Light Travels Fast But History Bends Light

 March 21, 2026

   Today I spoke in a church at the Cave Creek Museum about the glories of growing up on Route 66. I must say my mother would be so proud of me because she always wanted me to be a minister.

Grandma Cady with Deena

October 26, 1981

(the reason I remember the date so well is this is the date I drove to Tucson and dropped off Deena with her grandmother so I could be in the O.K. Corral on the centennial of the gunfight.)

      So, yes, that was kind of a religious moment to me. Sorry, I got my snark genes from this guy.

Allen P. Bell Air Corp Mechanic

Kingman Air Base, circa 1944

Too Much of A Good Thing Is A Bad Thing

Today's topic at the church was technically on the glories of growing up on Route 66, but it is our job as historians to take the noise of the present and place it against the echoes of the past.

Daily Whip Outs: "Past Glories Galore"

   We don't need relief as much as we need steadiness and more than anything we need a calm tone in our lives right now. Which you will rarely find on that device in your pocket.

"Light travels faster than sound. This is why some people appear bright until you hear them speak."

—Alan Dundes

The Many Views of Old Vaqueros And The Long View of Camelback Mountain

 March 20, 2026

   As you may have noticed, I have been on a tear with the Old Vaqueros.

   I just love 'em and this is just a small portion of the many views and angles I have been having a ball with recently. Of course, everyone needs a palate cleanser from time to time. That's why I whipped this out:

Daily Whip Out: "Middle-Aged Vaquero"

   On my daily walks with Uno, we truck on up towards Morning Star and turn around at the gate of the Missing Gentry. According to my iWatch it's about a 1.3 mile run, or, more accurately, a brisk trek for an old man. Coming down off the ridge, this is our view.

Camelback In The Distance

(with Uno waiting up ahead)

Camelback On The Horizon

(now do you see it?)

The Neck of The Camelback

And, here's a better view up close. . .

A closer view from 1950

“Fine clothes do not hide the clown.”

—Middle-Aged Vaquero Saying

Jugs Iced Free For You And For Me!

 March 19, 2026

   Dan The Man has created a wonderful art piece out of a couple disparate images we published in The 66 Kids book and he has artfully combined them into a fantastic Route 66 Fantasy image:

"Jugs Iced Free For You And For Me"

   Makes me proud to know the guy. I am nominating this image for an upcoming art show on the centennial of Route 66 as the signature piece. And our own Rooster Rob has written a rockin' road tune to go with it. Strap in baby, we're puttin' the pedal to the metal when we premiere the song at this event.

May 2nd in Prescott—Be There!

Another Nomination for the 66 Art Show:

   I also love this BozeCard designed by Dan The Man but I think it could use a stronger—read that funnier—tagline? Perhaps:

• Yes, the wind blows 24/7 but it's a dry wind.

• Where the only thing stronger than our constant wind is the lonely desperation. 

• It may be constantly windy, but at least there's nothing to do.

(a Mad Coyote Joe line)

   Okay, what you got?

Daily Whip Out: "Picture This"

Dad Humor:

   I ate a kid's meal at McDonalds yesterday. His mother was furious.

And In The End. . .

“If you blame others it’s going to be a long journey. If you blame yourself you are halfway there. If you blame no one, you have arrived.”

—Old Vaquero Saying

Roger Clyne & The Peacemakers Rock Out, New Drone Warfare Plus Chuck Usmar Remembered

 March 18, 2026

   Roger Clyne has officially released his new album and I must commend him on the cover art:

"Hell to Breakfast" Live!

   Meanwhile, my favorite little Aussie Bastard pays homage to his mentor:

Remembering Chuck Usmar

   In the age of drone warfare it's tempting to make a broader swipe at the term.

Old Drone Warfare

   We men are experts at droning on and on. . .

"The secret to being a bore is to tell everything."

—Old Vaquero Saying

Daily Whip Out: "Paisano Bore"

The Night Man On Old 66

 March 17, 2026

   I'm always on the lookout for a good story. When Rooster Rob and I were cruising through Truxton a couple months ago, I found a good one. Or, it's probably more accurate to say, the story found me.

The Night Man

   He saw some strange sh*t on the night shift nobody in their right mind would ever believe. And then, dead people started showing up.

Western Narrative Mashup #22

Dead Man Driving

   He heard it coming before he could see it. westbound in the darkness, just beyond Truxton Canyon, the Night Man could see sparks flying as if someone was dragging a barge-full of metal on the two-lane blacktop. He looked around to see if his scrawny visitor was still eating out of the dog bowl, but he had already headed for the hills. The Night Man heard the downshifting of a huge semi-tractor trailer and then he saw the twin stacks belching flame as the monstrosity pulled off Route 66 and headed straight for the station. Whatever the driver was dragging kicked up a rooster tail of dust in the darkness and before he could join the stray canine in the safety of the ridges, the monster truck came to a swirling dust stop and he finally saw what it was pulling and what was making those sparks: an Arizona Highway Patrol car with the top sheared clean off.

  She was with a couple of hippie dudes in a Volkswagen bus and traveling at night to avoid the heat. She told him with a smile they were on their way to Disneyland, and had he ever been there before? No, he said smiling as he washed the bug strewn windshield. A grasshopper plague. Too much rain. He told her it has been crazy wet this year. She had on cutoffs which rode up her long legs and exposed a very long scar. He had a feeling she would be back and he was not mistaken.

"Sometimes you will find yourself in the middle of nowhere and sometimes in the middle of nowhere you will find yourself."

—Old Vaquero Saying

Stepping Down vs. Retiring, Part IX

 March 16, 2025

   Here's another take on last weekend's ceremony:

Russell True Is Honored as 2026 True Westerner

   Meanwhile, I had a very nice sit down talk with James Townsend recently and here is that gabfest:

What We Love About The West

   Here's a little sketch from this morning that I like because it's so loosy goosie:

Daily Mini-Whip Out: "Gunfighter Goosie"

Stepping Down vs. Retiring

   I had at least five people come up to me last Saturday night and ask me what I am going to do in December "when I retire." To repeat, I am not retiring. I am simply stepping down as executive editor of True West magazine. I will still be one of the primary owners of this storied publication and I want it to survive and thrive with new blood. Here's a former president who agrees with me:

"It's fair to say that 80% of the world's problems involve old men hanging on and who are afraid of death and insignificance, and they won't let go."

—Barack Obama

   Well, not only do I want to let go of the editorial product, I intend to be seriously involved in the stewardship of the magazine. I want to hand the reins to someone who knows how to ride a very frisky horse. Speaking of aging out, I just got a call from my step-father Lou Cady, Jr. who is turning 105 this coming October. I told him I was going to catch up with him and he laughed and told me he wanted to buy a subscription for his music teacher. He's threatening to start a musical career and I suggested perhaps we start a band. He laughed and told me he's heard my drumming and needs someone with a little more maturity. 

"Hey, Grandpa, get off the stage!"

—Another old Kingman Guy who is as old as me but crankier

A True Ranching Experience

 March 15, 2026

   Back from a fun run down to the White Stallion Guest Ranch near Marana, Arizona for our thirteenth annual True Westerner Award presentation to this guy.

Russell True and BBB

   Russell is one of my heroes because I watched him single-handedly buck the system to create the a more commercial version of the venerable dude ranching experience. The entire ceremony was video taped by this guy.

Ken Amorosano at White Stallion

(video to follow soon)

Ay Yi Ai!

   It was bound to happen sooner or later, one of my drawings has been labeled Ai by a skeptical observer. Details and a rebuttal tomorrow.

“Serve a great man and you’ll know what sorrow is.”

—Old Vaquero Saying

Our 14th Annual True Westerner Award Presentation Is Tonight

 March 14, 2026

   Seems like a couple weeks ago we were getting ready for our first True Westerner Award presentation down in Tucson. And here is one of the receipients of that first award giving his take on the signature event:

Mr. Lonseome Dove Hisself Tells The Tale

   We have had a dozen more since then and at 6:30 tonight we are honoring this guy:

       Yes, an ironic name to go with his iconic prize, this year's True Westerner, ahem, truly, deserves it.

   But, is there another more selfish reason for this award? Details tomorrow.

Stubborn As A Mule Man

"Sometimes you have to jump off the cliff and figure it out on the way down."

—Old Vaquero Saying

Wild Bill Finally Satisfied & The 66 Kids Road Show Returns

 March 13, 2026

   If you'll remember in the James Butler Hickok story, at the conclusion of his very first gunfight on the public square in Springfield, Missouri, he turned and taunted the gawkers gathered there.

      So, it just kind of stands to reason there would be an answer to that.

Daily Whip Out: "Wild Bill Satisfied" 

Road Worthy

  As long as I can remember I have been on a certain road. True, I took some wrong turns here and there but I have always come back to the highway that's the best.

We Will Kick Out The Jams!

Shining A Light On History

   When we are first starting out, we see our research into history as discovering a past scene in relative pristine order, you know, like this:

   But when you actually get out to historic sites, they look more like this:

Good luck finding anything in there!

(based on a photo by Rooster Rob Mathiasch)

   We think there are going to be ledgers still on the tables and diaries in the desk drawers but the rubble seldom retains anything like that.

“It’s amazing what you can accomplish when you don’t care who gets the credit.”

—Old Vaquero Saying

Steve Young's Seven Bridges Road & The Snide Patrol Gets All Whippersnappy

 March 12, 2026

   As much as I love the Eagles' version, I have to say, the original is just as good, if not better:

Steve Young Does The Original "Seven Bridges Road"

Seven Saguaros On Ratcliff Ridge

   Cool beans.

The Snide Patrol Gets All Whippersnappy

   When I asked for opinions on whether to continue running Classic True West in the magazine I received an outpouring of passionate voices supporting it, while one young punk insisted it has been a total waste of space. Here is how his  young, Whippersnapper crowd summarized the support I ran on this blog back on March 6: "Alas, the 'Classic True West' feature remains thanks to the opinions of the soon-to-be-in-assisted living generation."

   And if you are curious who the little punk naysayer is, it should be pretty obvious:

All Yays And One Nay

The History of Whippersnappers
   The word whippersnapper describes a specific kind of bratty, know-it-all kid, and it's only used by an older person who is talking about a younger person. It's a fairly old-fashioned word, having been around since the late-1600s, when it apparently arose out of "whip-snapper," which implied a general sense of lots of noise and very little importance. Around the same time, the word "whipperginnie" was a derogatory term for a woman.

"Yes, I was a whipperginnie for many years, but I grew out of it."

—Honkytonk Sue

One-Eyed Head Hunter With A Six-Pack of Gunny Sacks vs. Eagles Acapella Masterpiece

 March 11, 2026

   Not much makes me happier than a good, solid rock band performing outdoors with a New River Mesa sunset behind them.

Born On The Bayou Busts A Jam

Had a blast at the Cave Creek Museum's Miner Dinner last night held at the new outdoor pavilion at Harold's. Great people and great music. Really dug the band, Born On The Bayou, who made a bold claim from the stage: "We are the only CCR (Credence Clearwater Revivial) cover band led by two females, in Cave Creek, tonight." Truer words were never spoke. They got down and I dig-em!

The CCR girls also did an opening set of eccletic rock and I have to say, this one made me tear up.

Eagles Go All Acapella

I saw the boys—original Eagles all—do this live back in 1980 so it has some extra meaning behind it.

Some of my friends have a way with words, and Buckeye is one of them.

"A one-eyed head hunter with a six-pack of gunny sacks."

—Buckeye Blake, describing Mickey Free

Daily Whip Out: "Head In Hand"

  How's that for a mind warping segue in one blog post?

"Now I have loved you like a baby
Like some lonesome child
And I have loved you in a tame way
And I have loved you wild"

—Seven Bridges Road, Eagles

Listen to the Wind, It Talks. Listen to The Silence, It Speaks. . .

 March 10, 2026

   I seek out creative, narrative structure and I have a big ol' sketchbook full of them to prove it.

Seeking Western Narrative #9

   What happens when you combine these disparate images in a row, together? They start to tell a story, that's what. Which is what happens when you listen to the wind. . .

“Listen to the wind, it talks. Listen to the silence, it speaks. Listen to your heart, it knows.”

—Old Vaquero Saying

Sitting Bull's Dream Meets Chinatown's Theme

 March 9, 2026

   The brilliance of the Chinatown screenplay by Robert Towne is on display in the very first scene. A slobbering husband named Curly is looking at photos of his wife being unfaithful and starts crying and says, "I think I'll kill her. They don't kill guys for that." To which the private dick who procurred the photos,  Jake Gittes (Jack Nicholson) says, "Oh, they don't?" To which Curly says proudly, "Not for your wife. That's the unwritten law." Jake sneers, "I'll tell you the unwritten law, you dumb son-of-a-bitch, you gotta be rich to kill somebody, anybody and get away with it. You think you got that kind of dough, you think you got that kind of class?" And, that my friend is the entire theme of the movie you're about to see, right there in one run-on sentence.

   We're doing a Paul Hedren excerpt in the next issue from his stellar book, "Sitting Bull's War" on the night before the battle of the Little Bighorn. . .

Daily Whip Out: "Sitting Bull's Dream"

   In old Arizona "dust buster" had an entirely different meaning.

Daily Whip Out:

"Dust Buster About to Be Swallowed Up"

  And, speaking of guys who have been swallowed up and spit out multiple times, you would have to go far and wide to find a more hearty group than these grizzled frontiersmen. . .

Every year asks a question and every season has an answer."

—Old Vaquero Saying 

ID On That Renegade Tombstone Photo

 Bonus Blog:

The Big Hang Up

 March 8, 2026

   Working with others to find the truth is one of the greatest joys of my life.

The "P" Commission, 1995

Tombstone, Arizona

Photo by Wyatt Earp (no, really!)

   Yes, these crazy Old West loving "kids," posing on Allen Street where an odd altercation the night before threatened the well-being of that big mouth on the far right, are from my tribe. Two of them have since passed, one of them helped me save True West and all of them made me laugh.

The Big Hang Up

   According to several thought pieces I have seen in the last 48 hours, there is a growing evacuation from this site. And by "this site" I mean Social Media and the Internet in general. Several million, mostly millennials, have abandoned their iphones and have become "Homesteaders." And by Homesteaders, I mean they have ditched their iphones and moved to small towns—3,000 inhabitants and under—in an effort to escape the obliteration of our species via doom scrolling and our growing addiction to click bait and troll culture. Wow. Good luck with all that.

“The best way to plan for the future is to learn how to live fully in the present. Besides, we always get the future wrong anyway.”

—Old Vaquero Saying

Future "Eye" phones as envisioned in the 1930s

The World's Oldest Profession Meets The Second Oldest

 March 7, 2026

   Sometimes I like to do racy subject matter. Case in point:

Daily Whip Out: "Ladies of The Night"

"The two oldest professions in the world—ruined by amateurs."

—Alexander Woollcott

   Mostly, I gravitate to these guys. . .

Daily Whip Out: "Tap Duncan's Taps"

(taps is short for tapaderos)

“Every man loves justice at another man’s door, but not so much at his own.”

—Old Vaquero Saying

Daily Whip Out: "Rurales at The Door"

   And, it must be noted, I have a soft spot for goofy stories:

This may be a repeat, but it never gets old to me:

   The longest drum solo in history was 10 hours and 28 minutes, performed by a child sitting behind me on Delta flight #589 from Osaka to LA.

   Everyone in our family knew him as Uncle Guy. He was my grandmother's brother and my mother told me he was a great storyteller.

Daily Whip Out: "Uncle Guy"

   Speaking of storytellers, did I ever tell you about what really happened to this guy?

Daily Whip Out: "The Apache Kid"

"Storytelling: the world's second oldest profession."

—Danny Harris