Ghost towns. If this weekend were to have a theme it would be ghost towns. The final edit for Ghost Towns of the Southwest is finished. Now its on to the captions and the selection of the cover photo or photos. These are a few that I thought would work well. What is your opinion?
The ghost town theme continues with the writing of an obituary for Checker, the iconic taxi manufacturing company, that will be published in Cars & Parts magazine. The factory and its subsidiary complexes closed July 1 and a large percentage of the machinery as well as related components are on their way to the new owners in Canada.
If time allows I can continue the theme of abandonment by penning a story on the demise of the American auto industry as a special, multi part feature for the on line edition of the Kingman Daily Miner. This will be a difficult story to write as I feel like an old friend has died.
The ghost town theme continued with the marketing of the two new print series. This photo of a cabin in Chloride is the first in the ghost town series. It is 11 x 14 but is matted to 16 x 20.
The ghost town theme continues with the writing of an obituary for Checker, the iconic taxi manufacturing company, that will be published in Cars & Parts magazine. The factory and its subsidiary complexes closed July 1 and a large percentage of the machinery as well as related components are on their way to the new owners in Canada.
If time allows I can continue the theme of abandonment by penning a story on the demise of the American auto industry as a special, multi part feature for the on line edition of the Kingman Daily Miner. This will be a difficult story to write as I feel like an old friend has died.
The ghost town theme continued with the marketing of the two new print series. This photo of a cabin in Chloride is the first in the ghost town series. It is 11 x 14 but is matted to 16 x 20. These as well as the icons of Route 66 series will be limited to production runs of 100 each. As an introduction to the series the cost for a signed and numbered print will be $110. Ten percent of the sale price will be donated to the Route 66 Association of Kingman for the “Light the Night on Route 66” initiative to restore the glow of vintage neon to the historic district along the old double six.
To brighten the mood a bit I moved from the topic of ghost towns and granted an in depth interview to the Kingman Daily Miner this afternoon with the focus being my optimism for Kingman becoming a vacation destination. Of course a topic of this nature would have to include Route 66 as it is the catalyst for this transformation.
I also noted that efforts to develop Kingman as a destination will have a positive effect on making the community a better place to live. In short I noted my preference is Kingman as it was forty years ago but since that isn’t going to happen we move on to plan “B” which is do everything possible to ensure it remains a very livable place.
Old trucks, old Kingman, ghost towns, and Route 66 are all a large part of my life. Still, I fully realize you can not live in the past. To be honest, I wouldn’t want to.
This is the best of both worlds. We can enjoy the things of the past and the creature comforts of the modern era.
In regards to Kingman my thinking is you can’t live in the past but you can use it as a foundation for building a great future. Part two of this philosophy, suitable for a number of life applications, is you can bemoan missed opportunity and miss new opportunities while whining or you can learn from the mistakes of the past to avoid making them again.
Monday, part two of my official day off will be a busy but enjoyable one. First, there are the writing projects and repair of mother’s vacuum cleaner.
Then there is a meeting with Jim Conkle to finalize book signing arrangements in Flagstaff during the Will Rogers/Route 66 event in September. I will also be finalizing editorial requirements and deadlines for submissions to the Route 66 Pulse.
Next is another meeting, this one with Scott Dunton. The goal here is to relight a vintage neon clock over the old taxi stand and refurbishment and expansion of the Harley Davidson themed mural and exhibit downtown on Route 66. Iconic motorcycles and an iconic highway, a perfect combination.
Monday, part two of my official day off will be a busy but enjoyable one. First, there are the writing projects and repair of mother’s vacuum cleaner.
Then there is a meeting with Jim Conkle to finalize book signing arrangements in Flagstaff during the Will Rogers/Route 66 event in September. I will also be finalizing editorial requirements and deadlines for submissions to the Route 66 Pulse.
Next is another meeting, this one with Scott Dunton. The goal here is to relight a vintage neon clock over the old taxi stand and refurbishment and expansion of the Harley Davidson themed mural and exhibit downtown on Route 66. Iconic motorcycles and an iconic highway, a perfect combination.
Then there is a little planning work for the Chillin’ on Beale Street scheduled for next Saturday evening. The July even will better than the first as we have worked out a few bugs and the August edition will be really something, especially if plans jell.
Last but definitely not least, will be an afternoon late lunch or early dinner date with my dearest friend. The Vestar people were so happy with the photos submitted for their website they are buying us dinner as a bonus.
It looks as though the ghost town trail will a lengthy one. Ghost Towns of the Southwest will need to be promoted soon, Ghost Towns of Route 66 is on the drawing board, and there is still a trip to Crown King on the old Senator Highway that needs to be taken.
