The cover of Believing
in a Grand Thing
My
original idea for the cover of this book was a cowboy or western scene on the
front—maybe a kneeling cowboy with a cross in the background. But we see of lot of those in yards all around.
We tried a few great photos that were in public domain, but the lights just did
not come on for me.
Something
about the way the cowboys (or models) sat their horses; or the way they put their
boots in the stirrups; or the way they held the reins; or the way they wore
their hats always bothered me. Something just wasn’t right and I couldn’t
express what.
Again,
Jan came through. She asked, “Do you still have that shot of Marion on his
horse at his daddy’s grave?”
My
light came on quickly this time. I knew I still had that photo. It was taken on
the next to last day of our wagon and horseback trip across Texas that I
chronicled in Biscuits Across the
Brazos. We were almost home, coming to the end of our fourteen day, 325
mile journey when it was taken.
I saw
Marion lope ahead as we neared Shiloh Cemetery and knew where he was going.
When he stopped at his father’s grave, I pulled a throwaway camera I had bought
on the trail out of my saddlebags and took the shot. I knew it was a special
moment, but never imagined it would one day be on the cover of a book. Of
course, it is also inside Biscuits
Across the Brazos.
If you
look closely, you will see a slight hazy glow around Marion and his horse’s
back legs. Unintended, but I like that a lot. I am certain Marion would, too.
Marion’s
mom now lies beside his father and Marion is laid to rest a few feet away.
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