Jamboree proves a county delight

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Spring sprung, with more snow, but mother nature must be a country fan because Jamboree day in Taber was bright, sunny and snow free. The auditorium was all decked out with flowers, hay bales and a couple of cowboys sitting up against the red fences welcoming in our audience. There were raffles galore, thanks to the generosity of local businesses, stew and chili warmed our bellies for lunch and desserts of all types kept us on the go for the afternoon.

Our lineup included many locals such as Bill Lawson, Teri Valgardson, Gloria Cyr and Alex Savage. These entertainers performed in our first few sets and sang about talking dirty in Hawaiian, billions of stars, sleeping in the desert night, trains, young cowboys and southern girls. Bill even treated us to a “love” song he wrote for his “princess”, he told us that she sometimes calls him jerk. His song told us of love being like a cancer, because it grows and grows, and about going to the doctor to find out what was wrong with him. You should have been there to hear the entire tale but I think I might understand why his wife has her pet name for Bill.

Next up was Dean Oseen, down from Lethbridge, telling us about a drunk goin’ down the road at high speed, hearing the passenger door opening and wondering who got in, livin’ to be a hundred, rocky mountains and my favorite, the auctioneer song.

David Woodruff sang of the Snake River, fur trappin’, wild horses, leaves turning, wandering trails and the happy days we knew as well as tumblin’ tumbleweeds.

Bud Stewart, from down Fort MacLeod way told a tale of 1960, the Korean war, east glacier park and stoppin’ for a beer, wondering how these fit together, maybe you can hear about from Bud at another show someday. He sang of a man with the heart of the Devil, 1897, gold lust, 60 below, rantin’, ravin’ and a hanging, then did some yodelling for us. Have you heard the tale of the horse whose owners offered 1,000 bucks to the man who could ride him and the stranger in buckskin who succeeded? We did.

There was dancing in the aisles as Jim Peace, from Calgary way, was on stage singing about Cowboys free, ridin’ horses for all to see, the blue bronc from hell, eatin’ alone and remembering love in a womans arms and even about bottle collecting.

Kathie Friesen, our own Vauxhall gal sang of memories, to have and hold, someday learning and crazy dreams. She had some special backup with her and Dale Leeson chimed in on a couple of tunes about the last breath being gone, friends gathering for the last farewell party. More tales of being free, and the girl who loved so much that she nearly lost her mind when the love was lost. But oh what a wonderful world this can be!

A Taber girl from Fort MacLeod and a Purple Springs boy who now calls Fort MacLeod home finished the show for us, Suzzane Scott and Dusty Dee Litchfield. Oh what a voice Sue has, she sang of building bridges, letting me show you what love means, changing minds, walkin’ after midnight, remembering the song that was playing and having this dance for the rest of my life, coming down to my hometown and growing old with the special one while watching the sunset disappear.

Dusty Dee performed his own works sharing tales of the horses that Taberite area cowboys new as “Charlie Furman” specials, with pigeon toes, pin ears and the 44 brand. He had put to music a poem posted by a friend telling us of being born and raised as a city kid who dreamed of horses at night, exciting rodeo’s and god knowing that he was good around horses. Never being afraid of a challenge, Dusty did his version of the old Navajo Rug, done with a western swing, telling of shades of red and blue, then finished the afternoon with a song for his wife, Jenny and about a time of five days of snow, coyotes howling, missing her and the kids and being alone out there without Jenny.

For those who couldn’t make it to share the day with all of us we were thinking of you and hope you can join us next year or at least be there in spirit.

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