BY CHANCE

BIRTHDAY GIRLS

2012-02-12T05:20:00.008-07:00

Jeanette's & Patty's birthday are just one day apart.

Yesterday afternoon, Bob & Diana Rush picked us up at the house, and we drove over to Bob & Jeanette Fulton's for some cake & ice cream. Eat dessert first, right? Bob & Jeanette's daughter Iris was there, along with Ron & Judy Ellstrom from Kingman. We had a nice visit with our friends, and of course, we solved all of the country's problems. Sometimes it's nice to chat with folks who still believe in the fundamental principles that founded this great country.

Sitting out on Bob & Jeanette's patio, with their new sun & wind screens was a pleasant way to spend a few afternoon hours. The weather has already started what looks like a warming trend, with temperatures into the upper 70's. Not sure if it will last, but we're back into that period of time where we don't have to run the house heater, and it's too early for the A/C.

Homemade birthday cake, strawberries, and ice cream - yummy!

Earlier in the day, Patty picked up Diana, and they spent several hours at Winterfest in the downtown area of the city. This is one of many annual events where the city closes Main St. (McCulloch Blvd.) to vehicular traffic for whatever the activity happens to be. Winterfest is kind of like a giant arts & crafts festival, with hundreds of vendors setting up their booths in the middle of the street. In addition to the vendors, there's live music, food, and other attractions. This is a huge event, that attracts many thousands of people, and one that Patty looks forward to every year. Not big on my list, and with her buddy Diana in town for the winter, I gained a reprieve from attending. Thanks Diana!

Today, I'm making the long drive to Stockton, CA, to attend the funeral of my Aunt Martha. It will be the very quickest of trips, with the return leg tomorrow right after the service. Day after tomorrow, we have to be in Tucson to work the big rodeo for 9 days. No blog posts for the next day or two, but will pick up again when we leave for, or get to Tucson.

THE END OF TRACK

2012-02-10T05:32:00.002-07:00

There's nothing more certain than a speeding train approaching the end of it's rails. It's inevitable what the outcome will be. There's no discussion, no debate, or any other rationalization. The end result is cut and dried. No one will argue that a railroad track laying crew will magically appear, and with superhuman effort, quickly lay enough track to keep the fast approaching train from derailing. It's not going to happen, the train is going to wreck, and it's going to be ugly!

I often think of this hypothetical train wreck as an analogy of this country's short sighted monetary policy decisions. Who in the world, if at the controls of a speeding train, would say something like "trust me, I know what I'm doing", and then, open the throttle even wider as the train quickly approached the end of track. The similarity between the speeding train, and the government's history of spending more than it takes in, is simplistic in nature, however the comparison is about as close as it gets regarding the eventual outcome of both scenarios.

The question of viability for the Social Security program has been debated for years. The almost universal opinion is that we're fast approaching the point where the fund will not be self sustaining, and payouts will exceed income. The only issue where opinions differ, is when that point in time will come. Folks on both sides of the aisle have been kicking this can down the road for years. The sad part of the story, is the fact that our speeding train drivers have been raiding the Social Security fund for years, and in place of the money removed for other expenditures, the fund is now full of government I.O.U.'s. If any private pension manager tried the same tactics, he/she would quickly be put behind bars. Can anyone say "Ponzi or Madoff".

Within the Social Security context, I curiously watch the debate currently taking place in Washington regarding the highly touted payroll tax cuts. The Obama administration, public opinion, most political pundits, and a majority of the news opinion seems to agree, this is a good thing, and that it should be extended well into the future. What no one is talking much about, is the fact that on every paycheck, the government will continue to get approx. 4% less in funding for Social Security. The short sighted viewpoint is that it's more money in every one's pocket, and there's very little discussion about the decrease in revenue for the Social Security fund. This deficit spending mentality is what got us into this mess in the first place, and is exactly why Europe is making the news broadcasts almost every day.

The good news is that there are an increasing number of politicians who despite being demonized as too negative toward unfunded mandates, are starting to get the public's attention. The future, particularly the future of our kids, and grand kids are at stake. If the politicians continue to sell out the future of this country with a fiscal policy that puts everyone in jeopardy, then history will eventually be the final arbiter. I suspect it will be written that the engineer politicians should have pulled back on the throttle before America's train reached the end of the track.

BUSY DAYS AHEAD

2012-02-09T06:10:00.002-07:00

Since receiving news of my Aunt Martha's passing, the funeral is set for this coming Monday in Stockton, CA. I'll be making a quick trip to CA on Sunday, then driving back to AZ. right after the service. When I return home, we'll be leaving in the motor home on Tuesday morning for Tucson, where we'll begin setting up for the Tucson Rodeo. If not for our commitment to MainGate, the company that produces the official Rodeo merchandise, we would be taking the motor home to CA, and spending more time with Martha's family. Despite the short window of time, I'm looking forward to visiting with some of my relatives, who I haven't seen in many years.

Thanks to all who have emailed, commented, and phoned with condolences.

REMEMBERING AUNT MARTHA

2012-02-07T17:04:00.003-07:00

This photo was taken in the spring of 2009. My Cousin Diane, Aunt Martha, and Patty.

The loss of a family member is always difficult, no matter what the circumstances. My Aunt Martha, (I called her Dee Dee), who lived in Stockton, CA for most of her life, passed yesterday at the age of 86. She and her husband Harry, who died a few years ago, raised four children, my Cousins Karen, Diane, John, and Paul. When Patty and I last visited in October of 2011, we became more aware of her advancing years, and even though the news of her death wasn't a big surprise, it still came with a lot of sadness.

My Aunt Martha was the last link to my mother and father, who I never knew. When my parents were killed in an automobile accident in 1946, I was 6 weeks old. I recently learned from my Aunt Martha, that she and my Grandmother Alice were babysitting me when the accident happened. I simply cannot imagine the devastating impact that horrific news must have had on my Aunt, and my Grandmother.

Whenever we visited my Aunt, she always had stories, and new details about her younger life with her sister, who was my mother. I so looked forward to hearing anything that my Aunt had to say about my parents, and probably should have recorded some of those conversations. During the last few years, she provided me with many pictures, and memorabilia of my mom and dad that I did not have. I'm so grateful that she and my Cousin Diane found, and passed those irreplaceable items on to me.

The inevitability of life ending at some point, is part of the cycle that repeats itself with every generation. Because of the circumstances surrounding my very early years, I always shared a special relationship with my Aunt Martha, and I'm so glad that I was able to spend some time with her during her last years. Rest in peace Dee Dee, you were a very special person.

THE AFGHANISTAN CONNECTION

2012-02-06T06:08:00.002-07:00

In closing yesterday's blog, I mentioned that my oldest son Michael had just started a 3 month deployment in Afghanistan. This is a voluntary assignment that Mike accepted as part of his job with the National Security Agency (NSA). When I talked with him right before he left the states, he explained without a lot of specifics, that his mission had to do with advance planning for the eventual U.S. exit from that country. Naturally, any significant news coming out of Afghanistan is now more than just a blip on my radar screen.

Since Mike retired from the U.S.Army as a Military Intelligence Officer a few years ago, he first contracted with a company, and did a similar job that he had performed while on active duty in the Army. About a year ago, he decided to apply for a permanent federal government position under the umbrella of the NSA, and his position now carries a lot more responsibility. Because his job has always been at the highest security level, I've never known a lot of details about what he does, but I do know that his expertise often requires a presence in front of top military commanders for briefings and counsel.

While talking yesterday with my youngest son Marc, he told me that he had been online with his brother, and he learned that Mike's accommodations consisted of a converted storage container, and that the temperature was hovering just above 0 degrees. Perhaps that's a little better than a tent in real cold weather, but not much.

Patty and I cheerish the time we had with my two sons and their families on our recent Caribbean Cruise. I have a lot of pride in my kids accomplishments, and will be counting the days until Mike returns to the good ole U.S. of A.

SUPER SUNDAY

2012-02-05T06:11:00.002-07:00

Today is the day that over 150 million folks around the world will be tuned in to a football game, that for the 46th time, is called the Super Bowl. The amount of revenue generated by this one football game is almost beyond comprehension. Advertisers line up to pay 3 1/2 million dollars to the TV network for a 30 second commercial! Over the years, the new commercials have added almost as much interest as the game. Thank goodness for DVR, so now, we can replay some of the good commercials. Our friends Bob & Diana Rush are coming over this afternoon for a mini Super Bowl Party, and I'm sure there will be plenty of snacks and food.

I'm not as much of a football fan as I used to be, but no matter who the 2 teams happen to be, the hype of the Super Bowl usually generates my interest. The fact that the game is being played in Indianapolis, at Lucas Oil Stadium has further peaked my interest in today's contest between the New York Giants, and the New England Patriots. Forest & Charlotte Lucas have a huge presence in NHRA Championship Drag Racing, and their son Morgan Lucas drives a Top Fuel Dragster. Our friends, Bob & Shirl Kase work for the Lucas Family, and over the years, I've had a few conversations with Forest Lucas. With the game, the Madonna half time show, and all of the other activities taking place in a stadium that I have a small connection with, I'm a little more interested than I normally would be. One more added connection to the stadium is the fact that the Company who manages part of the concessions at Lucas Stadium is MainGate, the outfit that we used to contract with when we pulled the Harley-Davidson merchandise trailer with our motor home, and the same company that we sell merchandise for at the Tucson Rodeo.

Our friends Len & Ellie Meacham, who have their motor home parked at Emerald Cove near Parker, came by for dinner last night. We were parked with them in the desert near Quartzsite, and it won't be long before they will start their journey around the country, working at many of the NASCAR races. Hopefully, we'll get to see them again before they head east.

As Hank Jr. used to sing on Monday night - "Are you ready for some football"? I'm ready, and I hope that my oldest son Michael, who just started a 3 month deployment in Afghanistan, is also able to catch the game.

BOATS & TRAINS

2012-02-04T06:09:00.004-07:00

Part of the Lake Havasu City Marina

During the month of March for the past several years, we have rented a boat slip at the marina. Yesterday, I reserved a parking space for our boat, and it will go in the water on March 1. Call me lazy, but when the boat is at the house, these are the steps that I have to take when we use it for a few hours. 1. Take off the cover. 2. Hook up to the truck. 3. Stop at the gas station. 4. Launch at the marina. 5. Pull it out of the water & wipe it down. 6. Back it into the yard. 7. Put the cover back on. So, guess what? I guess I'm lazy because I've only gone through that process once since we returned home from working at the Grand Canyon last summer. When it's in the water, we drive down, jump in and go. The added incentive to pay the $180 monthly rental fee is that most of spring break takes place the later part of March. I can almost guarantee there will be some interesting photos on the blog during that time period!

Bob Tucker and Patty watching, and listening to one of Bob's excellent slide shows.

We invited one of our Golden Spike RV Chapter members, Bob Tucker, over for dinner last night, as he and his motor home are parked here in Havasu for the month of February. We last saw Bob at the January Indio RV Rally where we made tentative plans to get together when he came to town.

One of Bob's hobby's is photography, which he takes to another level when he incorporates music with a computer slide show presentation. The music and other sound effects are blended to synchronize with the displayed images, and the end product is exceptionally well done. We watched several presentations, one of which was his photos of the Indio Rally last month. Of particular interest to me, was a slide show of the Tehachapi Loop between Bakersfield & Mojave. This railroad engineering marvel has fascinated me for years, and Bob had some great pictures of the loop, and of the new depot/museum in the town of Tehachapi.

We had a nice visit with Bob, and hopefully, we'll get a chance to get together again before we leave for Tucson next week. Our annual work gig at the Tucson Rodeo begins in a little over a week, and we'll be arriving there a little early, so we have some free time to visit with Marc, Chandra and our Granddaughter Laila.

BUY AMERICAN

2012-02-03T07:12:00.007-07:00

Since returning from our week in Quartzsite, and a short, two day motorcycle trip, things around the home front are pretty routine. As I've said before, writing about trips to the grocery store, or other day to day stuff is not worthy of the effort, certainly not on the readers end.

When we do make a trip to the store, particularly to shop for other than grocery items, we are making more of an effort to buy products that are made in the U.S.A. In the last week, I've been hearing radio advertisements from two local business's that promote their use of U.S. made materials. One of those companies, Craig Plumbing, encourages the public to buy American made products. Their ad says if we all increased our made in the U.S.A. purchases by only 10%, it would go a long way toward bringing back some of the manufacturing jobs that are now in foreign countries. Even on a local level, it's encouraging to hear this subject being promoted in a more public way. In Stitches, another local company, that specializes in boat covers, and bimini tops, is publicly touting their use of American made products. Last year, I had them build a custom mooring cover for our boat, and all of those materials came from within our borders.

Rather than look for the cheapest price for an item, (wholesale & retail), if we all placed more of an emphasis on quality, particularly those products made here in our own country, it would be a huge boost toward putting a lot of people back to work. Just imagine if large companies like WalMart would place a higher priority on their purchasing of U.S. made products, and less priority on the cheapest price. Unfortunately, many products are only available through foreign made manufacturers, and the issue of choice is completely taken off the table.

As long as the business environment here in the U.S. is such that companies can't compete against cheap foreign manufacturing, the flow of "made in china" products will continue unabated. There's no simple answer, but I personally think that our Federal Government has a legitimate responsibility to make it easier for American companies to compete. On a level playing field, American workers & products will win the ball game every time. Given choices, if we would all buy "made in the U.S.A." products, it would make a huge difference!

DESERT BACK ROADS

2012-02-01T05:18:00.004-07:00

Since the feds started bailing out everybody, I wonder if this little watering hole scored some of our taxpayer bucks.

My internal alarm clock started buzzing at it's usual time, which was around 5am yesterday. The slight problem with that was it was actually 4am, as I had picked up an hour when I crossed into CA, and my body was still on AZ time. That, combined with a harder than normal motel mattress, precluded dozing back off for a few more winks. So, now what do I do? Any more sleep was out of the question, so I found a newspaper, made some of that wonderful motel room coffee, and tried to kill some time. By the time I read the paper, including the classified section, and watched the TV news for awhile, I was up to speed on everything from foreign affairs, to who the locals were that got picked up for D.U.I. Finally, the sun peeks over the eastern mountains, and I'm ready to go.

The ride west on Hwy 74 out of Palm Desert is a series of curves and switchbacks that rapidly ascends into the mountains west of the Palm Springs area. By the time I had reached the 5,000 foot level, the temperature had dropped considerably from where I started at almost sea level. The ambient temperature gauge on the bike was reading about 35 degrees. With a lot of my cold riding gear on, the only thing I kind of wished I had brought was one of my full face helmets.

With the morning becoming a memory, the temperatures started rising, as I headed west, then south on several back roads that would eventually put me back into the desert near El Centro, CA. When I'm on one of these rides, I truly get lost in the moment, and it's all about the ride, the wind, what's around the next corner, or over the next hill. I don't stop a lot to take pictures, usually only getting off the bike about every 150 miles for gas.

It was about mid day, when I decided that rather than subject myself to another night on a tortuously hard motel mattress, I was about 3 hours from home, and that sounded like a better way to end a great 2 day ride. When I take off on these rides a few times a year, I never know exactly where I'm going, or how long I'll be gone. Usually, after 2-4 days, I've ridden enough miles so that I'm good for another few months. It's always good to get back home.

ESCAPE

2012-01-30T16:57:00.005-07:00

Some of my motorcycle trips are planned, where I do a great deal of research regarding roads, places to stay, and stuff to see. And then, there are the spur of the moment rides, where one minute I'm washing the car, and 30 minutes later, I'm on the Harley, heading off toward an unknown destination. Such was the case this morning, when in an instant, I decided to escape from my normal at home activities, and catch some wind on the bike. Unlike a lot of my friends who ride motorcycles, I'm one who cherishes the open road by myself, where I have no responsibilities to anyone but yours truly. Some might call that selfish, but I really don't care, because it's an escape, and a true sense of freedom that has worked for me, for a very long time.

Fortunately, I have a life partner who recognizes and accepts my need to get away from everything, and for a lot of years, that escape has been on the Harley. There's a saying in the Harley world that goes something like - "If I have to explain, you wouldn't understand".

Amboy, CA is on old Route 66 in the middle of the Mojave Desert.

So, this morning, without saying much more than "I'm going for a ride", Patty knew that I would be gone for a few hours, or perhaps as much as a couple of weeks. The one rule we have is that I call every evening, and tell her where I am. Many years ago, when we lived in CA, I remember calling at the end of a first days ride, and telling her that I was in Wyoming. That trip was one of 10, where I rode to the big motorcycle rally in Sturgis, S.D.

Today, I took off in a westerly direction, and veered off I40, west of Needles, and picked up a section of the old "Mother Road" that is still intact between Needles and Barstow. At Amboy, I put a few gallons of gas in the tank, and turned south off Route 66 toward 29 Palms. That's where I entered Joshua Tree National Park, riding south toward Palm Springs. This road through the park is one of the few roads in CA that I have never traveled. The road through the park is a great motorcycle road, with a speed limit under 45 MPH, and lots of curves.

Roy's in Amboy, CA has seen better times, but at least it's still open for gas, and a few conveniences.

When I left the National Park, I was near the north end of the Salton Sea, and I made a right turn toward Palm Springs. I ended up in Indio near the Riverside County Fairgrounds where we recently spent a week in the motor home at an RV rally.

Tomorrow, I'm going to head west over the mountains, and hopefully travel on a few more new roads that have eluded my quest for complete dominance of all major highways in CA. I'm getting close!

DESERT BAR PART II

2012-01-30T05:51:00.014-07:00

Patty, Del, & Diana in front of the metal church at the Desert Bar

If you could close your eyes, and magically transport yourself to the Desert Bar, the scene would be similar to many rural watering holes around the country. However, you can't simply wave a magic wand, and instantly appear at the Desert Bar. You have to know where to turn off Hwy 95 onto a dirt road that winds its way out into the desert. Then, you have to slowly bounce along on a bumpy, dusty road for over 5 miles before you arrive at this very unique oasis in the middle of nowhere. The Desert Bar is a place like no other!

We stopped at Bob & Diana's house, where their friends, Randy & Del were visiting. This would be their first visit to the Desert Bar. We left Lake Havasu a little before noon for the hour drive to our destination near Parker, AZ.

Upon arrival, the parking area was already getting full, and the crowd was much larger than the last time Patty and I were there. In the blog archive, on November 7th, I wrote about some of the history of the place. All of the tables were taken near the bandstand, so we went down to the lower level where we found a table.

At 1 pm, the 3 piece band started playing some classic rock tunes, and they were pretty good. From where we were, we couldn't see them, but the music had us tapping our toes, as we continued our conversation, along with some food and drinks. Patty and I shared a root beer float, a first for us in a very long time.

Diana & Patty soaking up the 70+ degree sunshine.

It was mid afternoon when we joined in the parade of vehicles leaving the Desert Bar on the return trip back to the pavement. On the way home, we stopped at the London Bridge, where Randy got some pictures of the worlds largest antique. Before leaving, we agreed to meet at Casa Serrano for dinner, a local Mexican Restaurant. We capped the day with a short visit to our house, and we vowed to once again visit the Desert Bar before the hot weather returns.

Note: There's a glitch somewhere, as this is the 3rd time I've written the narrative. When I clicked publish the first 2 times, the text disappeared, so hopefully, that won't happen on this third try.

1,000 TRAILS HOT IN HAVASU

2012-01-29T05:58:00.004-07:00

No, not the ambient temperature hot, but rather my temperament became rather hot yesterday afternoon around 1:30 at the London Bridge Resort, where Patty and I were attending a Thousand Trail membership meeting.

This 1pm meeting was advertised as informational regarding the recent change in ownership of Thousand Trails, and the impact of that change on the members. When the first letter came in the mail, I had a suspicion that this so called information meeting was nothing but a disguise for an attempt to sell members an upgrade to their current contract. In fact, I promptly threw it in the trash can. A few weeks later, a postcard came in the mail reminding us that we had not responded to this important request for a get together regarding the changed ownership structure of 1,000 Trails. At that point I had enough curiosity to call the toll free number for more information. I was told that there were significant changes that affected all 1000 trails members, and a face to face was necessary in order to explain everything. When I asked the person to give me the information on the phone, I was told that wasn't possible, and we would both have to attend this meeting that was moving from area to area around the country. Still skeptical, I asked point blank if this was an attempt to sell members an upgrade to their existing membership. I was told that there would be information at the end of the meeting regarding upgrade options, but that was not the focus of the meeting.

Our Thousand Trails membership costs us a little over $600 a year, and our contract (there's over 100 different contracts) allows us 50 days of free RV spaces in all 60 or so 1,000 trails, NACO, & Leisure Time RV parks. If we camp over 50 days, then we pay $5 a night. We're limited to 14 days in any one park, but we don't have to stay out of the system for any length of time. We can go right to the next park. Our membership works well for us, and we have no interest in paying several thousand dollars to upgrade our contract.

When we sat down, there were 4 other couples present, and within 15 minutes, it was obvious where this was going. It was a slick presentation, with a couple of short videos, and the typical half truths, all geared toward relieving us of a bunch of money. The two fellows who were making the presentation were from another company, and contracted by 1,000 Trails to do these meetings. They were just doing their job, but as the presentation continued, my temperature was rising. About 20 minutes into the spiel, I leaned over to Patty and said "this whole thing is just a sales pitch for an upgrade".

For those that know me, I don't have short fuse, but I'm not shy about letting my feelings be known. Not wanting to make a scene in front of the other folks, I sat quietly, only challenging the presenter on a couple of occasions. When it was over, I walked over to one of the two guys, and took him outside of the room. In a nutshell, I told him that I had specifically asked on the phone if this meeting was focused on selling members an upgrade, and was told "no, it wasn't". If fact, the meeting was entirely about an upgrade, and there was no important information regarding the new ownership of 1,000 Trails. I told him I was angry that my time had been wasted, and that I was not a happy camper. Apologies were gushing, and I was assured that my sentiments would be made known to the corporate office. Yea, right!

I should have trusted my original instincts, and if I had, we would still be parked in the desert near Quartzsite with our friends. As they say, "live and learn".

A SHORT DRIVE HOME

2012-01-28T06:22:00.006-07:00

By the time I packed everything up, and lowered the 3 solar panels, it was around 11am before we pulled out of Quartzsite. We said so long to our friends Jim/Megan Stebbins, Len/Ellie Meacham, and Dave/Betty Buxton. Jim & Megan, and Dave & Betty are hanging out in Quartzsite until they head for Pomona next week, and the first NHRA Drag Race of the season. Len/Ellie are transitioning from the IRL Racing circuit, to NASCAR, and will start the season with the race in Phoenix. We wished everyone a good year, and safe travels around the country.

We enjoyed our week in Quartzsite, and probably would have stayed a few more days if we didn't have a meeting scheduled today with our Thousand Trails camping membership organization. There's been some major changes with the ownership structure of Thousand Trails, and this meeting is supposed to address all of that. I have a suspicion that the focus is going to be more towards selling members an upgrade, and if that's the case, I may just walk out.

If our animals could talk, I'm sure they would have told us that they were glad to be back in the big house. I know it sure is a lot easier to just let Sami out into the backyard, rather than hooking up the leash, and taking her for multiple walks during the day. Gracie has a lot more space to run from room to room, and our water cat spends a lot of time near the sink, just waiting for one of us to turn on the faucet.

Sitting around the campfire day before yesterday.

While I was lowering the solar panels, I snapped this picture of the crew. The motor home on the left is Jim/Megan's, center Dave/Betty, and Len/Ellie's house is on the right.

It's always good to get together with friends in Quartzsite, but, no matter where we travel, it's also good to get home. We'll be here for a couple of weeks before we head to Tucson for our annual gig at the Tucson Rodeo. More tomorrow on the Thousand Trails meeting.

LEAVING QUARTZSITE

2012-01-27T07:12:00.005-07:00

Today marks a week parked in the desert about 5 miles south of Quartzsite, AZ, and this morning, we're heading back to Lake Havasu. While here, we didn't browse through all of the flea markets, and we didn't look at any new motor homes, but we did most of the other things that were on our list of things to do.

Yesterday, we rode into town with Jim & Megan in their new car, and spent most of that time in the big tent. We solved a problem with the fitment of my new flag light, when Flag Pole Buddy gave both Jim & I a new plastic adapter that fits better than the original did. The crowd was still large, but not as bad as the first couple of days.

When we got back to the camp area, we all sat around and solved most of the world's problems, while the girls found some snacks to compliment the happy hour. As the sun began to set, I built a campfire, using the rest of the wood that we had brought from home. As the wood ran out, and the fire began to dwindle, we all retreated to our houses on wheels.

Pictures will not load today, so hopefully, this text will make it onto the blog, and when we get home, I'll be able to post a few photos.

MORE FRIENDS ARRIVE

2012-01-26T05:55:00.007-07:00

Diana is one of my hero's, still riding her own Harley.

It was around 10am when we got the prearranged call from Bob & Diana, to let us know they were at the Shell station in Quartzsite, and how could they ever find us in this ocean of RV's? I gave Diana directions to drive south on Hwy 95 about 5 miles , then turn right on La Paz Valley Rd, where I would meet & guide them back to where we're parked. When Diana turned the corner a few minutes later, she drove right past my truck into a sea of RV's. Bob stopped on his bike, and I asked where in the heck was she going? He said that he had no idea, as she disappeared down the dirt road, heading into the area where hundreds of RV's were parked. Bob quickly chased her down, with them both returning to where I was parked. Diana said she was looking for the black jeep, not the white truck. Good thing I wasn't a giant rattlesnake Diana!

When we got back to our campsite, we piled in the truck, and headed into town. We walked through the big tent, and over to Tyson Wells, where we had a Walla, Walla burger for lunch. I think the grilled onions were thicker than the meat, and they sure smelled good, simmering on the outdoor grill.

When we got back to the motor home, it was mid afternoon, and Jim & Megan had arrived. Their 16 year old Kitty - "Millie" was recovering from major surgery, and thankfully, seemed to be doing well. It was good to reunite with our old Skagway buddies, and catch up with all of the latest. They had just purchased a new Honda Fit, which replaced their Ford Explorer of many years. After the hit to the bank account, the good news is that the Honda weighs about half of what the Explorer weighed, and the Honda doesn't have to stop at every gas station.

We were surprised with an unexpected visit from some other Alaska buddies, Dave & Louise, who drove their jeep from where their motor home is parked in the Phoenix area.

A little later, part of our old race family, Dave & Betty pulled up in their motor home. Along with Len & Ellie, they had just completed working the Barrett-Jackson Auto Auction, and were glad to not have any more of those long work days for awhile. We only worked that event once, so we can relate to the stories of the long work hours, and lack of a good nights sleep.

This is our last day here in Quartzsite, as we have an appointment in Lake Havasu tomorrow. I'm not quite ready to leave, but we have been here a week, and we've seen most of the stuff that's here. For some reason, the Internet connection was a little faster this morning, as the pictures loaded much faster. Nope, I have no idea why that's the case.

A night shot of our flag, with the new solar light, and the moon in the background.

IT'S SOOOOO SLOW

2012-01-25T06:23:00.011-07:00

One of the things I like about parking here in the desert is that there's no hurry to do much of anything in the morning. There's lots to see and do, once you get into town where the big tent, and all of the flea markets are located, but there's no urgency to get there. I'm still an early riser, usually getting up somewhere around 5:30. Patty isn't far behind, and we've both been watching the beautiful Arizona sunrise through the motor home's windshield.

This morning, I'm still trying to load a picture with not much success. As I write this, it's been 27 minutes and counting, as a picture of Sami & Gracie is trying to make its way from my computer to Goggle, then back here to the motor home, so I can post it to the blog, then send the whole shooting match back to Goggle. Sound confusing, well it is! When you stop to think of the technology involved, it almost blows your mind! I have no idea how that all happens, particularly when it all happens through the air. I suspect folks thought that television was magic when that technology was developing over a half century ago. Hey, the picture just made it back, and it only took 36 minutes! To say that my Internet connection is slow would be a classic understatement.

Yesterday afternoon, we finished walking through the Tyson Wells Flea Market, and came home with a few fleas that needed a home. This morning, our friends Bob & Diana are riding their motorcycles down from Lake Havasu, and we'll introduce them to the Big Tent, plus a few other happenings here in Quartzsite.

Patty talked to Megan yesterday morning, and their 16 year old cat Millie was recovering from surgery. Everything seemed to be going well, and if nothing changes, they'll drive here from Phoenix this afternoon.

CHANGING WEATHER

2012-01-24T06:26:00.003-07:00

Like many parts of the country, the weather in the desert can change pretty quickly. Yesterday morning started out with sunshine, and ended with small amounts of rain. The weather system that moved through the area is supposed to be gone today, with a forecast of warmer temps, and sunshine for the rest of the week. This morning, I'm watching the sunrise with not a cloud in sight.

Our physical location is about 5 miles south of town, and my Sprint data card is working, but only marginally. We've parked at this same spot for several years, and this is the one downside to being several miles out in the desert. Yesterday, I was able to load a few pictures, even though it took quite awhile. This morning, no such luck. I don't understand all of the techno stuff about how the entire Internet can be floating around in the air, and accessible to millions of folks with wireless computers and other electronic devices. Just the fact that we've had access to the Internet all over the country with this little data card that plugs into our laptop, is beyond amazing to me.

After I fixed another mega breakfast here in the motor home, we drove into Quartzsite, and walked through about half of the Tyson Wells flea market before the dark clouds started rolling in. Rather than risk a long walk in a downpour, we headed back to the truck, and as we were driving out of town, raindrops started to appear on the windshield. The rain didn't amount to much, but later, enough came down to at least settle some of the dust.

Later in the afternoon, our buddies, Len & Ellie arrived in their motor home, after working at the Barrett-Jackson Auto Auction for the last week. After over a week of 14 hour work days, they were wiped out, so we had a brief visit, and then they caught some much deserved peace and quiet. Of course, Patty had to say hi to their two Pixie Bob Cats, Ruffles & Sambo before we retired for dinner and some TV.

Our other friends Jim & Megan, who were supposed to be here yesterday, called to say that one of their cats, 16 year old Millie was at the Vet with some health problems. They were playing it by ear, and hopefully everything will be OK. If so, they were hoping to join us in a day or so.

DOIN THE "Q"

2012-01-23T06:33:00.005-07:00

This was the sunrise that we watched unfold yesterday morning.

Our first morning parked in the desert at Quartzsite was a bit on the lazy side, as we took our time getting going. Patty read while I posted on the blog, and did some other computer stuff. Then, I fixed one of my mega breakfasts which included bacon, fried potatoes, and fried eggs in bacon grease. Yea, I know, not exactly the healthiest of breakfasts, but it sure was filing, and mighty darn good!

We left the motor home around 10am, and our first stop was Root Farms for a 4lb bag of raw almonds. The Modesto based farm has the best almonds, and they're here in Quartzsite every year. While we were parked in the Rice Ranch area, we made a loop, and checked out all of the vendors alongside the frontage road. That's where we saw this dude with the cutest Australian Shepherd Puppy. He picked up his baby from a cart, and I took this picture. If you have to bring your dog to an area with large crowds, this was the way to do it. We saw lots of folks dragging their leashed dogs through the crowds, and to echo a fellow bloggers sentiments, Dennis Hill wrote that these folks just don't have the best interests of their dogs in mind. I agree completely.

Our next stop was the "Big Tent" which covers a huge area. By then, it was mid day, and even though the crowds were still large, it wasn't as bad as I've seen in years past. Many of the vendors were the same as previous years, but there were many new ones as well. While browsing through the tent, we ran into our buddies, Bill & "D" Hall, who we just spent a week with in Indio, CA. at the FMCA Western Regional RV Rally. They are parked at the Ameri-Can RV park in town, and after a short visit, we agreed to catch up with them later at their motor home.

One of the items on my "must purchase" list was no where to be found. I've been wanting to procure a Campfire in a Can, the one that burns regular fuels, not the propane version. I discovered from one of the vendors, that the traditional model is no longer made. Perhaps I'll be able to find one on EBAY, or maybe at a garage sale. I did find a few things that I simply couldn't live without, (happens every year), like a new flag, and a couple of other things.

Geezers sure do love their ice cream. I think I took this same shot last year.

When we finished at the big tent, we drove over to Bill & "D"s, and continued with our visit. They have the two cutest Westie Terriers, Bitsy & Sofi, who I would steal in a heartbeat if I thought I could get away with it. Bill offered me one of his solar flag lights for next to nothing, and if you can believe this, I actual negotiated the price upward. Did I just say that? Even at the higher price, Bill practically gave me the light, which I intend to put on my flagpole at home. Thanks Bill!

By the time we got back to the motor home, it was time to watch the end of the Patriots - Ravens game, then the second game between the 49ers and the Giants. Great second game, except for the outcome. In between, I BBQ'd some steaks, and we ended a great day.

QUARTZSITE 2012

2012-01-22T05:57:00.003-07:00

We pulled away from the house mid morning, and set sail south bound on Hwy 95 toward Quartzsite, AZ. The distance from Lake Havasu City to Quartzsite is only about 80 miles, so after a fuel stop at Smith's ($3.76 for diesel), we arrived in the "Q" around noon.

This is the height of the season for this little town on Interstate 10, and many of the businesses have to make it during this couple of winter months. I've read all kinds of estimates on how many people flock to this small western AZ town during the month of January, but there's really no accurate way to make that guesstimate. The numbers that have been printed, range from tens of thousands to half a million. I know if you try to drive from point A to B, the traffic often borders on gridlock, and if you're trying to get a loaf of bread at one of the small grocery stores, be prepared to wait in line. Having said that, there's a certain amount of electricity and excitement in the air, and with all of the vendors in town, and at the big tent, there's lots to see and do. Just parking out in the desert for a week or so, is probably the favorite part of Quartzsite for me.

After passing through town, we continued about 4 miles south of town on Hwy 95 to mile marker 99, where we turned onto La Paz Valley Rd. and then an immediate right into the desert where we park every year. Once I got a few things set up, I climbed up on the roof and tilted the three solar panels toward the south. During the peak sunlight hours, these 3 panels (320 watts) put 18-20 amps into the battery bank, and they keep the batteries topped off very nicely. In a little over a month, our home solar system will be installed, and just as a comparison, it will have a capactiy of 4700 watts.

The wind was blowing pretty good yesterday, but it's dead calm this morning, and our temperatures for the coming week are supposed to be in the low 70's. Today, we'll brave the crowds at the big tent, and see if there's anything new that we just can't live without. If not, there will be lots of reading material, and I always make a few comments to myself like - "why didn't I think of that". This is only the second day that the tent has been open, so I'm sure it will be wall to wall elbows, and you know what!

IT'S A BALLOON INVASION

2012-01-21T05:33:00.021-07:00

We arrived at Bob & Diana's house yesterday morning at 8:30am, then drove down toward the lake and the 2ND annual Lake Havasu Island Balloon Festival. When we got to the downtown area, we started seeing hot air balloons being inflated in several parking lots. Our timing was almost perfect as we moved from one parking lot to the next, watching the balloons lift off into a partly cloudy sky, with almost no noticeable wind.

This was the first balloon we watched being inflated, then ascend into the wild blue yonder.

These 3 balloons were all touching each other on the ground, then one by one, they lifted off.

Members of the public can buy tickets that allow them to go for a ride, and the cost is $185 per person. We saw lots of people climbing into the wicker baskets before the balloons left Terra Firma. I've never flown in a hot air balloon, but according to most of the folks we talked to, they say that if you can imagine floating on a cloud, that's what it's like to fly in a lighter than air contraption.

The variety of colors on these balloons is a photographers dream world.

Based on this balloon's design, my guess is that the owner lives somewhere in the desert.

When we parked at the old airport runway on the island, as we looked back over the city, there were balloons everywhere. It was quite a sight, and not one that you see everyday. After a short walk, we paid the $7 admission fee, and began to check out all of the attractions within the festival grounds at the Nautical Resort & golf course.

In addition to the normal, multi colored balloons, there were several themed balloons. Here's one that depicts Humpty Dumpty.

Speaking of themes, here's Diana showing us a Volkswagen Bug Limousine.

We were a little early for lunch, but the smell of what I call "Fair Food" was almost enough to make you hungry. We later had BBQ'd Tri Tip sandwiches that were pretty darn good. In addition to the food vendors, there were dozens of other vendors, and it took us awhile to check them all out. The Aquarius Casino in Laughlin had a booth, and they were giving away prizes based on a wheel that you spun. Diana won a free nights stay in one of their Hotel Rooms, and I won two free tickets to a Johnny Tillotson Concert. Does anyone remember Johnny Tilloltson? It turns out that Patty and I will be in Tucson on the date of the Tillotson performance, so I gave the free tickets to Bob & Diana. Not bad for a couple of fortune wheel spins.

These guys had quite a setup for mobile, food vending.

I wonder if this Panda balloon has the dreaded "Made in China" disclosure?

This balloon was coming in for a landing, and except for brushing against a palm tree, it was pretty smooth. Several times during the day, we watched skydivers landing in the festival area, and many of the jumpers were in tandem. Diana & Patty are talking about doing a jump between their birthdays in a few months. I'm sure it's quite a thrill, but I just can't get past the question - Why would anyone jump out of a perfectly good airplane?

As the day progressed, the crowd kept getting bigger and bigger. Since this entire event is put on by the local Lions and Rotary Clubs, all of the profits go back into the community in the way of local projects and charities. Everything seemed to be well organized, with lots to see and do.

One of the attractions was the opportunity to walk inside a partially inflated balloon.

Here's Patty, Diana & Bob inside a balloon.

The Mohave County Sheriff's Department put on a demo with one of their K-9's.

This dog is attacking the victim, and is just about to bite.

We watched several dogs chasing frizbees, and doing all kinds of tricks.

In addition to all that I've described, there was a carnival, tethered balloon rides, remote controlled cars & airplanes, a classic car display, and vendors that included boats, side by sides, motorcycles, RV's, and new cars & trucks on display.

We spent 4-5 hours checking everything out, and I went away with the thought that this is a fantastic event for our city, and one that we will not miss in future years. Just before dark, Patty had to make a quick trip to the grocery store, and as she turned onto S. Palo Verde, there was a hot air balloon that has just landed in the middle of the road. She was able to drive around it, and I suspect that with all of the balloons in town this weekend, that wasn't the only one that came down on a street.

This morning, we're back in the motor home, with a short drive down to Quartzsite, where we'll join thousands of other RV'ers for the annual gathering in the desert.

HOT AIR RISES

2012-01-20T06:06:00.006-07:00

For the second straight day, if you just looked up in the air, instead of being in Lake Havasu City, AZ, you could easily imagine that you were in Albuquerque, N.M. during that cities huge, annual balloon festival. During the morning hours, there were hot air balloons everywhere. I took a few shots at the house, then jumped in the truck, and headed down to the island where they were still launching balloons up until about 9 am.

I know absolutely nothing about wind currents, except that when you're on the ground, wind tends to come from one particular direction. I guess that's not the case as you rise above the ground to different elevations. As I watched a few of the balloons, even though it was a very calm morning, some would be going in one direction, and others were going in the opposite direction, depending on their altitude. At first glance, you would think that once in the air, a large hot air balloon would be completely at the mercy of the wind. That's sort of the case, however, by changing altitudes, I watched a few balloons change directions, which allowed the pilot to have some control over their flight path.

On the way back to the house, as I drove by the high school, I noticed that one of the balloons had just landed in the school parking lot. Once laid flat, there's a lot of material that makes up one of these hot air balloons. Not sure if this balloon pilot intended on landing at the high school, or just took advantage of the large parking lot. Once this event if over, it will be interesting to learn where some of the more unique landing spots were located. I wonder if any of the balloons will land in any one's back yard?

This morning, were picking up Bob & Diana, then heading down to the island to take in some of the activities within the festival grounds. With everything that's listed on the program, there should be plenty to keep us busy for several hours.

We've decided to take off for Quartzsite tomorrow morning, instead of a few days later. That will give us about a week to be parked in the desert before we have to be back in Lake Havasu for an appointment a week from tomorrow. I always look forward to boondocking in the motor home at Quartzsite where we have a campfire every evening, and get back a little bit to camping like we used to when the kids were little.

SOME EARLY BALLOONS

2012-01-19T06:04:00.004-07:00

The Havasu Island Balloon Festival starts this morning, but we got a bit of a preview yesterday afternoon. Patty was outside when she yelled at me to "come take a look". There were a total of 6 hot air balloons in the air, and a couple of them were pretty close to our house. What a perfect opportunity to give my new Nikon a try. Even though the sun was setting over the lake, and these lighter than air objects were almost directly in front of the sun, the camera on the auto setting seems to make the adjustment pretty well. With the old Kodak camera, these photos would not have been nearly as viewable.

Before the balloons were airborne, I took the Yamaha scooter downtown to pick up a passing light for the Harley. When Bob & Diana went with us for a motorcycle ride down to Parker a couple of weeks ago, one of the two front lights quit working. Yep, the new light is made in you know where!

While downtown, I cruised out onto the island, and checked out all of the activity at the Nautical Resort & golf course where the festival is headquartered. It looked like a human beehive, with lots of people scurrying all over the place. Directly across the road from the Nautical, the gate was open onto the old airport runway which will be used as one of the several temporary island parking lots. Due to a locked gate, I had never been able to check out what was the first airport in Lake Havasu City. Back in the 1960's and 70's, the founder of the town, Robert McCulloch would fly people into the new town for free, and he sold many of the lots with that marketing tool. With the new residential development on the island, only part of that original runway is still in existence.

The weather forecast through Saturday is for temps in the upper 60's - low 70's, with light winds under 10mph. Should be pretty good conditions for a morning launch of 10 times as many balloons as we saw yesterday afternoon. With the sun peaking over the eastern mountains, should make for some spectacular pictures!

A NEW CAMERA

2012-01-18T11:50:00.004-07:00

Since the inception of this blog almost 3 years ago, the camera that has taken thousands of pictures is shown above. It's an inexpensive Kodak point and shoot that has served me well. Having said that, the flash quit working some time ago, and I had to pass up a lot of photo opportunities where the light wasn't adequate. In addition to no flash, the camera insisted on taking straight lines like painted road center lines, and turning them into broken lines. There were a couple of other things that it either wouldn't do, or if it did, not very well.

So, it was off to Wally World yesterday for a new camera. Without the help of my pal Nancy, who knows more about photography than anybody I know, I picked out the smallest point and shoot that I could find. This Nikon is half the width of the old Kodak, and the flash even works! My only complaint is that I just bought a Japanese Camera that's made in you guessed it - China! I'm beginning to wonder how the American people could even survive, if all of the products from China suddenly stopped coming into the country. I better jump off my soapbox before I really get started. This is a subject for another time.

One of the reasons we didn't go directly to Quartzsite from the FMCA RV Rally in Indio, is because we wanted to come back to Lake Havasu for the balloon festival. Last year, we missed the inaugural event, and with over 60 hot air balloons registered this year, we plan on being part of the estimated 30-50,000 people who are expected to attend. The organizers expected around 10,000 people for the first time event last year, and over 23,000 folks showed up. This year, the festival has been expanded to include everything from a carnival to classic cars. It all begins tomorrow morning on the island, with the ascension of dozens of balloons over Lake Havasu.

COLOR US GONE

2012-01-16T06:33:00.002-07:00

The Western Family Motor Coach Association (FMCA) Rally in Indio, CA was history yesterday, and long before we ever ventured out of the motor home, motor homes were leaving in droves. I never heard how many were in attendance, but I suspect it was in the 1,000 - 1,500 range.

Patty and I were part of the clean up crew, and it took us about an hour to police our assigned area. Most people pick up after themselves, but as is the case with just about everything, there are always exceptions. I had to walk carefully in one area where somebody let their dog poop without them cleaning up. If you and your dog are out walking in the desert that's one thing, but in a public fairgrounds, Come On!

By the time we were finished, it was mid morning, and we started saying goodbye to our friends. When I took the picture, about half the motor homes in our area were gone. It didn't take me long to hook up the jeep, and we became part of the mass exodus from the fairgrounds.

We were home by 3pm, and within an hour, the tanks were dumped, dirty clothes removed, and the motor home was parked in it's house. We're home for a week, then we'll be off to do the "Q" in Quartzsite, AZ. We'll become part of the thousands that flock to this small desert community for the annual RV Show, and flea market. From year to year, we never know how many of our friends will be joining us at mile marker 99 on Hwy 95, approx. 3 miles south of town. This week will go by fast, and then we'll be on the road again.

LAST RALLY DAY IN INDIO

2012-01-15T06:36:00.005-07:00

Not much to report about our activities yesterday, the last day of the FMCA Rally. I once again helped Bill deliver ice cream in the golf cart to the vendors, and other workers. Once again, I can say with all honesty, absolutely none of the ice cream bars and sandwiches were tainted, or otherwise unfit for human consumption. When we were finished with ice cream deliveries, we returned to the distribution area, and that was pretty much the extent of my volunteerism for the day. Patty helped pass out the ice cream, and when she was finished, we checked out some of the new motor homes, along with one more pass through the vendor building.

The main drag at the Riverside County Fairgrounds in Indio, CA.

My only purchase of any significance from the vendors was a solar light for my flag pole. When I got back to the motor home, I installed the rechargeable batteries, and tried to test the light by covering the sensor per the instructions. No matter how I covered the sensor, the LED lights failed to come on. Again, per the instructions, I replaced the rechargeable AA batteries with regular batteries, and my luck prevailed - no lights. As I was putting everything back in the box, I saw where it was made, and I think everyone can figure that one out. No wonder there's high unemployment in this country, nothing is made in the good old U.S. of A. anymore! I'm starting to read labels more carefully, and given a choice, even if it's more expensive, the product made in the U.S. is what I'm going to buy. Unless the government creates an environment where our businesses can compete, it won't be long before almost everything is manufactured in China or some other foreign country.

When I returned the light to the vendor, they couldn't make it work either, and "oh by the way, we just sold our last light". Perfect! They offered to mail me a new light, or give me my money back. I had to think about that one for about 1 second, and you can probably guess what my decision was.

It's about 10 minutes to ice cream, and these folks are lined up.

This morning, Patty and I are part of the clean up crew which will take an hour or so, then we'll hook up the jeep and head back home. It's been a fun rally with our fellow Golden Spikers, and we'll be looking forward to our next get together.

"OK Dad, this rally stuff has us just plain tuckered out, we're ready to go home"

ICE CREAM

2012-01-14T07:25:00.003-07:00

Most of the FMCA Chapters present at the Western Rally here in Indio, volunteer for different jobs such as gate security, trams, parade coordination, & a host of other responsibilities. Without volunteer labor, big events such as this would not be financially possible.

Our Golden Spike Chapter, has the job of passing out ice cream at the ice cream socials on Friday and Saturday. Our crew is pictured below, just before they started passing out free ice cream bars. Our Vice President, Bill Hall oversees this event, and while our chapter volunteers were busy handing out the ice cream, Bill and I put several cases on a golf cart, and delivered ice cream to the vendors, and other folks who were busy working. Now I'm not admitting that I had more than one ice cream bar, but during our deliveries all over the fairgrounds, it's slightly possible that more than one made it into my hand. Bill and I had a most important job, and part of that huge responsibility was to make sure that none of the ice cream was contaminated, or melted. I can officially report that of all the bars (Ooops, the ONE bar) that we sampled, there was no tainted ice cream!

Just before the ice cream social, our chapter members gathered in the main building for a group picture. I think this is the largest gathering of Golden Spikers at a rally since we've been members, with approx. 40 folks present.

Today is the last day of the rally, and the vast majority of motor homes, including us, will be out of here tomorrow. We'll be home for about a week before heading down to Quartzsite for the big Flea Market, and RV Show.

IT'S A PARADE

2012-01-13T07:19:00.007-07:00

The highlight of yesterdays activities was the 4pm parade, here at the FMCA Western RV Rally. The Rose Parade this was not! In fact, in all of 15 minutes, it was over. The theme of this years rally is a Pirates Adventure, and some of the chapters got rather creative in turning golf carts and other conveyances into pirate ships. There were pirates everywhere, and we got pretty good at catching all of the candy being thrown. Do you know what letter is missing from the pirate alphabet? RRRRR!

The vendors were open for business for the first time since we arrived, and of course we had to see what all was for sale. Believe it or not, I only spent $4.95 on a water shut off valve, but there were a couple of other things that caught my eye. I still have a few days to pull the trigger, or perhaps wait till we get down to Quartzsite. Most all of the vendors who are here, will be at the big RV show in Quartzsite next week.

Earlier in the day, Bill Hall and I drove over to the local Costco, and ordered pizzas for the nights pizza party. Shortly after the parade was over, we went and picked up 12 pizzas, which was more than enough for our group of about 40.

One of the unexpected surprises at this rally was running into our friends Jerry and Sue Turnshek, pictured below. Jerry & Sue live in our old hometown area of Sonora/Jamestown, CA, and we have kept in touch since moving to AZ 10 years ago. Jerry was part of the original team when we opened Jamestown Harley-Davidson over 16 years ago, and the success of the business was a direct result of having great people like Jerry. Sue was kind of under the weather, so we hope she's feeling better today.

Jerry, Sue, and Chloe.

Patty, Anita Price, and Anne Slavicek all watching the parade.

After we were all stuffed with pizza, and had visited well into the hours of darkness, we headed back to the motor home for a little TV, then called it a day.

On the agenda today - 1. Chapter Picture at 11:15. 2. Our chapter passes out the all important ice cream bars at the ice cream social at 12:15. 3. More decisions in the vendor area this afternoon. 4. Dinner somewhere, and the evening entertainment in the big hall.

A CHAPTER FAIR & TRI TIPS

2012-01-12T06:35:00.006-07:00

The first day of the Family Motor Coach Ass'n (FMCA) Western Rally began with the Chapter Fair, and the opening of the display coaches, (new & used motor homes for sale). Our Golden Spike Chapter had a nice display at the fair, with lots of information about our group, including the two nice banners. As a member of FMCA, an individual can belong to as many chapters as they wish. Some of our Golden Spikers are members of multiple chapters, but I think one is enough for Patty and I. Later in the day, I heard that our efforts were successful in recruiting 3 new members.

After checking out all of the chapters represented at the fair, and of course sampling much of the candy giveaways, we wandered over to where several RV Dealers had new & used motor homes on display. Some of the new models have features like 2 TV's in the living area, and for the life of me, I just can't figure that one out. Our one 32" HD TV is just fine for our small living area. Another new trend is the bath and one half models. I guess if you have a lot of company, the extra half bath would come in handy, but for just one couple most of the time, that seems like redundancy gone wild. Residential, all electric refrigerators is another new trend that I suspect has something to do with all of the problems and recalls of the Dometic and Norcold RV refrigerators. Considering all of the trouble we had with our first Dometic refer, that was replaced with a newer model a couple of years ago, the electric only, residential model might just be a good trend for the industry. The only downside is the extra batteries that are required.

Pictured left to right Bob Walker, Ken Carnes, and Bill Hall.

We capped the day with a pot luck dinner, and BBQ'd Tri Tips furnished by the Chapter. I helped with the BBQ which was spearheaded by our Vice President, Bill Hall. As with most pot lucks, there was more than enough food, and some delicious deserts. Dottie Poole's crock pot chocolate cake with vanilla ice cream was gone in a matter of minutes. The chapter purchased a cake to commemorate & congratulate Dottie and Bob Poole on their 50th wedding anniversary. Somebody joked that they must have gotten married when they were in junior high, cause they sure don't look old enough to have been married 50 years.

Today is day 2 of the rally, with the vendors opening for business. Lets see, what is there that I just can't live without? There's nothing on my wish list, but I'm quite sure that I'll see some RV Gizmo that will leave Indio in our motor home.

THE GOLDEN SPIKERS

2012-01-11T07:36:00.008-07:00

The Family Motor Coach Association (FMCA) is a nationwide organization who's membership is comprised of those folks that are motor home owners. The current total membership is approx. 90,000. Within the FMCA, there are hundreds of individual chapters around the country, and the scope of those chapters varies greatly. The Golden Spike Chapters' focus is railroads, and the members are located mostly in the western states.

Patty and I joined this chapter almost 2 years ago, while we were traveling the summer months in the Pacific Northwest. Our first rally with the Golden Spikers was near Portland, OR, where the group rode on the Mount Hood Scenic Railroad. Since that first rally, we have gotten together with this fun group of people several times, and helped put together a rally on the Virginia & Truckee Railroad in Carson City last September.

The FMCA Western Rally here in Indio is not chapter specific, so this is the one rally that our group attends each year that doesn't include the riding of a railroad. This rally is open to all FMCA members, whether they belong to a chapter or not.

Yesterday was a kind of do nothing day, as the rally kicks off today with a few activities. The pictures of the group were taken yesterday afternoon, as we all visited, and enjoyed lots of snacks. I guess in some circles this is called "happy hour".

There are 20 Golden Spike motor homes in attendance here in Indio, so it's a pretty good sized group. At our last rally in Carson City, NV, we had 13 rigs show up. Oh, by the way, the weather has been perfect, with a slight breeze, and temperatures in the mid 70's. The forecast for the rest of the week is more of the same. Life is good!

A SEA OF RV's & A RIDE TO THE SKY

2012-01-10T06:42:00.011-07:00

After spending Sunday night at the Wally World parking lot in La Quinta, our Golden Spike Chapter of 20 Motor Homes made the short trip to the Riverside County Fairgrounds, caravan style. Upon arrival at the Family Motor Coach Ass'n (FMCA) Western Rally, we were parked as a group, with connections to electrical power. Our arrival one day earlier this year seemed to make a difference, as the wait time, and parking was much quicker.

It's a virtual sea of motor homes parked at the FMCA Western Rally in Indio, CA.

It was early afternoon by the time we got everything squared away, and with nothing else on the agenda, Patty and I decided to drive to the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway for a ride to the top of the San Jacinto Mountains. Many years ago, we had ridden this tram to the sky, and the car pictured below was what they used. The tram cars are now much bigger, holding approx. 80 people, and the floor rotates 360 degrees. During the 10 minute trip, everyone inside the car makes two complete revolutions, and the views are truly spectacular.

The elevation at the bottom of the tram is 2,643 feet above sea level, and once you reach the top, the elevation is 8,516 feet. The temps on the valley floor in Palm Springs & Indio, were in the mid 70's yesterday, but by the time we reached the top, the temperature was 49 degrees. At least we had enough sense to take a jacket and sweatshirt. Some folks went outside in their t-shirts & shorts, but were quickly back inside the building. There was a little bit of snow around the tram building.

This view is looking back down from near the top.

Looking up, as the tram approaches the top of the mountain.

Once we reached the top, the views of Palm Springs, and the surrounding communities from over a mile up was pretty incredible. We took in the scenery, snapped a few pictures, and then took the tram back down to the valley.

These tram cars are the worlds largest that rotate

Once we were back at the fairgrounds, it was time for the social hour with lots of snacks that the ladies had prepared. We sat around for awhile, visiting with our fellow Golden Spiker's, then it was time for dinner. Our buddies, Bill & "D" Hall introduced us to the Fisherman's Restaurant last year, and it was definitely a hit. The four of us loaded up in our jeep, and we headed off for some seafood here in the middle of the desert. It's a very popular place to eat, but fortunately, it wasn't quite as crowded as last year. The food was great, as well as the company. After we were all stuffed, it was back to our motor homes, and day 1 of our week here in Indio was history.

PATTON & THE CHIRIACO FAMILY

2012-01-09T07:01:00.006-07:00

Our drive from Lake Havasu City to the fairgrounds in Indio wasn't an all day affair, so, with plenty of time, we finally stopped at Chiriaco Summit on I10, about 30 miles east of Indio. This is one of those places that I've passed on multiple occasions, vowing to stop one of these days, and check out the General Patton Memorial Museum. Yesterday was that day.

"Old Blood and Guts" was the nickname for General George Patton, and his place in history is firmly implanted. He wasn't your run of the mill military leader, he was unique in many respects. The story of Patton, and a host of other military displays inside the museum make the $5 admission fee well worth the expenditure. Without knowing, the average person might wonder why in the heck there's a museum dedicated to Patton, sitting here in the desert of Southern California. The short story is that right after WWII broke out, the fighting in the North African Desert wasn't going very well for the allies. Patton figured out right away that in order for an American fighting force to effectively campaign in the desert, they would have to trained in the desert, not in the swamps of Georgia. He established the desert training center, with numerous camps located in CA and AZ, and the headquarters was not far from where the museum is now located. Soon after Patton spearheaded the desert training center, he was sent to Europe as a Major General and as they say, "the rest is history". He was killed in a car accident, not long after the war ended.

In 1925, Joe Chiriaco came west from Alabama to attend the Rose Bowl, and never returned home. He heard a rumor that a paved highway was going to be built from Blythe to Indio, so he purchased land at what was then called Shaver Summit. In 1933, the new road was opened as Hwy 60, and Joe was ready with a gas station and general store. In the mid 1930's, the huge aqueduct project to bring water from the Colorado River at Lake Havasu to Los Angeles was begun, and Joe worked for the water district as a surveyor. In 1942, when Patton's desert headquarters was established near Joe's well stocked general store, the soldiers flocked to his desert oasis like "bees to blossoms". In 1989, the Bureau of Land Management, in cooperation with Patton's estate and the Chiriaco family, opened the current museum complex. Joe and his wife died in 1996, about 4 years before commercial power was connected to the visitor facilities at Chiriaco Summit. For approx. 77 years, electricity was provided by diesel generators.

This West Coast Vietnam Wall sits outside the Patton Museum, and honors those who made the ultimate sacrifice to our nation.

Who in the world would consider breaking in to this motor home with such a vicious attack dog standing guard?

We arrived at the Riverside County Fairgrounds in mid afternoon, and spent the rest of the afternoon visiting with friends. I watched the end of the Denver - Pittsburg NFL playoff game that was won by Denver in overtime. Go Tebow! About half of our group walked to a Chinese Restaurant for dinner, and we called it a day.

This morning, we will caravan in order (I think we're #16) to the fairgrounds, where we'll get parked for the next 6 days. The rally starts on Wednesday.

READY, SET, GO

2012-01-08T06:08:00.002-07:00

This morning, when I fire up the Cummins engine in the motor home, we'll be heading for the fairgrounds in Indio, CA where the Family Motor Coach Ass'n (FMCA) is staging their western states RV rally. We'll be in Indio for a week, returning home next Sunday. It's about a 4 hour drive, so we're not in any big hurry to get going this morning.

We'll be meeting about 20 other RV's from the FMCA Golden Spike Chapter at the WalMart in LaQuinta later today, and we'll go into the fairgrounds tomorrow as one group. As RV rallies go, this one is on a larger scale, with hundreds, if not a thousand or more RV's parked at the fairgrounds. There will be the usual stuff like vendors, seminars, nightly entertainment, parade, chapter fair, and an ice cream social (yahoo!) that our Golden Spike Chapter is in charge of. Mixed in with the activities at the rally will be some off site things like a ride on the Palm Springs Tram. Should be a fun week.

RIDIN THE RIVER

2012-01-07T06:31:00.006-07:00

We met Bob & Diana at Smith's Grocery Gas Station where we all topped off our fuel tanks at about 11am. When I had my Harley Motor rebuilt at our old business back in 2001 when the bike was new, one of the many modifications was the installation of bigger pistons, and a lot of custom head work. The compression ratio was increased to 10 1/2 to 1, and with an adjustable ignition module it does OK on 91 octane gasoline. But, what the motor really likes is racing fuel, or avgas. Due primarily to all of the custom boats in this town, about half of the gas stations dispense racing fuel/avgas at their pumps. Smith's has one pump with 100 octane racing fuel, so, at $6.99 a gallon, my almost 4 gallons of fuel came to $27.00. Glad I wasn't filling up a 50 gallon boat gas tank. The first time I cracked the throttle wide open, the extra cost was well worth it.

We left town heading south on Hwy 95 towards Parker, and our recommended lunch stop at the Bluewater Casino Cantina next to the river. We pretty much had the place to ourselves, with a great view of the river from the patio dining area.

Patty and I have been here for the boat races, where the Cantina and the entire beach area was mobbed with people and exotic race boats. Yesterday was a pleasant change from the large crowds. We had a nice leisurely lunch, leaving the Cantina a little after 2pm. The food was good, the location next to the river was great, and visiting with our buddies was as they say - priceless!

The patio area of the Bluewater Casino Cantina, next to the Colorado River.

From the Casino, we rode a little farther south into Parker, then across the Colorado River into California. Bob joked that since CA is so broke, we better watch out for Governor Gerry Brown, who might be around a corner soliciting money for the state coffers.

It's about 17 miles from Parker north to the Parker Dam that created Lake Havasu. This part of the Colorado River is called the "Parker Strip", and is a very popular boating destination during the hot summer months, and a snowbird roost during the winter. Our weather yesterday was almost perfect, with temps in the mid 70's, and a bright sunny, cloudless day. We stopped at the Parker Dam overlook, where I set my camera on Tweety Bird (Bob's bright yellow Goldwing), and took a picture of the four of us, with Lake Havasu in the background.

My sweatshirt has a picture of the building front of our old business, and it was the first custom logo that we had printed on T-shirts, and other apparel. We had several subsequent custom logos, but this first one was always my favorite.

We were back in Lake Havasu City around 4pm, where we waved adios to our pals. It was a nice ride with great friends, and a reminder of why we live here in the desert, at least during the winter months.

DUSTING THE COBWEBS

2012-01-06T07:09:00.002-07:00

Yesterday afternoon, we stopped by Bob & Diana Rush's house for a visit, as they continue to do home improvement projects on their new winter home. Diana, yes I said Diana, had just finished putting a coat of grey concrete paint on their patio, and it looked great! Bob likes to say that he has a painter in the family.

While we were there, Bob showed me an obvious water stain in the sheet rock roof of their garage. A little later, the plumber they had called showed up, cut a hole in the ceiling, and sure enough, a copper pipe joint was dripping down onto the sheet rock. Just before we left, the repair was almost finished.

We made plans to go for a motorcycle ride today, and got a tip from the plumber that the Mexican Restaurant at the Bluewater Casino in Parker had great food. Bob & Diana arrived from Oregon before Christmas, and we've been talking about going for a ride, but with their relatives here for the holidays, and our travels to Tucson for Christmas, we haven't found the time. The weather has been ideal, with today's temperature supposed to be in the mid 70's, and a bright sunny sky. I think today is the perfect time to dust some of the cobwebs off the Harley, and go out and catch some wind.

THE BOOK & MOVIE CRITIC

2012-01-05T07:12:00.003-07:00

The last few days have been unremarkable, just normal activities around the house. When we're home, the daily routine is normally not something to write about. Conversely, when we're on the road, almost every day presents itself with new adventures and discoveries, that are worthy of a description in the blog.

With most of my home projects completed, and Patty nursing a sore back, we've been kind of running into each other, looking for things to occupy our time. Patty loves her Kindle that I got her for Christmas, and has read multiple books. She can sit down for hours with the Kindle, or a real book, and her day passes more quickly. I'm not much of a book reader, so that's not my best option for passing time. I did just finish an excellent book entitled Killing Lincoln by Bill O'Reilly. This is a book that reads like a novel, but it's really more of a historical perspective, based on the participants, and the actual events. Thanks Mike, Amy, Marc, Chandra, & Laila for the cruise gift.

We're not big movie goers, but in the last week, we've seen "I bought a zoo", and yesterday, we caught the matinee of "War Horse". The Zoo movie was a cute family type movie, that was entertaining, and based on a true story. War Horse was a little more intense, and a really good movie. Would you expect anything else from the Director Steven Spielberg? For all of the horse people out there, this is a must see movie. For those prone to be a little emotional, perhaps some tissues in you pocket would be a good thing.

This stay at home period of time is coming to an end in a few days. Sunday, we're off to the Family Motor Coach Ass'n (FMCA) RV Rally in Indio. Our FMCA Golden Spike Chapter will be represented with about 20 RV's, and we're looking forward to seeing all of our pals.

Note: I wrote this post yesterday morning, but for some reason it got lost in cyberspace.

CHP MEMORIES

2012-01-02T05:17:00.004-07:00

My recollection of this story goes back to the couple of years that I worked in the Santa Cruz Office, and it occurred in 1974. In trying to keep these memories in a yearly, chronological order, I knew there would be times when the remembrance of an incident would pop up, where I would have to go back to a point in time that I had already passed by. This is one of those times.

I was working the swing shift, and had cleared the scene of an injury accident that occurred in the southbound lanes of State Hwy 1. There were a couple of injured victims who were taken to Dominican Hospital in Santa Cruz, but before I followed up with their statements, I had the name of an individual who left his name & address with one of the other drivers. Apparently, this witness to the accident wasn't able, or didn't want to wait at the scene, but at least he left his name & number. I had the dispatcher call the phone number (no cell phones in those days), to see if this witness was available, and indeed he was. His address was only a few miles from where the accident occurred, so I drove there to get his statement.

The address was a two story apartment complex, and the witness's address was on the ground floor. As I approached the door, I noticed an adult German Shepherd dog nearby. When I knocked on the door, this dog came up beside me, and seemed quite friendly. As I waited for the door to be answered, I gave the dog a few pets on the head, and it was next to me when the witness opened the door. I don't remember the witness's name, but he was an older gentleman, and he wasn't surprised to see me. The dispatcher probably told him that I would be stopping by to get his statement.

After telling this witness why I was there, he invited me inside. As I entered the apartment, the dog came in with me, with nothing being said by the witness. I naturally assumed that the dog belonged to this individual, and it was simply going back inside where it lived. Nothing unusual up to this point, but it's what happened next that could be classified as a little bit on the strange side. This guy had his TV on, and on the coffee table in front of the couch, he had a McDonald's bag with a hamburger & fries that were only partially consumed. Before I could ask him what he saw, in regard to the accident, the dog went right up to the coffee table, and started to eat the hamburger. At this point, I'm thinking that this is definitely a little bit strange, especially when the guy just allows the dog to eat the rest of his hamburger, and doesn't say a word. A few seconds pass by before I couldn't help myself, and I had to ask the guy if his dog was always allowed to eat what looked like part of his meal?

At that point, the guy stood up and his words will be imprinted in my brain for eternity. He said "my dog, I thought it was your dog!" By then, the rest of the hamburger was gone, and the dog was working on the fries. In an instant, my thought that the dog belonged to the witness, and his thought that this was my police dog, changed in a heartbeat. When we were both on the same page that this dog didn't belong to either one of us, the door was reopened, and it went quietly back out into the night.

I couldn't help but ask why he didn't protest when the dog began his larcenous behavior. His reply was similar to what was going through my mind when the dog started to eat the hamburger. He was flabbergasted that I wasn't controlling what he thought was MY dog, as I was similarly amazed that HIS dog was allowed to eat the hamburger. For a few seconds, both of us were speechless while this dog dined on a golden arch meal.

After obtaining an eyewitness statement regarding the traffic accident, we both had a good laugh and bid each other a good evening. The chances of something like that happening again, have to be 1 in a bizillion!

HAPPY NEW YEAR

2012-01-01T06:40:00.002-07:00

It's been awhile since I rang in the new year with party hats, libations, and loud music. Last night was no exception. I did make it past my normal bedtime of 9pm, but not by much.

We had a little party here at the house last night, but it didn't include any of the above, just a nice dinner, and good company with Ron & Judy Ellstrom, and Bob & Diana Rush. Patty fixed a chicken enchilada casserole with Spanish rice. Judy brought a delicious spinach dip in a bread bowl, and Diana fixed a salad, topping the meal off with my favorite, a home made cherry pie. A nice, simple meal with good friends, and good conversation to cap off the very end of 2011.

Today is the start of a brand new year, and my hope is that our family and circle of friends all have a great 2012. Happy New Year everybody!

GOODBYE 2011

2011-12-31T06:16:00.002-07:00

The years continue to roll by, and this past year seems to have come and gone in a blur. 2011 was a year that we stayed closer to home, not traveling as many miles in our motor home, but were still able to experience many new things.

The biggest change for us was a summer of work at the Grand Canyon National Park. We hadn't taken seasonal jobs for 2 years, so there were mixed feelings as we parked the motor home at the south rim in mid May. My job as one of approx. 50 transit bus drivers for the free shuttle bus system at the park, turned out to be challenging but one that I'm looking forward to going back to this coming summer. Patty's job in the General store also turned out to have some challenges, as she had to learn a complicated point of sale computer program, and became a grocery checker for part of her work hours. The length of time for our jobs was just about right at approx. 3 1/2 months. All of our national parks are uniquely beautiful, and we've visited many of them. We both agreed that the Grand Canyon is something very special, and living there for the entire summer was an experience that we hope to repeat again in the future.

We planned and coordinated an RV rally in Carson City, NV. for our Golden Spike RV Chapter that we became a part of in 2010. The late September event came on the heels of our working summer at the Grand Canyon, and most everything went as planned. We all had a good time, with the central theme of the rally being a ride on the newly restored Virginia & Truckee tourist railroad.

We ended the year with a Cruise, where we were able to take 2 or our 3 boys and their families on a week long journey to the Western Caribbean. This family cruise has been in the works for a few years, and I think it's safe to say that we all had a great time. I'm sure there will be another family adventure, and we'll make sure that all the boys can make the adjustments in their work schedules for a future trip.

Tomorrow will start a brand new year, and our expectations for 2012 are as high as ever. Patty has become quite the world traveler in the last couple of years, having taken trips to China with her brother & to Greece with her son. Her brother Michael is taking her on a two week trip to Paris this coming May, as she continues to log many thousands of air miles. I love to travel, but not in cramped airplanes. Give me an open road, put me behind the wheel of the motor home, or behind the handlebars of the Harley, and I'm a happy camper.

Tonight, we have a few friends coming over for dinner, and a New Years Eve party. Since our drinking days are long gone, I suspect that this party will not end at midnight with the singing of Old Ange Zyne, but conversely, the end will be much earlier with a simple good night, and a happy new year.

HOME IN HAVASU

2011-12-29T06:01:00.002-07:00

The drive from Tucson to Lake Havasu yesterday was pretty routine, and with a lot less traffic than when we drove to Tucson 2 days before Christmas. Marc stopped by the fairgrounds on his way to work, and it was nice to see him again before we left.

The distance from the Pima County Fairgrounds to our home is just under 350 miles, and it usually takes us the better part of a day to make the drive. Our only stop was at the ZIP travel center on Interstate 10 @ Vicksburg Rd. (Exit 45). The diesel prices all along I10 at the truck stops like Flying J & Pilot were $3.82 - $3.84 a gallon. At the ZIP (huge American Flag), it was $3.75 ($3.77 for trucks) and has been a regular stop for us, not only for diesel, but for propane. I suspect due to the low fuel prices, it's always a busy place, and a wait is sometimes necessary.

When we arrived back at the house, our routine of emptying the fridge, & unpacking everything else is a process that we have down to a science. In 30 minutes or so, all of the stuff that needs to come out of the motor home is in the house, and after a day behind the wheel, I was ready to catch up on some of the TV shows that had been recorded. What in the heck did we ever do without a DVR?

Patty has an appointment with the eye Doc today for her 1 week checkup. The redo of her right eye went well as far as the surgery, but the vision improvement is still questionable. As she puts it, "it may just be as good as it gets". It can take up to 3 weeks for the full effect of cataract surgery to be implemented, so perhaps there will still be improvement in the next couple of weeks.

A LAZY MORNING & 5 GUYS

2011-12-28T05:19:00.007-07:00

Laila, Gracie, & Grandma spending part of the morning all cozy in the recliner.

Our Granddaughter Laila, spent the night with us in the motor home, and yesterday, when we were all up and moving, she found a spot in the recliner with Grandma. Gracie also decided that was a good place to be, so when she jumped into Patty's lap, it created a "Kodak moment". All 3 stayed in the recliner while Laila watched some cartoons, Grandma read her Kindle, and Gracie decided she would grace the two with her presence.

Meanwhile, behind the recliner, Grandpa worked on the blog, and did some other computer stuff. Yesterday was the 2nd day of the 12-5 Horse Camp, so we did the lazy thing in the morning, which included Laila's favorite breakfast of pancakes, with a piece of bacon. Around 11am, we left on the 20 mile drive to the ranch, arriving a little before noon.

Three lazy bums together in the recliner.

After dropping Laila at the camp, we decided to spend the afternoon doing some shopping in stores that we don't have in Lake Havasu. Lunch was the first order of business however, and we just happened to drive by a Five Guys Burgers. For a year or so, I've been hearing from friends that Five Guys has the best burgers, some even saying that they are better than IN N OUT. Well, here was the perfect opportunity to check these guys out for the first time, so in we went.

As we walked in the door, Patty remarked that I had on one of my IN N OUT T-shirts, and that I was suddenly the competition in enemy territory. Once we were inside this very crowded burger joint, I began to notice that a lot of folks were staring at me. When we were sitting down, a lady came up to us and said "do you know you have an IN N OUT shirt on"? I didn't say anything, and Patty politely said "yes, he knows that". What was next? People yelling at me, or perhaps even worse - a flying chair at this miscreant who had the audacity to wear the competition's shirt behind enemy lines!

While we ate, we both kept an eye out for any Five Guys radicals, who might have chosen to make an example out of an IN N OUT guy. We were able to eat our burgers without any insults, or french fries being thrown at us, but it was touch and go there for awhile. Seriously, the burgers were excellent, and this burger connoisseur now has a second best behind the undisputed king - IN N OUT. I'm sorry Wendy, you're burgers are now relegated to third place.

Here I am in Five Guys Burgers, with my IN N OUT shirt in plain sight. Notice the worried look on my face, as the hostility from the crowd is noticeable.

We escaped from Five Guys with our arms & limbs intact, and the rest of the afternoon was tension free. We picked up Laila at 5, and when we took her home, we discovered that Chandra was sick with a head cold. I guess better now, than a few days ago on the cruise. Marc took Laila & us out to dinner, and we brought back a take out for Chandra. We said our good byes, and this morning, we'll be driving back to Lake Havasu. Thanks kids for a wonderful Christmas Holiday!

HORSE CAMP

2011-12-27T06:47:00.003-07:00

The day after Christmas, and the first day of Horse Camp. The first picture of Laila is at home, dressed in her new riding breeches, and boots. She is about to depart for the first of 5 days of horse camp, and the anticipation level is high. With a 6 year old, you never know for sure what the reaction will be, and with riding a horse for the first time, I think the anxiety level with the parents and grandparents was much higher than Laila's.

Chandra, Patty & Laila left the house at about 11am, and made their way across town to the ranch where the camp was located. Marc & I stayed at the house, and finished the second air conditioner concrete slab.

At 5 pm, we all arrived back at the camp, where I took the rest of the pictures. Laila told us she got to ride "Rock Star", a Shetland pony, and that it was a lot of fun. After hearing that she had a good experience, we were all relieved that the next 4 days would most likely be fun filled, and a great learning experience.

These pictures were taken while the kids were feeding one of the Ranch steers.

"Yep, I'm just one of the ranch hands, doing my job".

Laila spent the night with us in the motor home, and after a "Grandpa Breakfast", we'll take her to her second day of horse camp. Tomorrow, it's back to Lake Havasu City.

CHRISTMAS DAY

2011-12-26T05:42:00.003-07:00

One concrete foundation done, and one to go.

These pictures show Marc's project of replacing the plastic foundations under the two air conditioning units at their home in Tucson. On Christmas Eve day, we replaced the first plastic support with concrete, and today, we'll do the same with the second unit. Why any home builder, particularly one in Arizona, would use plastic to support anything in the brutal heat and direct sunlight, is beyond me. To keep the units level, Marc had been placing wooden blocks underneath where the plastic was cracking and warping. The new concrete will eliminate that problem.

Yesterday morning, we arrived at Marc, Chandra, & Laila's around 10am, and quickly discovered what Santa brought the night before. The flash on my camera has decided not to work, so no pictures of the new stuff. Laila was in charge of distributing the packages, and before long the living room was a sea of wrapping paper, ribbon, and empty boxes. I won't get into describing all of the gifts, lets just say that between Mom & Dad, Grandparents, and all of the other relatives, Laila ended up with a pile of new goodies. One of her presents from Mom, Dad, Grandma & Grandpa was a one week horse camp that starts today. Hopefully this morning, I'll get some pictures of Laila in her new riding outfit before she heads off to camp.

Chandra & Patty fixed a wonderful Christmas dinner, and we all celebrated the day with gratitude that we were together as a family, in good health, and able to provide a child with all the magic of Christmas.

Today, Marc and I will finish the concrete project, as Chandra & Patty take Laila to her horse camp. Laila will spend tonight with us in the motor home, and Grandma & Grandpa will take her to her 12-5 camp tomorrow. We have to leave Wednesday, in order to get back home for an eye Doc appointment for Patty on Thursday.

MERRY CHRISTMAS

2011-12-25T07:04:00.003-07:00

Today is the day that millions of people around the world will celebrate a holiday that is based on Christian principles, but is also celebrated by other religions. For small children of all faiths, religion takes a back seat to the big guy with a white beard, and a red suit. Our precious Grand Child Laila is 6 years old, and still believes that Santa Claus came to her house last night, and delivered something very special. For parents, grandparents, and family members, a childs belief in Santa Claus is to be treasured for as long as it lasts. This morning, we'll head over to Marc, Chandra, and Laila's home to discover what Santa Claus brought to Laila last night, and share in the joy of a child on Christmas morning.

Yesterday, Marc and I tackled the job of raising one of two outside A/C units up off the ground, and pouring a concrete slab underneath. When their house was built about 10 years ago, the contractor placed these air conditioner condensers on plastic foundations, and 8 years was probably their lifespan. The job went well, and we'll pour the second slab tomorrow.

In the afternoon, we attended a nice service at Marc & Chandra's church, then had a Christmas Eve dinner at a local restaurant. After dinner, we drove to an area here in Tucson, where a large neighborhood decorates their homes with lights, many of which were animated, and one that included a choreographed sound system with shooting fountains of water. The "Festival of Lights" is a 50 year Tucson tradition, and is a pretty big deal, with closure of the streets for pedestrian use only. By the time we had walked through the entire neighborhood, which included several streets, it was time to call it a day.

Merry Christmas to all!

TRAVELIN TO TUCSON

2011-12-24T06:20:00.003-07:00

Our path from Lake Havasu City to Tucson is one that we have traveled on many occasions, and yesterday's journey wasn't much different. We pulled away from the house at about 10am, and made the trip in about 6 hours, arriving at the Pima County Fairgrounds a little after 4pm. Instead of taking the shorter route on Hwy 72 through Bouse, we detoured through Quartzsite in order to stop at the Root Farms Tent, and pick up a supply of raw almonds. Although the activity in Quartzsite was pretty quiet, many of the street side vendors are set up and open for business. Next month, the same scene will look like a beehive, with people substituted for insects.

While I was getting the motor home parked at the Fairgrounds, Marc stopped by on his way home from work, and we were surprised that he had Laila with him. Chandra was braving the shopping crowds for most of the day, so Laila went to work with Dad. We kept Laila for an hour or so, then took her home, where Chandra had prepared a delicious pot roast for dinner. We called it an early evening, as Patty needed to get some rest, not having slept very well the night after having cataract surgery on her right eye for the second time. Today is Christmas Eve, and we'll be spending most of the afternoon at Marc, Chandra, & Laila's, with several activities being planned.

HOUDINI IS HOME

2011-12-22T19:17:00.004-07:00

Everyone loves a happy ending, right? After 5+ days of anguish & worry, not to mention the lack of sleep, our friends Bob & Diana Rush have their beloved Black Lab "Buddy" back home!

As I mentioned in yesterdays blog, Buddy was able to crawl under the backyard fence last Saturday, right after Bob let him out early in the morning. From that point in time, he completely disappeared. Our friends went through all of the motions, like contacting the Humane Society everyday, posting flyer's around the neighborhood, and spending countless hours walking and driving around, searching for their dog.

We got a phone call from Diana this morning, with the wonderful news that they had found Buddy! The short story is that only a few blocks away, a guy named Rick went into his backyard to investigate why his little dog was barking and raising quite a fuss. On the outside of his chain link fence, in one of the many washes that work their way down to the lake, he saw Buddy laying in some weeds. He was able to approach the dog, and keep him from running away, while he called the number on Buddy's collar tag. Needless to say, Bob & Diana were there in a heartbeat, and the four legged kid was reunited with his happy parents.

We dropped by Bob & Diana's around noon, to share in the happiness of what you might call a Christmas Miracle. Buddy looked no worse for his 5 days of being A.W.O.L., and it was so nice to see a happy outcome to what had been a devastating event.

Patty had her right eye redone this afternoon, with a second cataract surgery. After the procedure was finished, and a followup checkup at the Optometrist, everything seemed to have gone well. She will be able to take the eye patch off tomorrow, and will be able to evaluate the amount of improvement over the first operation. We're both optimistic that the correct lens was implanted this time, and her vision will be much improved.

If everything is OK tomorrow morning, we'll be back on the road, and Travel By Chance in the motor home will once again be a happening thing. Tucson is the destination, and we're looking forward to spending Christmas with Marc, Chandra, and Laila.

GETTING READY

2011-12-21T05:49:00.002-07:00

We've only been home from our Caribbean Cruise for about 36 hours, and we're in the process of getting the motor home ready for a trip to Tucson. We're leaving day after tomorrow, to spend the Christmas Holiday with Marc, Chandra, and Laila.

Before we leave however, Patty is scheduled to have a "do over" on her right eye, and that surgery is mid day tomorrow. When she had cataract surgery on both eyes in late October, there were mixed results. The vision in her left eye improved dramatically, but the procedure on her right eye wasn't as successful. We're keeping our fingers crossed that this second go around will take care of the problem. If everything is OK, we'll be in Tucson for about a week, then back home for a follow up appointment with Patty's eye Doc.

The term "hitch itch" is one that many RV'ers reference when they are anxious to get back on the road. Even though we have made the trip from Lake Havasu to Tucson many times in the last few years, I'm always ready to get back behind the wheel of the motor home. It's wheels haven't turned for about 2 1/2 months, and except for when we've been work kamping, I think that has to be a record. During the winter months, we're usually never home for more than a month, without traveling somewhere in the house on wheels.

Yesterday afternoon, we took a break from our unpacking, and repacking, to go over and visit with our buddies, Bob & Diana Rush, who arrived at their new winter home a few days ago. Diana's Daughter Lisa, her husband Phil, and the grand kids are visiting for the holidays. We were saddened to learn that their black lab "Buddie" found a way under their backyard fence soon after their arrival in Havasu, and has been missing for several days now. We're keeping our fingers crossed that he will turn up.

BACK TO REALITY

2011-12-20T06:11:00.002-07:00

Where does the time go when you're having fun, especially when it's with family? These past 10 days have flown by, as we jetted from one end of the country to the other, then cruised through the Western Caribbean on the Carnival Cruise Ship Glory.

When I originally started thinking about this trip a few years ago, it was with the idea of getting our immediate family together, a family reunion of sorts on a cruise ship. The trip was everything I had hoped for, with only one exception. Patty's son, David wasn't able to take the time off from work, and there were many times during the past week when one of us voiced the thought that it would have been really nice if he were with us. Next time, we'll make sure all 3 boys are able to make it, where ever that "it" is.

After leaving the ship on Sunday, when we had cleared Customs, the limo picked us up for the ride back to the Mariott in Fort Lauderdale. We spent Sunday night at the hotel, finding a Dave & Busters close by for dinner. We dined in the arcade area, and the noise level from the games and activities was literally through the roof! For me, carrying on a conversation was next to impossible without yelling. But, after dinner, we all bought our game cards, and started accumulating tickets from the various arcade games we played. Laila really got into the skee ball, and with Grandpa's help, her bucket of tickets started to over flow. When she cashed in her tickets, she was able to walk away with a dragon stuffed animal.

The boys & their families had an early Monday morning flight to Atlanta. From there, Marc, Chandra, & Laila caught a flight back to Tucson, and Mike & Amy changed to a flight back to their home in Augusta. Our flight was a couple of hours later, so after some sad good byes the night before, we all headed back to our homes and to reality.

LAST CRUISE DAY

2011-12-18T12:54:00.008-07:00

This was the sunrise yesterday morning, somewhere off the coast of Cuba.

As they say, "all good things must come to an end", and we spent our last day at sea yesterday. This last leg of the trip was from Grand Cayman Island to Miami, and it took about 36 hours. We spent most of the day doing what we've been doing best - eating, eating, and more eating.

Grandma and Laila were the only adventuresome ones, as they changed into their bathing suits, and climbed up to the top of the water slide. Due to windy conditions, they were the last ones down the slide before it was closed. Laila had been on it with Grandpa, & with Dad, but this was the one and only trip down the twisting water slide for Grandma. Both wanted to go again, but it remained closed for the rest of the day.

Later in the afternoon, Marc, Laila, and I went up to the very top deck for a round of miniature golf. We weren't keeping score, but Grandpa was the only one to get a hole in one. The fact that there's room for miniature golf, basketball, volleyball, a water slide, and a running track, gives you an idea how big this ship really is. This was our 6th cruise, and the largest ship we've ever been on, holding approx. 3,000 passengers.

Laila and Dad posing on the golf course.

This trip with 3 generations of the Chance Klan was memorable on so many levels that it's hard to describe in a few simple words. Because we are spread out across the country, whenever we can get together for a few days, especially on a cruise ship for a week, the memories will last forever! Even though our thoughts about this family trip will never go away, tomorrow morning we will all be on jet airplanes, heading back to our homes, and back to reality.

Tomorrow will be a long travel day, so it's unlikely that I will post anything on the blog. I'll probably pick back up in a couple of days.

We had this family picture taken on the 2nd night of the cruise.

GRAND CAYMAN

2011-12-17T06:16:00.004-07:00

The last stop on our Caribbean trip was Grand Cayman Island yesterday. Our family split up, as Marc, Chandra, Laila, and Patty went off on a shore excursion called Turtles, Turtles, & more Turtles. They were bused to a location away from the downtown area where they swam & snorkled with sea turtles of all sizes. When they got back, everyone said it was a great adventure, and Laila took to snorkling for the first time, like a duck to water.

Mike, Amy, and I took one of the shuttle tenders into the middle of the shopping district, and walked toward Margaritaville, which was visible from the dock. Just past Jimmy's place, we stopped at the Hard Rock Cafe, where we had some beverages, and bought a few T-shirts. Next door was Grand Cayman Harley-Davidson, so being Harley owners, we had to check it out. There is no actual dealership on Grand Cayman, but someone has a license from the motor company for an apparel business. I didn't purchase anything, but Mike got a nice button up shirt that had the Grand Cayman name on it.

Amy has momentarily become a pirate!

After spending an hour or so in the shopping district, I headed back to the ship, while Mike & Amy did some more shopping. Just before I left, Amy took this picture of Father & Son, with the ship in the background.

Our dinner last night was the 2nd dress up night, and even though everyone forgot their cameras, the ships ever present photographers came around to our table for a few pictures.
Laila spent her third night with us, while the two brothers and their wives went out on the town, I mean ship.

This morning, we woke up to a calm seas, and as I write this, we're rounding the western tip of Cuba, heading toward Miami. Tomorrow morning, we'll awaken where we started, and the this wonderful time with family will almost be over.

GRANDPARENTS DAY

2011-12-16T11:57:00.010-07:00

Laila stayed in our cabin again last night as the ship moved from Isla Roatan, off the coast of Honduras, to the Cayman Islands. Yesterday was our day to have Laila, and when we tied up at the dock in Mahogany Bay, Roatan, we were ready to hit the beautiful beach. This cruise stop was created for the Carnival Ships which include Princess and Holland America. The blend of a few shops and mostly a beach atmosphere, with the required beach bar & grill was almost perfect. Patty commented more than once, this was her kind of place.

Riding the Magic chairlift from the dock to the beach.

The beach was about 2 football fields long, and the water was warm and inviting.

With our ship in the background, we're standing on Mahogany Beach.

"Oh No, help Grandpa, I'm being eaten by a crocodile!

Laila and Grandma spent over an hour on the beach, mostly searching for shells and other treasures. By the end of the afternoon, Laila's beach attire was more wet than dry.

After a day on the beach, we all got cleaned up, and had an incredible dinner in the Ship's Steakhouse. I payed extra for all 7 of us to have this alternative dining experience, but it was worth it, as the steaks, the lobster, the soups, the salads, and the cheesecake desert were all really good! It took us about 2 hours for the complete dinner, and to say that we were full would be an understatement!

This morning, we tied up in the harbor at Grand Cayman Island, and Marc, Chandra, Laila, and Grandma were off on a shore excursion called Turtles, Turtles, & more Turtles. Mike, Amy, and I took one of the tenders into town. Tomorrow is a day at sea, then this wonderful experience with family will be over all too soon.

As the ship pulled out of Mahogany Bay, the was the scene of our day on the beach.

SNORKLING & SHOPPING

2011-12-15T05:29:00.008-07:00

Yesterday was all about Grandma & Grandpa. After the ship anchored off Belize City, we headed down to bottom deck. Yep, we left the kids at 8am, and boarded our snorkle boat for a 20 minute ride to the barrier reef. We're told that this reef off Central America is the 2nd largest in the world, and only the Great Barrier Reef in Australia is larger.

We were among the first in the water, and for the next hour, we snorkled in crystal clear water.
We saw everything from sting rays to small, multi colored fish. After the hour flew by, our boat took us to a small, white sandy beach island, where there was of course a bar, serving tropical drinks like rum punch. Almost made us both wish we still drank, but not quite. We were there another hour or so, then it was a short ride back to the ship.

Bannister Island just off the coast of Belize City

White sandy beach with warm tropical weather and water.

When we got back to the ship around 1pm, we quickly put away a few things in our room, and scurried back down to the bottom deck, where we boarded a tender for a ride into Belize City.
Patty was on a mission to find a white windbreaker, and after finding it, bargained the price from $25 down to $20. By the time we got back to the ship, it was late afternoon, and everyone reconnected in our adjoining room cabins.

The only patriarch rule on this cruise is that we all join for dinner at 6 pm in the dining room. This picture below is what awaits us every evening, and the food and service is excellent. By the time we're finished with dinner, most of us are stuffed, and I can't speak for the kids, but Grandpa and Grandma don't last very late into the evening. Lets just say that we're not up in the disco until late into the night.

As I write this, we just pulled into Isla Roatan, an island off the coast of Honduras, and we'll be here until about 3pm. We can see a beach from the ship, and since Laila spent the night in our cabin, and we have her for most of the day, that beach just might be our destination later today.

SWIMMING WITH DOLPHINS

2011-12-14T04:21:00.011-07:00

Yesterday morning, we all left the ship for an adventure with Dolphins. Only Patty had done this before, in Cabo San Lucas, while we were on a Panama Canal Cruise a few years ago. Cameras weren't allowed while we were in the pool with the Dolphins, and the one of Laila was one that Mom & Dad purchased.

We spent just under an hour in the water with "our" Dolphin, whose name was Atlas. To be able to touch and interact with this amazing creature, was indeed an experience that will never be forgotten. Atlas gave all of us an individual ride across the pool, and even Laila was able to hang on by herself. When my turn came, and Atlas took off, my swim trunks were a little loose, and by the time we had made our way to the other side of the pool, my trunks were down around my ankles! Fortunately, the photographer didn't get that shot.

Grandma and Laila in front of the Dolphin facility.

In this shot, we're waiting for the van to take us to the Dolphins.

After our swim with Atlas, lunch was part of the package deal, and this picture shows us eating fajitas. After returning to the dock, the girls did the shopping thing for a couple of hours before returning to the ship. At 5pm, our ship, and the Carnival Triumph which was docked alongside, set sail from Cozumel.

The Carnival Glory (our ship on the right), and the Carnival Triumph are docked together in Cozumel.

At a little before 5pm, there's a pretty good line waiting to get back on the ship.

This Royal Caribbean Ship was docking with an incredible full rainbow in view.

FIRST DAY AT SEA

2011-12-13T04:42:00.007-07:00

Our first day at sea was mostly about just taking it easy, and getting used to navigating our way around this huge ship. Grandpa and Laila were the only ones to tackle the water slide, but everyone else at least got into one of the pools. The temps were in the upper 70's, and we couldn't have asked for better weather.

Since all of our rooms are adjacent to one another, Laila has been room hoping, and ended up in our room for much of yesterday morning. In this picture, she and Grandma are lounging on the balcony in their jamies. We took our time getting up on the top decks, and enjoyed having Laila with us while we drank our coffee.

Two generations of the Chance Boys, Marc, Dad, and Mike

Last night was the first dress up dinner, and we had some photos taken by the ship's photographer, which we'll pick up this evening. It was another great dinner, and the most popular entree was Lobster. We've already learned that the portions are on the small side, so, it's now 2 of everything. Two salads, two lobsters, and two cherries jubilee. Yep, we were all stuffed by the time the desert was finished.

This morning, we just docked in Cozumel, and we're all headed to swim with the dolphins at 9:45.
Patty has done this before, but it will be the first time for the rest of us. Can't wait to see the expression on Laila's face when she first touches a dolphin.

Enjoying food and beverage on the Lido Deck.

SAILING AWAY

2011-12-12T09:51:00.005-07:00

From Left to right, Chandra, Patty, Laila, Marc, Mike, and Amy

Internet time on the ship is purchased, and it' reallllllly slooooow. It took almost 1/2 hour to load these pictures, so there won't be a lot of narrative. Maybe that's a good thing!

Standing in line before getting on the ship

The Limo picked us up at the hotel, and took us to the ship where we went through the embarkation process, before actually getting onboard the ship. The usual stuff, like metal detectors, passport checks, etc. Once onboard, we found our cabins, which are all balcony rooms adjacent to each other.

Yahoo, we're all on board the ship!

Our sister ship, the Valor sails past us on the way out to open sea.

Grandpa with his favorite young lady before we headed down to the dining room for dinner.

When we awakened this morning, we were far out to sea, somewhere between Key West, and Havana. This is a full day at sea, and tomorrow we'll be in our first port which is the island of Cozumel, Mexico. So far, can't get much better!

FLYING HIGH

2011-12-11T04:53:00.004-07:00

At 37,000 feet above the earth, even cities look like miniature objects. Some of the larger landmarks that we flew over on our way from Las Vegas to Florida, like the Grand Canyon, are distinguishable from that high up, but not much else. In my opinion, there's only a few good things about flying the so called friendly skies. The take offs and landings are pretty cool, and you get to where you're going a heck of a lot faster than if you were driving. Other than that, flying is way over rated.

In the last few years, Patty has flown all over the world, from China to Greece. Since we retired from our Harley-Davidson Dealership, I haven't flown hardly at all, and that's a good thing. The airport security thing is necessary, but in some ways, it seems like overkill. We didn't make it through the screening process, because my small travel toothpaste, and a small aftershave container wasn't inside a plastic zip lock baggie. We had to stand and watch a TSA dude go through our carry on bags, as all of the other folks who weren't singled out for "secondary inspection", passed by, looking at us like we were either stupid, or perhaps even something worse. When the small tube of toothpaste was securely inside the plastic baggie, and no threat to humans or property, we were allowed to proceed to our gate.

Both flights, Vegas to Tampa, and Tampa to Fort Lauderdale were sold out, and as the hours dragged by, my feet began to do the itchy, twitchy dance. How my wife, or anyone for that matter, can sit on an airplane for hours and hours is beyond me. When we touched down in Tampa, after 4 hours in the air, my restless body was real happy to get up and walk into the terminal. We had over an hour to get a bite to eat before getting back on a plane for the short hop to Fort Lauderdale.

When we got to the hotel, and stored the bags in the room, we met Mike and Amy who flew down from Augusta, GA, and Marc, Chandra, and Laila, who flew in from Tucson, AZ. It was nice to be with my two boys and their families, and after a visit, we retired back to our room.

This morning, the limo picks us up at 11am, for the ride to our ship at the pier in Miami, and we'll set sail around 4pm this afternoon. Hopefully, I'll be able to post from the ship, and keep everyone up to date.

Lake Ponchetrain in Louisiana, just north of New Orleans.

THE NFR IN LAS VEGAS

2011-12-09T16:40:00.006-07:00

Since we'll be heading to the Airport tomorrow morning at O dark thirty, this post is for tomorrow. We left Lake Havasu a little after 9 am, driving east on I40 to Kingman, then north on Hwy 93 into Vegas. After lunch at Applebees, we drove over to the Las Vegas Convention Center, and checked in with our friends Jim & Megan, and Dave & Louise who were hard at it selling the NFR Official Merchandise. I'll miss the paycheck, but I sure don't miss working at this event. We did it for 9 years, that was enough.

This is the booth where we worked last year.

Louise is behind the counter, helping a customer.

After quickly saying hi to our buddies, we wandered through the exhibit hall, checking out all of the neat stuff. Most everything offered for sale is western living related, and includes but is not limited to - art, furniture, tack, apparel, jewelry, and a whole bunch more. Patty made the comment that if we wanted to get rid of our furniture, and spend a bazillion dollars on western style furnishings, this would be the place to accomplish that. Are you reading this Nancy? Some of this stuff would look pretty darn good in the Kastle!

Later this evening, we're meeting Jim/Megan, Dave/Louise, and Len/Ellie for dinner, and a visit. Except for Jim & Megan, who came down to our house for a BBQ a couple of weeks ago, we haven't seen the other folks in several months. Tomorrow morning, we have the airport to deal with, and an arrival in Florida around 7 pm. We're both excited to see the kids and our Granddaughter, then get on the BIG Boat.

WE'RE OFF

2011-12-09T05:29:00.002-07:00

When our pet/house sitter arrives this morning, we'll be driving the approx. 150 miles north to Las Vegas, where we'll spend the night. Tomorrow morning, our flight will take us to Fort Lauderdale, FL, and the following day, Sunday, we'll be cruising the Caribbean for a week with the kids and our Granddaughter.

This is the first year in the last 10, that we haven't worked at the National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas. So, when we get to Vegas later this morning, we'll have a few hours to check out some of the vendors at the convention center for the first time. In the past, most all of our time was spent in our booth working. Then later this evening, we're set to have dinner with some of our buddies who are working at the rodeo expo.

I'm quite sure the next 10 days will absolutely fly by, and the next thing we know, we'll be right back here in Lake Havasu. Hopefully, I'll be able to post some thoughts and pictures of this trip, that for the first time in quite awhile, won't include the motor home. Back at ya from Vegas!

BLOG TO BOOK

2011-12-08T05:32:00.005-07:00

Since starting this Blog in early 2009, today's post will be the 699th. One of the options available to the thousands (millions?) of Goggle Blogger's, is to have their Blog turned into a book. My original reason for starting this method of communication, was to keep our family and friends up to date with our travels, and adventures. When I discovered that there was a company that would turn this Internet tool into a hardcover book, I didn't hesitate.

I decided to have the book cover a calendar year, and had the 2010 book printed many months ago. Sometime in January, I'll have the 2011 book printed, and it will start the 4th year of this form of social media. So far, each year, we have 4 books printed. One for us, and 3 for each of the kids. I just put the 2010 book in the mail to Dave & Mike. We'll take the 3rd one to Tucson after the cruise, for Marc.

With the advent of electronic devices like the IPAD, and Kindle, the way of the printed book may be going away, but I suspect if that indeed happens, it will take a few more generations. There are still a lot of us who prefer holding printed material in our hands while we read. I have no idea how long I'll continue to keep this online journal going, but to convert it into something a little more tangible was a simple decision. Our kids will at least have a snapshot into our life for several years, and will have a better understanding of what we did, and how we lived.

We're down to just a wake up before starting our cruise vacation. When I was overseas in the Army, a zillion years ago, everyone counted down the days until they returned to "The World", by counting the number of days, and a wake up. Counting down to our cruise with the kids, yesterday was 1 day and a wake up. Today, it's just a wake up. Tomorrow, we will be in Vegas, and the following day in Fort Lauderdale. Sunday, we sail for the Caribbean. I'm taking the computer, so my plan is to post frequently, but I'm not sure about connectivity on the ship. We'll see how that goes....

COUNTING DOWN

2011-12-07T07:02:00.002-07:00

The bags are almost packed, the pet/house sitter is lined up, the tickets are all purchased, and the jeep is full of gas. Now, we just have to wait till Friday morning before departing for Las Vegas, and a nights stay in Sin City. Our flight leaves Vegas Saturday morning for Fort Lauderdale, with a stop in Tampa. We'll be meeting my oldest son Mike, & his wife Amy who will be flying down from Augusta, GA, and my youngest son Marc, his wife Chandra, and our Granddaughter Laila, who will be flying in from Tucson, AZ. We'll spend Saturday night in Fort Lauderdale, before the Limo picks us up on Sunday morning for the ride to the cruise ship.

We sail for a week on the Carnival Glory Sunday morning, with stops at Cozumel, Belize, Mahogany Bay, and Grand Cayman, all in the Western Caribbean. We've already booked a few shore excursions, like snorkeling in Belize, and a swim with the dolphins in Cozumel. Patty and I have cruised and vacationed in the Eastern Caribbean several times, but this will be our first trip to the Western side of Central America.

We're looking forward to spending a week with the kids, and being catered to for our every need. Cruises are cool, especially the abundance of food, that's available during all hours of the day. There's no doubt in my mind that there will be a few extra pounds to shed when we get back home. Wait a minute. We'll be leaving for Tucson in the motor home almost as soon as we return to Lake Havasu, so there will be even more food to consume at Marc & Chandra's. Maybe any thoughts of dieting will have to wait until after New Years. Yep, that's the plan, eat everything in sight for the next couple of weeks, then I'll start thinking about getting serious. Oh heck, I almost forgot about IN N OUT when we get back home. Well, maybe I'll just have to go on an exclusive IN N OUT diet, and not eat anything else. And then, if I run at least 5 miles a day, perhaps I can shed a few pounds. Yep, I think I've got a plan!

FLEAS & ANIMAL FRIES

2011-12-05T05:35:00.006-07:00

When a bunch of folks get together, setting up their portable stores, or displaying their household junk in parking lots, who in the heck came up with the word "flea market"? Was it because somebody actually tried to sell some fleas, or was it because the crowds that were scurrying from vendor to vendor resembled a bunch of fleas on an animal? No one seems to know the exact origin of the term flea market, not even the all knowing Internet resource - Wikipedia.

Starting about October, the Lake Havasu City Sunday Flea Market kicks off, and runs every week for the entire winter. For a one day flea market/swap meet, it's a pretty big one, and more often than not, Patty and I usually take a Sunday morning stroll through the rows of vendors. We usually don't buy anything, but yesterday, we both had to have a pair of bifocal sunglasses, that have magnified readers as one part of the dual lens. Now, we have two more pair of glasses to go with the bizillion other pairs that we already have.

When we finished our weekly tour, it was a short drive over to IN N OUT for my more than once weekly double, double. Patty is so disciplined, that she usually just watches me eat my burger, and occasionally, she may nibble on a french fry.

For those that don't know, IN N OUT has a secret menu, with several variations to their burgers and fries. For years, I've been watching what are called "Animal Fries", being served to customers who know the secret menu. And, for years, I've been saying that I've got to give them a try. Well, yesterday was that day, and as they say, a picture is worth a thousand words. Fresh cut potatoes, topped with cheese, grilled onions, and IN N OUT's thousand island dressing, is what is pictured below. Patty had more than her usual nibble, and I finished the rest. I'm sure the naysayers will probably swear that this culinary delight is an artery clogging, cholesteral building, instant heart attack, and they're probably right. But boy, it sure was good! This morning, I need to run an extra mile.

A PARADE OF LIGHTS

2011-12-04T06:22:00.006-07:00

Last night, just after the sun had set, we set up our chairs along the London Bridgewater Channel, and waited for the boat parade of lights to begin. This was the first time in our 9 years of living in Lake Havasu City that we've been here for this water parade. In the past, we've always been out of town, working at the National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas.

What we didn't have any idea about, was how big an event this was. As we searched for a parking place, it didn't take long to figure out that it is a pretty big deal. After finally finding a place to park, and we had walked over to the channel, we discovered that it was lined with people on both sides, and folks had their fire pits blazing away, some even roasting hot dogs and marsh mellows.

One of the local car clubs turned a pontoon boat into a 57 Chevy!

When this entry, "The Polar Express" came floating by, I thought to myself, this is the first time I've ever seen a train floating on the water. Some of the entrants were pretty creative with their displays of lights. There were about 30 entries, and it didn't take very long for them to all pass by. The route of the parade of lights was from Thompson Bay on the south end, through the channel, under the London Bridge, continuing north to the lake. We didn't stay for the return trip, as the parade came back through the channel.

As we were leaving, beating most of the mass exodus, we commented that next year, we'll have to come a little earlier with the fire pit, and enjoy the festive atmosphere a little longer. Fortunately, our bad weather system had moved on, and except for a little chill, all of the boats cruised through the channel on smooth water.

RAIN IN THE DESERT

2011-12-03T06:15:00.002-07:00

Yes, it actually does rain here in Western Arizona. According to the Chamber of Commerce website, the average annual rainfall totals in Lake Havasu City are 3.2 inches. The last couple of days have put a dent in that total, as the weather has turned wet, and cooler. I had to turn on our house heater for the first time this morning, with the outside temperature in the low 40's.

These early days of December are ones that we have never spent here in Lake Havasu. This is the first year in the last 10, that we are not in Las Vegas, working the National Finals Rodeo. After a new company took over the official merchandise booths last year, and all of the problems associated with that takeover, we said adios when the event was over. Even though we had increased sales over the previous year, and made a nice paycheck, the experience turned from mostly fun, to drudgery, & frustration. We've always said that we'll continue to seek out mostly seasonal jobs, as long as they are enjoyable. Last years work experience at the NFR was not enjoyable.

Since we've always been in Vegas during this time period, we've missed the annual boat parade of lights under the London Bridge. The parade takes place on two different evenings in early December, and tonight is the second performance. It looks like the rain has moved on, so our evening routine will be a little different later today, as we check out a water parade of lights for the first time.

A NEW TOY

2011-12-02T05:41:00.004-07:00

Christmas came a little early for Patty yesterday, with the delivery of a new Kindle reader from Amazon. She has been dropping hints for several weeks, that perhaps this new way to read a book, just might be something that she would use a lot.

Because we are flying across the country in just a few days, and because my wife is an avid reader, I decided to play Santa yesterday. I/We are often slow to embrace new technology, but when we finally get around to pulling the trigger, we usually discover that we can't live without whatever the new device is. Kind of like getting accustomed to an ice maker, and thinking how did we ever live without one!

After registering the Kindle with our WiFi DSL connection, the first book that Patty downloaded was Big Lake by our pal Nick Russell. My reading is more oriented toward newspapers and periodicals, but occasionally, I do read a book. I have a feeling that when Patty finishes reading this first novel on her new Kindle, I just might find myself also becoming an e-reader.

Patty doesn't typically buy hardcover, or new books. Rather, she typically finds most of her reading material at thrift shops, used book stores, or on the internet. This new gadget adds another source for purchasing books at a fraction of the new, hardcover book price. In addition to all of the above, by putting on my Santa hat a little early, I'm now a hero!

NO LONGER A SECRET

2011-12-01T08:54:00.002-07:00

When our friends, Kurt and Phyliss Hanson were here at the house a little over a week ago, Kurt shared with me some blockbuster news about an upcoming announcement in the Drag Racing World. The news, of which I was sworn to secrecy, was that Del Worsham, who had just won the Top Fuel World Championship, was going to retire as a driver. If that wasn't big enough news, the next tidbit was that he was going to become the crew chief for Alexis Dejoria's Funny Car, and that those announcements would be made in the near future.

Sure enough, about a week ago, right after Kurt & Phyliss left for Florida, NHRA released a news release that Del Worsham had retired as the current NHRA Top Fuel Champion. Yesterday, just as Kurt had predicted, the new press release from NHRA stated that Worsham had joined Kalitta Motorsports as the new crew chief for the Tequila Patron Funny Car.

Not a big deal for those that don't follow drag racing, but for this fan of the fastest motor sports racing on the planet, it was a big deal to learn that news ahead of the official announcement. When the 2012 season kicks off in Pomona, there will be lots of changes, but the Worsham switch from driver to crew chief will be one of the biggest!

SOLAR POWER

2011-11-29T06:25:00.003-07:00

My comments a few days ago regarding the solar electrical system that we are having installed on the house has generated a few questions. In an attempt to try an answer those same questions for other folks, I'll try and keep it simple.

First of all, solar power makes a lot of sense here in Arizona, but may not in other parts of the country. Both the federal, and most state governments have created tax incentives for residential homeowners who install solar systems. There is a 30% tax credit from the feds, and here in Arizona, the state offers a flat $1,000 tax credit. Most of the individual power companies offer some sort of incentive, but that varies greatly depending on the utility company.

There are several ways that a homeowner can purchase, or lease a system, and here's where it gets a little more complicated. Esmay Electric (Michael Kirk 928 575-5335) here in Havasu is our contractor, and they offer 3 ways for the homeowner to have a solar system installed.

1. Purchasing a solar system is pretty straight forward. The system we are having installed is considered small at 4.6 kilowatts (4,600 watts). As an interesting comparison, we have 3 solar panels on the roof of our motor home, and their total wattage is 320. The total cost for our system, including permits & installation is $30,130. If we were eligible for all of the tax credits, which we wouldn't be, the cost is reduced to $22,770. With a straight purchase, we would be responsible for applying for the tax credits, and would have to write a check up front for the full amount of $30,130.

2. Two lease options are available, and the first one makes no sense at all, unless you need a no money up front option. With O down, our monthly lease payment would be $72 a month, and over 20 years, the total cost of the system would be $25, 808.

3. The second lease option makes a lot of sense, and here's how it works. We make an up front payment of $9,286, and have no lease payment. In the 7th year of the lease, we make a final lease buyout payment of $885, and the system is ours. Total cost $10,171. Since the system is owned by Sunpower for the first 7 years, they can depreciate the equipment on a 100% schedule, and they also are the ones eligible for the tax credits. Their profit margins are built into 3 things - our up front payment, the tax credits from, the feds, state, utility company, and the ability to depreciate the system over 7 years.

In a nutshell, we invest about 10 grand, and reduce our utility bill to zero. If you look at it from a length of time return on investment, with an average monthly utility bill of $100, it will take about 8.3 years for us to get our money back. I look at it slightly differently. We're investing/spending $10,000, and will immediately get a little less than 10% return on that money, paid to us every month in the form of no electric bill.

This type of expenditure may not make sense for everybody, but it sure does for us, particularly when you look at the dismal return on investment from any type of savings account.

GRASSROOTS RACING

2011-11-27T05:28:00.007-07:00

My interest in motor sports started a long time ago during my high school years. As soon as I was able to drive, my buddies and I could often be found at one of the local drag strips, or at the Watsonville Fairgrounds for the dirt track action.

Yesterday afternoon, I made my way to the Havasu 95 Speedway for some fender banging, roundy round racing. This type of competition is where most of the NASCAR Superstars started their careers, and who knows, perhaps one of the next NASCAR Champions was driving yesterday.

When the racing started, there was a pretty good crowd.

A half hour before the races started, the bleachers were almost empty.

From 2pm to a little after 5pm, the action was almost non-stop. This little track has established an excellent program, attracting drivers from as far away as Tucson, and Las Vegas. By the time the racing was nearing the end, the sun was setting directly across from the grandstands, and the only negative was the fact that it became a little difficult to watch the racing with the sun in your eyes. Most of the Saturday racing programs are at night, so that's not a problem.

There's no such thing as a cheap entry into any type of racing, but some of the stock classes were pretty bare bones regarding the equipment. I saw one of the race cars for sale at $1,500, it just needed a seat. It was an entertaining afternoon with lots of sunshine, and some pretty darn good racing action.

CHP MEMORIES

2011-11-26T06:52:00.003-07:00

Back in 1982-83, our fleet of patrol cars was mostly Dodge Polara's, with a few Ford Mustangs. Both had small block V-8's, and the horsepower numbers weren't anything to brag about. The Mustangs were much lighter, so the weight to horsepower ratio was much higher, and that contributed to a faster top speed. The Dodge's & Mustang's were prepared identically, but there often was a lot of difference between the cars, in respect to their performance. The top speed of the Dodge's was in the 110-120 mph range, and most all of the Mustangs would attain a top speed in excess of 120 mph, and a few approached 130 mph.

I was working the swing shift, on a hot summer day in 1983, and the southern section of Interstate 5 was my responsibility, from State Route 152 on the north, to Panoche Road on the south. This was about 50 miles of freeway on the west side of the San Joaquin Valley, an area of mostly farmland. I was driving one of the Dodge's, and the day was unfolding as pretty routine.

In the late afternoon, the routine of the day was sharply interrupted when the dispatcher broadcast that an armed robbery had just occurred at one of the gas station/mini markets on I5, approx. 20 miles north of my location. The suspect vehicle was described as a dark blue, late model Camaro, and was last seen southbound on I5. I knew that one of my friends was working at this particular business, but there was no information about the robbery, other than a handgun was the weapon used.

Rather than head north, trying to spot the southbound Camaro, I decided to wait on the SR165 (Mercy Springs) overpass, approx. 8 miles south of SR 152. I knew that there was a good possibility that if the suspect traveled south to SR152, he/she might go either east or west on that cross highway, and I would be out of the picture. My wait was only a few minutes, when I spotted what looked like the suspect Camaro pass under the overpass, still traveling southbound. By then, I had a Merced County Sheriff with me, and we both hit the southbound on ramp, just as the Camaro went by. We were in plain sight, and as soon as we took off, so did the Camaro. I can't remember what make of vehicle the Sheriff was driving, but I left him in the dust rather quickly as the Dodge I had that day was one of the faster ones in the office. By the time I got up to top speed, which as I recall was just a little over 120, the Camaro was a good distance in front of me. When I alerted the dispatcher that I was in high speed pursuit of the suspect vehicle, I requested that the next CHP Area to the south (Coalinga) be notified, and that the CHP fixed wing aircraft based in that office, either get airborne, or if it already was, for it to head in my direction. For 50 miles or so, it was just me and the Camaro, and fortunately, there wasn't a lot of traffic. Apparently, my Dodge was just a little faster than the Camaro, as I slowly gained some ground. In this situation, without any close backup, lots of things race through your mind, like the possibility of this guy stopping, and then it's just you and him if he decided to shoot it out. Fortunately, that didn't happen.

The farther south we went, the closer we got to the next CHP Area, and some help. There were a couple of Los Banos CHP Officers trying to catch me, but they were many miles behind. I learned that the CHP Aircraft wasn't in the air, but the Coalinga Area had a couple of units headed north. When we passed Panoche Road, we were in Fresno County, and now in the Coalinga CHP Area. I also had requested that if Coalinga had any Mustangs on duty, that they send them north, as our speeds were pretty consistently around 120 mph. Coalinga CHP and Los Banos CHP were on different radio frequencies, with two different dispatch centers. There is a statewide frequency (blue channel) that I utilized to communicate with the northern most Coalinga Officer who was in a Mustang. As we approached his position, I remember telling him to get going on the shoulder before we passed, otherwise he would be left in the dust. As we passed, he was accelerating, but had not gotten up to any significant speed, and indeed, we left him far behind. A few miles farther, the second Coalinga unit was also in a Mustang, and he was up to about 100 mph when we passed.

By the time we were approaching the Coalinga turn off, approx. 100 miles south of where the pursuit started, the first Mustang had caught up, and there were now 3 CHP units behind the Camaro. Fresno County Sheriff Deputies were also trying to keep up, not very successfully. The protocol for these types of chases, that go from one CHP area to another, is for the primary role to switch to whatever area the pursuit is in. When there were sufficient troops behind this guy, I dropped out, and headed for a gas station, as I was almost out of fuel. The coolant temperature in my patrol car was well into the red, and I remember having to run lots of water on the radiator to cool the thing down.

While I was at the gas station, the dispatcher called to tell me that the robbery suspect had run out of fuel, and he was taken into custody without incident about 5 miles south of where I dropped out of the chase. I remember thinking that I was happy the guy got caught, but that I narrowly missed the pleasure of putting the metal bracelets on an armed robber.

GOOD NEWS BAD NEWS

2011-11-25T06:07:00.005-07:00

The good news is we had a nice Thanksgiving Dinner here at home, and have lots to be thankful for. Patty fixed a great meal, and I can't wait for that first turkey sandwich. The bad news is Marc, Chandra, and Laila had to cancel their trip here to Lake Havasu, due to a medical issue. At the last minute, we were going to make a quick trip to Tucson, but decided against it for a number of reasons. We'll all be together in a couple of weeks anyway, when we meet up in Fort Lauderdale, and head out on a 1 week Caribbean Cruise.

The next good news is that despite her 14 year age, our little Beagle is still doing quite well. Her hearing is just about gone, but the nose still works as good as ever. The bad news is the Vet. had to remove two more small growths, one from the top of her head, and one from under her right eye. For some reason, this dog has always been subject to these wart like tumors that can become quite large. While in Skagway, Alaska, we made the mistake of waiting too long, when Sami had one of these growths on an ear. By the time we got her to Whitehorse in the Yukon, we thought she was going to lose part of that ear. Fortunately, the Vet. did a great job, to the tune of about $1,000, and saved her ear. Since that incident, whenever we notice a new growth, it's quickly off to the Vet. for some surgery and stitches.

The next piece of good news is the weather. The forecast for the next week is mid 70 temperatures, and lots of sunshine. This kind of weather is one of the main reasons we moved here in 2002. The bad news is that a lot of the country is mired in cold, winter weather, with everything from rain to snow. It will get a little cooler here pretty soon, but for me, it's pretty much t-shirt and shorts weather the entire year.

Continuing with the good news, at least for us, it was the signing of a contract to have a solar, electrical generating system installed here at the house. The idea of getting all of our electricity from the sun, and having a $O utility bill, is pretty appealing. This is something that I've been thinking about for quite awhile, and after doing some research, decided to pull the trigger before the end of the year. That's when some of the incentives for this type of expenditure will disappear, so, it's signed, sealed, and almost delivered. That's the bad news. Due to the backlog, installation won't be happening until about March. When we get closer to the system being activated, I'll share more details.

And lastly, the good news for the shoppers out there, it's Black Friday, and the deals were just waiting for those folks who got up at O dark thirty, and stood in line long before the sun even came up. More good news for those bargain hunters, you won't have to worry about me competing for those super deals. For the next several weeks, the big box stores are akin to the plague for me, and even though some exposure is necessary, it's doubtful that you'll run into me in one of them. The bad news is that for many Americans, the option of shopping at these stores is off the table, and unless our government gets serious about solving the debt crisis, it's going to get a lot worse for everybody!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING

2011-11-24T06:17:00.002-07:00

ADIOS KURT & PHYLISS

2011-11-23T06:14:00.006-07:00

Phyliss and Patty

Kurt and Phyliss Hanson

Since our departure from the drag race circuit almost 8 years ago (has it been that long?), our race family continues to grow smaller and smaller. Many of our old friends have left NHRA Drag Racing, and there's only a handful left that we still know.

We had a nice visit with Kurt & Phyliss, and as they were hooking up their trailer, in preparation for a cross country trip to Florida, I couldn't help but think that part of me would still like to be involved with drag racing. I enjoyed traveling around the country, even though pulling a big trailer like the one pictured here, wasn't always a lot of fun.

As I mentioned yesterday, Kurt brought me up to speed with most everything associated with the NHRA race circuit. During the off season, in all of the different racing organizations, there are always lots of changes that take place. Having been sworn to secrecy, I can say there's a big announcement coming that will impact his driver - Alexis Dejoria. She drives an 8,000 horsepower Fuel Funny Car, and hopes to be competitive when the season begins next February in Pomona. I know I'll be watching her progress, as she competes for the rookie of the year award, and maybe wins a race or two.

We said goodbye to Kurt & Phyliss, and wished them a safe trip, as they headed for Florida where their race team is headquartered. They'll be spending most of the off season near some other race friends, so we asked them to say hi to Frank & Suzie when they arrived in Florida.

THE TEQUILA CONNECTION

2011-11-22T06:15:00.002-07:00

Yesterday morning, our friends, Kurt & Phyliss Hanson called to tell us they were in town. They were on their way from the last drag race of the season in Pomona, to Florida for the winter. The purpose of their stop in Lake Havasu was to get their race team merchandise trailer measured for a custom awning. When that process was completed, I led them up to the house, and after Kurt parked the trailer, he backed their motor home in next to the garage, adjacent to the electrical, water & sewer hookups.

We first met Kurt & Phyliss in 2005, when they went to work for MainGate, the company we had previously worked for during the 2002 & 2003 NHRA campaign. This past race season, they moved on to greener pastures, and are now in charge of the Alexis Dejoria merchandise trailer, which was debuted at the Dallas Race, near the end of this years season.

Kurt & Phyliss brought us up to speed on all of the happenings in the NHRA world, and particularly how they transitioned from running the Kenny Bernstein race team merchandise trailer, to this new gig, with Alexis Dejoria.

Later in the afternoon, we threw some steaks on the grill, had a nice dinner, and continued visiting until bedtime. Kurt & Phyliss will be leaving this morning, heading for Florida where they'll spend the off season. If they have this local company install an awning on their trailer, we'll see them again in late January, or early February.

A BBQ & A POOCH PARTY

2011-11-21T05:48:00.008-07:00

We've been busy the last couple of days. Yesterday, we had some friends over for a BBQ, and despite a cloudy day with cooler temps, it was good to get together with some of our buddies. It was Ron's birthday, so Megan brought a cake, and I think we all got plenty to eat.

L to R, Ron, Judy, Jeanette, Patty, Jim, & Bob

We hadn't seen Jim & Megan since before summer, and it was good to catch up with their work summer at Dollywood in TN. We shared our experiences while living & working at the Grand Canyon this summer.

Ron, Jeanette, Jim, & Bob

Jeanette, Megan, Jim, & Bob

This group of friends all made the connection when we were summer work camping in Skagway, Alaska. Bob, Jeanette, & Jim, Megan spent 4 summers with us in that tiny town in Southeast Alaska, and we've become good friends from that first meeting in 2004. Ron & Judy were also there that first year, but didn't spend all 4 summers in Skagway. As always, it was good to get together with our friends, and it was a nice visit.

This dog is a Shiloh Shepherd, and caught my eye.

On Saturday, we spent a couple of hours at the Pooch Party, taking place this weekend at London Bridge Park. We watched the Mohave Sheriff's K-9 demonstration, as well as a Frisbee contest, & even a beauty contest. For anyone who likes dogs, this is a must on your calendar.

This Welsh Corgi has always been one of my favorites.

Some of the vendors, and a partial view of the "POOCH PARTY".

With the last name of CHANCE, whenever we see the word in writing, our natural reaction is to focus on it. I can't tell you how many times in my life, that in response to someones question regarding the spelling of my name, I have come back with "take a chance", and then, they usually get it. This group of critters were all up for adoption through the local humane society, and lets hope that some of them found a loving home. The alternative for these dogs, and many thousands like them, is not very attractive.

KELLI WARD FOR SENATE

2011-11-20T06:08:00.002-07:00

The London Bridge Park was the scene yesterday for the annual Pooch Party. If you like animals, dogs in particular, this is an event that has everything from Police K-9 demonstrations, to Frisbee catching critters. In addition to the dog activities, there were vendors, and yes, even an aspiring politician running in the upcoming Republican Primary for State Senator.

This was the second opportunity that I've had a chance to talk to Dr. Kelli Ward, and I'm convinced that she is the right choice to represent Lake Havasu City in the State Legislature. Before I turn all of you non Western Arizona readers off, rest assured that the BYCHANCE Blog is not morphing into a political action committee, but, from time to time, I have been known to voice my opinion regarding political issues.

I'm not going to get into specifics, but generally speaking, I think the politicians (both state & federal) have taken this country in the wrong direction, particularly with out of control spending. Fiscal conservatives like Kelli Ward are exactly the remedy for bringing back some financial sanity to government, and accountability to the voters. Unfortunately, the current, and past political leaders have taken us so far into the financial abyss, that bringing the pendulum back will probably cause considerly pain, most likely to almost everyone. This is what really gets me angry! The irresponsible deficit spending policies of both political parties in the past, have taken us to the edge of the cliff, and we're all facing the consequences.

After talking to Dr. Ward, and reviewing her positions on everything from health care, to the economy, I think it might be time to get involved, and give the silent majority a little louder voice. I would encourage anyone who might be interested, to check out Kelli Ward's facebook - Kelli Ward for AZ Senate, or website DrKelliWard.com, and if you're a voter in her Senate District, at least take a look at her positions before voting.

OUTA CONTROL

2011-11-19T05:43:00.002-07:00

There's no hope, I'm convinced that we are totally out of control! We've sunken to the lowly depths of deprivation, as we have been seeking that perfect treasure, hidden away in someones pile of junk, cleverly disguised as a garage, or yard sale. The way we have been searching through other peoples throw away stuff, you would think that we don't have the proverbial pot to p#$$ in, and that our lives are as hopeless as the occupy wall street crowd. When you're up at the crack of dawn, with the GPS programed to strategically take you from one sale to the next, and you just know that the early bird gets the worm, the word urgency takes on a new meaning.

Yesterday, we spent about $50, not to mention 1/4 tank of gas looking for treasures. When the dust had settled, I was glad I had a truck, and wasn't driving a VW Beetle. When we finally called it quits, about 25 garage sales later, we had accumulated a whole bunch of stuff that we didn't need. But, when something sells new for X amount, and you can get it for only a buck, how in the world can you pass up a deal like that! Unfortunately, there were a whole bunch of those super bargains that ended up packing the back of the truck to the brim.

Here I am with our days treasures, which included 2 pot shelves, a crock pot, a bread maker, an umbrella stand, a drink warmer, an ammo can, assorted books, XMAS decorations, a toothbrush holder, & probably something else I've already forgotten. No, we already had the dog.

There were 55 garage sales advertised in the weekly white sheet, and around the 8am hour, the numbers of vehicles at any given location can be almost frightening. There were a few times when I had fleeting thoughts of resurrecting my former career, and either directing traffic, or writing parking tickets to the idiots who park right in the middle of the road. I guess it's all about being at the head of the line, and being the one to find that hidden treasure. There's almost a cult mentality involved, as we sometimes followed, or were pursued by the same people from one sale to the next. Heck, as much as Patty likes to chat with folks, I'm surprised we don't have a bunch of new friends coming over for dinner tonight.

I guess when you're retired like a lot of folks in this town, garage sales cater to a bunch of people like us, who have the time to become somewhat addicted to the pursuit of that perfect find. When that happens, I'll be sure and let everyone know. In the meantime, the pile of stuff for my next garage sale is piling up!

GO GABBY

2011-11-15T06:48:00.002-07:00

If you missed Diane Sawyers interview with Congresswoman Gabby Giffords last night on ABC, it was beyond inspirational to see the tremendous progress she has made since being shot in the head 10 months ago, by a lunatic gunman.

Patty and I watched with awe, how far she has recovered from the terrible damage done by the bullet wound to her brain. Her husband, Astronaut Mark Kelly provided home video that chronicled her recovery, from right after the shooting, to where she is today. At one point, when she became frustrated during a therapy session, and started to cry, I would be willing to bet that there were several million viewers with a few tears as well.

Much like a movie script, this remarkable story about a woman with such determination is ongoing, and the final scenes are yet to be played out. Ten months ago, the story line was would she live? The idea of her returning to Congress was hardly even a passing thought. After watching last night, I wouldn't rule anything out, in respect to her ability to resume her job as a Congressional Representative for Southern Arizona. When asked that question, her answer was "better", which translated by her husband, meant that she wanted to get better before making that determination.

I think it's safe to say that even though Gabby is a member of Congress, which enjoys approval ratings that are at historical lows, her favorable ratings would be through the roof! Politics aside, this woman deserves a special place in American History, and even though she feels no anger toward her assailant, many of us do.

NHRA vs NASCAR

2011-11-14T06:15:00.002-07:00

Yesterday was the last NHRA Drag Race of the 2011 season, and it was the next to last NASCAR race of the year. For the race junkies out there like me, we are approaching the time of year when there are several months of no racing action on the tube.

I'm a fan of both styles of racing, but ever since I witnessed my first drag race in Fremont, CA, where "Big Daddy" Don Garlits won the top fuel action back in the early 60's, I've been a devoted follower. When we retired from our Harley-Davidson Dealership, and joined the NHRA circuit, pulling the brand new Harley-Davidson Pro Stock Drag Bike Team merchandise trailer, I just knew that I had died and gone to heaven. Being part of that racing community for 2 years was like a dream come true. We were a part of that traveling road show for 2 seasons (2002 & 2003), putting almost 50,000 miles on our motor home, and seeing a good part of America in the process.

Toward the end of the season, the individual drama involved with those drivers who are competing for the championships, can be quite interesting for race fans like me. The last NHRA race of the season was completed yesterday in Pomona, CA, and the professional champions were all crowned. Out of the 4 pro classes, the one that we were most involved with was Pro Stock Motorcycle, so that's a class that is always on my radar screen. When the dust was settled at Pomona, Eddie Kriewic, on the Vance & Hines, Screaming Eagle, Harley-Davidson V-Rod, won his 2nd championship trophy. Since we were a part of that team when it started in 2002, they have won the championship 5 out of the last 10 seasons. That's a record that most race teams would love to have, and I'm sure there was quite a celebration last night.

There's one more NASCAR race next weekend, and it looks like the new champion will be either Tony Stewart, or Carl Edwards. After that, the long dry spell begins, and I'll be counting the days toward February, when both series start their respective racing action once again.

FREEDOM RALLY

2011-11-13T06:17:00.004-07:00

In conjunction with Veteran's Day Weekend, the annual Freedom Rally was held for the first time on Main Street (McCulloch Blvd). In years past, the event venue had been down by the lake at Windsor Beach. The first time Patty and I attended this patriotic gathering was a few years ago when the Vietnam Memorial moving Wall was displayed.

There are a lot of things that Lake Havasu City is not, but for sure, it certainly is a City that embraces patriotism. There are so many residential flagpoles (including ours) with American Flags flying in the breeze, that you can almost say that when you drive around town, you are almost never out of sight of an American Flag. I suspect that with a large retired population, many of the city residents are Military Veteran's, even though there is no Military Base nearby.

This plaque was on the side of one of the firetrucks, and kind of hit home when I read it. You may have to click on the picture to enlarge the text.

As events go, this was not one of the best attended, but there was a pretty good crowd wandering up and down Main Street, checking out the vendors, and the other activities. Later in the evening, there was a concert by the Fryed Brothers, a band that I have seen many times back in the days when I attended a lot of motorcycle events. Fireworks were also on the agenda after the live music. Needless to say, we were back home when all of this took place.

When I returned from overseas in 1968, a military uniform was not very much admired or respected. So glad that has changed.

A lot of the vendors had nothing to do with Veteran's Day, but they provided a good mix for the crowd. We walked from one end to the other, before heading down to the island, where I walked/ran my 3.6 miles, and Patty walked about the same distance along the London Bridge Channel. It was a good day to be an American, and living in a country that honors the service of it's Military Veteran's.

YADA YADA

2011-11-11T07:12:00.002-07:00

The past few days have been pretty routine around here, and as a result, not much to write about. We did make a quick trip to Sam's Club in Bullhead City on Monday, and I've always got little projects going on around the house, but nothing to get really excited about.

Last week, we got into the garage sale thing, finding a few treasures for cheap. This week, starting yesterday, we continued in our quest for that perfect find, not really even knowing what it might be. Yea, there are a few things that I'm looking for, like some heavy bookends for all of my train books, but it's mostly one of those - "I'll know it when I see it".

Our local weekly White Sheet with all of the ads, comes out on Tuesday, and the photos show a map of the city, with locations for all of the garage sales. The ones highlighted in blue were yesterday, and we made our way to all 12 of them. Today is an orange day, with a total of 22 locations. What in the world did we ever do without G.P.S.?

As holidays go, today isn't one of the most celebrated, but in my mind, it's one of the most important. Veteran's day here in Lake Havasu is a big deal, with a parade this morning, and a closure of Main Street with all kinds of festivities. It shouldn't matter what your personal, political, or other beliefs are. Everyone should be thankful that we live in a country where freedom really means something. No, it's not a perfect world, but the sacrifices of all who have worn a uniform also means something, particularly those who gave the ultimate sacrifice. Today is a day for remembering, and giving thanks to the millions of Vets who have served their country.

GUNS N ANNIE

2011-11-08T06:27:00.005-07:00

On our Sunday trip out to the Desert Bar, I took along a few of my guns. After leaving the Bar, we stopped at an area that is well frequented by folks that like to make noise with their firearms. Let me just say that this isn't a weekly routine with us. As a matter of fact, since moving to Lake Havasu in 2002, this was the first time that we had both done any shooting in the desert.

The 2 guns that got the most action were both 22's. One was a revolver, and the other, a Ruger 10-22 that I had never fired since purchasing in Oregon a couple of years ago. Patty had never fired either gun, so she got most of the action, and surprisingly, hit the target almost every time.

I told her she needed to change her name to Annie Oakley, and get a summer job doing shooting exhibitions. Not really, but her hits were impressive at a distance of about 25 yards.

After killing the target, and a few pieces of junk left at this desert shooting range, we drove back to the highway, and then home. I have a feeling that we'll be making another trip or two out to The Desert Bar this winter, and perhaps Annie Oakley will ride once again!

THE DESERT BAR

2011-11-07T06:07:00.014-07:00

There isn't much about this place that you can call conventional. The Desert Bar started as an old copper mining claim in the Buckskin Mountains, north of Parker, AZ. It sits out in the middle of the desert, on a dirt road, about 5 miles from the closest paved road. The only sign is the one shown below, and it's about a half mile off Hwy 95.

Yesterday was our third trip out to the Nellie E. Saloon, and the first time we stuck around long enough to enjoy the live music. Because the Desert Bar is in such an isolated location, the electrical grid does not reach it, and the source for electricity is from solar panels. The history of this very popular watering hole is pretty interesting, and if you're curious, click on the above link for all of the details.

This 1927 Oldsmobile is one of the first things you see upon arrival at the Desert Bar.

"The Church" is made entirely of metal, and is one of the unique landmarks at the Desert Bar.

The entrance bridge over the wash was completed in 1981.

After about a 20 minute drive on the dirt road, we arrived at this desert oasis just a little after their opening time of high noon. For years, water was hauled in by truck, then in 1997, Ken the owner drilled a 360 foot well which serves as the current water source.

The outside bar serves as the food area, and the inside bar is for drinks and souvenirs. Not exactly expecting an IN N OUT quality burger, I ordered one for $3, and it served the purpose of quelling my hunger. When the band started playing, I would probably categorize the music as somewhere between the Grateful Dead, and country. I think these guys were from Southern California, and they were actually quite good.

Inside the Desert Bar before the crowd started to fill the place up.

"No, that burger isn't for me, but I'm enjoying the sunshine".

The Shakedown, a group of 5 young guys, making some good music.

After an hour or so of listening to the band, we left the Desert Bar, and passed a bunch of vehicles heading toward this very unique place. Before we got back to the highway, we stopped at an unofficial shooting range in the desert, and unloaded some ammunition. More of that tomorrow.

SEAPLANES BY THE BRIDGE

2011-11-06T07:19:00.009-07:00

This is about the third year that we've spectated at the remote (radio) controlled seaplane classic, and it's always been fun to watch these miniature airplanes flying & landing on the lake. When this event kicked off on Friday, the wind was blowing, with afternoon gusts up to 30 mph. We waited until yesterday, when the wind had died down, and the conditions were almost perfect.

There was a good crowd of folks, who like us, brought our fold up chairs. We watched everything from aerobatic flying, to a few planes that crashed into the water. I would guess that the later proved to be rather expensive for a few of these pilots. Some of these planes were so big that it took two people to carry them down to the water.

This plane was helicoptered down to where the tail actually touched the water.

Some of the best seats in the house were in the boats that anchored just outside the flying area. The flying pattern was clockwise, but with up to 7 planes in the air at any given time, I was sure that at some point, we would see a mid air collision. Many of the pilots seemed to ignore the pattern, and were doing loops and other maneuvers that put their planes at risk. But, by the time we left, the only crashes we saw were single plane incidents.

Some of these planes looked just like the real thing.

These ducks were looking for a handout, and had almost no fear of the people.

BEFORE

AFTER

The before and after show a replica Piper Cub that did a spectacular spiraling nose dive right into the water. Hard to say what went wrong, but it's probably safe to say that it wasn't the way this seaplane was meant to land on the water.

We enjoyed watching these small airplanes flying around, and it's one of many events that take place here in Lake Havasu City during the winter months.

IN N OUT BY THE BRIDGE

2011-11-05T06:26:00.003-07:00

The classic crossed palm trees was an inspiration from the movie It's a Mad, Mad, Mad World.

Is there anything more American than a burger? When McDonald's became one of the first to start the franchise boom in the fast food business, there were many others to follow.

In 1948, Harry & Esther Snyder opened the original IN N OUT on Francisquito Ave. in Baldwin Park, CA. There are many dissimilarities that separate IN N OUT from the other fast food restaurants. At the top of the list is the quality of the burgers. For this fast food junkie, it's not even close to which brand comes in second. The logo at IN N OUT is "Quality that you can taste", and it's so very true. Even the fries are cut fresh, and nothing is ever frozen.

I've mentioned it before, but my introduction to IN N OUT was in 1969, when, upon graduation from the CHP Academy, I was assigned to the Baldwin Park CHP Office. When the new CHP office was built in 1970, it was just 2 blocks down the street from the original IN N OUT. Back in those days, there was no indoor eating area, just a covered patio with picnic tables.

In 1972, when I transferred from Southern California to the Santa Cruz Office, it took awhile to get used to not having my favorite fast food available. Now, IN N OUT is in 5 states, CA, AZ, NV, UT, & TX. When the first IN N OUT opened in Tucson, AZ in 2007, it broke company records for the most burgers sold in one day, and during the first week. Now, the company has 258 locations, and my wife insists that the only reason we moved to Lake Havasu City, is because there is an IN N OUT located here.

There is indeed an almost cult following of the brand, and I'm certainly right in there with that group of folks. Thanks Dave for the gift card, and the IN N OUT mug. It was the perfect birthday present!

Taken yesterday, inside the Lake Havasu City IN N OUT.

IMMEDIATE FAMILY

2011-11-04T06:16:00.011-07:00

March 1, 1980, the start.

Since we returned to Lake Havasu from our summer jobs at the Grand Canyon, we've only left once in the motor home. That was a 10 day trip to Carson City, where we helped plan an RV rally for our friends in the Golden Spike Chapter, and a quick visit with friends and family in CA.

The blog is mostly about new experiences, particularly when we're on the road, encountering new adventures. When we're home, the challenge to post on a regular basis becomes a bit more difficult. Writing about trips to the grocery store, or what we watched on TV, isn't exactly worthy of the effort, in both writing and reading.

Patty's brother, Michael.

So, I thought I would flash back a few years, and post some photos of our immediate family. With both of our parents gone, Patty has one brother - Michael, who lives in San Francisco, CA. She has one son - David, who lives in Modesto, CA. I have two boys, Micheal & his wife Amy live in Augusta, GA. Marc, his wife Chandra, & our Granddaughter Laila live in Tucson, AZ. When we got married in 1980, the age of our boys were....Mike - 12, Dave - 11, and Marc was 10.

This is the last time our 3 boys were together, approx. 15 years ago (maybe longer), at the drag races in Sonoma, CA.

The newest family member, Laila, born in 2005.

This picture of Mike, Marc & Toga was taken in 1972, when we lived in El Monte, CA

Patty and I have a lot to be thankful for, and we're looking forward to having part of our family with us on Thanksgiving. Marc, Chandra, & Laila will be here for the holiday, then, just a few days later, we'll all fly to Fort Lauderdale, FL, where Mike & Amy will meet us. After a week long cruise into the Caribbean, it won't be long before we'll be heading to Tucson for the Christmas Holidays. Lots of activities on the horizon, and most of those times will be spent with family.

NEW ISLAND HOUSES

2011-11-02T06:48:00.005-07:00

When the economy tanked a few years ago, housing development on the island was just getting off the ground. We watched a few large homes being built, then everything came to a screeching halt. The homes that were completed sat empty for a very long time. Then, last year, we started to see a few smaller homes being built. This sign, advertising a new home, lot & landscaping for $249,900 also appeared last winter. When this exclusive island development started, the sales prices on the few homes built, started at about a half million. Those prices are a dream in today's reality.

Part of the old airport property, near where the terminal building used to be located.

My daily constitutional around the 3.6 mile island path included a half mile run yesterday for the first time this year. The impact of not running for lots of months was quickly brought to my attention, as I finished that half mile. Gasping for oxygen would be an understatement! Even though we'll be in and out of Lake Havasu for most of the winter, I hope to log more miles on the path this year, and hopefully, increase my stamina for longer runs. Again, the aging knees will probably be the deciding factor.

One new house being built at the upper left of the picture.

FLYING HIGH

2011-10-31T12:32:00.008-07:00

Motorized Parachutes, and Hang Gliders are common sights over the island.

It's not unusual to see these personal aircraft being flown over the island here in Lake Havasu. Yesterday, I watched this fellow make several passes, before landing on a portion of the old airport, near the tip of the island. There was also an engine powered hang glider in the area, but that photo turned out too blurry.

Before Robert McCulloch moved the London Bridge here 40 years ago, the island was a peninsula. He dug a channel near the base of the peninsula, re-erected the bridge, and just like that, Lake Havasu City had an island, served by an iconic, stone bridge. During the early 1970's, McCulloch offered people free flights here, (mostly from southern California), as a marketing tool to sell residential property. The old airport was on the island, and when we moved here in 2002, the old terminal building, and most of the original airstrip was still visible. Now, the building is gone, as is most of the airstrip, both having succumbed to residential housing developments.

The island pathway makes a circle around the island, and the old airport. This is the time of year with lower temperatures, that more and more people start using the path. We're never here in the hot summer months, but I can't imagine anyone out walking or running when the temps are well above 100 degrees.

It's been a week since I re-started my morning routine of circling the island on the 3.6 mile path. Now that my walking muscles aren't sore anymore, it's time to start running (jogging) a little bit, and begin to increase that running distance as the weeks go by.

These cement markers delineate distances every one half mile.

PERFECT WEATHER

2011-10-30T07:56:00.002-07:00

When this time of year rolls around, it's easy to understand why we made Lake Havasu our choice to spend the winter months. The daytime temperatures have cooled down into the 80's, and we are in that window where no more air conditioning is necessary. The night temps are also lower, into the 50's. So, good ole mother nature is keeping the inside of the house at a constant mid 70's temperature.

As I mentioned yesterday, this is also the time of the year when the snowbirds begin to roost here in the desert, and the winter activities are starting to commence. Some of the upcoming events include the Sunday Flea Market, Vintage Car shows, Winter Fest Arts & Crafts Festival, Quartzsite RV Show, Havasu Balloon Festival, Winter Blast Pyrotechnics Convention, the boat parade of lights under the London Bridge, the R.C. seaplane convention, and the Rockabilly Reunion to name a few. It seems like just about every weekend, there's something of interest going on.

When our summer travels, or summer of workamping is over, we always look forward to returning to our home by the lake, and all of the winter activities.

GARAGE SALE JUNKIES

2011-10-29T06:42:00.003-07:00

This is the time of year when the snowbirds are starting to return to the southwest, and along with the increase in winter visitors, we have an abundance of garage/yard sales. Friday and Saturday are the two days that most folks pick for displaying their stuff, in hopes that it will all disappear, with a little cash in return. Yesterday being Friday, there were 43 garage sales here in Lake Havasu City.

After Patty's morning appointment with the Optometrist, we set out on a quest to find that perfect treasure. No, we didn't stop at all 43 sales, but after a couple of hours, we made it to quite a few. We enjoy searching through other people's throw away stuff, and often find things that we just can't live without. Such was the case yesterday morning.

When the dust settled, we had spent $19.70, picking up books, a plate, a small table, a CHP coffee mug, a glass pitcher, a Disney art set for Laila, seashells, a wind chime, and this green t-shirt that literally had our name on it. One of the residences had about 15 guns, ranging from an S&W 44 magnum, to a 50 caliber rifle. That was the one place where I had to muster up some restraint, as there were a couple of firearms that I almost added to my collection.

For us, I think the intriguing thing about garage sales is that they are kind of like an old fashioned treasure hunt. Every once in awhile, you run across something that you think you need, or something that is such a bargain, you convince yourself that you need it. Whatever the case, it's fun for us to spend a few hours searching for that perfect bargain. How does that saying go........."One man's junk is another man's treasure". More often than not, the phrase should go..... "One man's junk is another man's trip to the dump".

Patty's chance to wear her name on a t-shirt

2 DOWN, NONE TO GO

2011-10-28T07:15:00.002-07:00

Yesterday morning, Patty had her second Cataract surgery in as many weeks. With the patch over her right eye still in place, it's difficult to judge anything regarding improved vision. This morning, it's back to the Optometrist for a quick check, and then the patch will probably come off. I still find it hard to comprehend the amazing advances in medicine, particularly when it comes to the most delicate of all our senses, the eye.

Thanks to all for the Happy Birthday wishes. I sincerely appreciate the kind words. Yesterday, I officially became part of the huge baby boomer wave, that will sweep the country for the next couple of decades. Born right after WWII, along with millions of other folks, I am among the first of the baby boomers.

Now that I have officially joined the Medicare crowd, does that mean that I'm destined to a sedentary life of TV watching, reading, and occasionally, drooling while taking an afternoon nap?
I don't think so! As they say, "you're only as old as you feel", and except for a lot of soreness right now from walking a whole bunch of miles in the last two days, I still feel pretty darn good. Now, if I can just figure out a way to have my buddies, Ben & Jerry visit me everyday, without gaining a bunch of extra pounds, I'll really be good to go!

THE ISLAND PATH

2011-10-27T07:14:00.003-07:00

The day I picked to start walking & running was quite windy.

It was November 11th last year, when I started walking & running on the 3.6 mile, multi- use path that circles the island here in Lake Havasu City. When I stopped on March 3rd, I had logged 118.2 miles, and bicycled an additional 46.8 miles. The end result was a few less pounds, lower blood pressure, and a much lower resting heart rate. During that period of time, and over most of the summer, I said goodbye to my good friends - Ben & Jerry. During the last couple of months however, good ole Ben & Jerry have creeped back into my life, and yesterday was the day that I bid farewell once again.

During the winter months that we are here, the island path will once again be my morning home. It takes me about 55 minutes to walk the loop, and if I run (jog) at least half of the distance, the time comes down to approx. 45 minutes. This year, my goal is to increase the running distance from a best last year of 2 miles, to the entire 3.6 miles. We'll see how that goes. The old knees don't always want to cooperate.

This morning, Patty has Cataract Surgery on her right eye, and her eyesight will then be 100% bionic. The recovery from surgery to her left eye last week, has gone very well, and she's looking forward to getting past this 2nd procedure, with the end result being much better vision.

Not a good day to be on the lake with the boat. Lots of whitecaps.

UNBELIEVEABLE

2011-10-26T06:50:00.002-07:00

What the heck is going on in this country? Here's another example of the pendulum swinging too far to one side, with a constitutional interpretation by a Federal Judge, that's simply hard for me to understand.

On July 1 of this year, the State of Florida enacted a statute that requires anyone applying for welfare to submit to a drug test. The basic premise behind this law is that the taxpayers shouldn't be subsidizing the habits of substance abusers. Naturally, there are those folks who argue that it's an invasion of privacy, and violates the 4th amendment guarantee against unreasonable government search and seizure.

Until day before yesterday, the only such law in the nation was being enforced, and the arguments from both sides were coming in hot and heavy. The residents of Florida are overwhelmingly in favor of the law, but naturally, the American Civil Liberty Union (ACLU) is on the other side of the debate.

With the aid of the ACLU, Luis Lebron, a Navy veteran who is a student, supporting a 4 year old son, and a disabled mom, filed a lawsuit, contending that the government has no right to drug test him. He insists that he is not a drug user, but refuses to be tested in conjunction with his application for welfare.

On Monday evening, U.S. District Court Judge Mary Scriven sided with Lebron and the ACLU, granting an injunction against enforcement of the laws "suspicionless testing" of adults seeking welfare. Her opinion went on to say "Perhaps no greater public interest exists than protecting a citizen's rights under the constitution".

OK, so let me get this straight. Here's a case where an individual is asking the government (aka the taxpayers) for monetary assistance, but doesn't feel obligated to do anything, other than fill out the paperwork. This is a guy who was in the Navy, where he was subject to random drug testing, but now thinks that a test is unreasonable search and seizure, in exchange for free money.

I've got news for you dude! The taking of government welfare, without any obligation on your part, is in my opinion, unreasonable seizure of my taxpayer dollars! Hey Judge, what about my constitutional right to protect public funds from substance abusers? The basic point that Lebron, the ACLU, and this pinhead judge are missing, is the fact that no one is being forced to do anything. If you don't want to be drug tested, fine. Then don't apply for free money from the taxpayers. End of story.

Over the years, a multitude of laws allowing pre-employment, & random drug testing has been enacted, and stood up to all constitutional challenges. So what's the big difference between being subject to drug testing by an employer, and being subject to a drug test as a welfare applicant? In both cases, monetary compensation is the end result. The huge difference is that the welfare recipient doesn't have to do anything, except perhaps stay unemployed. The wage earner puts in his/her 40 hours a week, and in exchange for adherence to company policies, is compensated accordingly. If anybody should be complaining, or filing lawsuits about drug tests, it should be the wage earner, not the welfare applicant. There's something terribly wrong in this country when the entitlement mentality rises to the level where the Federal Judiciary has ruled that it's OK to drug test the work force as a condition of employment, but it's not OK to drug test a person requesting free money from the taxpayers. In a word...........unbelievable!

CRUISING THE LAKE

2011-10-23T06:46:00.008-07:00

The last couple of days have been all about giving some exercise to a few of our toys that have just been sitting at the house. Yesterday, I hooked up the boat, and after a quick stop at KFC, we were on the water a little before noon.

Before parking in the channel, I cruised past the Nautical Resort, where I took this picture of a seaplane parked next to a few mega boats. When it comes to toys, I guess the only limitation is dollars and space. Later, when we made a loop around the island, the plane was gone.

"Yep, life is tough, but if somebody has to be on the lake, it might as well be me"

By mid day, the temps were into the 90's, and only a slight breeze. Almost perfect weather for a day in the boat. The peak boating season is over, but there were still quite a few folks out on the lake. We first went south to Havasu Palms, a small community on the CA side of the lake, after cruising through Copper Canyon, also on the CA side. On Friendly Island, the boat only campsites were all taken, with several tents pitched at one of the spots.

Parked in the channel before the area filled in with boats.

We learned last year, that the best place to park the boat is in the channel. It's a great place to have a picnic lunch, and people watch. I told Patty that I would look good with my hair spiked, and in a mohawk like the fellow who parked next to us. Only one problem, not enough hair left to even comb, much less turn into a mohawk!

We watched the Bud Party Boat cruise by a couple of times, with lots of young folks having what looked like a pretty good party. Glad they weren't parked next to us, cause the music was really loud. On the other side of the channel, A guy was throwing a ball for his cattle dog, and this little critter was putting on quite a show. He/she would leap into the water after the ball with such enthusiasm, there would be a huge splash. I tried to capture the action, but couldn't get the shot.

The slight sunburn notwithstanding, it was a good afternoon on the water, and even though the boat doesn't get used a whole lot, it's kind of like having the Harley in the garage. It's there when we get the urge to go out and play.

STREET ROD PARADISE

2011-10-22T05:56:00.008-07:00

It's all about hot rods this weekend in Lake Havasu. The 34th annual "Run to the Sun" is in full swing with somewhere near 1,000 pre 1972 cars in attendance. Yesterday and today, all of the cars are on display at the Nautical Resort on the island, and that's where Patty and I checked out these beautiful machines.

Patty stands in front of a replica Cobra, one of the ultimate muscle cars.

After Cataract surgery day before yesterday, and with the eye patch gone, Patty says her vision through her left eye is now like looking through a clean window. Before the surgery, that window was pretty dirty!

As you can see, I'm a bit partial to street rods that have supercharged engines. The sound and look of a blown engine, with the carbs or the injector sticking out of the hood, is the epitome of a street rod power plant.

Hey Bob. This is what you need to match your other toy, and it's for sale!

While we were strolling around, admiring all of these works of art, I couldn't help but wonder what the total value of all the cars might be? If there were a thousand cars, at an average value of 30k (which I'm sure would be a really low estimate), that would be a total of about 30 million! That's a lot of cubic dollars to go with those big cubic inch motors.

This was one of my favorites, a pro street Chevelle, with a big blown motor.

After a couple of hours checking out the cars, and vendors, we headed home, where I uncovered the boat, and got it ready for a spin around the lake today. We haven't had the boat on the water since last March, so, with today's predicted temps in the low 90's, it should be a good time to get the fiberglass wet.

We ended the day yesterday, having dinner with our neighbors Tony & Michelle. The restaurant of choice was Cha Bones, and everyone agreed, the food was pretty good. My steak was excellent! It was a nice end to a day of custom paint, lots of chrome, and good friends.

DUSTING THE COBWEBS

2011-10-21T06:32:00.002-07:00

2008 Kawasaki KLR 650

I had the best of intentions yesterday, and that was to get out to the Wally World shopping center, and check out all of the classic cars that are in town for the annual "Run to the Sun" car event. Well, I didn't make it. Instead, I chose to blow some of the dust off my smaller bike, and burn up some of the old gas that's been in the tank for several months.

When I bought this bike in 2008, while working as a supervisor for the transit system in Glacier National Park, I used it mostly to commute the 9 miles to work. During that summer in western Montana, I rolled up about 2,500 miles, and did some exploring in the surrounding National Forests. Since then, I haven't ridden the KLR very much, but there are a few times a year when I get the urge to get off the pavement, and get away from civilization. I've already decided that if we return to the Grand Canyon next summer, the KLR is going. While there this past summer, I discovered countless national forest roads that begged for further discovery, and this do everything motorcycle is the perfect vehicle. Every time I entertain the thought of getting rid of the Harley, or the KLR, all I have to do is go for a ride on either one, and those thoughts quickly disappear.

Today, the patch comes off Patty's left eye, and she will see the first images without a cataract impairing that vision. Speaking of medical procedures, our Golden Spike buddy - "D" Hall is recovering from hip replacement surgery, and we wish her a speedy recovery. By the time our fellow Golden Spikers get together again in Indio, at the FMCA Rally in January, our hope is that "D" will be well down the road to recovery.

ONE DOWN, ONE TO GO

2011-10-20T11:21:00.002-07:00

In this day and age, Cataract surgery on the eye, is a normal, everyday procedure, that occurs by the thousands on a daily basis. My simple mind hasn't quite wrapped around the idea that surgery on the human eye is an ordinary, regular medical procedure.

This morning, Patty joined the millions who have had their vision corrected with Cataract surgery. A week from today, she will have her right eye done, and her visual acuity will be much better, without the constant aid of glasses. The recovery period is pretty straight forward, with an eye patch for about 24 hours, eye drops several times a day, and a follow up visit in 5 days. Then, next week, she'll repeat the routine.

Today starts the "Run to the Sun" annual classic car event. With around 1,000 pre 1972 cars in town for the activities, they are literally everywhere. While Patty takes it easy this afternoon, I think I'll head out to the Shops at Lake Havasu, where all of the cars will be on display