This is an email I received from Earl Hamner. We should all be surrounded by great spirits such as his…

Dear X,
     I have read your entire blog and i am stunned by it.  I have always felt that if one were talented it might express itself in many different fields, and now I see I am right in your case because you are a writer as well as an artist.  Of course I loved your description of our chat at my office, but I am blown away by the way you court danger for your art and also impressed by either your good fortune (being mistaken for Luis) or when your bravado saves you in the most dangerous situations.  I enjoyed meetiing you so much and want to see  you continue creating such fine pieces as I, to my astonishment, already own, that I beg you to be careful.
     I am not good at prayer, but I will try it just to see if it can keep you safe.   But you must keep your part of the bargain too and always keep someone strong with you, preferably someone who carries a gun, always with you who will come to your aid if needs be.
     Your friend,
           Earl Hamner

John Boy Walton would have loved one of these (shot during a Model T-Tour in Ontario many years ago…)

1932 Ford Model B

1933 Ford Model B