I have added a 3rd photo in the gallery of the portrait that will be available at the party with the artist in attendance.

"The Town Where No One Got Off" comes to mind, as our fifteen day coast to coast to coast excursion via rail draws near. (47hrs. and counting!)

How fortunate all of you in CA are to have Mr. B as a neighbor!

quote:

Originally posted by fjp451:
"The Town Where No One Got Off" comes to mind, as our fifteen day coast to coast to coast excursion via rail draws near. (47hrs. and counting!)

How fortunate all of you in CA are to have Mr. B as a neighbor!

Being Los Angeles, it can take me anywyere from twenty minutes to an hour and a half to drive to Ray's home from mine. Even when it takes 90 minutes I never complain since I know how lucky I am...

quote:

Originally posted by fjp451:
"The Town Where No One Got Off" comes to mind, as our fifteen day coast to coast to coast excursion via rail draws near...

Whatever you do, fjp, just stay on the train until you reach your destination. No good will come of stopping in one of those small towns...

Also, beware of meeting an older version of yourself... And let's see...

Oh yes, avoid getting off in a small town in the middle of the night to shoot someone you knew as a child.

That just about covers the main Bradburyan dangers of train travel. Unless you count the transportation of evil carnival shows, of course.

Another birthday is history...and so are my feet. I'll have oodles of photos tomorrow.

Oh my God, what a day. What a trip. Worth every mile.

Doug Spaulding, you may be everywhere, but it seems that you are about 50 lbs lighter from earlier photos. What happened? Gave up eating? Or have you been unwell? Advise!

Thanks for your concern Salamander. I am perhaps 30 pounds lighter. I have taken on the gym 5-6 days a week, running 2 or 3 miles a day, and eating healthier. I'm down to 130 and a 29 waist. Too much, you say?

I thought you were looking a bit more slenderer, John!

It seems like I tried this before, and nobody could get in it, but I tested it just now with two people who don't have accounts, and they were able to see my photo album fine, so I'll try again.

This is probably more photos than you actually want to see, but it's easier for me creating one album and sharing it with many, so try to enjoy all 77 photos!

Some are of Hollywood, some Pierce Brothers Westwood, some the party, some the play, and even a couple at the ice cream soda fountain near the play where we killed a few minutes (and a couple ice cream sodas) before the play started. Running close to curtain time, we rushed back, me with a half-drunk soda. When Ray saw us enter the theatre with my soda in hand, he called out from the stage "did you bring that for me?" I called back, "do you want a sip?"

In case you're wondering, the young lady is my friend who went with me.

Now, try this:

http://www.facebook.com/album....7387401&l=62b60fef64

Hopefully, all my comments above were not for naught.

I wasn't able to go as my wife just had a baby a couple of days before, but my co-editor Jason Brock drove down with his wife Sunni and Bill Nolan in tow.

I watched some of it on the streaming video from George Johnson's website host - togoodfortv.com - but lost the signal at a few instances. Looks like it was pretty packed at M&I. Jason sent me some photos (including one of Ray signing a copy of issue #13 of Dark Discoveries!) and it appears that even Bo Derek (who still looks quite lovely) was there!

- James
www.darkdiscoveries.com

Great to see everyone at various and sundry places last weekend! School started at UNA the day after I returned, so I have been breathlessly trying to catch up (and jump-start ...) ever since. Now I leave mid-next week for Dragon Con in Atlanta, for interviews, gatherings and encounters with more of Ray's friends and fans!

Facebook is the quickest and most user-friendly way for me to post and share photos from the trip, so follow this link and you should be able to see them. Plenty of shots from the book signing, the pleasantly mediocre Mexican lunch and the joyous night of the play, plus a couple of quick shots from my visits with 94-year-old Norman Lloyd and 99-year-old Norman Corwin.

In addition to consulting with Ray on a couple of ongoing book and theatre projects, I also attended Jeffrey Combs' magnificent one-man portrayal of Edgar Allan Poe, NEVERMORE, helmed by Stuart Gordon, the director of RE-ANIMATOR, MASTERS OF HORROR: THE BLACK CAT and stage and screen versions of Ray's THE WONDERFUL ICE CREAM SUIT. STAR TREK actors Armin Shimerman and Ethan Phillips and Teller (of Penn & ... fame) were in the audience. I also stopped by Dark Delicacies on Sunday afternoon to say hi to master macabre artist and Bradbury/Forry fan Gris Grimly, who was signing his newly (and beautifully) illustrated edition of Poe tales.

Anyway, here are some select photos from a whirlwind odyssey:

http://www.facebook.com/home.p...=101307&id=537862986

Last but not least: John King Tarpinian, you're a prince of a fellow! Bravo on all fronts, and a thousand heartfelt thanks for everything! Your efforts are greatly appreciated ...

Terry Pace
pillaroffire@bellsouth.net

"God, here and there, makes madness a calling." -- Ray Bradbury

Sundry is a good word.

Terry,

You forced me to join Facebook...but the pictures were worth it.

Here is an article from today's Stockton Record about Ray's birthday party, written by Gene Beley. He is the author of Ray Bradbury: Uncensored.

http://www.recordnet.com/apps/...304#STS=fzhi76rk.hom