July 2018 – Adventures in Western History

Burro Days in Fairplay

By joyce4books | July 19, 2018 by joyce4books

Welcome – 2018 Burro Days Visitors! During the last weekend in July, the Burro Days Festival takes place in Fairplay, Colorado. The center of attention are the pack burro races to Mosquito Pass and back, celebrating the tenacity of the hardworking little animals that were a necessity in mining districts during the gold and silver rushes in the mid- to late- 1800s. The handlers are athletes who train hard for the races, running while leading…

Western Summer Reading

By joyce4books | July 5, 2018 by joyce4books

Quality Roundup Time with Elmer Kelton In 2008, I almost met Elmer Kelton, a highly respected western author and member of the Western Writers Association (WWA). Women Writing the West (WWW) grew from WWA. Many of us long-time members belong to both groups. While attending the 2008 WWW conference in San Antonio, Texas, I drove 30 miles to the small town of Boerne, which I had visited in the past. I stopped by the bookstore…