Since I was sick, day two at the Ponderosa (and three of the trip) started at little late. We missed the quick draw contest (and dang it, too! I was so looking forward to drawing a gun out of a holster and listening to everyone laugh as I tossed it across the back court....), By the time we arrived lunch was being served in Lorne Greene and the Swann's backyard.
Later on, Tom Swann gave a presentation on the stone well out back. It is the original one Lorne had built and Tom told us how they had found the original bucket in ruins at the bottom of it when they bought the home. Tom found a comparable one on eBay and rebuilt it, so the bucket hanging on the well is Lorne Greene's only reconstructed. Tom built the sofa table and gun rack as well in the house as well. A VERY talented man!
Lorne Greene at the well in the 1960s.
The Swanns also brought in one of the vintage Chevy cars that used to be advertised on the Bonanza show. We watched a number of commercials from back in the day when the stars of the show hawked the sponsors' products. It was something I had forgotten about and was fun to see.
After lunch it was time to return to the hotel and 'gussy up' for that evening's BBQ and dance. Sonya and I actually had to pay for a piece of checked luggage just to bring the appropriate clothing, which included two 19th century dresses, slips, pantaloons, a corded petticoat, and corset! If only the airline had known what they were totting - fashion deadly enough to lay any handsome cowboy low!
Before the dance, there was an afternoon of presentations. One was made about the Bonanza Caravan, which I will detail in another post. Here I am with the man who carted the caravan all over the USA in the 1960s (in the middle) and Andy Klyde, lawyer for and chief promoter of Bonanza in this day and age. Andy showed us clips and bloopers from the show that are not normally available. He also had some dynamite 8" x10" photos of the show and the actors, of which I bought three!
Of course, there had to be a cake. It was yummy!
Some images from the evening event. Sonya and I sitting out the insanity on Ben's settee. ;-)
Eating supper inside.
Supper outside.
(By the way, this is chief Runamuck and his lovely wife, Pocahontas. They were our supper companions (and might fine ones they were!)
Of course, the Cartwright boys showed up for the dance. When have you known them to turn down a turn on the floor with a pretty girl (or mature woman, for that fact! In season one Little Joe had three dalliances with women old enough to be his mother. I was just following canon!) Sonya and I chose our partners and dosey-doed.
Unfortunately, there was one moment where were both vying for the same man....
After the dance it was time for the gentlemen to take the ladies home. Little Joe gallantly offered, but it seems Cochise had...well...shrunk! So Louise offered to drive us back to our little hacienda. (Cochise was actually a moving, singing and swinging horse. You got to gallop in place (Joe would have hated that!) to the Bonanza theme song.
Really. LOL
Next time: Our last day at the Ponderosa.
Very very cute. What fun.....
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