Working on

12 AUG 2018

Traveling seems to be the theme for today. "So come along boys (and girls) and listen to my tale..."

I'm back at my main gig, so there's more traveling there as I drive to and from work. Had to fill up the old gas tank. That was more painful than usual. Hadn't filled up in a few months and the price of gas was up, though not as much as back in California from what I hear. 

Then as I surveyed work stuff I stumbled across a few things I did not know. Traveling fits in here as well for I was researching the Chisholm Trail. For those that don't know, listen to the song here by Woody Guthrie and get your cowboy on. One thing I learned was the word Buckaroo is supposed to be a corruption of the Spanish word Vaquero. It's interesting to see what comes from the pairing of two languages. The list below details some of the English/Spanish crossovers in and around Texas and Kansas. It's from educational material available here: 

Bandanna (Bandana) – cheap scarf printed with bright red dye used to protect the cowboy’s face from sun, wind, and dust. 

Bronco – an untrained horse; means “wild” in Spanish 

Buckaroo (Vaquero) – another name for cowboy 

Cinch (Cincha) – a wide strap used to hold the saddle on a horse 

Chaps (Chaparreras) – Leg coverings worn by cowboys to protect them from rough brush and keep them warm in cold weather 

Corral – fenced area for horses, cattle, and other animals; means “playpen” in Spanish 

Lariat (La Riata) – cowboy’s rope; also known as a lasso 

Ranch (Rancha) – a farm for horses, cattle, and other livestock 

Stampede (Estampida) – horses and cattle run after getting scared 

Stirrup (El Estribo) – a foot rest on the saddle 

Spur (La Espeula) – metal wheel worn on the back of the boot to get horses to run faster 

Outlaw – name for a criminal during the 1800s. Literally means someone outside the law, not just a criminal. 

Revolver – a pistol holding several shots in a revolving chamber; means “to spin” in Spanish 

Rodeo – a competition of cowboy skills; means “cattle market” in Spanish

In writing, I'm working on a piece about a pretty 'bright' guy exploring an unknown area, unknown at least to him, and the native gal who just happens along and tries to keep him from getting killed. Fair bit of traveling in the story so far, well, running and chasing actually, but they do cover some serious ground. The quotes up there are an inside joke, and if you've read the shared piece posted so far you'll get my meaning.

Lastly, at least for this Sunday morning, The National Book Festival is coming up September 1st. There is a wonderful poster done for this year by a great artist. And wouldn't you know it, but there is someone traveling on the poster! Now the only thing I need to make this day perfect is a picture of a cowboy in a hot air balloon! "Come a yi-yi-yippee come a yi-yi-yay..."


The picture for today is from the poster for the 2018 National Book Festival. An additional picture by the same artist is below. 

The poster above was created for the 2018 National Book Festival by illustrator Gaby D'Alessandro. She is a Dominican illustrator based in New York City. She studied Fine Art and Illustration at Altos de Chavón and was awarded a scholarship to Parsons School of Design, where she received a BFA in Illustration. Her clients include The American Museum of Natural History, The New York Times, NPR, Smithsonian Magazine, The National Audubon Society and The Botanical Garden of Padua. Her work has been recognized by American Illustration, Communication Arts, 3x3 Magazine and Latin American Ilustración.

National Book Festival(full poster can be found here)

This picture actually inspired me to start work on a picture of my youngest daughter, who loves the stars. It's really rough, but you get the idea. Can't wait to see what she does with her future.