Thur. thru Sun. - March 13-14-15-16
Thursday the 13th
Took off at 4:40 for Phoenix. Sun rise an hour later as I neared Blythe. Arizona, as usual, is beautiful. Arrived in Chandler and at Festival a little after nine. Joined by James Jenkins from Florida, who'd been in AZ since Monday. Entered the Festival before ten and bid James goodby. Joined Rod Timanus, Ben Clevenger and Larry Seigal setting up books. Gates opened at ten. Major Mitchell and his brother, Jerry, arrived. Lee Baldwin joined us shortly after that. Lunched on one of Rod's Tamales. Walked down to the celebrity tent with Rod; introduced him and said hi to Bobby Hoy, Don Collier and Ginnie, their manager. Also said Hi to Gregg Palmer, Ed Faulkner and Buck Taylor. My friend who works for Bucky and her sister were also there. Back to WWA tent and shoot the shit. Ice cream at four with Larry - Giant double scoops. To hotel at 5:00 - check in and clean up. Call James and he by to pick me up and we have a bite at del Taco. Hotel and call Beth (we had talked several times during the day). Set up computer and check 40 e-mails. Bed and sleep.
Friday the 14th
Windy and hot. Up and check e-mail - eat in room and TV News. Off to Rawhide and meet James again. He's off to begin his day and I join Rod, Larry, Major, Jerry, and Ben (with his wife) to open the booth. Realize I forgot my pill box and drive back to hotel and bring it back - lucked out and was blessed to find a parking space in first row again. Melody Groves arrives with Johnny Boggs showing up shortly after. Byron Quesinberry show up. Walk down to celebrity tent with Byron and said hi to our celebrity friends - also meet a friend of Byron's. Eat a BBQ sandwich, then over to see Bob Charnes and The Arizona Gunfighters. Back to WAA tent where Dusty Richards had shown up. Nice talk with all. Ice cream by myself and drove back to hotel at 5:00. Cleaned up; then James picked me up, and we then picked up Byron and had a great chicken fried steak dinner at Chili's. Dropped Byron off then I was dropped at my hotel. Talk Beth; checked e-mail, then bed.
Saturday the 15th
Cooler with wind. Up, call Beth. Breakfast at hotel. TV. Off to Rawhide. Meet Rod, James, and Rod's photographer friend outside the gate and we all enter together before crowd. Take some pics of Rod in his Indian Scout outfit with his friend. Sit around and BS. Dusty is gone. I don't go to celebrity tent because of my sunburn. Lunch in nearby snack shop with Major and James. Nice talks with all. Miles Swarthout shows up and we talk. I helped melody to get Bob Hoy to announce the Spur Award winners from the main stage in the celebrity tent. Take some pics. Ice cream with Miles. Lincoln Lagerson stops by our tent with Bruce Boxleitner. Miles and I talk about future of Westerns with Lincoln's company. Five o'clock rolled around pretty damned quick so I bid all farewell and headed off for hotel. Byron followed me - he'd checked out of his hotel and would head back to San Diego after dinner. We cleaned up in my room. James picked up us and we out to nice Mexican restaurant for dinner - the last supper. Back to hotel; call Beth, check e-mail then bed.
Sunday the 16th
Some rain on way back. Up at 4:15 - call Beth. Pack up and check out. Start for home. A little rain, not much. Stop for pee in Blythe and arrive home 9:45. Dogs go crazy; big kiss from Beth, then unload and unpack. Sit and talk. Check computer. Respond to some e-mails. make some lunch for us and we eat. I down for nap.
Up and Beth is feeding girls. She's done my pills. Computer and putz around and write here. Beth to run emloyer's dog. She home and we eat. Maybe a TV recording before bed. Later ~
Took off at 4:40 for Phoenix. Sun rise an hour later as I neared Blythe. Arizona, as usual, is beautiful. Arrived in Chandler and at Festival a little after nine. Joined by James Jenkins from Florida, who'd been in AZ since Monday. Entered the Festival before ten and bid James goodby. Joined Rod Timanus, Ben Clevenger and Larry Seigal setting up books. Gates opened at ten. Major Mitchell and his brother, Jerry, arrived. Lee Baldwin joined us shortly after that. Lunched on one of Rod's Tamales. Walked down to the celebrity tent with Rod; introduced him and said hi to Bobby Hoy, Don Collier and Ginnie, their manager. Also said Hi to Gregg Palmer, Ed Faulkner and Buck Taylor. My friend who works for Bucky and her sister were also there. Back to WWA tent and shoot the shit. Ice cream at four with Larry - Giant double scoops. To hotel at 5:00 - check in and clean up. Call James and he by to pick me up and we have a bite at del Taco. Hotel and call Beth (we had talked several times during the day). Set up computer and check 40 e-mails. Bed and sleep.
Friday the 14th
Windy and hot. Up and check e-mail - eat in room and TV News. Off to Rawhide and meet James again. He's off to begin his day and I join Rod, Larry, Major, Jerry, and Ben (with his wife) to open the booth. Realize I forgot my pill box and drive back to hotel and bring it back - lucked out and was blessed to find a parking space in first row again. Melody Groves arrives with Johnny Boggs showing up shortly after. Byron Quesinberry show up. Walk down to celebrity tent with Byron and said hi to our celebrity friends - also meet a friend of Byron's. Eat a BBQ sandwich, then over to see Bob Charnes and The Arizona Gunfighters. Back to WAA tent where Dusty Richards had shown up. Nice talk with all. Ice cream by myself and drove back to hotel at 5:00. Cleaned up; then James picked me up, and we then picked up Byron and had a great chicken fried steak dinner at Chili's. Dropped Byron off then I was dropped at my hotel. Talk Beth; checked e-mail, then bed.
Saturday the 15th
Cooler with wind. Up, call Beth. Breakfast at hotel. TV. Off to Rawhide. Meet Rod, James, and Rod's photographer friend outside the gate and we all enter together before crowd. Take some pics of Rod in his Indian Scout outfit with his friend. Sit around and BS. Dusty is gone. I don't go to celebrity tent because of my sunburn. Lunch in nearby snack shop with Major and James. Nice talks with all. Miles Swarthout shows up and we talk. I helped melody to get Bob Hoy to announce the Spur Award winners from the main stage in the celebrity tent. Take some pics. Ice cream with Miles. Lincoln Lagerson stops by our tent with Bruce Boxleitner. Miles and I talk about future of Westerns with Lincoln's company. Five o'clock rolled around pretty damned quick so I bid all farewell and headed off for hotel. Byron followed me - he'd checked out of his hotel and would head back to San Diego after dinner. We cleaned up in my room. James picked up us and we out to nice Mexican restaurant for dinner - the last supper. Back to hotel; call Beth, check e-mail then bed.
Sunday the 16th
Some rain on way back. Up at 4:15 - call Beth. Pack up and check out. Start for home. A little rain, not much. Stop for pee in Blythe and arrive home 9:45. Dogs go crazy; big kiss from Beth, then unload and unpack. Sit and talk. Check computer. Respond to some e-mails. make some lunch for us and we eat. I down for nap.
Up and Beth is feeding girls. She's done my pills. Computer and putz around and write here. Beth to run emloyer's dog. She home and we eat. Maybe a TV recording before bed. Later ~
posted by Steve | 3:37 PM
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