The Whitfords are returning in 2012.  Eldon and Ann expect to arrive in the middle of January and stay (at least) through the end of March.  They perform a free musical program in the museum Tuesday through Saturday evenings.  When the weather allows, Saturday night is Dance Night, outside under the stars.  Sunday morning gospel music starts at 11.  They play traditional country music, along with some cowboy/western and gospel songs.  It’s great for listening, singing along, and/or dancing.  (There is room in the museum for dancing…we just roll up the rug!)   Check out their website at www.thewhitfordsmusic.com and you’ll get an idea of who they are and what they do.

May 2011, Texas Parks and Wildlife

Texas Parks & Wildlife has a new article in the May, 2011 issue titled Earning Her Spurs, Tough-as-nails cowgirl Hallie Stillwell tackled the wilds of West Texas, By E. Dan Klepper.

Excerpt: Hallie Crawford Stillwell fashioned a life of distinction out of willpower, grit and the rugged environs of the West, earning her place in Texas history by working vast sections of the Big Bend ranch country alongside her husband, Roy.

Never one to shy away from jobs considered distinctly “unladylike” in the early 1900s, Stillwell learned to cowpunch her way through a herd of yearlings as skillfully as any cowboy. In fact, she considered few tasks insurmountable.

Got cattle ready to brand? She’d fire up the irons. Need to drive the herd 50 miles to the shipping pens? She’d be saddled and ready to go. Fence required mending? Show her the gap. Table could use some meat? She’d get her gun. Fix a flat? Bale some hay? Raise a few kids?  Hallie Stillwell was your woman.

Read more…

With average temperatures for March ranging in the mid-80s to the low 50s the weather doesn’t get much better.

While we don’t have cell phone coverage way out here in the Big Bend, we do have a new WiFi Booster.

February 12-17.

See also: Trailriders Web Site

There will be BBQ and dancing on the February 14th.  Gentlemen, remember,  that’s Valentine’s day.  Live band. Craig Carter Band is going to play again this year.  Dust off your dancing boots.

I spent all my time with the four of them as they entertained me in the wilds of northern Minnesota. Dene and Sally have a lovely home out in the woods about 45 minutes from Lake Superior. We enjoyed several meals on their screened-in porch. The food and the company was great!

What a gorgeous area they live in! One day we went out on a pontoon boat owned by their friends, Steve and Linda Hadley. We had a lovely time out on the lake behind the Hadley’s home. We were joined that day by Dan Lewis and Kim Hambrick, and Kim’s daughter, Nicole.

Another day we took a boat ride out on Lake Superior. It was a real treat to be surrounded by so much water! They told me you can take a glass and drink right out of Lake Superior, it’s so pure. I didn’t test that theory, though, and I don’t know if I ever will. But it sure is beautiful!

Dene and Sally had a party on Saturday night to celebrate the completion of their new barn. The party included lots of good food, good people, good music, and dancing. Dene and Sally taught everyone how to do the Texas Two-Step.

I enjoyed a few days with Sally’s parents, Charlotte and Bob Barina. I worked with Charlotte splitting the homemade hot dog buns for the party. I met Dene’s mother, Dorothy Halvorson. Marty, Dene and Sally’s son, was also there, home for a visit after finishing college last spring. He’s headed for grad school this fall.

One special guest at the party was Princess Pearl-E-Gates. (The Princess’s real name is Patti Anderson.) She was dressed in a hula skirt and carried her magic wand (which on Earth would be known as a sprinkler wand). As part of the festivities, many of us paid for the privilege of dancing with the Princess, with our donations going to a fund to create a Memory Garden at their church.

Patty’s husband, Dean, was at the party, too. He was gracious enough to help with the hay ride by driving one of the wagons for us to ride on. The kids really enjoyed the hay ride…and the adults did too!

I met so many wonderful people while I was in Minnesota, I can’t remember all their names!

Tour of Leelenau Peninsula with Ed, MaryLou, Uhl, Nancy, Mary, Nan, Eldon, Ann

Nan and Mary chat over food

From Glenn and Carol Dix at party

The stories keep coming

I headed back for Texas with new understanding of the places my Midwest/Northern friends call home when they are not here at Stillwell’s.

I stayed at The Whitfords for several days. They took me around Michigan quite a bit.  I got to see Lake Michigan, Sleeping Bear Dunes, the Traverse City/Suttons Bay areas, and the Leelenau Peninsula, all thanks to Ed and MaryLou, who live in Suttons Bay.  Eldon and Ann took me to the “flat-land” farming area of central Michigan, where I met Eldon’s parents, Gene & Dorothy Whitford, and Ann’s mom, Mary Sievert.  I also got to the Grand Rapids area, where I flew in, and visited Josh and Heather.  I also met the Reed City McDonald’s morning coffee group…who filled me in on a lot of local gossip and tall tales, including the Dogman of Luther.  I met Abby’s mom, Elyse Ermatinger, too.

Michigan is beautiful, green, and wet!  The green and wet part doesn’t happen often at Stillwells!!

After Michigan, I’ll continue on to Minnesota for a long weekend near Duluth, including the barn-warming party hosted by Dene and Sally Halvorsen, long-time Stillwell campers.

A special feature last winter was the appearance of Kinley Coyan, a local rancher who is very knowledgable about archeology.  He has taken graduate level coursework in archeology as part of a life long interest in the topic. He presented a couple of programs in the museum about Native Americans here in the Big Bend area over the last several thousand years.  He used Hallie’s collection of artifacts as well as his own reproductions of arrowheads and other tools as he talked about the history of this area.  Kinley is also a world class flintknapper (arrowhead-maker) who can sometimes be found demonstrating his skill on the Stillwell’s porch.  You can read about him at flintknappers.com .  (He has his own gallery listed.) You can also contact him at mkcattlecompany@bigbend.net.  Watch for him again next year at Stillwell’s… it is a special treat to watch him work and hear him talk about the past here in the Big Bend area.

He is also hosting the first annual Stillwell Knap-In on October 21-24, 2010.  Call the Stillwells (432.376.2244) to reserve a campsite to be a part of this event.  You’ll be able to see several flint-knappers, including Kinley, demonstrating their skills.  You don’t have to be a flint-knapper to participate in this free Knap-In.  (There is no fee for the Knap-In, but the usual camping fees will apply.)   Be sure to allow extra days to enjoy the Big Bend National Park as well as more of this beautiful area.