Great old reference book for places in California that make good settings for historical Westerns: Historical Spots in California, Hoover and Rensch, Stanford University Press, one volume edition 1948

I spoke too soon re. Parker's PALE KINGS AND PRINCES: He goes off track half way thru and has chapter-long chats with his brilliant, beautiful shrink girlfriend Susan. Then comes his super-dude pal Hawk and a detailed description of the man's stylish apparel. Warning to newbies: Parker can get away with this. You can't.

We saw the comet last night: a tiny unwinking star by the moon. My granddaughter and I saw it from beneath our Chinese-lantern tree. Reminded me of Kipling's poem "The Moon of Other Days." I think the moon and stars and planets are an interesting part of a story's scenic background.

They say shoot a charging grizzly in the shoulder or the nose (it's in line with the heart and lungs). Standing up, aim for the heart. And you better have serious caliber ammo.   :)

That beautiful scene is in the Alabama Hills, Lone Pine CA. Gunga Din was one of hundreds of movies made there. A favorite setting for many Hopalong Cassidy films. Some of the most striking scenery in California, but unknown to many Californians. An area filled with frontier history.

Old timers around Elizabeth Lake said it wasn't the monster in the lake that took all the cattle. It was just plain old grizzly bears and cougars. Plus Vasquez and his gang didn't mind a nice steak supper once in a while.

The Old Stage Route

Took a drive down El Camino Viejo thru San Francisquito Valley, part of the old Spanish trail from Los Angeles to San Francisco. Later on it was the stage route that went to Fort Tejon and Willow Springs, etc.. Includes beautiful oak grove on the south side of the crest of the Sierra Pelona mountains. Interesting variety of geological formations, and places where you can follow the original stage coach route, as traveled on by Deputy Cal MacLamond and company in upcoming Western (which can be read as sequel to AMARGOSA AMBUSH, or as separate story). Checked out the site of Major Gordon's stage station.