I slept in the van last night. Except for the high winds, I had a good sleep. Staring out the back windows, they became a surreal canvas of swaying trees in the gusty night. Then I had lovely visions of my booth and all my art going up like in the Wizard of Oz (I am in Kansas City after all…). And I had a shower at my fitness club, so all is good. Because of the recent break-ins in my van, my side door is unable to lock properly for now, so I’ve left my camera behind, which is too bad. Kansas City has an incredible neighborhood called the West Bottoms. This should be a destination for all who love urban decay. It is like a city apart from the city - a huge labyrinth of old run down turn of the century industrial buildings, many of them vacant.

 Okay, my BIG news is that Habitat for Humanity wants to do a book of my Alley series!!! I don’t know yet the format the book will take, but the project got a green light from the board of directors who loved my body of work and the inspiration behind it. They are finishing up a book by President Jimmy Carter (Habitat’s most famous proponent), and mine will be next in line!

Habitat for Humanity has been around since 1976, building simple homes for qualified families around the world. Habitat houses, built by volunteers, are sheltering one million people worldwide! I’ve been a supporter of Habitat for some time and have donated artwork to its fundraisers.

Kansas City Bottoms: