A Few George Photos

Joel’s (where he stayed), our ruin, the range, the bar, the library– as James McMurtry sings “what else do you need?” The library shot, also by George, is of me with another old friend on his first visit; Montana fine gunmaker and writer Steve (Steven Dodd) Hughes. Much good book and gun talk ensued, about …

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Illustrations

The kind of things I might use in the book of 100. Covers are obvious, and will obviously be the majority, but here are a few other ideas. From the top: a couple of “twofers”; a letter from Angus Cameron to Jack O’Connor, both in it, on Jack’s New Yorker review (for the Rifle Book!), …

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St Patrick’s at the Spur

Cowboy-Spanish St Paddy’s at the bar, with Montana’s excellent band “86’d Again”(thank God Linda at least did not have a green beard.) From top: Montana Pettis and Luke Martin (hat); Mary Jean Zamora Rains and Catherine Aragon tend bar; Chelsea Armstrong takes video as Bobby (Bad Dog) Contreras, owner Darryl Pettis (Montana’s father) and ranch …

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An Accidental Cowboy, Barking Backward

I have always found people with multiple passions more interesting than single- subject obsessives. I first became aware of Jameson Parker… well, a LONG time ago, when he starred in our generation’s finest California TV mystery series Simon and Simon, playing the preppier younger brother and partner in a PI business to Gerald McRaney’s Marine …

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Valentine from Dinolo

Ace flytyer Paul Dinolo of Duxbury, Massachusetts, just sent me an ingeniously boxed selection of small stream flies and terrestrials for this coming summer. More thought went into them even than is apparent; they are all big enough for clumsy fingers but small enough for tiny fish!

Flying visit with bar & meal

Reid & Connie blew through ahead of a winter storm, down to take a look at Aussie pups which he will doubtless blog on. An early evening in the bar, an excellent elk “Brasato” courtesy of reader Roberto, (recipe below), talk til eyes closing of everything from science fiction to Doc Holliday to folk and …

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Teaser

The Hansons are back from their Egyptian expedition with the Explorers Club flag– and will (both Roseann and Jonathan I hope) be writing something here. Sample: “It was fantastic. Probably the most challenging driving I’ve had over such an extended journey. Many difficult climbs to cross dune chains, then 60mph blasts across huge rolling sand …

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Bar 2, Q C # 5

Says Lib, “The thing is, we’re multicultural–we just don’t know it.” Mmmyes. Karaoke night at the Spur. Cody Henderson — his father is Lee, who owns the ranch we hunt on, and his mother was born Lorraine Lopez — as Cupid, about to sing “Landslide” with Linda (Rael) Mansell, born in Taos and married into …

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Sad Week

I just got word from Alan Gates that Aralbai has died at just 54.(Photo by Cat)He might have been “The Coolest Man in the World” and was a serious drinking companion, but many people from many countries from here to England to Japan (I may tell that tale later) appreciated him as a guide and …

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