Wandrin

Breakfast At The Stockyards

2012-01-27T20:38:00.000-07:00

When in Tucson, I have the pleasure of joining Flora and Phil in eating at "off the chain" restaurants. Always interesting and novel. Sometimes they are way off the chain. Local cafes in strip shopping centers in parts of town that have seen better days.

Yesterday's visit was a different experience entirely. Previous dining was in Tucson. Today I met Flora and Phil at the Marana Stockyards at the Cattleman's Cafe. Stepping out of Silver Slug, the cattle odor was in the air. No fancy horse and saddle for the rider I noted. This was no pampered horse. No blanket. He had a heavy winter coat of hair.

After Flora and Phil parked their mini Cooper, we walked into the building. I hoped that the barnyard odor wasn't going to accompany the dining experience. It didn't. With a good job of air control we had breakfast with the breakfast aromas. We arrived early so we could eat before going to the livestock sale. As we chatted and ate our breakfast, the ranchers arrived wearing cowboy boots and jeans. Most also wore cowboy hats. A few wore baseball caps. And they had breakfast with their hats on. Ages were from the 20 and 30s to some who were our ages. It was all men with a just a couple of women. Lots of cell phones and smart phones were in evidence. Hey these guys aren't hicks. They're businessmen. In the cow ranching business.

Soon it was time to head to the arena to witness the livestock auction. With lots of help managing powered gates, it was a fast pace as the cattle came in and frustrated themselves in the ring for about a minute as the auctioneer encouraged the bidding. Sometimes the bidding continued as the next cow(s) entered the arena.

During our stay short stay it was all cows that were sold. A few of the cows relieved themselves in the pen. Fortunately, it stayed there. As one cow headed through the out gate her rear feet threw some arena crud in my direction. There it landed at my feet. Reminded me of days back on the farm.

Flora and Phil sure do now how to entertain the out of town folk. It was a fun experience and one that will be remembered. Including the crud that was tossed at my feet.

Breaking A Habit

2012-01-22T16:00:00.000-07:00

Have been eating grains and grain products -- anything made with flour -- my whole life. Bread was also part of the recommended wisdom of the food conglomerates and abetted by their compatriots in the US government. I liked bread -- especially when it was loaded with butter.

After reviewing Gary Taubes book in Mainlining Butter, a follow up read was The Primal Blueprint by Mark Sisson. Both books spoke to me. Just made sense. That was early last summer. Bad time to start new eating habits when I would be dining with friends and relatives during my summer in Colorado.

Both books said to eliminate grain products from the diet. My diet changed. The result was Wandrin Lloyd's variation of a paleo diet. I ate mostly salads, vegetables, some legumes and meats (grass feed beef) or chicken (dirty feet free range) or fish (wild). However, the grain products still had a very small place in the diet along with the occasional sweets.

Two months ago, it was time to get serious and eliminate the grain products (breads, pasta, sweet rolls) from my diet. After about two weeks, I no longer was gobbling antacid pills after every meal. Hmmm. Interesting. Costco was going to be in trouble economically. For many years, a large economy size container of antacids had a place in my larder. I ate them like candy after almost every meal.

No indigestion. Took a while to figure that out. Then I also noted that I hadn't had an attack of GERD (acid reflux) in the last month. Could these body reactions actually be attributable to grain products.

Then there was the time when the indigestion lingered for two days regardless of my antacid ingestion. So I headed to the hospital emergency room with what appeared to be a heart problem. Appears I had a "gluten attack". I am embarrassed to recall that experience. Seems there might be some new questions the doctors might want to ask the patients after discovering there really is no heart problem. Perhaps it might be a gluten problem.

Time to search the internet. Yes. Gluten can cause acid indigestion and GERD flare ups. And I had been living this way for seventy years. As a child, my parents correctly recognized that I had a food allergy to whole wheat products. My gut ached within an hour of eating whole wheat products. So while everyone else ate whole wheat, I ate white bread and white flour products. That didn't bother me. At least I didn't think it did. That was the end of the issue and life goes on.

As I thought about gluten and grain issue, I recalled the chest pains I had 40 years ago as a result of drinking beer. Another aha moment. Beer is made from grains. Further research on the internet. Turns out there are traces of gluten in beer. Guess I had found the trace. Pain is an incentive. Quit drinking beer at that time and switched to hard liquors.

Drinking beer was an easy habit to break. The bread habit is harder. Each time I go through the grocery bakery section, I have to move quickly through the breads and cookies. Gosh that loaf of Kalamata olive bread would be great. How about a chocolate chip cookie. Note to self -- NOT. Indigestion and pain are good incentives to change a habit. Seems to be working.

The yearning (or habit) for the bread remains, but at this point I am a "recovering bread eater".

Raptor Show

2012-01-20T10:15:00.001-07:00

A must see in Tucson is the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum. With my three month stay in Tucson, I opted for an annual membership. That would allow for frequent visits of shorter duration rather than trying to get the moneys worth out of the one day ticket. Two hours is about all this old body can handle standing around and walking very slowly.

For me, the Desert Museum's highlight is the raptor show held at 10:00 and 2:00 every day. As a docent speaks describing the raptors we see, trainers are placing treats (meat) on dead tree branches in the demonstration area. As the raptor flies from tree to tree (overhead) for their treats, the audience gets a close up look at the raptor in flight and then dining on the treat (quail breast meat).

Three of the raptors from the 10:00 show: Gray Hawk, Great Horned Owl and Red Tailed Hawk. (Hope I recalled correctly.)

The show is a great place for photos of raptors in flight or closeups on the perches or on the arm of a trainer. Most of the audience had cameras. Several professional cameras were in evidence. There were the usual 1000 mm lenses. In case you're wondering... from my stable of cameras the Canon SX40 was used for these photos.

Already anticipating my next visit. Lots to learn and satisfy my curiosity. No doubt on a return visit, I will attend the raptor show again.

Dancing Saguaro

2012-01-18T20:35:00.000-07:00

Found this saguaro at a one time mine site in the hills of Tucson Mountain Park. With arms spreading outward, this unusual saguaro recalled mariachi music and the dancing senorita with a flaring skirt.

Ten Long Months Ahead

2012-01-16T14:05:00.000-07:00

Four years ago in the Call-Me-Cynical post, I predicted McCain and Obama to be the nominees for the two political parties. That prediction proved correct. At one point during the 2008 campaign season (one long year), it may have been a toss up who would win. And then McCain put Palin on the ticket. Of course, 2008 is history.

At that time, in off the record conversations with friends, I said the Republican leadership told Romney to back off until 2012 and let McCain take the fall for 2008. Wish now I had also put that in my prediction.

It is a given that Obama will be the Democatic party nominee. No great surprise that Romney has already been declared the nominee for the Repulicans. Okay. So they didn't announce it. How about making it official and end the incessant political ads and rambling of the political talk shows.

The ordeal isn't over. There are 10 long months ahead to the elections.

How about an alternative to the usual suspects who wish to be US President.... Scott Adams -- the creator of the comic strip Dilbert -- would be an excellent choice. Adams blogged his Presidential bid on November 16th. There have been about half dozen blog posts since then detailing his qualifications and how he will operate as President. One of those was his Presidential Update. In a recent entry, he outlines Why You Should Vote For Scott Adams.

Fine Dining -- Prickly Pear

2012-01-14T20:45:00.001-07:00

Haven't seen any javelinas in my hikes and walks. However, their tracks remain and the prickly pear has evidence of a quick bite. You just have to admire an animal that chomps down on something that has spines an inch long. Then there are the fine little spines at the base of each of those long spines. Ouch.

The translucent green is the evidence of recent fine dining by the javelina. This plant has two pads. The pad on the left was recent dining. The pad on the right has had a chance to create scar tissue over the damage.

How about adding some prickly pear to your next meal. Since there would be few takers with a name like that, how about calling it nopales or nopalitos. Harvest and prepare the prickly pear and they make a fine side vegetable. At a Mexican restaurant, nopalitos are a great choice to accompany an omelet.

No More Morning Person

2012-01-11T20:11:00.000-07:00

There was a time (30+ years ago) when I would get up before the sun so I could irrigate the garden. Great time to be up. It was quiet. Birds were just beginning to move and look for breakfast. Living on a high point, I noted the lights disappearing in the valley below.

The garden was therapy time. Weeding the garden while the water ran through the ditches. Whacking a weed is great therapy when envisioning it as some obstinate staff member or boss. Kind of like voodoo beliefs.

Cool summer morning air on the Front Range of Colorado. Soon the sun would appear on the eastern horizon to cast its first rays on Colorado's Long's Peak and its companion mountains. That was a magical moment as the range took on a red cast. And as the sun rose, the color cast changed to an orange to a pink and eventually there was no color cast but the distant dark blended colors of rock and trees accented with snow fields on those distant slopes. I never grew tired of the view.

As I recall those morning therapy sessions, I can still remember the view and recall the feel of the cool and moist air. Good times.

At my advanced age, I am no longer a morning person. Today on the slopes of the Tucson mountains, morning temperatures are in the mid 30s before the sun rises over the eastern horizon. My response is to pull the covers to my chin to enjoy the warmth for a few minutes longer. Unable to sleep, sometimes I pick up a book.

Eventually, I get up and perform the morning routines and have my breakfast shake. By mid morning, the temperatures have risen over that magical 50 degree number. Time to get out and do some exploring.

By the end of the day, I am looking forward to some clouds in the sky to provide a sunset to wrap up the day. Not too many clouds in recent days. Sometimes, sunsets are over rated. Look to the east to see the setting sun reflect off the hills and -- in this photo -- the saguaro. That is where a range of colors can be found.

Rising early on cold mornings to see a sunrise is over rated. I prefer warmth of the sunset hour.

Honesty In Obits

2012-01-09T22:14:00.000-07:00

From a recent obit: "[name].., 99, ... passed away peacefully ... He died of old age; he simply grew tired of living...."

That is honesty. Don't see that too often in the obits.

My reading of obits isn't some morbid passtime. The ages of the deceased provide numbers for the lottery tickets. Okay. That's a joke.

The real reason.... Working on the genealogy of my ancestors and distant relatives has occupied some of my spare moments for over 20 years. Much of that research includes the reading of obituaries. Continuing to fill in dead ends (is that a pun) within my genealogy data base, I read the obituaries at several area newspapers from Green Bay and northeastern Wisconsin.

The most frequent euphemism for obituaries is "passed away". Two creative euphemisms found recently were "departed this stage of life" and "answered the call to our Creator".

Some people simply "died" while others: "died peacefully"; "died suddenly"; "died unexpectedly"; or "died after a lengthy battle with....".

Some obits could use an editor. One obit that comes to mind is the 98 year old who "died unexpectedly." Sorry. But it is not unexpected when one dies at the age of 98.

Perhaps reading obits is strange. However, it may also seem strange to wander through cemeteries looking for epitaphs. This deceased doctor's epitaph is great. What a prescription for life.

Don't have a photo of another that I had come across: "He was sick, but died well." Could be read one of two ways. He died with dignity. Or he recovered and died.

More honesty from the same obit first quoted above, "...he eloped with ...[name].... Thus began 69 years of a tumultuous marriage."

Bird Watching

2012-01-07T09:47:00.000-07:00

Social hour at Steve's allowed for bird watching. Caught this House Finch with a mouth full.

The social hour also allowed a review of our earlier in the day unsuccessful destination hike. Upon returning home, we both checked Garmin Topo maps and internet sites. We were close to the destination, but not close enough. Looks like we will have to repeat the hike and armed with additional data, we will be successful next time.

Perhaps some days, it may just be better to watch the birds. No complaints really. It was a good hike on a 70 plus degree day.

Saguaro Oddity

2012-01-04T09:31:00.000-07:00

With Steve in the lead for a hike from the RV campground, we headed off to see a "many armed" saguaro. This many armed saguaro is not what I expected to see.

Wonder if those stubby arms will eventually become something like this many armed saguaro found years ago in the Mesa Arizona area. It has arms with arms.

Those who study saguaros have no explanation why some saguaros will have multiple arms while others seem to just grow an arm or two. Then there are some that have grown to a 20 foot tall column without any arms.

During the walk, I noted that the recent rains have had a noticeable impact on the girth of the saguaros. Any more heavy rains and the local saguaros might OD to their detriment as they become top heavy with water.

Last Post For 2011

2011-12-31T20:20:00.003-07:00

That's it. There is no more. 2011 is past. Some celebrate its passing. Others celebrate the positives of an unknown future. Regardless, 2011 is history.

At the end of 2011, my hair is a little thinner, grayer and gravity continues its toll on once was my chest. Accept what is. No complaints really. I'm still here to look back. More importantly, I can look forward.

There were a great many moments of personal fascination in 2011 and some times details were posted on this blog.

Wondering what was the most viewed entry for 2011, I checked the Blogger stats. There was no real competitor for Herbie Around The World. Good news is that Zainab and Domi soon will begin the next leg of their journeys as they continue to South America. To follow their journeys, their travels are posted at Herbie's World Tour. Their scheduled travel plans will take them through Tucson. If all goes well, I hope to meet them as they pass through Tucson so I can wish them a Bon Voyage on their continued Around The World Tour.

And with this last post of 2011.... My wish is for all my readers good health and a life in pursuit of happiness.

In the event any one wonders how I celebrate the arrival of the New Year.... Denver's commercial (1969-1995) classical music station, KVOD, had a long time tradition on New Years Eve to play all of Beethoven's symphonies. That was concluded with the ninth ending close to midnight.

I've continued that tradition with a modification. I end with the ninth closer to ten o'clock.

That and Crown Royal on the Rocks makes for a good way to bring in the New Year.

Happy New Year.

Why Save Money

2011-12-28T13:48:00.001-07:00

While I was considering the purchase of the iPhone, I happened to recall my visit as a ten year old to the bank with Dad to open a savings account. With bars on the teller window and a bank president on site, it was a different time. Dad was no stranger to the bank as he borrowed as much as the bank would lend. A couple of years later, he was dealing with more than one bank.

When Dad explained to the bank president the reason for the visit with me in tow, we were ushered behind the barricade in front of the bank president's desk. Have no idea how much was deposited in the savings account that was opened. However, I do remember the visits to the bank far into my teenage years to deposit money and have the interest earned recorded -- in a savings passbook.

It was a nostalgic recollection. Interest was actually earned -- or at least recorded as being earned.

Today checking accounts and money market accounts have a paltry interest rate -- if any is actually paid. If interest were paid on the money in the account, there might be some way to stay even with the annual inflation rate.

So for me the obvious conclusion is that they -- the bankers; the economists; the Federal Reserve -- do not want me to save money. They want me to spend the money. A dollar today is worth a dollar. With inflation, tomorrow the dollar will be worth less.

So I might be reconsidering the iPhone purchase. If not the iPhone, I have no doubt there is some other want that will claim those depreciating dollars in my checking account.

Christmas Stockings

2011-12-24T22:20:00.000-07:00

Already past the stage of believing in Santa at the age of nine or ten, I decided to check out the stocking tradition. Without a fireplace, the next best place to hang the stockings was on the 18 inch high box upon which the Christmas tree stood. Not sure what I expected to appear in the stockings. Perhaps some candy or perhaps a small trinket of some sort.

On Christmas morning, upon coming down stairs, I checked the stockings from a distance to see they didn't have anything in them. Wondering out loud to Mom why there wasn't anything in them, she said we should look closely. So I did. There was a lump at the toe of the sock. A positive outlook wondered if the lump might be some coins. Took the sock and reached far into the toe and pulled out -- a peanut.

That was a disappointment. Guess Mom must have seen our long faces. With a big grin, she allowed that a peanut was better than a lump of coal. Mom was always right. She also had a good sense of humor.

Decrepitude

2011-12-22T21:18:00.002-07:00

de·crep·i·tude Noun. The quality or condition of being weakened, worn out, impaired, or broken down by old age, illness, or hard use.

Decrepitude is an apt definition for this saguaro.

Three Month Stay

2011-12-20T20:44:00.002-07:00

Arrived at Justin's Diamond J RV Park yesterday. No time was wasted this morning as I headed out for a hike in the desert immediately behind the RV park. Great that there is lots of hiking without a drive. Going to love this. At least I think I will.

This stay is a test of hitch itch since I plan to stay here for three months. Those three months will be the longest I have stayed at any one place in the past ten years. Wondering if Wandrin Lloyd can handle that.

Smart Phone Shopping

2011-12-15T16:48:00.000-07:00

The cell phone was about four years old and the current two year contract was up. Great time to update to the iPhone.

Really was nothing wrong with that Motorola phone. Great little phone. It has a camera. It rings. It works each time I use it. Ear buds or blue tooth. Which I don't use. It has it all. Pretty modern. But. It is not smart.

Headed off to the Verizon store to check out the smart phones. Wow they were pretty nice. The iPhones were the object of my coveting. Since I was already addicted to Apple gadgets, it seemed only natural to add the iPhone to the line up with my investment in iProduct apps.

Happened to be relating my smart phone search to daughter Vanita. She wondered why I would want a smart phone when I had a Mi-Fi card and an iPad (or iPod Touch) with me most times. Knew I had a bright kid there. Probably takes after her mother. Appears she didn't get that gene from me.

Back to the Verizon store. Still coveted that iPhone. Wow. It would be $199 and a two year contract. What other charges would there be was the question of the lovely Verizon rep. On top of the talk minutes, any smart phone has an automatic $30 per month charge. Really. Didn't know that. No matter how much it is used -- if at all. Hmmm.

Daughter Vanita was onto something there. Already have a phone that works. Have an iPad and a Mi-Fi card with me all the time. Save $199 today and $30 a month. Wow. That adds up to a lot of money.

And that is the review of the iPhone. I may have wanted it. But I didn't need it. Perhaps I am smarter than a smart phone.

Rainy Weather

2011-12-14T14:48:00.001-07:00

Long pants and an umbrella was the attire for yesterday. The weather service reported over an inch of rain. Not bad considering the average yearly rainfall for Yuma is about three inches.

Much of that green in the grocers' produce aisle comes from California's Imperial Valley and the area around Yuma. Colorado River water makes it all possible. And an occasional heavy rain.

Beyond The Information Age

2011-12-12T20:17:00.000-07:00

"When was the last time a company went public in the U.S. that actually manufactured a good? When was the last time a "hot" company went public selling a service that had nothing to do with marketing and that actually performed a valuable function?" -- Quote from post at Of Two Minds

About 25 years ago, I was having lunch with Joe -- a long time friend. As a long time student and investor in the stock markets, his comments of that day have not been forgotten.

Paraphrasing Joe's comments: It can't be a good thing for an economy when the US industry stops manufacturing a tangible product. Raw materials were exported to other countries to make a physical product which was imported to sell to the US consumer. The new product for US industry was the creation and selling of information. Not a product with a function.

That interchange 25 years ago was recalled as I read today's post at Of Two Minds where now the product to be sold is "social media." That is essentially nothing. Not a physical product. Not even information.

Book: Bad Dog

2011-12-11T21:28:00.001-07:00

Bad Dog by Martin Kihn. With a subtitle in parenthesis -- a love story.

On top of his alcohol addiction, Martin Kihn gets a puppy who turns into a big untrained dog. The scary moments begin and his wife Gloria leaves. That was when the work began. Martin begins with alcohol recovery while working to train Hola (dog's name) to meet the highest of AKC's training standards. The goal is to prove to Gloria that she should return to the family.

How to train a dog. It takes lots of time to train the five year old dog while training the owner at the same time. Kihn succeeds in the last scene of the book as Gloria returns to see a well trained Hola and a recovering alcoholic.

This love story is funny and poignant. Hard to put down.

Book: Deep Survival

2011-12-08T21:15:00.001-07:00

A book by Laurence Gonzales and subtitled Who Lives, Who Dies, and Why

With first rate research, interviews with survivors -- including his father's WWII experience, interviews with psychologists and personal experiences, Gonzales writes at times a very personal book about the stories of survivors. He describes in detail those persons who survive and those who die under the same circumstances. Separating emotion from the life threatening situation, accepting the reality, actively working to survive with intellect will be a major determinant for survival. Throw in some humor and you've got a pretty good chance to make it back to tell the story.

Quote from the last chapter of the author's book: "The perfect adventure shouldn't be that much more hazardous in a real sense than ordinary life, for that invisible rope that holds us here can always break. We can live a life of bored caution and die of cancer. Better to take the adventure, minimize the risks, get the information, and then go forward in the knowledge that we've done everything we can."

Adapting To Cold

2011-12-07T11:09:00.001-07:00

The low last evening was 28 degrees. Fortunately, it is warmer inside Wandrin Wagon where I sleep. No plans to test my survival skills as long as I can afford propane.

That overnight low was the coldest over these past days. Most nights, the low temp was in the mid thirties. Cold enough. The daily highs are a comfortable low to mid sixties.

Recent local temperatures have been about ten degrees colder than average. However, since I am living in actual temperatures rather than historic averages, I have resorted to wearing long pants. Not all the time, but that is the start to most days. However, before heading out on a daily explore, a clothing change is made to shorts and a Hawaiian shirt. Wandrin Lloyd has an image to maintain.

A positive is required to deal with this cold weather. In less than two weeks, Wandrin Lloyd will be in Tucson for a three month stay. With Tucson's slightly colder temperatures, these recent temperatures are allowing my adaptation to the colder temperatures. Maybe.

I'm With Scrooge

2011-12-03T12:05:00.001-07:00

It is that time of year when XM radio decides that its listeners have been waiting all year so they can listen to Christmas themed music 24 hours a day. It may not be on all channels, but the Classical Pops is one of those that started yesterday. Why couldn't they mix it up. An occasional Christmas themed selection throughout the programming day would be great. 24 hours a day is too much. The good thing is that I can enjoy quiet. Turn off the noise.

A couple of days ago, Home Depot was the destination for wood slats for a project at Wandrin Wagon. Like every other retail store during November and December there is a whole section of Christmas decorations. Not only is there a large section of this stuff, the holiday decorations are throughout the store with what appeared to be directions how you can buy the materials to make the tacky kitchy item at home.

Who buys all that Christmas decoration stuff. Where do they store it. The answer: those storage units that are being built everywhere.

The only place during the Christmas season where I must shop is the grocery store. My stress level begins at the front door with the bell ringer. Inside the Christmas decorations abound. Of course over the PA system, some low budget Christmas music is broadcast and interrupted by "clean up on aisle 9".

Time to stop before I start off on a tirade about the 150 million people who shopped over the Thanksgiving weekend. All I can say is that some of those people vote. It's scarey.

Counting the days until this is over. Bah. Humbug.

And while I am on a rant. The very rare occasion to go inside a bank is to deposit a check or purchase dollar coins. The latest visit found a TV on the wall behind the teller windows. No doubt this is something the customers have been begging for. The CNN news was muted with the scrolled words for the hearing impaired. Looked around. There wasn't a single person in the bank looking at the TV. That included the three in line with me. One had ear buds and was concentrating on a cell phone.

Indecisions

2011-12-01T21:48:00.001-07:00

On my way to San Diego from Palm Springs, I stopped in to visit several road acquaintances who now have lots at the Jojoba Hills Escapee RV Park. That includes Brian -- my personal chef. Well. He is my personal chef when we happen to traveling in the same neighborhoods.

During my week long visit, Brian and other Jojoba Hills acquaintances were merciless in their touting the positives of their park. It would be easy to put my name on the list and -- probably -- in a year I would have a lot at Jojoba Hills. As I exited the park, I stopped at the office to get the paper work for placing my name on their list.

Jojoba Hills is located about a 20 minute drive east of Temecula. Extensive shopping alternatives and medical facilities abound in Temecula and nearby Murrieta. Local exploring includes wineries, hiking, and tourist attractions in Temecula or Julian. Palm Springs and the Coachella Valley is just over the mountains to the north. A San Diego visit to Vanita's house would be about 80 miles away. All positives for a lot at Jojoba Hills.

Now that I have been on the road for ten years, it seems attractive -- in the academic sense -- to stop for seven to eight winter months. However, the prospect actually scares me. In these past years, the longest I have stayed in any one RV park was for two months. A longer test is coming up when I head to Tucson in mid December. The reservation is for three months at which point the Wandrin travels will begin for 2012.

There are many places to consider for that extended winter stay. Jojoba Hills is just one of the several possibilities. Now there is something else to keep me awake at night.

Remote RV Park

2011-11-30T22:20:00.001-07:00

From four and five lane congested freeways of San Diego to the Thousand Trails Pio Pico RV Park is fifteen miles. The last seven miles are a winding two lane road. Remote, but close to urban wants. This is my kind of place.

Want a really quiet stay, find a spot in the east end of the south side. Daytimes the crows and several species of birds frequent "my yard". At night it is the sound of coyote in the nearby hills.

Not entirely quiet. Wandrin Wagon is parked under an oak tree. The sound of an acorn dropping on the roof can be quite unsettling -- especially when sleep begins to take over consciousness.

The park is a good place for hiking the nearby hills. Today, the surrounding one time ranch tracks and trails are part of a network traveled by the Border Patrol looking for the illegals crossing from Mexico -- just seven miles distant. In past visits to this park, I hiked many of the tracks. After three days, still no hiking. Hoping to remedy that. Soon.

Final Wilson Sleek test.... The one negative with this park's location is cell phone reception. From no signal in some parts of the park to a weak signal in others. Hills all around and in the oak trees does impact the signal. In past visits, I found the E section to be one of the better places to park Wandrin Wagon -- to get cell signal. However, an amplifier is still needed.

This poor signal allows for another -- and final -- test of the Wilson Sleek. The mini antenna that came with the Sleek was used for these tests. Both the cell phone and the MiFi reported a signal with no bars. With the Sleek, the cell phone showed one bar. No call was tried. The MiFi card showed two bars. Throughput was as expected. Slow. Guessing that the trees have some impact on the sent and received reception. Sometimes, transmissions stop completely. Canceling and restarting the transmission may result in completion of the task.

Time on the internet is quite frustrating. Maybe that's a good thing.

Thanks For Each Day

2011-11-23T21:58:00.001-07:00

This turkey was given a reprieve. He was just too good looking.

That tom turkey was thankful to see another day.

My thanks and gratitude center around this nomadic life style adopted ten years ago. Life could not be better. Every day there is an opportunity to explore and satisfy my never ending curiosity.

Today, I am thankful to be in San Diego spending the Thanksgiving holiday with daughter Vanita, Gabe and Gabe's family.

To The 99% -- Buy Local

2011-11-22T12:25:00.001-07:00

The nationwide retailers' annual sales are dependent on the yearly Christmas guilt** shoppers. When the multinational make their numbers, that is good for the stock prices and the CEOs get big bonuses. Some in the millions. That is not so good for the financial state of the 99%.

How about disappointing those corporations this year. Rather than spending guilt** shopping dollars for Christmas at a multinational retailer, do your shopping at a local retailer whose owner is part of the 99%. It may be the same product found at the nationwide chain. It might cost you a bit more.

Don't stop at your Christmas guilt** shopping. When eating out, head to the local eateries that are not part of some national chain.

Finally. Don't put your purchase on a credit card. (Another multinational money maker.) Use cash.

Corporations rate and rank success in terms of dollars. This cynic wonders whether the movement will go anywhere if these OWS people -- and their supporters -- at the end of the day end up shopping at the nationwide chain retailer or restaurant.

The message: Shop at local retailers that are part of the 99% rather than some Wall Street corporation.

** Guilt shopping is not a typo. It is "guilt" shopping for any gift to an adult. Gifts should be limited to children under ten. Even for those, one or two gifts are sufficient.

Wandrin Trail Relative

2011-11-13T21:31:00.001-07:00

On my nomadic travels, crossing paths of friends and road acquaintances happens frequently. On rare occasions, the path is in a relative's neighborhood.

Each year the Palm Springs area is an extended stop on my way to San Diego. Area exploring includes a weekend day at the College Of The Desert Street Fair. (A year round weekend event.) Hundreds of booths offer a variety of stuff made in some Asian country. Booths are dedicated to hats, belts, purses, dresses, towels, toys, kitchen utensils, watches, sunglasses and reader glasses, and more. Some booths sell and market locally made products. The good part: rather than some nationwide chain, the booths are run by entrepreneurial Coachella Valley residents.

After walking the aisles and finding no stuff that I want or need, I check out the half dozen produce booths selling edibles. Finally found something I want -- or need.

Eating is a requirement for shoppers. There are a large number of food concessions ready to serve any ethnic food and appetite. My food choice is a pork BBQ sandwich (without the bread) at Al's concession.

Al and I share an ancestor several generations back. Al left the cold and snow of Green Bay Wisconsin to enjoy the warmth of the desert. Packers green and gold still flow in his blood. In his booth, the Packers colors and logo are prominently displayed.

Daughter Amanda helps her dad every weekend efficiently taking orders for Al -- the cook/grill man. Next fall Amanda will be in Wisconsin attending the UW at Green Bay. Al will certainly miss her.

Next time in the Palm Springs area, be sure to drop by cousin Al's booth at the CoD Street Fair. Say hello to cousin Al -- in the Hawaiian shirt -- and have a natural beef hamburger.

TV Habit Kicked

2011-11-11T22:37:00.001-07:00

"When television is good, nothing — not the theater, not the magazines or newspapers — nothing is better. But when television is bad, nothing is worse. I invite each of you to sit down in front of your television set when your station goes on the air and stay there for a day without a book, without a magazine, without a newspaper, without a profit and loss sheet or a rating book to distract you. Keep your eyes glued to that set until the station signs off. I can assure you that what you will observe is a vast wasteland." -- Newton Norman Minow as Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission in a speech given to the National Association of Broadcasters convention on May 9, 1961

The newly arrived RVs at the campground were setting up this afternoon. After hooking up to shore power, water, and sewer, the next item was to get a TV signal from a communication satellite. Those RVers on a smaller budget set up the tripod and mounted the dish. They then proceeded to point the dish at that satellite 22,000 miles out in space. Soon there were the beeps and whines from the signal finders of the TV or the gadget until a picture is seen on the TV.

At one time, I was one of those RVers. However, most times my subscription to DirecTV was on vacation. Six months (or whatever that time was) later, billing started again. TV may have been a wasteland in 1961. Today it is a garbage dump.

I make the wild assumption that little has changed since I watched TV three to four years ago. That was when I quit the TV habit permanently. From the 200 channels, there were less than a dozen channels that I watched. The ones I recall were Discovery, History, Learning Channel and PBS out of New York. To get PBS, more money was shelled out for the east and west coast feeds from DirecTV.

The most frustrating thing was watching a one hour "educational show" on the History or Discovery channel. Every ten to fifteen minutes there were two to three minutes of commercials. The show returned as the narrator spent several minutes reviewing what was already seen. At the end of an hour, there may have been 35-40 minutes of "education". So I acquired one of those TIVO type devices. The shows were recorded and they were never viewed. It took a long time to realize I wasn't a TV watcher.

Essentially I was paying about $70 a month for four channels which I watched for perhaps a total of seven hours a week. Maybe. There were better ways to spend $70 a month. Buys lots of books.

Never been much of a TV watcher. Born before TV, I didn't grow up with the TV habit. At the University of Wisconsin, TV watching was at a bar on State Street. As a family man, I was reading or constructing something most times. That personal computer (an Apple IIe) in 1981 provided another diversion.

Looking back, I realize that the TV was there for others. It was a habit to have a TV in the house. Fortunately the TV habit was kicked.

A piece of trivia: The S. S. Minnow of the 1964–1967 television show "Gilligan's Island" was sarcastically named for N.N. Minow to express displeasure with his assessment of the quality of television.

Intaglio

2011-11-10T10:48:00.001-07:00

While in the Palm Springs area, most of my hikes have been at the Coachella Preserve. Wide open spaces with few people. My kind of place. Could be described as a minimalist environment with few bushes and no trees. Nothing blocks the expansive views. In some ways, it is like eastern Montana where the plains go on for tens of miles. Once again: my kind of place.

On a previous hike at the Preserve, I came across this Peace intaglio.

Yesterday, my hike took me past that same intaglio. A modification had been done. Why.

After repairing the changes and returning it to peace, I moved on.

Just a few feet away is a smiley face intaglio. After I fixed some minor facial features -- like the schnoz -- I took the portrait.

And with that I hope the intaglios survive to amuse or frustrate future hikers.

Calming Moment

2011-11-09T21:57:00.000-07:00

Turned out to be more than a moment. When Mozart's Clarinet Concerto started play on iTunes shuffle, it became a calming experience. After a few bars, I sat back and enjoyed the entire concerto as nothing else mattered. Nothing did. No doubt my heart slowed down a beat or two.

Compared to other symphonic works, I cannot explain why that Mozart composition calms me every time it is heard.

Hitchhiking With a Walker

2011-11-07T15:37:00.000-07:00

The scene: several miles from the nearest building at a T intersection in the desert backroads between Palm Desert and Desert Hot Springs.

The hitchhiker is an advanced middle aged over weight lady. Leaning on a walker with her thumb out she has a temporary cloth brace on her leg. Perhaps the reason for the walker. There is a small tote bag and water bottle at her feet.

My reaction is shocked. Did she hitchhike to this point and now trying to get a lift into Palm Desert or Thousand Palms -- seven to eight miles distant.

She is thumbing for a ride in the direction I am coming from.

When I spotted her, I was in the process of relocating to another RV park heading in the other direction -- about 15 miles distant. Would I have stopped to offer a ride if going in her direction. Probably not. Seems heartless, but I don't give hitch hikers rides. Even those using walkers. And if I did stop, how would I get this lady and all her stuff into my truck. Most people have a hard time pulling themselves into Silver Slug. The step up is a challenge for even the able bodied.

Could she have been playing the sympathy factor with walker and leg brace. Could there be a gun in the tote bag and she is going to "car jack" my truck and trailer and leave me at the side of the road. Sounds like I've been watching too much TV. No TV in my life. How about calling it a creative imagination.

Alternatively, this might be part of a sociology class experiment at a nearby college. Were there college students with a camera hiding in the few distant creosote bushes.

Still stunned. It was a first. Seeing a hitchhiker with a walker.

As I wrote this post, I wondered about a non-emergency 911 call to report a hitchhiker with a walker needing a ride.

Cool Hike

2011-11-05T22:56:00.000-06:00

Palm Springs is in the midst of some cool weather. Today's hike was cool. Literally. With a wind out of the northwest, it was a cool hike with a couple of required layers to keep me warm. Temps were in the 60s.

In the distance was Mount San Jacinto with a dusting of snow. Good place for the stuff.

After that previous hike when I had all those forgotten profound thoughts, today I carried my digital voice recorder. For whatever reason, today there were no profound thoughts.

Don't You Get Lonely?

2011-11-01T15:50:00.000-06:00

That is the usual question of me when questioners find I travel alone? What! I don't even have a dog for company. No doubt they conclude there is something wrong with this guy. Probably a psychopath.

Recently that same conversation resulted in an unusual question, "Don't you get bored?" That was a strange question regarding traveling solo. I was stumped for an answer. Somehow traveling alone never equated to boredom. My response to the questioner was that I didn't get bored. There was always something to keep me busy or drive my curiosity. Always found something to do -- either physically or mental challenging. Sometimes it is the maintenance of living.

Since the question was posed, I could not resolve how to equate loneliness with boredom. However, that may be the attitude of the extrovert. The extrovert needs an audience and becomes animated and alive when surrounded by others. Without others with whom to share or talk to, the extrovert becomes lonely and -- perhaps -- bored.

However, I am essentially an introvert. I can make a very comfortable and enjoyable life with solitary activities -- physical such as hiking or mental challenges such as crosswords.

Earlier this year, I happened to cross paths with a long time road acquaintance. As we chatted catching up on each others' travels and plans, my acquaintance advised that I really needed someone to travel with -- or at least in a tandem rig. When I responded that was not going to happen, he suggested that I should have a dog. I asked how that would change things. Don't recall the response, but no doubt a comedic exchange followed when I responded that I was not a dog person. My road acquaintance (an extrovert) was projecting his needs on me. The extrovert needs an audience. The introvert is happier alone. That introvert is who I am.

Nope. I am neither lonely. Or bored.

To quote Steve Jobs: “Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma–which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice. And, most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.” -- From 2005 Commencement Speech at Stanford given by Steve Jobs

Hiking High

2011-10-28T22:53:00.000-06:00

Not in elevation. But I do get a "high" when I am hiking. Alone. Time moves quickly.

Today my hike in the Coachella Preserve was no different. Perfect weather with a lot of elevation changes. Soon my mind was resolving very complex issues. As issues came to mind, I thought about how some would be good blog posts. The words and ideas flowed as each subject came to mind; the intro words; the text; the points to be made; the clever sentences. There were also some very clever post titles.

Sitting at the keyboard this evening, I have no recollection of those great thoughts -- or the wisdom. Would have been great to share.

However, the hike was a good workout. Even required an afternoon nap. Okay. So there is an afternoon nap many days. However, today I had an excuse.

Strike Two

2011-10-27T12:10:00.000-06:00

That "super committee" made up of Federal legislators is doomed to fail. Everyone knows that they will not be able to agree -- let alone make some possible suggestions. Previous non partisan recommendations have failed.

No doubt there are big expenditures to be addressed. However, there are some small expenses that could be addressed. One of the suggestions by the committee was to stop the printing of dollar bills and use dollar coins. The life of a dollar bill is about 40 months. The coins will outlive the legislators.

Guess what. Follow the money. When the commitee made the recommendation for dollar coins instead of paper, immediately a Senate bill was introduced by Senators Kerry and Brown of Massachusetts to block the abandonment of paper dollars. Turns out that the cotton paper supply for paper money is provided by a Massachusetts company.

In a previous Speaking Of Budget post I had recommended getting the penny out of circulation to eliminate some needless spending. That won't happen either because the zinc miners appear to have a strong lobby.

If the legislators are serious about reducing government expenses, these are just two very minor items where some savings could be had. It's not going to happen. Not even one of the two.

My lonely promotion to get the penny out of circulation seems to be going no where.

Thanks to a recommendation from friend Phil of Tucson, there now are dollar coins in my pocket at all times instead of pennies. The dollar coins are great tip money. The bad part is finding banks who have rolls of dollar coins. When I happen across a bank with rolls, I buy several to keep me going until I run low once again.

Close Call

2011-10-26T09:22:00.001-06:00

Whew. That was close. Got out of Colorado just in time. Snowing in Denver this morning. Six inches in some Front Range cities north of Denver.

No snow here in Palm Springs. Nor is snow visible on nearby Mt. San Jacinto. Like it that way. Another day of shorts and Hawaiian shirts weather. However, the temps did cool down to the seventies for a few days.

Okay. So my last stay in Colorado was in early September. I managed to leave early to avoid getting caught in the first snow of the season. That happened in 2009. There is no desire to repeat that cold and miserable experience.

A Man Thing

2011-10-24T15:40:00.000-06:00

Sure looked like a "man thing" when wandering the car show in Lake Havasu City last weekend. There were hundreds of cars on the rough of the golf course where the event was held. Polishing and dusting the cars was a fulltime job for these owners on the dusty course. With tent gazebos set up and a cooler of liquid refreshment (that would be beer), the owners and their wives were watching the wanderers such as my self. Don't touch. Just admire.

Just as the owners were much older (my age plus or minus a decade), the wanderers were of a similar age bracket. The wanderers were 95% male with an occasion female wanderer. Did she really care about the cars -- or was the couple still in the dating stage. Did this cynic just write that.

No doubt there are ladies that restore cars, but it wasn't obvious from my exploring. When I did read the name of the owner, it was a man's name or a couple. Never did see one with just a lady's name. Autos and engines appears to be another of those traditional compartmentizing of males and females. Could this change in the 21st century.

There were cars of all vintages from the 1920s to the muscle cars of the 1960s -- including restored stock cars, art pieces, restored trucks, a Metropolitan, a 1965 RV on a Dodge chassis, some low rider art pieces, etc. The hoods were open on those where the engine wasn't stock or was chromed or painted some day glow color. Some times there were several males of the species standing around the engine getting the details about the engine from the owner.

Restorers of cars appear to be another of those subcultures of the USA population -- like the RVing subculture. In my strolling, I overheard conversations that were sharing information with others about the car restoring process, where to get the parts -- and one conversation was about his current 1956 project and he didn't know whether it was going to be stock or not.

Want a restored car. Many were for sale. Want to create your own. Rusting hulks were also for sale.

With lots of time and lots of money, soon you can have a restored car -- or an art piece. Blue is a good color. All chrome parts were stripped and everthing is blue on what appears to have been a late 1940s coupe. A low rider without a door handle.

Yup. Baby blue is a man thing.

It was a long walk a couple of times around to make sure I didn't miss anything. Fortunately, I had "sole protection" for my feet. Note these goat heads on the soles of my sandals.

Lake Havasu

2011-10-20T11:58:00.000-06:00

Build it and they will come.

Lake Havasu was created when the Parker Dam was built in the late 1930s. That brought the fishermen to the lake that was created. That created a fishing camp at the current location of Lake Havasu City. In 1964 it was incorporated.

The centerpiece and the tourist draw is the London Bridge built in 1971. The bridge was dismantled and moved across the Atlantic Ocean rock by rock from London and now spans a channel in Lake Havasu. Not that I have ever been to London, but I doubt this desert terrain in any way resembles London. More likely, fog would have been a usual feature.

People have been coming and building a life (or vacation home) at Lake Havasu City for the past 40 years. Recreation is the draw. On the water with jet skis and high powered jet boats. On the nearby desert hills can be found the four wheelers and the ATVs. Lots of those.

With large open expanses of water, warnings are required to mark the land forms that may prove hazardous to boats. Time to build a lighthouse. This one third size replica of the Split Rock lighthouse at Two Harbors Minnesota was built by the Lake Havasu Lighthouse Club.

The warm days and clear skies have been a daily occurrence with the exception of one day. Time to capture the sunset. Not a great sunset. So with Topaz plugins and Photoshop, this is an artist's (that would be me) representation of the end of the day on the east shore of Lake Havasu.

From the curmudgeon... When did Halloween turn into a major holiday. Halloween cards. Candy by the bushel. Pumpkins by the ton. Ready made costumes. Deserted retail space becomes a Halloween shopping bonanza for one month. Then there was the pumpkin carving kit. Huh.

A Dog Story

2011-10-17T15:52:00.000-06:00

When browsing Amazon looking for free books, the title of one caught my eye: Alaska Days With John Muir. The author was S. Hall Young. That name sounded familiar. Checked my "recommended to read" lists and there was the name. The note said to also read Stickeen by John Muir.

The recommendation ended on the list several years ago. Happened when I was waiting for a water tour of the Wisconsin Dells, I was in a conversation with the couple next to me. How the conversation got to her relative S. Hall Young in Alaska I don't recall. Young had a dog in Alaska name of Stickeen; the reason for the Muir book recommendation.

Alaska Days With John Muir by Young is about the Alaskan inside passage journeys Muir and he shared. Muir was exploring and observing the flora and fauna and mapping the area and its glaciers. On these same journeys, Young was bringing the white man's religion to the Indian tribes. Muir gets top billing in the book. However, not far behind is Stickeen playing a best supporting role.

Stickeen is a short story of one day in 1880 when Stickeen joined Muir on a cold and snowy day to traverse and explore a nearby glacier. With little fear, Muir challenges forbidding weather and a glacial terrain when most would have stayed in camp. The journey and including the hazardous return across glacial crevasses provide Muir with observations about the very unusual Stickeen.

Both books can be found as free eBooks on several internet sites.

Over the years, I've read several dog stories. The stories about Stickeen remind me of the book Merle's Door by Ted Kerasote. My mini review.

Leather Aroma

2011-10-14T12:17:00.000-06:00

From the North Ranch SKP park, Wickenburg is down the road a few miles. Wickenburg is the home to the Desert Caballeros Western Museum. Pretty hard for me to pass up a museum about the west. However, I had visited the museum in my previous visit to Wickenburg.

So I continued my walk along the mostly western themed downtown.

Walking by Ben's Saddle Shop, the distinctive aroma of leather was in the air. Couldn't resist the fragrance of that smell. Had to get a closer whiff.

Soon I was in a conversation with Hawaiian shirt attired owner. Seems a bit out of place in a saddlery store. No. He doesn't wear Hawaiian when a horse.

Boots, hats, saddles, riding gear are among other items in the small store. Saddles were plain to ornately tooled leather.

Yeah. He could make saddles, and decorate them. However, there is better return on his time making repairs for shoes, boots, saddles and other leather goods.

Also less expensive to repair the old. New saddles are expensive. Hay is expensive. Beef cattle prices are high. Leather prices are high as a result. Asking the question of the guy why hay was expensive. He said that the hay was being exported to Saudi Arabia. Really!

Checked the internet and found that hay was being exported from the U.S. to many other countries in addition to Saudi Arabia. Southeast Asia is the largest importer of hay from the US. Much of it is shipped from southern California.

Asking if saddles were imported. Yup. It's all about cheap. They are imported by the container load from China and India. Do they fit the horse. Maybe. Hope I never find myself in a saddle with the imprint "Made In China". For me, it just hurts the mythical image of the American western cowboy.

American made saddles are expensive by comparison. In addition to the high price of beef, there are few leather tanning operations left in the US. My interviewee said there was only one U.S. operation that tanned leather for saddles. Today with chemicals hazardous to the enviroment and humans, US regs make it a difficult business. Other countries with fewer environmental and worker safety regs now tan and prepare leather for usage in leather products. Of course the product is also created before import to the US.

Nothing like the aromatic odor of leather to invite me in for the learning experience about exporting hay and importing saddles.

Reading Chinese

2011-10-13T14:19:00.001-06:00

...or is it Japanese. One of my Hawaiian shirts has characters as part of the pattern. Are these Chinese or Japanese? The tag on the shirt says, "Made in Bangladesh". However, those characters are not Bangladesh writing.

A couple of years ago -- wearing that shirt -- I was standing in line. As we waited, I started a conversation with the guy behind me. Surprise that I would do that. :) As we chatted, he commented that he liked my my shirt. I said that I had always wondered what it said. Without missing a beat he said, "Made in China".

This is detail of the three sets of characters that repeat throughout the shirt.

Didn't know what those characters say. One day without anything better to do, I Googled "common Chinese characters" and "common Japanese characters". The characters looked more Chinese to this uneducated eye. Looking at the Chinese characters and reading the meaning, it appeared that there was some possibility that those characters did say something to the effect, "Made in China".

In case you are wondering, the wrinkles are part of my wardrobe.

Still Hot Here

2011-10-12T21:57:00.000-06:00

South So Soon? was a post by Boonie. That would be me. Describes my recent journeys from southwestern Colorado to the shores of the Colorado River.

Arrived today on the east shore of the Colorado River at Lake Havasu City. Bit warm. Some would say hot. The thermometer (in the shade) on Wandrin Wagon shows 95 degrees at 2:00p.m. Yeah. That's warm. Sorry. Hot.

The temperatures will be around 90 degrees for the next ten days and then cooler temps are predicted with 80 degree days. Not too many days ago I was at 5000 feet at Prescott Arizona where the night time temps were in the 30s and the day times struggled to get into the 50s. Compared to that, I prefer the heat. Also a lot more comfortable in my usual shorts and Hawaiian shirts.

If it weren't for air conditioning, I wouldn't be here. Without air conditioning, Lake Havasu City would not be here -- strung out along the Colorado River.

Pretty quiet here since the Snowbirds have yet to arrive. Early Snowbird arrivals are few. From past observations, the first wave of Snowbirds arrive about the first of December -- right after Thanksgiving. The next wave (much larger) begins just a few days after Christmas and continues into the first week of January. January and February are peak occupancy. On March 1st, the Snowbirds begin their northward migration. By April first, the RV parks are quiet once again.

Whatever. Glad to be here and enjoy life -- the hot times and the cool times. Not the cold times! That is why there are tires under Wandrin Wagon.

Testing Wilson Sleek

2011-10-10T22:06:00.000-06:00

The Wilson Sleek was reviewed in a previous post. That test was done in trees with times where there was no signal. Testing the Sleek under those compromised conditions may not have been fair. Since that test, I have been trying to find remote (poor signal) locations to repeat the test.

Today was the lucky day as I traveled the remote sections of highway 10 between Prescott and Skull Valley. Pulled off the road atop a ridge with not a tree or hill to block the Verizon cell tower digital signal -- where ever it may be coming from.

For this test, I used the four inch high antenna supplied with the Sleek. The antenna was placed on the roof of Silver Slug and attached to the Sleek. The Sleek was plugged into 12 volt power and the test began.

The cell phone.... The cell phone showed it had a 1X signal, but no bars. Put the cell phone in the Sleek. Still 1X, but one bar appeared. No phone call was made.

The Verizon MiFi card.... The MiFi display showed signal strength of no bars. Placed the MiFi card into the Sleek. One bar appeared. To continue the test, I turned on the iPad connected to the MiFi. Pointed the Safari browser to my Google Reader page. At 1X speeds it takes a while, but eventually the page was displayed.

As I wrote that, I realized I should have tested the MIFi and iPad without the Sleek. Oh well. What did you expect from a retired software guy.

If there was a Verizon EVDO signal, no doubt the testing results would have been similar -- except for faster loading of the page from the internet. When I find a situation with poor EVDO signal, more tests will be run.

The Lure of Stuff

2011-10-09T21:56:00.000-06:00

Walking downtown Prescott and with nothing better to do, I wandered in and out of antique stores. Lots of stuff. Jewelery. Coins. Commemorative items. Dishware of all kinds. Toys. Stuff from the past. It was all there. For me it was more about nostalgia from my childhood. Didn't want or need any of it.

There was already stuff in Wandrin Wagon that had not been used (or seen) in many years. Sleeping bag. Wood carving/burning materials. Music CDs. Food blender. Microwave. Etc.

Yes. A microwave. After six years on the road, there was a weak moment when I was passing through Wal-Mart and noted the $49 microwave. The financial justification took about a minute. It would be great for last minute thawing; heating tea water; reheat soups rather than dirtying up a pan -- and -- a soup bowl. Unfortunately, I didn't ask myself how often I had soup.

Two years later the microwave is ballast. (A rock as ballast would provide more enjoyment.) That microwave is not plugged in. The easiest thing would be to donate it to a thrift store. Not so easy. It appears that I have placed some illogical value on it. Unfortunately, there is space to keep it.

Then there are the Hawaiian shirts. How many shirts do I really need. A personal wardrobe does not require 30 shirts. A wardrobe would be complete with a half dozen shirts. Couple of shorts. Underwear and socks. Launder once a week and the entire wardrobe can be quite small.

The accumulation of stuff happens so very slowly. How does this happen? Many RVers subscribe to the mantra, "When something comes into the RV, something else has to go." It's a good line, but in reality the latest acquisition always finds room.

Ten years ago when I became a nomadic explorer, I downsized from a 900 square foot home to Wandrin Wagon's 200 square feet. 98% of the stuff went to TJ, Vanita, thrift stores and the Denver library. Once I had gotten rid of all the stuff, I realized that I really didn't own any of it. It owned me. The stuff required maintenance. It was a freeing experience that I was no longer responsible for the stuff.

Why is stuff so alluring. Some TV or magazine ad told you that you needed it. Life would be much better with the new item. Note the shills in the ads. Before the purchase of the item, they are sad and talk depressed. After the new product is in their lives, they smile. Every other person in the ad is also smiling and having a good time. Doesn't matter what the product may be. Better larger TV (they didn't tell you the manufacturer will announce a larger one next month). New kitchen appliance to make life easier (they didn't tell you it clutters the counter). New music system with fantastic bass (annoys the neighbors). Household furniture from beds to recliners will make life great (incomplete without a dozen colorful pillows). Did you know you needed this stuff before you saw the ad.

No doubt I was lured in by the ads. That was then. Today however, I am a "recovering stuff purchaser".

There are exceptions. Shopping for Hawaiian shirts continues. It's an inexpensive vice that will be continued at thrift stores.

Buy experiences -- not things. You will remember the experiences. Things end at garage sales and thrift stores.

Wandrin Wagon is my storage. No renting space or shed for me. If I will need it, it travels with me.

Ever think about The Outrageous Cost of Storing Stuff

Or a Slate article: Storing More Stuff Than Ever

Or a TED video Less Stuff, More Happiness

Car Show

2011-10-08T21:05:00.000-06:00

When arriving in a new town, one of my first tasks is to get on the internet and search for "what to do in X town". Also search for "X town calendar of events". There will be many matches for both. The hits will also be covered with ads of where to stay and eat. However, I ignore all those ads and struggle to get the information. Going to a couple different sites, eventually I arrive at things I want to explore.

That is what I did when I arrived in the Prescott area. This weekend was a car show and art fair on the square in downtown Prescott. The art fair had the usual booths -- some of the same vendors were at Sedona at the last art fair I visited. Photography and wood carvers are the draw for me at art fairs. The plan is to get ideas for photography. A little chatting and compliments for artists and then I move on.

After the art fair, it was time to check out autos at the car show. Very few of the cars were stock. In many cases, it would be difficult to determine the original make. Seems many of the cars were turned into an art piece for the owner. Most of those cars did not come in those colors -- let alone the pin striping. Many of those art pieces are displayed with the hood open to show the frequently non-stock engine.

Trying to get photos of cars without people in the way is difficult. Requires lots of patience. Of which I have little.

Here is one of the few vehicles that was stock -- a 1959 Ford. Color seems a little bright for 1959, but I don't really know. (Some of that brightness was caused by a Topaz Photoshop plugin.)

Then there was the 1936 Ford towing sleeping accommodations. That would be a step up from tent camping. No sleeping on the ground for these folk.

After touring the car show and walking through the art fair one more time, I headed to some of the side streets in search of more photo ops.

How about this truck. This Ford was not part of the car show --- and it was stock. 1970's vintage?

Several motorcycle riders were walking the car show and art fair. If leathers can be called a uniform, most were in uniform. Then I saw this uniform. Don't think he was a motorcycle rider. Looks more like a cavalry man. With a crop in his right hand and a sword under his left arm, wonder if his horse was parked nearby.

Great day for a walk around the square. It warmed up today -- all the way into the 60s and no rain.

Apple IIe to iPad

2011-10-07T09:58:00.000-06:00

The Apple IIe was the first of many personal computers over the past 30 plus years.

Today, it is Steve Jobs' iPad. The iPad is my most used gadget -- internet access, eReader, portable photo album, etc. Without a TV and getting my news from the internet, it was no surprise that it was on the iPad that I first read/heard of Steve Jobs' death. Doubt that I was the only one that received the news through that device.

I've always been fascinated with Steve Jobs. Several years ago, I became aware of Steve Jobs' commencement address given at Stanford in 2005. It was worth a reread at this time. For insight and philosophy of life and living, view the video at Ted or read the transcript of the address.

Wonder what Jobs envisioned after the iPad.

Sky Of Clouds

2011-10-05T11:58:00.000-06:00

Monsoon weather has filled the sky with the ever changing, billowing and colorful clouds. No camera can catch the millions of color shades that appear . The narrower focus of the camera also doesn't capture the ability of the eye to see 180 degrees. However, that doesn't stop me from sharing some cloud photos taken these past couple of days.

Time to admire and capture cloud scenery while there. Clear skies and warmer temperatures are predicted two days out.

Historical Sign

2011-10-01T13:34:00.000-06:00

On the hill above the Verde Valley TT park is National Forest land with 14 day camping. Good location with great views to the Red Rocks of Sedona in the distance, good cell phone coverage and hiking. Before my TT membership and on weeks out of the park, I have dry camped there.

Even though I have hiked the area numerous times in previous visits to TT or parked there, I always manage to find something new. This time it was historical evidence of a one time "Stock Driveway".

Curiosity is what drives me. What does that sign mean. After decades of weather wear, the sign was hard to read. With the help of Photoshop and Topaz plugins, it was easier to read. The sign reads "BOUNDARY STOCK DRIVEWAY SIGNS FACE TRAIL". The National Forest logo appears on the lower part of the sign.

Then it was onto the internet to research the story. There were stock driveways all across mountain west. Found several "Stock Driveways" identified on those searches. Today the few "driveways" that remain are used for biking, hiking and horse riding. Why was this one named "Boundary". I thought Boundary defined the boundaries of the trail. Not so. It was the name of this stock driveway.

Many years ago, unfenced land was usually forest service or BLM land. To control access across the lands, the signs were erected. There may have been similar wording in some Federal law creating the sign I saw. Here is an exerpt from Alaska Administrative Code that define the reason for the signs: "In the event that an individual with livestock must cross the grazing lease of another, the livestock must be kept within the bounds of the stock driveway. The stock driveway will be adequately marked on both exterior boundaries."

Wondering how wide the defined trail was, I searched in the other direction for more signs to mark the other side of the driveway. No luck. Based on the location of the found signs, the driveway would lead over the escarpment and down arroyos to the Verde River below. Does it cross or follow the river. Don't know.

The found historic references about stock (sheep and cattle) driveways indicated that most were used into the 1930 to the 1950s. The Magdelena Stock Driveway appears to be the last used in 1970. The source for the story is from an enjoyable read: The Dave Farr Oral History -- The Magdalena Stock Driveway (PDF file).

Cattle and sheep drives are part of the west's agrarian past when the world seemed to move slower. Today, the stock is herded onto a truck and at market or the new pastures in just a few hours.

Hope you enjoyed the background for the found historical sign.

Just A Blade of Grass

2011-09-29T21:10:00.000-06:00

The mantis is well camouflaged looking like a faded piece of grass.

Eagle eyed Wandrin Lloyd spotted the attempt at camouflage. With no movement, the mantis is probably pretty safe from avian species.

Cropping that same photo for a closer look, note the insect green matches the grass.

Wish that I had taken the first photo from eye height to relate what I first saw.

Should Have Read A Book

2011-09-28T16:56:00.000-06:00

Been there before a couple of times. However with nothing better to do and with 90+ degree temps, I decided a return visit to Jerome would be a way to do some exploring.

Jerome wasn't new and I wasn't exploring. Been there. Did that. When I arrived on this visit, my first stop was at the art co-op. When I walked outside the art coop, I questioned my reasoning (sanity) for this journey to Jerome. In previous visits, I had walked the streets visiting some of the art galleries, antique shops, rock shops, etc. Then there are the "gift" shops where the intent is to sell something for the friends and relatives back home. What else would you call something that no one really wants.

After exiting the art co-op, I decided on (warm) exercise as I walked the streets looking for an intesting photo or two. (That also was done in previous visits). This sign on the wall dates to 1929. Without a doubt it has been touched up a few times in the past 80 years. Still admire its historic look.

Soon my wandering brought me back to Silver Slug and the journey back home. Where I picked up a book.

Internet Links To Share

2011-09-27T10:50:00.004-06:00

Notational Velocity (Mac software) is used to keep track of blog thoughts, ideas, things to share, etc. The list of items became rather lengthy. Time to do some housekeeping. Writing a blog about some of those notes would take more time than I wish to expend this morning, so here are some internet links that I found fascinating and original.

"3 guys, 44 days, 11 countries, 18 flights, 38 thousand miles, an exploding volcano, 2 cameras and almost a terabyte of footage... all to turn 3 ambitious linear concepts based on movement, learning and food ....into 3 beautiful and hopefully compelling short films....." My choice of the three films produced is Move. Watch the one minute video more than once to see the individual second(s) long great scenes.

I'm not a fan of rap, but videos by Aussie Christiaan Van Vuuren made while in TB quarantine are a pleasure to watch. One of those is Life In Quarantine.

A talented "Weird Al" Yankovic produces great parodies of pop music. However, by far the best of his material may be this Stop Forwarding That Crap To Me on YouTube.

Through DropBox and the SimpleNote App on the iPad and iPod Touch, I can keep all my note taking in sync with Notational Velocity on the MacBook.

Mini Book Review -- Finding Everett Ruess

2011-09-22T21:29:00.000-06:00

Written by David Roberts, the book is subtitled: The Life and Unsolved Disappearance of a Legendary Wilderness Explorer

To familiarize the reader with the subject of this book, check out the Wikipedia entry for Everett Ruess

My first read about Ruess was in my early nomadic years of 2002/2003 when I happened across the book A Vagabond for Beauty by W.L. Rusho's (published 1973 -- now available in Kindle format). Ruess' story has fascinated me ever since. His love and admiration of the rugged rock beauty of the Four Corners is like my own feelings for the area.

First half of Roberts' book a biography of Ruess. As a biography, it starts with Everett Ruess' childhood and ends with his disappearance in 1934. Original materials of letters, diaries, art work form the basis for the short productive years of Ruess' life. Other authors -- including Krakauer and Stegner -- have also been fascinated by Ruess and wrote about him. Roberts also includes edited material from those writers.

What has happened since 1934 is included in the second half of the book. It is a review of others' attempts to solve the disappearance -- the crack pots, con artists and the serious searchers. Then the author tries his hand to solve the 1934 disappearance of Ruess. The plot thickens as the author discovers that some of Ruess's original materials are in the hands of a private collector. Roberts includes the 2008 stories of discovery of bones in a crevice thought to be Ruess'. With forensic work and DNA tests, the first tests showed a match. However with questions outstanding, subsequent tests proved that the bones were American Indian.

The mystery of Everett Ruess remains. Perhaps that is best for a myth.

Roberts book is a great read covering everything about Ruess' short life and the 70 plus years since his disappearance.

From Everett Ruess' own writings, he may well have written his own autobiography:

Say that I starved; that I was lost and weary;
That I was burned and blinded by the desert sun;
Footsore, thirsty, sick with strange diseases;
Lonely and wet and cold... but that I kept my dream!

Moods of Monument Valley

2011-09-20T16:22:00.001-06:00

Arrival at Monument Valley was in a light rain. Through the afternoon and evening, several photos were taken in attempt to relate the beauty of these rock monoliths. Not to bore the reader, here is a selection of the many photos that were taken.

Low hanging clouds provide the gray cast to the scene.

High clouds shade parts of the monoliths.

As an afternoon rain shower cleared, a rainbow appeared.

Closing the day with a sunlight reflection.

Following morning sunrise.

Up in the middle of the night, I checked that scene with an almost full moon. Thought about setting up the camera to capture the scene. Needed a tripod. Would have to take several photos before I "might" get one that my eyes see. I decided to rely on my memory for future recall. Imagine the rock monoliths silhouette in a world of grays with a blue cast.

There was a brave attempt to try to reproduce that image with an existing photo and Photoshop. Perhaps it could be done, but my skills with Photoshop were not up to the task. The results of my lame attempt:

Monument Valley Teaser

2011-09-19T22:02:00.000-06:00

I followed Diana's suggestion to remove the white car from the photo that I took through the window of Wandrin Wagon. Photoshop does wonders.

Much better photo without the car.

Wandrin Wagon and Silver Slug are frequently found in my photos. Those photos will eventually appear on the masthead of my blog. Not the best shot of the mittens in the background, but it is unmistakably Monument Valley where I am parked.

Primitive camping included RVs of all sizes, tents, vans, etc. The reason to be here was to capture a photo of the monuments at sunset. And sunrise. Of those many photographers, Dave was from Tampa. Another was Zoltan from Las Vegas. They were just two of many many more. They were here -- like me -- to capture the many moods of Monument Valley.

This post closes with a silhouette of one of those many photographers at sunset.

Tomorrow's post will -- finally -- be photos of Monument Valley's many moods.

Gadget Review -- Wilson Sleek

2011-09-18T14:57:00.001-06:00

About 20 miles from downtown Flagstaff is the Bonita NF Campground at the entrance to Sunset Crater NM. Good place to park and test the new gadget -- Wilson Sleek signal booster. I knew from a previous stop that Verizon signal was poor to non-existent. Dry camping at Bonita and parked in the midst of the Ponderosa pines on a floor of volcanic cinders. The pines cast shadows impacting solar panel output to recharge the batteries. (But that is another story.)

Although the Wilson Sleek comes with a very small antenna, I knew from experience that the outside antenna atop the flag pole would give better results. Attached the outside antenna to the Sleek. Attached the Sleek to a power source. The Wilson trucker's antenna is mounted atop a fiberglass flag pole to get the elusive that Verizon signal.

The Verizon voice/cell phone test.... Before using the Sleek, the Verizon cell phone display would alternate between a Verizon 1X signal with zero bars or "No Service". Placed the cell phone in the Sleek cradle. The signal display now showed 1X with two bars and EVDO appeared with one bar. Don't know if a phone call could have been made and staying connected.

The Verizon MiFi 4G LTE test.... Before placing the MiFi card into the cradle, the MiFi display showed signal strength with no bars. When placed into the cradle, the display showed two bars -- occasionally one bar. Turned on the computer and turned on Wi-Fi to connect to the MiFi unit. Most of the time, data transfers were at 1X speeds. A rare moment it transferred at EVDO speeds. (Note: the Sleek does not amplify 4G signal.)

Tests with Wilson amplifier... (already in the gadget collection). I expected the signal strength to be better with the directly connected amplifier. And it was. There is no external antenna connection for the cell phone, so the test for comparison was done with the MiFI card.

With the MiFi card via amplifier direct connect, the display on the MiFi card showed two bars all the time with an occasional three bars. Transfers were typically at EVDO speeds. In a later test, the MiFi display showed only one bar and speeds were at 1X.

Bottom line... It works for data -- some. Regardless of the connectivity -- Sleek or amplifier -- speeds were rarely consistent. Response time was highly erratic when accessing a new URL. Other times, it appears that the communication between here and there stopped. Stopped the access and tried again helped sometimes.

However, this test may have compromised from the start. Trying to go from no signal detected (at this location) to one bar may be pushing the technology. Add to that the forest of Ponderosa trees impacting signal. The first test was done before that large Class A RV that moved into the next space. That could also have impacted the already weak signal when I tested the second time.

My recommendation.... Save your money. To get internet connectivity, head down the road or to the nearest coffee shop. Or read a book. That is hard for someone with an internet addiction. I know. However, I did find that I survived a several nights without internet. Kind of like the old days -- as little as five years ago.

Unfortunately, that recommendation is partially colored by my current internet experience at the Verde Valley Thousand Trails RV park at Cottonwood, AZ. Although the MiFi display shows a four bar signal strength, the throughput speeds are erratic. Sometimes veeery slow. No doubt some of that is affected by other Verizon users putting heavy demands on a limited bandwidth

Small World

2011-09-17T11:43:00.001-06:00

Arrived at Monument Valley in the rain. Wandering around the parking lot taking photos in the rain I heard, "Is that you, Lloyd". Turned around to see Diana. Wondered if I was going to stay in primitive parking. I was.

Parked. Could the view get any better from the window of Wandrin Wagon.

Later chatted with Diana and Phil. We caught up on each others lives and travels. It's a small world after all. (Now try to get that tune out of your head.)

A post in a few days will be of photos of the beautiful moods of Monument Valley.

Sole Support

2011-09-14T21:44:00.000-06:00

Not really sole support. Shoes are about sole protection from natural elements like sharp stones or goat heads which are found in the plains and mountains of the west. Comfort is no shoes at all -- barefoot. Inside Wandrin Wagon. Outside not so good.

The barefoot craze started with Christopher McDougall's Born To Run. (My mini review of the book.) With barefoot not an option and to get foot protection, I endure the ordeal of getting a good shoe fit. Foot pain and discomfort are great incentives to achieve a comfortable shoe.

Unfortunately, the inexpensive China Inc. manufactured shoes don't provide that comfort. Some people -- like Boonie -- can purchase those shoes and walk out the store with a new spring in their step. Not me. For me it is OUCH. Actually, the shoes don't get out the store with me.

My first hiking shoes were purchased in the early/mid 1980s. As the soles wore away due to hiking, the shoes required new soles and heels. Done several times until the mid 1990s. Unfortunately, after ten tears of poor shoe maintenance on my part, the uppers of the shoe were worn so the cobbler could not repair them -- or resole them.

In the 1990s, it was the throw away hiking shoe. No more resoling of a comfortable shoe. With REI's generous return policy, it was several false starts with other hiking shoe brands. Eventually, I ended up with Merrell. It is the one hiking shoe that is comfortable walking out the door.

Although my exploring shoes (known as tennies or gym shoes when I was a kid) may be made by China Inc., the 2E width is not a popular option. The sizes might include D and 4E. So over the past decade -- perhaps longer -- I have found that I can always get New Balance shoes (in the 2E size) to fit. Always about $100 a pair, at least I can walk in comfort.

Sandals.... Too much leather on most sandals. A sandal is a flip flop that would stay on my feet -- a strap across the heel and instep. Took two/three years to find the Teva Zilch. I can actually run (not done often) in the shoe. With little material compressing the ball of the foot, it is very comfortable. The shoe is pretty close to barefoot with a 3/8 inch sole and no raised heel or instep. Great shoe -- for summer -- or extended winter stays in Palm Springs.

A normal foot would mean less expensive footwear purchased at Walmart -- like Boonie. However, Wandrin Lloyd has never been considered normal. Yup. Includes abnormal feet.

Enough Already

2011-09-12T08:55:00.000-06:00

That was the reaction when I heard rain on the roof -- once again last evening. Colorado in September should be clear cool days as the leaves take on fall color. The cool part was 42 degrees one morning (on my thermometer). But we are missing the clear part. Nor is there fall color.

Not this year. The only fall aspen color was right next to me at Ridgway SP. Note the sky in the background of the photo. That is the usual texture to the skies each day. The daily 50% chance of rain and cloudy skies does get in the way of enjoyable hiking.

Boonie, Coffee Girl and I did manage to hike parts of the Perimeter Trail around Ouray. At one point we found ourselves far above Ouray on some cross trail. Turning around and heading back it was a longer hike than intended. Good exercise (the positive spin to the unintended).

During the hike we came up with solutions for world economic problems and design of a great RVing home on wheels for a single guy. Less conversation and trail concentration would have been a good idea. But what fun is there in that. Getting lost is fun and adds a little excitement to life. And Coffee Girl was having a great time.

Hitching up Wandrin Wagon the day after tomorrow, we are hoping for one good day of hiking tomorrow. No real complaints. Whatever happens, it will still be a great day.

Note: Boonie is driveway sitting for Mark and Bobbie as they travel and explore the Northwest US.

Fishing On The Wolf RIver

2011-09-08T19:56:00.001-06:00

A nostalgic recollection.... Daughter Vanita, nephew Marc and son TJ on their Grandpa K's dock. Marc is fishing while the other two seem to be consulting. At least TJ seems to be doing some talking.

Grandpa K retired from the farm to a home on the Wolf River (Shawano Wisconsin). With not enough time to go fishing while farming, Grandpa K was making up for lost time during his retirement. It was also a great place for grand kids. Grandpa K was more than willing to give a few fishing lessons to the grand kids.

On this same summer visit to Grandpa and Grandma, Vanita tried her hand at fishing. Sitting on the dock waiting for a fish to come by to find the bait required more patience than Vanita could spare. Perhaps she was doing some physics experiment testing drag as she moved the line from left to right in the water. Starting slowly she started to move it faster left to right. Grandpa K consulted that Vanita would not catch a fish that way.

That was when she pulled a fish out of the water with the hook firmly snagged on the fish's back. Vanita looked at Grandpa K. Needless to say, Grandpa K was struck at how wrong he was about fishing. He said that was the last time he would give fishing lessons. Don't know if this is the same fish, but this is Vanita showing a catch.

Vanita -- and Gabe -- now fish for tuna in the waters off the shores of San Diego.

Today, 35 years later, Grandpa K's retirement home on the Wolf River is now the retirement home for Marc's father -- Emil. Much of Emil's summer is spent on the river fishing -- and catching. When my nomadic travels take me to Wisconsin, a visit to Emil is part of the journey. The visit will include a treat to the latest catch or some that were previously frozen. Never get away empty handed, I end up with a "care package" including some maple syrup that he harvested the previous spring.

Good life in 1975 and a great life today.

Wandrin at Ridgway SP

2011-09-05T12:31:00.000-06:00

Date line: Late morning on Labor Day

I arrived mid yesterday at Ridgway State Park near Ridgway Colorado (how come spelled without the "e") and 15 miles from Ouray. With few exceptions, every campground space is occupied.

This morning after the Labor Day weekend, the camping family and friends are packing to meet check out time at noon. Bicycles, grills, tents and dog cages are stowed and after one last check around the campsite, the campers are pulling out. Soon this park will be mine -- or mostly mine. The weekend campers are going back to school or work. None of that for me. The park is a great place to stay and enjoy what will be a very quiet park.

Ridgway at 7000 feet is higher than the last stop at Grand Junction by 2500 feet. Ridgway temperatures are in the high 70s versus the 90s in Grand Junction. No more noisy air conditioning. Great place to be parked.

Bobbie and Mark have a home in Ouray and my plans were to visit them a time or two while I was in the area. Once they heard I was coming, they decided to head to the Northwest for some traveling of their own. By the time of their planned return in October, I will be in Cottonwood Arizona.

Good part about Bobbie and Mark leaving is that Boonie is driveway sitting in their abscence. We will do some area exploring and walking before I move on in about two weeks.

Great views and quiet. Great Verizon signal. Nomadic life doesn't get much better.

Rock Beauty

2011-09-04T20:55:00.000-06:00

The geologic region known as the Colorado Plateau encompasses several National Parks. Others are Zion, Bryce, Capitol Reef, Grand Canyon, Black Canyon, Arches, Canyonlands and Mesa Verde. Dinosaur National Monument is also in this geologic region.

With Colorado National Monument I've been able to check another of park off the list -- or bucket list if I had one. Dinosaur is the only one I haven't visited in these ten years although it was visited in the early nineties on a road trip. Plans are to catch that one in the spring of 2012 on the way north for summer exploring.

My tour of the Colorado National Monument included driving tours and hikes. Those ancient rocks make me realize my insignificance in the natural world. At the same time I marvel at my significance to be there and witness a slice of the millions of years of geologic history before me.

Throughout the park, there is evidence of continuing geologic change. After some rock had fallen from the canyon wall, the patina had not darkened the rock surface once again.

Independence Rock and numeroous other named monoliths in the monument are the result of many years of wind and water erosion. That also continues.

Throughout the Monument are gnarled juniper hanging on to the little moisture that falls on the Monument. No doubt some of these junipers were ancient -- 100 years old or more. During my walks or driving tours, I noted several trees that were natural bonsais. Noted one juniper that was no more than two feet high, but the trunk at its base was about two inches across.

I continue to be awed by Nature's artistic creations: the rock shapes, textures, rock varieties, colors and structures.

Bad Service Savings

2011-09-03T20:53:00.001-06:00

The Dinosaur Museum (in Fruita) was driven by several times as I explored the area. On one pass with nothing better to do, I drove into the parking lot. There I sat having an argument with myself about the pros and cons of going in. Couldn't resolve the argument so I went into the Museum.

No one was at the counter to take my money. I could see the clerk at another counter in the gift shop. She could see me, but for whatever reason, she didn't come to get my money. While standing there -- from the museum -- I could hear the dinosaur roars directly from a Japanese monster horror flick. Also a couple of kid screams was when I opted not to do the museum. Good thing she didn't come.

I would check the book selection in the gift store. The place was designed for kids. After scanning the few books that were not designed for children, I found one that identified the archaeology and anthropology stops in Colorado. Sounded like a nice guide for current and future reference. Wandered to the counter to pay. Now the clerk was sitting in the office at a desk. If she looked up she could see me. She didn't. Waiting patiently, I looked at dinosaur themed times on the counter. Still no clerk. I took the selected book back to the shelf. Good thing she didn't come.

Bad service had just saved me over $20. It was a good day.

Symbiosis

2011-09-02T20:11:00.000-06:00

A fungi met a nice algae. Decided they would live together. They took a lichen to this rock and made a home.

Last Digs for Doc Holliday

2011-08-31T21:00:00.000-06:00

"Isn't it strange how we remember much of the sinners and so little of the saints." -- Pinkerton detective Lowell Spence in 1949 said about Kid Curry's death in 1903. From the book The Wild Bunch (copyright 1958) by James D. Horan.

One of the things to do in Glenwood Springs was to visit Doc Holliday's grave. After Tombstone and moving around Colorado, Doc Holliday came to Glenwood Springs in 1887 for the waters in hopes to cure him of tuberculosis. That is where he died and was buried at Linwood Cemetery.

Without Doc Holliday's biographers and western mythological fiction, the Linwood Cemetery would be grown over with grass and shrub. There would be few visitors 100 years later. However, tourism is business. The city constructed hiking trail skirts the top of a nearby mountain where the cemetery commands a beautiful view of the valley.

Considering my long time fascination with the western cowboy myth, I had to make the pilgrimage to Holliday's grave. It was a warm day for a hike on the well worn trail with strategically placed signs pointing to the direction of the city installed Doc Holliday memorial stone.

Further cemetery and Doc Holliday history appears on city erected markers. These signs provide an abbreviated version of the detail that can be found in a Wikipedia entry for Doc Holliday.

I've always wonder why many western Rocky Mountain cemeteries are atop a rocky hill over looking the town below. Today this would be prime residential real estate for the views. Why a cemetery up here. Not easy to get to and excavating a hole in the rock strewn surface must have been a real chore for the grave diggers.

The grave site of the "sinner" is the draw to this mountain top. Checking out a few of the other memorials in the cemetery, I looked for memorials for the graves of business leaders or founders of Glenwood Springs 100 years ago. Nothing to be found.

Just Say No -- A Followup

2011-08-30T15:20:00.000-06:00

The Just Say No entry on this site said "no" to statins.

Always looking for alternatives to statins pushed by Big Pharma. Turns out the solution is found in chocolate. That is according to an article found at Consumers Reports Health.

Doubt that I can get a prescription for chocolate so I guess I will have to self-medicate with that alternative medicine.

Update Cell Phone

2011-08-30T14:50:00.000-06:00

Colorado River Island Acres SP is still a great place.

Updated the cell phone (*228) and now there are two bars for EVDO. One bar for 1X. That is a whole lot better than the zip that I had before the update.

No. Unfortunately, I wasn't bright enough to figure that out myself. Had a 3GStore pre-sales discussion. Reason for contacting them was to find something to improve the signal for the cell phone. Explaining to the rep that I had two bars on Mi-Fi but nothing on the cell phone, he wondered about updating the cell phones roaming. Right there I knew that was the answer.

My gadget collection includes a Wilson signal amplifier and the truckers antenna. Had that for those times when I was parked remote. At one time, I had a cell phone and an air card with capability to attach an external antenna. That signal amplifier worked great. Unfortunately, I no longer can use that hardware since my current cell phone and the Mi-Fi card do not have capability for an external antenna.

What to do. 3GStore had the answer; the Wilson Sleek will meet those remote connectivity requirements in the future. It will be ordered tomorrow to ship to general delivery in Ridgeway -- my next stop in Colorado.

Cell Tower Deceit

2011-08-28T21:06:00.000-06:00

Arrived at Colorado River Islands SP just east of Palisade and noticed a cell tower on the ridge about a mile east of the park entrance. Considering I like to be connected, that tower's proximity would make for a pleasant camping experience.

Atop the levee just outside my front door, the Colorado River is the scenery and it is solitude. Mostly solitude.

The Colorado River already carved a path through the mountains making it prime route for railroad and freeway. Not too many trains -- mostly coal going east. Of course the freeway is busy at all times. Parked on the far side of the park, there is little noticeable freeway noise.

Great sunsets and sunrises with the sun reflection off the red canyon walls. The blue sky and frequent clouds present a natural beauty of which I do not tire. Somebody has to watch those clouds.

Great park location with great scenery. Unfortunately, that cell tower is probably not there courtesy of Verizon. Probably there for that other carrier that I will never do business with -- again.

The campgrounds location in the canyon interferes with a good Verizon signal. The cell phone reception is poor to non-existent. No point in trying to make a phone call. The call will be dropped in seconds. If I can make the call.

What I don't understand is that my Verizon 4G Mi-Fi card shows two bars all the time. Occasionally it drops to the slower 1X speeds, but most of the time the speeds are at EVDO (Broadband). No doubt data error recover makes it look like it is always connected.

It is just another of the trials and tribulations of getting internet, but being away from the city crowds. I suppose there is some kind of amplifier gadget that can be used for cell phones that don't have capability for an external antenna. Perhaps I can hold off on another gadget.

For now to make a phone call, I head to near by Palisade. (Note to self. It's not that bad. Get used to it.)

Palisade grows peaches. Lots of them. With the peach and produce stands every half mile throughout the Palisade area, it is difficult to decide where to stop for ripe peaches. My final choice was excellent. A small grower with only 12 acres of trees, they pick the crop themselves. The peaches are ripe and I've been having a peach with at least one meal a day. Tomorrow, it is time to get more peaches.

Bucket List -- Not

2011-08-27T13:50:00.000-06:00

There is no "bucket list" in my life. My exploring and living life is what is convenient.

That convenience happened recently when parked at Rifle Gap State Park. Located about 40 miles from Glenwood Springs, the destination was Hanging Lake for a hike. It was back in the early 1970s when I first heard about Hanging Lake. Too far to go for a day hike from my one time home in Denver, it would require at least a weekend trip.

Proximity to Glenwood Springs makes it a popular hike. The popularity of the hike puts a strain on the 116 parking spaces for weekends -- according to a local. Arriving early morning mid-week, I had no problem getting a space. However, when I returned from the hike, there wasn't a parking space available. A vehicle was waiting to take my space.

The sign at the trail head covered the essential points. Satisfied the pre-reqs for water and hiking shoes.

Signs didn't mean anything to some of the hikers. If they read them. There were hikers with a can of soda. A few were walking in flip-flops.

In spite of the little hiking and walking I've done in the recent past, I may not have been in the poor shape I thought I was. Managed to keep up with some of the younger set -- that is about 40 years younger.

The lake is a natural scenic gem. With benches constructed along the edge of the lake, some visitors brought a lunch. Most were taking photos of the turquoise colored lake. Most had real cameras except for the lady taking photos with her iPad.

Some of that younger set walked along a log which lay on the surface of the lake.

A further trek up a side trail above the lake found the source of the water. In addition to a falls from an unseen river above, there was water spouting from the rock just below the falls.

So if I had a "bucket list", I would be able to check off an item.

The more casual lack of direction or goals seems to work for me.

Meeker War Games

2011-08-25T15:32:00.000-06:00

Arrived mid day at Meeker (Colorado) to stay overnight at City Park. Once settled, I walked about four blocks to downtown. Meeker is a small town. Not a single traffic signal. My downtown walk proved there was not much going on that Sunday afternoon. Few places attracted my curiosity. Didn't seem to be much in the way of places to eat -- not that I was looking.

The real action was going on back at City Park. It was war games. Or maybe it wasn't war games considering the sound and fury that was voiced from some of the fighters.

As a kid, we played the good and bad cowboys -- the law and the outlaws. Some of us had "real" toy guns. Some had carved pieces of wood that looked like a gun. Making the sounds of gunfire, we pointed our weapons at the enemy. Some cooperated and pretended to be hurt. Mostly the make believe gunfire missed the intended victim.

Things seem to have changed in 60 years. Not cowboys or outlaws and six shooters. The weapons at Meeker were toy machine guns and Uzis -- with the appropriate sounds. One of the combatants seemed to be holding a canister of something that may have been ammo for these toy guns. Could that be. Not the cap pistols of my youth, but real projectiles of some sort. Considering some of the kids' flinching movements, I really did wonder if there was some kind of projectile from the guns.

Soon the war games stopped apparently as the result of a peace treaty or defeat. Soon it seemed rather than two mobs, it was one straggling mob headed away from the park.

The irony of these war games in Meeker in 2011 was not lost on me. The human wars in this neighborhood started with the Meeker Massacre in 1879.

Cattle To Skis

2011-08-24T11:02:00.000-06:00

At Rabbit Ears Pass found lots of wild flowers still in bloom. At the last stages of their bloom they were still putting on a colorful show.

Continuing west from Rabbit Ears, the Yampa River valley provides a view to the horizon. For scenic material, it doesn't get much better that this. How about waking each morning to this view. Better yet, it faces west to see afternoon clouds roll in. On other natural high days, watch a sunset drop below the horizon.

It's been about 20 years since my last visit to Steamboat Springs. Things have changed. The town has gone from cattle ranchers' supply town to a ski town with all the attendant condos and chalets covering every acre of hillside south of the old down town.

They keep coming to Steamboat Springs. Met several when at the Ford dealer. Detected a New York accent on the service advisor. Had to get out of Wall Street. Or so he said. Not sure what he did. Why Steamboat Springs. Loves to fish. Not sure I got the whole story.

The 25 year old mechanic rode with me to hear Silver Slug's squeaky rattle. A native of Phoenix, he was done with heat. Especially as an auto mechanic. The job is under cars, always skinned and cut hands, dirty greasy hands... No plans to make auto mechanics a career as he heads back to college next year in Colorado. Still loving the green and cool of Colorado.

The third guy (mid 30s) arrived from Washington DC. DC area was just too crowded for him. Just packed up one day and headed west with Colorado as a destination. Settled on Steamboat Springs and is employed in maintenance for a large resort. After a year, still loves the slower pace and closer skiing. No need to travel long distances for bad snow. And let's not mention the DC area traffic.

Everyone has a story.

Not to worry... Silver Slug is just showing age. Like Lloyd.

Blue Bird of Happiness

2011-08-23T13:25:00.000-06:00

The Canon SX230 is a great little camera. Of late, it is the camera I use all the time -- regardless of my exploring. The other cameras in my arsenal are being used less. That SX230 is compact and takes great photos.

Got a close up of a mountain blue bird at my camp site at Rifle Gap State Park.

A quiet and very remote park. No cell phone signal here. So headed to cell phone range to post this.

Stepped In It

2011-08-21T15:57:00.000-06:00

Dream on.... Nice image, but neither the dog nor the owner cleaned up the canine feces this time. Commonly referred to as dog shit.

Unplugging from the power pole is when I stepped in it with both sandaled feet. Of course my very loud verbal response was "OH SHIT". It's gooey and smells. Donning a pair of surgical gloves with a tooth brush, I proceeded to clean the sandal treads under a water faucet. Disposed of the gloves and toothbrush and hitched up and left the campground. Glad to be gone from there and never to return.

It was a poor start to a good day. Fortunately, I got over it once I was several miles down the road.

To this dog's owner (paraphrasing Johnny Carson's Carnac): "May the fleas of a thousand Great Danes nest in your shorts."

Across North Park

2011-08-20T22:11:00.000-06:00

The journey continued up the Poudre River to lakes and reservoirs at 10,000 feet. Green is the predominant color except for the number of lodge pole pines that are dying or dead. Some slopes are entirely brown. Others are more interspersed with the dead and the living. This wet summer may preclude a forest fire. However, a well place lightening strike could cause fire to consume the living and the dead across these slopes. That fire will happen. Some time.

Cameron Pass at 10,000 feet is the head waters for the Poudre Canyon. Considering the cool -- make that cold -- nights at that elevation, I opted to continue my journey to a lower elevation. Wandrin Wagon would have been in a photo atop Cameron Pass. However, with construction at the view site, that didn't happen. While waiting for a flagger's permission to proceed, I managed to get a photo of snow fields on nearby mountain peaks.

From Cameron Pass, the road drops into North Park. Great wide open spaces with views that go to the horizon -- or the nearest stack of hay.

There were numerous photo ops. However, with Wandrin Wagon in tow there was no place to stop to capture the ranch buildings or the derelict cabin on the slopes of Cameron Pass.

So moving on... Walden is the population center (about 700) of North Park. The county seat for Jackson County, there were no additions to this courthouse from its original construction about 100 years ago. It appears that growth is not something with which to be concerned. The interior is original with creaking wood floors and transoms over the doors to allow for circulation.

Across the street from the courthouse was this gem of house construction. Faced with rock, it is a tribute to the original builder's labor of love.

No doubt every kid grows up in this town or North Park ranches and can't wait to leave. Most likely most of them do.

Although an attractive little town at 8000 foot elevation, my bet is that the winters are long and the summers are short. No need for air conditioning here.

Blogger Comments

2011-08-19T20:35:00.000-06:00

Several have written emails saying that they are not able to post comments at my blog. So after testing with different browsers, I've gone back to the "full page" version of comments. It seems the option "Embedded below post" does not work consistently.

Time to get those Google employees to fix this. Spend more time at the Google desk and less time at the cafeteria, yoga classes, the gym or what ever Google company benefit that happens to be their favorite.

Hopefully, my parameter change allows comments to appear once again.

Since I am on the subject of Blogger, some of you have no doubt noted the side bar gadget on the blog which lists the most popular posts based on statistics for the past month. About a week ago, I noticed the blog entry Airplane Nose Art from last October was among the most popular. Really cannot figure out how come. The number of hits is about half of those from the top item. How come so many hits almost a year after the original post. Where are those hits coming from. The referring sites/URLs contain the same sites/URLs that always appear.

Perhaps the URL is part of an email that is circulating among those interested in WWII airplane nose art. Whatever the source, I find it fascinating about the blog entry's popularity.

Camping on the Poudre River

2011-08-19T09:27:00.000-06:00

Glad to have left Front Range Colorado after over two months. Didn't take long to get off the beaten path as Silver Slug towed Wandrin Wagon along the winding Poudre River in the canyon formed by the river over the eons of geologic time.

From my research before this journey, I found numerous National Forest campgrounds along the river. From the campground descriptions I had narrowed my choices to just a few along the way. Tree cover is not a good idea when using solar power. Too many trees also interfere with satellite radio signals.

Wandrin Wagon was parked. Didn't bother to unhitch Silver Slug. I wasn't going anywhere -- until the next morning. A large space just a few feet from the river was optimal. Great fishing according to a fisherman walking along the shore of the Poudre.

No interest there. My idea of fishing is looking through the selection at the grocery store.

It was a day to relax with the river noises providing white noise. Began my restful day making a cup of tea. Turning my attention to books, I finished reading borrowed library downloaded eBooks.

Without a Verizon signal to waste time on the internet, I was unable to get moment by moment comments on the state of the recession -- or perhaps it isn't a recession. I don't stay on top of news when I do have the internet. The internet is used mostly for music, selected podcasts, selected blogs, etc. The music provides background while working on photos or other computer projects.

Cooler than the Front Range by about 10 degrees. It was very comfortable in the low 80s. Night time temperatures were cool at 6600 feet. It was 49 degrees outside when I got up. That explained why I dug out a large blanket in the middle of the night as the temperature dropped inside.

As I was getting ready to move the next morning, this new bloom greeted the day.

It was a perfect campground for my first night away from the maddening crowds at Boyd Lake. At $8.50 (with geezer card) a night, it was a pleasurable stay.

Travel Planning Stress

2011-08-16T18:34:00.000-06:00

Seems early, but my nomadic travels to winter quarters south of I-10 begins tomorrow. Recently I noted that the August mornings are a little cooler. Time to begin the migration.

Tomorrow morning, I leave Boyd Lake State Park behind. There are few campers remaining mid week. Last night was the first time I was able to leave the windows open without being overcome with smoke from camp fires. It was great.

The planned travel route is Poudre Canyon west from Fort Collins and continuing west and south to Ridgeway State Park (near Ouray) -- with numerous stops along the way for exploring. First day of travel will be short when I stop at a National Forest Campground in Poudre Canyon. Guessing it might be 60 miles from here. I'll be away from the frantic rushing of the Front Range cities and an afternoon nap would be a great prescription for the accumulated stress level.

Since this route had not been taken before, the planning, campground option research, anticipated winding canyon roads and slogging mountain passes are causing stress. After all these years of travel into the unfamiliar, it would seem that a new and unknown route would not bother me. But it does. I won't sleep well as a result. Intellectually, I can tell myself not to fret. Easy for me to say. Regardless, it's the unknown that produces the stress.

Trying to stay balanced is tough.

When I arrived at Boyd Lake SP (Loveland area) two weeks ago, the Verizon data access was at 3G speeds after I had come from the 4G speeds of Denver. Last night was the switch over to 4G in Loveland. Now I have to go through withdrawal once again.

Warhol In Colorado

2011-08-14T09:11:00.001-06:00

On the campus of Colorado State University the annual flower garden was full of summer color. Rather than the usual scenic shots of flowers, I opted for a different view point. Perhaps an insect might see the flowers this way.

Walking further taking more flower photos, we came across this. Wow. Andy Warhol immediately came to mind. I was right. His signature is on the piece. Why here in Fort Collins.

On the back of the art piece was this:

That would explain this unusual location for Warhol pop-art.

Thirty years later is a reason for doing perspectives of Warhol and CSU. An Andy Warhol exhibit appears at the University Art Museum until mid September. A visit to the museum would have been appropriate, but it was another half hour to the opening at 11:00. So Rich and I passed and headed off to Old Town Fort Collins for a raw fish lunch -- sushi and sashimi.

Just Say No

2011-08-12T09:29:00.000-06:00

...to statins for elevated cholesterol. That was my decision after mind numbing research on the internet.

In the Body Maintenance, I posted that the doctor said with my family history and my cholesterol numbers, I was a candidate for stroke. That scared me enough to start taking the presribed Zocor generic. At the time, I started taking the drug, I also knew that I would stop taking the drug in just a couple of weeks. It didn't take that long.

The routine of taking the statin and stopping had been done before. Perhaps five or six times.

There is lots of discussion on the internet about statins -- pro and con. Considering the profit motive on both sides, it is difficult to determine the truth in any of this. All seem to have biases one way or another as they market books, their health supplements or just healthy living. Hopefully, I have ignored all of those.

The best overall article about the subject of statins was found in Business Week from 2008: Do Cholesterol Drugs Do Any Good.

Some history and background about cholesterol and heart disease is contained in You Bet Your Life by Michael Eades.

Another article questions Statin Drugs. How Safe? How Effective?

Another questioner wonders: The Cholesterol Con: Where Were The Doctors

Michael Eades has several posts on the subject of research of statins, cholesterol and heart disease.
http://www.proteinpower.com/drmike/statins/the-pitiful-state-of-medical-ignorance/
http://www.proteinpower.com/drmike/cardiovascular-disease/the-statinator-paradox/
The best may be this one: http://www.proteinpower.com/drmike/cardiovascular-disease/statinators-spill-the-beans/

Several articles are at SpaceDoc. How To Determine If You Really Need a Statin is most interesting. It speaks of detail about the varieties of cholesterol floating in the bloodstream. My belief is that the researchers really don't know what affects what and which of the many identifiable particles contribute to what in the body.

There were hundreds more articles and references. Really. I didn't need anymore corroboration to stop taking the drug.

The disturbing relationship between the FDA and the drug companies has been noted in many of those previous references above. To get more people taking these drugs, the FDA has approved statin use for people who don't have cholesterol problems.

What is the real risk to me for not taking a statin. Don't really know. In all the internet searches, I came across this heart attack or stroke risk assessment at Consumers Reports. The results showed that I had a 23% chance of a heart attack or stroke in the next ten years. For someone in optimal health, their risk was 11%.

To me, that difference is not worth taking the statin.

It is a mathematical fact that fifty percent of all doctors graduate in the bottom half of their class. ~Author Unknown

Books and eBooks

2011-08-08T21:30:00.001-06:00

Couldn't resist. Borders bookstore going out of business. Bought several (12 to be exact) at 20% off. Mostly new titles that would be $13 as eBooks, these $16 soft covers cost me a little more than the eBook version. The good part is that a physical book has resale value when I sell them to Bookmans at 25% of the books price. The result is a net cost of about $9 per book.

Library eBooks.... However, I found an even better deal. Borrowing ebooks from a library. Son TJ loaned me his Westminster library card. Thank you TJ. That allows me to access the loanable library of ebooks from my iPad via the OverDrive App. The app includes browsing the shelves or search for specific available titles or authors. Just like a library, a book can be put on hold so when available, an email will be sent for me to download the available book.

Similar to a library's lending of real books, the ebooks are lent for a seven day read. At least that is my experience for the two books that I have downloaded. When done reading, with a swipe of my finger on the iPad, the book is returned to the library.

Don't have an iPad.... The process to borrow library ebooks can also be done from your computer via Adobe Digital Editions. Download the book to your computer and read the book with Digital Editions. Don't want to read on your computer. The book can be put on an eReader that supports the ePub format. That would be the Nook among others. Not the Kindle. Read the ebook and when done with the book, "return" the book to the library via the Digital Edition software.

Did I mention that I love my iPad. It is also a great eReader.

Red Insect Up Close

2011-08-07T15:38:00.001-06:00

On a hike to Bridal Veil Falls in Rocky Mountain National Park with Donna and Roy, it was an overcast and at times rainy day. Lots of photo ops along the way with a few close ups.

This looks like a beetle, but since I am not an entomologist, it could be lots of things in the world of insects. Not a butterfly, moth or dragon fly, I'm opting for a beetle. Probably wrong about that. Perhaps I should just stick with a red winged insect slurping nectar or eating pollen on a yellow wild flower.

How about some hikers on the trail ahead on the way to the falls.

The destination -- Bridal Veil Falls:

After dining on a snack at the falls, we headed back to the trail head.

I've hiked to Bridal Veil many times when living in Denver -- spring, summer, fall and including winter when the falls were a cascade of ice. This 1993 scanned photo of Rich standing in front of the falls as suspended water.

No more winter hiking (snow shoeing) for this guy. Much prefer summer.

Camping With The Masses

2011-08-05T20:51:00.001-06:00

I knew what to expect. A campground on a lake brings lots of people -- and kids -- with boats. Especially on the weekends. I arrived mid week from the Elks Lodge which is essentially a 55+ campground. When I arrived here at Boyd Lake State Park, it was a great two days until the crowds started appearing early this morning -- even before I headed off to do my exploring.

The camp fires are already lit early afternoon and the air is filled with the smell of smoke. Making matters worse, to encourage camp fires, a park concession drives through all the loops in the park selling more fire wood. Many people may not have thought of a fire, but now the firewood is delivered (for a price) to the campsite. The campers can't turn that down.

I already know there is no hope of having open windows this evening to enjoy the cool of the evening and the sound of crickets. As those fires die down, the dying embers produce only smoke. That smoke will find any open windows. Mostly mine.

Sitting around a fire, chatting and telling stories is fun. The good part is that as the wind changes, one can move around the camp fire to stay out of the smoke. Sitting inside Wandrin Wagon, it is not so easy to move to avoid the smoke.

It was a nice park when I was one of the three in this loop of the campground. Now. Not so good. I will get over it. The camping masses with their boats will all be gone by mid Sunday afternoon.

Here I find myself in the middle of the kiddie and boating world. Wonder if there is a 55+ campground where every one is in bed by RV midnight -- eight or nine. And there are no camp fires.

Okay. So I am a curmudgeon.

4G Access On Verizon

2011-08-04T19:31:00.001-06:00

When parked in Denver, I was impatient with the slow speeds on the Verizon 3G network on the MiFi card. That impatience caused me to head into a Verizon store. Soon I was $100 poorer and I had a Verizon 4G MiFi card.

It was worth it. The speeds were noticeably faster. Soon, downloads became a habit. Had to change from the 5GB data plan for $50 to 10GB for $80 a month.

That was Denver. I was spoiled like the little kid that I can sometimes be. Yesterday, Wandrin Wagton was moved to Loveland at Boyd Lake State Park. Back to the slow speeds of 3G. Rats. The Verizon towers have not been updated in this market. Fortunately, the MiFi card is downward compatible. Down to National Access (1X) if I find myself in such a location in my travels. Hope not. Oh well. There is always free (for the price of tea) WiFi someplace along the route.

Looking at the Verizon 4G coverage map, the next time a 4G market is on my anticipated travel route, I will be in San Diego. That will be December. Withdrawal is tough to deal with.

History predicts that it is only a matter of time before the 4G band width will be consumed and download speeds will have tanked just like 3G is today. What does it look like for the future. Cisco forecasts internet traffic in 2015 to be four times current usage.

New Headlines -- Finally

2011-08-02T14:21:00.000-06:00

This mornings lead article on Google News was not the debate about the debt ceiling. This morning the lead article was about the weather. Something else over which we mere mortals have no control.

No doubt you have heard about the debt ceiling debate in the US Senate and US Congress. Another battle of the tribes and their warlords is finally over. They've declared a truce until they find something new to battle over and occupy media headlines. We know there will be no peace in the future for these adversaries. They've said so as they signed the peace pact.

Since it isn't good for my health or balance, I haven't been staying too close to the daily drama.

For some humor about the drama over these past weeks, check out Andy's Featured Stories at the Borowitz Report.

Suggested reading for the Democrat and Republican tribes and their warlords is this excerpt from an article at Psychology Today.

"Principled negotiation is a strategy that seeks to move both parties away from polarizing and usually entrenched positions, and into the realm of interests. It asks how both parties can get their interests satisfied while keeping their relationship strong. Negotiating well means neither party need feel cheated, manipulated, or taken advantage of."

Not going to happen between these two tribes -- especially a faction of one of the warring parties.

Random Photo -- Ocean Sunset

2011-08-01T13:43:00.000-06:00

"When Is A Man Educated?

"When he can look out upon the universe, now lucid and lovely, now dark and terrible, with a sense of his own littleness in the great scheme of things, and yet have faith and courage. When he knows how to make friends and keep them, and above all, when he can keep friends with himself.

"When he can be happy alone and high-minded amid the drudgeries of life. When he can look into a wayside puddle and see something besides mud, and into the face of the most forlorn mortal and see something divine.

"When he knows how to live, how to love, how to hope, how to pray -- is glad to be alive... and has in his heart a bit of a song."

Quote from Joseph Fort Newton

No Candles Please

2011-07-31T21:08:00.001-06:00

Saturdays are the day to go to Boulder's Farmers Market. Always like the balloon man's tiara. It is different each time I go the the market.

It's that time of year when garden produce is arriving in abundance. With several vegetable stands carrying a variety of garden produce, I have to make sure I don't end up with more than I can eat in the next few days. Carrying a bag, I left with peaches, Ranier cherries, cucumbers, small white turnips, and kohlrabi. Kohlrabi is part of the cabbage family. Kohlrabi is not a big seller -- and rarely found -- since few people know what it is. Great sliced and eaten raw, for me it is a great treat. Get it while it is in season.

From the farmer's market, I went to a gathering at Eileen's house. Since Vanita was in town, it was a good place for family to get together and eat and chat. One of the kohlrabi was introduced to the gathering. Sliced and laid out along with other appetizers, it disappeared quickly. After a dinner of BBQ pork and plenty of trimmings, I offered the cheesecake that I brought in honor of my birthday.

I contemplated getting candles for the cheesecake, but decided that a fire permit would be required for that many candles. That would complicate the whole day.

Good day and I survived to see July 31st.

Note to all for the birthday wishes: Thank You.

Photo Observations

2011-07-29T21:39:00.000-06:00

Mushroom on a side street in Denver. Since the only mushrooms I eat are found in the grocery store, I passed on the opportunity to do a taste test on this harmless looking specimen.

The frequent rain fall and cloudy days have made for hot and humid days. That has provided some spectacular cloud formations. Captured a few of them with the camera. Here is one taken overlooking the Platte River Valley near 15th Street in Denver.

To get exercise, every other morning (very early before the heat) I head to nearby Jim Baker Reservoir where I walk around twice to get about a three mile walk. On the south side of the reservoir and about 100 feet away is a rail track. During my walk, frequently a train will pass. Some are coal trains headed for power plants along the Front Range. Others are mixed freight trains with tankers and box cars and open flatbeds. Once I saw an Amtrac train headed to Union Station in Denver.

That close to the train tracks, the unusual sounds make me wonder about my safety. Could those wheels seize up and the train accordions and one of those cars hits me. Okay. So that might be a bit dramatic.

However, no one on the train engine can hear that one wheel that seems to be going kerlunk kerlunk kerlunk. Kind of like the bearings are shot. Or another carriage seems to be squealing down the track -- metal against metal. Sounds like lubrication might be needed.

A sound like that coming from Silver Slug would be a warning that something was seriously wrong. Instead, today the sound was plop plop plop when it sounded like it was a flat tire. It was. So I changed the tire. Jeesh. That is hard work. Had to get out the owners manual to find out how to do that. It's been years since the last flat.

Easily Entertained

2011-07-28T21:37:00.000-06:00

My iPad is old. Really old. It was one of the first out the door at the Tucson Apple store in April 2010. However, it is in use daily for browsing the internet. It is also used for reading from the many sources for ebooks. In addition to ebooks from the usual vendors, the ebooks include several nature reference volumes for birds to reptiles.

Life and the iPad can't be all serious. The iPad games downloaded include Scrabble, Solitaire, Chinese Checkers and several others. The addiction is Scrabble. A game at least once a day -- either on the iPad or the iPod Touch.

Entertainment is also an app category. Very little entertainment on my iPad. However, a most recent download was Talking Tom Cat 2. When I started the program, it didn't take long before I was laughing so hard that I started to tear up. Living alone there is no one to wonder what is so funny.

Everyone should laugh a little (a lot) every day. If you have an iPad (or iPhone or iPod Touch), treat yourself to a laugh and download Talking Tom Cat 2. It's free.

Body Maintenance

2011-07-24T20:54:00.002-06:00

Maintenance is a good idea with all possessions. That includes this 70 year old body that I occupy. Body maintenance was one reason for an extended stay in Denver. Went to the dentist. No repairs or replacements required. Just a cleaning. Had the eyes checked. No change since the last visit five years ago. Still need +150 reading glasses. That's all.
Read more »

Mini Book Review: Outliers

2011-07-23T20:17:00.001-06:00

Outliers: The Story of Success by Malcolm Gladwell

With examples of the Beatles, Bill Gates or Steve Jobs, the author weaves a great story explaining how right place right time, focus to the exclusion of life, and lots of practice is behind the success. It didn't just happen.

An inspiring read allowed me to look back at my own life. Right place right time allowed me to get into data processing in the mid 60s. Loved programming and with lots of hard work, it was a great 35 year ride to retirement.

Another personal look back was in high school when I took up the trumpet in the school band. Didn't enjoy it and my lack of focus with little practice produced the expected results. Fortunately for all, I dropped the instrument and band.

After reading the book, I look at individual success very differently. There may be some opportunities, but the final result is individual focus and lots of hard work.

Editor Needed

2011-07-22T10:40:00.000-06:00

A tie up in traffic gave me a chance to look a second time as I realized there is something wrong with the wording on this sign.

To respect the sign's wording, on Thursday, the traffic should move left.

Lots of thoughts come to mind; lowest bidder created the sign, sign made in China, results of USA education system. OR...

International Collection

2011-07-20T20:21:00.000-06:00

Too many shirts to launder them all at the same time. It has been done, but this time as I was putting the shirts on hangars, I noted the country of manufacture. It is an international collection of Hawaiian shirts in my closet.

Country of manufacture included Guatemala, Indonesia, Macao, Hong Kong, India, St. Kitts, Korea, etal. Once my curiosity was started, I began to wonder whether any had been made in the US. Took a lot of looking, but I did find two that were made in the USA -- Hawaii. Imagine that.

Didn't have to go to Hawaii to get those shirts. Without a bridge, it is hard to get there with Silver Slug and Wandrin Wagon in tow. Those shirts were acquired at thrift stores. Sometimes with a senior discount.

Considering the number of shirts, it is quite obvious I don't subscribe to a minimalist philosophy -- at least for Hawaiian shirts. More likely, it appears that Wandrin Lloyd has a Hawaiian shirt addiction.

Railroad Memory

2011-07-19T20:32:00.000-06:00

Wandrin Lloyd was an eight year old standing in the Green Bay railway station awaiting the train which was arriving with aunt Lyla who came for the funeral of Grandma Jo. That train locomotive was black, huge and very loud. Standing as close to the station and behind my father, that locomotive was larger -- and scarier -- than any farm machinery I had every seen.

That was the memory that came to me as I toured the Colorado Railroad Museum and took photos of this engine. The wheels on this trail were about five feet in diameter and there were eight drive wheels for the monster. The cramped space of the museum didn't allow a different perspective of the engine. I was hoping for a small child to come by as I was taking this photo. No luck.

Perspective is tough. This would have been a good time for a self portrait standing in front of these monster drive wheels.

Sometimes the wheels of rail cars need to be replaced. The one time used wheels seem to gather in one particular location. Or perhaps this pile of wheels is the "spare tire" collection.

Many of the railway cars and locomotives at the museum were narrow gauge examples. There were a few standard gauge trains including the monster in the first photo. Wonder how they got it into the museum.

In keeping with the historical nature of railroading with steam locomotives, a water tank was on one railway track. Not visible is the sign that identifies location of the water tank as No Agua. Appears to have been moved from New Mexico. The sign indicated No Agua was 308 miles from Denver and 99 miles from Santa Fe. That would place No Agua north west of Taos across the Rio Grande River.

Have to wonder why a place called No Agua would have a water tank for the railway.

Just Wondering.... Does a railroad museum have any interest to the children born in these early years of the 21st century. Could this railway museum and its rustic examples of railway transportation may become nothing more than raw materials for recycling into a 21st century transportation vehicle.

Riverside Cemetery

2011-07-18T21:46:00.000-06:00

Wandered around Riverside Cemetery in Denver in search of the unusual or perhaps an epitaph. Didn't find an epitaph. Of course there are over 67,000 graves here. That would take a lot of walking. The hot day kept me from doing much walking.

Perpetual care doesn't appear to be part of the cemetery. There is no lawn, but a carpet of green weeds as a result of the recent monsoon rains that have passed through Front Range Colorado. There are a few live trees with just as many skeleton trunks of one time living trees.

This photo may have been in the "high rent" district. The marble and granite monuments were huge and there were obelisks -- some taller than others -- marking several family plots. There were other areas of the cemetery where the grave stones were unimposing limestone and disintegrating sandstone.

The marker with the Arabian statue was for the grave of Addison Elton Baker. He owned a livery stable in Denver.

Finding a human statue in the cemetery was a surprise. Usually, such statues are in city parks or along a boulevard. Col. James K Archer "...was an Irish businessman who built Denver's first gas works and introduced gas lights in 1871. He also built the first piped water system in the City, and founded the Denver City Water Company. Col. Archer was instrumental in bringing the Kansas Pacific Railroad to Denver in 1870." With that resume, I wonder why his statue ended up in the cemetery.

There may have been other unusual grave markers in the cemetery. However, this block of sandstone for Lester Drake was most unusual. Could the width, height and depth of Drake's mining cabin been exactly this size. The front of the marker was about eight feet across.

Yup. Been out wandering and found a cemetery.

Neon Sign

2011-07-16T21:36:00.000-06:00

Wonder how long this neon sign was on this neighborhood bar.

Considering that martini bars were an "in thing" for a short time less than ten years ago, I suppose this sign is could be newer than I believe. My curiosity hasn't been enough to go inside the bar to get the rest of the story. If there is one.

A daytime and evening shot of the neon sign.

Rain Continues

2011-07-15T09:27:00.000-06:00

Yesterday was the sixth day of heavy rains in and around the Denver area. Highly unusual monsoon pattern for the Front Range.

Lots of opportunities for clouds, rain and sunset photo ops.

Denver Downtown Walk

2011-07-12T16:04:00.000-06:00

A quiet Sunday morning is a great time to tour downtown areas without the hustle and bustle of the office towers' white collar workers. As an overcast morning, it was a great time for photo ops.

Beginning with some flowers in a planter.

Walls of older buildings provided a bill board space promoting businesses and their services. These signs may date to 100 years ago when horse drawn carriages and wagons provided transportation. In addition to hardware and lumber, blacksmith services were also provided to make things of iron for the customer.

There are also modern day signs. However, they are not painted on the wall, but a bill board provides this advertising. Although not really visible in this photo, there is a rope hanging from the top of the building to the bottle of Crown Royal. Crown Royal purple is my color.

Along the 16th Street Mall, it is neat and tidy. Where does all the human detritus go. "Hiding" in an alley off the Mall I found where it all goes. And not very neat and tidy.

Here are towers of the old and new. The Daniels and Fisher tower built in 1911 was the tallest structure in Denver at that time. The tower behind was complete in 2010. That new tower is about function. The old tower has an Italianate character.

New buildings were under construction during this economic down turn. At the same time, maintenance is done on the old construction. Here it was the stone of the Mall requiring repairs. How about this latest design in hard hats.

The good part about this walking tour is that I was able to get some much needed exercise.

Monsoon Moisture

2011-07-10T09:45:00.001-06:00

Although I've been parked in Westminster since the first of June, I still marvel at the predominance of the color green. Sounds like I've spent too much time in the brown and tan desert southwest. Sure there are green cactus, but that bit of green is only an accent color.

Summer monsoons moved in from the southwest three days ago. Each afternoon dramatic skies develop with dark clouds against a blue sky. Soon clouds are overhead with strong winds, sheets of rain and sometimes hail. Inside the Wandrin Wagon being pelted by hail is not pleasant as I try to decide where to take protection from the inevitable hail that will come right through the roof. Convinced the hail must be the size of a baseball, I check out the window to see half inch hail.

The clouds and rain start early afternoon and after three successive showers, the attempt at a memorable sunset was poor.

When returning home one afternoon in the middle of a downpour, I stopped at a grocery. In the parking lot was a convertible with the top down. There was no point getting soaked walking to the store so I got out the iPad and played a game of Scrabble. Once the rain stopped, I did my shopping and returned to Silver Slug to find the convertible had already gone. Rats. I had hoped to see the nonchalance of the driver sitting in a puddle of water behind the steering wheel.

Trail Ridge Is Open

2011-07-04T12:42:00.002-06:00

Trail Ridge Road (US Hwy 34) through Rocky Mountain National Park was opened late June. Usually open by Memorial Day in May, this year it took longer than usual to remove all the winter snow accumulation. Additional late snows hampered the progress of the snow blowers to open the road by Memorial Day.

Rich was the tour driver which included Tricia (Rich's niece) and Keith from Connecticut. I chose my Canon G11 camera for this journey. Bad decision considering the wildlife seen along the way. Could have used a telephoto lens.

Before getting ahead of myself, how about Tricia and Keith standing atop the snow on June 29th.

The wildlife included deer, moose and elk bulls in velvet. This herd of cow elks was close enough to the road to allow a photo op without a long lens.

We were headed in the direction of that ominous sky. Soon it was slush balls and small hail pelting the car.

After a lunch at the Grand Lake Lodge we headed back to Loveland. Soon after entering the west entrance to Rocky Mountain National Park, we were passing through the willow swamps where we spotted several bull moose and a cow moose and calf. Without a telephoto lens, this is the best I could do.

There were lots of scenic photo ops for "post card" qualification. There were many to choose from, but for me the angles of the distant mountain and foreground trees made this the most interesting.

In closing, how about a wild flower photo shot.

Thanks to Rich for making the drive and allowing me to gape and awe at Nature's beauty in Rocky Mountain National Park.

Alternate View

2011-06-30T10:23:00.000-06:00

Hiking a short trail in Boulder's hills with Donna, Roy and Lee there were lots of photo ops for the photographers on the journey. It was a Canon crowd. Roy and Lee were using dSLRs while my choice for this hike was much more compact and could easily slip in my pocket -- the Canon SX230 HS.

The hike was along a very small stream (two feet wide) along a steep sided valley with many species of flora -- no fauna. At least we didn't see any.

Steep sided valley with lots of shade and moisture from the stream was a good environment for moss and fungus and lichen. A career in Information Technology gave me no background to do a proper identification -- of a colorful collection of something.

Random Photo -- Strutting

2011-06-26T21:11:00.000-06:00

A peacock in full display...

Bad part is that the background is green. The peacock "struts his stuff" to impress the ladies of the species and not that stupid photographer that has been following him around for about 15 minutes.

Wildlife just doesn't understand pose instructions. There are no incentives for them to pose for the prefect photo. So the photographer requires lots of patience -- and time. Although I have lots of time, I don't seem to have the patience.

Just happy to end up with a pretty good photo of a peacock.