Welcome to New Mexico WWA final cover painting

April 2, 2012

Last Saturday was the annual Cave Creek Rodeo Parade. Put out the call for people to join me, but since it was at the last minute (we turned in our $40 parade fee on Friday and were #60 in the lineup, out of 61) everyone was busy. My good neighbor, Tom Augherton answered the call and while he drove the Super True West Taxi I stood on the back tail gate and pre-qualified everyone along the route by demanding, "I want readers. Who reads? I only want readers. Do you read?" Only if they said they were readers did I give them a free True West magazine. This was my view over the top of the taxi:

The parade entry in front of us (see photo, above) had a number of riders and just as the parade started one of the women in the group grabbed a banner, with a pole connecting the top, and was going to hand the other end to another rider so that they could ride along side by side holding the banner between them. Of course, the first horse freaked at the strange contraption which forced the rider to drop the banner, setting off the second horse who did a 180 and proceeded out of the area. The banner was put in the back of the jeep about a minute before this photo was taken.

And, in case you haven't seen it, here' a side view of The Matt Grace True West Super taxi:

Meanwhile, here's a closer view of one of our outriders:

The horse's name is Saguaro and this ain't her first rodeo parade. The cowboy, who is one of the parade chairmen, told me she is 20-years-old and "this is her last parade." He mentioned all of his kids were raised riding this horse and then he couldn't go on, said he was going to tear up, so I didn't ask him anything more about it, but I thought I should take a photo of her last parade ride. She sure is a pretty thing, check out those gams!

Meanwhile, Kathy and I have had more house guests in the past three weeks than in all the years we've been married. This is Sunday dinner last night. Had to move everything out on the patio because they wouldn't fit in our dining room. Can you spot the Radinas from Michigan?

Worked all weekend on another cavalcade of New Mexico history cover painting for Johnny D. Boggs and the WWA Albuquerque Convention in June. Didn't finish. Went home for lunch today and finished it: I call it "Welcome to New Mexico: Home of Big Clouds, Big Legends, Prancing Vaqueros, Sexy Senoritas And Very Irritated In-dins".

Yes, that's a nod to Remington ("Going to The Rodeo") in center and yes, that's Paulita Maxwell on the right. At least, the Paulita in my dreams. Ha.

"Far and away the best prize that life offers it the chance to work hard at work worth doing

—Teddy Roosevelt