August 11, 2006
Drove up the hill this morning to Prescott. Left at eight and got to the AZTV station, out on Willow Creek Road at 9:30. Went on the air at 10:30 with the intention of plugging tomorrow’s talk at the Phippen Museum but not sure I got that in. The guest ahead of me went long, then they had a long taped segment on some car show and I kind of got clipped. But it’s still my fault. I’m media savvy enough to know the game and I got carried away with stories and forgot why I was there. Kicked myself all the way down the hill.

Tom Bell called from Flag as I waded through Prescott Valley and told me to buy a song off iTunes called “Vanilla Ice Cream” by Steven Lynch. The T kid claims it is his “soundtrack.” Kendra, Lars and T. Bell are on their way back to the east coast. I asked him if they ate at Martan’s (on San Francisco St. in downtown Flag) and my son replied, “Well, of course. We’re not Communists, you know.” That’s my boy. I talked them into the scenic route, heading up through Durango, Wolf Creek’s Pass and Walsenburg into Denver where I believe Kendra has relatives.

I hit heavy rain at Dewey and it came down pretty hard all the way to Big Bug Creek. Cleared out after that and I cruised home getting back here at 12:30. Beautiful drive and I love the rain.

The Top Secret Project
Got back to the house, grabbed some leftovers and came out to the studio to get down on paper some of the imagery I witnessed on the drive. I want to capture that hot, August heatwave effect that happens on a bright day in Arizona. Rippling distant mountains, contrasting the shadowed mountain ranges, especially at Sunset Point and Horsethief Basin. Mighty dramatic stuff. Played with some effects. I’ll post them when I get something worth posting. By the way, today I just passed 1,800 sketches, six a day without misssing. When I get to 10,000 you are going to be so impressed.

I saw this bumper sticker at the Cherry turnoff:

If You Can Read This, I've Lost My Trailer.

Going into the office to tie up some loose ends. Meghan leaves tomorrow for a week’s vacation and need to get a last report from her. My cousin. Pat Linn is in town visiting from Atlanta. I’m going to meet him at a certain restaurant for a drink at 5:30.

Speaking of travelling, here’s a guy who knew a thing or two about getting somewhere on the road to life:

“The power of a man increases steadily by continuance in one direction. He becomes acquainted with the resistances and with his own tools; increases his skill and strength and learns the favorable moments and favorable accidents.”
—Ralph Waldo Emerson