Homage to Family - Sort of

Tino Luciano aka Doc Holliday from Tombstone Legends

Members of the Tombstone Legends have been live on the stage, filmed a television series, and even full length movie. So, when J and L decided to meet this talented group of actors and dear friends at Mountain View Cemetery in San Bernardino, California recently, it was an event which the two intrepid explorers knew must be made to fit into their habitually busy schedule.

As members of the Legends, the theatrical group who revisit the days when Tombstone, Arizona Territory, reached its height in fame or infamy depending on your point of view, or more precisely the late Fall and Winter months of 1881 and 1882. We try to keep the spirit of the old west alive. The time when men were men and they lived by a more chivalrous code. Well, for the most part. A time when the gentlemen and ladies truly did wear the latest in Paris fashions in the dust and heat of the Sonoran desert. Ah, but a figure they cut. And, yes, this is the era of the most famous gunfight in the 'old west' even though it lasted only about thirty seconds.

Tombstone Legends meet a few of their namesakes 

Wyatt Earp and Ike Clanton (actually three Earps, Doc Holiday, two Clantons and two McClaurys ) met not far from the OK Corral for a duel. Almost mano y mano except there were a lot more than two men facing each other. There were a couple who ran away from the fight before it started (not on the Earp side) and even Ike Clanton decided once the bullets started flying that it was in his best interest to skedaddle. He lived through that gunfight but ironically was gunned down and killed two years later by another law officer (Jonas L. Brighton) when he refused to surrender after a robbery and thought a horse could out run a bullet.

Obviously Ike never bothered to study physics. 

Back to the topic - the Legends were invited to the event by well known historian and author Nick Cataldo of the San Bernardino County Sun Newspaper. What event? The first annual (love saying that since it's the first) stroll through a cemetery that definitely is a piece of local historical value and what better narrator to lead over one hundred visitors than Mr. Cataldo. He is probably the utmost authority of history in San Bernadino and that is one large county in the United States to know as much as he does.

One of the points J and L always tries to stress is to go and investigate what is near a person's own backyard. There are so many wonderful and exciting venues, historical sites, and just plain interesting places to visit that one does not need to be a jet setter and explore the word for excitement and insight. Just take a few moments and do some local research and that very researcher will find enough items to last a life time to dig into.

The good, the bad, and Behan

So, again why visit a cemetery?

Because that's where the stories are of who was here long ago and not so long ago.

The Legends have never let the remembrance of that gunfight go to the wayside. That fateful and  controversial afternoon of October 26 of 1881 was and is still one of the most defining moments of western lore - good or bad. The troupe decided this event was for them and there was no way they were going to miss it.

Where's this going?

Simple fact - James Earp was the older brother of both Virgil, Wyatt and Morgan  Earp who worked in a saloon in Tombstone on the day of the tragic shoot-out but was not personally involved in that or the vendetta that Wyatt pursued after the younger brother, Morgan, was murdered while playing billiards in March of 1882. James passed away of natural causes in 1926 and is buried at Mountain View Cemetery.

A quiet moment

Alvira Packingham Sullivan Earp (Allie) is also interred at the same cemetery close to where James lays in rest - she is the long time common-law wife of Virgil Earp who moved to Colton, California in early 1882 (after Morgan's murder) to recuperate from his nearly fatal own assassination attempt back in December of 1881 in Tombstone. He recovered but never regained the full use of his left arm for the remainder of his life.

Paying respects

Hmmm - who pulled off the attempted murder of Virgil and the successful murder of Morgan? It's pretty well known the Clanton's (especially Ike) were behind the bloodshed but no one was held responsible and the crimes went 'unsolved'. CSI wasn't around just yet.

So the Legends paid their respects to the Earp family members but still stayed with the crowd as Nick Cataldo spoke about various important people from the past who were residing within the gated cemetery. The list is long so only two will be mentioned here but if the reader is interested in the rest please refer to the cemetery or the articles well written by Mr. Cataldo in the newspaper.

Randy Rhoads: gone but not forgotten

Consider carefully your mode of travel

Sunny Sue Johnson was an actress who appeared in both Flashdance and National Lampoon's Animal House just to name a coupe of her credits. One of the saddest mausoleums was erected by the family of Randy Rhoads who died in a plane crash in 1982 at the age of 26. He was the lead guitarist for  Ozzy Osbourne after leaving Quiet Riot in 1980. He was on the way to eclipse Jimmy Hendrix as the best guitarist known (according to the records kept at that time) but since he died at a young age as did Hendrix those competition results will only be known by the angels. Rhoads, according to Osbourne at the time was going to give up the rock and roll life and finish his Master's Degree in Classical Music to become a full time music teacher. He believed the life led by most rock and rollers (he didn't drink much, do drugs or smoke) was not to his liking with his Christian upbringing. An errant joy ride in an ill gotten airplane by the band's bus driver ended his and many of his faithful followers future.

What one can learn visiting a graveyard! More than you would expect - go visit, read and mainly enjoy the art of exploring.

It's fascinating what you learn only a few dozen miles from your abode.

Conch

Always good to advertise

When in Rome do as the Romans do, but since we were not currently in the Italian capital we decided to attend the weekly Island Fish Fry in the Turks and Caicos - more specifically on the island of Providenciales. Provo, as the locals refer to this island, is the best known of the forty cays (pronounced keys) and islands which make up this tropical paradise. The majority of the tiny nation's 30,000 plus residents reside on Provo with the rest of the islands a much smaller number living in residence. The majority of the cays and islands having no one living on them full time. Anyone want a deserted island?

Then this would be the region to visit. Provo is also the hub of the tourist industry boasting well over 200,000 tourists per year who come to soak up the incredible warmth of the sun while basking on pearl white beaches overlooking the most clear and aqua colored waters in the British West Indies.

Miles of this with no one around!

True, the cruise lines arrive on Grand Turk, part of the Turks Islands, but if the visitor doesn't take some time to visit Providenciales or one of the other islands which make up the Caicos side of the chain,  then they have missed out on unbelievable beauty.

Falling in love with a location is quick and true once the vistas are taken in among the palm lined roads and walkways. Spectacular weather, clean environment and extremely friendly people make one want to drop anchor and call these islands home - and home we felt.

Home - yep.

We arrived on Thursday and Thursday evenings from 5:30 to 9:30 p.m. is the local fish fry at Bight (Children's) Park on Bight Beach where dozens of local restaurants erect easy-ups and start cooking their favorite dishes for the visitors to taste. And tourists are equal in number or may fall in comparison to the local population who come out every week for this gastronomical experience. It's an evening of awesome sea food, plenty of healthy drinks (both with and without spirits), dancing to live music, and just visiting with new found friends.

Dancing and Singing

 All beneath the Caribbean sky!

Eateries like: 'Smokey's on da Bay', Kay Jo's', 'Bugallo's Conch Crawl', 'Doreen's Place', and 'Froggies' on da Beach' are just a number of restaurants which come out to allow the public the chance to sample their marvelous cuisine.

That's a bbq.

Nice Menu

Booth to booth, J and L walked tasting this and that and soon to repeat the circuit again.

Tuna, marlin, groupers, and bonefish were cooking over coals, gas rings, and bbq's just waiting to be eaten. Rice, beans, coleslaw, chowder, various salads and anything else to make a mouth water was there as well to make the meal complete for the adventurer. Washing all this delicious food was the local favorite Rum Punch or perhaps a cold Turks Head Island Drought. The entire combination of the food fest made the evening that more magical and enjoyable.

One of our favorite dishes was conch (pronounced konk). We had it fried, sauteed, and battered. We couldn't wait to nimble on more but soon we learned what it was and what it looked like when it was alive. The following morning watching a local news station we witnessed the harvesting of conch and  began to have second thoughts about partaking in that delicacy again.

Yummy but not so pretty

Conch is a sea snail - a big hideous slug like animal which happens to make its abode within one of the prettiest shells on earth.

Now, that's beautiful

Biology is funny that way.

So, we visited, we met, we tasted, we explored and all we could come up with was we need to come back for more of everything but the conch.

Well, it was tasty so . . . .

In all of J and L's travels the Turks and Caicos was one of the friendliest and most beautiful locales we have had the fortune to encounter. Not much frantic night life but as one sits viewing the sunset in the West Indies enjoying a glass of their favorite drink the night life is right in front of them. A sky full of stars and the company of a loved one.

That is paradise - truly.

Books and Beats

Sometimes you meet the most interesting people close to home. No need to explore thousands of miles away from the known to make a friend but simply hold out your hand for a firm and pleasant shake.

J and L love traveling to exotic locales and sharing those adventures on a regular basis but sometimes the treasure are much closer. Over the summer we had a chance to re-meet (if there's such a term) Randy Jordan. A fellow teacher we both had known for years but more in a passing professional manner.

Amazon - Exotic?

 "Hey, how ya doing?"

"Good and you?"

Off to the classroom to teach never really hearing the replies not out of rudeness but simply everyone is so busy in their lives there's time for quick niceties but the sand doesn't hold still for in-depth discussions.

But the end of summer 2014 was a bit different since we attended an in-service concerning Sean Covey's, 'The 7 Habits of  Highly Effective Teens' at Lakeview Leadership Academy. A great eyeopening training as well as a chance to really 'meet' our peers on a much deeper personal level.

That chance led J and L into finding out Randy was a drummer in a local band, Tango Kilo. John used to play bass guitar in a garage band in high school but claims it was really a garbage band. Intentions were good but the sound was trash - his words.

As fate would have it John had a book signing for his novel, 'Soft Target' (published by Black Opal Books) on Sept. 13th at a local and very popular bookstore in Hesperia, California.  'Hi Desert Book Oasis'. The owner, Donna Penman (awesome name for a book store owner) used Saturdays during the summer as a venue for local authors to meet the public and explain why they chose to be writers. Most don't know why but simply the keyboard is calling and there are stories to be told - so be told they are. After the signings the nicely appointed exterior patio which resembles an early mission architecture is turned into a stage for local bands to play to the crowds of music lovers. Thus Donna created: 'Books and Beats' - rather clever really and a big draw during the warm months in Southern California.

Great idea - signing and band playing

So, one plus one equals two and soon John would be signing books and Tango Kilo would light up the evening skies with their unique and solely original sounds.

Tango Kilo greeting the sunset with their unique sounds

  John entertained readers with tales of inspiration for both his novels within the interior of the bookstore and later the members of Tango Kilo finished the night with heart pounding sounds that when they ended at nine left the audience wanting more. But nine it was and the concert and signing was over.

Moral of the story - smile, shake a hand, truly listen to the other person, and the next adventure could be in your very own backyard.

It happens as it did this hot September night. 

 

J and L with members of Tango Kilo

We want to send out our special thanks to a few new found friends:

Donna Penman - owner and gracious host from Hi Desert Book Oasis.
hidesertbookoasis.net

Patty Thayer - fellow teacher and 'volunteer' at Hi Desert Book Oasis (rather funny lady also).

The band - Tango Kilo - Randy Jordan, Robby Kauffman, Jeremy Lacey, David Mancha
 www.reverbnation.com/tangokilo

 Of course, Paul Bakas who is the photographer/videographer and close friend.

 And all those supported the book signing - if it wasn't for the readers there would be no need to write.

A few random photographs to show the fun had by all and if you were missed you were not intentionally missed and a heartfelt thanks from this writer to his friends and supporters.

Brandon Cruz loving those titles

Amy Stampe - must be an exciting part

Dr. Gary Wilkins with J - good friend

Erica Beyer, first autograph of the evening

Jessica and Justin Barr, coffee and books

Scarlett Rose enjoying the band

Randy Jordan thrilled by his purchase

Angie Douglas and family

Paul Bakas with Chuck and Karlene Russell

Mellisa Hays enjoying a good laugh

The author pontificating

A writer must write when the moment strikes!