Our CCR tribute band rang in the New Year at the Liberty Theatre in Ft. Scott, KS (I'll be posting content here when the video footage gets edited). Jim Smith, the venue's owner, really went all out, and pieced together a custom "bayou" stage for the night, complete with boat-dock extension. Beyond that, one thing that always captures my interest is not just the musical stuff, but the related stories that seem to occur; things that wouldn't have happened unless there was a show and gathering of different people & circumstances. In this case, I have some cousins from around southeastern Kansas and Oklahoma who came to Ft. Scott for the show. In addition to them saying they hadn't had that much fun in years (it really was that kind of night), one part of it was the appearance of a tiny, feisty calico alley cat who joined us in the band trailer after the show. I'm really not a "cat person," but had to admit this one seemed like something special, and I was considering ways to get it home. My cousin Beth tried taking it inside the place we were staying called the Courtland Hotel, but its meowing was pretty noisy, and she put it outside for the night. The next day, we were looking for it, but it was nowhere to be found. And then, after getting back to Chicago, I get an email from Frank at the Courtland via my cousin Jerry, who had traveled from Dewey, Oklahoma to see the show (around a 2 hour drive?). Hey Frank and Cheryl,
Just a quick note to thank you for all your hospitality and share a little postscript to the holiday weekend with you. I stopped in town and got a drink for the road, stopped again in Pittsburgh to get gas, stopped in Parsons to check on a house we own, stopped once more in Caney Ks. I was tired coming down the home stretch and just wanted to come in, tell my wife how much I missed her, and take a nap. My dog came to the truck to greet me
home. As I was petting him, the motor of my truck STARTED TO MEOW!!!! I raised the hood and the little calico that was with us in front of the hotel that morning, looked up at me. He rode the whole way on my wheel well!!! I really can't have an outdoor cat 'cause the road we live by is a kitty killer and we are NOT doing the litter box thing ever again. As luck would have it, my neighbors down the road had been looking for a kitty, so she is
nicely settled into to her new home tonight.
But I got just one question to ask Frank.............Did you put that cat under my hood while I wasn't looking?
I hope 2007 is the best year yet for all of you. Thanx again for letting us terrorize your wonderful establishment!
Jerry Larkin
Our CCR tribute band rang in the New Year at the Liberty Theatre in Ft. Scott, KS (I'll be posting content here when the video footage gets edited). Jim Smith, the venue's owner, really went all out, and pieced together a custom "bayou" stage for the night, complete with boat-dock extension. Beyond that, one thing that always captures my interest is not just the musical stuff, but the related stories that seem to occur; things that wouldn't have happened unless there was a show and gathering of different people & circumstances. In this case, I have some cousins from around southeastern Kansas and Oklahoma who came to Ft. Scott for the show. In addition to them saying they hadn't had that much fun in years (it really was that kind of night), one part of it was the appearance of a tiny, feisty calico alley cat who joined us in the band trailer after the show. I'm really not a "cat person," but had to admit this one seemed like something special, and I was considering ways to get it home. My cousin Beth tried taking it inside the place we were staying called the Courtland Hotel, but its meowing was pretty noisy, and she put it outside for the night. The next day, we were looking for it, but it was nowhere to be found. And then, after getting back to Chicago, I get an email from Frank at the Courtland via my cousin Jerry, who had traveled from Dewey, Oklahoma to see the show (around a 2 hour drive?). 
