November 11, 2004
Slept in until 7:15, got up and had coffee. Got into it with Kathy about whether the Tombstone tv project is off purpose. I tried to assure her it all will dovetail together, with the tv show complementing the magazine but her analogy was, "That's like me going to the gym and hoping it will help my business." And my answer to that was, "That's a dumb comparison. I'm not doing the pilot for exercise." And, of course it went south from there. Escaped the house at 8:10 and got into work where I have a tad more respect.

Worked all morning on finishing Johnny-Behind-the-Deuce copy, Gus put it in magazine template. Need some good art for Mr. Deuce. There is no known photo, but here's his description from a reporter for the Tucson Citizen, c. 1881: "rather under the average size, has a fair face, slight black mustache and well-marked eyebrows, blue eyes and black hair and seemed quiet and self-possessed." I think I know this guy. Now to capture him.

Went home for lunch and had leftover salmon and pasta and an apple. Took the dogs for a walk to the creek and at the edge of the creek bank they started barking and pointing. I thought it might be javalina or, worse, a real estate agent, but no, it was a surveyor with one of those modern, tall transit poles with a GPS satellite mini-dish on top. He claimed to be doing a river bottom survey for flood control. Half believed him and went back up to the house.

Got back in the office around 1:30 and whipped out two scratchboards of Tom Waters, the plaid shirt corpse. Took good reference photos in Tombstone (so there, Kathy!) and got some good barroom effects, lighting, etc. Finished around 4:20.

Talked on the phone yesterday to Dale Evan's former agent, Dick Baxter. He ordered several copies of the new issue with Dale's shapely image on the cover. Dick said he got tears in his eyes when he saw it. He told me Dale's last words to him were, “Now don’t you forget me now. You’re like my little brother." He choked up just telling me. Roy and Dale were quite a couple, weren't they?

RG just came in (4:55) and handed me a two-page memo on the pros and cons of doing a tv show and a True Wesrt Production Company. He said he did it for Kathy. That was nice. I guess I'll cancel the divorce proceedings.

"The perfect age is somewhere between old enough to know better and too young to care."
—Old Vaquero Saying