March 24, 2006
I picked out various original pieces of art featuring Honkytonk Sue, The Doper Roper and even a new one “Check Out The Dudes” which I’m driving up to the Phippen museum this afternoon.

The snowbound farm panorama (see yesterday’s post) is of my grandpa’s farm, taken in January of 1982. You’re only seeing half the panorama (I took seven shots and captured a 180 degree view of the whole place). This farm was our destination every summer when we took off from Kingman, usually in August, to go visit the Iowa Bells. Many memories there, most of them sweet.

Status of The Performance Hat?
“By the way, Has the $1,000 hat made an appearance yet. I can't wait for this one.”
—Hugh Howard

Here you go! The latest Grant Sergot original Optimo hat arrived via UPS yesterday afternoon. Carole brought it in my office with a smile. It’s got a wider brim, thus the moniker “Performance Hat.” Also, check out the custom hat band: rich, brown leather with belt buckle assembly. Yes, the photo was taken by Robert Ray in my office. The hanging dude was created by my friend and Cowboy Artist Davey Powell. Pretty cool, no?

We’re Dropping Like Flies Department
“Joan Deines, age 75, passed away March 16, 2006. Retired in 1998 after 38 years of teaching history, 31 of them at Kingman High School but active in volunteering. I would expect her to do that as she was very kind. Services Friday, March 24, at Kingman Presbyterian Church.”
—Francine Alexander

If memory serves me correct, around about 1963, Charlie Waters and I were walking out of Ms. Deines history class, discussing a possible name for our new band, and as we approached the stairwell, Charlie said as he pointed up at the exit sign on the wall, “Why don’t we call ourselves ‘The Exits’ because that’s where everyone will head for when they hear us.”

“They were so strong in their beliefs that there came a time when it hardly mattered what exactly those beliefs were; they all fused into a single stubbornness.”
—Louise Erdrich

I got this quote from Carole Glenn and it sums up what I often try to verbalize in Kathy and my Sunday morning life-solving, coffee driven gab sessions. America "fused" at the start of the twentieth century and it didn't matter that much of it was bigoted or wrong-headed, we had a single-minded stubbornness, and that is hard to beat, anytime, anyplace. I'm not too sure we have it now, though.

Mary Brown, Founder of Festival of The West Says Thanks
“Thank you so much for the great KUDOS on stage—it was a thrill to have Joel Klasky and Dave Daiss there. Thank you for making it special for me and for the festival crew. You are super. Saturday was a record breaking day—tons of people. Thursday we broke records also. Sunday was WAY down because of the rain, but we got through it all and I have to say it went well.”
—Mary Brown

“For most rockers, the only thing standing between them and total illiteracy is the need to get through their Mercedes-Benz owner's manuals.”
—cartoonist Garry Trudeau