Author Archives: kathousekelli70

Prince of Pistoleers

Posted on by kathousekelli70

The Powder Creek Cowboys have a gorgeous range in Kansas, in a setting surrounded by trees, every stage is a replica of old Kansas establishments.

With 5 covered walkway town ranges and 2 uncovered ranges it's set for a great weekend. The Dewey Cattle Co yards (uncovered range) are actually named after THE Dewey Cattle Co.

So a really good thunderstorm through the night and still raining in the morning, clearing to a fine humid afternoon. However, that didn't stop a group of cowboys n cowgirls from shooting a 3 stage Wild Bunch match and then some great side events during the afternoon with others rolling in to join in the fun.

 

 
 

The usual speed pistol, rifle, shotgun was also complimented by speed derringer and pocket pistol, a prairie dog shoot (2 very small prairie dog targets set wayyyyy out, alternating between the two), and in the spirit of Wild Bill Hicock, 5 trick shots duelist style. Lot of fun.

A quite evening tonight before first day Main Match tomorrow.

 

Cheers Kat!

Want to find out more about the Prince of Pistoleers and the Powder Creek Cowboys? Click on the link below.

http://powdercreekcowboys.com/home.html

 

 

On To Lenexa, Kansas

Posted on by kathousekelli70

Breakfast was had and we were heading back through the Main Street of Miami and through the gate of Oklahoma.

Made a short stop at the Vintage Iron Museum which houses many of the old ‘iron horses’. Found my all time favourite Harley Davidson Soft Tail, check out the price tag!! I love the colour too, I could live with that.

They had Indian, Harley and Triumph bikes and a an exhibit of Evel Knievel here.

The Evel Kneivel plus many more pics are on the phone so they will be on Facebook later

 

Quapaw – O-Gah-Pah – a small town that was heavily hit by a tornado last month, site incredible. We sat in the car waiting for a builder to find some one and give us directions to the Indian Museum, looking at a half destroyed building. (Pieces of 4×2, like pins in a pin cushion) Gentleman we spoke to where they were doing rebuilding said thankfully no one was killed.

At the Museum we spoke with a lady about many of the artefacts and photos there. She explained the allotment roll with the Indian names of those moved into the Oklahoma Territory who were then issued land lots.

She told us the difference between ‘pure’ blood and ‘full’ blood and went on to say about Jean Ann Quapaw Blue and her husband were the last of the pure bloods. She also said Jean Ann Blue was her Aunt, before we left I asked her name, she is also Jean Ann (Lambert) and I commented then to the connection I made with some of the pieces in the first cabinets I had seen that she had of her Aunts.

Very interesting, in it’s early stages and will be expanding soon.

 

Baxter Springs, Kansas – again where tornadoes hit and yet everywhere you look there are people out repairing and rebuilding.

Found a sign for their Historic Museum and decided to stop. Glad we did, spent about 2 hours there, lots of original pieces from Civil War and through their mining history etc. lots of display cases with pieces donated or dug up out of the ground. Very nicely laid out.

I also spied a picture of a late 1800’s gown, the woman sporting a pocket watch (I’ve been reading about them in the hopes of including a pocket for one in a bodice at some point) tucked into her bodice worn on a brooche chain I think, can’t quite tell if it’s a necklace one.

Downstairs is the town like set up showcasing different professions and then the mining area. Very much steeped in history their were so many mines in this area or Picher (a sink hole waiting to happen), the water table is so high that during the mining days they had to continuously pump out but when they were finished in each shaft would then turn the pumps off and let it fill up with water.

Back in the car and we are back on Hwy 69 now and heading up to Pittsburg, Fort Scott – every now and then you just have to Sonic! Hot dog and Oreo Cheesecake Shake for me and Strawberry Shake for Jack. Yum!

Didn’t have to leave the car which is a good thing, see?! Nothing like giving yourself a pedicure on the road.

Okay so we weren’t going to deviate off the path but we saw the sign for the National Monutment Site for Fort Scott and decided to go check it out, and are we glad we did!

Some archaeology works had been undertaken and the National Parks have had the Fort re established as it was in the Civil War, a then functioning barracks, hospital, dragoon stables and barracks, post headquarters, officers headquarters, a carriage house, powder magazine, quartermaster storehouse and guardhouse – all situated within walking distance of the old town Main Street with it’s many ornate buildings.

Some of the buildings have been done in period furniture etc, the hospital with its ward of rope based beds, the stables are just gorgeous for the timber work alone! The dragoon barrack, shows the dormitory bunks which we thought were quite spacious to start with until we realised there were two names on the foot of the beds which means they slept two soldiers in each (I assume top and tail) so they really didn’t have much room at all and would not have been particularly comfortable.

The quartermasters storehouse has all the barrels of salted pork, bins for rice and beans and down in the cellar there are some very old kegs. I felt a little uneasy coming up out of the cellar, maybe there were other ‘visitors’ in that area, was glad to breathe the outside air again.

The guardhouse our final stop before heading off, had an interesting slanted board built into one side of the room which turns out to be the guards sleeping rack, that’s about all you could call it. No bedding, they took a kip on there during there 2hr on, 4hr off 24hr shift. Four confined jail cells in back for the long termers and a group cell.

While I’m busy taking a pic of the cell door to my height and the next cell door for comparison Jack says, “There’s three girls on the floor in there” and I’m like, “What??”. Of course he just wanders out and when I get to the cell door I started laughing, I will pay that one! Can you see it in the pic below?

It’s warm, that Shake is not sitting too well now, glutton! 🙂

Back in the car and let’s get to Lenexa!

 

Cheers Kat xo

June 12th

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Route 66, June 10

Posted on by kathousekelli70

Chandler

First stop, breakfast! At the Boom-a-rang Diner no less, looked like the local place to eat. A quaint little 50's decor diner and a retired National Guard gentleman in typical, wrangler jeans, cowboy hat and boots. Some very old looking buildings – rain prevented pictures.

Drove through Stroud, Bristow their main streets have some very old gorgeous buildings. Connected up to the I44 and onto Sapulpa.Bristow

Sapulpa

It also has some superb historic and restored shop fronts but we headed on through skirting round the outskirts of Tulsa – we will do the Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame and Gilcrease Museum another weekend. (24 hours from Tulsaaaaa, one day away from your arrrms, I saw the welcoming light, and stopped to rest for the night…….Gene Pitney eat your heart out. Lol!) There is lots to see in Claremore so onward we go.

Pity we didn't stop to ask for directions to where the iconic Blue Whale is located in Catoosa! But the fudge shop may have been a little too tempting, sigh, onto Claremore we go.

Here's a pic from Museum in Claremore, this is what I was looking for!!

Claremore

Claremore is home to the J.M. Davis Arms & Historical Museum and the Will Rogers Memorial Museum.

We visited The J.M. Davis Arms Museum first. In 1946 Mr Davis' collection was already at 8,000 with fire arms collected over 52 years, the oldest at the time 500 years old and the smallest one only 1 1/2″ long.

The museum houses over 14,000 firearms and 50,000 artefacts that Mr Davis collected over many, many years and from many different countries. US, China, Germany, Belgium, Spain just to name a few.

I must say the gold and pearl hand guns really did take my fancy, Spanish!

Or what about trying to pull out a 10 1/2″ barrel length Ruger Blackhawk from your holster!

Numerous small pistols, like you wouldn't believe! I imagined trying to fit one in a corset or up under your bustle skirts – now that would be easily done with a pocket in your skirt as ladies often did.

Collections of saddles a couple of rows of these and the boot jacks! Many different styles of boot jacks both iron and timber.

You need at least 2 hours or more to visit this museum if you are an avid firearm enthusiast and more. It also houses other collections of J.M. Davis like knives, steins, musical instruments etc.

The final piece we had to see was the display with Annie Oakley's 410 shotgun and Teddy Roosevelts pistol with engraved Rough Rider picture of him on it.

Bonnie and Clyde? Or Gatsby? We've arrived at the Will Rogers Museum and found all the old cars that must be part of a rally and the two we saw previously! These are the ones we saw coming in over the bridge.

The car park was full of Model A Ford's! Excellent condition, some with white wall tyres, some with leather trunks on the back too. Just gorgeous.

Will Rogers and his “iPad”! He spent many hours with his typewriter on his lap ( as the gentleman at the front counter said, doing his “blog” for the newspaper – found a piece in the museum later that referenced this as well)

Fact – Will Rogers once visited South Africa, Australia and New Zealand as part of the Wirth Brothers Circus in 1902.

He was renowned for much more than his literary genius, he was a writer, radio announcer, public address speaker, roper and trick rider, movie maker, poet and humorist.

He lived a very full life, I don't know how he had time for family and movies with everything else he did.

Will Rogers died in a plane crash in Alaska, 15th August, 1935 with Wiley Post.

Stayed in Miami, Oklahoma for the night.

Kat xo

 

 

Kansas, Here We Come!

Posted on by kathousekelli70

Up bright and sparky early this morning, car is packed and we are ready to hit the road along with a seat full of car projects to be done. (Sewing on buttons this time)

Bit of a dull day, hopefully we won't get too much rain along the way.

We will hit some more of Route 66, through Sapulpa, Tulsa, Claremore and the Will Rogers Museum, Catoosa and the Blue Whale and what ever else we may find along the way – Foil, Miami, Commerce and Quapaw.

 

See ya soon Dorothy!

 

Kat xo

 

Crisis Averted

Posted on by kathousekelli70

I realised this morning whilst doing my workout that something was missing from the sewing room. Things weren’t quite the same and I really needed to change it up to stop any disasters from occurring as in the past two days.

Yes, I’m missing my favourite movies! Burlesque and Maverick. (Jack says, but you’ve watched them a million times already! And?) So before I went any further today I had them downloaded in a flash and ready for action!

Who’d have thought? Everything is in order and I have been on fire all day! Another shirt almost complete, checked for sizing, no mistakes to unpick (touch wood, I have the cuffs and collar to do yet) and ready to hit ‘Paisley’s’ gorgeous lime, hot pink and white.

Life is sweet. Jack’s got a gun cart to make so that gives him something to do and finding that a new saw that actually cuts straight is saving him time, so he’s having fun too.

Woo hoo! Better get back into it and Burlesque my way through the next lot……now I think I might need Bridesmaids as well.

Yeah! Have a spectacular day! 🙂

Kat xo

 

 

Sewing F……..P…’s

Posted on by kathousekelli70

Faux Pas! Faux Pas people, what were you thinking? I know, most of you know me very well and that was NOT what I was thinking at all but just trying to be polite. Stuff it I'm really NOT a lady either! Haa haa haa. Well maybe sometimes.

So yesterday I set out making Jack two new shirts, fabric he picked out and we bought in LA garment district last year. (I know bit slow but finally getting round to it) well the first mistake was putting the placket on the wrong side for a mans shirt.

Yes there is a difference in case you didn't know. Men's buttons left over right, women's right over left. Or as our friend 'Aspen Filly' described it “women are always right and men are just left overs”. Too funny. Fixed that one and carried on.

Anyway in the past I have cut out Jacks shirts and had to cut an inch off in the side seams so I did the usual. Now my Pa always taught me with woodwork to measure twice cut once, so why, when Jack's been grazing in the best paddock for the past couple of months did I not remeasure?

Stupid girl, be more smart. So here I sit after tossing them aside and determined to change the over locking/serger thread back to white will grit my teeth and unpick yet again and fix this!

Sighhhh and I only had collar and button holes to go.

Well – suck it up Princess and get on with it!

Thanks for listening, or laughing, or shaking your head. Have a great day!

Kat xo

 

 

Movie Monday

Posted on by kathousekelli70

Went to Quail Springs Mall today to check it out, bought a pair of Chaco sandals from a guy who wants to go to the Kimberley's in Australia with his wife, we told him 'you'll need a fair bit of money and more than a few days to get there'. He seemed a little shocked!?! 🙂

The movies cost us $16… That's for both of us people! Not each!

We saw 'A Million Ways To Die In The West'. Good movie, some very funny bits said that makes you think of today's references but I do think the funniest parts may have been a slight give away in the trailer.

Still, thoroughly enjoyed it would give it a 4 out of 5. Would watch it again on the plane.

Enjoy!

Kat xo

 

SASS Senior Games 2014

Posted on by kathousekelli70

After losing 40mins at the beginning of the trip to roadworks, Darius Rucker tunes took us on down the highway down the south east of Oklahoma bringing us to Clarksville, Texas.

We will be here the next few nights catching up wih more friends for the SASS Senior Games at the Badlands Bar 3 ranch.

Few clouds in the sky but hopefully any slight showers will stay away for a fine weekend of fun and entertainment! We will see 'Texas Mac' and 'Texas Flower' this weekend, it's been almost 12 months so will be good to catch up again.

I had no car projects this trip! What was I to do….read, sleepppp, oh and then read the next lot of pattern instructions. Yep that worked.

……….. Okay so it's been a few days since I started this, we passed the seemingly 'abandoned' Motel on Thursday evening and headed to the range. Caught up with a few people and then back to the Motel where we found Mac n Flower and eventually 'Ranger Star' and 'Ed Seager Texas Ranger' showed up, we had a few drinks and headed down to the Italian restaurant, yum!

To my shock, horror, and little bit of amazement said Motel had no wi-fi! Ahhh!

Badlands Bar 3 was set for a good show, damp but very green compared to when we were last here in 2012. Rain does not stop cowboys!


Thurs night, rain, Friday morning, rain, couple of showers on and off through the day but side matches were still held, washers game in the barn and corn toss on the porch of the first few ranges. Great fun!

Saturday first 5 stages were under way with quick fast and fun stages. Followed be a slightly damp and very humid afternoon it was into the barn for Black Jack and try and win a .32 derringer.

The evening consisted of side match awards, Jackaroo having slightly too much to drink making for a very merry evening, designated driver I soon became! Music, dancing, good times. (And pic above is prior to drinks, only decent one of the two of us)

Sunday it was back into the last 5 stages which we finished by lunch with only 1 slightly damp stage. Subway lunches for all and then into Awards.

Good job by all those involved with extra big thanks to 'Kow Katcher' and 'Bent Barrel Betty' for their tireless efforts all weekend and 'T-bone Dooley' for the use of the Bar 3 Ranch.

Yee haa! Posse 3!

Kat n Jack

Oh yeah, and we both came in 2nd in our categories and won a few side matches! Yee haa!

 

 

Smokin Guns at Rabbit Ridge

Posted on by kathousekelli70

Another gorgeous weekend shootin' it up at the home of The Mississippi River Rangers.

Approximately180 shooters turned out for 3 days of fun. Side Events, Wild Bunch and a warm up match were held on Friday, Saturday 6 main match stages with the last 4 stages and awards today.

This is the second time we have been there and love that range. For some this is the start of the Triple Crown; Illinois and Tennesee being the other two legs but we wouldn't be able to make these ones.

Main match was opened with the colour guard and a whole match photo at the Steamboat. We had some great fun with Posse 5, some new faces, had shot with a few previously as well, so a good mix.

Saturday night was dinner and band 'Drivin Sideways' at the range where our very own Okie celebrity, shooter 'Fast Fingers Green', was Guest Guitar Player. We had the pleasure of sitting with the fellow Oklahomans Saturday afternoon and listening to them pick n play guitar. Fast Fingers, Red Knee and even the kids were having a go, including 'K D Steel's son who is going to go to music school – lots of talent! Fast Fingers however used to play with Jerry Lee Lewis' band back in the day and plays in a band still, every week.

This morning brought another cloudy start which meant just before it burnt off was getting humid and ready for a hot day again.

We were done before lunch time and then soon after into the Awards. Side match awards were done Friday night where I place 1st in Lady's Traditional for Wild Bunch. Men's Traditional 'Stump Man' and…..I can't remember the winners of Modern, that's bad, normally I remember.

Our main match Posse – Bama Kid, Blackfish Kid, Canoe Creek Kid, Sidekick, Mr Black, Cherokee Sergeant, Dew R Dye, Tuff Stuff, Riphawk, Red River Ralph, Sweetwater Sue, Hot Lead Lefty, The Arizona Ranger, Jackaroo and myself.

Main Match awards 'Jackaroo' got a buckle for 1st in Senior and a little plaque for Didn't Get A Cadillac – means 1 miss! I recieved a plaque for 2nd in Lady Wrangler and a certificate for Best Dressed Shooting Costume.

First Man and Lady Overall for the match went to 'Lead Ringer' and 'Slicks Sharp Shooter', good job!

Well done to all involved from the Mississippi River Rangers, great plaques and buckles and for hosting another awesome shoot!

Cheers Kat n Jack

P.S. And yes I noticed the Quigley Down Under pic on the certificate. 🙂

Xo