I don’t know about your bucket list, but mine has always included attending a rubber ducky race. At last I get my chance at the 1st annual Rubber Duck race in nearby Belle Fourche. Unexpectedly this exciting race includes some cunning strategy by several of the more competitive ducks.
A shrewd duck grabs the lead right out of the gate and holds onto it throughout this aquatic slugfest. While I am not sure of the duck’s gender (are the males slightly more yellow than the females?), this duck uncannily uses the river’s current to avoid calm waters, obstacles and the Shriners who are supposed to retrieve him at the finish line.
After the race ends, no one calls me to inform me that my duck won. So I assume that means no prize for me. I was sure that the mysterious smiling duck in the lead was mine. But given the circumstances, I could probably challenge the “so called winner” based on its flagrant disregard for race protocol. Of course that is assuming that they ever caught up with that clever, evasive duck.
A Live Report from Race Central
I Feel Young Again!
Click on the photo to hear the Fish Food Song.
After spending all winter and most of last year hanging around folks my own age, I have forgotten how invigorating it is to be around young people. On one of my first days volunteering at the fish hatchery, I distribute free fish food to a visiting preschool group. I am rewarded with a stirring rendition of the “Thank You for the Fish Food” song. Thank you, my little angels!!
Jamming at the Occidental
Before I left Arizona, my musician friends there insisted that I include a trip to Buffalo, WY in my adventures while up North. It turns out that every Thursday evening at the restored Occidental Hotel and Saloon a world renowned Bluegrass Jam takes place. Although the thought of performing in front of so many people makes me nervous, I load up my banjo and make the 3 hour trip over to join in.
Before I leave, I text my Arizona flash mob friend DiMarie who happens to be in Wyoming. She eagerly agrees to meet me at the jam Thursday to show me the ropes. I could never have imagined how awesome this event would be. Of course, the adult organizers put on a great jamming concert. But the local teenage (and younger) musicians stole the show for me. One young man shares with me tips for playing a fiddle. Like each of the other young players there, he plays several other instruments and is a talented performer.
A precious 7 or 8 year old young lady admires my banjo case stickers and assures me that she has collected some of the same ones from Wyoming. I ask if I can see her case, but she tells me she doesn’t carry it with her yet as the banjo is too big for her to play. Instead she has brought her tiny guitar along to play until she grows into her banjo.
Lessons Learned
I am not sure that I added anything to the Jam Session. There were so many wonderful musicians there playing so many different instruments (piano, squeezebox, harmonica, mandolin, banjos, dobros, standup bass, guitars, fiddles) that I could not even hear my own banjo. Since the key for each song was rarely mentioned, I work on trying to figure it out before each song ends.
God only knows if I ever actually played a right chord. Most of the musicians played standing up, I tried that when I got home. Usually I play sitting because a 20 lb. banjo is a lot for me to hold with just a shoulder strap for any length of time. I cannot believe how much better my banjo sounds when I play it standing up. Not that I play it any more skillfully, but evidently the resonator is more effective when not surrounded by my body.
Now I just have to work on what I learned from this jam and go back brave enough to play my own song in front of all of those people! And a nap!!! I need a nap if I am going to play for 3 hours and stay up past my bedtime.
Coincidence?
While I was waiting for the duck race to begin in Belle Fourche, I strolled through the museum there. I came across a display about the Belle Fourche Cowboy Band. Later in a discussion with DiMarie, I learn that she and her husband managed that band for 5 years. What an amazing coincidence!
More Scenes From My Recent Adventures
Those wacky qwackers! Looks like you are having a lot of fun! Love the fish food song!!!
I am having fun. You of all folks can most appreciate the fish song!
Wow, what a great experience for a morning start to the day. The duck race is something else again. ;>) Would love to have gone to the JAM with you, that has to be a highlight of the trip, and I am afraid that I would have to put my RV closer to them than you are. :>)))) Good to here from you and to see your still doing well. Take care love ya and look forward to hearing from you again soon. GOD BLESS
JD/SD
Jim & Sandy
You would have definitely loved the Jam. Those young musicians were awesome and so very polite to this old lady 🙂
Love the “duck” race pics. Is there a prize for the winner or just the elation their rubber ducky won?
There was a big ol’ prize basket full of goodies, but I didn’t study it too long because I was so sure my little ducky was going to prevail.
Love it! Looks like you’re having fun. Hope the rightful owner of that rubber ducky got their prize!
I invested in the rubber duck race in Rapid City once, still waiting for that phone call!
Hope you can have Thursday as your OFF day, we know how happy you are when music is involved!
(Buffalo has a neat farmer’s market too!)
Miss you! But glad you’re having fun.
Thanks – I am loving the music here. As promised, the Hatchery lets me take my fiddle or banjo along with me to the venues and I can practice there during the day while I work as a docent. Doing that has let me meet local musicians that I may be able to jam with. I loved Buffalo, but it would be nice not to have to travel so far for my music fix 🙂
Miss you all too!! Keep me posted on your summer travels.
Keep these diatribes coming. We enjoy traveling with you so much! Jim&Tami Epting
And I am so glad to have you guys along!!
Well, a rubber duckie race … great music, and once again inanimate malice wins the day. Edsel Murphy would be proud of such event. But is it autumn there already ?
It surely brighten the day, thank you for this local color.
Not Autumn yet, but still on the very cool side of springtime. Glad you liked the race – it was a hoot!