Dare to Dream BIG!

How do you describe an experience that is beyond your wildest imagination? If you can be brave enough to ask for what you want, you may be surprised how easily it can become a reality.

For those that enjoy the wide open spaces, gentle rolling hills, horses and salt-of-the-earth people, you would find a little piece of heaven on earth, in easton, KS. The place recently given birth to is known as American Frontier, the proud parents being Robert 'Cowboy' Culbertson and his wonderful wife, Donna!


They, along with the blood, sweat and tears of many, such as the 'boys from Illinois, Jim Hatzell, Carol  and Vane Huggins, have built what Richard and Mignon DeShon determined was a dream that needed to be a reality.


The week I was privileged to be there, included hard work from sun up to sundown, but to watch the buildings transform into a well-loved town was incredible.

Once in a lifetime experience!

Hollywood has a new film set! Showing up early to check things out turned out to be the start of a true adventure. Seems they were in need of a sign painter...... and there I was. So Monday morning we started planning the layout and lettering for sign #1. All was well until the sky turned dark and winds picked up. We got the sign moved to the livery just in time, before the hours-long deluge drenched everything!

Tromping through the mud and mini rivers that formed , we still managed to keep the hammers and paint brushes in full motion.

Sun up to sun down, we all worked to bring the dream of  Robert  'Cowboy' Culbertson to reality. What a privledge to work alonside the likes of Jim Hatzell,  from films such as 'Dancing with Wolves'...and most of the 'Boys from Illinois'...

They rarely stopped to take a break and I followed suit, knowing time would fly and we needed to finish by Thursday night, before the unveiling on Friday.

Cowboy and his wife, Donna, had decided to honor Richard DeShon by naming the hotel after him; but we had a tough time keeping a sign that big hidden from him when he showed up on location!





Stay tuned.....

What a treat when he saw the sign;
he was delighted and planned to surprise his wife, Mignon,
 by not telling her before she came to see the town herself.