My previous blog about the Flying W Ranch reflects great times and memories. Our first time there was in 2001. I had found them in a travel brochure in a magazine or on-line. It looked like good clean family fun-tour a Western town, eat cowboy food and listen to cowboy songs. To our surprise, there was more to it than that.

For one thing, it was an ROTFL experience! For dinner, we sit at huge picnic tables that seat at least 12 people. We get to meet lots of new people. Then this cowboy comes out to tell jokes, tell us how to proceed in an orderly fashion to go through the chow line buffet style and reseat ourselves…all while cracking some of the best jokes I’ve ever heard.

After we have all eaten, and had our fill of seconds and thirds, the tables are cleared and we settle down to some serious old fashioned cowboy music. This Roy Rogers style of cowboy music is my favorite type of western. They also throw in some old westerns from the movies, tell more knee slappers and we’re just having a grand time.

Then they do some great skits too and at one point the guy who was cracking all the jokes left, but came back dressed up as a chipmunk or squirrel or something. I was laughing so hard as they sang a silly tune to go with his antics that I’m not quite sure what he was. Back then ds was 5 and had fallen fast asleep by this point. Sadly, he missed the whole squirrel act.

Then they shared how they are born again Christians and shared some great gospel tunes, cowboy style. We left feeling warm in our heart underneath the chilly Colorado nighttime sky. We purchased a couple of CDs from the Wranglers on the way out. DH is the music guy around here and when he puts one of these CD’s into the stereo, great memories come flooding back.

We got to go back last year and with enthusiasm we hoped to see the same guys. Sadly, they had left the outfit earlier that year and only one of the guys had stayed. The funniest guy, the one who had donned the chipmunk costume and who had been the most open about his faith, was gone. I learned his name was Scotty and he had been with the Wranglers many, many, many years. The show just wasn’t the same. The new guys sounded good, had great talent, and were trying to tell the old jokes…but it just wasn’t the same. You could tell they were struggling to pick up where the other group had left off.

Well we had a year to get over it and we planned to go back and enjoy it for what it was. After all, it was still great music and good clean family fun, even if the jokes sounded cornier. The guys from last year were back, and the one was teasing me (although it was going over my head at the time) as I was trying to complete a travelers cheque correctly for some of their CDs. I bought one featuring the new guys and 2 left over featuring the old guys.

The show was much better this year than last year. They took out some of the corny stuff and it flowed better. However, something was missing. Although, they shared that they were born again Christians and sang one gospel song, it sounded more like an apology than a testimony. It was still a night of good clean fun. But that is where the focus seemed to be. The older guys used to say that first they were Christians, and second they offered good clean family cowboy entertainment. Now it seemed to be the other way around.

I met a neat Christian family at my table and they told me that their dd, who is now in her early 20’s, had adored Scotty in the chipmunk costume ever since she was a little girl and wrote a letter to him. When they came back for another visit, they told him and he remembered and he gave her a treat. (I forget now what that was.)

They were telling me that now Scotty and some of the other old Wranglers have a new group and give their testimony openly. They also have a cowboy dinner, great humor (I believe it because Scotty is a natural born story teller), and cowboy music and gospel show of their own.  We had in fact tried to go to their show, but it didn't work out.  If we get to go back to Colorado again, it will definitely be at the top of our list!

 You can hear them singing at their web site and see their travel schedule. The schedule also includes many of Scotty’s speaking engagements where he gives his testimony. Right now it looks like they are traveling through Colorado, yet they are based just north of Colorado Springs. In time, they might be coming to a state near us. If you ever have opportunity to see them, go! You will blessed beyond measure! If you are looking for a great gift, their music is wonderful! It looks like samples of music from their CDs are available. They even have a DVD now. Oh, and if you look at the CDs they offer, you’ll see one of Scotty in the chipmunk or squirrel costume!