Welcome back. Over the past seventeen years that I have been writing this column the Original Buffalo Dale character has played many roles including scout, tracker, translator and interpreter. This week I am adding predictor of weather events to my list of talents. On Saturday November 25th I am predicting snow with accumulations up to a foot in some places around Dewey. The ice will be so bad that during the next week people will be ice skating around downtown Bartlesville. Snow chains may be recommended but I’ve been told that no matter what the weather all the new shops opening up on Second Street and all over downtown will be open. Schools may be closed but McCoy’s Jewelers, Weezie’s, and the Painted Horse will all be decked out for the holidays and open. The same goes for the shops in Dewey.
With snow and ice coming in a couple of weeks I can tell you from my experience growing up in this area Christmas shopping has never been more diverse. The independently owned specialty shops that have popped up in Dewey and Bartlesville remind me of the shops in small Colorado mountain villages without the high price tags.
You throw in what advertisers are calling a blizzard of fresh made snow guaranteed a foot deep and add the ice skating rink that will open in downtown Bartlesville on December 1st.-well forget the Winter Olympics in Seoul, South Korea with my prediction we might have our own winter sporting events right here.
The Dewey Blizzard which starts on November 25th will be a good time for kids and adults to see what’s new in downtown Dewey. In Bartlesville from December 1st to the 23rd a professionally built ice skating rink will be open Thursday through Sunday in the Chamber of Commerce parking lot and lessons will be available. With big parades and many other holiday events in both towns there should be fun even for Scrooge. Whether you are skating or building a massive snowman, shopping or eating out, the last two months of the year are looking to be pretty exciting.
As for me, coming up this Saturday I’ll be showing my film Footprints in the Dew: The Last Ten Tapes at the Hominy Community Center at 2 p.m. As many of you know, Hominy is the small historic town in Osage County where besides many other things, the Drummond family got its start in banking and ranching. Today the town is the home of the Dick Conner Correctional Center as well as a big casino and it also has one of the leading high school football teams in the state. The program has won five state championships and has produced several players who have gone to play pro ball.
I have also learned that Hominy resident Amity Brevard will be the lead dancer in a production of The Nutcracker at the Constantine Theater in Pawhuska on December 9th. This production has particular significance in this area because the famous Osage ballerina Maria Tallchief danced this role as the Sugar Plum Fairy while performing with the New York City Ballet. Like Tallchief, Brevard is a member of the Osage Tribe. Hominy is definitely an interesting community and I’m looking forward to my visit.
Unfortunately I will be missing the Coach’s Cabana which is scheduled to be at Barry Switzer’s house this weekend. You regular readers may remember that Barry’s producers have invited me to all his live TV shows that are filmed during OU games. The last regular season show will be on Saturday, November 25th when OU plays West Virginia in Norman and the show will be broadcast from Campus Corner. It’s free to be a crowd member and you never know what past sports legend might show up like J.C. Watts did.
Till next time, I’ll see ya down the road…
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