Funky Chickens, Cowgirls Galore, Mexican Pacificos, Sons of the Pioneers & Rain Riders

[Bob Boze Bell]

April 30, 2012

   Got back into the chicken business this weekend. My neighbor, Tom Augherton, joined me on a chicken run to repopulate my empty chicken coop. Went over to Grandma Betty's on Saturday morning and retrieved Little Sheba, the squawking last survivor of my previous brood. From there we drove over to Betsy's chicken farm off Lone Mountain in Cave Creek and bought eight more chicks at $7 each and put them in the coop.



That's Little Sheba in the way back, kind of freaked out at the instant family. Once we got the chickens in the corral, I went in and got us two Pacificos, not U.S. Pacificos, but Mexican Pacificos, which are much, much smoother. Don't know why, but I'm guessing preservatives? Anyway, got the beers at Rocky Point on T. Charle's honeymoon trip:





  That evening, Ken and Lucinda Amorosano and Ken's sis Rosita (visiting from NY), joined me at the annual Desert Land Trust dinner and show at Rancho Manana. Here we are posing with a gaggle of cowgirls who were on hand to meet and greet.



Dinner was catered by Tonto Bar & Grill and it was excellent. After an auction we got a sweet treat with The Sons of the Pioneers doing a set of Western classics.





From there we motored up to Harold's Cave Creek Corral to catch Lucinda Williams. Ken almost got his head handed to him, but his sis saved his bacon. Took this photo about a minute later. By the way, remember in the 70s-80s and 90s when you weren't allowed to take any photos at a concert? Well, now with everyone armed with cell phone cameras, virtually EVERYONE is taking photos, myself included.





All in all a great night of food, fun and music.  Found a couple sky studies in the garage on Sunday and pulled them out for another run. Added three riders and a saguaro for this one I call "Rain Riders."



And here's another one, I call it "Prairie Rider":



"The test of a first-rate intelligence is the ability to hold two opposed ideas in the mind at the same time, and still retain the ability to function."

—F. Scott Fitzgerald

[Sue Cauhape]

Congratulations on your re-immersion into chicken farming. We've enjoyed our little velociraptors (and their eggs) for a little over a year now. Nice little income that's small enough not to alert the IRS. But Cogburn is getting to be a real pain ... and I've got the bruises to prove it. While he still rushing at me as I shuffle out the gate of the pen, throwing the feeder on him reminded him who can be just as mean and nasty. Someday I'm going to enjoy him as an honored guest for Sunday dinner.

[Sue Cauhape]

Love the watercolors, by the way.

[Stan H]

I really like that "Prairie Rider."

 

It could be up here on the plains of South Dakota. Is that a tornado froming in the distance?

[Bob Boze Bell]

Didn't plan on a tornado, but I love it that you see one!

[Kip Coryea]

I can remember a concert where they checked my phone to make sure I didn't have a camera on it!