July 10, 2005
Christina from Valencia, Spain is here staying with us for several days. She and Thomas are driving to San Diego tomorrow to spend some time on the beaches. She's here for several weeks. We took her out to Earl's in Peoria for dinner last night. That was fun. Brad had a prime rib special and I had that. Most of the Radinas were there. Carole, 'Cedes, Debbie and Betty. Debbie's boyfriend Kenny and I were the only civilians, or outsiders. Mother Radina bought ($88, Kenny left a tip, $20 cash, we left $5).

Took the dogs on two bikerides today and swam laps trying to stay cool. Worked all day on CGII artwork. Finished Morgan and Wyatt Earp at the comedy play, Stolen Kisses. Everyone in the audience is howling, laughing up a storm except for two people. Sadie Marcus who is all decked out with a lowcut dress and seems a bit peeved that Wyatt is paying more attention to the play than her ample cleavage. The other sour puss is Frederick Bode, a German, and he seems more intent on monitoring the Earps than the stage. This makes some sense since Mr. Bode helped kill Morgan after the play, while the younger Earp was playing pool (still need to illustrate that sequence).

Also completed a gouache painting of the five suspects in the assasination of Morgan, almost in a police lineup scene or a Pinkerton’s rogue file type file photo. Pretty cool. Got lots of amber washes and cribbed from the known photo of Peter Spence (aka Spencer) taken at Yuma Territorial Prison. He looks absolutely demonic. The old jail bird served his time (for another crime, he got off completely in the Morgan murder in spite of his wife totally dropping dime on him. And I need to illustrate that scene as well, her with a black eye and her mother behind her in a Mexican shawl). After prison Pete married Ike Clanton’s younger brother’s wife (Phin Clanton) at Globe. Amazing what some of these old coots got away with. Kind of like today but with better style and more romance.(at least to me).

Got to keep on painting. Have about twenty more scenes I want to illustrate and only a week to finish. Fortunately I thrive on pressure and seem to do better with the kettle screaming at me.

"Problems worthy of attack prove their worth by hitting back."
—Old Vaquero Saying