September

. . . and where has the time gone?

This summer has been another of great transitions. . . . We do not change easily; we must be jerked from the ground sometime. I have learned to trust God when I do not have the answers. Our lives are spent learning to trust God.

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So many wonderful things are happening. Lone Chimney Films will debut The Road to Valhalla on November 2 in Newton. I was so proud to be one of the on-camera historians for this important piece of Kansas and American history. With appearances by Buck Taylor and Michael Martin Murphey, music by Jed Marum, all springing forth from the scholarship and vision of friend Ken Spurgeon, it will be a documentary that stands the test of time. Watch the trailer:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JVavY4-DfNw

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This weekend marks the Kansas Book Festival and Michelle Martin will be here Thursday when she closes up shop at the Little House on the Prairie. We will present to a class at Washburn Rural High School on Friday, attend the reception at the Governor's Mansion on Friday night, and the Book Festival on Saturday at the Kansas Statehouse! Here is the lineup of distinguished authors: http://kansasbookfestival.files.wordpress.com/2013/08/program-2013.pdf

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A chance to pair once again with Wideawake Films and be a part of their exhibit and reenactment of the issuing of Order # 11. Visit Commerce Bank at 10th and Walnut in Kansas City. Their Box Gallery is outstanding. The exhibit is excellent and I was proud to speak, along with fellow historian the incredible orator, Ralph Monaco. Visit when you get a chance. I believe the exhibit is up through October. On September 14, there will be a reenactment of the execution of Order # 11, where families in western Missouri were put off their farms and exiled.

The extraordinarily gifted photographer Bob Szabo made this wet plate photo of my addressing the crowd in front of the Pacific House on Delaware Street in Kansas City. General Thomas Ewing, brother-in-law and foster brother of William T. Sherman, issued Order # 11 on August 25, 1863, in response to Quantrill's Raid on Lawrence.

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I have so many reviews to get to. Jenny Lasala sent me a wonderful book about her dad's military service, Comes a Soldier's Whisper. It's wonderful. Charlie Lesueur sent me his audio cds on western movie cowboys which are absolutely awesome! I have a couple of other books to get to as well. Maybe the fall will bring more time for reading and writing. Oh, and along the way this summer, I won an Arty Award for Literature. It was presented by my good friend, Diana Friend, of the Topeka Shawnee County Public Library. Sarah Fizell, head of Arts Connect, said:

We give a literary award because we believe that Topeka has a rich history of literary involvement that is deserving of recognition. Deb was given the award because of her promotion of the history of our state, her involvement in our community and, well, because she is so very awesome!!! 

Well, there is just a lot of awesomeness going around in our community. Speaking of which, here is a photo of me with my friend Michelle Levian that night. She is most remarkable!

Cowboys and Such

Listening to Michael Martin Murphy's new CD, Tall Grass and Cool Water puts me in mind of the lives of a couple of my friends.

Jim Gray lives the cowboy life in addition to being a writer and historian. I'm sharing some of his photos from his recent cattle drive to Ellsworth. A fourth-generation rancher and inductee into the Kansas Cowboy Hall of Fame, Jim is one of those rare people you meet not so rarely in Kansas. He is the real deal, probably born in the wrong century but I'm glad to share in his time on earth. His gracious wife is the iconic pioneer woman. Just quietly doing whatever needs to be done. I admire her very much.

To help raise awareness of the Cowboy legacy and to keep folks informed of events, Jim founded the Kansas Cowboy, official publication of the Cockeyed Old West Band of Yahoos Society. It's one of those have-to subscriptions. Get that and a copy of Jim's book, Bad Seed, then rare back in your leather chair and listen to Murhpy and the boys singing and playing Blue Prairie. You're liable to be transported to a better, simpler time.

Generosity--Tastes Good, Sounds Good

Basking in the morning sunshine and a week filled with great music and exceptional people. The 40th annual Walnut Valley Festival was a memorable reunion for musicians and fans.

Since my husband has spent decades at this Winfield event he and his mates have entrenched traditions and established camp spots. The Fugarwes and the Bucket Camp set up side-by-side each year with folks from different parts of Kansas and Nebraska. Since we were only there for three nights and Gary is just not able to set up that elaborate tent complex he used to do, we were guests of Jim Musick and Preston and Brenda Miller. I can't tell you how grateful I was to wake up to the sounds of driving rain and thunder Saturday morning and revel in the comfort of a dry, warm bed.

The Walnut Valley Festival, like all successful events, occurs in many places, on many levels, in many ways. The good folks from Nebraska treat the Bucket Camp to Cafe Luigi (right) each year and prepares a meal of spaghetti and wine, serving fellow campers and treating them like honored guests. The tables and campsite are decorated like a quaint bistro, the food is wonderful, and, of course, music. In this case, the High Falutin' String Band. Afterward, all gathered round the fire (above) and joined together in singing, "Will the Circle Be Unbroken." Those friends since gone were remembered; those friends still here were cherished. There was much laughter and a few tears.

Behind Stage

Stepping backstage at Winfield reminded me of why I wanted to be a reporter. You just get to meet the most interesting and incredible people. Because of my buds Kenneth Berrier and Linda Wright and their Local Grass Radio Show, I visited with some bluegrass superstars and did some great interviews. You'll hear more of them later. Here's a preview.

Pat Flynn (left, sharing his oatmeal cookies), bluegrass rock star, was such a gentleman and so generous with his insights. I think his picking is better than ever, and along with Kenny Smith and the legendary Dan Crary (above), Pat was outstanding during the guitar workshop as well as his appearances with Michael Martin Murphy.

Okay, I have to admit that Bryan Bowers (below) is someone I had always taken for granted. He was there, an ordinary, wonderful fixture in your life. To have the chance to sit with him and understand the man, and to listen to his music anew, was a very special gift. When I got home, I soaked in the tub and played Bryan's new CD, Crabby Old Man. As Gary said, the autoharp is a soothing instrument. It's good for the weary soul.

Like countless thousands, I've been a fan of Dan Crary's for years. This was the first chance I had had to visit with him. He's not only an impressive musician; he's an impressive man. You are going to LOVE listening to this interview!

When I was a young dj at WSYD Radio, I kept "The Bountyhunter" near the top of the record stack. (Remember records?) I played that song nearly every day and the listeners loved it! Mike Cross has been a hero of mine for a long time, and I have met him before, but the sit-down visit we had was a real treat. It's going to be a treat for you, too, when I get the chance to share the interview on LGR.

On the way to Winfield, my ailing husband napped and I played Michael Martin Murphy (below) on the MP3. I kept waking Gary with shouts and he had to tell me to stop keeping time on the gas pedal. This new CD, Tallgrass and Cool Water, is going to be your favorite. The outlaw trilogy -- songs about the James Boys and Cole Younger -- will be new standards among my many buds! The best pickers in the business perform here (including Pat Flynn) and the results are just incredible. Michael's son, Ryan, plays a mean mandolin and the Winfield audience response demonstrates how beloved Murhpy is!

Stay tuned to this blog and to Localgrass.com for more on these very talented and generous performers. (All photos by Gary Bisel)