Six family members went from the St. George area and two nieces, Cheryl and Colette, have reported already that the trip was worth their time and really enjoyed it. In fact both nieces are thinking of a performance date for the play in St. George at some future date, as since it is focused on Raymond's relationship with his dad, and his disasppearance, people who know about the search and rescue efforts that went on for some months would be interested. One said she knew what she was going to give her dad for Father's day when it will be playing in Boulder, a ticket to the performance of Bohemian Cowboy!
The ranch featured in the painting above was in the King family for years since it was homesteaded by my grandfather. Raymond's dad and I lived here a couple of years when Raymond was just a baby. My aunt Neta who also spent summers there when she was a girl painted the picture as she remembered it was when the log house was first built. I also lived on this ranch from the age of 5 until I was 8 We left a couple of winters in the coldest months, but I remember walking over the hill from the school bus always a little nervous for fear coyotes might harm me. The coyotes always howled at night but I am glad to report that they never attacked humans. I also kept my eye out for any rattlesnakes that might slither by as they would appear now and then. But mostly we saw big yellow blow snakes that would even crawl up the logs for birds nests built under the roof.
Aunt Neta paints the picture from the vantage point of a high hill in the center of the ranch which I thought of as belonging to us kids. We used to build slate rock houses there, and we wrote on the slate rock with rock pens. I always felt I was very close to the wilds when we lived in Salt Gulch.
