April 1, 2009
Just got off the phone for a radio interview with Greg Martin of the Northwest Ag Info Network, servicing 70 radio stations from Idaho, Washington, Oregon and part of Northern California. We were talking about pioneer farmers and ranchers and how hard they had it in the "good ol' days." Here's their site:

www.aginfo.net

Dan DeWeese has an idea to do high school and college sports mascots based on, or inspired by the Old West. For example Pistol Pete is the New Mexico State mascot. He got in trouble last week in Reno and was suspended by the Western Athletic Conference for one game for scuffling with Utah State's Big Blue at the WAC Tournament. The bull ripped off Pete's fake mustache on a $100 dare and the gunfighter chased the bull to half court, jumped on his back and tried to choke the bull.

Let's hear it for all the Old West mascots. I seem to remember one of the Yuma schools had "The Criminals"? as a mascot, based on the old Yuma Territorial Prison. What other mascots are there like this?

Talked to Hugh O'Brian the other day. He invited me to his 84th birthday party later this month, but I'm going to be in New Mexico on a plein air painting trip. Here's the sketch I did, while we talked on the phone:

Meanwhile, here are six of the sketches I did in Kingman:

Yes, that's the Kingman Train Station at the top, done from a historic photo that was in our motel room (#134) of King's Inn. The Hualapai Mountains were done from memory even though I could have easily gone out the door to see them.

On Sunday Kathy and I visited with Charlie Waters' family up at his sister Julie's pad, then we drove out to Red Ghost Ranch to see DeeAnn Harshberger's new baby.

"My way of joking is to tell the truth. It is the funniest joke in the world."
—George Bernard Shaw