January 24, 2008 Bonus Blog Post
Had breakfast this morning with my step-father Lou Cady, Jr. He's still grieving my mother's passing and wants me to pick out some of my mom's keepsakes for Deena. He gave me a ride down to the Buffalo Bill Museum in his new Dodge pickup. He's 86 and still driving.

There was an article in the Billings newspaper this morning about a guy up in Forsyth who's 98 and still bowling! Otto "Babe" Krueger has been bowling at Evergreen Lanes for 62 years and the guy who owns the bowling alley wants to retire and sell the place but he's waiting for Babe to decide when he's through bowling.

Babe isn't the oldest bowler in the state. No, over in Great Falls (Charlie Russell's hometown) Leslie Hackett is three months older than Babe and still spreadin' the lane. Ha.

Met with Juti Winchester at the Buffalo Bill Museum at ten. BBC film crew was there doing a doc on Westerns.

Picked out a whole gaggle of Cody photos for an upcoming cover story we're doing. Really some great stuff. Very exciting. Took Juti to lunch at Maxwell's. Had a cup of chili and a caesar salad and hot, green tea ($22, includes tip, biz account).

Mas Botas Info
"Was just reading your blog an saw the reference to the gent wanting a pair of 'Botas'. well there's several different answers and questions to his query; exactly what type of Bota does he want..... the faux 'boot' style, ie: like the Villaista in the photo on yer blog, and the type the military wore during the Indian wars, or the Mexican style you saw the 'Long' Bill Coleman character wearing in the recent Comanche Moon series (tooled leather, that are worn below the knee, but that i assume pull up over the knee) or the Charlie Russell mixed blood style made of blanket wool.

I'm unaware of any historical reproductions being made of the military boot style. Mr. Bagilore might try Missouri Boot & Shoe Company; they make historical reproduction footwear for the living history crowd, or Bison Saddlery in Helena MT, that gent also makes museum quality repros. He could also try a leather worker or local saddler, to see if they'd be willing to make him a pair.

If he just wants to have a pair of the wool ones, those are pretty easy to make. Basically it all comes down to how much money he wants to spend.


—Jeff Prechtel

Going with the Dude Ranch Association people to dinner tonight at the Irma Hotel, named for Buffalo Bill's daughter. Great old place. The trolly leaves the hotel in a half hour, so I've got to take a shower and go.

Really fun talking to everyone in Cody about the future of the West. We're all basically in the same business: providing a Western experience to the rest of the world. Gee, I wonder what ol' Antoine has to say about all this?

"As for the Future, your task is not to foresee but to enable it."
—Antoine de Saint-Exupery