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Show Time passed with new adventures. Taking a river trip down the Grand Canyon, I had the great fortune to meet Jane, my future wife. A couple of years later we joined our lives and our assets and moved to Moab. This woman was filled with ideas, a woman of action. Searching about, we found that Pack Creek Ranch was for sale. With Jane’s youth, energy, perseverance, we were actually able to acquire the property. Following the purchase, Abbey and his wife, Clarke, then living bought some of the land. With their young children, Becky and Ben, Creek for a while and stayed in the leaky old "Road House." Abbey cabin adjoining the house for his writing studio. He moved in a chair, placed his typewriter on it, spread out his papers, and went to work. Often I’d walk over to the cabin, listen to see if his typewriter was if so, I’d slip away to allow his creative thoughts to flow. At times, he in the Tucson area, they moved to Pack chose the small log set up a small table, SLICKROCK. clicking away, and would come out for air, and then we’d chat over the fence line and discuss things of immense importance. The years passed quickly. We had accomplished much. Though of age, his health was rapidly deteriorating. But still he continued his in Salt Lake to autograph his new novel The Fool's Progress, Ed flew Moab airport. I met him at the bookstore where he looked tired and he was only 62 years work. On a book tour to Salt Lake from the not feeling well. After The best food right here in Often Id walk over to Abbey's cabin, listen to see if his typewriter the heart was clicking away, and if so, I'd slip away to allow his creative thoughts to flow. At times, he would come out for air. and then wed chat over the fence line and discuss things of immense importance. of Moab. a night's rest, he appeared a bit better. On our drive back to Moab, we chatted much of the time, except for the moments he napped. It was good to be with him, we chatted about lots of things. He told me, in some graphic detail, of his next book, Hayduke Lives. We had some hilarious laughs discussing the characters and subjects of the story. He seemed glad to have finished it. In Moab, I dropped him off at his car, and invited him to stay with us for the night, but he had yet another autograph party to attend to before going back home to Tucson. He really wanted to get home. After some time had passed I phoned him. Clarke answered and told me that Ed was in the hospital. She’d call me when she knew more about his condition. Abbey had been ill a number of times before, and I knew he’d bounce back. A few days went by without 5 North Main St. in Downtown Moab * (435) 259-8004 OPEN 7AM to CLOSE, SEVEN DAYS A WEEK Breakfast hearing from Clarke, but on March 14, she called. Ed had died. He was to be buried in the Lunch Dinner desert. I don’t remember what I tried to say--maybe like offering to help or some words of deep sympathy or something like that. But words failed to come. After a goodby, I put down the phone, walked down to the barn and petted and talked to my horses. Then I returned to the office and Jane joined with me. News of Abbey’s death spread rapidly across the nation. The phone rang and Jane CONTACT THE ZEPHYR VIA E MAIL @: answered. A reporter at National Public Radio wanted to interview me. I declined. Just before noon the determined reporter called once again begging for a story. By now I www.canyoncountryzephyr.com thought I could better handle myself. The public wanted to know more. The reporter asked how I felt about Abbey, and I thinkI told him of his greatness. And then he asked whether Good friend Terry Tempest Williams was at Pack Creek doing some writing on her pending classic, Refuge, a story about her own feelings and her grief with her mother’s cancerous death due to the fallout from atomic bomb testing. We talked of our friend Abbey, and her gentle supportive words greatly helped all of us through this. We wanted and needed a memorial service of some sort. And Terry was instrumental ert in bringing a number of Ed’s friends, other eminent writers, to Arches National Park. And many others came to express their thoughts in remembrance of their distinguished friend. The service helped ease some of the grief that many of us experienced. Then that night at Pack Creek Ranch, as Ed would have wished, his friends danced, and sang and partied the night away. | CANYONLANDS FILM FESTIVAL April 15: Slickrock Cinemas April 16 G 17: High Schoo! Auditorium Ser in Moab, Utah 7 to 11:30PM Advance tickets and program schedules at Music of Moab: 435.259.4405 or Moab to Monument Valley Film Commission: 259.6388 ~ $8/evening or $20/3 day pass. ooog Check our web site for program schedules: http://moab-utah.com/film/video/festival/.htm1 Ken Sleight is a regular contributor to The Zephyr. He lives at Pack Creek Ranch with his wife Jane. The June-July Issue of The Zephyr will be on newsstands Bieta Abbey had ever done some actual monkey wrenching he had written about in his novels. I mumbled something, excused myself, and hung up. Special FREE screening of the 1949 classic western "Wagonmaster” at 3pm, April 17 May 21, 1999 >> PRINTS Question: What do you call us. when we get on the Net? Answer: Web Feet 121 EAST 100 SOUTH #108 MOAB, UTAH 84532 435 259-4384 800 635-5280 WHAT DO WE DO? We write custom software for the big people and the little... 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