Red Fish Lake

If you look back a couple of posts you'll find where I went with my wife and another couple on an absolutely wonderful motorcycle ride up into the Sawtooth Recreational Area in Idaho this summer. As is always the case I'm on the lookout for material that will make a nice painting. Such was the case when we ventured down the road to checkout the Red Fish Lake Lodge. On the way we came across a turnout on the dirt road with this magnificent view. It had been raining off and on in the area for a couple of days but this particular morning everything was as still as could be. The mirror reflection of this portion of the Sawtooth Mountains in the water was so soothing and calming. We could have stayed there all day. Unfortunately our time was limited. We had places to go, people to see and things to do. Fortunately I think I captured the feeling quite nicely in this 16 x 32 oil painting I just finished. The painting is available from my gallery/studio, unframed for $500. If you are interested, contact me. Thanks for stopping by.

An Old Smoking Stand

Been looking for an old smoking stand like I remember my grandpa had for his cigars back in the day. The one he actually had was similar to this one but the ash tray part had a glass tray with a rubber Firestone tire around it...or it may have been a Goodyear.  Don't remember which exactly. For some reason I thought it was a Firestone tire. I've found some small versions with Goodyear tires around them but not the Firestone.

ANYWAY...this is the closest I've been able to come up with. This one I got yesterday in Abilene, KS in an antique store. Supposedly it came out of an old hotel there. Thought it was pretty cool so I tried it out on the bench out front and bought it. Now I Just have to figure out how to bungy it onto the Harley so I can get it home. Thought maybe Kathy could just hold it but she threatened to whack me with it on the helmet so I guess that won't work. I'll figure something out.

We're headed home in the AM. If you tried the video link in the previous post and it didn't work, it should now.

Later. Thanks for stopping by.

On the Road Again

Here's a video link that says it better than I can type. Enjoy. Wish you were here. http://youtu.be/st2qRbuWenM

Sturgis

Yup! It's that time of year again. Maybe you’ve noticed all of the motorcycles on the road the last couple of days. I’ve been hearing them go by the shop and it has been driving me nuts. Then it dawned on me…Sturgis. This time of year motorcyclists of all kinds head to Sturgis, SD for the biggest motorcycle rally on earth.

Although the rally doesn't officially start until Monday and will last through the weekend, many bikers have discovered, as I did, that showing up the week before or so is a good idea. We made that ride a couple of years ago and that’s what we did. During rally week as many as 500,000 bikers clog the roads, gas stations, restaurants, motels, campgrounds and scenic rides in the Black Hills. The week before is less congested with maybe only one or two hundred thousand motorcycles.

It’s gotten so big that the rally is no longer just contained in Sturgis, SD. All of the towns within a hundred mile radius will hold mini-rallies and draw several thousand bikes to each of their own events. We discovered that when we went. We opted to stay at the Rocket Motel in Custer, SD some 80 miles away and by the Friday before the rally was to officially start, the officials in Custer had blocked off a 5 or 6 block stretch of their downtown area for motorcycles only, and it was full when we rode out of town.

By arriving a week early, we were still able to get the feel of the big rally without all of the congestion since the vendors have all figured it out and were setting up already and business was brisk. Many of the traditional shop keepers in Sturgis go so far as to empty their store fronts and rent them out to temporary vendors. I’ve been told the store owners can make enough in rent for those two weeks to pay for their overhead for the entire year. I talked to one guy from New York who works all year making leather goods. He comes to Sturgis, rents one of the store fronts and makes enough to carry him for the rest of the year. It’s crazy.

I spent one whole day on Main Street just taking photographs of all the characters. I’ve done several paintings from the photos and they have been very popular. I suppose I’ll get back there one of these years just experience it again but for now, I’ve got my T-shirt and I can say I’ve been there, done that.

In the meantime I’ve got other places to go, people to see and things to do. Thanks for tuning in and stop by when you get a chance.

I Could Do That!!!

Had to run up to Grand Junction on Saturday to the Harley dealer and get a few things. I pulled up and parked next to another bike and as my wife Kathy got off of the back of our bike I looked over at the neighboring motorcycle and the guy who was rummaging through some stuff in a pack on the back of his bike. I climbed off my Harley and couldn’t help but notice that this other fella and his bike looked like they had come a long ways.


You can always tell the “long riders”. They have a certain “well worn” look to them that those out for the short ride lack. He was about my age, maybe a little younger. I asked him where he had ridden from. He looked up from his tour pack and with a broad grin said he had started in South Carolina where a friend from Florida had met him. Together they had ridden up to Maine where the other guy had to turn around and go back. This gent I was chatting with said he decided to continue on and rode into Canada and up into New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador. It was there that he got a call from a friend of his here in Colorado whose riding partner wasn’t able to join him on a ride and asked my new found friend if he’d care to come out West. He said sure and was telling me about their plans when I recommended a good campground up on the Flaming Gorge and another place or two on their route up to Yellowstone. So it goes, passing tips to fellow riders in a parking lot.

We took care of our business and on the ride home I got to thinking about this guy and where all he’d been and was going this summer and I thought to myself, “you know, I could do that”. What a great way to spend the summer, riding around on your motorcycle, stopping here and there to maybe do a little watercolor sketch, meeting some folks, visiting new places…yea, I could do that.

I know, you’re probably saying “you already do that” and yes you’re right…I do but I have time restrictions and limitations that…well, are getting bothersome. Besides…New Brunswick? Newfoundland and Labrador? I’ve never been there. Wow! That’d sure be cool.

Next summer I’ll start my own great adventure. We have a ride to Alaska planned. In fact this time next year, I’ll be sending you these columns from somewhere up North as I poke along, seeing some new country, meeting some new folks and doing some watercolors along the way as I get the chance. Yea, I’ll be doing that.

Here's a pic of our camp in Stanley, Idaho when we rode up there over the 4th of July week this year.

The overhead canopy you see was furnished and already in place. We didn't bring it but it was nice to have. Stanley is in the Sawtooth Recreation Area so it had some altitude which was welcome because of the cooler temps. We were also lucky enough to get a few showers out of the deal...those that come out of the sky as well as those that were in the lodge.

This is a picture of an old dog who was a resident of the place. He knew he wasn't allowed in the restaurant so that's as far as he'd go. Pretty mellow.

That's the back door of the place. He actually belongs to some neighbors down the road but he prefers to live here...so here he is.

The Sawtooth Mountains are absolutely beautiful as this photo will attest to.

This view was around the corner from where we were staying. Here's more on that ride. This is an article I wrote for the local newspaper, which I do on a weekly basis.

No Reservations

You might know of the TV show by this title that features Anthony Bourdain traveling about, but this isn’t about him. It’s about me and my traveling companions. I write this to you from Stanely, Idaho. Yup, we’re on the road again, on the Harley, seeing what there is to see in this great land of ours.

In the past, we’ve always set an agenda knowing where we’ll spend each night for the duration of the trip. You know, call ahead and make reservations, start each day knowing we had to be at a certain place that night. This time we decided to do it a little different. Part of the problem with having a schedule all planned out is that there are unexpected things along the way that we would encounter but had to keep moving on because we needed to be somewhere that night. Not this trip.

We left Saturday morning with a general direction and intended route but decide that we would look for a place to camp when the end of the day came, wherever that was. I write this on Monday evening and so far so good. I will admit however that last evening was a bit of a challenge in locating a place to camp but it turned out fine. Along about late afternoon we were in Ashton, Idaho and it was quite hot. The first place we found didn’t look real promising. The fella came out and asked if he could help us and I asked him if he had a place where we could pitch a couple of tents in the shade and if there was a shower available. His reply was “Shade?” We decided to move on. Eventually, after checking a couple of other options we found a place 30 miles or so farther down the road. Turned out, it was fine.

Tonight finds us in Stanley, Idaho and a quick search on Google turned up the Elk Mountain resort and here we are. We got lucky again. Nice grassy spot right near the fire ring, and next to a canopied area with picnic tables. I think we’ll stay here for at least a couple of days and use this as a base camp while we tour the Sawtooth Mountains and it’s attractions. We were a bit concerned being this is the 4th of July Holiday week but the fella said for $17 a night we could stay as long as we liked. Said he’d send his wife around this evening or in the morning to collect the rent. Sounded good to us.


Here is a follow up column the next week when I got back.

Sometimes It All Works Out Just Fine

If you’ve been following along, you’ll recall last week I left you in Stanley, Idaho in the middle of the Sawtooth Recreation area. What a place. Stunning! I was in the middle of a “no reservations” road trip on the Harley.

We took one day and rode from Stanley down to Boise for some sightseeing and a little Basque food. I had no idea it got so hot in Boise. The high for the previous day had been 113. The day we were there it was hitting 99 degrees in the late morning with 90% humidity. The ambient air temperature gauge on the Harley down there on pavement, in traffic, waiting for lights to change, was pegged at 120 degrees. It was all we could take. We got out of there with just a visit to the Harley dealer and headed back to the mountains. Along the way we stopped along the Payette River and literally got soaked. That sure felt good.

The next day we left Stanley and decided to follow the Salmon River north a ways. We climbed the Chief Joseph pass and turned off into Montana and across the Big Hole Valley, headed toward Dillon. I have to say that the Big Hole was a complete surprise. I had heard about it, but I wasn’t prepared for the reality. A big sky valley that was an ocean of grass as far as you could see. I couldn’t believe it. Fantastic!

It was getting late in the day when we arrived in Dillon so we hunted up the KAO and they had room for a couple of tents on a large shaded grassy area near the entrance. Nice couple who own it. Bob asked us to watch for the “Rainbow People” who were in the area and to let him know if they showed up. They weren’t welcome. Sure enough, one slipped into the place and he ran him off. The next day we continued our ride south, headed home.

We spent the 4th of July evening in Alpine, Wyoming where we scored a campsite right next to where they were going to set off the fireworks later. The last night we camped in the pines, high above Flaming Gorge Reservoir. Spent the evening around the camp fire (no restrictions there yet) with a good cigar and a fine whiskey reminiscing over our trip. A fitting end to a great ride.

All in all, our “no reservations” agenda worked out just fine. I got lots of photos and video to paint from this winter. Every time we needed something, it turned up. I think our relaxed schedule made for one of the best rides I’ve ever taken. We’ll do that again.

I've got some video of the trip and as soon as I get it edited I'll post it up.

 Thanks for stopping by.


Catching up

It's hard to know where to start, it's been so long since I posted anything. I see that I left you good folks in Battlemountain, NV on my way to Petaluma, CA for a screen printing and gilding workshop I attended at Letterhead Sign Supply. In short I will say that it was a great class. Ron and Kristi were great hosts and I came away with some fantastic knowledge that I have yet to use but am saving for when the need arises. I'll put some photos and video together on that little trip and get it posted.

When I came back I had a job for some sandblasted signs to do for Cresto Ranch, an affiliate facility of Dunton Hot Springs here in Colorado. Go to www.duntonhotsprings.com for more information on these two places. here is a shot of three of the six signs I did for them.

These were sandblasted out of cedar. I then stained the background and brushed some 1-shot color on the raised border and lettering. They wanted an old weathered look to them which I believe I achieved. I was down there last week and saw them in place and they fit in just perfect with the tent sites and natural landscape.

I've been busy here in the shop with lots of framing. Art sales have been slow but just today sold two oils. Maybe the drought has been broken.

Over the fourth of July week I managed to get away for 8 days and took the Harley up into the Sawtooth Range in Idaho. What a great trip that was. More to come from that as I get photos and video put together.

I know there isn't much detail in this but I thought I ought to get something posted before too much time passed. I'll cover these topics in more depth as I can. It'll give you something to look forward to and now that I've tipped my hand I feel somewhat committed to get it done. I'll try to be more diligent. Stay tuned.

The Long Ride North

http://youtu.be/4xBXwVO4EkA

Here's a link to a video of our first planning session for the Long Ride North.

In June of 2014 I will turn 66 years old. At that time, my wife and I, and others, will leave on our Harleys and ride in a northerly direction for 15 days and then turn around and head back home. We’ll be gone for a month. So far we have four of us on three Harleys.


We started talking about this last summer in a rather casual manner, wondering how far we could get and what we might see along the way. All winter long this has been gnawing at me, so I booked a room at the Box Canyon Lodge in Ouray, CO (highly recommended by the way) and this past weekend we met with some of our traveling companions, got the maps out and plotted a possible direction. By the end of this initial session we had developed a route, a little over 7000 miles, and dubbed the upcoming adventure, The Long Ride North. It is now official, complete with T-shirts in the making and a resulting DVD and book filled with paintings and photos. WooHoo!

Turns out it is quite likely we’ll to get to Alaska. The plan is for me to document our travels by video and daily blogging as we go, so all of you good folks and others can follow along on this great adventure. When we return, I’ll edit and compile all the video into a releasable DVD. I’ll also edit and compile all of the daily blog posts, add after thoughts and anything else that won’t fit into the blog, go through all of the photos taken, include watercolor sketches done on the ride and compile it all into a book. Whew!

Sounds ambitious. Of course many others have made the ride before us and most without the fanfare we are planning on but that was their trip and this one is ours. It may be the trip of a life time for me…or, it could just be the jumping off point for a new career. I kind of like the idea of that.

While the idea has been rattling around in the back of my mind ever since brother-in-law Steve and his wife Loann made the ride a couple of years ago, it became more than a passing interest after watching the DVD set of Charlie Boorman and Ewan McGregor who rode their motorcycles around the world in The Long Way Round. Of course they were gone for three months and traveled almost 20,000 miles and they had sponsors and were much younger than yours truly.

Hmmm, sponsors. I hadn’t thought of that until now. What a great idea. I wonder if AARP would be interested? Sounds like a little fund raising is in order. I’ll have to look into this. I'll put this on the list of things to do, which is growing almost daily.

What we have planned for this trip is a little out of the usual because of the video and blogging to be included. This alone requires far more planning than I had realized.  Thin I'll use this summer's rides as practice.

Stay tuned folks and thanks for stopping by.

Standing on a Corner

Yup. So there I was, last Saturday, standing on that famous corner in Winslow, AZ. You know the one. Come on. Think. “Well, I'm a standing on a corner, in Winslow, Arizona, and such a fine sight to see. It's a girl, my Lord, in a flatbed Ford slowin' down to take a look at me”. It’s from the song “Take it Easy” made famous by the Eagles. Now you remember? It WAS “such a fine sight to see” as they were holding a great classic car show right there also. Our luck couldn’t have been any better. What a treat.


Taking a break from working on the Bronc Fighter we left Montrose on a chilly Friday morning on our Harley bound for the Cameron Trading Post in Cameron, AZ. We passed through Monument Valley and managed to get some great photos and video. We’ve been there before but the last time it was so windy, the landscape and sky was just a sea of red sand and dust. It was much better this time. The dining room at the Cameron Trading Post is sight to behold. Many stunning Navajo rugs adorn the walls and there is the old original tin ceiling to boot. Neat place.

Saturday morning we rode on down to Winslow and aside from the famous corner, the other big attraction for us in Winslow was the La Posada Hotel, which is just down the street from “the corner”. The La Posada is a “Harvey House” of the famed Harvey Houses built by Fred Harvey along the Santa Fe Railroad lines back in the day. Mary Colter, the architect, considered it her master piece. Mary, however, is probably more famous for her work at the Grand Canyon. She worked as an architect for Fred Harvey for many years, designing and building the famous Harvey Houses.

From Winslow we rode on to Gallup, NM. Gallup of course is famous for the Indian jewelry produced and sold there. I guess you could say it is the capital of Indian jewelry. Despite that renowned legacy, we were more interested in the El Rancho Hotel on Historic Route 66. The El Rancho Hotel is known as the hotel of the stars. R.E. Griffith, brother of Hollywood director D.W. Griffith built the hotel in 1937. The hotel became a get-a-way for the stars. The list of stars who stayed there is impressive. Each room is named after a star. We were fortunate to be assigned to the John Wayne room. My wife Kathy was impressed that she could be sitting in the chair that John Wayne had sat in. Then she commented, “I hope he didn’t sleep in that bed too. That would mean it is really old.” It was a great weekend.
Video and pictures to follow as soon as I can get them sorted out. I'll keep you posted if you'll check back. Later.

Sorry About That

My apologies. I left you hanging there after my last post. We did manage to escape a torrential down pour, sprinkles only. However we were treated to a spectacular light and sound show with all of the lightening and rolling thunder. We sat there in the comfort of our camp, with cold ones in hand and had a great time. No cover charge.

A bit later in the evening, we strolled across the street to the Cafe Diablo for a fantastic supper.

I can't describe what an oxymoron this is. Such a great place to eat in such a little out of the way place as Torry, UT. If you get a chance, you really should go there.

We've probably been to the Cafe Diablo 6 or 8 times and never once have we sat inside so I can't really tell you what that is like. That's two of the three of us on the far right (somebody had to take the picture). The gardens are beautiful and they make maybe the best Margarita to be had. Good thing all we had to do was walk back across the deserted highway to our camp.

The chef is award winning and the menu is a real surprise. Go to www.cafediablo.net to find out more. We'll be going back.

The next morning, Sunday, we headed home. On the way we stopped at "Blondies", well known for their milk shakes and burgers. Another little gem out in the middle of nowhere, this time at Hanksville, UT.

This a great stopping point for many boaters on the way to and from Lake Powell. You'll also find bikers there who take a break from roaming the back roads of Utah. That's my wife Kathy and I. It was only a two day get away but a great little ride.

Torrey, UT

Here we are I'm In Torrey, Ut. It was a beautiful ride here and we managed to stay dry. In fact it was rather warm to hot in places. Things change on short notice however. As you can see, we stand to get our 40% chance of rain. We've been watching this storm from our campsite. A fantastic lightening show going on. We may have to retreat to the bar across the street to wait this one out. Stay tuned.

Just A Miss

I finally got done processing all of my photos from the Will James Roundup I was at a couple of weeks ago in Hardin, MT. I took about 400 photos and have been busy converting them all to something useable, selecting the best, cropping, enlarging, etc. After making one initial pass through the results, I have 77 photos right off of the top I can use for reference for some great paintings, in both oil and watercolors. I also plan on doing a series of pen and ink sketches of many of these images.

The trick here is going to be to to capture the fluid motion and not just make an accurate illustration of the image. Drawing an accurate rendition of the image is easy. I want to create something that depicts the motion. That'll be the hard part. There are some great action shots and I really need to experiment with some technique to pull it off. I'm thinking kind of loose and sketchy with just a hint of detail.

I'll start with this one, titled, "Just a Miss". Because I'm only using the information presented to do the art, it would be very tempting to move the loop a bit so it is a "catch". We'll have to see what I decide to do.

Rainy Day Sunday

I've never been so wet riding in the rain with the sum shining at the same time as I got yesterday. It was crazy.

Left son Glenn's in Ranchester, WY a little after 8:00 yesterday morning and 630 miles later arrived home wet and tired, a little after 8:00 in the evening. A great riding day none-the-less.

I thought this shot was befitting. I took it just coming into Delta, CO.

I want to thank every one who followed me this weekend. I'll get a couple of photos posted from the rodeo as soon as I get them processed.

What a Great Day

You know, for as tough a night that I had, today turned out pretty darn good. I got some outstanding photographs of the rodeo, spent some time with old friends and I think the best part of the day was the ride down to Ranchester to see Glenn and spend the night.

Leaving Hardin in the early evening I headed south on the Interstate at a pretty good clip. The sun was setting and cast the rolling hills in gold against dark and stormy skies. The was the sweet smell of cool rain in the air. It was absolutely wonderful.

Rough Night

Fellas in the spot next door were up 'til after 1AM. I couldn't decide whether to join them or put my ear plugs in. Sounded like they were having a good time.

The cot I brought doesn't fit in my small tent so I had to sleep on the ground. Sort of like trying to sleep in a straight backed kitchen chair.

Hot all night. Would've slept out of the tent, under the stars, but the wind and off and on sprinkles, didn't allow it. Like sleeping in a sauna.

77 degrees at 6 AM. Decided to get up and make some coffee. Broke a sweat packing up. Gonna be hot again.

Lots of little black bunnies running around camp last evening. Couldn't decide whether they looked cute or looked like supper.

Well, I'm off to the rodeo. I'll let you know how it goes.

Hardin, Montana

Great little spot at the KOA in Hardin. I got here about 4:00 this afternoon. It was 104 degrees at the time. Jeeezzz! I don't think there is any danger of the tomatoes freezing for the next couple of nights.

Since then, I went over to the rodeo and took in the evening event of a big loop roping, found some old friends. I tried a couple of photos with my iPhone but they are iffy. Got some great shots with the Nikon however which I'll post when I get back.

Right now it has clouded up. A stiff breeze and the wind has picked up. Watching some great lightning in the near distance. Hope it rains and cools things off a bit. More tomorrow.

On My Way

Headed to the Will James Round Up Ranch Rodeo in Hardin, MT. I used to live up there years ago and still have good friends there.

Left the shop in Montrose, CO. about 2pm and got into Rawlins, WY. a little after 8 this evening. Quite warm all the way. 95 in Craig, CO. 85 here in Rawlins. Trying to decide whether to even bother with setting the tent up. I think not.

Even though it was quite warm, it was a great ride. Lots of open country with rolling sage covered hills. Saw several antelope right along the road. They looked good.

A Weeklong Loop on the Harley

Took a little ride on the Harley last week up into Canada. We've made the trip before and it never disappoints. Lots of wonderfully beautiful country between here and there. Lightly traveled back roads, campgrounds with some great people and a couple of interesting places to eat along the way. Lots of paintings to do and stories to write.

Our route took us out through northwestern Colorado, into eastern Utah, eastern Idaho, a short run through part of northwestern Wyoming, up through the middle of Montana and into Canada. From there we crossed part of southwestern Alberta, over Crows Nest Pass and into southeastern BC. We then dropped back into Montana, Idaho, Utah and finally back into Colorado. We intentionally didn't want to go through Jackson Hole, Teton and Yellowstone National Parks largely because of traffic congestion. As beautiful and magical as those places are, it is very slow going and a bit hazardous on motorcycles especially since we were going to be just passing through.

This was our camp the first night, just outside of Montpelier, ID. A very nice KOA and a great spot to rest and have a cold one. From Montpelier on north the country was just spectacular. We rode along Swan Lake in Idaho for a good many pleasant miles. What a beautiful lake. The lake was on our left and the road turned and dipped making for a great ride. On the right side were high power poles with nests on the tops for the Osprey Falcons. We saw several of those special birds.

At Swan Lake Junction, where the road forks, is a really great gas station, convenience store, ice cream shop combo. We stopped here before and again enjoyed some Huckleberry ice cream on the bench out front. It's a popular stopping point and a other bikers joined us to discuss the roads and motorcycles.

We took the right fork in the road which leads to Victor, Driggs, and Ashton, idaho along the western side of the Teton Range. This route offers some spectacularly uncommon views of the Tetons from their "backside". This part of the ride was a definite favorite.

A slight miscalculation (a missed turn) gave us the opportunity to run into a little of the local traffic outside of Ashton, ID.  Once we got onto the correct route we rolled into West Yellowstone and through the northwest corner of Yellowstone, NP. Despite the traffic and congestion, Yellowstone is still a very magical place. Out through Gardiner, MT we spent the second night at a KOA 10 miles from Livingston, MT. Generally we eat breakfast and lunch out of the coolers we take in our little cargo trailers and eat an evening meal in town, but since it was 10 miles into Livingston we opted to cook some brauts over an open fire and wash them down with a couple of cold beers. Wow, were those good. A great end to a great day.

Our third day would take us deeper into Montana, through Great Falls on the way to Glacier NP before we entered into Canada. Time did not allow us to take in the Charlie Russel Museum in Great Falls. Fortunately, we stopped there on a previous trip however. It wasn't until we got back and I was looking through the latest issue of Watercolor Magazine that I saw an ad for a show at the museum featuring 100 of Charlie Russel original watercolors. It runs through September, 15 so I may just have to go back. I'd really like to see it.

This is taken from the bridge over the Saint Mary River form the back of the motorcycle as we arrived that evening. This serene and beautiful evening was just a calm before the storm unfortunately.

The next morning we awoke to a soggy day in Saint Mary, MT at the eastern entrance to Glacier NP. Nothing worse than rolling up a wet tent, but the road was calling and on we went. High winds and more rain were forecast so our ride over "The Going To The Sun Road" in Glacier NP, was abandoned. This was the second time we missed doing that ride. The first time, a couple of years ago, was put off because of snow. The road hadn't been opened yet and it was the middle of June.

This was the weather that morning looking into Glacier from the KOA we camped at the previous night (See photo before this one). What is hard to tell from the photo is the the winds were very brisk with gusts forecast to 60 mph in the passes. We spent an hour in the office with a coffee and a map to see what our options were. Without much choice we decided to press on into Canada, to Waterton NP in Alberta, which is an extension of our Glacier NP. The border was a mere 30 miles or so away.

This was our welcoming committee near the Canadian Border. It's actually a couple of sculptures of Blackfeet Indians, whose home ground we were on. Their native lands know no boundaries and are a part of Canada as well as the US. The skies were clearing here but the wind was stiff as you can see by the flags.

This is Chief Mountain, sacred to the Blackfeet. The US, Canadian Border is not far away. As you can see, threatening clouds began to build and by the time we reached the small border crossing, another 5 miles down the road, it was drizzling.

There were four of us on three motorcycles. Kathy and I were on our Ultra Classic and her brother Tim, on his Ultra Classic, and his wife Donna on her Heritage Soft Tail Classic. All Harleys, for those who don't know.

Kathy and I were in the lead coming up to the Canadian Border check station. There was a line so we waited in the rain. Apparently one of the border guards thought we looked suspicious. Stay tuned to find out what happened next. To be continued...

Tomorrow, Thursday, July 11, I'm headed to Hardin, MT for the Will James Roundup, a ranch rodeo some friends put on each year. Should make for some great photography for future paintings. I'm going to try something a little different and "blog" my way along, giving daily updates as I go. I'll be riding the Harley, traveling by myself, light and fast, so we'll see how it goes. If as planned, I should be back in the shop/studio on Monday sometime.

Until tomorrow...

Louis'

 The restaurant is located beneath an upstairs hotel. As you enter, the bar is on your left. The wall to the right is posted with old black and white photos of Basque sheep herders and such. A very old and well worn wooden floor is beneath your feet. To the rear of the room is the dining area which consisted of long dining tables, long enough to seat up to eight people. It was apparent that if you were just a couple, you would no doubt have company at your table. Service and dining are “family” style.

It was evident from the outset that this was a locals place. Not many, if any, tourists in there. Immediately we liked the place. We took up most of one table and were warmly greeted by an elderly lady in an apron who announced what was for supper that evening, take your pick, it’s all the same price. No handout menus to peruse here.

Shortly we were given a stack of plates and bowls to pass around followed by a couple of baskets of bread, large serving bowl of salad, another of beans, a plate of chicken and a couple decanters of red wine. After an appropriate amount of time, a serving plate of what was maybe the best leg of lamb I’ve ever had, arrived which we passed around serving ourselves.

It was obvious that this wasn’t the kind of place that expected you to eat and move on. It looked like most of the folks were there for the duration. Food, drink and conversation were all in order and happily shared. You can go to http://www.louisbasquecorner.com/ to read more about it. Turns out there is a video or two and it was on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, a show that we follow regularly. I didn’t know that before hand. Check it out.

The Lonliest Road in America

That would be Highway 50 which runs right outside the door at my shop. It runs coast to coast but the “loneliest” part is considered to be from Delta, UT to Carson City, NV. Last week I mentioned that I was headed to Reno, NV on the Harley with a few other folks for a photo shoot at the Californios Ranch Roping and Stock Horse Contest. We took Hwy 50 both ways.


I suppose you’d have to define what “lonely” is but considering that we only encountered 6 vehicles in the 150 or so miles between Delta, UT and Ely, NV, I’d say the traffic wasn’t very thick. That’s only one vehicle every 25 miles and two of those were traveling together. There was equally sparse traffic between the other little towns of Eureka and Austin and it didn’t really increase by much until we were near Fallon, NV some 380 miles from Delta, UT.

We spent the first night in Ely, NV and ate at the Cell Block Steakhouse which is so named because the dining area is in what used to be the old jail. The booths are built right into the cells which is kind of neat and colorful. I highly recommend the steak.

The next morning we rode on to Eureka, NV, some 70 miles or so down the road for breakfast at the Owl Saloon and Café. This is a really cool original. On one side is the café and through the opening in the wall is the saloon. Shortly after we sat down and ordered, a rather colorful older couple came in. The waitress called out “coffee”? The wife nodded and the gent hollered back “Budweiser”. He looked over at me and shrugged his shoulders. Darn good omelet and hash browns there.

I think the best part of the trip was Louis’ Basque Corner in Reno. This place is in the old downtown area just off of Virginia Street. It was within hiking distance of our motel although we did have to walk through what might be called a questionable neighborhood and old warehouse district to get there. On the way we walked around some doubtful items in a plastic bag on the sidewalk. One of the members of our party commented that it looked like a potential bag of evidence. That kind of neighborhood. We were in numbers and sporting our leather jackets so we were good. No trouble.

Time and space is limited here so I’ll tell you more about Louis’s next week. It’s worth tuning back in for. Since I was going out there to photograph the Californio event I need to report that I did. See you downtown.

This article is reposted from a column I write every week for the Montrose Daily Press.

Mary's Bar

Several years ago I was doing an art show in Santa Fe, NM. During the week or so I spent painting in the area, I came across the little village of Cerrillos just south of Santa Fe. It’s on the beginning of the Turquoise Trail, so named for all of the turquoise mined in the area.

Cerrillos is a very quaint, little village typical of the Southwest. Heavy Mexican influence in the adobe architecture, iron and or wooden gates in the adobe walls, the requisite Catholic Church, a few artist’s studios, dirt streets and a really cool “old town” district which comprises all of two blocks. Not too many of the places are open anymore except for a couple of antique stores and an old bar. The old buildings and town have been used in several movies however, “Young Guns” and “Vampires” to name a couple of the more recent ones. I did a nice watercolor of what used to have been the old Wortley Hotel.

One of the more interesting “establishments” in town is Mary’s Bar. It is located right on the corner of Main and 1st Street. Mary’s is still open to the public…you might say. Although I’ve been back to Cerrillos several times over the last couple of years, and even did a painting of the building, I’ve never ventured into Mary’s Bar. This time my traveling companions and I decided to check it out.

We pulled our Harley’s up and parked them against the low adobe wall in front. From the outside, Mary’s doesn’t look like much. In fact most people, other than the locals, probably wouldn’t bother going inside. It didn’t even look like it was open. Cautiously we opened the door and peeked inside. There was an old lady sitting at a table right up front. Tim asked her if they were open and she replied, “I’m here aren’t I?” We filed in.

The room was dimly lit, even for a bar and the house keeping was…well let’s just say a bit lacking. A black and white cat walked down the length of the bar to greet us. I asked the lady, “Are you Mary?” “Last time I checked!” she replied. We ordered a couple of beers, petted the cats and chatted with Mary. She’s 95 years old, born in Cerrillos and quite the character. We had a fabulous time listening to her recant her life experiences. Several times she mentioned that she was mad at God because he wouldn’t take her yet.

If you make it down there, don’t expect too much. As Mary repeatedly said, “If you don’t like it, the door swings both ways and you are welcome to leave.”

Here's Sister-in-Law Donna chatting it up with Mary. She was a real hoot.

Kathy and I toasting a cold one to my sister Mary.

Hmmm...he seems to like that.

Yea, OK. I'll be your buddy. You're welcome.

We'll probably be checking back in at Mary's Bar whenever we're down that way. That stop made our trip. Good times. If you do a search for "Mary's Bar, Cerrillos, NM" on google you'll find several YouTube videos and other sites with comments by those who have stopped in. Check it out.