A Sad Day In The Old West

This Labor Day Saturday, August 30th will be the Return of the Old West Roundup and for the Guns of Sipokni it has been a day that we've been both tremendously excited about and expecting for sometime. However, at the end of the Roundup Day the Guns will most likely walk away with a bittersweet taste in their mouths.

The Cowboy Cafe at Sipokni West will close, locking the doors, no longer serving the good chuck that folks have come to enjoy.

Now it may not seem that remarkable, the closing of the cafe that is, because many businesses do come and go. But you see there is something else that goes along with the Cowboy Cafe closing.

It is inspiring what Johnny Shackleford, along with his dad Alfred started many years ago. Johnny and Alfred started Sipokni West with one single building in 1991. It wasn't too long after that there existed a whole city block of old west buildings known as Front Street. Then Johnny walked across the street and started on the other side with the Wilfred Bunkhouse. When Johnny decided to have his first Return of the Old West Roundup he realized the need for public restrooms so he built the cowboy and cowgal restroom building. And the building continued and continued. Five years ago Johnny purchased a restaurant business and moved the remnants to Sipokni West and with this he built the Cowboy Cafe. With the Cowboy Cafe completed, Sipokni West had a heartbeat, a vital organ, a central point in an old west town.

Now, that heartbeat is fading and for this gunslinger it's almost like the day the old west died for a man who loves living the old west as a modern man in modern times.

For the Guns of Sipokni it will be a process of rethinking, reloading, and coming up with different gunfights that will fit into other settings not as convenient as Sipokni West. Yes...the Guns are somewhat spoiled gunfighters. We have always considered ourselves the luckiest gunfighting group in Oklahoma...because we have an old west town to perform in. And, the Cowboy Cafe was our center stage providing us with an audience to perform for. Without an audience the performer finds himself or herself...lacking, wishing, and wanting.

It's funny how good things come to past sooner or later. Such was the case of the true old west...an exciting, challenging, and inspirational time in our history. Old west towns faded and died because the heart, the centerpiece of their town ceased to exist for one reason or the other. Once that heart failed then the rest of the town started to slowly collaspe.

And for Johnny Shackleford, the saga of the Cowboy Cafe has been one long hard trail. But...if you know Johnny you will also know that Johnny found joy and soaked up every single minute of that ride.

That's just Johnny.

The horizon always beckons.

Guns To Perform "Front Street Chase"

The Guns have come up with a brand new gunfight and this one promises to be action packed with never ending movement. Certainly, it will be a gunfight that will keep people guessing and has an almost magical twist at the end. In addition to lots of gunsmoke there will be petticoats because the ladies are going to put on a can-can dance complete with music from the character Phinnies Sellum. This gunfight will seem like a real day in the real old west and should be an audience pleaser. So, if you like good guys, bad guys, dance hall girls, snake oil salesman, period music and one lone Mexican you'll want to be sure and see The Front Street Chase. Coming your way soon.

A Reluctant So-Long

The founder, creator, and current first President of the Guns of Sipokni is Jerry Stout. Through Jerry's love of the old west and his enthusiasm for old west reenactments the Guns have flourished in their short six months of existence.

However, Jerry and his wife Maridel have decided to saddle up and ride for a new horizon. That horizon just happens to be the entertainment arena of Branson, Missouri. Of course we wish Jerry and Maridel good luck but they both will be surely missed.

Guns Peform Raw Deal

The Guns of Sipokni performed a brand new skit called "Raw Deal" Friday evening August 8th, 2008. Patrons probably thought the poor cowboy on the end with the stagecoach shotgun in "his" end was the one that was going to get the "raw deal" but as it turns out that's just not what took place. You wanna know what the "end" result was? Well, guess you'll just have to show up at Sipokni West and watch for yourself.

Raw Deal was a delightful reenactment and the group had a wonderful and fun time putting it on for the crowd. As it is with Carol and myself, we are polar opposities when it comes to performing gunfights. Gunfights wind me up so bad I can't sleep and gunfights relax Carol so much she can sleep. So, it shoudn't have come as a surprise to me ,when I asked Carol how she slept the night before, she said "like a baby". Wish I could've said that.

That morning, the morning after the gunfight that wound me up, Carol and I went garage sale sailing. We did pretty well buying three belts, two shirts, and a pair of ladies lace up boots...and all will pass as gunfighting wardrobe.

The Return of the Old West Roundup is coming up soon and the Guns of Sipokni will be putting a lot of gunsmoke in the air that day. The Roundup will happen on August 30th, 2008 at Sipokni West Old West Movie Town.

See ya there pardners.