Adios to a Legend

James Arness passed away in his sleep this morning at the age of 88. He will always be Marshall Matt Dillon to me - a tall man (6 foot 6 inches), who was always on the side of right and justice, but who would meet action with action, if need be. For me, he was another John Wayne. Of course, when the iconic series Gunsmoke was first envisioned, the folks wanted John Wayne to take the roll of the Marshall. Wayne turned them down, but recommended his friend James Arness. Arness didn't want to get typecast, but agreed to take the role. He portrayed Matt Dillon from 1955 to 1975 - and then went on to make The Macahans, How the West was Won, and several Matt Dillon TV-movies. His brother, Peter Graves, passed away in March of 2010. In the opening credits for Gunsmoke, one sees the back of Marshall Dillon going out into the street to face down a gunslinger - it is not James Arness. The real Arness was wounded in the leg at Anzio, and had a distinct limp. The shows producers decided to have Mr. Arness' stunt double stand in for the star in the intro. They were flabbergasted when they saw the film run at the end of the day - the stunt double had limped, just like Arness! They had to re-film and told the double to "walk naturally, not like Jim." I shall miss James Arness. (And now I have to find out just who, of my old favorite western actors, are still with us.)
I spoke without thinking yesterday, and now Nedi and Lovey and I shall have a new roommate for 2 weeks. Her name is Mocha, and she is a spayed Himalayan. Coffeepot, a friend of mine, has been evicted (after 47 years of renting the same property), as the property was sold to new owners, and they are going to re-develop it. As soon as Coffeepot finds a place for himself, he'll take Mocha back to live with him. - And since we have a confirmed case of bubonic plague in a pet cat here in Boulder, my kits are now grounded. I hope that Mocha, "the Zen cat", and my kits get along! .... Brandi's folks will return late tomorrow evening, but I'll spend the night with Ooch and then return home. Ooch's mom will return Sunday afternoon. Rosie and Remy were very well-behaved once we got out of the house this morning, but as soon as I arrived, Remy started barking and wouldn't be quiet until we went out the door.
Next week, the filly counterpart of the Belmont Stakes, the Acorn, will be run on the same day as the Belmont. It looks as though Animal Kingdom, Shackleford, Mucho Macho Man, Nehro and about 6 other colts will be in the field for the third leg of the Triple Crown. .... And the veterinarians for Uncle Mo, last year's 2-year-old star who scratched the day before the Derby (as the betting favorite, no less), have finally decided what's wrong with the colt. He has been diagnosed with cholangiohepatitis, which, according to the Merck Veterinary Manual, is a “severe inflammation of the bile passages and adjacent liver, which sporadically causes hepatic failure in horses." This was the final conclusion after a liver and lymph node biopsy had been performed. The owners hope that the colt will return to training in the fall. .... And the cause of death for Michael Baze has been released from the Kentucky Coroner's Office today - an "accidental overdose of cocaine and oxymorphone." When will people learn that recreational drugs can, and will, kill?