June 1, 2005
I spent most of the morning with my Irish buddies from the BBC. They met me at the True West offices at ten and we looked at one potential taping site in the back but the road noise was a turn-off for them, so I took them out to our house. We ended up in the crow's nest of my studio. A five man crew huddled in the tight space overlooking the Cave Creek basin with me sitting on the south wall expostulating about Western Myth ("Most of the truths about the Old West are myths. We just replace one myth for another. First Indians are savages and then they are stewards of the land. Both are myths. And by the way, Cuter being a psychopath is a myth too.").

Lots of planes going overhead. Had to stop for those several times. After the roof sequence of questions, they shot the host Jerry Anderson (a big radio and tv star in Dublin) and I walking up the path from the creek. Peaches hit her mark every time. Buddy hid behind the cameraman (what a Woose!).

Afterwards we went up to Tonto Bar & Grill for lunch (Moore, the producer bought). Sat outside on the covered patio. Nice breeze. We talked at length about their month of filming in the Southwest. They raved about Paul Hutton and how smooth and knowledgeable he is. I asked them what they thought was bizarre about the states and they said "snacks. We don’t have the term snacks." And they said the worst food they encountered was in Monument Valley at Gouldings and in Fort Sumner, New Mexico.

They also waxed nostalgic about Ian McShane (Al Swearengin on Deadwood) and that he was a soccer star for Manchester when he was younger. Made a fortune in voiceovers, was angry that a tv series he had was cancelled by the BBC in the eighties (“Lovejoy” about an antiques dealer?). Funny to hear them talking about a “hometown boy.” They also said Deadwood ran a short time in England but didn't catch on over there.

Speaking of the collapse of the European Union constitution, here's a letter I got this morning from Germany:

"At a friend's home in England I saw one of your True West magazines—I was really inspired!—I cried out 'I must have this stuff!' I bought some books of Bob Boze Bell's in London. This is the best I ever saw about the Old West, in which I’m interested since my childhood 50 years ago! Watching your homepage I found out that it is possible to subscribe outside the U.S. and I want to do that.
— Greetings from Old Europe, Peter Hast, Krefeld—Traar, Germany

"P.S. If you contact Bob Boze Bell give my regards to him. I read his daily Big Bad Book every day for the past several weeks—first before I start my work as a teacher—I like it! Today sometimes it’s not bad to act like John Wayne if you want to stay alive at school!"

I need to go to the dentist this afternoon. Got a spur, or something, growing in the pulled tooth area and it hurts.

Trying to finish all of my White Hat prep drawings for the big printing tomorrow down at Armstrong-Prior. Of course, I'm way behind, don't know exactly if I can pull this off. Nervous, insecure, all of that artist crap you get tired of reading about and I get tired of writing.

Lots of laughing in the front office right now (2:43 PM). Must go out and stop this. Can't tolerate joy at work. Ha.

I just went out and checked. Sam and Brittany and Sue Lambert were comparing a certain dog's hair color to Joel's graying hair. I guess you had to be there. (they’re still howling about it).

"Derive happiness in oneself from a good day's work, from illuminating the fog that surrounds us."
—Henri Matisse