April 16, 2010
In Laughlin for the Arizona History Conference. This morning at ten, Robert Ray and Meghan Saar joined me for a presentation "paper" on "The Battle of Big, Dry, History." We cross examined, via a slide show, how we create our Classic Gunfights and the hurdles to accurate history. Went really well. Had a surprise guest: Dr. Sam Palmer, who is the unmoved mover on the actual Battle of Big Dry Wash fight in 1882. Pulled him right out of the audience like Woody Allen did with Marshall McCluhan (sp?) in Bananas. Robert Ray got a huge laugh when I asked him the biggest problem he faces when doing these and he said, "You are my biggest problem."

I came here to sell books, but I bought $250 of Colorado steamboat books. Going to a big Mohave Country Shindig tonight in Bullhead.

Always fun to see my history buds. Also, our seventh floor room overlooks the mighty Colorado River and I keep imagining Jack Mellon and Martha Summerhayes coming right by here on this same river. I know, it's a bit too far north (Martha got off at Fort Mojave, which is about 11 miles south of here, but still!).

"Sometimes I hear the still voices of the Desert: they seem to be calling me through the echoes of the Past."
—Martha Summerhayes, Vanished Arizona