7/9/2010 Dances With Wolves

This evening we went to the movie set of 1990 blockbuster Dances with Wolves. We didn’t actually go to the movie set on purpose, we went to the Ft. Hays Chuckwagon Supper and Cowboy Music Show and finding out it the movie set made it that much better.

We went with Norm and Ann who are retired Army and their civilian friends who are staying with us Bill and Jackie. When I first met Norm and Ann there was just connection and when they decided to go here for dinner they included Bob and me in their plans.

Bob and I got there about twenty minutes after they did because we had to go back home after we set out and were traveling together. Luckily, we weren’t too far away from the base when we discovered we didn’t have the tickets with us.

When we arrived we still had time before the show started so Bob and I walked through the town, if you will, as the others had already done this while waiting for us.

First stop was the Rope Shop.

Inside a demonstration of rope making was going on and youngsters from the audience were called upon to make the rope.

It wasn’t until I was looking at these pictures that I realized that I could have had my name made in rope. Not that I would really want this, its just one more thing I could have had special made with my name.

The next shop was the Knife Shop.

I had said to the fellow working the shop that his knives looked like they were really sharp. He chuckled and told me that they really weren’t because he found that so many idiots have to test the knives with their thumbs and he couldn’t afford the Bandaids anymore.

Iron works and more specifically, tractor seats.

An “antique” mechanical bull????

LaVon, my dear friend, have I got a dead tree for you!

You may remember this building from the movie.

It’s finally time to go inside and get our seats. Norm and Ann had come here yesterday to pick out our seats and we were definitely 10th row, center stage. A perfect view.

Seated at long picnic tables, Earl came out and explained to us how the buffet was going to work and to get us started.

We ate off silver tin plates and drank from tin cups.

After we picked up our plates the first stop was for our baked potato where it was smacked down on the plate so that the bottom would flatten and not roll around the plate. Next came baked beans and our choice of BBQ beef or a breaded chicken breast. We opted for the BBQ beef. Next came the homemade applesauce. On the chunky side but it was cold and we were told to hold the plate there from now on or else we would burn our fingers. Homemade biscuits were next on the line followed by a piece of spice cake. We had choice of coffee, water, iced tea or lemonade to drink.

We were given ample time to eat our meal and by the time everyone returned their plates, cups and silverware the show was ready to start.

I don’t know if we were ever told the name of the band that played but they gave us a good variety of music. The oldest member, 87, played the steel guitar.

The youngest member was 14 year old and she played the electric fiddle. Oh, could she play this thing! Amazing. Simply amazing.

In between every few songs Earl would appear and do a little skit or tell a joke. In the outfit below has asked his fellow entertainers if they knew why cowboys roll their hats up on the sides. It was the general consensus that it was to keep the rain off them and the audience nodded in agreement.

He said to all of us, “I thought you’d say that and you are all wrong! Cowboys roll the sides of the cowboy hats up so that three cowboys can fit in a pickup truck.” You know what,,,we laughed when he said it but it certainly seems to lose something when its typed it out.

Earl didn’t always appear as himself, sometimes he was “Blossom”.

Let’s not forget “Elvis”.

It was an enjoyable evening and we were so glad that Norm and Ann included us in their evening out. We walked into our house tonight with full tummies, having been entertained and the best of all, four new friends.