"I don't really consider us country music," sweet-sounding singer Cookie Rankin was saying the other day of the Rankin Family, tonight's headliner at Big Valley.

That's no news. Their latest release, Collection, was a typically Celtic blend, songs like Fare Thee Well Love and Fail Il E (Oran Luadhaidh) hardly anthems for bull ridin' and hog racin'.

"I think it's neat that they've included us as part of their scene."

Mark my words, true believers, the Nova Scotia band will add a delightful flavor to the proceedings tonight. We jump in our RVs and go to these things for new experiences, after all ...

At 32, Cookie is the second-youngest Rankin. Her father was a heavy-duty mechanic and her mother worked with mentally disabled kids, not to mention 12 of her own children. "It was nothing like The Partridge Family growing up.

"The Partridge family got along," she jokes. Five Rankins became the folky band you'll see in Camrose tonight.

Cookie Rankin admits she's "not really" a big fan of country music.

"You know what I do listen to, though? Deana Carter! My CD broke in my car and I had this one tape (Did I Shave My Legs for This?) my friend left and I've been wearing it out," Rankin asserts.

"I love the unrequited love songs, so I shouldn't hang up my hat so quickly."

Cookie's surprised to hear that Carter's playing Sunday, mad that she won't be able to see her. "I had no idea ..."

Like Tennessee's monolithic country bloc, the Maritimes has its own tight-knit family of musicians, everyone from Ashley MacIsaac to John McDermott. There's just a lot less "aw-shucks," a lot more "Toronto sucks." (See, we Albertans have something in common with them.)

"I just finished doing a video for The Drunken Piper with (fiddler) Natalie McMaster. We opened for the bridge, and of course everyone was there."

She's talking about Confederation Bridge, don't you know, linking P.E.I. to the rest of Canada. "I didn't see Stompin' Tom, but the Queen was about.

"Great Big Sea was there, too. I haven't gotten drunk with them yet, though. When I see that they're under 30, I don't really chase them. Kinda like robbing the cradle," she smiles.

I ask her if she's married and she shoots back, "Are you proposing?"

I'm afraid I'm under 30, too, Cookie.

The tradition-oriented band's been off the road for most of the summer, taking a breather and actually living their individual lives while no one's watching.

Just like country gals often do, the Rankin girls have recorded a Christmas album, coming out this winter, though that seems far away now. (Knock on wood.)

A new album by the whole band will be out in the spring of '98.

Folk music or music for the common folks, it doesn't really matter. Just because it ain't country doesn't mean it's not worth listening to.

Oh, and if you're wondering where the name "Cookie" came from she defiantly answers, "Probably the same place `Fish' came from. Out of nowhere," she laughs.

"It gives you a little edge to your identity. You can sure use that in a household of 12 sometimes."

There you have it, pardners.