Bummer

Bad news all around. I was scanning the morning newspaper. I don't usually look at the obits but my eyes lit on a photo of a woman who I knew pretty well when I was more active in science fiction fandom. Anna Vargo was far too young to have died. She was an ardent feminist, Democrat, science fiction fan. I saw her a few years ago when I dropped in on a convention in order to visit with Bill Bowers and to meet D. Gary Grady, visiting from back east. Anna visited our house when we were hosting Dave and Cathi Piper and daughters, Clare and Sara, from England. I remember she and Cathi Piper having a rather torrid conversation in which Anna espoused her feminist ideals. I was sorry to read of her death. She deserved to live much longer.

Then the news at a powwow on Saturday evening was that our good friend, Arnold Littlehead, had both legs amputated. Arnold has been diabetic for a long time. He never was able to get the disease under control and now has paid for it. He was often Master of Cermony or Arena Director at powwows throughout the northwest, although his home was in Poplar, Montana. In the last year or so he and his wife, Linda, have lived in Portland Oregon. I hope that Arnold heals well and is able to deal with being wheelchair-bound. He was always on his feet and walking and this will slow him down a bit. If you're the praying kind, he could use a thought now.

Bill Crider's blog reports that Charlotte McLeod, mystery writer, has died. She was often a visitor at Bouchercon, the world mystery convention. Her rather cozy novels were a delight. She has not written for some years.

And the final bummer, the blog of Richard Wheeler, writer of superb westerns, seems to have disappeared. Would that it were not so. If any of my readers know where Richard and his blog went, I appreciate it if you'd drop a line.