At this time I have two projects, both with pressing deadlines, vying for my time. So, from that reference point the photo is symbolic.

There is about to be a crash between a vintage Ford and a Corvette and I am right in the projected impact zone. The Ford is my writing career of the past sixteen years – a bit outmoded but steady and dependable with a book written about every 18 months, a feature column for Cars & Parts, and features for other publications on occasion.

The Corvette is a new era, a mid life crisis if you will. The farm and the old truck will still be an important part of my life but for now its top down, pedal to the metal, down the highway.

I have accepted the contract for Ghost Towns of Route 66 with a deadline for completion of less than one year. The delayed final edit for Ghost Towns of the Southwest will be in my hands next week with seven days allotted for completion.

I have finally attracted the attention of a New York City agent. The problem here is he needs a complete outline, sample chapter, biography, compilation of previously published work, and extensive folio of published photography to submit to a publisher interested in retaining me for a project. The hitch here is this will be needed in ten days or less.

So, now we have the opportunity to take this to the big leagues, or at least another rung up the ladder. This is also the latest in a series of events that are leading toward expansion of our artistic endeavors – photography.

I am a bit new at this but my wife has a passion for photography that stretches back to high school and beyond. Her talented work appears on this blog rather often.

Well, to make a long story longer, I have sold a few photos as illustrations that accompany features written for various magazines. The bottom photo on my last book, Backroads of Route 66, was another venture into the world of professional photography.

Then in May everything went into high gear. First, a framed print of the Route 66 Backroads cover shot, donated as a fund raiser to the Route 66 Association of Kingman sold surprisingly well.

Next, our work was selected as the center piece for a month long Route 66 exhibit at Beale Street Brews and Gallery. This has led to numerous requests for prints which in turn has led to consideration of offering a limited edition, numbered and signed series of prints profiling ghost towns we have visited. To that end we will be on the road to Flagstaff, via Route 66, next week to discuss this with a publisher and printer.

Then there are the commercial requests. One, to supply material to head a major international corporate websites pages has been approved and work is underway.

The second for a real estate promotional site is pending. Last but not least we have been selected to provide a large percentage of text and photos for the forthcoming Route 66 Association of Kingman website.

The Route 66 shield in this photo is also symbolic. That old highway hangs over our head in all we do. Sometimes it offers welcome shade and other times it seems as though it is about to fall on us.

For those aspiring writers who are curious about how much all of this pays let me say I still have a full time job. Still, there is always that promise of the big strike that keeps us trudging from one hill to the next, through the desert sands, and that enables us to pour money down a very deep well where we know someday we will strike oil.

If there are any psychiatrists reading this I am sure enough material has been supplied today for a new book on abnormal psychology. If you care to share those thoughts, and I may assist as a case study, please feel free to drop a note.