AND THE GRAND ADVENTURE CONTINUES
There are times when I wonder if this thing we call life on planet earth is a grand adventure, a merry go round, a circus, or a dizzying blend of all of the above. Counted among the few things I am sure of is it is never boring.
As with most folks it is my weekends that are the most interesting. Still, the hope is this weekend will be a bit less hectic that the last one that went went something like this.
Friday morning I received a note from the editor at Voyageur Press that there were some questions regarding directions to a couple of the ghost towns in my latest book, Ghost Towns of the Southwest. As the scheduled date for publication is fast approaching the request was that, if possible, these be resolved before that evening.
The office was steady but not rushed. With the exception of a tire problem on a trailer and follow on a piece of stolen equipment it was business as usual – reservations, authorization of repairs, and resolving the myriad of issues and questions customers have pertaining to renting a truck for relocation or moving into the area.
That evening after dinner with my dearest friend I picked up my mothers groceries. Then I dug out the maps and notes to resolve the direction questions.
Saturday is a half day at the office and in this instance was a repeat of Friday. After closing at noon I opened the glass topped shadow box that serves as my front counter and created a new display. This time I included the 1919 Arizona license plate found years ago in a pack rats nest that I attached to a set of circa 1930 Pierce-Arrow tail lights, a copy of the Good House Keeping published “Handbook for the Woman Driver”, a brochure for the 1954 Corvette, another for the 1936 REO trucks, and another for the 1945 Chevrolet truck.
I topped it off with a wide array of other vintage automotive promotional material, a handful of post cards, and things such as a 1939 calendar for a station in Winslow that had a Route 66 address. When ever I change this display I always include my 1926 Kelly Blue Book and 1948 NADA book turned to a random page.
This display is at the center piece of my office/museum/unofficial visitor center. The walls are festooned with hub caps and grills as well as shelves with hood ornaments and oil cans. Promotional material for attractions along Route 66 and copies of my books round out the eclectic collection.
By Saturday afternoon the morning breeze had become a gale with sheets of wind whipped sand stinging the face. I accepted this excuse for avoiding needed repairs outside and instead turned towards cleaning off the desk and organizing the office in preparation for the next project, a book profiling the ghost towns of Route 66.
Saturday evening I devoted to time with my dearest friend and books. The classic Route 66 guide written by Jack Rittenhouse and the EZ Guide by Jerry McClanahan are two corner posts for my studies on Route 66 ghost towns. For pleasure reading I have been thumbing through a collection of poems by Robert Service.
The wind continued through the evening and picked up in intensity by Sunday morning. So, the day was spent with my dearest friend and deep into compiling requested contact lists for promotion of Ghost Towns of the Southwest.
This weekend holds the promise of adventure. Topping the list with be photography on an original alignment of Route 66 in the canyons near Gold Road. Hopefully that post will make up for this long winded, dry tome penned in response to questions on how I spend the weekend.