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| The River Inn Resort, Brownville Nebraska |
People are so kind. On Wednesday I happened upon the River
Inn Resort in Brownville (pop 143, give or take a few). It’s an old
river-boat – a barge, I guess - fitted out as a floating hotel and tethered to
the bank of the
Missouri river about half a mile from
the town. Upstream you have a view of the iron bridge that connects
Nebraska
with
Missouri. Downstream you
just watch the quiet water slide down south with its cargo of mud and driftwood.
I chatted with the owners, who also have the Lyceum bookstore and restaurant in
town, and told them my story. Within half an hour we had agreed that a reading
might be a good idea when I come through next year for the Sandoz Conference up
at Chadron. And, since I was in town, why not accept the offer of a room for
the night? Oh, and join them and a few friends for dinner?
Among the friends was 82-year-old Randy Sparks,
founder of the New Christy Minstrels. He had
some great stories to tell over a few beers. My favourite was the one that
began with the wonderful opening line, ‘I was Maya Angelou’s bongo-player.’
This was back in the late 1950s, down in California, when they were on the same bill at some
night-club - he as a singer, she as a dancer (to calypso music). She told him that for her act she could do with a bongo-player.
Nobody in his band could play them so he spent four days practising and went to
it.
Today, Saturday, I'm in Red Cloud for my reading at the Willa Cather Memorial. More on that tomorrow, or when I get home.
You have the knack, Alan, of making people want to adopt you. Don't know how you do it, but it seems to work in your favor :-)
ReplyDeleteThe New Christy Minstrels--boy, does that bring back memories.
Good promotion for the Riven Inn Resort--may have to check that out.