March 7, 2008
Everyone is scrambling to get set for our First Annual True West Preservation Society Fandango tonight at the Buffalo Chip in Cave Creek. Cocktails at five. All proceeds go to a great cause and yes, you can buy your tickets at the door ($25). Lots of celebs coming in. Don Edwards, Marshall Trimble and Joey Dillon performing. Banners, lights, tables, silent auction materials, decorations, signage, it's a big project.

Mark Boardman flew in and will handle some of the stage announcements along with Ken Amorosano and myself. Hired photographer Dave Spindel to shoot the whole kebosh (he's the guy who shot, I mean, photographed John Lennon's last recording session.

Got an interesting exchange from Iraq this morning:

The Old West In The Middle East
"Who would have thought you would have more than one fan (being me) on this side of the globe. See following exchange."
—ALAN C. HUFFINES

Sir, this is Dan. Dan, this is COL Huffines. Both of you do cowboy mounted shooting. Sir, Dan is... well, I don't know what in the Hell Dan does... a civilian working with my outfit, the 402d AFSB at Anaconda. Dan makes a modest fortune "on the side" (when he's in the States, anyway) training the horses used for CMSA.

"You guys need to talk."

—RUSSELL E. TAYLOR, Baghdad, Iraq

COL Huffines,
"It's a pleasure to meet you sir. It's good meet another mounted shooter but even better meet a fellow Texan as well.

"I'm originally from San Antonio. I was born and raised there. I left in 1983 after enlisting in the Army. I've not been back, permanently, since then. All but one of my four brothers have returned after serving time in the military. I'm a nomad at the moment and plan to spend a year here in the box.

"Are you affiliated with any of the CMSA clubs in Texas? I met Matt Sronce at the New Mexico State shoot prior to deploying. He's a great guy! Do you shoot any SASS or MSA (Mounted Shooters of America) matches?

"I don't shoot as much as I work/train horses. I team rope. That is my bread and butter. However, I've sold quite a few 'shooting' horses as they are called.

"I currently live in Colorado; Pueblo to be exact. I retired from the Army while stationed at Fort Carson. After a long and rough divorce (as if there were any other kind) I decided to stay in the area next to my daughter who is now 12. I rope and shoot in that area and venture to New Mexico, and even Arizona at times.

"Good to hear from you. I will order all of your books and would be very honored to have you sign them if I can get them down to you.

"Once again, it's a pleasure. I hope to meet you the next time I am down in Baghdad."
—Dan Hernandez, somewhere else in Iraq

"My club is out of Ft. Worth. I live in Abilene (AGR, TXARNG) and that's the closest. Sounds like we have a lot in common. Last time I was here I brought my head dummy and rope.

"I love San Antonio, but so does everybody else. We lived there for a few years, but I couldn't take the growth. I remember when Boerne was a tiny country town.

"Of course that was 90-91. Been reenacting cow-boy for a long time. I write regularly for True West Magazine as well as being a columnist for Working Ranch Magazine."
—ALAN C. HUFFINES

"OH MY GOD!!! Do you know Bob Boze Bell, Sir? I don't get True West magazine (yet... though I keep thinking about it), but I get Shoot! and Guns of the Old West magazines. Wow! My day is greatly uplifted now!"
—RUSSELL E. TAYLOR

Small world, no? Gee, I wonder what kinds of quotes Alan, Russell, Dan and the boys, like?

"In the absence of orders, go find something and kill it."
—Erwin Rommel