March 2, 2003
Big snow trip. Took off yesterday with Kathy about noon. Rained off and on all the way up I-17 to Sunset Point, then we got snow flurries near Cornville. Hit the 7,000 foot marker and it was a winter wonderland. Didn’t bring my cameras and kicked myself several times, but I decided to live it and not record it. Got to Flag at about three. Blowing snow. Checked into Best Western on old Route 66. Thomas came around 4:30 and we drove out to George’s Pizza where his friend Robert Chenalt works and had pizza and watched the U of A, Stanford basketball game on TV. Snow fell during the entire game. Just really coming down (you could see it out the window under the parking lot lights). U of A won in last seconds and we went outside and shovelled off T’s Land Crusher and poked our way back to NAU and the Walkup Skydome to see their basketball game against Montana State ($10 for tickets). NAU won. Fun seeing the small college team that gave U of A fits at the beginning of the season. T took us home around 9:30. Drew Custer sketches in bed (brought along my reference material and sketchbook) until around 11. Got some good drawings going.

Got up at seven. Total whiteout outside. Had to scrape windows on our car, etc. It was fun (once). Thomas followed us down to Martan’s for breakfast. A little hole in the wall, hippie breakfast place on San Francisco St. that Buffalo Rick turned me on to when we did the radio show live from there several years ago. Had the huevos rancheros and Kathy and I had a great talk with our son. Breakfast came to $32 (bought T a $40 gift certificate from Ann the owner). Crunched out in the snow and said our goodbyes.

Kathy and I took off for Phoenix at 10. Got a hair up our snutz and took the Oak Creek Canyon turnoff. A little concerned about ice coming down the steep canyon, but the road was great. Fantastic snow scenes everywhere. Snow falling from caked trees. After a while so much was falling it was like a confetti parade down through the canyon. Really stunning. Glad we took the chance. Stopped in Sedona and walked around. Bought a book on Custer ($16 cash) to use for reference on the cover. Got gas in Village of Oak Creek ($1.79 a gallon!). Easy ride home. Got here at around 1:30.

After a walk, started on cover ideas. Got two going. Ruined one, almost gave up on another. Came back. Not sure. Trying to stay loose. I’m in the zone and it feels good. Need to finish tomorrow.

“Many people hear voices when no-one is there. Some of them are called mad and are shut up in rooms where they stare at the walls all day. Others are called writers and they do pretty much the same thing.”
 —Meg Chittenden