July 28, 2007
Kathy is now docked in Peru, visiting Tomas. I sent her an update on what is going on back home. Here is my message:

Went to town this afternoon. Trying to rain, very muggy out. Went down and got the dry cleaning. There was a $45 fee for storage.

Just kidding. I was kind of worried, but the girl said it was paid for and gave me two packets of clothes which is great because I needed pants. The girls in the store were kind of glad I got them too as I ripped open the bag and put on a pair of jeans. Everyone kind of wrinkled up their noses like they had never seen a 60-year-old pantless guy before.

From there I fought my way down to Desert Ridge (man the traffic is bad, cars on top of cars). Stopped at Aaron Bros and got some artboard and more felt tip pens ($76 Sue account), then went up 44th to Dixileta and cut across to Scottsdale Road. David K's old rental house appears to be long gone. Two or three new subdivisions going up, filling in the last spaces. Looked like West Phoenix, with no empty spaces to speak of.

Got to Bashas' to get final groceries before the trip. Ran into Ellen, the bartender at the Mineshaft who fell out of a third story window at Rocky Point while drinking, and survived. She is house sitting at Bruce and Sheila's and warned me she might come up and visit. I said she could as long as she stayed out of the Crow's Nest.

From there I went to AZ Wines and bought some more wine and a Wine magazine with a good design I want to show the staff. Went by the office to check on your snapfish photos, but got sidetracked on forwarding the Source Book cover to Trish, ran out of time (wouldn't attatch), realized I had milk in the car and fled home.

Buddy was in the house (he head-butted the front door again). It's been thundering all afternoon. I came in and called his name and he came cowering out and shot for the door, going out that little hole he's made in the screen door. I had to track him down and retrieve a pair of your panties. Where do these dogs get such rude manners? Not from me, I can assure you.

Gave my three chickens some leftover lettuce and came back to the studio to try and get another work session in tonight. Peaches is at my feet, and Buddy is curled up on his chair. And I must admit, he looks so much better without the women's underwear on his head.

End of message to Kathy.

Reworking the opening sequence to the Mickey Free story. Here's our hero riding out of a dust storm towards San Carlos. The rider is in pencil. Wanted to see if the positioning would work. Will rework it in paint this afternoon.



It's been just over a year since Paul Hutton and I travelled to Bisbee to work on the MIckey Free story for the graphic novel. Looking back over the notes, it's interesting to see what still works and what has changed. Here is a photo of the two of us, hard at it, in the Canyon Rose Suites, taken July 22, 2006. Wendy, the manager, took the photo:



"Go for the moon. If you don't get it, you'll still be heading for a star."
—Willis Reed