November 19, 2009
Our office copies of The 2010 Source Book arrived this afternoon and it's a beautiful thing. If you want to find anything related to the West this is the issue you need to have (hint: subscribers get it free). Inside is our Eighth Annual Best of the West Awards and I predict the following people are going to be very happy: Jim Clark, Steve and Marcie Shaw, Jay Dusard, Pat Kearney and Gary George, Waddie Mitchell, Charles Harris III and Louise Sadler, Robert Utley, Jim Halperin and Steve Ivy, Mian Situ, Bill Anton, Bruce Lafountain, Mark Sublette, Jim Hatzell, Cattle Kate, Michael Guli, Bob Goldfeder, Patricia Wolf, Clint Orms, Trent Johnson, Mark Taggart, Anna Berry, Lorrie Zuzek, Denny and Pat Willis, Ken Klemm and Peter Thieriot, Marty Roberts, Victor and Kathy Garrison, John Bianchi, Jim Dunham. Rock Clark, Charmaine White, Jackson Polk, Madeleine Pickens, Sharon Paulin, Meghan Lally, Paul Zarzyski and Wylie, Sons of Joaquin, Dave Stamey, Ken Burns, Jimmy Palmiotti and Justin Gray, Cormac McCarthy and Joel and Ethan Coen.

Twilight Neighborhood
I've had three people this week ask me if I know Stephenie Meyer, the Mormon housewife who created the Twilight phenom. "You know everyone in Cave Creek, don't you?" seems to be the refrain I get the most. Actually, I do not know her and I don't know anyone who does know her. For one thing, as I understand it, she moved out here from Mesa (What A Place-ah!) a few years ago. She evidently keeps a very low profile because I've heard the mayor doesn't even know her (and he gets asked about her more than I do!). I was talking to someone recently who said they saw her at Fry's, which is on Carefree Highway several miles west of here, but that's it. Wouldn't even know her if I saw her.

Went home for lunch and worked on gunfighting elephants. Had good source materials thanks to Robert Ray and Google:

Also working up a wonderful dying donkey. Going to be a fantasy cover. Ha.

"A man who claims to know what’s good for others is dangerous.”
—Old Vaquero Saying