January 28^th 2010—On the road again!  It has been a while since I had a road trip. I am in Aberdeen SD tonight—2 shows in Webster tomorrow.  I am doing IN THE CENTER OF THINGS (anti-bullying) at the Elementary school in the afternoon and THE TALL TALE OF MATTY BOW for the Farm Home and Sport show in the evening.  It was an amazing trip here.  I got coffee before I left Spearfish and rehearsed to Faith.  I stopped for gas and a bathroom break but the station has a big NO WATER.  I asked how long they had been out of water and how far reaching it was.  They haven’t had water for a week the city water is down.  The electricity went down and the water overflowed and then froze.  The lady behind the counter was pregnant which would make the no water situation worse.  She had a well at home so had only been out of water for 2 days but she worked in the city limits.  I went on to Eagle Butte.  From Eagle Butte to La Plant I think every electric pole was snapped off.  There were crew working is the very cold weather.  A wide swath has be plow up through the snow along the power line.  Several places there was only one lane because of equipment.  It was really surreal.  Just past Bowdle I saw what looked like a convoy.  In the dark there was a line of headlight coming toward me.  I counted 25 big rigs heading west.  Then I lost track.  It was so interesting to be driving on really good roads and knowing how much damage needed to be repaired.  I am staying at the Super 8 in Aberdeen.  When I got here about 9:00 there were about 8 National Guards waiting for rooms.  I went to eat and came back to about 30 National Guards sitting around in the lobby.  I think they are helping restore electricity in South Dakota.

So it is time to get moving on booking puppet shows for this fall.  I am going to try a new approach this year.  I am going to offer a season of shows.  Four of my shows will be featured.  The others will be available too but we will negotiage on those.  The four shows will be:  A DRAGON MYSTERY: THE LEGEND OF ISTABAN’S GOLD—-THE TALL TALE OF MATTY BOW   These two shows are fun and full of puppets and antics of all types.  The other two shows are RABBIT TALES a tobacco prevention show—-IN THE CENTER OF THINGS a bullying prevention show.  Each of the prevention shows will come with a PDF for the teachers and students to download in the classroom with lots of  re-enforcing activies for the students.  There are different approaches to book each of these shows.  The job of the booker (me right now) is to organize the approaches and GET THE SHOW ON THE ROAD!

I am beginning to put together my new show for this fall.  Or at least I am working on one of them.  This show is a tobacco prevention show for k-5.  I am trying to make it fun and educational.  I think Skavang the Dragon–large puppet with an attitude–will be the one who must quit smoking.

It is interesting to go from the chilly rainy Montana early June to the unusually hot and unusually humid southwester. I am in New Mexico. Eastern New Mexico. I came down as far as Raton on Tuesday (6/23/09). I finished the last three CD’s of Harry Potter’s last book. J K Rowlings is an amazing writer. What an epic! Then on the 24th I drove to Tucumcari for a show. I came the–not back way but not on the interstate. I don’t think I have ever been on that road before. At one point there was an historic sign saying that the river we were about to cross was the Canadian and that it had been able to cut through much of the terrain over the centuries. This proved to be an understatement. I started down and down and down with switch backs every hundred yards until I crossed the Canadian. It must have been more powerful at one time. Yesterday it was a slow meandering stream. Eastern New Mexico is a stark landscape but there is a tough harsh beauty too. Tucumcari is looking much worse for wear. Many of the stores are closed. Two or three gas stations look abandoned with the gas price of a time no more still tempting me. I saw gas prices at $1.25 and $1.40. Interesting. Today a show in Clovis then on to Santa Fe for 3 shows.

I did a show in Augusta Wednesday. It is a very small town in north central Montana. It was a town that made me feel right at home. It reminded me of several of the towns I grew up in. The library was small but the librarian was hopeful for a good turnout. The pool had opened that day so there was some fierce competition. Five minutes before I was to start, a mom and her 3 year old son, Wyatt came in. Wyatt was something. He was wearing a cowboy hat and boots and was very self assured. Slowly the space began to fill up and by the time the show started, it was a good crowd. Afterwords, the librarian told me she had researched and written several scripts about and for Blackfoot Middle school kids. I am going to write to her for copies. She also told me to go to Mel’s Diner and the library would buy me lunch. So I headed off to Mels with just a little time before I had to head to Lincoln. When I got settled who should be my next booth neighbor–Wyatt and Mom. Wyatt turned out to be one of the smartest 3 year olds I had ever met. He wanted to know why the Knock Knock Rock from the show had been so mean. Then he want to know how I made the puppets. When I told him about the foam covered with fabric. He said he understood that but each foam shape had to be different because they looked different when they were done. At one point the cook came over to visit she was wearing old fashion basketball shoes. She asked Wyatt if he want to trade. Wyatt looked at her shoes and then at her with such a look then he said “No thank you. I like my cowboy boots.” When I left. I said good bye and shook his hand. It seemed like the right thing to do.

I am sitting in the wind capital of Montana-Cut Bank Montana. They have the largest wind farm in MT. It seems appropriate! The wind is constant and very strong. I did shows here and in Valier yesterday. There is a fierce pride in this still wild country. People are proud of the wildlife. As I left my show in Valier yesterday, the librarian told me to watch in the open fields outside of town. There had been a grizzly bear spotted with her cub. In Augusta the day before a lady told me to watch on the left side of the road after I went over the pass toward Lincoln (my next show) for moose. Now so far, I have not seen anything but I am in hopes. I want to see a moose. I have been looking for one and making all who love me look for one for years! You can always tell when asking about moose whether or not the native has had experience with moose. If they have not, they direct you as best they can. If they have had experience they grumble and want to know why on earth you want to see those “mad creatures” The lady this morning said ” I love all animals except moose. Everytime I see a moose it chases me! Another lady said that she had been chased across her land that very morning. “They are just a nuisance!” Still I want to see a moose. Maybe today.

My summer season has begun. I went to Miller SD for an Art in the Park on June 7th. but the rain was still falling so it was a the church instead. It was a fun show. Then on the 8th I did a show at the Miller library. Miller is a neat town. I had a great time there. Then on to Huron for a library show at the Ymca. That was fun too. Home for a half of a day and on to Casper. The show are going well with lots of good questions. It is so good be be back on the road! But I am really tired tonight. Tomorrow is another day only two shows not three and then on to Bozeman to see Lang.

Three blizzards in two weeks and rain and cold in between but then that’s spring in Dakota! And today the sun does shine!  I have been to Tyndall, Springfield and Tabor SD for three shows in one day but the good news is that even though I have been laid up for about 5 months with my broken leg, I had a great time doing the shows!  It was a blast.  So it is time to hit the road again.  And I am going to with vengeance!  I start out slow.  A show at the library in Sturgis and one at Storybook Island in Rapid City on the 5th.  Then Miller SD on the 7th and 8th along with Huron.  Then I hit the ground running.  Hill City SD, Casper for 5 shows and then Montana.  I

I am gathering my toys for the road.  I have a new satellite radio system which I hope I can download audible books onto, a Creative Zen MP3 player, I even get to borrow my Dad’s Kindle for a bit to see how that works.  All in all it will be life-on-the-road-with-style!

This has been quite a week.  I was supposed to go to Hot Springs on Monday April 27th 2009 but Sunday-the travel day- it once again decided to snow.  So we posponed until Tuesday.  On Tuesday and Wednesday I did two performances of IN THE CENTER OF THINGS and 8 workshops.  347 kids made sock puppets and really did themselves proud.  It was a great time.  The kids were great and the supplies held out.  I wish I had taken pictures.  I must get in the habit of doing that.  At the end of each session, the kids are supposed to come up to me and introduce their puppets.  One young girl brought up her puppet and said “I need to introduce her to you”  I said “OK who is this?”  She said “Mary, Mother of Jesus.”     Every kid made a sock puppet and developed a character for it.  It was very hard work but it was also great fun!  The kids worked hard on their puppets and the teachers and others were really great help.  It took me several days  to recover but as Claire said, it would have taken us days to recover from this much intensity when we first started –many years ago.  So I need to build in recovery days and keep on having fun!

March is always such multi personality month.  One day it promises us that summer is just days away.  Then the  next day winter is back with sub freezing temperatures.  This year it started to sneak in like a lamb but just days into it that lion raised its frosty head and he roared!.

Some time in the midst of the lamb/lion dance, I went to Lusk WY for a show.  Monday and Tuesday were freezing, snowing, winding, cold.  But my show was on Wednesday which was clear–still cold but the roads were mostly clear.

It is always a blast to do shows at the library in Lusk.  It is an old building, one of the original ones built long ago. The childrens’ section is upstairs but there is , thank heavens, an elevator.  My stage was backed up to the stacks on one side with audience on chairs, the floor or standing on the other side.  It was a good crowd.  The show was IN THE CENTER OF THINGS.  It is a bullying prevention show and the audience really got into it–which makes it fun for me.

I have done a few shows, in Mobridge, Selby and a show and a workshop for the Diabetes Camp outside of Custer with my boot on for my broken leg but this was the first show without the boot.  It is amazing how you appreciate the freedom you have had once you loose it for a bit.  Since it was my right leg that was broken, driving with a boot on was indeed interesting.  But I am back with two good legs ready to take on shows anywhere!  On the Road again!

I am sitting in my chair at home with my feet up.  Not so much for the comfort as to keep my newly broken leg elvated.  Our world–the Black Hills in general and our yard in particular-is covered with an uneven dusty dirty layer of snow with a solid layer of ice underneath.  Dick and I were coming into the house discussing what could be done about all the ice when I slid on the afore mentioned substance and landed smack on my calf–with all my post holiday weight.  Evidently my bones aren’t as strong as they once were.  I broke my fibula (sp) with a spiral break near the Knee.  Good News!  That bone is not a weight bearing bone so…..as soon as we figure out how bad the ankle is (did I mention the sprained ankle)?  We will be able to determine whether or not I hop along for a couple of months or if I can put weigh on it.  Slowly we are solving the problems of living in a house surrounding by an ice lake with a broken leg.  BEST SOLUTION.  Hobbling out to the car is no fun.  So Dick bought a sled and he pulls me in and out on the sled. It may look silly but it is better than the 20 minute hop to the car.  Pictures to follow.