Mel Tillis, Texas Playboys & Wanda Nevada

October 9, 2011

Well, the 22nd Annual Lincoln County Cowboy Symposium is officially over and we had a great time. Met some mighty fine folks from all over the west. Sold a Billy the kid book to a woman named Judy Judy. She married into the last name. Her husband's father said, "Are you really going to ruin this girl's life?" They've been married 28 years.

Mel Tillis appeared in concert on Thursday night. Packed house, $50 to $75 a seat. Other groups included The Saddle Cats (great name), The Texas Playboys & Fiddles, Bisquits O'Brien, The Flying J Wranglers,

Ran into Kevin Hogge who is on the Billy the Kid ride, which starts tomorrow. Also Rick Tucker, an old time performer who is all over YouTbue. Authors Rayzor Dent ("Vaulted Eagles"), Don Bullis, Ollie Reed, harmonica maestro Lonnie Joe Howell, Hawkeye Hensen (three time World Champion Saddle Bronc Rider). Bobby Adams (Relentless Productions) of Hobbs, New Mexico who wants to fly me out for a speech in the spring. Lutz Lager (the "sanger" I told you about from Koln Germany who traveled for 22 hours to get here and he's also a True West subscriber).

Sold a bunch of books, and loaded out at two. Going to a dinner party at one of the organizer's house tonight. Lincoln in the morning, as the Billy Drive Across NM continues all this week. Heading for Fort Sumner tomorrow, Puerto de Luna, Anton Chico and Lamy, then landing in Santa Fe Friday night at due West Art Gallery for the art opening.

Watching Wanda Nevada (1979) on the Westerns Channel at the condo we're staying at in Ruidoso. A wacky Western that had some potential (Peter Fonda wears some great duds), but it's a mess of a story. It was filmed in Prescott, great scenes in the Palace Saloon. Henry Fonda, Peter's dad, makes an uncredited appearance as a gold miner in the Grand Canyon. The music played in this sequence is "My Darling Clementine" which is a sly reference to the movie of the same name starring Henry as Wyatt Earp. I actually saw the sneak preview of the movie at Christown and Peter and Brooke Shields sat right behind us. When the lights came up Peter headed down the back stairs with Kathy and I right behind him. I said something, and he replied, "Sometimes it's more fun to make pictures than to be in them."

Could have been good, but it missed. I heard scuttlebutt that massive amounts of cocaine were on the set, but with the roaring success of Easy Rider, I wonder if something else was involved?

"Pride is at the bottom of all great mistakes."

—John Ruskin