July 16th, 2010

Everyone in the world seems to be on vacation right now. I see folks drive by my place pulling their boats, campers, Ski-Dos, motorcycles, etc.. I’ve been trying to gather all the research I need to start working on the Sam Sixkiller story and everyone at the National Archives and various historical societies seems to be gone as well. I’ve never been much for vacations. After a couple of days I get bored and want to turn around and come back home. When I was a kid every summer vacation consisted of traveling back to Norborne, Missouri. We’d all load into the car from whatever army post my dad was stationed and journey to the Midwest. I loved visiting my grandparents, but was never fond of the small farm town where they lived. In truth the only thing that attracted me about the place was the boy I had fallen for when I was 6. The chance that I might see him while riding bikes with my grandmother helped me endure the painfully long car ride to Missouri. If I’d known then what would happen to my brothers and I, I would have cherished the drive. Actually, I would have tried to persuade my parents to change their course and go to the Grand Canyon instead. Maybe that would have been enough to alter the course of what was to be. Wish my family lived anywhere else but Norborne. The boy I fell for has long since gone and there are few good memories of the area to reflect on when I am there. Until I meet the book deadlines in front of me a trip to Missouri or anywhere else is out of the question. If I could go anywhere it would be Dodge City. I love the open prairie around the tough town. Outside of being in Tombstone, Arizona, I’ve never been anywhere else that make me feel like I’m really in the Old West. On this day in 1899, train robbers Sam Ketchum, Elza Lay, and Will Carver were ambushed by a posse in Turkey Creek Canyon, New Mexico and fought them all day. Three of the posse members were killed and Sam and Lay both were wounded before escaping after dark. Sam was captured a few days later.