The Trail Ahead, The Blessings Behind

 January 2, 2023

   Here's where I've been. If you read it you might have a good idea where I'm going.

Sunset Over The Seven Sisters

By Bob Hoss

   Blessing No. 1: it pays to have talented neighbors. I took a photo of this same sunset, below, last night, but look how much cooler Bob Hoss's is.

BBB's Soggy Sunset Over The Seven Sisters

   Blessing No. 2: No matter how many times I failed last year, this guy thought I was the cat's pajamas. 

BBB & Uno Pool Lounging

Photo by Tom Augherton

Blessing No. 3: Somehow, someway, I scored this very beautiful girlfriend and she has the cutest, damn accessories.

Kathy Sue With Stylish Leg Warmer

Blessing No. 4: For over 20 years I had a wonderful sandbox to play in.

Last photo of the crew at the

True West World Headquarters.

Blessing No. 5: For over a half century I have had the privilege of creating some major zane with this crazy Kingman kid.

Dan "The Man" Harshberger & BBB

on a Montgomery Ward Moped

in the Harshberger's front yard

 Kingman, Arizona, 1961

Blessing No. 6: For 23 years I got to work with this wonderful woman.

Carole Compton Glenn and Jake

Blessing No. 7: Sometimes we fight like bad seed brothers, but we are still in business because of my crazy ass partner, Ken Amorosano.

Ken & BBB arguing over a cover, no doubt.

Blessing No. 8: She is one hardy little roadtripper, as seen here on the back porch of a Cholla Bay Beach House in 1981. Deena Bell Bortscheller is a laugh riot and now she has a family of her own and they are on vacation in Mexico even as you read this.

The Little Grinner On The Beach

in Rocky Point, Mexico

Blessing No. 9: My kid as The Kid: Thomas Charles Bell has gamely posed as Billy the Kid so many times, he deserves a pension, or a pardon.

T. Bell as The Kid for the umpteenth time

Blessing No. 10: He has worked on every single True West issue since 1999, plus he has led the production of every single book I have published for Tri Star and ultimately True West magazine and Two Roads West (going on 20). He can be quite grumpy, at times, but there is a good reason we call him Commander in Chief.

Production Manager, Robert Ray, puts up with

last minute changes to the Wild Bill book, 2017.

 Blessing No. 11: She taught me to love the West.

Bobbi Guess, Diamond Bar

Blessing No. 12: He taught me to love the road.

Al Bell's Mobilgas Station, Peach Springs, AZ

   And, in the end, what is more rewarding: the road to success or arriving at success?

"The road is the only thing."

—The 66 Kid