First Off . . .

This is the first blog of the site, and so should be very important.   Right? In truth, I'm simply blogging at the moment as part of my quest to fully flesh out this "house of words and pictures" that will hopefully paint a colorful and intriguing portrait of an Old West family--appropriately named the Wests.  These stories have their roots in a mutual childhood--one that began in Montana, traveled to Virginia, and finally settled in the "podunk" town of Shelley, Idaho.  Two boys were introduced to a remarkable series of western-themed toys--the Johnny West pantheon, the action figures of their time--when they received them as Christmas gifts.  Now, with both of us in our fifties, so many changes have occurred since those innocent, enchanted days that it seems a form of metaphysical hurricane.

But one thing  remains sure and true:  Neither of us has forgotten the magic of "playing West.  And so, when other creative voices call (for me the realms of fantasy and murder mystery, for Kirby the modern police story and a plethora of non-West westerns) I believe that although it's distant now that old voice, the one that wove its timeless spell, will always chant to us across the years.  We owe a debt to these characters, in a way that's hard to define.  Perhaps it's as simple as to say, "Be loyal to the best of your past, and it will sweeten your present, as well as paving a meaningful road into the future."

All I know is that these tales of the West clan continue to claim my attention, although I've often drifted away from them in my life.  And so, let's drink a toast of old ambrosia to the old-fashioned but nonetheless true idea that honor and justice still rule--and above all that family loyalty should always ride foremost among the many warriors who help us wage this glorious battle we call life.

Jamie L. Jonas