Preston and Gaudy Maude

Cal and I ran out to Preston Idaho for a two hour show at the Franklin County Fair Saturday morning and when that was done we raced back to Star Valley for the Gaudy Maude Balloon Festival dance. It was such a fun day. Preston always feels like we're playing in Mom's living room just with a few more people:) We really appreciate being invited back to play this year. They treat us so well and it's a nice low key atmosphere. The Balloon Festival was a new thing for us this year and because it was a dance we added Stephanie on the bass and Dave on the drums to fill it out. All the rehearsals were worth it, we had three great sets, people showed up to drink and dance and we can't wait for the next one! Dave's sis. in law took these pictures of all our family and friends. Thanks for sharing the good times everybody!
Shan, one of my favorite people, came out to support us. It was great to chat with him for a minute between sets.


Thanks for the pictures Shan!

Cal and I are excited that we now have the flexibility to play in either a band or just as the two of us. We loved playing for a dance, it seems like people don't get out and shake a leg often enough. It was such a great day.

Sublette Fair

Here is beautiful Sublette County this summer. The rain has made the high plains deserts of Wyoming green and fresh. It made me want to saddle up and ride off through the sage brush. Instead, we got out the guitars, set up and sang in the hot sunshine. It was a great weekend. We rolled into town a day early to catch the Doo Wah Riders at their free show. They guys looked and sounded great and as always were so welcoming to us. We loved spending a little time with them. They opened Friday night for Jason Michael Carroll in the big indoor arena. Both bands were great. Jason was a surprise for me, I had heard him on the radio and was not dissappointed in his live performance. Had I been ten years younger I'm sure I would have been peeling my clothes off to throw on the stage to be signed along with the rest of the girls! O.K., maybe not, but he really sang well and put on a great show.
We also caught some of the magicians free stage show which the kids LOVED and the Hypno Hick who suffered sunstroke for his craft. Another random thing was our last conversation with the guy running the sound for the fair, he and his cutie companion were saying how familiar Cal looked and lo and behold they knew each other. Jim Calhoun, son of Jim Calhoun who did our radio interview at RMAF last year. They had met years ago when Cal was playing the bars with a band. Jim is now running sound and putting together his own album, so we hope to hear it soon.

Cal and I played Sublette as "The Broken Spokes" a name we showcased with last fall. Since then we've decided to go back to the name "THE LINFORDS" because it just feels right. That's how we are known here and that is how we think of ourselves.

There is something you may not realize about the sun in Wyoming, especially this part of Wyoming. It shines hotter at this elevation than it does for us in our little valley. We were burnt to a crisp and even my guitar protested by the second day. On the last song of our last set my Taylor just fried in the sun and gave up. I've got him up and running again, but I'll tell you what, the people who stuck it out to listen to us were fantastic! It was HOT. Everything is more intense in Wyoming. The sun, the heat, the wind, the dust, the thumb sized horse flys. That is why we love it so much.

We also loved stopping in at the Patio Grill in Pinedale when we were done with our sets. The favorites were the pie and hot chocolate. I took a picture of Cal's EMPTY plate because it's the first time he's actually emptied his plate. He has this thing about always leaving a bite or two of whatever he eats.

We also had THE BEST cotton candy ever! We tried the cherry and green apple and it cost a mere dollar a bag. It made us feel like kids again.

We met some great people at the fair and around Pinedale, Marbleton and Big Piney. Of course the Fairboard who brought us here, and the little waitress at the Patio Grill who took some good natured ribbing and big tips from the boys, and we can't leave out Kathy with the water conservation booth. We talked bugs and frogs and swimming in the rivers of Wyoming.

I took the above shot of the fenced in trees because they were the only shade we could find out in the parking lot, and that fence looks identical to the one my Grandma Dixie built up on Slippery Hollow Heights to keep the deer and dogs out of her trees.

All right. THIS had to be my FAVORITE random thing about our trip to the Sublette County Fair. Our rooms at the Marbleton Inn. They were so awesomly vintage that I had to take some shots of the pristine clean bathroom vinyl! We had this exact pattern in my Mom's bathroom when I was growing up! We loved the beer box at the door labeled "Muddy Boots", the ladies at the front desk with the dog, housekeeping! and the tub that didn't fall through the floor even though by the noise it made you were sure it would. These things made our trip so memorable and we'll be telling these stories forever. If you ever need to stay in Marbleton Wyoming, I highly recommend the Marbleton Inn, you will not be dissappointed.

This cowboy statue was another cool thing they had at the fair this year. He sweltered in the heat and his makeup stayed on much better than mine did. The kids loved coming up and teasing him. He was really great.

When it was time to say goodbye to Sublette County, I couldn't leave without giving two thumbs up to the whole experience, even my hair do courtesy of the whipping wind. Till next year. . . . . . . THANK YOU SUBLETTE!

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