January 27, 2010
Cloudy and overcast again this morning. Walked down to the Rockaway Hills crossing this morning to look at the storm damage. Looks like Cave Creek crested at about 12 to 15 feet. It's running about three inches right now.

I have a couple of favorite art patrons. One is a highway patrolman in the midwest named Ryan Marcy. He has purchased about a dozen of my original images and has commissioned me to do a painting on the O.K. Corral. Another patron, sent me this photo of his BBB wall:

Craig Schepp owns several True West covers, including "Billy Breaks Out" (upper, right, in red), which appeared on the October 2003 issue) and "The Day of the Dead Billy" which appeared on the cover of the September 2003 issue. If you want to see these covers, and the 98 others we have done in our decade long march to solvency, check them out right here.

Also, if you haven't taken our reader's survey, please take the time to fill it out.

Marhsall Trimble just walked into my office. He's up here to talk about a couple of things. The legislature's approaching closure of 21 State Parks. We want to protest this and Marshall has agreed to be our point man on it. The other item on the agenda is Top Secret (at least for this blog post).

Anyway, Marshall commented recently that he was at a guest ranch in Oracle and they put him in Rita Hayworth's room (she stayed there in her heyday). Over the bed was the famous, signed photo of the movie star:

I think I read somewhere that this photo was a fluke, the flash misfired, or something and the shadows across the top of her bosoms created a sensation. She really does look spectacular.

Marshall said he offered to do the speaking gig for free if he could have the photo. He also said, gazing up at Rita's statuesque frame as he went to sleep, "Now I know what we were fighting for over there." Over there would be Europe and Japan in WWII. Rita was the number two favorite pinup in WWII behind Betty Grable. Marshall said he preferred Rita because she had a sadder story. Ha.

"If it's beautifully arranged on the plate, you know someone's fingers have been all over it."
—Julia Child