Scribblings From the Desert

I am a published author and produced screenwriter living in Rancho Mirage, California with my wife, Beth, and two dogs, Crystal and Misty. I have spent most of my life in and around the Hollywood Motion Picture Business.

Name:
Location: Rancho Mirage, California, United States

Wednesday, March 31, 2010

Happy Easter flowers from Beth's Employers


Home from meeting and check e-mail and news sites with girls and popcorn. Dan the plumber here to check leak in Beth's bathroom. Turns out the leak is in my shower. I will use Beth's shower tomorrow and Dan will be here to start working at 8:00. Talked to Beth. Watched a little TV - Eddie Dean-Lash LaRue together. Meet Beth and we to her doctor over at Eisenhower. After we drive to airport to pick up van - stopping for a chili-dog along the way. Pick up my car and I drive home. Down for nap with girls. Up and Beth calls - our Xerox machine isn't working. I call Time-Warner and find whole area is screwed up temporarily. Bring in mail for Beth. Take pills. Feed girls. Open mail for Beth. Work at computer for awhile. Beth home and we talk. Fix her quick dinner; I have small salad. She off to H&I Meeting. I work in office. She home and we both work in office. Later ~

Tuesday, March 30, 2010

The Kid From Texas - filmed at Garner Ranch


Garner Ranch today

To Hall as usual. Do my clean up and spend some time in little room with regulars before meeting. Then it's home to wait for Time-Warner guy who is supposed to change our fax line to cable. Check e-mail and news sites with pretzels and girls. Work at computer until after 9:30 (the T-W window was between 7:30 and 9:30). By 10:30 I call Beth; then I call T-W where I'm told it is all done over cables and the fax is now on cable. Wasted morning. Turn on TV: Audie Murphy in The Kid From Texas - filmed at Jack Garner's ranch in Garner Valley up the hill behind us. Down for nap with girls. Up and bring in mail - take pills - feed girls - open mail for Bath. Clean up side yard; then I sweep inside. Between computer and TV until Beth gets home. We eat; then we watch CSI: Miami. Later ~

Monday, March 29, 2010

The reason I'm looking for a telephoto lens. Taken at The Living Desert last Saturday. These are cropped tight from my small Pentax



Watch stopped - thought I was going to be late but we weren't. I lead meeting; Dick Payne and George Widman celebrated birthdays. Home after meeting and check e-mail and news sites with popcorn and girls. Surf around for awhile and check out telephoto lenses for Pentax. Take off to do shopping for Beth at Sam's Club - something she forgot yesterday. I shop for new watch at Kohl's. To Office Depot to get new ink for her. Pick up burritos at Chipolte's. Home and TV - eat burrito while viewing. Down for nap with girls. Up and bring in mail. Take my afternoon pills. Feed girls. Open mail for Beth. To office and work on computer for awhile. Beth calls and says I should run over to her work and see her employers' camera lenses. When I was there, her boss showed me some photos his wife shot with her telephoto. Drive home. Check out my own camera. Beth calls. I clean up side yard. Take tags off of new shorts Beth bought for me. Before I can turn on O'Reilly Beth drives in. We have dinner - Chipolte burrito for her and leftover half from lunch for me. Clean up kitchen. Put trash out. Work at computer with her. Later ~

Sunday, March 28, 2010

My friend, Dan Owen

Sleep in day. Beth up and off to Hall. I up 6:00 - shower, dress, eat breakfast and read paper. Check e-mail and news sites. Trim beard. Beth calls. Beth home and dives into her work. Then she's off to meet Brenda at Sam's Club. Call and talk to Jimmy George in Mississippi. I have a snack lunch. Down for nap with girls at noon. When I wake up at 2:15. Beth is home and working on her computer. I help her with AA Convention tickets. She off again for various locations. I talk to Dan Owen and his mother, Betty. Work at computer for awhile - write here. Beth takes off to meet Brenda; brings a pizza home for dinner. We eat. No TV. Both work on computers in office. Later ~

March 25th, 26th, 27th, 2010

Sean Keating working on my computer

Sean took my computer home with him for a few days to clean it up for me. It's working all right now so we can resume bloging.
Steve

Wednesday, March 24, 2010

A Notary's Tools

Home from meeting and check -e-mail and news sites with girls, cheese, pretzels, and olives. Work at computer for awhile then Beth calls. I meet her at notary and we get a document notarized. Both back to house; she picks something up and leaves, while I stay. Turn on TV. Watch Shadow Valley, with Eddie Dean an Roscoe Ates. Lunch while I watch show. Beth calls. Down for nap with girls. Up and check e-mail. Bring in US Mail. Take afternoon pills. Feed girls, and open mail for Beth. Outside and clean up side yard. Open back door for girls. Work at computer for awhile. Start to watch O'Reilly. Beth home and we cook and eat. Then we watch recording of an NCIS re-run made last night. Later ~

Tuesday, March 23, 2010

Cast of The Pacific

Home from meeting and check e-mail and news sites with popcorn and girls. Work on computer for awhile longer. Move into living room at a quarter to 10:00 and start watching second episode of The Pacific. Night scenes too dark - the rest is OK. E-mails with Canada Charlie re lunch date in April. Watch some other western when I eat. Beth called. Down to nap with girls. Up and bring in mail. Pills; feed girls. Open mail for Beth. Clean up side yard and sweep inside floors. Check computer. Call Sean to make appointment. Watch some O'Reilly. Beth home and we eat. We watch CSI: Miami recorded last night. Later ~

Monday, March 22, 2010

This has more to do with last night's vote than with love or war


Congressional Dems Rammed Trough Obamacare Last Night
I'm Fasting. Leave meeting early to get blood draw. Home and have breakfast and pills. To office and check e-mail and news sites. Jamie, the air conditioning guy here to service AC. Call and talk to Jimmy George for awhile. To living room and end up watching Calamity Jane with Doris Day and Howard Keel. Set recorder to record it for Beth to view at a later date. Make lunch and eat while I watch the show. Talked to Beth. Down for nap with girls. Up and bring in mail. Take afternoon pills; feed girls. Open mail for Beth. Back to office and go through news sites for more info on health bill. Watch some O'Reilly. Beth home and we eat. No TV. Both into office and work. Later ~

Sunday, March 21, 2010

I took this ship to Catalina with my parents in the early 1960s

It eventually ended up in Ensenada, Mexico when its days were over

Sleep in day. Beth up and off to Hall. I sleep in until 6:30 am. Shower, dress, breakfast with paper, and beard trim after. Beth home and she dives into work. We talk at table while she reads paper. Then she's off to meet Brenda; they're going to Sherry Mesa's cut-a-thon. I spend some time at computer. Quick talk with Jimmy George - out of hospital after successful surgery. When Beth gets back, I fix lunch and we eat. I down for nap with girls. Up and office. She there and we talk. I feed girls. She reads paper some more then takes off for an H&I meeting at the Hall. I work at computer for awhile researching the S.S. Catalina - aka: "The Great White Steamship.". Beth home from meting and I have chips and cheese ready - we eat lite tonight. Talk around dinner table with girls joining us for pats. Beth showers; I finish up at computer. Later ~

Saturday, March 20, 2010

Cast of The Honeymooners: Gleason; Carney; Meadows; Randolph

Grocery shopping after meeting. Home = Brenda helps me unload and put away grub. She cleans while I check e-mail and news sites with crackers, cheese and girls. I continue at computer. Brenda and I empty the shredder. I finally move to front room; start making my lunch. Brenda finishes up and we say our good-byes. I eat lunch while watching The Last Roundup with Gene Autry. Down for nap early so I can get up sooner. Up and bring in mail. Take pills. Feed girls; and open mail for Beth. Then it's off to the Hall for Tommy Snow's memorial. His kids there plus his first wife and some friends. Also his AA friends. After, we have food catered by Beth and Brenda. Clean up, then I head home. Beth in shortly after me and we unload. Talk for awhile - then we watch a couple of episides of The Honeymooners with Jackie Gleason, Art Carney, Audry Meadows, and Joyce Randolph. Later ~

Friday, March 19, 2010

Boom's-eye view of The Fugitive set at Corriganville Lake - 1966

Home from meeting; check e-mail and news sites with popcorn and girls. Work at computer for awhile. Bug guy, Paul, here and does int and ext, sheds and pit. A few more things on computer then down to TV. Watch Lost recorded last Tuesday. Beth has given up watching the show due to violence. Then I watch Stars over Texas - an Eddie Dean, Roscoe Ates PRC western on the Western Channel. Make some lunch and eat while viewing. Down for nap with girls. Up and bring in mail. Take my pills; feed the girls; open mail for Beth. Read a magazine. Clean up side yard. Work at computer. Watch some O'Reilly. Beth home and we eat. We watch last Tuesday's recording of The Good Wife. Later ~

Thursday, March 18, 2010

Al "Fuzzy" St John and Lash LaRue

Follow Beth to her place of work where we change cars and I off to get her car washed. Back to pick up my car then home. Check e-mail and news sites with cheese, pretzels, and girls. Work at computer for awhile. To living room and watch a Lash LaRue and Al "Fuzzy" St John in a Lash LaRue PRC western. Have a light lunch. Down for nap with girls. Up and bring in mail. Take afternoon pills. Feed girls. Open mail for Beth. Work at computer trying to get a repair program open that Mark sent. No luck getting it open yet. Fill out census; vote-by-mail in local election. Clean up side yard. Sweep tile inside. Stert cooking. Turn on O'Reilly. Beth home and we eat. She off to meet Joel. I clean up kitchen. Take cover off outside air conditioning unit. Turn off heat - over 90 degrees today. Work at computer. Clean up around house. Turn on overhead fans. Beth home 7:30 - no TV. She works in laundry room; I work in office. Later ~

Wednesday, March 17, 2010

Buster Crabbe and Al "Fuzzy" St John

Home after meeting and check e-mail with popcorn and girls. Watch the last of Barquero with Lee Van Cleef and Richard Lapp. Watch a Buster Crabbe, Fuzzy St John, Billy Carson PRC western. Eat lunch while viewing. Down for nap with my girls. Up and bring in mail. Take my pills. Feed girls. Open mail for Beth. Clean side yard. Work at computer. Start dinner - Beth home and we eat. TV: NCIS recording from last night. She shower. Later ~

Tuesday, March 16, 2010

Gene Autry on the set of his TV Series at Corriganville - 1952

Shop for more cookies after meeting; then to Sherry's for haircut. By Sandy Dabba's office to pick up something for Beth. Stop by drug store for picture frame. Home; check e-mail and news sites with girls, chips and dip. Work a little at computer; talk to Jimmy George in Mississippi before settling down in front of the TV to watch Gene Autry in Public Cowboy #1. Make some lunch and eat while watching show. Beth calls re meeting this afternoon at credit union. Down for nap with our girls. Up and bring in mail. Take pills. Feed girls. Open mail for Beth. Clean up side yard. To credit union to meet Beth and sign somoe papers. Dinner toether at Lotis Chinese place here our Friday group used to get together. Home. We watch last night's recorded rerun of CSI: Miami. Check e-mail. Later ~

Monday, March 15, 2010

Scene from HBOs The Pacific

Stop at Office Depot on way home from meeting to get something for Beth. Home and check e-mail and news sites with girls and popcorn. To get my car washed and home. Jimmy George calls and we make phone date for this afternoon. Watch first episode of The Pacific recorded last night. Like everything today, the effects were outstanding; well known story with weak actors. Eat lunch while viewing TV. Down for nap with girls. Up and bring in mail. Take my pills. Feed girls. Open mail for Beth. Clean side yard. Work in office for awhile. Call and talk to Jimmy George in Mississippi. Open pill box and tear out pills for Beth - put pills in bottle. Watch a little O'Reilly. Beth home. Help her in with her stuff. She works in office while I cook dinner. We eat and talk. She to office to work on a project; I clean up dishes. No TV. I join her in office. Start getting ready for bed. She showers. Later ~

Sunday, March 14, 2010

My Love

Today we sprung forward one hour.
Sleep in day for me. Beth up and off to Hall.I sleep in until 6:15. Quick clean up and dress. Breakfast wit paper fast. Beth and Brenda here. Brenda does floors; Beth does all the rest. She does my pills and a bunch of other stuff. I work in office. To Albertson's to pick up her items for luncheon. See Dallas in parking lot. Home. She working in office; I join her at my computer and start writing here. The members of MDD steering committee arrive and Beth runs meeting. When they eat Beth brings me a plate. When it's over I down for nap with girls. Up from nap. Girls have eaten. Spend time doing several thing until she takes off fot Annual AA Women's Banquet. I watch TV with girls. I watch recording of Lost from last Tuesday. More TV. Beth home. we talk and she gets ready for bed. I write here. Later ~

Saturday, March 13, 2010


Grocery shopping after meeting. Home, unload and put stuff away. Brenda not here today. Check e-mail and news sites with girls. Beth home and inside. She works in office. I fix lunch and we eat. We drive to nail place in separate cars. I done and home first. She in later. I i us both some lunch and we eat early. Feed girls. Get ready and drive to Palm Springs for the Rodeo. Hot and sunny - I sunburn easily. Enjoy the rodeo until weather gets to be unbearable and we leave. Stop at Yellow Basket and eat. Home and clean up; she showers. We watch last Tuesday's recording of The Good Wife. Switch clocks: spring forward. Later ~

Friday, March 12, 2010

My old friend, Tony Brubaker - stuntman, actor


Home from meeting and check e-mail and news sites with popcorn and girls. Old friend Tony Brubaker calls from Santa Clairita. We worked on The Young Rebels together: he stunt-doubled Lou Gossett, Jr. E-mail from Rudy Robbins in Texas. Someone is interested in a script of mine. Into living room and watch Randolph Scott and Jan Sterling in Return of the Badmen. Have to stop before it's over so will catch the end at a later date. Down for nap with girls. Up and bring in mail. Take my afternoon pills. Feed the girls. Open mail for Beth. Back and forth between kitchen and office. Read some things that came in mail; work on several projects in office. Clean up side yard. Let girls run in back yard. Sweep floors. Write here. Into kitchen and get dinner out of fridge. Watch video of Beth's car until it's gone. Start dinner. Beth home and help her inside. Finish cooking and serve dinner. we eat and talk. She showers and we watch yesterday's CSI:Vegas recording. An hour behind for bed. Later ~

Thursday, March 11, 2010

My good friend, Jimmy George, from Mississippi

Don't go straight home from meeting; instead I to market to buy more cookies; then on to Edie's to drop off baby bottle with change inside. On to Indio's Wal-Mart to look for ammunition - out of luck there as I was in Rancho Mirage yesterday. Stop an Palm Desert Gun Exchange where I bought my single-action and buy a couple boxes of target ammo. Nothing for my single-action. Home and "Hi" to girls. Call Jimmy George in Mississippi and talk for awhile. To living room and watch the ending of Fort Dobbs while I have lunch. I'm beginning to have a new appreciation for Virginia Mayo. Down for nap with girls. Up and bring in mail. Take my pills. Feed the girls. Open mail for Beth. Read new American Cowboy magazine. Put out recycle bin. Into office and work some. Out and clean up side yard. Back to office and work some more. Beth calls. I start dinner cooking. Watch Beth's car on screen - watch her leave. Beth home and into house. She has something to do so I serve dinner. She back and we eat. She showers; I work at computer. Then we watch episode of NCIS recorded last Tuesday. Later ~

Wednesday, March 10, 2010


Home from meeting and check e-mail and some news sites with girls and pretzels. Take the girls to groomer and drop them off with Marchelle. Home and check more news sites. Off to meet Brenda at Sam's Club were she shops for Hall while I shop for us. Treat her to pizza lunch. She off - I into Wal-mart to buy some ammunition. Not one bullet of the caliber I use was available. I had asked someone who should know where I might find ammo, and they told me Wal-mart had tons of it. Be careful of who you trust. Home and cookies with girls. Check e-mail; then down for nap with girls. Up and bring in NRA Store package (waterproof jacket and solar radio); also bring in mail. Take my afternoon pills. Feed the girls. Open my NRA package - and open the mail for Beth. Clean up side yard. Call Jimmy George and we talk for a short while. Turn on lights. Down to computer and watch O'Reilly. Beth calls - she'll be late. I eat and watch a little more of Fort Dobbs. She calls: is on her way home. I finish cooking her's. She home and help her in with her stuff. She eats and we talk. Both do some chores. She showers. Later ~

Tuesday, March 09, 2010

Clint Walker, Richard Eyre, and Virginia Mayo in Fort Dobbs - 1958

Home from meeting and check e-mail and news sites with popcorn and girls. Start Xeroxing tax documents for Beth. Listen/watch Rush Limbaugh on 24/7. Drive to bank and make deposit, cash a check for Beth. Back home and finish up Xeroxing. To living room and finish up The Bounty Hunter. Then start Fort Dobbs, with Clint Walker and Virginia Mayo. Make some lunch and eat while viewing. Down for nap with girls. Up and bring in mail. Pills for afternoon. Feed girls. Open mail for Beth. To office and send baby pictures to Beth's boss. Clean up side yard; sweep floors in house. Talk to Beth. I drive up to pick up orange chicken and chow mein. Home and Beth is there. We eat and talk. Both to office and work separately. She showers, then we watch last night's CSI: Miami we recorded. Later ~

Monday, March 08, 2010

Scenes from Hurt Locker - Academy Award Winner - Best Picture


Home from meeting and check e-mail and news sites. Dave Cass calls and we talk about what's been going on since we talked before. To living room and watch a WGA competition DVD of Hurt Locker. Not as bad as I thought it would have been; but not as good, either. Too much night shit for a TV viewing situation. I know they're going for realism, and all that shit, but it's also a movie, and movies are to be seen. My advise to young filmmakers: Watch toe masters - they had ways of implying night through wonderful lighting. I made lunch and ate it while viewing. To office and work for a short time. Down for nap with girls. Up and bring in mail. Take my afternoon pills. Feed girls. Open mail for Beth. Clean up side yard; start putting out trash. Beth home. I start dinner an let girl out back for a run. Bring them in. Cook dinner and we eat. She washes her hair and takes shower. Then we watch last Tuesday's The Good Wife recording. To office. Later ~

Sunday, March 07, 2010

Randolph Scott as The Bounty Hunter (1954)

Sleep in day for me. Beth up early and off to Hall. I up 5:45: shower, dress, read paper and eat breakfast. Check some e-mail and news sites. Beth home and works around house. I work at computer. I call brother, Bob - returning his call from yesterday. Some sprinkles. Watch a little TV - The Bounty Hunter, with Randolph Scott. Beth reads paper. I fix some lunch and we eat. Some Rain for a few minutes. I down for nap and she off to feed Joe and pick up her employers at airport. Up and feed girls. Putz around for some time; call Dave Cass and leave message. Beth home and she has more work to do. She cooks fish dinner and we eat. After dinner we watch second part of Titanic from tape. Do a few more things then: Later ~

Saturday, March 06, 2010

Elvis - from Flaming Star

Grocery shopping after meeting. Home and Brenda help me bring in groceries. I put them away. To office and check e-mail and news sites with girls and pretzels. Work in office until 10:30. To living room and TV. Start Flaming Star from where I left off yesterday. Brenda finishes up and I make lunch. She leaves and I watch the rest of the movie while I eat. Down for nap with girls. Up and Beth is home and she's fed girls. I bring in mail and open it for Beth. Clean up side yard. Both into house and later on into office. Work side-by-side. She off to feed Joe the dog. I start dinner - soup nd salad for her. Beth home and we eat. Then we watch our video of Part One of Titanic. Part Two will be viewed at a later date. Later ~

Friday, March 05, 2010

Maureen O'Sullivan; Randolph Scott; and Richard Boone

Home from meeting for a brief moment; then off to meet Beth at credit union. After we finish our business, she heads off to work and I drive home. Jerry's assistant here fixing side-yard gate. Into house and give girls snacks. Check e-mail and news sites while watching Rush 24/7. Jerry's assistant gets stopped by police in front of our house and officer comes to door to verify his story. Into living room and watch The Tall "T" with Randolph Scott and Richard Boone. Make lunch and eat while viewing. Beth calls. Jerry calls to apologize for cop thing - no problem. Down for nap with girls. Up and out to bring in mail and trash bin. Work in office. Clean up side yard. Sweep floors. Back to office. Let girls out into back yard. Turn on TV in dining room. Start O'Reilly. Start preparing dinner. Beth home and we eat. After, she showers then we watch CSI: Vegas, recorded last night. Later ~

Thursday, March 04, 2010

Mail-room Messenger: Columbia Pictures Corp. - 1963 - 20-yrs. old

Do some cookie shopping for Beth on way home from meeting. Once home, check e-mail and news sites with popcorn and girls. Work at computer for awhile. To living room and watch beginning of Claire Huffaker's Flaming Star with Elvis. Drive to Indio for my monthly Conservative Round Table. Drive home. Call Beth. Feed girls; then down for my nap with girls later than usual. Up and check front porch for Beth's UPS. Call her to tell her it has arrived. Clean up side yard. Beth here and picks up envelope. She to bank while I clean up in office. She home and I start dinner. She works in office until I call her to eat. We eat and talk, then she off to meet Joel at new store in Palm Desert. I work in office. Beth home and we watch recording of Tuesday's Lost. She's decided she won't watch it anymore - too much violence. I watch until the end. To office and wrap it up. Later ~

Wednesday, March 03, 2010

Francis Grant with Gene Autry in Red River Valley - 1936

Meet Beth at Tony's (Ramona Tire) where she drops Scion for lube & Oil. Take her to work; then home. Check e-mail and news sites with girls, cheese and pretzels. Watch some Rush Limbaugh on 24/7. Check out a few things on computer. To front room and watch Red River Valley with Gene Autry, Francis Grant, and Smiley Burnette. Fix some lunch and eat while viewing. Beth calls and we'll go pick up her car after my nap. I down for nap with girls. Up and call Beth. To pick her up and drop her at Tony's to get her car. I home; bring in mail. Feed girls. Work in office for awhile. To kitchen and put on water to boil for pasta. Beth home and we eat shortly after. Clean up dishes; then we watch last night's episode of NCIS recorded last night. Later ~

Tuesday, March 02, 2010


Home from meeting and check e-mail and news sites with popcorn and girls. Watch some Rush 24/7. Drive to Handicap place on Dinah Shore Drive where I buy a front and a rear basket for my scooter. Call Beth. Shop for Beth at Sam's Club. On to recycle place and drop off old printer. Pick up a hamburger and fries at McDonald's on way home; then home and unload. Watch some of an Eddie Dean Roscoe Ates movie, Tornado Range but shut it off because it's time to take nap with girls. Up and check e-mail. Bring in mail. Take pills. Feed girls. Open mail for Beth. To office and work with computer. Clean up side yard; let girls run in back. Attach basket holder to scooter; will need some help with rear basket. Into house and to computer. Print out some e-mail for Beth. To kitchen and watch some O'Reilly. Beth home; cook and eat. She showers. We watch recording of Monday's CSI: Miami. Later ~

Monday, March 01, 2010

I had this poster on my wall when I was a kid

Home from meeting; check e-mail and news sites with girls, dip and chips. Work on a few things. Read a little. Move into living room around 10:30. Watch the ending of Susanna Pass with Roy and Dale. Make lunch and eat while viewing. Down for nap with girls. Up and bring in mail. Take my afternoon pills. Feed girls. Open mail for Beth. Clean side yard. catch up on things with computer. Talk to Jimmy George for awhile in Mississippi. Get things ready for dinner. Some O'Reilly. Beth home. Finish cooking then we eat dinner and talk. No TV tonight. Both to office and work. I put trash out. Later ~