Ranch Report: Lonesome Dove, Stevie Ray Vaughan and a big party WotP

Crammed a lot of activity into the last four days, but it was all a deep dive into Texana.

Because last Thursday, October 3, would have been Stevie Ray Vaughan’s 70th birthday, I got an invitation from the Wittliff Collection down in San Marcos to screen our documentary, Jimmie and Stevie Ray Vaughan, Brothers in Blues. The Wittliff also had an opening night display of several SRV photos by Tracy Hart, who shot dozens of black and whites of him at Fitzgerald’s club in Houston back in the 80s.

The Wittliff was started by Texas film producer Bill Wittliff, who wrote the screenplay for Lonesome Dove and worked on the filming of this great Texas western. Once it was over, he got the costumes and props donated to Texas State University in San Marcos at a permanent exhibition named after him.

I drove in from the ranch the morning of the show, and got to the Wittliff about an hour and a half before the screening. Hector Saldana, the director, showed me their Lonesome Dove displays and film props. First up were the costumes that Robert Duvall and Tommy Lee Jones wore as Gus McCrae and Woodrow Call in the TV mini-series.

Gus and Woodrow’s wardrobe for Lonesome Dove.

But wait, there’s more! They have every costume that all of the main characters wore, from Deets (Danny Glover) down to Lorena (Diane Lane).

R-L Elmira Johnson (Glenne Hedley) Deets (Danny Glover) some little girl I can’t recall, then Lorena (Diane Lane) and Jake Spoon (Robert Ulrich).

Not only that, but they had the replica Walker Colt pistol that Robert Duvall (Gus McCrae) used in the film.

Gus’ Walker Colt. It was a cap-and-ball, black powder revolver, so it didn’t use cartridges. (Sorry for the glare, but the overhead lights were not to be denied!)

And they also had Gus’s “body” that Woodrow carried back to “Clara’s orchard” to bury as he promised. All of these were the actual props used in the filming, not reproductions.

The “body” of Gus, minus the leg he had amputated after losing it to gangrene from a Kiowa arrow wound.

All in all, this place is the Holy Grail for Lonesome Dove fans. And it’s all free!!!

At 6:00 pm I took my place in the director’s chair for my intro of our film. Tracy Hart was there to give some context to her photo display and her book, Seeing Stevie Ray.

Feeling like a big shot before the show. (“I’m ready for my close up, Mr. DeMille.)

It was a full house. The 200-seat auditorium was packed, mainly by an older crowd, but there were a few youngsters scattered in the audience. This made sense because we were very close to Austin, the city where SRV gained national recognition. A lot of the people who came out relayed stories of seeing Stevie play at The Rome Inn, Manor Downs, or Steamboat Springs.

The guy in the front row is licking the icing off his fingers from the SRV cupcake in his hand.

To commemorate the day, they had SRV 70th birthday cupcakes for everyone.

What’s a birthday without (cup) cake?

Stayed around after the screening and answered questions from the crowd. Always good to get feedback, and the accolades. Then I motored the 30-minute drive over to New Braunfels where I spent the night with my Baylor frat bro, Mike Fuller, and his lovely wife Pam. Mike was one of Miles’ best friends, so it makes me feel good to hang around someone who was so close to my little brother. (He and Pam are also Baylor grads!)

The obligatory selfie! Me, Pam and Mike in their New Braunfels home. (You coulda smiled, Mike!!!)

After a good night’s rest I crawled into the car for the five-hour drive back to the ranch. However, there was no rest for the wicked upon my arrival. Daughter Hallie pulled in from Dallas for a weekend visit. We were all going to the McKenzie’s “Dance at the Ranch” party Saturday night, so I still had miles to go before I slept.

All set for the ranch party in our finest western duds. (And I’m with two of the best-looking women there!)

This party is a continuation of a long tradition. They were started by the McKenzies to celebrate Houston McKenzie’s 40th birthday. We went to the very first one in 1986.

Diann with son Travis and my mom Kathleen in 1986 at the very first “dance at the ranch.” Note that they were using hay bales for seats then.

They went nearly 30 years without having another one until Houston’s 70th birthday, five years ago. Everyone had such a good time that they begged the McKenzies to do it again, so they did.

They have a great set up, with hay bales around the “dance floor” which is a basketball court Houston built for daughter Lydia when she played basketball for Fort Stockton High School.

If you look up in that previous photo, you can see the corrals to the left of the tin building. Yes, they have horses out here because this is still a working ranch. I spotted the horses walking up to the corral and thought I’d run up and get a photo of them before sundown.

Did you come to feed me or just take my picture?

You would be hard pressed to find a crowd that can two-step better than this bunch. Everyone out here in Pecos County can not only do the Texas two-step, but they do it well!!! From the gray hairs to the teens, they can boot scoot boogie.

This is another reason I love living out here. When people throw a ranch party, folks drive in from miles around just to have a good time. (We drove 24 miles and we are one of the few that actually live “near” the McKenzie ranch.

The entire thing reminded me of something my little brother Miles used to say:

“The difference between Texas west of the Pecos and Texas east of the Pecos is that if you live in Dallas, Houston, or San Antonio and you see a crowd forming, you run away from it because you think a riot is about to happen. But when you see a crowd forming west of the Pecos, you run towards it because you know a party is about to get started!”

I’ll leave you with this: I continually bring up the fact that out here Hispanics and Anglos mingle regularly. If you have a celebration or party of any kind, you best have C&W and Tejano music, otherwise you are going to disappoint half of your crowd. Staying true to that axiom, the musicians hired for the evening pulled out some Spanish songs, and the dance floor filled up, as it always does.

Joe “King” Carrasco would feel right at home here.

I go back to that song by Elvis Costello: “What’s so funny about peace, love and understanding?”

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Until next time, adios!!!