Tonight for dinner we had flat bread (I used a baking stone and the convection oven), a white bean and kale spread, and roasted vegetables: red peppers, onions, beets, mushrooms, and zucchini. Are real people supposed to eat this good. Holy cow, I can't tell you. There's enough left over for another person and we ate until we were stuffed. Funniest moment of the night: Avadore's mouth stuff with the bread and spread saying, "I try more." LD loved it, too. He ate and ate and ate and ate and...

Spent a lot of time today thinking about Albion, the Western/Dark Fantasy/who knows what I've been working on either in the back of my head or actively on paper for the last, uh, almost thirteen years.

I am so slow :).

I did some book and documentary searching for some Old West stuff, and had a grand time with that. Our local library has some local history stuff that should be useful. At some point I'd like to head over to the Bannock Historical Society -- they have insane amounts of cool stuff about the area, and it's right by the Fort Hall replica, which is amazingly cool. It's also right by one of our bigger city parks' upper play ground and zoo. Such a perfect place. I have sat at the park, while Avadore has played, written and looked out at the light on the hills, the replica, and the bison grazing maybe about 100 yards away.

When I was a teenager and the concept for Albion was beginning to form in my mind, it was primarily about the MiniCassia area of Idaho (particularly Albion, which is now a ghost town), but Pocatello has moved in there, too. Pocatello is a fascinating place. Talk about character and color! There are a million stories waiting to be written -- this town could be a character itself. Below the city (including the university) are tunnels that used to be used as opium dens and gambling halls, and who knows what else. Theoretically they're all filled in now, but oh, the possibilities. For a while, the city housed the largest railroad yard west of the Mississippi, and there was a red light district, and oh... so many other things. Fascinating things. Cowboys and outlaws and famous Indians. The main cemetery alone is fascinating, as is Old Town with its hundred year old buildings and mansions.

So I continue to work and think, ponder and plot, sucking in everything that might be useful. And Avadore loves his cowboys, so I think he'll enjoy some of the stuff that will eventually be coming home from the library.

Anyone have any great books or movies or documentaries or websites or sources on Idaho folklore, history or the Old West, feel free to drop me a line.