| |
April 16th - As I write this I'm in Austin, TX after having finished
the Austin Fine Arts Festival and can't seem to leave...it's not
that I've fallen in love with this city, or as a customer described
it, this 'strange little island in the middle of Texas'... .but
I can't seem to get any traction out of here.
The show was stange enough, what with being stuck in our vehicles
on a bridge for 7 hours when setting up and then, finding all the
native Texans have left this city for more rural housing, leaving
almost no one who looks or thinks like any Texan I ever met...and
now my supply chain has broken down leaving me scrambling to get
to Houston by Friday...all I know is it's one beautiful mess right
now.
Two weeks ago, I couldn't wait to leave Arizona and now I wish I
was back....perhaps I've lost my edge for the road...become vulnerable
to the creature comforts of that soft casino parking lot life...in
any event, when I can wrap my hands around the reason why I feel
this way, I'll let you know.
March 29th -Ok, these are some dark days...snakes abound in Catalina
State Park...my trailer water pump just exploded, and I had a $100
day at the show I was most worried about before I leave for Texas
, so with but one reservation, I can't wait!
As far as I can tell, Arizona is DONE as far as shows go...the economy
has hit it hard, it's over saturated with both festivals and Eastern
transplants who couldn't find the West with Mapquest...actually
neither could I using Mapquest, but more about that later...
What I really mean, is that Arizona is now filled with Snowbirds
who didn't come here because they love the West, but because they
loathe the cold...now I'm no great fan of subzero temps, but I worship
at the alter of the men and women who endure it...
Give me that single mom who runs her ranch in Pinedale, Wyoming
thru thick and thin, the tough old bird in Portal, AZ, who will
leave 'my daddy's land over my dead body' or the family who will
manage 'til we can't manage'...their farm for better or worse, til
death do they part...Winter, Spring, Summer and Fall.
In case you hadn't guessed, I'm in a foul mood (wait...some coyotes
just went crazy in the tree line 100 feet away....dang I love that
sound) anyway, to top off my lousy day, I just ate a spinach salad
(a manager's special...which means it's old) and a hunk of bread
with humous, all because the vendor next to me just caught a melanoma
weeks before it went to "weeks to live"...
I hate that I react to BAD health news by eating overly healthy,
but hey, it's what I do...anyway (again) about the only thing that
made me feel like the world was not over was that on my drive home,
I stopped at a stoplight where on the corner, some guy was waving
...standing behind a sandwich board advertising 70% off on "fine
furniture".
Now I can't atttest to how fine the furniture was or whether it
was even a deal at 70% off, but I can tell you that what ever they
were paying that poor pathetic man, it wasn't enough if there wasn't
some sort of health plan, because all I could think after staring
at his now rasberry palor on this 85 degree day in Tucson, was ,
'now if that ain't a melanoma waiting to happen.'
Random thought: The new image of the Western Burrowing Owl has surprised
me with its success. The little guy seems to illicit a reaction
from just about everyone. If you would like to hear what he sounds
like, you can download a FREE
Ringtones from the Center for Biological Diversity's website.
There are other endangered species sounds there as well.
March 21st - Now I'm not a hunter, but I respect those who do
it properly and have no use for those who don't. That said, I experienced
the polar opposites of the hunter's world this week.
This morning the first gentleman in my booth saw the picture of
the Georgetown Loop train hanging on the wall when he told me that
"I used to bait bears right in that area. When I told him he
was talking to the worng guy about hunting if he considered "baiting
bears" hunting. He continued, "It was great, we would
dump a bunch of bad meat there at night and come back fill our tickets
from the car".
I suggested he get his butt out of the car and actually hunt, but
he complained that "bear can cover 100 miles in a day".
He had an equally pathetic story about Mountain Lions as well. I
walked out of my own booth.
The next episode occurred a week earlier when a gentleman entered
the booth and stared at the white buffalo images for an extended
period. He then turned to me and said, "I hunted one of them...only
it wasn't a hunt and I'm ashamed....I paid good moeny for the tag,
so I took the shot, but it wasn't a hunt."
I told him I was impressed...he was the first person in 3 years
who admitted that...I can guarantee that I have been closer to buffalo
than any of these "hunters" and he was the only one to admit what
he admitted... there is no hunt in buffalo...they are fearless...they
have no predator...they can't be hunted.
To serve and protect, to serve and protect...gotta remember that...
Iit had been a while since I had my last encounter with the local
constables...COPS so what better place than Utah on Easter. I had
left my trailer in Flagstaff for some, yep, repairs and decided
to take this time to camp out...
Well...first I was in a hurry and mistakenly took my smallest tent
, leaving no room for the dogs who were then forced (actually it
was their choice) to spend nights in the truck...and then we ran
out of daylight due to that no good mapquest routing us through
Zion Park where I refused to pay $25 dollars just to drive through
it. But they weren't budging either, so we were forced to back track
significantly, which lost us plenty-o-daylight and resulted in our
hunkering down in the beauty of a community center parking lot...
Not that we were without company as there were several other camper
artists in their RV's, but apparently the local officers of enforcment
decided that any one dumb enough to pitch a tiny tent alongside
great big RV's needed a good checking out, .which I received.
March 24th - Diesel found his first fresh antler shed in Flagstaff
today...he's usually very hesitant to pose for a camera, but I buttered
his butt good with praise, plus I think he was pretty darn proud
on his own. Willow had her eye on it from the start, but even she
knew not to mess with him on this one.
Some more evidence America is in decline...A middle aged man walked
through my booth and after viewing the gallery asked, 'So where
did you take most of these, back East?
I've included this picture of the Cowboy Motel outside of Page,
AZ as it may be the only look I ever get of it...I've been trying
to stay here for years and it always seems open, but everyone has
gone to bed...I don't know, maybe they see me coming, but I'll get
in one of those twin beds yet...if anyone already has, please let
me know if all this fuss is worth it.
Chief has finally found his niche (although
he might tell it differntly)
and I blame
Oklahoma for it (see an earlier
RoadNotes). 
He has apparently locked on to the scent of Tortoise in a big way...on
one hike alone in a remote Utah canyon, he sniffed
out five. count'em 5 tortoises ...Willow on the other
hand has locked on to the shape only and now chews, mouths &
licks any and all smooth, round object she can
spy... oh well, there goes my vintage bowling ball collection.
Further Evidence We're a Nation in Decline - I snapped this sign
on the back of a truck as I went to visit a friend in Maricopa,
AZ ...In case it's hard to read, it says "Be a Flirt, Lift Your Shirt....
Who puts that on the truck they make a living with I ask you?
Outhouse Yarn Of The Month
I had an outhouse era gentleman, tell me that when he was growing
up, his dad put the family out house exactly 50 yards from the main
house and for obvious reasons, by the time he reached highscool,
he was the fastest 50 yard-dash runner in the county.
He was so fast in the 50, that his coach couldn't resist entering
him in the 100 yard dash one day, but it didn't work out to well
to say the least...I asked him why and he said, well as my coach
used to tell it, 'He's great at 50, not bad at 75 but by 100 he's
pooped!'....well he thought that was the funniest thing he'd ever
heard or certainly said and walked off his friend, laughing and
slapping his thigh, while reapeating, 'he's pooped...get it?' Yeah,
a real gem pal.
March 23 - Is this Heaven? No, and it isn't Iowa either...after
the St. George Art festival the dogs and I needed a bit of a break
from the urban tent setting and stopped for a few hours in Utah's,
Pariah Canyon. It's the first time, they jumped from the car and
truly took in the beauty of what was before them..
Things I've Learned:
Sometimes a tall tale tells a the truth better
than the truth.
There are big mouths and bad asses across the West, but they never
seem to be the same person.
Actually learned again in this case...I have a very bright customer
base..a young mother bought a print of a Ute tee-pee
as it reminded her of a passage from James Michner's "Centenial"...I'm
embarassed to say I haven't read it, but
apparently the character disappeares into the wilderness to test
and find himself and part of this finds him living in a tee-pee
next to a beaver dam.
Getting 3 dogs into an indoor Motel 6 in Page, AZ wasn't so easy
this time, Diesel forgot what tile floors were and caused a scene.
Something very strange happend this weekend...I was actually entertained
while chatting with a couple of kids...the next ones thru brought
me back to normal.
I think I found a narrator for my multimedia project...his name
is T. Ray Baker.
The man gave it all up to travel the west as cowboy poet and singer.
A braver if not better man than I.
Ugly weeds can sure make some beautiful flowers...and some beautiful
plants don't produce anything of any worth...reminds me of people
some times.
El Paso Texas is no longer part of these United States and no one
can persuade me
any differently.
April 8 - Yea!!! Willow finally found her niche! Not that it isn't
as a bird dog, but as I've mentioned before I'm no hunter...so what
is my dear Willow's special talent...well, she can enrage a $10,000
Homeland Security narcotics K-9 (in this case a German Shepherd)
to such a degree, that it can't do it's job...which is exactly what
she did as we proceeded thru a Texas checkpoint today...that's my
girl.
As Willow tried to go through the tempered glass of the truck, the
friendly public servants waved us through the checkpoint unchecked
and in my rear view mirror I could see the dog' s handler trying
to get his charge under control for the next car while Willow only
smiled knowing she again had saved me from one of world's ills.
Iraq war vets probably shouldn't be given traffic tickets and they
sure as hell shouldn't be given lectures by Texas State Troopers
about the dangers of drivng fast...nuf said.
If you are a young girl (or anyone as far as I know) answering phones
for the Texas State Park Service, pronouncing the word CREEK - KRIK,
is apparently no longer acceptable... when she quickly corrected
herself, I asked her who told her she couldn't say "Krik"?, she
said "everyone"....I dunno, I kinda like it.
Yet more proof we are in decline...A local Phoenix Country music
station has a contest where if you win, a DJ who calls himself Barrel
Boy will come to your campsite at an upcoming concert and "party
with you insanely"...I think I'll pass, in fact throw a net over
any campsite that accepts his offer.
Random thought #2: Not quite sure why the chicken crossed the road,
but they seem to do it a hell of a lot better than the gophers and
chipmunks of Cedar City, UT...I spotted no dead chickens and...well,
I stopped counting the latter.
Diesel made his debut at a Cave Creek show...when after purchasing
a framed print of the delinquent in front of the outhouse, the group
insisted on meeting him....I'm starting to resent him.
A woman in my booth recently stared for a very long time at a photo
I call the "Chino Tree" She ended up buying a framed print
and as she walked off, she said "I've been dreaming of this
tree for a year now".
I'm still trying to think of a name for the book I plan on doing...right
now the first choice is "Good Eye, Bad Hip"...but don't
hold me to it.
Ok, I gotta go...I'm still in a fog, this RoadNotes is a disaster
and I have to get out of Austin.
Until next time....be well and as always, please excuse any typos
(and you know who you are) and most importantly, "Save a Horse,
Ride a Mustang."
Jim
|
|
