July 8, 2010

Happy Fourth of July! This is America's 234th birthday.

I wonder what the Americans of 1910 would think of us today.

Here in Denver, the TV weather people kept warning us of rain on July 4th. After what seemed like weeks of 90+ heat and no clouds or wind, I didn't care if the fireworks were cancelled in favor of rain.

Festivities began at 6 p.m. Sunday, July 4th, at our friends' home bordering the same fairgrounds that I watched fireworks when I was in grade school. What a treat! Being near that same fairgrounds, however, I had a painful memory of it snowing on the 4th in the late 1940s (?) and the fireworks were cancelled.

Guests at the festivities this 4th of July were a mixture of family, dear friends of family, four dogs and 9 kids, mostly ages 3 to 5. It was raining outside and screaming chaos inside.

Everyone's food was good but Lizzi made the most delicious beans. No sugar! I had them also for dessert.

The fireworks were scheduled to start at 9:15 p.m. but it was still pouring rain. At 9:25, we all started packing up, and a few left quickly. We assumed the fireworks had been cancelled.

Suddenly, at 9:30, a tremendous blam shook the house. The kids squealed and ran outside into the rain with parents scrambling behind them. We all huddled under the porch and three huge umbrellas and watched the gorgeous fireworks blasting amid pouring rain and violent lightning and thunder.

YAY!

It doesn't get any better than that!

Happy Birthday, America!

April 22, 2010

I hope you've all enjoyed the books. I recently re-read them from beginning to end. It was the first time since I wrote them. It's odd; I didn't remember writing much of the dialog, prose or adventures. I think I'm becoming senile. I laughed while reading them and even got scared at times. Senility has its plusses. I'd forgotten what came next and enjoyed the books as though it was my first time reading them. I like them a lot.

A few readers have told me they didn't think Alone by the Window has a plot. Well, they're partly right. So what? Life doesn't have a plot either.

Elmore Leonard, a famous western writer-turned-mystery-writer (and other genres), was interviewed by Katy Couric on the Today Show in the spring of 2006. Katy said, "Some people say your new book has no plot." Leonard laughed and said, "Real life has no plot."

Will love survive? Isn't that important? If not, then you've missed the point of all the books.

I picked Alone by the Window as the title of the 5th Book because we've all been there. It's a haunting, gnawing place when a storm is brewing and a loved one is very late or missing…or possibly being unfaithful. The three times in the book where it occurs are sometimes how these events unfold.

I wondered where Jake and Wiley would go from there, until their reports began coming in again…slowly at first…but they're picking up in regularity. Jake is now an enigma and Wiley feels he can relax for a few minutes for the first time in his life since Jake is actually teaching him things. It's all exciting and fun, and I'm getting it recorded as fast as possible.

* * *

Spring has arrived. Here in Denver. The days fluctuate between the high 40s to the high 70s. Two or three days of a "heat wave" is usually followed by rain or even snow. That's how Denver is. I love it. We fertilized our "brownish" lawn the day before it snowed.

Tulips, jonquils, apple trees and hardy azaleas are now blooming in the neighborhood. It's gorgeous. Many homeowners have done wonders to their yards. We have a few tulips and daffodils and two tall and stately pear trees covered with white blooms. We are both looking forward to revitalizing the yard.

The prints, charcoals and watercolors that we've acquired over the years have never been framed nor have they found their perfect place in our new home. They will.

One area, nearly in the center of the new back yard, had been covered with smooth, rounded river rock. It is totally unusable ground. I've almost finished clearing the rocks, placing them loosely around the grape vines. That "rocky" area will once again will be the focal point of the yard with flowers and veggies. If, however, I find I've uncovered a problem with the soil, red sandstone slabs and large pots for plants with a chair or two will work also.

* * *

I have a pet peeve, which some of you have noticed.

"And then."

I hate that expression and find it redundant.

"And" continues action; "Then" changes action at once. The two together are grammatically correct (mandatory with this computer program and I have to manually change it every single time) but I find the phrase stupid and confusing. Ongoing and sudden change all at the same time? For me, it doesn't compute. I find it in the same class as saying, "You know what I mean?" every five seconds. "And then." "And then." "And then." How melodramatic.

Another pet peeve is "farther" and "further." Lately, the two are becoming interchangeable, but they are really aren't.

"Farther" means distance. The syllable FAR extends your arm OUT. FAR-ther. Like the USS Enterprise disappearing into space and beyond. "Let's go to the farthest reaches of the universe," Captain Kirk might say. My carpet extends farther that way than this way.

"Further" once meant "furthermore," meaning addition. "There are further clues to this case that I haven't told you about," the Chief said.

But, now, farther and further are supposed to be interchangeable. TV ads use "further" for everything. "Extend your carpet further," the woman says, which makes me cringe. Even TV weatherpersons say, "further across the country." Yawn! If they would say "farther across the country," it would seem a much longer distance.

It takes much less energy to say and react to "fur" than "far." We're all getting fat and lazy.

Jim told me I'm obsessed with it. Maybe so. Go with the flow? Hell no!

* * *

FYI:
The last chapter (40) of Book 3, Home to Kentucky was written to the musical composition "Antarctica" by Vangelis. Download Antarctica legally and read that chapter while this masterpiece is playing. Reading at a normal pace, Antarctica will end with the chapter. Having never been to Antarctica, the composition by Vangelis only makes me think of riding horseback naked in South Park. Vangelis, your masterpiece is extremely visual and sensual.

* * *

FYI:
I'm not fond of Alone by the Window's cover.

Raul Tapia would have "artisted" all the covers but after The Protectors, he raised his price, and I could no longer afford him.

Judy, my cousin, was an incredible artist in our high school. Once in art class, she came in with a life-sized horse, drawn on taped-together butcher paper. The class and I were astounded. Judy now lives in Arizona and has taught art to the handicapped for many years. Judy did the covers of the third and fourth books. I love the covers and recently discovered that she could draw people. I never knew. Her animals are either lifelike or fantasy. Judy said she likes blending realism with fantasy. "Just like your books," she said with a grin.

At any rate, Judy wasn't able to do Alone's cover because of school cutbacks and overloading of duties.

I found a local lady artist who told me, nearing the printing deadline, that she couldn't place Wiley so he was looking out the window. Deadlines and house construction kept me from studying the drawing. I would have asked the lady that she remove or repair the "pipe" jutting out of Wiley's mouth. Hey, she's a sweet lady. She came through. It all fits. Alone by the Window is a bit uncomfortable also.

Cousin Judy recently retired. Here's hoping.

* * *

Please don't forget the passage, in one of the Gospels, about the Roman Centurion begging Jesus to cure his slave...from a distance.

Jesus knew the centurion's slave was his lover. It was common knowledge that some Roman soldiers brought their male lovers with them into the hinterlands. No "ordinary" centurion would care so much about a slave. Jesus gladly cured the man's lover and told the centurion that his was the greatest faith he'd ever seen.

* * *

"So where is Book Six?" you ask.

That question deserves a book, which I'm about to write for you. It may contain many errors because it will be unedited, except by me and Frank Harrell, my website Cowboy. I want you all to know the history of these books.

There will be no plot, or trips to Mars for you coattail-youngsters.

To answer the question where Book Six is: It's farther than we want, but closer than we think. And doing much better.

* * *

Read the Introduction in Bristlecone Peak for WHY the Legend of the Golden Feather series is being written.

Once, in the late 1980s, up at Jim and my land in South Park, I climbed down the cliff from our cabin to the ruins of a much earlier cabin. I could see where the log-walls fell outward from the cliff. The logs were severely weathered and crumbling, yet parts of them were still sturdy. Who built this cabin? It must have been over a hundred years ago. I sat on one of the fallen logs.

Suddenly, Jake and Wiley flooded my mind. I saw Jake in Kentucky and Wiley in Philadelphia. The story came so fast, I jumped to my feet. I couldn't let this story be forgotten. I scrambled up the hill to our cabin, scrounged paper and pencil and wrote for hours that extended into decades. And the story goes on.

Jake and Wiley are reporting in more regularly. It could also be that, since Jim, Andy and I have moved out of our cramped RV and into a house, I can hide away from the bustle and the TV.

Yesterday was the first day in 9 years that I could write all day without TV noise or distractions. And Jim is well enough now so he can drive places by himself. Hooray!

* * *

One more thing...

I've decided not to protest like the Tea Baggers. I don't like the government either, but after almost 30 years of Republican and Clinton defecation, the Obama Administration was handed trowels by the Republicans and the media rather than front-loaders to clean up the mess. And it really is a stinking mess. And Republicans are trying to make it worse with their lust for big corporations' billions in profits.

Today, at Lowe's, I wanted to buy a hummingbird feeder, but the brand Lowe's carries is made in China. I passed. Even if I have to go without or improvise, I refuse to buy anything else made outside good ol' USA.

The economy is disintegrating because all the jobs We The People should have are now in China, or Mexico, or Taiwan. WE can make hummingbird feeders. I made my own when I lived in the mountains and the brilliant gems loved it. They would tell me when it needed refreshing.

No, I'm not joining the Tea Baggers. If we only buy American made things, our economy will get better FAST and we'll all get jobs.

More later...

March 31, 2010

FLASH!

My sister Marilyn, and her husband Doug, asked us to go with them to see a 100-year-old, brick Denver bungalow that Doug was thinking of buying. It was all newly remodeled and spacious and had big skylights in the living-dining room, hot-water heat and a sunroom off the kitchen. As we were leaving, Doug asked us how we liked it. We said we loved it. Then, he said, "If I buy it, you can rent it for whatever you can afford on your Social Security income."

WE MOVED OUT OF OUR RV!

Our new address is:
Dave Brown and Jim Bannerman
236 S. Gilpin St., Denver, CO 80209

We waited in the empty house on Wednesday, March 10th for the first delivery of furniture that Marilyn bought for us.

A view toward the front door. Cowboy Frank is watching me.

A view toward the kitchen and sun room. 2 bedrooms and a bath are to the left.

Linda, Jim's ex-wife, and Cowboy Frank, our dear friend, were there; and our dog Andy.
Jim is in the maroon shirt.

Some of the furniture delivered that day.

We officially moved out of our RV on Saturday, March 13th. All my brothers and sisters were there to help. Everyone was astounded that our 30-foot RV contained 3 truckloads and one van worth of stuff. Jim and I had also moved two truckloads of boxes to the house even before the big move. It's a wonder the RV tires didn't blow apart, and it actually rose up 3 inches. It never looked messy in there; it has storage everywhere.

We had a cookout in our new backyard after the speedy move.

Annette, my youngest sister cooked the burgers. My brother Mark and his son Daniel watched.

Below, Doug is on the left and Henri, Annette's husband, is on the right.

Below, is how our new back yard looked before we moved. It is just the right size to have flowers and cookouts. We will be able to have guests over again and entertain.

Somehow, I lost the pictures of the basement, but Cowboy Frank took some.
There is a "great" room down there with a laundry,

a cedar-lined wine closet,

a bedroom

and a bathroom with a large corner shower

The master bedroom upstairs is pictured below. Once we get the office cleared of boxes, I'll post that also.

Here is a view of the main bathroom.

Marilyn bought Andy a bed, which he ignored for months, until we moved it into this house.
I told that to Annette who looked at me and said, "Of course, he's home."

The fur is growing back on Andy's back leg from his knee surgery. After 2 months of intensive therapy, he no longer tears around in the snow like a loony. He rolls in it and enjoys that even more.

Andy really does look sacked-out on his bed in that picture, and not a bit nervous about the new house. Plus, after being terrified of Cowboy Frank for three years, I heard that when Jim and I were nowhere to be found, Andy leaned against Cowboy Frank while the furniture was being carried in.

Plants, paintings, photos, etc. are next. Most of the furniture is in place in the living and dining rooms, except for the buffet, which is coming this week.

Jim is on the love seat and would love to be nestled among varied plants under the skylight.

I'm on one of the new recliners next to an invisible palm tree.

Thanks to Marilyn and Doug, this is all possible. We are both looking forward to planting flowers in the yard and meeting the neighbors.

We actually have only lived in our new house for 2 full days. Right after we moved in, we began house-sitting Marilyn and Doug's house until April 2nd. We'd long ago promised.

Our time lately has been stretched to the new house, getting the RV ready to sell, and being here at Marilyn and Doug's for deliveries and daily services. Jim and I sometimes don't see each other all day. We have had to leave Andy and Kilty (Marilyn's Westie) alone a lot, and I hate that, but we can't take them with us. At least they have each other and they love each other.

We'd like to find another Bouvier to be Andy's brother.

More pictures are coming. We've been busy to the point of exhaustion lately and both have to watch it so we don't do too much. Jim is walking better each day after his hip replacement surgery, but he'll most likely have to have back surgery down the line. The hip replacement took care of much of his pain (thank God) but his lower back is a mess.

More later.

Love and hugs to you all,
Dave, Jim and Andy