My first order of business today was getting my oil changed and tired rotated. Midas will do a free tire rotation with an oil change. There is no Midas in either Harrison, Arkansas or Branson. But there is one in the city of Ozark, MO, which is about thirty miles north of Branson along US 65. Unlike the Midas shops around here, no appointment is needed. They are first come first served.
It took about an hour for the oil change. I could not read a book because the television was on. So, I made calls to check into information about moving. I called the Harrison area chamber of commerce. I wanted to learn about the area and the business climate before making any decisions. The president of the organization would be unable to see me until tomorrow and I had to call in the morning to find out when she'd be available. I also made calls to other groups in the area to learn more.
Gas was very cheap in Ozark. It was $2.48. This was some of the least expensive gas on my entire trip. Missouri has a reputation of having inexpensive gas. Of course, it's more expensive in Branson due to the area being a big tourist trap. When I was fueling up, I noted that a sign on the station indicated they sold tickets. If you lived within 100 miles of Branson, there were discounts for shows.
Heading back to Branson, I went to the chamber of commerce to ask about the business climate in the area from their perspective. At first I went to the wrong office and chatted with a man about some of my plans. When I mentioned Upstate NY, he asked if I had ever visited Cooperstown. He was a big baseball fan. I explained that I hadn't and he was surprised. He explained the chamber is across the street.
When I got to the Branson chamber of commerce, I was connected with the public relations director. She was very nice. She said that the southwest Missouri/northwest Arkansas area was rated #2 for surviving the recession by Forbes, just behing Austin, TX. She did caution me that with my work history and ideals, I might to better in the Fayetteville, AR area. She also invited me to visit with a gentleman at a gas station/tourist shop which sells Branson tickets. He might have some more ideas. It was one exit south of Branson on US 65.
I felt awkward about this. Since this person is a web designer, he might feel I was trying to cut in on his business. But, nevertheless I went there. The man did not really give me a lot of information and just said he'd answer any questions I had. I felt sort of foolish. He did say people are very patriotic about the country here and the anti-American attitudes of the Northeast would not fly. He said I could not make out as a web designer unless I wanted to get another job and do that on the side, warning there is competition for Branson. (In other words, he was trying to discourage me.) It was kind of a wasted visit.
This gas station had a huge operation selling tickets for Branson shows and making hotel reservations. I was able to get a couple of dollars off the Sons of Pioneers Dinner Show combo with the Shepherd of the Hills evening outdoor play. I had been to this theatre last year for the Christmas show (no play) so wanted to see the regular shows.
We began with dinner. It included pork, chicken, grilled corn on the cob dripping with butter and with the husk still on but pulled up, cornbread, and beans.
The Sons of Pioneers is a dinner show with occasional jokes and a lot of what they call "cowboy music." This is far different than country music. It sounds like it has more Mexican influence and is more of a classic from the past. It makes you think of the southwest rather than the southeast. They talk about riding on the range, and generate images of scenes from the old west. And, as they said, if you play country music backwards, you get your girlfriend back, get your truck back, and your troubles are over.
In between music, there were many jokes. One guy talked about getting a new television show called "CSI Arkansas." It was a tough one because there are no dental records and everyone has the same DNA. Remember, the Arkansas line was about thirty to forty miles away. Then he talked about golfing, and how you need irons. He said he had a number 5 iron. He brought out a golf club with a branding iron at the end. Then he said that Obama likes to use a waffle iron....bringing out a golf club with a waffle iron at the end.
Throughout the performance, we had continuous refills of drinks. I had so much sweet tea that I knew I was going to gain weight. But I had had this last year and knew the sweet tea was great.
After the performance was over, those who were attending the Shepherd of the Hills play were shuttled to the outdoor theatre.
The Shepherd of the Hills novel was written by Harold Bell Wright and published around 1907. It took place at the turn of the 20th century in the Branson area. It was a little hard to follow but overall was a good morality tale. It was basically about life "in the hills."
There were several characters. One was from "the big city of Springfield" and reminded me of Steve Urkel of Family Matters. He was scrawny and in love with money. His knickers were pulled too high and the other male characters would routinely pick him up and abuse him. He in turn stared down his nose at them because he had money and considered them poor ruffians. He was in love with the lead woman in the play and wanted to take her with him to Springfield. At one point, he had a solo appearance where he would talk about how much he loved this woman. A woman in the audience made eyes at him. He burst out laughing and lost his lines. He said to her "Look lady, you need to stop spending so much time on Facebook." Then he sat on a log, laughing it out. He could not get out the rest of his lines in that scene. But what happened made it totally worth it.
In other parts of the play, the Baldknobbers appear as raiders and troublemakers. This was a real gang in the late nineteenth century in the area. They also were a fictional gang in the story. And there is a show and theatre in Branson named after them which does country music and jokes, sort of like Hee Haw. Along with the Shepherd of the Hills play, the Baldknobbers show is over 50 years old and one of the oldest in Branson.
In intermission, the characters did a square dance in costume and the public was invited to come down and join in. I didn't dance, but was on the stage watching them. It was amazing and it was like stepping back in time.
At the end of the play, they had a ten minute tribute to the veterans. One of the major characters reminded us that without the sacrifice of the veterans we could not have plays like this. They had horse riders galloping in with the POW/MIA flag, the American flag, the Missouri flag, and of course the Shepherd of the Hills flag. It was a huge display and went on for quite some time. I felt this was even better than the play itself. The pride in our beautiful country still lives on, even if not in the area where I come from.
After the show was over, I had dessert at a place I visited last year. Dessert shops are open until 11 or so, to catch the traffic after the evening shows. I had German Chocolate cake. It was warm and not really worth the calories. It was also quite expensive.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment