FOLK COLLECTION 11: The Skaggs Foundation Cowboy Poetry Collection
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Up Sims Creek, The Third Trip
FOLK COLL 11 N-18
132
Rod Nelson
4th of July rodeos - a cowboy's equivalent to Christmas
Cowboy Christmas is coming up. Every cowboy looks forward to Cowboy Christmas, or the Fourth of July weekend. It's hard to say just how many rodeos there are in the United States over the Fourth, but there are lots of them. There are many big pro shows and tons of amateur rodeos all over the country.
fireworks, rodeo, money
Up Sims Creek, The Third Trip
FOLK COLL 11 N-18
134
Rod Nelson
Remembering Gordon Olson - a guy you could talk to
Waves of regret washed over me as I sat in the pew at Gordon Olson's funeral. Why hadn't I found the time to visit with him more often? As a PhD and president of a university for 25 years he was my kind of guy. Maybe I should clarify that a bit.
friendly, veteran, professor, funeral
Up Sims Creek, The Third Trip
FOLK COLL 11 N-18
136
Rod Nelson
Farmers, cowboys look at roadside bales differently
It's funny how technology can help some and hinder others. Take the round baler for instance. Most of the hay produced in the upper plains is now baled with a big round baler. The round baler helped reduce the workload for the farmer, but it made things tougher for the cowboy. It sure makes it harder to get a little rodeo hay.
hay, bale, farmer, cowboy, sharing, respect
Up Sims Creek, The Third Trip
FOLK COLL 11 N-18
139
Rod Nelson
It's advisable to be prepared for summer tornado season
It is hard to believe it is August in Sims, North Dakota. Every hill is green to the top. We are seeing more grass and hay than we have seen for years. Haying has been slow with the frequent rains, but who dares to complain?
tornado, preparation, damage
Up Sims Creek, The Third Trip
FOLK COLL 11 N-18
141
Rod Nelson
2009 Senior Olympics included two Dakotans
Those of us on the Northern Plains can't help but pay special interest when someone from a rural area makes it big and gets drafted on a major big league sports team, but there are few players from our area that get that chance. it tickled me to see that we do have some athletes of note from this area.
olympics, old people, walk, run
Up Sims Creek, The Third Trip
FOLK COLL 11 N-18
143
Rod Nelson
Joe can really play
Have you ever found yourself five miles from home and blundered into something that impressed you more than anything you saw on your vacation? I like surprises like that.
piano, organ, recording
Up Sims Creek, The Third Trip
FOLK COLL 11 N-18
146
Rod Nelson
Welcoming new son-in-law to the Nelson family
I was hauling bales on Aug. 27 when I got a call from my daughter, Annika. "Hi, Dad. Guess what? Tyler and I just got married!" I suppose the call wasn't unexpected, but it was a surprise. "You aren't mad, Dad, are you?"
marriage, family, in-law
Up Sims Creek, The Third Trip
FOLK COLL 11 N-18
148
Rod Nelson
Fall is a season of preparing for the next season
It's fall again, often the shortest season of the year. It is an overlooked season in North Dakota. It just doesn't last long enough.
fall, season, change
Up Sims Creek, The Third Trip
FOLK COLL 11 N-18
150
Rod Nelson
Restaurants can be memorable for all sorts of reasons
I like to eat as well as the next guy but I am not too fussy where I eat or what is on the menu. I don't wake up in the morning and think to myself that I would like to eat Chinese, Japanese, French, or Italian food that day. I guess I like North Dakota food as well as anything.
restaurants, food, cafe, burgers
Up Sims Creek, The Third Trip
FOLK COLL 11 N-18
152
Rod Nelson
Recalling Uncle Ernie's many hunting trips to the area
No matter if you are a hunter or not, we are all affected somewhat by the fall hunting seasons. Seems like hunters are everywhere. Back country roads are busy with slow moving four wheel pickups with kennels in the back, small town bars and cafes are busy serving tired hunters, and you see orange all over the place.
hunter, tragedy, cheap, veteran
Up Sims Creek, The Third Trip
FOLK COLL 11 N-18
154
Rod Nelson
Another successful year at Senior National Finals Rodeo
Well, we made another trip to the Senior National Finals Rodeo. I have made about 10 trips to the SNFR. It is hard to quit going to rodeos. I guess when I placed in the calf riding at the Bantry rodeo in 1956, I was hooked.
rodeo, elderly, age, youth
Up Sims Creek, The Third Trip
FOLK COLL 11 N-18
156
Rod Nelson
It's a proud moment watching a son become a doctor
We just made a trip to Minneapolis for my son's graduation. He has been going to school for 20 years or so. He is glad to be done with his education. We are proud to think he managed to hang in there and reach such a goal.
school, education, pride, doctor
Up Sims Creek, The Third Trip
FOLK COLL 11 N-18
158
Rod Nelson
Seasons
They claim we have four seasons, Summer, Winter, Fall and Spring, But I'd guess it's just a theory And doesn't mean a thing.
season, weather, work, harvest
Up Sims Creek, The Third Trip
FOLK COLL 11 N-18
159
Rod Nelson
View of a perfect world through my north window
Our old house has been added to many times since the original part of it was built in, I think, 1884. It started out as a homestead shack. Someone made it bigger and dug a basement. Someone added a second floor; the Jacobson's built on a couple bedrooms.
scenery, house, history, sit
Up Sims Creek, The Third Trip
FOLK COLL 11 N-18
161
Rod Nelson
Reflections on the holiday season at Sims
Well, they predicted an open winter. People who survive in North Dakota never really dare to believe in weather forecasts. Snow is up to the knees on tall Swedes and higher on shorter people. Temperatures are lower than the bottom lips of those who think they need expensive Christmas presents.
gift, christmas, wife, new years day
Up Sims Creek, The Third Trip
FOLK COLL 11 N-18
163
Rod Nelson
Pushing Snow
It's that time of year again That gets me down in the mouth. For how I pity all my friends That winter way down South.
snow, shovel, thaw, south
Up Sims Creek, The Third Trip
FOLK COLL 11 N-18
164
Rod Nelson
Power outages create challenges for modern society
Who would ever think warm weather could cause so many problems in North Dakota. Cold, wind, snow, and storms we can handle, but a few days of fog, balmy temperatures and light mist caused countless hundreds of power poles to fall down, causing problems our hardy ancestors never worried about.
electricity, experience, blizzard, outage
Up Sims Creek, The Third Trip
FOLK COLL 11 N-18
166
Rod Nelson
The many fine qualities of a good cup of coffee
I don't remember much about my health classes back when I was a kid but I clearly remember the five essential food groups. They are red meat, salt, butter, coffee, and I forgot the last one. Although all are important to physical health, only coffee improves your social skills.
coffee, neighbor, drinking, friendship
Up Sims Creek, The Third Trip
FOLK COLL 11 N-18
168
Rod Nelson
Did anyone else gain weight during Winter Olympics
I was in the best condition I had been in for many years. I can't say I really trained, but I was proud of the state of my fitness. I could stand with good posture, look down and see my #13 boots clearly. Perhaps I was overly confident that I was ready for the Olympics.
olympics, pies, weight, gain
Up Sims Creek, The Third Trip
FOLK COLL 11 N-18
171
Rod Nelson
Wedding bells have been ringing again at the Nelson's
It was January 31. I was on my way home from Nevada when my cell phone rang. It was my son Lafe. (Rhymes with Safe.) "Where are you Dad?" "Just pulling into Twin Falls," I replied.
proposal, wedding, joy
Up Sims Creek, The Third Trip
FOLK COLL 11 N-18
173
Rod Nelson
Meeting weatherman was a humbling experience
I am not the type of person who gets giddy in the presence of celebrities. If I happened to be seated next to Mel Gibson, Katie Couric, or Oprah in a restaurant, I likely wouldn't bother them for a handshake or an autograph. I might not even hang around Julia Roberts very much.
weatherman, disappointment, compliment
Up Sims Creek, The Third Trip
FOLK COLL 11 N-18
175
Rod Nelson
April power outage brings mayhem to Sims area
This is the time of year when we used to scan the skies to watch flocks of migrating geese, ducks, sandhill cranes, and perhaps even a once-on-a-lifetime small flock of Whooping creams. Now we climb a hill, now and then, in hopes of sighting a lineman.
migration, birds, power outage
Up Sims Creek, The Third Trip
FOLK COLL 11 N-18
177
Rod Nelson
Being mindful of the miracle of electricity
Being mindull it only took me 21 days and eight 21 days and 8 hours have been different, especially if we are going to do a cr
electricity, generator, power
Up Sims Creek, The Third Trip
FOLK COLL 11 N-18
179
Rod Nelson
Farms have either too many mice or too many cats
I guess you could all us cat people. We value our cats. That is not to say I can ever remember playing with a cat or a litter of kittens. I don't like house cats, I don't like cats jumping up on my lap or standing on kitchen counters. As much as I enjoy petting and stroking a silky feeling dog, I really don't like touching a cat.
cats, mice, barn, hunt
Up Sims Creek, The Third Trip
FOLK COLL 11 N-18
181
Rod Nelson
Attending 8th grade graduation in a one-room schoolhouse
It's graduation time again. We have all suffered through countless graduation ceremonies to see a friend or relative have that moment of glory as they walk across the stage and receive their diploma. Yesterday my friend Saje called and said she was graduating in the afternoon. I turned to the Missus and said, "This is one graduation we are not going to miss."
graduation, education, schoolhouse