Pioneer Village's Wild West Shootout...My First SOPIK

Last week one of my blog posts stood out from the others. It was the one with my friend from college who passed away almost twenty years ago. For me, it was a special post--I didn't realize until after I posted it that it touched others as well.

Back in ancient times (before digital photography...), when you took a picture you had to wait to until the photos were developed to see exactly what transferred on film. One upside to using film is that once the pictures are developed, you have something you can hold in your hand. 

When I wrote my post about Deron I had to go the basement and look through the box full of old pictures until I found the one I needed. In that box there were a lot of other pictures, some from my mission, before my mission, from different places I worked and from university choir tours. They brought back so many memories, memories I want to share.

Several months ago I started the POLAIK blog posts. POLAIK stands fro Profiles Of Local Authors/Artists I Know. And, since I write every day, writing about such talented authors and artists helped fill the daily requirement and a way to let others know about how amazing those people are.

Today I'm going to start a new blog thread called SOPIK, which stands for Some Old Photos I've Kept. And I'm starting with one of the best jobs I've ever had: A Stuntman in the Wild West Shootout at Lagoon.

I don't have a lot of pictures of the years I  did that job with great friends. These were all from the same season, though I don't remember which one. And they could have all been taken on the same day. We rotated half a dozen different shows--not high drama you understand, but the patrons didn't expect impeccable acting or ultra-realistic fights. They came to have a good time and watch guys falls off rooftops and towers.

And that's what they got. And I got memories I hope to keep with me forever. I was part of the last stuntman team to perform at Pioneer Village. It's been more than twenty years since anyone's strapped on 22s, cowboy hats and colored scarves. Maybe one day new generations of amusement park guests can watch men pretend to fight, tell corny jokes and fall from dizzying heights. I sure hope so.

Throwback Thursday...The Wild West Shoot Out!

If you spend much time on the interwebs and social media, there's a thing some people do on Thursdays. They post pictures taken long ago on their various sites with the hashtag #ThrowbackThursday.

At rehearsal tonight a friend and I were talking about the Wild West Shoot Out show in Pioneer Village at Lagoon. My friends and I were the last ones to perform the shows that ended over two decades ago. I hear from friends who still work at Lagoon that people still ask if there's going to be a Wild West Shoot Out show in Pioneer Village. For over 20 years, the employees have had to tell the patrons, "No. There will be no Wild West Shoot Out show in Pioneer Village."

And so, in honor of a great show long gone (okay, maybe it wasn't that great, but it was fun...), I'm posting these pictures of the stuntman cast of the Wild West Shoot Out for those who remember.