We all are very busy worrying about something. Western culture mandates we worry and have fear. I saw a commercial on television implying if you didn’t go to Best Buy right away and purchase a TV with the latest up to the minute advances in technology, you might end up with no TV. What a terrifying thought, no television. And to make matters worse, there is High-Def now and it looks so cool. While driving to Las Vegas the other day, (No, not that Las Vegas. The Las Vegas in New Mexico where "Astronaut Farmer" is being filmed.), I was listening to talk radio. Why talk radio? I don’t have satellite radio in my car and it was the clearest station my antenna could receive. The people on talk radio were discussing the pending leap in gas prices. Any day now, we could be looking at five dollars a gallon, they said. After a couple of moments trying to calculate what my trip in gas was going to cost, I turned the radio off and sang a song to myself. Oh sure I was off key, but still, it felt much better than piping doom into my car. I won’t pretend not to enjoy television or the radio for that matter. I love to watch the National Geographic and History channels and I listen to National Public Radio every day. I look forward to F1 and Nascar Sundays. I admit, I have stood hypnotized in front of a bank of super sized flat screened eye dazzlers. (I probably even had my mouth open) I do have a problem with the Weather Channel adding sound effects to the hurricane report to make it seem more ominous than it actually is. I can only speak for myself, but I have been tired of the negative onslaught of the media for some time now. It is no wonder so many don’t feel good. It is sad optimism and kindness is surprising to us when it happens. Today I saw a dog riding a horse. Something about the two of them enjoying the moment inspired me to reflect on the truly important things in life like: being love, family, companionship, laughter, health and stepping softly on the earth. I was so enthused by how special living simply is, I quickly pulled out my cell, took a picture of the dog and horse, sent it to my computer and posted it on the internet to tell you about it right away.

Rhett on the set of I AM trying not to pass out from the heat, eating a heap big banana

Well okay, It's almost fall, so why am I just now making a summer entry? For those of you who know me personally, you know I have a tendency to disappear for months, sometimes years at a time. Did I hit the road again? No. (I am not counting the week in San Diego or the road trip to Sedona.) Did I stop painting again? Nope. In fact, I have never been so pleased with the paintings. So what then? In March I was cast in "Taming the Wild West" which aired on the History Channel in July. Two weeks after I left the set of "Taming", the producers of "Grains of Paradise" cast me in the co-starring role of Hilaro. "Grains" opened at the Lobo Theater in August and is currently on the Film Festival circuit. In July, I was cast in another film, "I AM", which was mentored by Christopher Coppola. "I AM" hit the screen in August as well, this time at the Kiva Auditorium. Somewhere in the mix, I completed the cover for MariJo Moore's new book, "Confessions of a Madwoman", began exhibiting at the Manitou Galleries in Santa Fe, NM and started a new series of work I call "The Prayer Paintings". So here it is September and I am just now making updates on this site and entering my summer journal message. I didn't fall off the edge of the earth the last six or seven months like I sometimes do. Instead, I have been juggling my creative endeavors and going out at dawn on my mountain bike to watch the sun come around each day. To those who made contact to see if I was still alive, thank you. I am still here.