Month: May 2016

Cheyenne

Published on by Don Barnes2 Comments

On Tuesday, I had to make a trip to Cheyenne, Wyoming.

By reputation, it’s easy to think of Cheyenne as a rough-around-the-edges cowboy town, and there are parts of that legacy still apparent. You’ll find the Cowgirls of the West Emporium and Museum very reminiscent of those bygone days. There are other reminders, as well. I met a couple of young women, walking down an alley, who told me that every building in Cheyenne is haunted. IMG_6702

As Old West towns go, though, Cheyenne seems to be following the lead of its northerly sister, Jackson Hole, and has become quite cosmopolitan in flavor. You’ll find all kinds of surprising things, if you walk around a bit.

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Then, there are the not so surprising places, like Sanfords. It’s a local place that serves a good plate of food and a good pint of beer. It was highly recommended by a few people I talked to

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The place I hung out was an old, burned out theater, that has been remodeled and re-imagined as a coffee shop, called The Paramount Cafe. Most of the old theater was destroyed by a fire in the 1980s. That portion was torn down and turned into a parking lot, where there’s some really fine artwork hiding out.IMG_6666

If anybody knows the artist who did this, buy them a cup at The Paramount for me.

Inside, the place is what you might expect, with lots of wood and vintage touches. There were also a couple of really nice baristas, serving up whatever the clientele asked for.

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Sadie

Luke and Sadie were excellent sources of information about Cheyenne. Luke moved up from Fort Collins, Colorado a few years ago, and Sadie is native to the town. We talked a little about the place’s western reputation, at which they laughed and said, “That’s just one week a year, during Frontier Days. The rest of the time, we’re just like anyplace else.”

So, my recommendation is, if you’re looking for a place that’s just beginning to blossom, but still has some of its Old West flair, then spend a few days in Cheyenne. I’m going back soon and will give you a full report.

Thanks for reading. Dont forget to check out the YouTube channel and the Facebook page. Meanwhile, here are some more pics from my afternoon.

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I forgot to mention that Sadie also does Henna Tattoos.

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Yes. It’s more East meets West, as the real Indians move into downtown.

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Passing Through

Published on by Don BarnesLeave a comment

Today, I was complaining to someone, that I was feeling so much like a slacker, because I dont update this blog as regularly as I should. That conversation lasted some time, and wound up at Warren Zevon. You remember him. He wrote Werewolves of London and Lawyers, Guns and Money. He died at fifty-six. Cancer. But, he left a legacy of some of the most innovative and unique songs anyone ever wrote. Dark? Mostly. They were memorable, though, because he wrote about the way things are, in the vernacular of his audience. Although it’s terribly inappropriate to say, one of my personal favorites is My Shit’s Fucked Up. Who on this planet has never felt this way? He touched us in ways that nobody else ever did, and we didnt even know it.

Roy Buchanan is another name you may not know. PBS did a program on him in 1971, called The Greatest Unknown Guitar Player in the World, and he was. To many people, he still is. His work influenced Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, Nils Lofgren, and so many others. Jeff Beck dedicated his version of ‘Cause We’ve Ended as Lovers to Roy. Like a lot of other super talented people, Roy hit the skids with booze and heroin, which tore is life up. His shit was fucked up, too. A few weeks before his fiftieth birthday, Roy’s body was found, hanging by his shirt, in a Virginia jail cell.

You may know Eva Cassidy. Her voice and style were unmistakable, and to people who were aware of her, she was a wonder. Cancer also took her, at thirty-three. She never had a hit record. In fact, she was barely known at all, until after she was gone. Today, though, anyone who hears her sing is moved to say something like, Damn.

So, what’s my point? I dont know. Maybe it’s that we dont know how much time we have. Maybe it’s that we dont know who’s paying attention, and how we’re influencing people around us. It could be that I’m just rambling, and dont really have a point.

Rambling is just fine for a Vagabond. Right?

Idea Overload

Published on by Don BarnesLeave a comment

It’s been a while since I posted, and there are a couple of reasons for that. One is that I’ve been staying very busy. Another is that my mind has been so scrambled, with activity and unforeseen problems, that I’ve had trouble keeping my thoughts together.

Another thing, though, is that I’ve had a lot of input from others, about things that I can do to earn money on the road. Most of them are valid, but I’ve been so busy that I simply havent taken time to sort them all out. Here’s a list…

Write Ebooks – I’ve already mentioned this. At this moment, there are five or six books waiting to be written. If I work on them all at once, none will get done. So, I have to decide which comes first.

Make Stuff – As an artist, this appeals to me, immediately. One idea is to harvest leather from old couches and chairs, and turn it into bags. Another, is to make jewelry out of fancy wire.

Sell Paintings, Drawings, and Photos – This is a given, for someone like me. Once on the road, I’ll be doing all these things, anyway. There’s no reason I cant turn it into an income stream.

Along that line, a photographer friend shared an app with me, that will help me sell photos from my phone. If that works out, it could be a big plus. I’ll be in a lot of unique places, where photo ops will be plentiful.

Do Wine Tastings – Well, du-uh! As a WA with Wines for Humanity, it’s a no-brainer to do this wherever I can. Not only will it provide a little income for me, but will help local charities, as well.  Last year, I was able to raise enough funds to provide almost 10,000 meals for families needing help. That’s a great option for on-the-road earning.

Teach Classes – What I like about this idea, is that I can do it almost everywhere. I’m a good teacher, and there are a lot of things that I can teach on. The first thing is to make a list of them, and start putting some curricula together.

There have been a few other suggestions, as well, but these are the ones I think will work best to get me started.

One of the things that I’d love to do, is to write while I travel. The thing is, I dont have a resumé. I published a bunch of poetry, online, back in the 90s, but that wont go far in today’s market.

If you have any suggestions, or connections, I’d be happy for the help.

In the meanwhile, dont forget to “Like” the VagabondStew page on Facebook. Also, stay tuned to the VagabondStew channel on YouTube.

Thanks for keeping up. See you soon.