Ruth Purves Smith and the 581 » News

Shots Rang Out In The Night…

ruthps — Sat, 04 Sep 2010 07:29:37 +0000

That’s right Folks…a couple shots in the distance, the dog growlin’ low, my fella sickly & tired from working too hard; I live in a country & western song. The summer is gone again, as I knew it would be, and it never got here this year anyway. We sure are thankful for all our little blessings though. Everyday they add up like pieces of a great puzzle, soon to reveal the splendor of something grand. Let’s see if we can’t get one of these “so called forthcoming stories” out tonight… Sometimes writing takes a certain schtuff to get it going, and I s’pose that shots in the night will do…Recently, I had to drive through a wee town in Alberta called Cremona. It’s one of those tiny villages that has a single main street, an old AND a new( 1980’s) hotel/restaurant/tavern, a post office, the laundromat that’s been there forever, a few stores and side streets, the obligatory fancy house on the hill, no more grain elevator or train tracks, great, strong people, and, I’d imagine, a few dogs. I spent quite a bit of time there in my western days; the youth of my horses and old pickup trucks, cowboys- REAL cowboys, and the first place I ever saw that colour you sometimes see in the sunset that you most wish you could have a dress made from a fabric of even a remotely similar hue. In the cemetery just outside of town a dear friend and great man lies. As the usual pace of my life often dictates, I had to drive past, unable to stop in for a moment to see the grave. I am going back soon. It will be part of my timeline to stop and see Jim Burton’s grave. Many folks believe that another gentleman holds Alberta’s oldest Class A Guides licence, but it was Jim. The structuring of guiding & outfitting licences changed at some point in the 1940’s, and Jim held the title for one year previous to the current title holder, but he’s long gone and that’s just what it is. He knew horses and kids, and horses for kids. He cut many of the trails through Banff National Park, alone, with a head and tail string of some ridiculous number like 17 head, on a green-broke horse, and could roll a smoke as he went down the trail. Really. He had hands that were hard to believe. They were HUGE. Only people that work with their hands and leather and dirt and years get hands like his. Gnarly beautiful like an ancient oak tree they were. In the last season of his life he was still catching wild horses, and he had the brilliant idea to take ready made pens up to the bush on a homemade wagon with the team. He wasn’t so much for riding on the wagon by now. It rumbled his guts. He rode his saddle horse up behind us, as he had to get off and lie in the trail ’til he could take the pain enough to ride again. This slowed him down a little, but the team & wagon went pretty slow, so we set out ahead to get a start on the long ride into Angel Camp. This was the base for Jim’s outfit as mostly a kids’ camp, and some wild horse catchin’ too. Ike, Jim’s son, drove the team. We were going along fine for a while; it’s rough and rambling with the big metal pen panels and a few pack boxes for a seat. Everything was boomered to the rig with chains and come alongs. It was a pretty heavy load. The team was an older solid Belgian and a young Percheron. The old boy had won pulls with the stoneboat at heavy horse competitions, and the young one was learning from him.I think their names were Prince and Doc, but it’s been 25 years… We reached a creek crossing that had a really steep, rutted bank on the other side. These trails were meant to be accessed by saddle horses or dirtbikes, and it was quite challenging to take the team & wagon up there. I don’t remember who all was there, but competent horsemen they were. For an hour the boys tried to get the team to pull the load up that stretch of hill, and they were about to start taking apart the load to split it into two. Just then, Jim rode up, got off his horse( which he rarely did-he had bunions so bad that he could barely walk, only ride) and took the lines beside the team. In the gentlest, yet most intense whisper kinda cooing sound , he started those horses up that bank. They gathered themselves and gave their all while Jim walked slowly coaxing beside them. I can’t really describe the magnificence of witnessing an incredible feat of strength and faith like that which I saw take place between Jim and his horses. They would have split themselves in half to pull that load up the hill if he asked them to. As it was, they required only Jim’s presence and a concerted effort to get up the bank and on our way again. Unloading the racks would have taken hours and left us travelling well into the night. I sure learned a lot about horses from old Jim. I sure learned a lot. Blessings! RPS

Where, Oh Where, Has The 581 Gone!!?

ruthps — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 18:21:03 +0000

Well, well, well! We have been about the towns, fields, and highways of this province so much that we completely forgot how to type. The list of thank yous and blessings is vast, and this not typing thing is a great impairment!! No, no, we must DRIVE somewhere right away… Three Hills it is, and back, and then Creston, BC!!! We’re off to the Snoring Sasquatch for a show on Saturday night. Folks, thank you ALL for the great support!! ( Gee, I believe that I’m beginning to get the hang of this typing stuff again…) There are so many adventures to tell you about. As soon as I can get to the beastly computer (ack… shouldn’t curse the thing, sorry little beast!) I will attempt to get it all out there. Again, thanks and blessings!

So Much To Say…

ruthps — Fri, 21 May 2010 21:07:15 +0000

I am awaiting the inhome version of the direct thought-to-computer interface that is bound to be available any day now. It is almost insane how much time one can spend on these babies(especially if you don’t type well or have magic teenage thumbs). I have been so busy with the CD/Video Release Extravaganzas that there has been NO time to write. So much to say…

I had the greatest interview with Monica Miller at CKUA on May 7th. To listen to it go to http://www.ckua.com/ and check out the archives (top right hand side). She has been a voice in my life soundtrack for so many days. It was such an honour to meet and speak with her!! Blessings!

It’s Stormy Season

ruthps — Thu, 29 Apr 2010 07:28:39 +0000

Well Kids, it’s been an adventurous ride so far! Tonight, as I write this, the wind howls and the rain pelts hard against the window like some Poe moment from “The Fall of the House of Usher”. I had chance to drive past the Great House in my website and video to find it no more. Atop the hill where it once stood was a large patch of black earth and an old D-9 Cat. For many years it withstood the ravages of the prairie storms and deluge, but it too succumbed to the Monster of our times; the Godzilla of progress.

We had such a blast at the Calgary CD/Video Release Extravaganzas, there really is only one word to say, “THANK YOU”! Two words…Blessings to Trina Nestibo & Lark Hill for opening our shows, and Blessings to all of you who attended. We had so much help from so many people, that, to list them all here would be rather bland, so, as the stories unfold, All will be named and known for their great works!

It was way cool to take the band to my hometown hall. Thanks to the Swalwellian and surrounding area contingent who attended! That’s right, yer not from Swalwell…

Blessings Luvs! Please come see us in Edmonton and Red Deer- we’ll have the Big Band there( which don’t happen near enough), and you get your CD with your ticket! xoxo, RPS

Key of A Interview for RPS

ruthps — Tue, 06 Apr 2010 21:53:34 +0000

Ok Kids! We’re getting ready for the big show. I’ll be doing an interview on “The Key of A” on CBC Radio1, Saturday, April 17th at 5:00pm. Blessings to Katherine Duncan! Then…THE BIG SHOW at THE DEN!!!

Blessings!

Our First Review Is In!

ruthps — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 21:33:30 +0000

Well Dearly Beloveds, today truly is a fine day for RPS & the 581! We are Blessed & Honored to have our first review of ‘Out In The Storm’ be published in The Red Deer Advocate, written by Donald Teplyske. Please click here to read the review in the Red Deer Advocate.

This is a by-weekly column that Donald has in The Red Deer Advocate; amongst his many other endeavors. Namaste, Donald.

Folks! This just in… Donald sent me the link to the REST of the review – click here!

Blessings!

RPS

Gratitude & Hold On Tight

ruthps — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 08:25:49 +0000

Well Kids, it’s the 5th of March. I quite like the # 5. You can just imagine all the reasons why…

Today, I am grateful as I white knuckle into the next few months. The many roads ahead hold promise and adventure!

Thank you all for checking in. There will be stories coming very soon. If they do not arrive forthwith, I will accept the tossing of fresh(preferably brown) farm eggs from a chicken in my general direction when spotted in your town. They are good for my hair, and make an excellent reminder…

Blessings to you all this good day! xoxo R

Oh The Stories To Tell

ruthps — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 04:02:03 +0000

There’s been so much to do to get this Baby off the ground. I’ve not been so challenged by a snarly bronc as I have been by these computer tasks! I will overcome this, albiet it is a wild frontier far more dark than that of the Great Canadian Northern Wilderness. Please stay in touch and check in often with us, as we will be updating this outfit lots. Stay tuned for the epic adventure story ,” The Making of Godzilla”, and the the tale of the amazing journey Back Alley John took to record on the cd. See Ya Soon Luvs!-RPS

Hello world!

ruthps — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 20:11:40 +0000

Welcome to our site. We are really happy you’ve come. Poke around and you’ll find lots of info on me and the band as well as gig listings, song clips from our upcoming album “Out In The Storm”, pics, our video and lots more.