January 30, 2007
Rained all day yesterday and into the night. Woke up at four to a big downpour. Surprisingly warm out, Went for a bike ride at seven and the low lying clouds were quite beautiful. Ground very soggy.

Got a letter from one of my Norsky cousins in Iowa, Donna Lande. Her father was one of my fave Norweigan farmer uncles. His name was Lippo Asmus. Donna sent me several photos from their family album, and one of them is of Lippo and Annie (my grandfather's sister), Minnie and Carl Bell (my grandparents) and my mama, and of course, a big-eared kid looking like the future CEO of True West. Ha.

I'll post that fifties-jumbo-goofathon photo later today, along with The Best of 3,000 entries.

Jana Bommersbach came out yesterday for lunch and she brought along a fabulous collection of Cowgirl postcards from my old Razz Revue pard and current Scottsdale City Council member Betty Drake. Really stunning stuff. Two books worth of gems. Meghan Saar joined us and we ate at The Satisfied Frog.

Flint Carney came by yesterday with his mama and an ex-bookseller from Vegas named "Cash." Flint is a notorious character around here and he and his ex-girfriend DeAnne Giago have posed for me many times. DeAnne got married last month and we called her on Flint's cell so I could harrass her. Flint's mom, Emma, is 82 and plays golf every day with her son, and according to him, beats him regularly. It was great to see them. We had some rough sledding three years ago, and as they say, time heals most wounds. Here's an unfinished painting of Flint (at left):



After work I went by Black Mountain Feeds to buy a bale of hay j($6.50 house account) for the chickens and so J.D. will get off my ass. Loaded in little chunks of hay in their condo, and made worthy beds for all eight mothers, while Peaches attacked the surrounding chain-link fence like the demonic-chicken-crazed border collie she is.

Onion Headline de Jour
Cocky Attempt To Operate ATM In Spanish Backfires

"Motivation is a fire built from within. If someone else tries to light it, don't expect it to burn very long, or very bright."
—Old Vaquero Saying