I
write historical romances….westerns mostly (‘cause ya gotta love the man in the
white hat!) and I love all things associated with researching what life was
like back in the late 1800’s in Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado and Texas. Old
armoires, galvanized washboards, brass beds and houses that were built before
1900 are the things that excite me. Kitchen equipment and utensils, photographs
(where no one seemed to smile), and diaries of the women who lived during these
times fascinate me. I know. I’m weird, but I love that stuff! Can’t get enough
of it!
This past weekend, my DH and I were
invited to a party to help celebrate the 90th birthday of a dear
friend (she’s a beautiful lady and the sweetest thing on two feet….love her to
pieces). The party was held outside Phoenix city limits (yep, it was a fer
piece for us to get there but I digress) on
property that had stunning views of the desert, the mountains in the near
distance, and the dazzling sky which seemed to go on forever. The party was
wonderful, filled with family and friends and fantastic food!
There were horses there, too. And
donkeys, goats, a pig and even a llama (be careful, he spits!) but the best
part? I got to see a horse drawn limousine (painted white, it could seat eight
people on red velvet bench seats….can you imagine?) and a hearse (beautifully
decorated with gold filigree), but my favorite thing? An authentic 1880’s chuck
wagon in good working condition (the woman who owns it actually uses it for historical events)! I kid you not! I had never seen one in person
before (but of course, you know I researched it and saw pictures). Unfortunately,
I wasn’t able to take pictures of these fantastic conveyances of times past,
but they’re very much alive in my memory and really got my creative juices
flowing.
Can’t wait to incorporate these vehicles into my
next story!
As
always, happy reading!
Marie
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