Don Firth reminded me of an encounter I had almost forgotten.

In 1975, I took the ferry/cruise ship from Seattle up the coast to Juneau. As I was sitting in the lounge, I exchanged small talk with a couple from California....(Los Angeles, I believe).

"You have a funny accent", he said, "Where are you from?"

"Kansas", I replied..."Wichita..."

"Oh, wow," she said, "Have you ever been to Dodge City?" (Gunsmoke was still popular at the time)

"Yes...a couple of times."

"So, do they really have those hitching posts on main street? How do they clean up after the horses?"

I assured her (and him) that it was not a big problem any more...and that they had even paved a few of the streets. They were suitably impressed. I was afraid to explain that we even had TV and that you couldn't wear loaded guns on the streets.