Bette and I took a nice trip to Ruidoso, New Mexico, for the annual Cowboy Symposium October 9 - 10. My old friend Larry Scott, from California Deejay radio fame, called and invited me to perform there along with Texas fiddler Jim Chancellor. Jim and I used to compete in some of the same fiddle contests when we were kids. Needless to say, we had a great time visiting and playing together under much more pleasant circumstances.

Golf --- I almost forgot! Bette and I played at the Inn of the Mountain Gods golf resort. What a beautiful course on top of the city’s mountain --- really difficult, too.

The Cowboy Symposium has been going on for quite some time, featuring music, arts and crafts that fit in with the western theme, campfire demos, chuck wagon cook-offs, horse training demonstrations, etc. There were about 90 musicians; the entertainment was almost exclusively Western Swing, some cowboy music and lots of fiddling’. That was where Jim and I fit in. Also on the stage every year are the Texas Playboys featuring Leon Rausch and Tommy Alsop. This year’s special guests were Mel Tillis and Larry Gatlin.



The event is held at Ruidoso Downs, the racetrack facility, where approximately 20 to 30 thousand people show up ---- lots of cowboy hats and boots!

Bette and I had a ball and hope to return sometime.

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