Wrigley, Our New Sheltie Puppy

My wife and I just got a bright eyed and bushy tailed sheltie puppy we named “Wrigley,” bred from a small farm near Kalamazoo, Michigan. It was a bit of transition for Wrigley to go from a farm with three horses to a sleepy suburb of Chicago. But the puppy is a bundle joy and has become a beloved neighborhood dog in record time.

Years ago, I did an award winning poster for a sheltie breeder who opened a small local pet care boutique called “Heavenly Pet Center” in Park Ridge. I would later get our first purebred sheltie puppy from the couple and name her “Niko.” Niko was adorable and she loved herding my young children in the back yard.

While walking Niko on a trip to Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill Kentucky, she spotted a flock of sheep. The herding instinct kicked in, Niko’s true destiny was herding these sheep, simply amazing. — Rex

My mentor: Artist Bernadine Medley at exhibit opening program for “Frederic Goudy: The Titan of Type”

The opening program for “The Titan of Type” exhibit was full of friends and family. A special joy was seeing my mentor artist Bernadine Medley.

Ms. Medley is, a brilliant oil painter of portraiture and landscapes. Her watercolor’s style is joyful, colorful and fluid. Her architectural watercolor renderings have been used to build hotels across our nation.

She is famous for painting murals including the St. Jude Children’s Hospital, Memphis murals commissioned by entertainer Danny Thomas.

I met Bernie by chance, home from college on a summer break trying to decide what to major in — accounting or art. My mom suggested I go see Bernie’s one woman art exhibit in Decatur, Illinois.

The show was remarkable and I somehow got the courage to call her for advice. From that moment on Bernie has been my mentor, champion and friend.

Hiking the amazing Narrows in Zion National Park, Utah

My wife and I vacationed this summer in Utah “Exploring the Mighty 5 National Parks” Arches, Canyonlands, Capitol Reef, Bryce and Zion. Staying at the Gonzo Inn one of the coolest and quirkiest hotels ever — it’s located in Moab, Utah.

We started our trip in Arches National Park, a geological wonderland of natural sandstone arches, massive balanced rocks and soaring pinnacles.

Later we dined at the Red Cliffs Ranch nestled on the banks of the Colorado River, surrounded by magnificent 2,000-foot cliffs — it is truly a hidden treasure of the west. The Ranch is home to the Moab Film and Western Heritage Museum, which showcased the rich Hollywood history of the Moab region.

“Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade” starring Harrison Ford, Park Ridge, Illinois native, was filmed in the Moab area. He is featured in the Art Deco poster “Epic in Stone” that is part my “Legends of the Pickwick Theatre” series.

One of the most exhilarating parts of our trip was “Highway 12 Scenic Byway” in Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument. Especially the epic switchbacks of “the Hogsback” a section where Route-12 climbs the side of a sandstone cliff before it plateaus atop a razor-sharp ridge with cliffs dropping steeply into narrow canyons on either side — its terrifying!

Our trip ended with hiking and wading through the Virgin River — called the Narrows in Zion National Park, Utah. The speculator Narrows was one of our most inspiring hikes of our lives.