When Covers Collide

 May 18, 2026

   Ever sit around and wonder how we come up with our covers? Sometimes it starts with a simple Daily Whip Out, like this:

Daily Whip Out:

"Say Hey, Alchesay!"

   So, I emailed the high res artwork down to Dan and got this back a few minutes ago.

Dan's Alchesay mock up cover

   See how easy that was. Okay, hold that thought, because it's a tad more complicated. Turns out Stuart Rosebrook just turned in a barn burner story on how a couple of Texas outlaws saved our country fifty years ago. I know, I know. It's a bit of a left-field-wing-ding for us, but we just might feature that as our main cover story.

Dan's Willie mock up cover #2

"It was Willie Nelson singing at the Armadillo World Headquarters in Austin, Texas that brought the Hippies and the Rednecks together. . .creating the Hipnecks."

—Ray Wylie Hubbard, joking on stage with Jerry Jeff Walker about how Willie saved our Country

So What's Wrong With Me?

 May 17, 2026

   I hate meeting people on the road. No, that's too strong: I dislike meeting anyone on my morning walks. An ideal morning walk is where I meet no one, either on foot, or, in a vehicle. Of course, even though we live out in the sticks, those days are few and far between. Take this morning for example.

My ideal walk:

Uno waiting for a slowpoke, 

zero walkers or drivers up ahead.

   So Uno and I got out on the road at 6:30 this morning and the thermometer in the kitchen said it was 68 outside. To my utter joy, we met nobody on the way up, no walkers, not even a car or truck, but on the way back down from Morning Star we encountered an old woman (she's probably two years younger than me) coming towards us with her overfed dog. I was all set to blast on by with a "Great morning, yes?" without even slowing down, but she raised her hand to ask me a question. I reluctantly stopped. "Can I take that road up there by the fence and go that way?" I looked back where she was pointing, and said, "No. I wouldn't. That is Cahava, a major road with lots of traffic. I go up that hill over there, to get my heart rate up." To which she said with some satisfaction, "So that's what wrong with you."

   Touche. That is what's wrong with me.

"Life is infinitely stranger than anything which the mind of man could invent."

—Walt Whitman

Charlie Pitts Dies Game

 May 16, 2026

   Four fleeing outlaws, believed to be the robbers of the First National Bank in Northfield, Minnesota, slip into a slough (pronunced slew) on foot and disappear into a dense thicket of wild plums and vines. It is September 21, 1876 and the United States is celebrating its 100th birthday. Oh, and Custer met his match back in June.

   Warned by a farm kid, Sheriff James Glispin and Capt. William W. Murphy, both Civil War vets, arrive at Hanska Slough and ask for volunteers to go in and flush out the desperados. Of the dozens of men on the scene, and anywhere from 40 to 150 “sightseers” present, only five step forward.

"The Hanska Slough Crew Spread Out"

   Sheriff Glispin, Capt. Murphy and their five volunteers make their way down into the river bottom and spread out at 15-foot intervals. Their orders are to fire only if fired upon, and even then, to shoot low, so that the fugitives might be encouraged to surrender.

   Hunkered down in a dense plum thicket, Charlie Pitts and the Younger brothers, Cole, Jim and Bob, ponder their predicament. “We are surrounded,” Pitts says. “We had better surrender.”

   Cole replies, “Charlie, this is where Cole Younger dies.”

   “All right, Captain. I can die just as game as you can,” Pitts responds. “Let’s get it done.” With those words, Pitts stands and fires.

"Charlie Pitts' Last Shot"

   Dropping to one knee, Sheriff Glispin fires back, hitting Pitts in the chest (so much for shooting low). As the outlaw falls backward, the plum thicket is riddled with bullets from numerous posse guns, including those up on the surrounding bluffs.

   We've all seen the photos of Charie dead as a doornail, but did anyone ever find a photo of Charlie Pitts from life? Funny you should ask.

   For many years the only photos we knew about for the James-Younger Gang member Charlie Pitts were these two photos of him in death.

Charlie Pitts in death with a shirt on

Charlie Pitts in death with his shirt off

   But now, thanks to my friend Mark Lee Gardner we know what he looked like in life.

Daily Whip Out: "Charlie Pitts In Life"

   A black and white version of the above photo was published in the James-Younger Outlaw Gang Journal in 2010 in an article written by a descendant. Chip DeMann alerted Gardner to it when he was researching his book, "Shot All To Hell." 

   And speaking of Mark Lee Gardner and his ground breaking book, he is writing a cover story for us in the next issue on Once And For All, Who Was The Man On The Dun Horse? Hint: it wasn't Jesse James.

"The world may believe as it pleases."

—Cole Younger

The Secret History of The Skirt Police

 May 15, 2026

   I am so old I remember when the fashion police was an actual thing.

Mr. Colb Checks Skirt Length

for clearance to walk into my school

   Of course, a couple years later our teachers had to deal with this. . .

Invasion of The Beehive Micro Mini!

   Then, it went to this. . .

Macho Mini Man

   Of course, I know what you're thinking: how isolated was Kingman? Well, okay, smarty pants, I suppose you never heard of this fashion trend either?

The Mini-Bunched Up Underpants Look

(unlaced Adidas with shower cap headgear optional)

   This MCUHS (otherwise known as Mucous!) student look was very prevalent in the Big Sandy region of Mohave County. I tell you, those Big Sandy kids would wear the craziest fashion. And how!

   Okay, some of this is perhaps exaggerated. I never saw a guy in a mini skirt at Mucous, but there were several teachers I would have paid good money to see wearing one.

“If people only knew as much about painting as I do, they would never buy my paintings.”

—Sir Edwin Henry Landseer

Big Hats In Bacanora

 May 14, 2026

   Nobody loves big hats more than I do, but the Old Vaqueros have a good point.

Daily Whip Out: "Big Hats In Bacanora"

"If everybody's wearin' a big hat, ain't nobody wearin' a big hat."

—Old Vaquero Saying

Meanwhile, any day that ends like this is a good day.

Ducks in the pool, fiery sunset on the horizon.

We've seen our share of these dramatic sunsets since Kathy and I tied the hitch at Pioneer Living History Museum five, or so, years ago.

Okay it was actually in 1979, so more than a dozen, then.

"For everything you gain, you will lose something and for everything you lose, you’ll gain something.”

—Old Vaquero Saying

Mickeys Mammoth Jack Jumps The Flames

 May 13, 2026

   Leave it to me to never leave a finished whip out alone.

Daily Revised Whip Out:

"Mickey's Mammoth Jack Jumps The Flames" 

   I felt I needed to knock back Mickey and his Mammoth Jack a tad so their combined form would be less bold in the strong light. I also fiddled with the sky to give it a more murky atmospheric feeling. Not sure any of that worked, but there you go.

   Meanwhile, here's another riding condition I am fond of portraying.

Daily Whip Out: "Rurale Swallowed Up"

   As promised, here is my colorized take on one of the last photos of Al Sieber.

Daily Whip Out: "Al Sieber's Remorse"

   Every drummer's suspicion. . .

Daily Whip Outs: "Gone But Not forgotten"

"Funny how blessings brighten as they take their flight."

—Old Vaquero Saying

Al Sieber In A Moment of Last Reflection

 May 11, 2026

   Got a heads up from The Top Secret Writer about this rare photo of Al Sieber, the Chief of Scouts during the Apache Wars. It was taken at the end of his life and he sure seems beaten down.

Al Sieber in a moment of final reflection

 Man does this picture speak to me, because this image sums up every Boomer I know. Also, Al looks quite a bit like this guy:

   I'm working on an art piece of the Sieber image and will post tomorrow.

"Regrets? Yes, I have a few."

—Every Boomer I know still alive