text:
We invite folks to send in reports about gatherings.
Following are reports about
events that
are linked from event listings on the Events Calendar.
(Some links may be out of date.)
2009 Reports
"Campfire Tales" at the Fort Worth Stock Show (Texas) January
Annual Spirit of the West Cowboy Gathering (Washington) February
Cochise Cowboy Poetry and Music Gathering (Arizona) February (2 reports)
Gila River Heritage Round-Up (Arizona) February
Moab's Western Stars (Utah) February
National Cowboy Poetry Gathering (Nevada) January
separate page
Page two:
Texas Cowboy Poetry Gathering (Texas) February
Texas Crossroads Cowboy Gathering (Texas) February
See March
See April-June reports here.
See July-August reports here.
See September reports here.
See October reports here.
See November reports here.
See reports
from 2008 here
See reports from 2007 here
See reports from 2006 here
See reports from 2005 here
See reports from 2004 here
See reports from 2003 here
See reports for 2002 here
Reports from 2000- 2001 are here
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January, 2009
12th Annual "Campfire Tales" at the Fort Worth Stock Show Fort Worth, Texas
report by Charles Williams
photos by Linda Kirkpatrick
Linda Kirkpatrick photo by Jeri Dobrowski
Twelfth Annual "Campfire Tales" at the Fort Worth Stock Show
Neither rain nor snow nor gloom of night may keep the postman from his appointed rounds, but ice can sure play whaley with a Stock Show. Not to be detoured by an act of nature, inside the West Arena at the Fort Worth Stock Show, performances by the singers, poets, storytellers and musicians kept the weather at bay at the Twelfth Annual Campfire Tales. The show went three days, from January 26th through the 28th, 2009, and once again great talent kept weather trumped all three days. From the opening act, iPokes, Monday noon to the closing ensemble of The Walton Family, joined by the rest of the
performers Wednesday night, highlight after highlight after highlight kept the Arena hopping as new favorites and old friends put on a memorable show.
Charles Williams (Buck Helton in back)
The combination of Lanny Joe Burnett and Royce Smithy, who call themselves "iPokes," started things off on a high note, with a blend of songs and poems. John Pelham added cowboy poetry to get the day started right. The Bremer Family(Charlie, Jessica, Johnny, Garrett, Joseph, Michael and Grant) and the Terry Family (Bob, Johnie and Chance, with a guest appearance by Gwendolyn) kept things rocking with a variety of Western music. Waynetta Ausmus added stories to Campfire Tales (always a welcome addition, both Waynetta and tales).
Waynetta Ausmus
Cowboy Sunset Serenade (Linda Kirkpatrick, Frank Roberts and Joe Wells) presented their blend of story, song and poetry.
Frank Roberts
Miss Devon (Dawson) then made her first appearance, and she was joined by Jess Medor presenting Western music with the energy and showmanship she always provides. Monty Teel then presented cowboy poetry. He was followed by longtime Stock Show favorites Janet McBride and John Ingram. They were joined by two young but very promising protégés of Janet, Kristyn Harris and Michaela Howeth. One hopes they stay with it, as they are two very talented young ladies.
Paul Harris with Ralph Hampton of Ralph's Back Porch
Paul Harris then presented a two-hour show in 30 minutes (just kidding, but he sure keeps music and lyrics moving at a breakneck pace). He was followed by the Sweetheart of the Rodeo, Teresa Burleson, with her special brand of cowgirl poetry. The Cowtown Opry crew (Devon Dawson (guitar and vocal),Buck Helton (guitar and vocal), Jess Meador (fiddle), Brooke Wallace (fiddle), "Outlaw" Jessie Del Robertson (vocal, saxophone and whistling), Ashley "Texas Red"G ilbreath (vocals) and Al "Cornbread" Connor (vocals, percussion and tub bass—and several other amazing effects)) in various combinations kept the stage and hallway on top buzzing and filled with musical energy. They were helped in this (in the hallway, at least) by Ralph's Back Porch broadcasting live over the internet and generally sparking things up. Ralph Hampton and Tamara Boatright were joined by performers, spectators, vendors and just passers by to immeasurable enrich
the experience for all involved. They made it a lot of fun, too.
The musical bill for Monday had more. The Texas Bluebonnet Playboys, lead by George Uptmore, then provided a hour of Western Swing at its finest. The evening was topped off with another performance by the Wallace Family. Paul and his wonderfully gifted crew play an engaging brand of Western Swing, and as they grow older (which they are—Brooke is
in college now!!!!), their sound matures with them. It's still fresh and energetic, but it's become tighter and smoother. Brooke, Sally Ann, Bethany, Caleb and Maddie Belle (with Paul on rhythm guitar) just sound better and better. Christy is getting Josh and Seth (who are a handful) ready as well. The really neat thing about them is that besides being so
musically talented, they are the same friendly, down-to-earth folks they started out being.
Tuesday was the Day Of The Ice Storm, and it affected both audience and performer attendance. The day got started promisingly enough with the Second Annual Pecos Bill Memorial Seminar and Lecture Series. Charles Williams started things off and was followed by BJ Giles, Waynetta Ausmus, Linda Kirkpatrick, and Frank Roberts, who added a touch of erudition and learning to the proceedings. And if you believe that, you'll believe all the stories they told were true. Many of the same performers from Monday were joined by poet Francine Robison, storyteller/poet BJ Giles and singer Jimmy Pate, extraordinary musician Sourdough Meyers, and The Lone Phunky Phiddler, Ryan Brewer. Kate Howell was there, but the rest of the student fiddlers were held up by the weather.
BJ Giles and Jimmy Pate\
The Phil R. Monic Orchestra and Chorus was lead by Buck Helton and Devon Dawson, and featured every musician and poet who stuck around as the sleet and ice began to fall in Ft. Worth. The Texas Trail Hands showed the true professionals they are by finishing off the night on a high note.
Wednesday dawned bright and clear, but it took until mid-day to clear the roads enough so people could travel. It turned out to be a great show, in part because the people that were there just relaxed and let 'er rip. The Ackermans, a popular and talented musical duo from Dallas and around the world, gave a reprisal of their hugely varied repertoire and highly popular show from last year. Bob plays guitar and Sally plays bass—and spurs. You had to be there to see (and hear) it. Curley Butts made his 2009 debut, with traditional Cowboy poetry. The Phunky Phiddlers added Ana Esperanza and sounded very good. The rest of the day was a mixture of poetry songs emphasizing the Cowboy.
Unfortunately, Ralph Hampton and Tamara Boatright (and Lydia Hampton) got caught in the ice, and had to leave early. It was especially distressing to Ralph, because Wednesday was supposed to be a day of Reining Competition, and Ralph may be one of the few who understand it—and is a fan besides. On the other hand, it was canceled because of the weather.
Tamara Boatright tries calf fries for the first time
Campfire Tales ended on a high note, as the Walton Family (Jack, Jessica, and Aaron) presented a high-energy and very
entertaining set. They were joined by the remaining performers for the traditional close of "Happy Trails."
The Ft. Worth Star-Telegram gave us excellent press coverage, as always. Matt Brockman and all the members of the Stock Show staff once again provided us with support, encouragement and, most important, a place to play. Despite the ice, Campfire Tales was once again a success. In the words of one of our many fans, "I don't know how you keep improving year
after year!" The answer is simple: great performers having a great time.
February, 2009
Fifth Annual Spirit of the West Cowboy Gathering Ellensburg, Washington
report by "Toe Tappin'" Tommy Tucker
photo of Tommy Tucker by Smoke Wade
photos by Smoke Wade
photo of Smoke Wade by Jeri L. Dobrowski; see her gallery of western performers and others here.
SPIRIT OF THE WEST - 2009As I could have predicted, the 5th annual Spirit of the West Cowboy Gathering held on February 13th through the 15th, 2009, in Ellensburg, Washington, was again a smash hit! Though scaled back from previous years, the gathering lacked nothing. There was outstanding entertainment from the likes of Ian Tyson, Baxter Black, Dave Stamey, Paul Zarzyski, Yvonne Hollenbeck and Wylie & The Wild West performing at afternoon and evening concerts.This was the first time I've been able to see legendary Ian Tyson and what a tremendous show it was. With a two-piece group backing him, he captivated his audience with his songs and stories for over an hour, receiving a well-deserved standing ovation at the conclusion from the near-capacity audience. Baxter Black again demonstrated why he is a master of his trade. The celebrated poet and author delivered a stellar performance, keeping his audience enthralled with his poetic wit. Dave Stamey, probably best known for his song writing abilities, proved that he could also hold his own on the stage as well. And with anybody!
Dave StameyYvonne Hollenbeck and Paul Zarzyski also kept their audiences thoroughly entertained with their great abilities as poets, and also their keen sense of humor. Then there's Wylie & The Wild West. A Wylie concert isn't just a concert, it's a happening! With great music and showmanship, they again proved why they are one of the top groups in the cowboy music genre. You can usually tell by an audience whether a show was great, or not, by their expressions after it's over. Just look for smiles! And I saw a lot of smiles after these performances.
Alan Halvorson (of Rockin' HW) and Andy Bales at jam sessionThe four downtown venues didn't lack for outstanding performances either, with STAMPEDE!, Rockin' HW, Van Criddle, Smoke Wade, TR Stewart, Dave McClure, Andy Bales, Kevin Barnhart, Barbara Nelson, Ray Doyle (who is also a part of Wylie & the Wild West), Paul Wilson, Stan Kvistad, "Coyote" Joe Sartin and Duane Nelson providing the entertainment.
Van and Kathy Criddle
STAMPEDE! Steve Taylor, Terri Taylor, and David AndersonThe vendors building again was filled to capacity with a wide variety of booths featuring western art, crafts, fashions and curios. Dutch oven cooking was available throughout the gathering. Various workshops were presented over the weekend.Kudos to the organizers of the Spirit of the West as they again presented an outstanding program. As a matter of fact, I kind of liked the scaled-back show this year. It seemed there was more time to enjoy the entire gathering. In years past, a person was always in a hurry to catch the next show. This year, one could take it all in by spending more time at the downtown venues, at the fairgrounds viewing the displays and at the main concerts. Instead of seeing four entertainers for 30 minutes each, a person saw two performers in full concert mode. I think I would have felt slighted if Ian Tyson had only been on stage for 30 minutes.The Spirit of the West Cowboy Gathering in Ellensburg is a partner with the Make-a-Wish Foundation to help support children with life threatening medical conditions in Washington State.Make your plans for 2010, as February 12 - 14 will be the next "Great" Spirit of the West.
February, 2009
Moab's Western Stars Moab, Utah
report and photos by Jo Lynne Kirkwood
Moab Western Stars Cowboy Poetry Gathering
We promised good weather for the Moab Western Stars Cowboy Poetry Gathering, and by golly we had it! While all around us storms were rearin' their icy manes and halting traffic, Moab kept her skies blue and her streets free from snow. We did have a brisk wind, but no matter how you look at it that valley of the Colorado, sheltered in the shadow of Blue Mountain, is a safe haven in February for those of us who like to hide away from the worst onslaughts of winter. This year the gathering, held annually on Presidents Day Weekend, coincided with Valentines Day—and there was a little extra thrill in the air.
Beginning with the first performances Friday afternoon, crowds were strong and the entertainment was spectacular. Special
highlights from the weekend began with the campfire concert Friday night, which is an annual tradition at the festival. Andy Nelson took the stage, along with Cary Hobbs, Jill Jones, Sid Hausman, Kenny Hall, Bimbo Cheney, Jeff Carson, Brooke Turner, and Sammi & Bill Snow, Jr. As always, the show was sold out, and the response from the crowd was intense. After the show performers all gathered downstairs at the MARC (Moab Arts and Recreation Center) for another annual tradition, the opening night dinner and jam session. Although we all wanted to be wide-eyed and perky Saturday, no one got to bed very early Friday night!
Along with the usual excellent performance sessions at the MARC, Saturday brought a series of new events to the gathering. This year Western Stars introduced a trail ride, in association with area Back Country Horsemen. Poets Paul Bliss and Skylar Harward, and musician Brooke Turner accompanied about forty riders on what they all assured us was a truly spectacular ride through the unparalleled red-rock country along the Colorado. At the MARC, balladeer Don Edwards met with a select group of musicians for an acoustic guitar workshop, during which sculptor Jeff Wolf began the process of creating a bronze sculpture of Don. Lucky workshop participants were able to learn from the master musician, while in the presence of one of the west's most talented sculptors, Jeff, actually at work with his art.
The Dutch oven dinner is always well attended at the Moab Western Stars Cowboy Poetry Gathering, and this year was no exception. Although servers were mighty efficient, the line stretched around the building and eager appetites waited for the tasty offerings. The event is a contest, and the cooks who enter truly are cowboy chefs. There was plenty for everyone,
though, and folks were well fed.
At two o'clock, reciter Jerry Brooks and musicians Jill Jones, Cary Hobbs, Kenny Hall, Jan Erickson, Richard Espinoza and Rollie Stevens, along with the Rockin' M Wranglers, joined Don Edwards for a Tribute to Marty Robbins at historic Star Hall. The concert was a real treat for the audience, who applauded enthusiastically as one musician after the other shared renditions of works first performed by the beloved crooner, Marty Robbins. And throughout the concert, Jeff Wolf stood on stage and proceeded to capture in clay the essence that is Don Edwards. Clearly this was a once-in-a-lifetime experience for those of us who were fortunate enough to be in attendance.
Jan and Judy Erickson
Saturday night at Grand County High School Auditorium the show began with the antics of Andy Nelson, then poets Sam Deleeuw and Phil Kennington got the crowd giggling. Later, Rollie Stevens and the Rockin' M Wranglers performed Marty Robbins songs for one last refrain from the Matinee. And when Suzy Bogguss took the stage, she thrilled the packed house with cowboy and rodeo favorites. Folks had a hard time letting her go, and called her back for encores, which she graciously provided. But the evening was by no means over, because this year offered another first for the gathering, the soon-to-be-annual community cowboy dance. The Sawmill River Band, who provided the dance music, claimed they'd never had quite so much fun at a dance. Rowdy folks good-naturedly filled the dance floor, and even the kids were line-dancing or learning two-step.
Sunday morning began with Cowboy Church, hosted by Utah poet Marion Manwill. The spirit was very strong, and the room was so full some folks had to stand outside peering in through the glass doors. But soon as church finished, the poetry and music stages began again, and there were plenty of folks on hand to make good audiences.
Another unique feature of the gathering this year was the presence of Susan Jensen and Paul Singer, who are the creators of the Vaquero film documentaries. Throughout the gathering people slipped into a special theater room at the MARC, to catch a showing of one of the five films in the series. And the DVD's were a fitting preview for the horsemanship event at the Old Spanish Trail Arena on Sunday afternoon. Beginning at three o'clock, poets Curly Syndergaard and Paul Bliss joined with musicians Brian Arnold and Kenny Hall for an arena performance, then the cowboys and buckaroos took center stage for a highly informative two hours contrasting the varying styles of working cattle these distinctly separate groups employ. James Dixon, an authority on cutting horses, talked about his methods of breaking horses while the cowboys headed up by artist (and cowboy!) Don Weller demonstrated using cutting horses with cattle. Then Bill Boswell, long-time buckaroo, displayed articles of clothing and tack he'd either created himself or traded for, and shared a variety of roping methods used by buckaroos on the range. Joining Bill were Jeff Wolf (artist and buckaroo!) and an arena filled with flat hats.
Bill Boswell & James Dixon: The Buckaroo and the Cowboy
Other performances at the MARC included Gordon Thomas, who was busy providing sound for the event most of the weekend, but found time to join Marion Manwill for a song or two. Mary Kaye thrilled us all, and Carl Ellison was there to share his song-writing and musical skills. CR Wood acted as host for the MARC stages, along with Curly Syndergaard and Lynnie Espinoza. Doug Keller graced us with his unique humor, and poets Ray Lashley and Al Clark are gathering favorites.
Shows at the MARC closed down at six, to allow folks to slip over to Star Hall for the final concert of the weekend. At six-thirty local entertainers, the Bar M Wranglers, treated the already full-house to a sampling of the music they'll perform for patrons all summer, then Andy Nelson showed up to entertain the folks with his high humor and introduce poets Jo Lynne Kirkwood and Paul Bliss, who reminded folks that this was, after all, a cowboy POETRY event. Jill Jones then added her Texas-expertise to the mix, along with a few yodels just for kicks, and the audience was well-primed for Don Edwards when he took the stage.
Just before Don came on stage, however, auctioneer Greg Harwood picked up his gavel and the still-unfinished but exquisite sculpture Jeff Wolf had spent the weekend creating was auctioned off. Two casts were sold, one purchased by Dennis Hunter who has essentially become the gathering's unofficial Celtic "piper," and a second by a couple from Colorado, James and Nettie Hales. Casting costs and other necessary expenses will be deducted from the sales, with the balance donated to the MARC to help with the future viability of the gathering.
New Owners with Don Edwards and Jeff Wolf
Easily acknowledged as the top cowboy musician of them all, Don Edwards then stepped up to the microphone and reminded us what it is we love about this guy. The show seemed too short, although our watches told the true story. Don, too, earned standing ovations from the audience and the gathering most assuredly ended on a strong note! But the weekend was not yet tied up. One last time all the performers gathered at the MARC for dinner and a farewell jam, and good friends who sometimes only find each other at gatherings once again made their farewells. Moab's Western Stars Cowboy Poetry Gathering was again a huge success, and a big thank-you is certainly due to Bayley Rogers, MARC Director, along with Mike and Jo Kirkwood, and the many other volunteers who made the event possible. Come for the gathering—and the weather! next year. We're always on Presidents Day Weekend!
Ed Carter & Dahl Farnsworth, with Mike Kirkwood
February, 2009
17th Annual Cochise Cowboy Poetry and Music Gathering Sierra Vista, Arizona
report by William Merritt
photo by Lori Faith Merritt
photos and captions by Lori Faith
photo by April Visell
[Additional report below by Jo Lynne Kirkwood]
photo by Lori Faith Merritt, www.PhotographyByFaith.com
17th Annual Cochise Cowboy Poetry & Music Gathering
Steve Conroy and Bob Fusco are the Co-Chairs Chairman of the Cochise Cowboy Poetry & Music Gathering. And as they know well, the event goes like this: Start early Friday with the performing artists going into the local Sierra Vista schools to perform for students, then there are headline stage performances Friday night, Saturday night and a Sunday matinee. During the daytime on Saturday though, the public is invited to the Buena Vista High School where the main auditorium, the library, the choir and band room and other spaces become forums for the fifty or so visiting artists at no charge to the public. Hundreds of people come and go. So, in theses "tough economic times," someone leaned in to Steve Conroy Saturday afternoon and asked him, "How come you don't at least charge $5.00 a head?" His answer was quick and easy, "It is our give-back to the community."
Along that same line, there is something that is part of every artist's set during the main stage performances at this gathering, which is to thank their host families for making them feel at home. Year after year, local families in Sierra Vista open up their homes for artists to stay at. Sure, this hosting program was started long ago to help defray costs so after you hear performer after performer take time to thank their host family, one may begin to wonder if this is polite stage patter. But on or off stage, the performers truly get choked up with gratitude. Yes, it's very real. for they feel like they have a home away from home.
The one exception is Kerry Grombacher. He lives in New Orleans but his mother lives in Sierra Vista, Arizona. So, coming home is quite literal. There is one glitch in this whole set-up for Kerry, though. The events organizers send the same letters to all the hosts advising them on host protocol. To Kerry's dismay, the letter instructs that they are only obligated to provide one meal to the visitor … breakfast. Kerry mused, "Hopefully they will explain to my Mom that this doesn't apply all the time!"
Friday night's headliner line-up started with Peggy Malone. No one takes the stage like Peggy Malone and she doesn't need an amplifier for that charm either. Cowboy poet Doris Daley came down from Alberta Canada to grace the stage. If Julie Andrews performed cowboy poetry, she would probably be much like Doris Daley except Doris is much funnier (Sorry, Ms. Andrews).
photo by Lori Faith Merritt, www.PhotographyByFaith.com
Doris Daley: The "Julie Andrews" of the Cowboy Poet ladies graced the main stage twice.
The local Sierra Vista school system participates in the Western Heritage Program where students are encouraged to submit cowboy poetry. From almost 2,000 contributions the winners are chosen, awarded a scholarship prize and are provided an opportunity to perform on the main stage. Accepting the honor to do so on Friday night were student cowboy poetry winners Jovanni Blanco, Keiran Zehmisch and Erika Withers.
photo by Lori Faith Merritt, www.PhotographyByFaith.com
Buckshot Dot on the stage at Big Nose Kate's at the artist's welcome party
They were followed by the stories and songs of Trails and Rails. With a vast array of musical talent they played a medley of folks tunes and original ones like "10 More Miles" and the alluring "Dona Maria" written by their winsome bass player, Bruce Huntington. After the intermission, multi award winning poet Jay Snider was followed our own Western thespian, Buckshot Dot (who can do it all and then some) and she was followed by the charm and depth of local poet Bud Strom. Capping the Friday night offering were first-time visitors STAMPEDE!.
photo by Lori Faith Merritt, www.PhotographyByFaith.com
STAMPEDE! was at the gathering for the first time and really wowed the audience.
Starting Saturday morning at 10:00 the Headline and Participating artists shared the spectrum of cowboy poetry and Western music with the hundreds that came to sample and enjoy them. Along with the Headliner performers were this year's Participating artists: Tiffany Jo Allen, Joe Baer, Bill Barwick, Les Buffham, Steve Conroy, Dean Cook, Jack DeWerff, Mike Dunn, Rolf Flake, Ken Graydon, Joe Green and Purly Gates, Kerry Grombacher, Sue Harris, Sid Hausman, Tom Hiatt, Allen "Hook" Hill, Randy Huston, Jim Jones, Katy Creek Band, Nona Kelley Carver, Jo Lynne Kirkwood, Deanna McCall, Jon Messenger, Ken and Lyn Mikell, Anita "Nika" Nordbrock, Tony Norris, Susan Parker, Gary Robertson, Peter Rolland, Gregory Scott, Sandy Seaton, Georgie Sicking, Laurie Wood, Cora Wood, and Joyce Woodson.
photo by Lori Faith Merritt, www.PhotographyByFaith.com
Cora Wood, Sue Harris: Sue Harris sings to an attentive Cora Wood,
while parents Laurie and Duane Wood look on.
Saturday night Juni Fisher opened up the show on the main stage. So many accolades and awards have been associated with Juni and she showed the crowd why she deserves every single one. Cowboy poet Pat Richardson, who could never be accused of being shy and boring, was kind enough to let everyone to catch their breath from laughing so hard over and over.
Youth poetry award winners Kyla Nogales, Kacy Sandlin and Brianna Judd performed and were followed by one of the only acts that could follow three kids, the excellence that is known as Prickly Pair. After Yvonne Hollenbeck wowed everyone she was followed by the 2008 winner of the Western Music Association's Male Performer and Entertainer of the Year award, Dave Stamey, who with his signature dry wit, commented to the crowd, "I am a cowboy singer…apparently."
photo by Lori Faith Merritt, www.PhotographyByFaith.com
Juni Fisher, Locke Hamilton: Juni Fisher looks on as Locke Hamilton of Prickly Pair sings to an
enraptured audience during the free Saturday sessions
And in one of the oddest occurrences at any festival, an errant fire alarm went off during the performance of a poem by Diane Tribitt. "I don't know if that was a standing or a running ovation. I've never had an entire audience run out on me before!" When the alarm went off and the audience came back, she re-took the stage, started the poem again and with true professional ease, "won" the audience over as if interruption never occurred.
photo by Lori Faith Merritt, www.PhotographyByFaith.com
Diane Tribitt performs on the main stage, continuing after the entire audience was started
in evacuation due to a fire drill and had returned.
Closing out Saturday was one of the best Western bands playing today and a returning favorite, The Desert Sons. They released a new CD with the original line up of Skelly Boyd and Slim Tighe along with founding members, John "Buck" Ryberg and Benny Young.
Sunday night's main stage performance was kicked off by Mike Moutoux and followed up by rancher/poet Peggy Godfrey from Moffat, Colorado (where the word "cowboy" is a verb). Youth poets Christian Tagle and Tony Moschetti performed with a repeat recitation from Saturday night's performer, First Grand Prize Winner, the 10 year old Kyla Nogales.
Doris Daley, Pat Richardson and Trails and Rails performed on the main stage again. The Daughters of the Purple Sage took the final bows of the evening to a grand swell of appreciative applause.
"Better, not bigger" is Steve Conroy's motto. The gathering's philosophy is to make the guest and performer experience better each time. He has been asked, prodded and tempted to start earlier, double up on the headline stage performances, charge for an otherwise free event or maybe choose another venue, "But what you lose is, I think, the freeness and the comfortableness of the gathering. It flows very nicely and everybody has time to get enough and not too much, they don't feel rushed, they don't feel like they've missed anything. What we have said is, 'If it works, let's not break it.' and let's just make it nicer and nicer."
Steve Conroy has three pillars of success for this gathering: "The first is the school program, the Western Heritage Program, and teaching our children the history of the Arizona Territory and getting them involved with Cowboy Poetry and seeing their joy when they write their own poetry … the gift that they get from creating something of their own. The second pillar is providing superb talent and performances for our attendees. And the third pillar is to ensure that our artists have a truly wonderful experience when they come here and that they get taste of what our community is really all about which is a really loving and giving community."
He adds, "You could look at the talent and we probably had some of the best artists in the business here this year. I think we had the best lineup we've ever had across the board for featured and participating artists."
Of course, the Cochise Cowboy Poetry and Music Gathering works tirelessly to make each year better and without taking feedback to heart, the many volunteers, sponsors and the support of the community at large it wouldn't happen.
Performers who are new to this event sometimes comment to Steve Conroy how overwhelmed they are by how organized everything is. "We have some something the other communities don't have and that is we are a military community so we have a lot of military retirees. Which means that most of us grew up with organizing, it's kind of second nature. Most of us do it, it gets done and take it for granted that is the rest of the way the world works. Obviously, from everything we hear, it is not!"
Next year, please join us the second full weekend in February. Keep an eye on http://www.cowboypoets.com for details. To view and purchase images from the gathering, please visit the website of the official photographer for the gathering, www.PhotographyByFaith.com.
report by Jo Lynne Kirkwood
[additional report above by William Merritt]
Sierra Vista Wrap-up—The Cochise Cowboy Poetry and Music Gathering
Seventeen years and spectacular, the Cochise Cowboy Poetry and Music Gathering played to packed houses and enthusiastic crowds once again, February 6 - 8 2009. Themed this year as a celebration of the territorial ranches in southern Arizona, this annual festival has itself become an historic event, attracting hundreds of visitors to the area. The gathering is centered at the local high school, although area businesses and other schools also host many of the venues.
We arrived in town Thursday evening, quickly became firm friends with out host family, then set out for the city of legends, Tombstone. The Thursday night get-together, featuring performers destined to visit area schools on Friday, took place at Tombstone's famous Big Nosed Kate's Saloon—which was a entertainment unto itself. The old town is an adventure to visit and the ideal spot to set the stage for a weekend of western showmanship. Performances were lively, and everywhere we turned we ran into long-lost friends—some of whom we were meeting for the very first time.
On Friday we got up early and headed for our school. Happily, I was partnered with two highly talented cowboys, Randy Huston and Rolf Flake. We spent the morning with a group of elementary school kids, and, although just possibly we had even more fun than the kids did things went well and everyone seemed happy to be there. The festival has been interacting with the schools since its early days, and the school poetry contest hosted by the gathering is an enduring success. The students in our group proudly pointed out a winner from a prior year, and most claimed to have participated in 2009. And I heard similar stories from dozens of other gathering participants, who spent the morning in schools. The performer school visits has become a highly successful program at Sierra Vista, and the gathering deserves high praise for the great job they're doing there.
Throughout the day Friday Sierra Vista City catered to the comfort of performers in town for the Gathering, with a delicious red-meat meal at a local restaurant, then a reception at the Windermere Hotel and Conference Center later in the afternoon. Musicians and poets entertained sponsors and artists, and humorist Dennis Gaines had the crowd nearly rolling in the aisles with his witty rendition of a visit to the fair. The Friday night show at the high school kicked off at seven, but for many folks the fine entertainment to be had at the jam session (which continued at the Windermere well-past midnight) was every bit as much fun.
All the day sessions take place on Saturday, at the high school, where according to the literature over 5,000 people come to enjoy performances by dozens of poets and musicians. This year the performer list included: Buckshot Dot, Doris Daley, Daughters Of The Purple Sage, The Desert Sons, Juni Fisher , Peggy Godfrey, Yvonne Hollenbeck, Peggy Malone, Mike Moutoux, Prickly Pair, Pat Richardson, Jay Snider, David Stamey, Stampede!, Bud Strom, Trails & Rails, Diane Tribitt, Tiffany Jo Allen, Joe Baer, Bill Barwick, Les Buffham, Steve Conroy, Dean Cook, Jack DeWerff, Mike Dunn, Rolf Flake, Ken Graydon, Joe Green and Purly Gates, Kerry Grombacher, Sue Harris, Sid Hausman, Tom Hiatt, Allen "Hook" Hill, Randy Huston, Jim Jones, Katy Creek Band, Nona Kelley Carver, Jo Lynne Kirkwood, Dennis Gaines (who stood in for Rusty McCall, absent due to illness), Deanna McCall, Jon Messenger, Ken and Lyn Mikell, Anita "Nika" Nordbrock, Tony Norris, Susan Parker, Gary Robertson, Peter Rolland, Gregory Scott, Sandy Seaton, Georgie Sicking, Laurie Wood, Cora Wood, and Joyce Woodson.
The Saturday schedule is arranged in fifty-minute sessions, on eight different stages all operating at the same time. The challenge was to figure out how to be at multiple locations during the same session! But folks were happy, crowds were huge, and the event was unquestionably a tremendous success. Fond thanks to Gathering co-chairs Steve Conroy and Bob Fusco, and a special farewell to Bob, who is retiring from his position with the gathering. Also, credit must be given to artist liaison Vivian Bruns, and to the over 200 community volunteers who work so well together to make this gathering the success it most definitely is. Congratulations to Arizona's Cochise Cowboy Poet and Music Gathering, for one more year of pure inspiration. And we hope to see you all in Sierra Vista again, February of 2010!
February, 2009
2nd Annual Gila River Heritage Round-Up Thatcher, Arizona
report by Dee Strickland Johnson ("Buckshot Dot")
photos and captions by Ralph Smith
What? Say you never heard of the Gila River Heritage Roundup down in Arizona in the historic Gila Valley? Well, let me tell you that was one terrific little gathering. This was the second annual event and took place the 24th of January in 2009 at the Graham County Historical Society Museum and Eastern Arizona College in Thatcher, Arizona.
Jack DeWerff
With only seven imported performers, the directors of this event managed to provide free entertainment all day at two venues. The poetry of Jack DeWerff and Mary Abbott brought many a laugh and even a few tears, while Steve Lindsey's "When Hell Freezes Over" was right on target with the Arizona Cardinals in the Super Bowl. Sam DeLeeuw's antics in "Spreadin' Sunshine" were a real crowd pleaser.
Sam DeLeeuw at her best.
The fine voices and excellent guitar work of Randy Huston and Joe Baer provided outstanding music. The evening concert moved along smoothly under the able direction of Master of Ceremonies Neil Abbott. A highlight of the program was the presentation of the Western Heritage award to the Salazar Family in recognition of four generations of Graham County ranching.
Randy Huston was a big hit with the crowd.
Bunny Dryden and one of our student poets
In addition, there was a plethora of local talent in the persons of 4th and 5th grade students who presented their own prize-winning poetry, plus the Eastern Arizona Old Time Fiddlers featuring Don Eskue. Don is a member of the Arizona Old Time Fiddlers Hall of Fame. There was the newly dubbed group called the "Gila Valley Dudes" to provide real foot-stompin' music.
The Gila Valley Dudes: Mayor Ron Green, Don Wriston and Ralph Smith
Wait! Wait! That's not all. There was a terrific chuckwagon barbecue at noon on the museum grounds. The Lark Wilkins outfit cooked up over 70 pounds of beef along with Dutch oven biscuits, beans and taters. Ummm! Any cowboy can attest that this was some feed. There was an art exhibit and museum tours (and ladies and gentlemen, it's one grand little museum, well worth the cost of a trip to Arizona's historic Graham County in itself).
This dandy festival is sponsored by Freeport-McMoRan Copper and Gold Inc. It's a little gem. Roundup officials must be mighty proud! Be sure to put it on your calendar for January 23rd, 2010.
Postscript by Ralph Smith:
"Buckshot" Dot was too modest to mention her own terrific performances at the Roundup. What a crowd-pleaser this grand lady of cowboy poetry and music is! Like the "energizer bunny," she keeps going and going! We appreciate her complimentary report on our gathering.
L-R Mayor Ron Green, our MC Neil Abbott, Mary Abbott, Randy Huston, Buckshot Dot, Jack De Werff, Sam DeLeeuw,
Joe Baer, Steve Lindsey, and Ralph Smith, giving the "thank you."
We invite you to send in reports about gatherings and other events.
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In Q1 2015, Maybelline posted two videos on Facebook. One was a tutorial showcasing products on a makeup face chart; the other was a promotional video in which beauty, fashion, and lifestyle bloggers discussed how they use the brand's Color Molten eyeshadow. The brand supported the campaign video with significantly more spend than the tutorial, helping the former reach 1 million views while the latter drew only 11,000. However, the tutorial generated 6% engagement, while the promo video saw an engagement rate of only 0.4%.
Tutorials account for only 12% of the top 100 most-engaged Facebook video posts, while product and branding videos make up over 80%, according to L2's Intelligence Report: Video. Yet Maybelline's experience suggests that scaling tutorial videos could be a frequently overlooked strategy for brands to generate engagement.
Nail brands in particular have benefited from tutorials. In Q1 2015, all nine of OPI's Facebook videos were tutorials. Focusing on seasonal trends, they generated engagement of 4%, making them more popular than 60% of all other posts. Similarly, Essie saw 3.1% engagement for its video tutorials — significantly higher than the 2.2% average for videos with similar view counts.
Bobbi Brown, Dior, and John Frieda also generated significant engagement by posting tutorials on Facebook. The most popular videos had few similarities in terms of content: John Frieda's most successful tutorials demonstrated hair styles from the red carpet, while Dior's top tutorial focused on one of its makeup collections. However, both the Dior and Bobbi Brown videos incorporated text to fit Facebook's sound-optional viewing, suggesting that brands should not only scale tutorials, but also ensure that they cater to the platform's unique format.

subset: commoncrawl


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Enter the Royal Suite Class and discover a realm of uncharted luxury. Only on Royal Caribbean® Oasis and Quantum Class ships. Revel in the thrill of unique onboard experiences designed to ensure seamless satisfaction for your most discerning clients. Indulge them with privileges of exclusive access, preferential seating and personal assistance in arranging whatever adventure they choose to pursue.
This is luxury redefined. Royal Suite Class by Royal Caribbean®.


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I can't write my biography in the third person without feeling as if someone is watching me. Enjoy, instead, this autobiography!
I am a twenty-something year old from Vermont who works in a coffee factory until the wee hours of the morning in order to support my terrible art addiction. I enjoy sketching and inking comic pages, making digital comic pages and images, and writing. I own two fish: Poptart and Lieutenant Snackables.


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Dan Gheorghiu
IT Director
"With consenso, we have found a partner with whom we can discuss issues on an equal footing. In the context of the international implementation of our SAP BW solution, we succeeded in rolling out comprehensive reporting and planning applications to all our locations.
consenso's profound process knowhow makes it easier to transfer information from the individual company processes into our reporting requirements. Especially the ability to identify new trends and implement innovative technologies shows us that, with consenso, we have a reliable partner at our side for the future."
approx. 3,000
902 million EUR
Chemical processing industry
Head office:
In 1957, Jakob Müller founded Rheinische Kunststoffwerke GmbH in Worms. The goal was to focus on the development and production of polyethylene film and its promotion, while the sister company Renolit developed and produced PVC film. In the last ten years, the company focused on the expansion outside Europe commencing with the first location in the Far East. Since 2004, RKW's subsidiary in Vietnam has been part of the corporate group. In the year 2009, the company started its first "greenfield project", thus building its first production site on the African continent in Egypt. In 2015, RKW took over the companies Hyplast NV in Hoogstraten in Belgium and the former Biofoil Film GmbH in Unseburg near Magdeburg. Prior to this, the business division concerned had been transformed into an independent legal entity within RKW Agri GmbH.


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Finding Ways To Keep Up With Doctors
Why Visiting a Chiropractor Is Advised
It is almost impossible for us to avoid car accidents. It will be of great value to fully understand what awaits us after such a car accident. Paying a chiropractor a visit will be the most ideal thing especially if you have been exposed to so many injuries in an accident. The services of a chiropractor are the best when you are treating accident pains. The level of care given by these experts is quite remarkable. They will offer you the following services that are then explained alongside their advantages.
In most cases, they will help you to identify the extent off injury that you have suffered. It is quite difficult for you to learn if you are injured as soon as an accident occurs. It might actually take so long for you to fully place what kind of injury you have suffered. A few of them will take hours only while some might end up taking years. The services of a chiropractor will often make sure that you do not take a long time to heal. They will also help you to address chronic pain that may arise in future. The path that they take to make sure that you heal is quite natural. Mostly, after an accident someone will opt to visit a medical facility. These medical facilities will most likely get to treat your symptoms only. They will, every so often, prescribe to you various treatment options with a hope that your pain will subside. Chiropractors will make sure that they understand exactly what is behind the pain that you are facing. Every single issue within your body will be fully addressed by these chiropractors.
The appointments that are made with chiropractors are in most cases not intrusive. The chiropractors will assess and treat the pain you are feeling; you will notice that they will use a route that is totally not invasive. They will frequently apply manual therapy as a way to make sure you get well. This is a very safe way of treatment. There is no point that you will be prone to adverse reactions to the treatment offered. This means it is suitable for any age group. Additionally, these experts have the right skills to handle every form of injury that you might have incurred.
They often have a number of treatment plans at their disposal. Be reminded that they do not just focus on only one thing. They are often known for holistic care. Theirs is to assure you of quick and natural recovery. They will actually work for your financial benefit. Whenever addressing an insurance company, a chiropractor will make sure that he captures each detail on the state of your injures. This will result in you getting a more deserved kind of settlement.
How I Became An Expert on Chiropractics


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Coconut and Peanut Porridge
Dear friend, Don't hate me looool – I know porridge is the easiest thing in the world to make. I just wanted to show you 2 things I added to mine to take it from a 2/10 breakfast to a solid 10. Bare in mind I don't really like coconut or peanut butter, I was so surprised at how addicted to this I got. At one point, I was eating porridge twice a day and was buying a new pot of this butter every fortnight! We all like our porridge consistency different (some don't like it at all LOL) but I'll note the oat : milk ratio I use just so you can see how I make mine. P.s. I never eat fruit with my porridge, this was purely for show loool.View Post


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Professional Quality Webcasts using Lync Online/
Are you intimidated when presenting online meetings? Do you feel you could polish your skills and make your presentations better? Then our next Lync and Learn session is for you! We will focus on delivering professional quality webcasts using Lync Online. Brett Hill will demonstrate how to plan and deliver a webcast using Lync Online. Brett is an Office 365 MVP. This session includes planning for the user experience with different Lync clients, using video and audio, pre-configuring the meeting, and tips for presentation in real time.


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ZIEK McCarter, the lead singer and lyricist of American band Con Brio, received a message from his late father in a dream, and that message became the inspiration for the band's first full-length album, Paradise.
Carter confirmed the name of the album was partly inspired by a dream he had about his late father, an Army veteran who died at the hands of East Texas police in 2011.
In the dream, his father delivered an invitation: 'Come with me to paradise.'
Con Brio is an Italian expression used in music to describe something 'with spirit' or 'with vigour', and in this case, it also means 'with rhythm and blues'.
Con Brio is an American soul and rock and roll band formed and based in San Francisco, California, in 2013.
Is that vigour on stage that earned the band an invite to come back to Bluesfest after stunning critics and punters with their sexy, sensual and soulful live shows.
The band currently consists of McCarter, guitarist Benjamin Andrews, bassist Jonathan Kirchner, keyboardist Patrick Monaco Glynn, drummer Andrew Laubacher, and horn players Marcus Stephens and Brendan Liu.
They recorded and released an EP in 2015 called Kiss the Sun, and Paradise, in 2016.
McCarter, who grew up in Texas, said a plant commonly found on the Northern Rivers is also related to the album's inspiration.
"We were working on the album and the dream became the song, although the album concept also came from these plants you guys have here, birds of paradise," he explained.
"My father played guitar, he was a big influence on me."
But Con Brio is now working on a new album and they shared some of their new songs with Bluesfest audiences over the weekend.
Drummer Andrew Laubaucher said they have started playing here songs from a new unnamed record the band hopes to release late this year or early 2019.
"It's a continuation of the sound of Paradise, but there's definitely some new themes," he said.
"Ziek did a really good job, and a lot of the songs are reflections of what we've been through as a band.
"The first record was what we wanted to create and project, where we wanted to be, and now that we have toured the world and we have been a band, it's cool to see how the lyrics reflect that curiosity of where are we going and confidence in what we are doing."
- Con Brio plays at Bluesfest's Crossroads Stage this Monday at 3pm.


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Katherine A. Eade
Katherine Eade was appointed a Director of the Company on October 24, 2017 and is a member of the Governance Committee. Ms. Eade is the Deputy General Counsel of La-Z-Boy Incorporated and has more than 15 years of experience advising Fortune 500 companies on significant corporate transactions, governance matters, securities, and risk management. Prior to joining La-Z-Boy, Ms. Eade was the Director, M&A Law and Transactions for Corning Incorporated and Division Counsel for Corning's Life Sciences and Pharmaceutical Technologies divisions. Her life science acquisitions for Corning included the $730 million purchase of BD's Discovery Labware business. Previous to her work at Corning, Ms. Eade was an attorney at Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP, a leading international law firm, for over seven years. Earlier in her career, she served as a law clerk for Judge Morton I. Greenberg of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit. Ms. Eade earned a J.D., cum laude, from Harvard Law School and a B.A. in Government, summa cum laude, from Cornell University. We believe Ms. Eade's qualifications to sit on our Board of Directors include her significant experience in mergers and acquisitions, including in the life sciences industry, and her extensive experience in capital markets and corporate governance.
Independent Director


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- Lakeville Journal
- Millerton News
- Compass A&E
- Obituaries
- Classifieds
- Regional
- Special Sections
- TriCorner Real Estate
Looking Back
Books: 'The Journal of Judge Donald Warner'
As we move about Salisbury we often note symbols of the past — the Academy Building, the library, the churches — and think about life in a bygone era. A newly published book, "The Journal of Judge Donald Warner," supplies many fascinating stories of that time, an insider's view of the town's special heritage.
Warner began his journal in 1926. Now, with its publication by the Salisbury Association Historical Society, all who love the town can share this splendid description of places and people.


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Stokesley sc moved to within five points of leaders Birtley Town and became the top scorers when they blasted 10 goals past bottom-of-the-table Ferryhill Athletic.
The championship challengers scored five times in each half as the goals rained in from Jonathan Newton (5), Craig Johnson (2), Richard Hore, Adam Bramley and Anthony Sivills. Stuart Cottam hit a consolation for Ferryhill.
North Shields are level on points with Stokesley SC and the pair both have a couple of games in hand on Birtley. The Robins had to work hard for a 2-0 win over Jarrow at Ralph Gardner Park despite having the incentive of an early goal from Paul Ross, who powered in a header following a corner by Roy Gordon.
Ian Dugdale added a second goal on 66 minutes, completing the task after captain David Little had delivered a through ball which caught out the Jarrow defence. Martin Graham (North Shields) and Ian Patton (Jarrow) were both red-carded.
Cleadon SC twice equalised but Darlington RA edged a 3-2 success at Brinkburn Road. Andrew Roberts and Paul Freery, with a brace, netted for RA with Mark Johnson and Gary Hornsby (og) accounting for Cleadon's two goals.
New Marske stay on the fringe of the title race following their five-goal victory at home to Washington Nissan UK.
Craig Mendum rifled a hat-trick and others on target were Ian Johnson and Adam Henry. Stephen Brian responded for Nissan while for the Seasiders youngsters Adam Livingstone and Harrison Davies impressed.
Boldon CA were another side in scoring mode as they put four goals past Ryhope CW. Following a goalless first half, Michael Meek (2), Scott Baxter and Craig Rolfe steered Boldon to a 4-1 victory. Alan Surtees was the visitors' marksman.
Wolviston played almost the entire second half with just 10 men after Paul Griffiths was sent off for a handling offence but they withstood pressure from Barnard Castle Glaxo to end 2-1 in front.
Andy Steele and Michael Diciccio had Wolviston two up and there were only four minutes remaining when Joe Baum pulled a goal back for Glaxo. Gary Hayes was outstanding in the visitors' goal.
Annfield Plain progressed to the third round of the League Cup, defeating Harton and Westoe 3-1 in a delayed tie.
Michael Murray put the Plain ahead on 10 minutes but after Jonathan Mullen levelled, the visitors won with two goals in the last 12 minutes from Matthew Gent and Shaun Little.


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According to Swiss health insurance laws, all residents of Switzerland should benefit from the exact same compulsory health insurance coverage while premiums remain flexible. But in practice, differences between insurance providers run deeper than higher or lower premiums.
Customer service discrepancies between health insurance providers
In order to determine health insurance service levels, moneyland.ch obtained information from insurance providers which outlines their claim settlement methods and reimbursement periods. Additionally, moneyland.ch commissioned a representative survey (conducted by market research institute GfK Switzerland) to determine the levels of customer satisfaction with Swiss health insurance providers.
The result: Differences between individual insurance providers reach far beyond varying insurance premiums. The differences in customer service exist and directly affect health insurer's claim settlement processes, among other things. These differences are reflected in widely differing levels of customer satisfaction.
Differences in claim settlement methods
The two claim settlement methods most commonly used in Swiss obligatory health insurance are indirect settlement (known as tiers garant) and direct settlement (known as tiers payant). When the indirect settlement system is used, the healthcare provider (a doctor or pharmacy, for example) bills the patient for services rendered.
After paying the medical bill, the patient then forwards the receipt to the insurance provider, which settles the claim by reimbursing eligible healthcare expenses. Direct settlement, on the other hand, is more customer friendly because the healthcare provider bills the health insurance company directly.
The majority of Swiss health insurance providers estimate that approximately two-thirds of all bills are now paid using the tiers payant system (direct settlement), but the actual portion of claims handled by each settlement method varies between insurance providers. Direct settlement is normally used to settle claims for purchases at pharmacies, but some insurers – like Supra – primarily use indirect settlement for pharmacy claims.
Claim settlement periods compared
Following up on a survey conducted by the Federal Office of Public Health in 2014, moneyland.ch obtained up-to-date information regarding healthcare bill reimbursement time frames from Swiss health insurance providers. Specifically, moneyland.ch asked insurers how many days a policyholder can expect to wait before being reimbursed for a claim through indirect settlement. The majority of insurance providers settle reimbursement claims within 10 days.
However, settlement periods employed by a number of providers are noticeably longer. For example, Groupe Mutuel has an average claim settlement period of 15 days, Supra takes 17 days to reimburse healthcare costs and Assura takes up to 37 days to settle claims.
Considering the high costs of healthcare services, a long settlement period can put a strain on a policyholder's finances. The claim settlement periods employed by each insurance provider are clearly shown in the moneyland.ch health insurance comparison.
Health insurance comparison
Claim settlement methods used by Swiss health insurance providers
Health insurance customer satisfaction comparison
Best Swiss health insurance policies compared
Health insurance claim settlement periods compared


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Product Description
The AgroMax Mother Keeper professional grow tent provides the means to create and maintain the perfect indoor garden environment. Intelligent design, premium materials, heavy-duty construction, unbeatable value - this grow tent has it all! AgroMax grow tents were designed for growers by growers, and come packed with features that other higher-priced tents don't offer. Zippered doors with Velcro overlap keep the microenvironment inside lightproof, and a removable waterproof floor insert stops spills from leaking out. Multiple ventilation ports accommodate air exhaust/intake configuration needs, and the EZ-View window allows observation of the garden without disturbing interior conditions. With a full metal interlocking frame, reinforced roof supports, and super-tough ballistic nylon skin, this tent is built to last! The AgroMax Mother Keeper grow tent is ideal for seed starting, cloning, mothering, and growing small plants such as herbs, greens, etc. Assembles quickly and easily - no tools required. All products are shipped in plain, discrete packaging.
- Lightproof, low-profile, self-contained growing space for indoor soil or hydroponic gardening
- Construction: All-steel interlocking frame, heavy-duty 600d ballistic nylon shell with double-stitch reinforced seems and lightproofing velcro-flap zipper covers, ultra-reflective silver Mylar interior liner
- Conveniently placed 4" and 6" vent ports accommodate various ventilation configurations
- Features climate-preserving EZ-View window and spill-guarding removable floor liner
- Measures exactly 48.5" long x 22.5" wide x 51.5" high ; quick & easy assembly


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A US study indicates that wearing a helmet when riding a bicycle cut the risk of severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) by 70 percent. Australian statisticians Jake Olivier and Prudence Creighton from the University of New South Wales, who gathered data from more than 40 separate studies, found that helmet use was associated with significantly reduced odds of head injuries. With the increasing available data relevant to bike-related injuries, even casualties, as well as some laws that have been implemented related to road safety, many have accepted the fact that wearing a helmet when cycling can really save a life.
If you are one of those looking for the best helmets for mountain bike, this post is something that you need to read through. It is not just enough that you wear a helmet when you ride your bike, but you also need to consider other factors such as comfort and fit of the helmet to ensure that you'll have an enjoyable ride.
There may be several variations of helmets available in the market today. You can actually find one that will suit your preference when it comes to style, color, and design. These are not the factors that should be given the most concern when deciding which helmet you should buy, however.
To help you come up with the best option, it is best that you understand how these helmets are made, how you can tell if the helmet that you plan to buy is safe at all, and how you can be assured that the helmet you intend to buy will do the job that it is intended to perform.
One thing that can give you some peace of mind, however, is the fact that all of the helmets that are being sold in the United States are required to pass the standards set by the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). That means that whatever options that you may see available in your local store all meet the same safety standards. A CPSC sticker inside the helmet will be your proof for such a feature. There are also other standards that certain manufacturers pursue to pass, other than those set by the CPSC.
Even if the helmet that you may be considering today meet specific safety standards, you should not just buy it right away, however. You'll still need to consider other features of the product, such as its construction. Today, most helmets are made of expanded polystyrene foam (EPS) and are covered with or molded into a tough-but-thin plastic shell. On impact, the foam protects your head and gets crushed instead of your skull.
Cheaper helmets are made with the plastic shell glued or taped to the foam. Those that are more expensive variants come with the pieces molded together during the manufacturing process. Both of these helmet types are safe. The molded helmets are lighter, have more vents, and are generally more appealing, however.
As for the size, lower-priced helmets are usually made to fit different head sizes. All you need to do is to adjust an internal strap to get the helmet to fit snuggly. Higher-priced helmets, on the other hand, usually offer models in a wide range of sizes. You'll want to know what will best fit your head before you look for the helmets that you can choose from. Use a tape measure to get the circumference of the biggest portion of your head, which should be just an inch or so above your eyebrows. Then, find a helmet size that matches that measurement.
Other personal preferences
Other factors that will help you find the best-suited helmet for you includes the color. Take note, however, that bright colors give better visibility while you are out on the road. Another factor that you would also consider is the cut of the helmet. You may need one that offers more cover for the back of your head. Or, perhaps, one that offers a full-face cover for downhill rides. Ventilation, visors, and other special features, such as LED lighting, GPS, Bluetooth connectivity, and so on. Not all of these may be the most important features that you'll need in case of a collision. Still, how you look and feel while on the trail is something you need to think about.
Keeping a perfectly fitting helmet
Keep your helmet leveled and fit snugly on your head. That's how your helmet should be kept on your head.
Your helmet should be placed level on your head, with the front of the helmet covering most of your forehead. It should not tilt back and expose your forehead as it won't be able to provide you with the protection that it's intended to do.
The chin strap should rest snugly beneath your chin. The point of the V of the side straps should sit just below your ears.
Then tighten the straps in front of your ears to make sure that your helmet won't move more than an inch in any direction.
Finally, to ensure that your helmet remains firmly strapped and nicely sitting on your head, you will need to give your helmet a quick wiggle-check before you head out. Check to see if everything is in position and that there are no cracks or loose ends in it.
Remember that you cannot wear any helmet that has experienced any form of impact even if it looks intact on the outside. If your helmet remains whole and fully functioning until the fifth year of using it, you will still need to find a replacement for it. After five years of use, your helmet would have definitely been damaged, to some extent, because of wear and tear and its exposure to natural elements.


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Shooters Meeting
Shooters meeting will be posted here on the website on Wednesday. Be sure to check back for any last minute information Wednesday and/or Thursday. You will be expected to be at your stage at your assigned time to shoot.
Registration times will be posted soon as well. Registration will be at the range on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.


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Music has played a huge part in gaming since day one. There are many tracks people that don't play games would even know. The styles of music are just as far ranging as the games themselves, which we can see in our five nominees.
Here's the list of nominees (and here's the list of nominees for all categories):
- Cuphead (Our Review)
- NieR: Automata (Our Review)
- Persona 5 (Our Review)
- Super Mario Odyssey (Our Review)
- The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (Our Review)
To kick it off, here's what you, the readers, chose as as the winner of the Best Soundtrack Award for outstanding overall score. Our top three follows after.
Reader's Choice – Cuphead
Studio MDHR's first outing was a triumph, which is due in large part to its presentation. The first thing that caught everyone's eyes was of course the gorgeous hand-drawn art, but what elevated the experience to another level was Cuphead's music. It's used smartly for the highs and lows of the game, and the turn of the century jazz solidifies Cuphead's presentation as one of the best of all time.
Third Place – The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
By Nick Maillet
Video game music is always underappreciated in the music world. Film scores, top 40, even underground metal core seems to get more praise as an "art" than the absolutely incredible scores from the likes of Austin Wintory (Journey), Chris Tilton (Assassins Creed), and Norihiko Hibino (Metal Gear Solid). The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild has some of the best use music in a video game ever, not for the reason that its music is great (it can be argued that its average at best) but instead how developer Nintendo implemented the score into the game as an emotional aid, as well as a way to subconsciously build the world around Link and tell a story to the player. I understand how pretentious that sounds, but bear with me for a moment.
The music in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is a small but crucial piece in a larger puzzle because of how the game uses its score. While most video game music is more or less a supplemental device to help drive the tone of the game (Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance) as well as help motivate the player to finish the task at hand, the soundtrack in Breath of the Wild does much more than this. Instead of hearing music play on a loop while exploring the wilds looking for Koroks hiding under rocks, Breath of the Wild chooses to only play small bits of music when it's necessary to accentuate what's happening to Link. Get into a fight and the score ramps up to battle music, start climbing a tall mountain side and you'll hear a few bars trickle from a piano come and go with the wind, sneak into an enemy lair and the music suddenly takes an ominous tone as if the music was another character just off screen taking part in Link's adventure. The music in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild manages to push the art form to a new height in a very different way and absolutely deserves to be recognized for it.
Second Place – Persona 5
By Robert Grosso
The unmistakable jazz-beat sounds of the Persona series are always an aural hallmark, and Atlus' Persona 5 is perhaps the best soundtrack composition they ever put together for your listening pleasure. Composer Shoji Meguro leads the charge with additional compositions by the likes of Toshiki Konishi and Kenichi Tsuchiya, to name a few, and we get a full 110 song soundtrack that never feels overstuffed. Filled with a diverse range of musical motifs, themes, and re-arrangements of classic Persona tunes, what makes Persona 5 work as an audio experience is the sort of laid-back casual pieces intermixed with kinetic, pop, and hard rock riffs. It sounds, and feels, both familiar yet otherworldly at the same time, and that is a hard feat to pull off with any soundtrack.
Mixing in now classic tunes, from the Velvet Room's Poem of Everyone's Soul to brand new, smooth jazz beats fitting for a Phantom Thief, Persona 5's soundtrack has a lot going for it thankfully due to its diverse range and masterful compositions. It also contains excellent vocal work by Japanese singer Lyn Inaizumi, who lends her vocal talents to the familiar yet fresh take on the titular track, Wake Up, Get Up, Get Out There along with six other compositions found in the game.
Persona 5 is a massive game, but if it did one thing right throughout the entire enthralling adventure, it was the musical journey it brought its fans on, taking them for a ride that was the perfect blend of cool and triumphant in a long time.
Winner – Cuphead
[bandcamp width=700 height=120 album=1525965313 size=large bgcol=ffffff linkcol=2ebd35 tracklist=false artwork=small]
By Nick Maillet
Artistically, Cuphead has to be one of the most impressive indie titles ever. From its absolutely mind bending Tex Avery era throwback art direction to its addictive but fair difficulty, the first entry from developer Studio MDHR has left a huge mark on the gaming industry as a whole. And while it's easy to gawk at the eye candy and point out its difficulty having a social impact on the gaming industry, its chart-topping jazz soundtrack is one of the biggest assets to the game's overall charm and believability. Not only did composer Kristofer Maddigan manage to bring that high energy big band jazz sound to a new generation of people, the Cuphead soundtrack was highly placed on the billboard jazz charts for over 7 weeks, a feat very few video games have ever accomplished.
The Cuphead soundtrack is much more than a supplemental addition to help make a great game even better. Songs such as Floral Fury and Forest Follies harken back to the era of silent cartoons starring a familiar mouse in such a convincing way that you would think they were written almost 100 years ago for a silly symphony. While songs such as Clip Joint Calamity showcase the sharply focused but chaotic nature of turn of the century era jazz music with a driving melody and complementary time signature changes.
The music in Cuphead is so much more than just 50 something throwback tracks playing on a loop while you die a lot; it's something special and should be regarded as one of the best musical achievements in the games industry alongside the soundtrack for Journey and Chrono Cross. Cuphead's soundtrack is an integral part of the overall experience as well as a solid jazz record and definitely deserves TechRaptors top pick of 2017.
What did we miss? What did we get wrong? What game would have won the award for you?


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Your audience wants you to organize a green event. Having said that though you need to make sure you have everything in place to actually make it happen. Claiming that you are 'green' is not enough. Event planners need to make it clear to their fans what they are doing! My research study at American music festivals in 2015 showed exactly that: event planners need to shout about their initiatives!
Greening your event
A few years ago I visited a conference about greening the event industries. As I walked in I was handed so many freebies (read waste), from food coupons to fliers, that the whole point of the conference was undermined. In my opinion their vision was lost on me within 10 minutes after arriving. Events need to live up to the expectations of their visitors.
Make it easy for your attendees to do what you want them to do. If you want to recycle on site you need to provide your audience with the right tools to do so. Be clever with your signage and your communication. Make it easy for your attendees to do what you want them to do. Educate your audience where needed.
Getting the message across
Be very clear in the message that you send to your audience. What is it that you want them to do? Some festivals, like Lightning in a Bottle and Shambhala Music Festival, have created a social norm among the attendees to clean up after themselves. From 'pack it in, pack it out' to 'leave no trace' to 'love your tent' campaigns the message is clear: whatever you bring on site you take back home with you. Make sure you are consistent in your communication to your audience.
Audience welfare
Besides the importance of communication you want to make sure you look after your audience's wellbeing whilst they are at your event. Invest in your medical facilities such as first aid and chill out spaces. Be aware of who your audience is and what they do whilst at your event. From alcohol and other drug consumption to lost children: be in the know of what is happening on your event or festival site.
American Music Festivals
In 2015 I conducted research at Lightning in a Bottle festival and Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival. Two very different festivals and yet they share the idea of creating a sustainable festival experience and they communicate this to their audiences. Attendees applaud the organizations for their efforts even though they do not always recognize every initiative. Both festivals have won awards from A Greener Festival as well.
In my opinion event organizations in general can do a lot more with regards to communicating their sustainable initiatives to their visitors. Shout about it as otherwise it might not have any impact at all.
For more information please visit my website www.eventtutor.com or you can also check out my eBook Event Planning: Research At Music Festivals In North America on Amazon.


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SINGAPORE: As the demand for private housing slows, the supply of land for such homes has been reduced, the Ministry of National Development (MND) said on Thursday (Dec 6).
Fourteen land sites, comprising five confirmed sites and nine on the reserve list, were released for sale on Thursday under the Government Land Sales (GLS) programme for the first half of 2019.
The sites are expected to yield 6,475 private homes, down from the previous GLS programme for the second half of 2018, which saw 15 sites released with an expected supply of 8,040 private homes.
After property cooling measures were introduced in July, buyers' demand for private homes has slowed and developers' demand for land has also declined, MND said.
At the same time, the supply of private homes in the pipeline has grown significantly to 45,000 units, the ministry said.
About 31,000 units from GLS and en-bloc sale sites with planning approval remain unsold, and there are an additional 14,000 units from sites pending planning approval. Another 28,000 existing units are currently vacant.
"Given these factors, the Government has decided to moderate the total supply of private residential units for the 1H2019 GLS programme. Together with the supply in the pipeline, this will sufficiently cater to the housing needs of our population," MND said.
The 15 sites are also expected to yield 86,000 sq m gross floor area of commercial space and 1,115 hotel rooms.
The five confirmed sites released are private residential sites, including an Executive Condominium (EC) site at Canberra Link. The other four sites are located at Clementi Avenue 1, one-north Gateway, Tan Quee Lan Street in Bugis and Bernam Street in Tanjong Pagar.
The nine sites on the reserve list comprise six private residential sites, including an EC site at Fernvale Lane in Sengkang, a hotel site at Sims Avenue and two "white" sites, which are for mixed-use developments, at Marina View and Woodlands Avenue 2.
The mixed-use site in Woodlands is expected to help sustain the development of Woodlands Regional Centre as a major commercial node outside the city, MND said, adding that this will help bring jobs closer to homes.
The other private residential sites are at Bartley Road, Canberra Drive, Dairy Farm Walk, Dunman Road and Hillview Rise.


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From the moment I pulled into the drive at Little Gardens, I knew that I was in for a beautiful, elegant wedding day. The weather was cool and breezy, the venue was stunning, and when I went inside I found a bride who was all smiles. Laura and Adam were truly made for each other, and I loved being a part of their relaxed, intimate wedding.
Laura's dress was so beautiful!
See what I mean about the happy bride?
Laura, you are one lovely bride!
I love the detailed lace on her dress.
I love the combination of lavender and silver that Laura chose as her color palette. It really stood out against the deep green surroundings in the Gardens.
You know I can't move on before showing you a shot of the handsome groom. Adam, you look so dapper in your tux!
Adam and Laura chose to do a first look before the ceremony, so I had plenty of time to take pictures of the two of them. I was especially thankful because the Gardens are such a beautiful location to shoot!
I love that they're so comfortable together and they enjoy each others company so much. They were all smiles all day.
I love this! :)
The ceremony was short and sweet.
This was one of my favorite details from the day. This little guy was placed next to Adam's groom cake. Do you see his resemblance to the groom? :)


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Just some sketch that I scanned and colored using MGI PhotoSuite. Some useless trivia: I did not name this pic "Divider Dragon" for some deep or meaningful purpose; it is named Divider Dragon because I sketched it out on a notebook divider one day in school. ^.~
< previous | Dragons 1 | next >


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Sometimes I like it quiet when I'm in the studio....and sometimes I listen to music. There are a lot of bands I like, but I try really hard to favor indie Canadian bands. That's why I love listening to CKUA or CBC radio 2...they play a lot of great Canadiana....and one nite while listening to CBC, I heard this fabulous group called "A fine frenzy" and the song they played had this wonderful line; "...with my heart ticking like a bomb in a bird cage..." and I loved the mental images I got. This is just one of many, and I may revisit the lyric with a different illustration...but for now, this is it.
And now....for painting on shirts. Not to be confused with silk screening...this is BRUSH painting on clothes. I was told about this fabulous medium that magically transforms your acrylic paint into fabric paint.....I kid you not! No wearable fabr surface may be safe in my house if my experiment turns out like I hope it will!
Oh the endless possibilities...the endless paint-able surfaces!
Oh the photos!


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Drug and alcohol treatment in Waverly is going to be the most effective process if someone has the ability to completely invest themselves into it. Short-term and outpatient centers in Waverly, NY. may be the most appealing option because it seems like an easy and convenient solution, but neither have extremely high rates of success at helping clients due to lack of intensity and period of treatment offered at such programs. For instance, anyone who has recently abstained from alcohol or drugs may have cravings for quite a while, and after four weeks these cravings may still be very extreme. To send someone home at this point is setting them up for failure as well as an inevitable relapse. This is the common outcome after brief stints in alcohol and drug rehab in Waverly, NY., but one which can be avoided if a quality inpatient or residential program in Waverly is chosen in place of a more apparently convenient option. So speak with a drug and alcohol rehabilitation counselor in a drug and alcohol rehabilitation program in Waverly, NY. today which offers inpatient or residential long-term rehab to hear about the benefits of choosing such a facility.
If someone outright refuses to go to alcohol and drug treatment in Waverly, NY., this doesn't mean they don't want help. Their resistance to attend drug and alcohol rehab in Waverly may just be because they are scared about the prospect of needing to cope through life without alcohol and drugs after they have done so for so long, or it could be because they will need to be to blame for anything that transpired through the course of their substance abuse which can be incredibly overwhelming. An intervention may be required to assist them to overcome these fears and their hesitancy, to allow them to possess a quality lifestyle that doesn't depend on drugs or alcohol. Consult with an interventionist or drug and alcohol treatment counselor in Waverly, NY. to hold a drug intervention immediately.
Land Demographics, Waverly, NY.Area: 40.180000305176 Sq. Miles
Waverly Education DemographicsIn Elem School: 1,025 (52.94 %)
Household and Income Statistics in: Waverly, NY.Households: 3,297 Households%: 100.00 %
Local drug and alcohol treatment in Waverly, NY.:
Tioga County Dept of Mental Hygiene is an Outpatient Drug Rehab Program with a focus on Drug and Alcohol Treatment. The address is 80 William Donnelly Parkway Waverly, NY. 14892 and phone number is 607-565-9594.
Payment forms accepted are Self Payment, Medicaid, Medicare, Private Insurance, Military Insurance.


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Order Yours Today for a Safer Horse !


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Introduction to a Christmas Special.
Have you suddenly realised you have no Mince Pies for Christmas? How about making some yourself? Gervase Markham's 'The English Housewife' [London: 1615] may help you cope with Yule Tide Mince Pies. His recipe says [spelling by Gervase, modified punctuation by me]:-
'Take a Legge of Mutton, and cut the best of the flesh from the bone, and parboyl it well, then put to it three pound of the best Mutton suet & shred it very small; then spread it abroad, and fashion it with Salt, Cloves and Mace: then put in [a] good store of Currants, great Raisins and Prunes clean washed and picked, a few Dates sliced, and some Orenge-pils sliced;
then, being all well mixt together, put it into a coffin, or into divers coffins, and so bake them and when they are served up, open the lids and strow store of Sugar on the top of the meat and upon the lid. And in this sort you may also bake Beef or Veal, onely the Beef would not be parboyld, and the Veal will ask a double quantity of Suet. [There's more information later.]
The 21st December is 'St Thomas' Day' – the day people used to go 'Thomasing'.
Remember this rhyme?…
Christmas is coming, the geese are getting fat, please put a penny in the old man's hat;
If you haven't got a penny a ha'penny will do, if you haven't got a ha'penny well God bless you.
Thomas the Apostle was one of the 12 apostles of Jesus. There are many stories about his life and more than one 'feast day' is linked to him. He is the 'Patron Saint of old people' and, on this day in Britain's past, old people were allowed to go round their streets asking for food or money.
This freedom remains in some form or other in many communities to this day. The following has been published this year by the village of Deeping St James:
'The St Thomas' Day Distribution' was instituted by our ancestors to benefit the widows of the Parish who were at that time, by definition, destitute having suffered the loss of the family breadwinner. This tradition has been continued and over time, brought up to date. With effect from 2014, the Trustees are now offering a small cash grant from the St Thomas' Day charity to all older residents of the Parish who are in need. The grant will be limited to one application per household and will be distributed on the nearest Thursday to 21st December, the date on which St Thomas' Day used to be celebrated. If you are of state pensionable age, in need, and have been resident in the Parish of Deeping St James & Frognall for at least two years, you may be eligible to apply for the grant'.
The Application details follow with this addendum which harks back to times gone by:-
Please note:
The Trustees no longer offer the original benefaction of a loaf of bread and a bucket of coal
22nd December: – the period just before Christmas has, over the years, become a serious competition as to who can sell the most 'pop' records and this week before Christmas has become a frenetic race to get that 'best seller of all' the Christmas number 1.
The British Pop Charts began on 14th November 1952 and I thought it would be 'fun' to see what was the best-selling pop record every 10th year after the first Christmas Number One – which, on this day in 1952, was Al Martino singing 'Here in my Heart'.
Ten years later, in 1962, we had Elvis Presley having difficulties with his (ex) girlfriend with 'Return to Sender.'
The 1972 Christmas chart was published on 23rd December and at number one was Little Jimmy Osmond with 'Long Haired Lover from Liverpool'. Jimmy was the youngest of the Osmond family and was just 9 years 251 days old when this record hit number 1. In achieving the number one slot he displaced 14 year old Frankie Lymon ('Why do fools fall in love? in July 1956) as the youngest ever chart topper. He still remains the youngest ever solo performer but it is quite possible that there was someone younger among the St Winifred's School Choir who were the top Christmas sellers in 1980 with 'There's No-one Quite Like Grandma'!
Moving on ten more years, to 1982, and we have another 'very different' number 1 in 1982 when Renée and Renato were telling us all to 'Save your Love'. But – in the background – 'love' had gone. Hilary Lester – the 'Renée' on the record – had left before the record became a success. Val Penny was hired to mime her way through the associated video – wearing a wig so as to match earlier pictures of Hilary!
The 1992 Christmas number 1 set a record which is still to be bettered – Whitney Houston's 'I will always love you' – hit number 1 on 5th December 1992 and was not unseated until 13th February 1993 – 10 weeks ruling the roost. This version came from the film 'The Bodyguard' in which she starred with Kevin Costner. The song was actually written by Dolly Parton in 1973; twice reached number 1 in the US charts sung by different artistes; was sung by Dolly in the film 'The Best Little Whore House in the West' and, in the summer of 1993, Britain's Sarah Washington's (born Sarah Warwick) dance cover version reached number 12 in the UK charts.
To complete this 50 year review of Number 1's: in 2002 we have, for just Christmas week, the 'boy band' Blue sitting at the top of the UK charts for their third number 1, collaborating with Elton John to revive an old hit of his, "Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word".
23rd December and 'Star Gazy Pie': The story of 'Star Gazy Pie' originates from the fishing village of Mousehole (mow-zul) in Cornwall. It involves a very unusual pie and a legend that has 'grown' over the centuries.
Let's first consider the pie that you should/would eat today.
Star Gazy Pie – sometimes called Starrey Gazey Pie – is made of baked pilchards with eggs and potatoes, covered with a pastry crust. Predictably there are 'personal' modifications to the recipe but the one thing that must never change are the fish heads (and sometimes tails) that protrude through the crust, appearing to gaze at the stars. I am told that this 'structure' allows the oils released during cooking to flow back into the pie!
So where does this pie story originate?
The festivities were recorded by Robert Morton Nance, a leading authority on the Cornish language and joint founder of the Old Cornwall Society. In 1927, in the magazine Old Cornwall, he wrote about the festivities prior to 1900, going on to suggest that the origins of the festival dated back to pre-Christian times, though it is unclear at what time the Stargazy Pie became part of the festivities. None-the-less he went on to restore the traditional song sung on this day – Tom Bawcock's Eve – and played to the local tune "Wedding March":
"Merry place you may believe, Tiz Mouzel 'pon Tom Bawcock's eve
To be there then who wouldn't wesh, to sup o' sibm soorts o' fish
When morgy brath had cleared the path, Comed lances for a fry
And then us had a bit o' scad an' Starry-gazie pie,
As aich we'd clunk, E's health we drunk, in bumpers bremmen high,
And when up caame Tom Bawcock's name, We'd prais'd 'un to the sky"
So who is Tom Bawcock?
As far as the story is concerned Tom was a local fisherman in the 16th century. Legend tells us that one winter had been particularly stormy, which meant that none of the fishing boats had been able to leave the harbour. As Christmas approached the villagers, who relied on fish as their primary source of food, were facing starvation.
On 23rd December, it is said; Tom Bawcock decided to brave the storms and went out in his fishing boat. Despite the stormy weather and the difficult seas, he managed to catch enough fish to feed the whole village. The entire catch (including seven types of fish) was baked into a pie, which had the fish heads poking through to prove that there were fish inside. Ever since then, the 'Tom Bawcock's Eve' festival is held on 23rd December in Mousehole. The celebration and memorial to his efforts sees the villagers parading a huge StarGazy Pie during the evening with a procession of handmade lanterns. They then sit down and eat the pie itself!
Thursday 24th December 1987
It's Christmas Eve and Alan Clark – a Conservative MP who served as a junior minister in the Thatcher government – writes in his diary:
'Christmas Eve: I've got £700,000 in my Abbey National Crazy-High-Interest account. But what's the use: Ash, ash, all is ash. Lay not up for thyself treasures on earth. The cars are all getting streaked and rust-spotted, the books foxed, the furniture dusty. The window panes, all 52,000 of them are revolting, so greasily blotched; translucent only. And there is moth everywhere. My grandfather's great Rothschild coat, bought in Wren in 1906, is terminally degraded ….. The whole thing is out of control – and why? I know why; because I am not rich enough to have servants. We have to do everything ourselves, and we just haven't got the time, and things get neglected.
I found the old Wages Book for 1960. That was the year James was born, and we bought our first new car, a dear little red Mini. It was the cheapo model with cloth seats, and we saved a further three pounds and ten shillings by hand painting the registration numbers ourselves. Total cost 'on the road' was £460.'
Monday 25th December 1916 – The First World War is two years old and 'The B.E.F. TIMES with which are incorporated 'The Wipers Times, The "New Church" Times, The Kemmel Times & The Somme-Times; No. 2, Vol-1; price 1 Franç' announces in its Editorial:
'Now we have arrived at our "Grand Double Xmas Number" (this by the way is provided the paper arrives in time) and the first thing any good Editor does, is to wish all his readers the very best of good wishes. Between ourselves I think the least said about "Peace on earth, goodwill to man" the better, when most of the inhabitants of this planet are trying to "put it across" someone or other in the most unpleasant way that lies handy.
We have received many of the Xmas Nos. of our English contemporaries, and we must say that it is about time England had a war, if the popular taste runs in the direction indicated by most of the coloured plates. It is good to see that England has at last realised that we are at war, and has fixed the price of officer's meals, although we fully endorse the views expressed by the Brigadier who wanted an extra pat of butter at an A.B.C. and was told he had already spent ninepence, and was so up to his limit. But it was undoubtedly a step in the right direction, and by the time the war is in full swing it will not surprise us to see many innovations of this sort, in fact, one might venture to prophecy that a few more years of war, will see officers restricted to a three shilling taxi fare. If we are to win the war then officers will really have to make every sacrifice. But it is pleasing to see that England has shaken herself and means business.'
26th December – St. Stephen's Day. In many countries December 26th commemorates the life of St. Stephen, a Christian deacon in Jerusalem who was known for his service to the poor, and his status as the first Christian martyr – he was stoned to death in 36AD.
In Britain the 26th December holiday is commonly known as Boxing Day. It takes this name from the practice of giving small gifts to household servants on this day for their work throughout the year. Apprentices also used to carry a box around to their master's customers for small gratuities. In a wider element – boxes were placed in churches through the days preceding Christmas Day for casual offerings to be placed there. The box would be opened on Christmas Day and the contents, called the 'dole of the Christmas Box' or 'Box money', were distributed the next day – this day; St Stephen's Day – by the Parish Priests.
Monday 27th December 1965: Not everything about Christmas can be good – and this day saw a very non-Christmas calamity. The Sea Gem was the first British offshore oil rig, and became its first offshore rig disaster when, on this day, the rig's legs collapsed, causing the death of 13 members of the crew.
In the early 1960s, oil companies had found some crude oil in the North Sea and suspected that there was more to be found. However, in general, they didn't think that there were enough significant reserves to warrant the use of major resources to search for it. That attitude changed when 'fields' were found that proved fairly large reserves existed – and the oil companies began to search.
Originally a 5,600 ton steel barge, the Sea Gem had been converted to function as an oil rig in 1964 with 10 steel legs that made it possible to raise the barge c50 foot above the sea. It also had a helipad, living quarters for the crew of 34 and a drilling tower with all the usual associated structures. It had made the first British discovery of natural gas in September 1965 but the find was considered too small to be commercially profitable.
On this day, 27th December 1965, the crew were moving the rig to another site. This involved lowering the rig onto the surface of the water and floating it to that new site. As the rig was being lowered, two of the legs crumpled and broke, causing the rig to capsize, with equipment and people sliding off into the North Sea. The radio hut was among the equipment that fell into the sea so the rig never had chance to send out an emergency signal. Luckily a British freighter, the Baltrover, saw the situation and sent emergency signals. Men were seen jumping into the freezing-cold sea and clinging onto wreckage. The Baltrover, together with an RAF and a civilian helicopter, set about saving as many men as they could.
The RAF helicopter rescued three men. It's Flight Sergeant, John Reeson, said that by the time they had arrived only one leg of the Sea Gem was left visible. He described some horrendous conditions as they had tried to save those in the water. "We went out through a snowstorm", he said. "It was clear weather around the oil rig but it was rough. There were waves 15ft to 20ft high. I went down the winch line to men I could see in the water. It was freezing cold."
Robert Hessey, one of the rig workers, said the structure collapsed without any warning. "I saw the crane topple over the deck," he said. "There was a loud sound of grinding and rumbling. I hadn't realised what was happening until I heard someone shouting, 'She's sinking.'"
A later public inquiry into the accident caused several changes to be made to improve the safety of oil rigs. These included the use of a stand-by boat, which would be able to help rescue crews in the event of future accidents. This inquiry concluded that metal fatigue in part of the suspension system linking the hull to the legs was to blame for the collapse.
PS: Harking back to Gervase Markham's Mince Pies at the beginning:
As you will have gathered, pies then were more savoury than now: the 'coffins' referred to were small rectangular pastry cases similar in concept to modern mince-pies but a different shape.
I have eaten pies made pretty closely to this recipe – and watched others eat them at the end of a talk on Christmas. I like them; most of the 'others' have looked at them and been very suspicious. A few usually decline the 'mince pie' offer but of those that do give one a try, over half usually give a positive response.