The 2018 Western Heritage Awards in OKC

Welcome back. In football the championship game is called the Super Bowl and it is usually played in a different city every year. Baseball has the World Series which is played in the hometown of the winning team. The National Basketball Association or the NBA also has a championship series which is played in the hometown of the teams which make the playoffs. Yes, I’m sure you all know this but do you know that what is called the “super bowl of gun shows” was held in Tulsa last week? Hotels were packed all over town and the giant Tulsa Fairgrounds parking lot was full and I mean full. In addition to all the cars there was every kind of motorhome you can imagine. Inside the main building both the upper and lower floors were full of vendors and people were elbow to elbow walking through the aisles. The vendors I talked to at the annual Wannamaker Gun Show told me it was the biggest crowd in years. As for me, I came away with a delicious bag of beef jerky and a lot of good exercise from all the walking.

As you may have read in last week’s column, the 58th Annual Western Heritage Awards will be held this weekend at the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City. Although there are a lot of ticketed events going on, the museum will be open to the public as usual and one of my favorite events which takes place on Saturday is free. This is an up close forum with the stars including everyone from actors Barry Corbin and Sam Elliott to John Wayne’s kids and famous directors. The late Ernest Bourgnine was always a fun person to listen to and after the presentations he would come out into the crowd and visit. This is what happens on Saturday and it is always very cool.

I understand that the black tie awards ceremony on Saturday night may be sold out but tickets are still available for Friday night’s cocktail reception with all the celebrities. You can’t go wrong at this fun event which also supports the wonderful museum.

Another event which I’m always happy to mention is Elder Care’s The Good, The Bad & The Barbeque which is coming up on May 12th out at the historic Cross Bell Ranch. At this party you get to walk the grounds of a ranch that was founded before statehood and was the beginning of a cattle empire. See the original house and barns. Smell the same air Gene Mullendore smelled and sit beside that well known swimming pool laid out in the shape of the Cross Bell brand. You also get to see hundreds of beautiful mustang horses along the ten mile drive to the party and friends the folks at Elder Care tell me that tickets have just gone on sale. Give ‘em a call at (918) 336-8500 and I hope to see you there.

Besides a couple of upcoming trips to state campgrounds in Oklahoma, my travels will soon be taking me once again to my remote getaway in New Mexico where I’m putting together another non-fiction book about a life that could have gone either way, good or bad. The story of one simple man among many different characters, some known for the good things they have done and others known for things they will have to live with. This tale had to be told for history’s sake and I’m hoping for a fall release.

Till next time, I’ll see ya down the road…..
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