store she worked at as a kid
Me and my baby at Rainbow Road, just imagine, Patsy Cline and Charlie Dick probably walked on this very spot talk about hallowed ground, baby this is it, Ground Zero of the Cline.
Patsy's grave, As you can see people visit and leave her little momentos. Mostly change or there was a small red heart. I thought about it for awhile cause I wanted to leave her something and finally knew it had to be my favorite pink lipstick. I really looks good with a summer tan and she was dark complected so I know she will love it. Plus it doesnt rub off much on your microphone cause it sticks to your lips when it dries. You go girl, sing that song in heaven!
Me and my girl
Marker outside Patsy's childhood home
Me on the porch of Patsy's house

I really loved visiting Winchester and the surrounding area. It was really a special thing to me. I was in Nashville once and got to stand in the circle on the stage of the Ryman Auditorium. This was right up there with that.

We got back last night from Traci's graduation. It was really nice and we had a wonderful time visiting Cliff's family for 4 days but we were very glad to be home. As much as we love everyone, Grand Junction is not our cup of tea.

We had a wonderful Mother's Day. We all met at Cliff's brothers house and had a barbecue. Thanks so much Julie and Les for all your hard work and love. We got to see everyone and visit with cousins we had not seen for awhile. Then it was just run and run and try to get everything we had planned done.

Now we are packed and leaving in about 20 minutes to go to Las Vegas and pick Traci up and then tomorrow morning we leave for Washington, DC. We are excited to go but Cliff and I are both wore out already. Hopefully we can get some rest on this trip but not likely. Oh well we can sleep when we are dead.

So, we will be back and posting in a week or so, hopefully we can get through security at the airport with all our paraphernalia. We cannot go anywhere without 2 camera's, a GPS, lap top, ipod, phones, and all the accompanying cords and crap. Cliff is sure they are going to think we have a bomb. I told him what will probably happen is they will think I have the swine flu cause I have a cold HA

Happy Mother's Day

Cliff and I are leaving this afternoon to go to Grand Junction for Traci's high school graduation. My how time flies. There will be a party for her on Saturday, and then Baccalaureate is on Monday night and Graduation on Tuesday night. Then Cliff and I will race back late Tuesday night and work Wednesday and Thursday and then Traci flies in Thursday night and we leave for DC on Friday.

It has been a busy week but I think I am ready. I was worried about all my plants and flowers but my sweet Charlee said she will look after them ,so I am OK. I would hate for them to die, I have worked so hard and they look so good. It just got hot here , so now the work to make them live begins. This desert is brutal on living things.

Well I must say Happy Mothers Day to all my friends, relatives, and especially my son and daughters. The girls have given me three beautiful, brilliant, funny, creative, amazing grand children and Toby has given me a grandcat. So thanks to you all for making my life so full and wonderful. HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY to you all

Kentucky Derby

So I haven't talked about the Kentucky Derby. I didn't know anything about the horses this year as I have about given up my love of horse racing because I cannot stand to see the horses break down. It kills me to see them get hurt to the point I have stopped watching horse racing and stopped going to the track completely ( not like there is one close anyway) .

But this year I felt like taking another shot at it so Saturday morning of the race I turned on the pre-race and started watching it half way. I told Cliff I like that horse Desert Party and I think with odds 15-1 I will place a bet to win on him. We went to the sports book and I bet my horse and Cliff bought an exacta box with Dunkirk and Friesan Fire. Then Cha and Leo came and we went back to the sports book and Leo bet on Westside Bernie and Cha bought an exacta box on I think Papa Clem and I can't remember who. So anyway we were all covered and we were going to win our fortunes cause we had great odds and good bets and we all felt horsy that day and yada yada yada blah blah blah.

Then we started watching them parade the horses and listening to the owners stories etc and we were immediately drawn to Mine that Bird as he was owned and trained by some old cowboys from New Mexico. Now, you would have thought we would have taken our happy hinny's back to the sports book and placed a bet on said horse but noooooooooooooooooooooo so needless to say Mine that Bird runs first and pays 101.00 to win. Damit. That children is why gambling is bad umkay!!

Boy that horse was beautiful out front by 6 3/4 lengths!! You go and kick ass at the Preakness Mine that Bird!!! By the way my horse, Desert Party, well he stumbled just out of the gate and chipped a left front ankle. He's out of the running indefinitely ; which also describes my betting skills .

SO GAY....................................................

Charlee Ann thought my last posting with the photo of the horses was sooooooooo gay. So, if she thought that was gay, wait till she sees this. This picture reminds me of Cliff also. He is the "cock of the walk" and there we are, the rest of the flock just flapping our wings and marching along after him

Horsing Around

I found this picture and I love it because it reminds me of Clifford and me always horsing around!

Soul Food

These lamps have quite a story. My Daddy got them from the ranch house at Gold Butte after Bill Garrett died. When I was just a little kid I helped my Dad run cattle on the Gold Butte range. I always joke that I am my Dad's oldest son. It still amazes me that I was lucky enough to literally and actually be a witness to the last dying breaths of the "Old West". It is in my blood and in my soul. I can taste it all around me and have such a passion for all things cowboy. These old west characters made such an impression on me when I was young, men like Bill Garrett and especially Uncle Cordy Lamb. I can still remember sitting on my haunches and sipping camp coffee (made on a tripod over a camp fire) with Cordy wearing my Levis and a Levi jacket. I couldn't have been over 4 or 5 at the time. I mean I was really really young.
Bill Garrett


"Bill Garrett was a nephew of Pat Garrett, who shot Billy The Kid. Bill never married and came to Gold Butte in 1916 after being acquitted in a second trial for killing a man in Utah. Bill died and is buried here beside his long time partner Arthur Coleman, Garrett died in 1961 at the age of 81. These two old timers are buried at Gold Butte. Bill & Arthur were known far and wide by many. Garrett was a cattleman as well as a Texas cowboy , he was a skilled roper and six-shooter having toured with early Wild West shows. Coleman was a educated man from Chicago who loved to read and was a good miner as well. Their partnership lasted from 1916 till they both died at Gold Butte. Bill was a lanky 6' 1" in contrast to Arthur's 5'1" frame. Nearly everyone referred to them as " the long and short of it". More than 100 people made the trek to The Butte to pay their respects at Bill Garrett's funeral. The funeral was classic in that it was conducted not in a church but at the house where both men had lived and died, and not conducted by ministers, but by men whose prime credentials were those of friendship. Voris Perkins of Moapa conducted and gave a short talk. J. L. Bowler of Mesquite also spoke. But the surprise was that "Red" Adams, an unusual cowboy recluse from Logandale, who had never been to church as far back as anyone remembered, preached an eloquent sermon!"

My Dad was stationed at Nellis AFB in Las Vegas in the early 1950's. He was a cowboy and so when he was not on duty, he looked for a place he could "cowboy" on the weekends. He came out to Moapa and the Virgin Valley and worked on the local ranches. That is where he met my Mom. After they were married he took a job as a ranch Foreman working for Frank Taylor. The Gold Butte range was one of their ranges for running cattle and so the story was lived out. I remember gathering cattle at Gold Butte one year, I was maybe 7 or8 at the time. The horse I was riding stepped down off a small embankment and almost stepped right on a nest of rattle snakes. When the horse heard the snakes, it started to buck. Dad hollered " hold on to that saddle horn and stay on that horse or I'll whip your butt." I was way more afraid of Dad than those snakes and I managed to stay on the horse. Dad knew that we were so far out in the desert and far from a doctor that if I had gotten bucked off and had gotten snake bit, we may not have made it to town in time. A great example of why kids should learn to mind without all the arguing and nonsense.

The fact that my Dad gave me these lamps is so special to me. Mom and Dad brought them to me a week or so ago when they visited from Idaho. I promise you Dad that I will treasure them just like you did along with all the wonderful childhood memories you gave me right here is the beautiful desert west!!