From the first time she set foot inside the Cherry Street Gallery, Roz has been an inspiration, support, and a true helper! 

Always quick with suggestions and advice, Roz is not afraid to get her hands dirty, either.  She's very handy with a drill and screwdriver!

Warren has been one of the Gallery's most enthusiastic supporters, and is always quick to offer historical documents and old photographs related to Cherry Creek's history. 

That '51 Plymouth you see parked out front belongs to Warren and his wife, Mary.

Diana owns the gallery, and allows its use. She loves the house, and Cherry Creek - and she has vision

(Note(s) to Diana)

My sister and her husband have been a terrific help! Lynne has sacrificed probably every picture frame in her "collection", to help me get things up and running. 

My father; without whose support and help, I could not have come this far. He's a very handy guy to have around!

Soon, I will be ready to put up the pillars again. Dad welded me up some top-notch iron bases to be buried in concrete. The pillars will outlive the rest of the town. That is the way my dad makes things: Built to last!

Water! How great is that! And picture frames. And lots of other stuff. Ray made a number of the pieces that I  use for display purposes/

You know, Ray can be mighty generous, when he's in the mood.

Window frames and panes. The two restored panes that replaced that (YIKES!) broken aluminum frame monstrosity.

I had to install the windows myself, and this is when I realized that I will never install another wood-frame window.       Or        maybe ... no windows again, ever!. Nope.  Not a carpenter.

Al helped me move a heavy iron stove, and re-hang the door that had to be removed in order to get that baby inside. 

Al? Al just might be the last of the true characters.

There are people who have character, and people who want to be thought of as characters ... but TRUE CHARACTERS are very scarce nowadays. They are to be marveled at!

Walt has a few of his famous bird mobiles for sale at the gallery. Contributed a beautiful antique frame.

Walt, I recently learned, is a pretty good photographer himself, and he shares my love of sunsets.

Tim made quick work of clearing a path for parking down the north side of the property with a backhoe. 

I thought it was going to create a huge dustbowl, so I chickened out and called it off.

Now, having raked the better part of 2 acres of Cherry Creek dirt, I realize that the raked portions of the yard are going to be just as dusty as the machined area. Might as well have done it the easy way.

Extending a folded bill, he looks me right in the eye and says,, "If I give you $20, will you email me your five best j-pegs?"

Flabbergasted! Yes, I would even say DUMBFOUNDED. 
I stood there drop-jawed and speechless.

"Wha?"    .......         "Huh?"

I couldn't quite get my mind around what the man was saying!

"You want me to email you my FIVE BEST digital images? ... For twenty dollars?"

No! No! That could not be right!
I still didn't grasp the proposition. 
Let's try it another way ...

"Um ....... You want me to give you UNLIMITED copies of my FIVE BEST images .... for less than the price of a gallon of gas for each?"

"Did you know that it costs me thirty dollars, just to drive to Ely, now?"

Do you know what this felt like to me? I felt like .... "No. I did NOT ask if I could wash your windshield ..."  Like I was hustling flyers on a street corner down in Port Lavaca (TX).

Maybe I managed to babble, "I don't think so!"

"Oh .... do you just want to sell prints?" My potential customer withdrew the offer, and decided to purchase an 8x10 print, instead. 

Negotiations were made.

A couple of days later, I got a nice email from the man, and he has promised to stop by the gallery again, next time he is in town.

I suspect his wife explained it to him, in the car. She was starting to like the place. Most women seem to. So far.

** Why is this guy on my Gratitude List?

I learn from everyone that I encounter. Sometimes - make that, OFTEN -- my toughest critics are the ones that teach me the most.