There’s nothing like a court appearance to begin the month and October 1 will find me cast in the heroic role of plaintiff in a nasty little matter concerning a very expensive fire in my office that the Phoenix Fire Department has determined was/is arson. So while you’re looking at this fantastic trade blanket I will be staring into the rotten little eyes of the person who is suspect #1. Who’s got fire jokes?  I’ve heard quite a few so far. Yes, of course I will be sliding down a pole this morning. No, I haven’t priced Dalmations and yes, Denis Leary is my attorney.  Anybody got an old flame reference?  How about I met my match? Thanks very much, I  feel the burn and sorry, I am absolutely not carrying a torch.

Let us not forget that after a fire the cycle of life begins again and with it comes new growth….which would be just great if my office was a goddamned forest, but does a goddamned forest have leather sofas and coffee tables? I think not. So listen up, all ye would-be arsonists, I will be avenged…I’M BARRY, NOT BAMBI!

It’s only fitting that our Blanket Of The Month is a fiery pattern – the 1911 catalog Buell calls this pattern the Hanolchadi (allegedly Navajo for “old chief”) and let’s not kid each other, you can’t pronounce it and neither can I. Notice the very gently rounded corners as compared with the blatantly rounded corners on the earliest Pendletons. There’s no rush. Slow way, way, way down…seriously, where’s the fire?