June 17, 2006
After visiting with my mother at her home yesterday afternoon, I attended the WWA cocktail mixer at the Buffalo Bill Museum. Thom Ross and I perused the new painting exhibition (a very good painter from the 1840s who I had never heard of and can't remember now). Thom and I had fun riffing on the good and bad painting and stealing ideas right and left. Saw Bob McCubbin in the private party room. He is evidently in town for a Buffalo Bill board meeting. Chatted it up with Sherry Monihan, her husband Larry and their neice, Jamie, also Meghan Saar. Talked with Dr. Bob Brubaker and Dietmar Kuelglar of Germany. Dietmar is from Rebbelstieg and is a huge Jesse James fan. He has ridden in the Northfield Raid reenactments for the past three years, and he actually put on Northfield Raid shows in three German towns. He says they love the Wild West over there. My good friend Chip DeMann from Northfield evidently came over to Germany for the shows and rode as Bob Younger. Amazing.

At seven, I hitched a ride with the Hutton family (their three daughters were lobbying their mother to go see a movie, "Cars" at the local theater. The same theater that wouldn't run "Brokeback Mountain"). We ended up at Paul Fees' house for dinner on the patio. Beautiful night and the legends were in attendance. I walked up to a guy with a great hat and said, "Nice lid. Where'd you get it." Loren Estelman was standing there and he said, "Do you know who he is?" Turns out it was Stan Lynde, who wrote and illustrated the late, great comic strip, Rick O'Shay, and later Latigo. He's now writing Western novels, but I asked him if he'd create a graphic novel to run in True West, utilizing his great graphic skills. A real thrill to meet Stan. I am a huge fan of his illustration skills.

Had an excellent steak dinner and talked to Paul Fees about him growing up in Ajo. We have much in common and both of us have many, many half-true stories (if you believe Phyllis Morton) to tell, and we tell them at the drop of a hat. Ha.

At about nine, Thom Ross drove me out to Trail Dust Town where Steve Randolph and his son were busy video taping the Kid Curry gunfight. Great shots, with great buffalo coats and a fogger gave cool effects, and Preston had rigged up a peg leg for "Jew Jake" the bartender to wear. Got home at about 11:30, tired but happy.

Another big one today. Got to go over right now (11) for some executive session deal. Met with Meghan about her interviews and she's getting great stuff. A very successful trip. I must say Cody has been very good to us. It's almost a second home, and I know Sue Lambert wants to have a second home here.

"The greatest test of courage on the earth is to bear defeat without losing
heart."
Â?Robert G. Ingersoll