Sunseeker Images

sunny days

2012-01-25T08:39:00.000-08:00

it has been pretty windy the last couple days, but has settled down nicely ... now, we are bright and sunny, and the upcoming weather looks pretty nice, too ...

Sybil glad to be back outside with her rope-toy

windy weather in the desert tends to be miserable, but it wasn't too bad, this time ... we just stay indoors when it's too windy, and EAT too much !
last night, we wanted something different, so we whipped up a plate of 'fettucini chicken', or whatever you'd call it ... luckily, we had a break in the wind, to allow us to grill the frozen chicken breast ...


tasted even better than it looks !

that white 'lump' in the middle of the plate, is a nice, juicy, boneless/skinless grilled chicken breast, on a plate of fettucini, with provolone/mozzarella cheese melted over it ... then, Paul Newman's 'Sockarooni' spaghetti sauce is spooned over the whole mess, with some parmesan cheese sprinkled over the top ... oh, boy, that was some good eatin' ! ...

still alive ...

2012-01-23T09:27:00.000-08:00

I have to post up my 'still alive' comments, from time to time ... I occasionally 'disappear' from my blog for a few days ... nothing amiss, I just have to force myself to update the blog, sometimes ... if the blog is boring for you, you can just imagine how it is for me ...

my life in the RV isn't nearly as interesting as I'd like, that's for sure ... sometimes, it's downright boring ... it's my own doing, of course, I am very reclusive ...

or, as I often say " camping is lots of fun - but, it's even MORE fun, when you have a CHOICE ! " ... hahaha ...

part of my laziness, is really due to my current satisfaction with my present camp ... I am not really a 'desert rat', I prefer mountains, forests, and streams, but as far as desert camping goes, it is GREAT here for Sybil and myself ... although, I'm sure Sybil misses her 'critter-friends' up north, the rabbits, squirrels, etc ...

our weather was quite windy a couple days ago ... yesterday was nice, but tonight we are supposed to be getting more wind & rain, thru tomorrow, too ... but, our extended forecast is looking great - high 70s, sunny, and lows in mid to upper 40s ... we like it like that ...

when the weather keeps us indoors more, I mostly tinker with my photographs that need to be printed ... I recently used an online professional photo lab to print a few pics, and received my first few test prints, over the weekend ...

I liked the results enough, that next month I may have several printed up, and 'test-market' them in a couple small businesses that expressed an interest in my images ... nothing too ambitious, just a little tourist-type gift shop sort of thing ... this present economy is certainly not the time to try selling anything, let alone a photograph ...

in my younger days, I was quite the photographer, developing my own film and prints, and even sold a few ...

then, the camera industry came up with automatic cameras ... auto-focus, auto-exposure, etc... while true photographers had to know all about exposure, shutter speeds, f-stops, 'depth-of-field', lens speed, etc.., nowadays, everything is automated and 'push-button simple' ... someone with absolutely no photographic knowledge, can literally take an award-winning photo ...

of course, that is a good thing for most people, but it forever changed an art form, let alone, an entire industry ... I still have this attitude of " why would anyone pay ME to take a photo, when they can do it themselves, by just pushing a button ? " ...

well, just maybe, the technology itself, provides the answers ...

everyday, cameras are being replaced by the 'cellphone with built-in camera' ! ... good Lord, people ! are you blind ?, take another look at the fuzzy little images from those plastic craptoys, and go buy a cheap camera, instead ...

the good news: as long as people can be impressed with a cellphone's 'image quality', they may still be willing to shell out money for technically superior photos ... well, that's a big 'maybe' ...

if my statement offended anyone, that's definitely not my intention (it's just my little attempt to 'save' photography !) ... here's a short article to better illustrate my point :

http://www.digitaltrends.com/photography/opinion-why-you-still-need-a-digital-camera/

***********************

see what happens when I don't write for a few days ? I go off on a tangent, and can't shut up ! (it's just like 'being there' !) ...

thanks to Roger + Gail for this cartoon (they sure have me figured out ! )

slept better ...

2012-01-18T08:16:00.000-08:00

Sybil slept much better last night ... or, she should have, anyway, as I don't think I was making as much noise as the night before ... I am 'slightly' better this morning, and finally got some sleep last night ...

today, or possibly tomorrow, I am going to TRY to break camp, and drag the trailer into town to empty my tanks, and get water ... I hope I will be able to manage, but, I am dreading how I will feel the day after I do it ... but, it has to be done, I can't delay it much longer ... I can remember many days I was was sick as a dog, but I still drove the big truck and made on-time delivery ...

all those days and nights of non-stop driving, sick or healthy, tired or hungover, made me what I am today ! (a wornout, broke-down, beat-up, old body with a twisted mind !) ... like Popeye says, "I yam what I yam, and that's all that I yam !" ...

Sybil checks out the new neighbors ...

another loud night ...

2012-01-17T10:32:00.000-08:00

Sybil and I didn't get much sleep - someone was screaming in pain most of the night -

oh, it was ME ! ... my neck triggered more spasms in my back, again ... I was 'down' all day, unable to do anything (yesterday was my much-needed trip to town, for dumping tanks, getting water and groceries) ...

Sybil has been sleeping inside lately, and every few minutes, I would groan and holler, scaring hell outta her ! ... poor thing, she's getting bags under her eyes, from lack of sleep ! ... well, not really, but she likely isn't too happy with me, today ...

I'm still laid up, but hopefully, will recover soon ... as soon as I return to my summer camp, I am getting into a specialist, and finally get this darned neck fixed !, I can't take this much longer ...

sybil's sleep schedule is suffering, too !

short on bandwidth - and, a good product ...

2012-01-15T08:51:00.000-08:00

here we are, running out of bandwidth, and still a week to go ... our Verizon cellular internet allows for 5gb per month of usage, and the last couple months, I have hit my limit well before it 'rolls over' on the 20th of the month ... I have been thinking that my computer usage hasn't changed lately, but then it hit me ... during the summer, I seldom used my account on weekends, as I was usually in town ... that's enough to account for the recent boost in usage, almost another 8 days per month of usage these days ... regardless of the reason, it gets pretty pricey, if I go over my limit ... 5 cents a megabyte, to be exact ... so, the rest of the week will be limited for me, again ...

I had a request for a sunset photo, I hope this is OK :

since losing all my film cameras to the forest fire, I have really begun to miss film - the digital cameras are fine, until you need really big, sharp negatives to make large prints, that's when you really miss the film ...

just like my love for Kodachrome 64, Tri-X monochrome film, and a home darkroom, it has also joined my past, never to be regained ...

********
on rare occasion, I will purchase something that actually does what it claims, and I can't wait to tell people about it ... recently, I came across such a product ...

I have always owned, and recommended Epson printers, they are simply the best out there ... but, Epson is dedicated to guaranteeing you will buy your ink cartridges from Epson, and regret trying aftermarket cartridges ...
actually, if the manufacturer's ink wasn't so outrageously priced, the average person probably couldn't afford a printer, they're extremely complex ... BUT, that doesn't mean we can't look for savings ...

my particular Epson printer is the 'Artisan 50', a photo printer that uses 6 ink cartridges ... a fine printer, Epson is quite proud of it ... so proud, they charge about $16 for each of the 6 cartridges ... you do the math ...

I have been using aftermarket refilled cartridges, with mixed results ... Epson cartridges like mine, have an electronic chip on the cartridge ... this chip monitors ink level, and makes sure it is a GENUINE EP$ON cartridge you are installing ... that's the glitch, the chip must be reset each time it's filled and/or re-installed, etc ... (also, the ink itself wasn't as good, as genuine Epson) ...

HERE COMES A SOLUTION:

aftermarket empty cartridges, with their OWN chips installed, that merely monitor ink levels, not the cartridges origin, etc. ... like everything else these days, the cartridges and inks are made in China, but evidently to very high standards, in this case, anyway ...

I found an ink store on good old eBay, that sells everything you need, to easily convert your printers ink supply ... the factory cartridges are made to be hard to refill ... besides the chip fighting your switchover, there is a layer of foam in the top of the cartridge, making refills more difficult, and usually messy to boot ... while the factory cartridges could hold about 20ml of ink, they come from Epson less than half-full, about 7ml, to be exact ...

name and logo of the eBay store I used ...

this ink supplier is an 'eBay Store', located in Florida ... I received my package in Kalifornia in 3 days, they are amazingly fast ... Free Shipping, etc...

BOTTOM LINE :

the cartridges worked perfectly ! --- when switching, you have to switch out ALL the cartridges, and it's as simple and easy as installing your regular cartridges ... no mess, no fuss ... and, I was really surprised, to see how good the ink looked ... while I had gotten used to refilled inks, the ink used in these kits, looks much better, just like the original factory inks ...

when your ink level drops, and it's time to refill, you simply remove the cartridge, inject more ink into the cartridge (no blocking foam, no holes to drill, etc.) ... when you plug the cartridge back into your printer, it automatically resets, to calibrate your ink level back to Full ... simple ...

you can buy the pictured kit, like I did, or if your printer really gets used a lot, you can also convert it to separate outboard ink tanks, with ink fed to your cartridges via small lines ... I don't do all that much printing, so I settled for the refillable cartridges, and some bulk ink ... the kit I bought came with 6 pre-filled cartridges, six 100ml bottles of ink, and six syringes for injecting the ink ($ 36 total) ! ...

SAVINGS :

Epson Genuine Cartridges (7ml) - about $16 each (x6)
Aftermarket Refills (7ml) - about $7 per cartridge (x6)

this particular kit came with the 6 pre-filled cartridges, plus a 100ml bottle of each ink (x6) - about $36 total, so refills should work out to only a couple bucks, per cartridge, that's a HUGE savings ...

and, when I need more ink for them, they sell six100ml bottles of bulk inks for about $20, including new syringes, too ...

anyway, you get the point ... now, hopefully, when it's time for my first refill, I won't wind up looking like I splashed around in the ink, and all will be well !

well, this post should have used up my daily bandwidth allowance, so I gotta go !

nice, lazy days ...

2012-01-12T09:15:00.000-08:00

I' ve been pretty poor at updating the old blog lately ... usually, it's my bouts with depression that contribute to the neglect, but these last few days have been more like an 'on vacation' situation ...

it's just been so darned nice lately, that I couldn't get motivated to sit down and do this ... it's not just the mild weather, but things in general, have moved a little smoother the last week, too ... the bright sunny days affect my moods, by a great deal ...

**********

after 2-3 months of formal requests for my medical records, that were arguably being deliberately delayed, we received my requested knee implant serial numbers ... and, yes, my knee was recalled over 2 years ago ... despite my surgeon saying " there is something seriously wrong in there, but I don't know what it is - you apparently are bleeding through the end of the bone - we will need to 'go in there again', to see what's wrong, and replace the knee again " ...

I have to be curious - why is it, that a dummy like me, can do a simple online search, and, find out within a few minutes, that my replacement knee is the subject of a major recall by the FDA ? ...

meanwhile, my Doctor, a Board-Certified Surgeon and an orthopedic specialist, (that had my total respect, but that has dwindled), HAS NO CLUE AS TO WHAT'S 'WRONG IN THERE' ?????? ...

maybe Doc thinks, 'wife wants a new house, so let's do it over again' $$$ !

******
but, it's another beautiful, sunny day ! so, I ain't gonna worry about all that stuff today ! ... I'd rather smile, it takes much less effort ...

gorgeous weather !

2012-01-06T08:35:00.000-08:00

I sure am feeling better, now that Christmas is behind me, and the weather has become so nice and sunny ... it is just gorgeous ! ... while I've also enjoyed gloomy, foggy weather in the past, nowadays, that cold dampness makes the old, broken bones hurt too badly, so now, Sybil & I hunt for the warmth ! ...

here's my current sunny neighborhood, and my nearest neighbors

neighbor Tim's rig is near the center of the pic ...

Tim's camper setup

I enjoy visiting with neighbor Tim, he's an electronics engineer, and very intelligent ... another neighbor mentioned Tim worked for one of the famous aerospace labs, I definitely can believe that, after talking with him ...

Tim's rig includes the obvious solar panels on a rotating base he made himself, plus his wind generator, and even a weather station on that other pole, along with his TV antenna ! ...

his mobile, survival lifestyle seems to be comfortable for him, and I sure wish I got his gas mileage ! ... Tim will be leaving in a couple days, moving further south, but Sybil & I will be hanging around a bit longer ... I will need to pull out and dump my tanks in a few days, and will move camp when I do ... if I still think I can get away with it, I will return to this area, but move aways up the road, try to be more discreet ...

a pair of Rangers parked for lunch yesterday ...

I was a bit concerned yesterday, when a pair of BLM Rangers parked on a nearby hill, evidently just meeting for lunch ... I waved at them as they left, and they waved back (I didn't see any Eviction notices in their hands) !

I like camping here so much, if allowed, I'd sit here the entire winter ! ...

'da Bears' will rise again !!! - Breaking News !!!

2012-01-03T11:15:00.000-08:00

the sun is shining brightly this morning ! ... mostly because of today's breaking news ...

first, the Bears website had a short comment as to the 'uncertainty' of OC Mike 'Mindless' Martz's future with da Bears ... his contract is running out after this season, anyway ... I pity the college (or, high-school, that hires this guy) ...

whooops !

what did surprise me, though, is the sacking of da Bears' GM Jerry Angelo today ! ... FINALLY ! and, he had a couple years to go on his present contract, too ... doesn't matter, he's past typical retirement age, and I'm sure he won't be going hungry anytime soon ...

unless Angelo has been investing in Green Bay Packers stock, or something dumb like that ...

happy trails, buckaroo ... don't let the door hit ya !

News Flash :

'DA BEARS' ARE GOING HUNTING NEXT SEASON FOR 'DER CHEDDARHEADS' !

watch and see !

Sybil and the critter ...

2012-01-02T08:24:00.000-08:00

I have been on a mission the last couple of evenings ... just after the sun goes down, the critters come out to play ... and, Sybil just goes crazy outside, wagging her tail and scampering around, playing with the critter ... I say 'play', because she doesn't seem to want to catch them, or hurt them, either ... I 'think' they are kangaroo rats, but they could just be fat field mice, I don't know ... to Sybil, they are just furry toys, anyway ...

my woman, the infamous and dangerous taskmaster that she is, insisted I get a photo of the night play, so I sat outside with my camera for a couple nights, until I finally snagged these shots ...

I have gained wisdom as I have gained age, and now realize it is a lot easier to just do as I'm told ! ... it's a good thing I only have a few women at a time, to deal with (that's how I get even - I keep her wondering if I have other women telling me what to do, too) ... they can't stand sharing the POWER !!!

stuff like this, drives her outta her everlovin' mind !! hahahaha!

anyway, here's her critter pics :

we'll play as soon as the big dummy goes back inside ...

pssst ! look behind ya, Sybil !

the football non-fans can relax, my season is over, 'da Bears' are done ... we finished with an 8-8 record for the year, which is OK, I guess, if you consider we had to use everyone but the cheerleaders, just to field a team, after all our injuries ... I feel more and more like a Cubs fan (disgusting thought), with a 'wait till next year' attitude ...

THERE'S ONLY TWO KINDS OF PEOPLE - THOSE THAT ARE BEARS FANS, AND THOSE THAT WISH THEY WERE BEARS FANS !!!

and on that note, I am outta here !

barbecued ribs again ...

2011-12-29T09:02:00.000-08:00

I couldn't help myself, I was getting the urge for barbecued pork ribs again ... it probably has something to do with the great sunny weather we are currently having, I am getting outside more ... and, I always have an appetite, anyway !

Sybil snoozes on the 'front porch' while the ribs smoke

ribs after 2 hours - 5 more hours to go, then, watch out !

looking towards the Colorado River while monitoring the ribs yesterday, I saw a hot air balloon in the distance ... I used to know a guy that was very big into ballooning, he was on some Federal committee, or something, that investigates mishaps, etc ... evidently, there are very few mishaps with balloons, I think they're quite safe ... I wish I had gotten a ride with him, it looks like a lot of fun, and would make for some great camera shots, too ... maybe someday ...

my Verizon service has been pretty shoddy the last few days, both phone and internet ... I read in the news, where Verizon is trying to fix it up, but I won't hold my breath ... also, there is a new huge solar storm, that may have started screwing with telecommunications in the last couple days ... the solar storm is supposed to last for a week or more, the newspapers said, so, I guess we will just have to wait and see ... when trucking, I remember the solar storms would really mess with CB radios, until the flares would subside ...

In The News :

Sybil located this recent photo, of the Iranian leaders meeting to discuss ways to screw with America :

OK, who cut the cheese ?

another new campsite ...

2011-12-28T08:10:00.000-08:00

Sybil & I found a great camping spot, but after a couple days, we turned the trailer around, allowing for a nice view from my windows ...

this is great here, the BEST desert camping situation we've had, this being our 4th winter 'on the road' ... besides the relative privacy and easy access to town and services, the scenery is great ! ... for a desert, anyway - I'm more of a 'mountains, trees, and rivers' sort of guy, to tell the truth ...

" you talkin' to ME ? "

yes, 'da Bears' got beat again, terribly bad, allowing the Packer's quarterback (I forget his name) to score 5 (FIVE !) touchdowns ...

yes, 'da Bears' had a season of never-ending injuries, having to fight most of the season with 2nd and 3rd-string players, (not to mention, a mentally-disabled Coaching staff) ... put all that together with team owners that won't spend $$$ to build a REAL team, and we have serious problems for the future, too ...

oh well, one more game next week against the Vikings, which we should win, and the season will be mercifully over for our Bears ...

yes, I am still a BEARS fan !

'da Bears' lose to the cheddar-heads, 35-21 ... now 7-8 for the season

there actually were two bright spots in the loss - we discovered a decent backup Quarterback in Josh McCown, an NFL veteran who was coaching high school football, just one month ago ... plus, Kahlil Bell, a 3rd-string rusher, that did a very impressive job of trying to replace injured ball carriers, Matt Forte and Marion Barber ...

obviously, the Bears owners will be thrilled at the prospect of having a couple of 'cheap' players to fill the vacancies ... as long as 'da Bears' sell out the seats, they will never spend $$$ to build Championship teams ...

oh well, enough about football for now ...

emotional times ...

2011-12-24T12:14:00.000-08:00

things worked out well, after all ... our Verizon internet connection snapped back to normal, after a day of very bad reception ... it was the nationwide Verizon glitch that caused it, not our move to the new campsite ...

that was particularly gratifying, as I love this new location ... I'm able to let Sybil run around more, and the scenery (for a barren desert, anyway) is pretty darned impressive ...

I need to get something into the photos, to better demonstrate the vast size and distances here ... a couple snapshots I took of the ravine directly behind my trailer, just looks like a little gully ... nothing like standing on the edge of it, anyway ... could just be because I'm not comfortable with heights ... it's weird, although I can climb a ladder, tree, get up on the roof to work, heights don't affect me in the slightest ... but, put me way up there, and I have the strangest urge to jump ! ... seriously, I have to fight myself, till I get back down on the ground ! ... of course, that may be because of my neighbors shouting " jump ! do it ! jump ! ", too ...

'Sybil's Canyon'

kangaroo rat huntin'

God bless us all during these hard times, and best wishes for all ...

I hope the card's print is large enough to read ...

new campsite ...

2011-12-22T09:02:00.000-08:00

Sybil & I moved camp yesterday ... since it was time to load up the van, and drag the trailer to the nearbye dump station anyway, we decided to move camp, too ...

we returned to our general area, but went back further up the road this time ... the new campsite is only a quarter-mile further, or so, but we gained some great panoramic views, and lost what road noise we had below ... we placed the trailer out on a little 'point' of ground, that guarantees no new neighbors can camp right on top of us (one of my many pet peeves), plus, we have our own little 'canyon' right behind us ... very nice desert views in all directions, something I was missing at the last camp ...

I'll try to take some nice photos of our surroundings in the next few days ... today and tomorrow we are having strong winds all over the southwest, supposedly ... it blew all night long, quit early this morning for a couple hours, and is just now starting up again ... this new campsite is also gravely, and not sandy, so the winds aren't that bothersome ... no sand, no dust, no problem ...

whenever I move or setup camp, I'm pretty stoved-up for a day or two, afterwards ... I always overdo it, and move way too fast, resulting in too many aches and pains ... it's primarily from lifting my heavy generator in & out of the van ... boy, I wish I could afford a little 1000-watt Honda generator ... plenty of power for what I do, and they're LIGHT ! and easy to move around ... someday ...

this move was no exception, as soon as I finished setting up camp, I hurt all over, and I mean hurt BAD ... I took 4 Ibuprofens, sat down, and turned on the computer ...

DISASTER ! ... I had almost zero internet strength, I was so bummed out ... I didn't even have enough signal to log in and connect ...

just like when I was camped out on the east side of Parker, I went from a very strong signal, to zero signal, in the space of a couple hundred yards ... the antennas on top of the mountain visible from my camp, are evidently directional, to some extent ... or, possibly, - the news the last couple days has talked about Verizon's new 4G network crashing ... my equipment is still 3G, but, I wondered if these outages couldn't affect me, too ...

if not, I was going to have to move camp all over again, and I was so sore I couldn't even walk too good ... plus, the move would have to be done in time for me to follow the Bears/Packers game on Christmas evening, not to mention paying bills the first of every month ...

I took 4 more Ibuprofens, and went to bed ... this morning, I feel much better, and was real happy to see my Verizon cellular internet is once again strong, pegging out the bandwidth meter ... thank you, Lord ! ... I hate to admit how much I depend on the computer, but I do ... besides paying my bills, etc., with online banking, the internet is also my 'telephone', too ... my electronic 'window to the world', and all that ...

camped at our new location - motorhome in distance is our closest neighbor ...

I snuck off one quick shot of our sunset view from here, before going to bed last night ...

handheld shot, no color correction, etc. - that's what it looks like !

post-Bears game funk ...

2011-12-20T08:25:00.000-08:00

after Sunday's embarrassingly poor showing, I needed to blow off some steam ... I guzzled, (chugged, really) TWO root beers in a row ! ... and, had a third root beer, after the belching ceased ! ... no other way I know, to treat pain like I was feelin' ...

for the record, 'da Bears' screwed the pooch, again ... this time, a fairly pathetic Seattle Seahawks team whipped us ... again, after we led the entire game, we managed to toss it away, in the final half ... I have only internet radio, thank God I couldn't watch the game on live TV ! ... and, it sounded like da Bears' Defense finally gave up, in the last half ... it sounded like they finally figured out, that Defense has carried the whole team all season, and maybe they finally tired of doing all the work ... I dunno ...

one bright spot - the Green Bay Packers LOST ! and, to a very mediocre Kansas City Chiefs team ... LOST, LOST, LOST !!!! (picture me with an evil cackling laugh right now) ... that blew their perfect season, something I am reserving for some future Bears team ... in 1985, 'da Bears' had a perfect season going, losing only one game to a persistent Miami team ... we lost that one game, but went on to win Super Bowl XX ... yup, this is a long time between Super Bowls ...

I find the Packers loss particularly enjoyable, because Packers QB Aaron Rodgers is from my neck of the woods ... he went to college the same place I did, and grew up 4 miles from me ... (he is not all that popular in his hometown of Chico, Kalifornia - in fact, he's a stuck-up jerk, by most accounts) ... but, in fairness, I think most all successful high-school & college jocks are a bunch of spoiled brats, usually in competition with me for the most chicks ! (they always lost, I got there, first !) ...

once again, " I am a Legend, in my own mind " ...

regardless, da Bears clumsily threw the game away, and lost 38-14 to the Chiefs, leaving us 7-7 for the season ...

now, the ugliest news: our 7-7 Bears, with an Injury List of almost every Offensive player that can make a difference, will play the 13-1 Packers, on Christmas Day, to a national TV audience ...

" dear Santa, " -


all I want for Christmas ...

'boy Aaron' having a bad day, awwwwwwwww !

a couple days ago, a fire engine drove out here to the boonies, later followed by a couple cops, and finally the Coroner & a mortuary van ... a cargo van, like mine, actually ... I guess they save the Cadillac hearse for the rich customers, and use the 'cargo van' for us po' folks !! ...
one of my fellow 'urban campers' evidently keeled over, and gave up the ghost ... (or, he may just be a Bears fan, that couldn't take it anymore) ...

I wonder how many suicides occur, during 'da Bears' games, anyway ?? ...


Sybil watches a massive waste of money (fire engines for first-aid calls) ...

my old Fire Chief would have been whipping some serious butt, over rolling a million dollar piece of fire equipment, to a rescue call ... it's just unimaginable !

of course, here in the 'People's Republik of Kalifornia', you always have to prepare for the unexpected - a fire engine may come in handy, in case some heart-attack victim were to spontaneously combust, and burst into flames !!! ...

wind, football, doors, drugs, & politicians !

2011-12-16T12:47:00.000-08:00

today was calling for winds, and sure enough, they started about 11:30 am ... 18 mph is predicted ... but, with no sand blowing, it's not a nuisance, at all ...
I just have to be a lot more careful opening & closing doors, in the wind ...

this little project saved my door today, without it, I would have a nice, BIG hole in my outside door skin, now ... besides giving you a large, easy to grab 'last chance' at grabbing the door in a wind, if you're carrying anything thru the doorway, you can loop your wrist thru the webbing, and step right out, using both hands, without the door flying away in the wind !

I came up with a '5-minute improvement' to my door awhile back ... it involved drilling a small hole, a scrap length of nylon webbing, about 2" wide x 24" long, and a nut/bolt, 2 washers ... I took pliers and a common nail, and got the nail red-hot on the stove (only took a few seconds), then quickly used it to poke a hole thru both ends of the webbing, for the bolt to pass ... this method melts the webbing as you poke it, so it doesn't start unraveling someday ... you don't even need to remove the handle, just drill a 3/16" hole up near the top, that way the strap will drape down across the handle, almost into your hand ... I held a small scrap of wood behind the handle, while drilling, just in case the drill pushed thru too far ... the handle drills pretty easily, this is an easy project ...


don't look at the caulking - I cracked that a couple years ago, by over-tightening my door handle screws ... gonna fix that someday, too ... yup ... someday ...

the red strap was in my 'misc.' box, so I used it, with the intention of getting a nice, new black one to replace it ... well, that was the plan, anyway ... someday ... yup ...

I try to not get too excited about schedules and deadlines - I had a lifetime of that, already ...

********************

regarding 'da Bears' recent news this morning, Bears' receiver Sam Hurd, (a 1st-year acquisition from the Dallas Cowboys) was arrested by 'da FBI' for meeting to receive 20 pounds of cocaine, and 1000 pounds of pot, (to be a weekly arrangement, to supply Chicago) ... wow, that's pretty ambitious, not smart, but ambitious ... one writer said this will shake the entire NFL, since his 'customer-list' consisted of famous athletes, etc.. I have no idea if the author knew what he was talking about, or just repeating rumors, at this point ...

however, it is well-known we've been trying to build a fire under replacement QB Caleb Hainie, as of late ! ...

so, I'm a-thinkin', if young Caleb is a LOT QUICKER !! (but, forgetting his play calls, and running around in circles) in our upcoming Seahawks game, it makes one wonder if some really radical 'motivational techniques' might be goin' on there ! ...

I bet 'Slammer Sammie' Hurd didn't clear his 'move' into the Windy City first, by cutting in 'da Syndicate' for a share ! ... (NO, not the Mafia ! - I'm talking about the REAL Crime Syndicate - the Chicago politicians ! ) ...

a couple successful Chicago pols we all know & love:

"da Mare" - nickname by Mike Royko, Pulitzer-winning author of "BOSS"

not to mention this farce, the real 'Chi-Town Hustler' ...

lazy ...

2011-12-15T13:15:00.000-08:00

laziness has overpowered me, in the last couple days - I like it ... gotta do chores today in town, the weather is real nice for a couple days ... supposedly more cooling & rain may appear soon ...
there's not much scenery here, but I did snap a shot of the 'storm's last gasp' ... in this shot, it was just starting to pour over the sides of the peaks, but, it must have run out of gas ... it stayed like that for quite awhile, before sliding back down to where it came from ... photo doesn't do it justice, it looked kinda like a tidal wave crashing in, when seeing it with your own eyes ...

the 'lava rocks and gravel' ground surface is prevalent here

NOT a bright sunny morning ...

2011-12-12T09:56:00.000-08:00

well, yes, it's very cloudy, and has been sprinkling rain, but that's not the main reason for the 'dark morning' ...

'da Bears' got beat by the Denver Broncos last night, 13-10 ... nothing wrong with that, it's pretty much what I expected ... as always, this season, Bears Defense was very good, and the Offense was still on the plane ...

it was heartbreaking the way it happened ... it was terrible ... da Bears held the Denver Broncos scoreless, with a 10-0 lead, into the last 2:08 of the game ... in two minutes, the Broncos tied it up, forcing the game into overtime, where they won it with a kick ... (after a couple boneheaded plays by 'da Bears' ) ... you know, IF the Bears coaching staff could READ newspapers, they would have noted that Broncos QB Tim Tebow has a knack for coming up with all of his points in the last minutes of a game ... the Bears MIGHT have been expecting a surge, but, oh no, we didn't think of that ! ...

season is over for da Bears, no playoff slots left ... and, we don't deserve a playoff chance, anyway ...

'da Bears' beaten by Denver, 13-10, now 7-6 for the season

I am furious ! ... my Bears' owners ran this season $60 million dollars under their salary cap, (meaning they played the game CHEAP !), while General Idiot-Manager Jerry Angelo ignores all the facts, and keeps shoddy coaches on the payroll, etc.. ... of course, I'm sure 'da Bears' sold every seat in the stadium, and receive fortunes from the NFL and the TV networks, so WHY spend the money, just to win some silly games ?? right ??? ... GRRRRRRRRRRR !!!!

FIRE JERRY ANGELO, COMATOSE-COACH LOVIE SMITH, AND ESPECIALLY 'MINDLESS' MIKE MARTZ - HIRE THE AVERAGE HIGH SCHOOL COACHING STAFF, WE COULDN'T DO ANY WORSE !!! ... you might fire the cheapass McCaskey Family, too ! ... can we fire the owners, will they let us do that ?

I've been a Bears fan since 1983, if not longer ... I still watch DVDs of the 1985 Bears Championship team ( that's pretty desperate, ya know) ... I think it's entirely reasonable to expect another Championship team, before I die ... you've been sharing the city with the Cubs too long ! - are you having a contest to see who can suck the longest ? ... GRRRRRRRR !!! ...

******************************************

If not for the expense of traveling, I would put a lot more miles on the rig ... I enjoy the driving immensely, not so much the camping ... and, I need a bit more inspiration for photography - I enjoy posting up photos, much more than trying to describe my boring days ... I so seldom say anything intelligent, or relevant, these days, anyway ...

in an era of an 'Obama Presidency', intelligence seems such a wasted luxury, anyway ...

yes, Sybil, I know - and, some are just now figuring it out !

warming up a bit ...

2011-12-07T13:28:00.000-08:00

I know I must be getting older, as I find myself talking about the weather all the time ... but, the winds quit, and the forecast shows us to be warming slightly every day ... this morning, we woke up (just before dawn) to 31 degrees, but it quickly rose, we're at 65 right now ... our upcoming Lows are predicted to be back into the high 30s and low 40s again, in a few days ...

I'm trying to keep busy, tinkering around ... my radio is playing Christmas songs frequently, so I need the distraction, or I'll be moping about ...

Sybil is already wondering why I'm so attentive to her, it's like " what the hell does he want now, and why does he keep patting me on the head ?!? " ...

give it a rest, dude !

wind, and more wind ... and 'da Bears' beaten by a very poor team ...

2011-12-05T09:25:00.000-08:00

after a mild day, we have the winds rolling in again this morning ... these last 2 years have demonstrated crazy weather, nationwide ... I'm sure the weather conditions are much more obvious to me these days, as living like this exposes me to the elements MUCH more than a conventional lifestyle ...

most people only experience crappy weather, looking through their windows ! ... once again, Sybil & I are at the forefront ...

'da Bears' - I don't know where to start with the painful, embarrassing loss to the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday ... the Chiefs' Offense had only scored ONE touchdown in their last 5 games, plus, the Chiefs were the NFL's bottom-rated Defense, you don't get much worse than that ... but, we managed ...

all year, I had high expectations for our backup Quarterback, Caleb Hainie, but, just like earlier in the season with starting QB Jay Cutler, the Bears' offensive team must have stayed on the bus ... they sure didn't play football ... poor Hainie was sacked 7 times !, and that, from a Defense that had only accumulated 13 sacks in the last 11 games, combined ! ...

worse, da Bears' star rusher, Matt Forte, got taken out with a sprained knee, no idea yet how long he'll be out for ... plus, defense's Major Wright is out with a damaged shoulder ... I think the season is over, for my beloved Bears ... we still have a longshot at a Wild-Card playoff berth, but we cannot lose another game ...

next week, we face Denver, and the Broncos' QB Tim Tebow, is red-hot, especially when he falls behind on the scoreboard ... Tebow is a good Christian player, I ain't gonna badmouth him ... 'da Bears' don't need God mad at them, too ! ... things are bad enough, as it is ...

speaking of bad, the Oakland Raiders, however - wow! the other side of the coin ... I see a couple more of their players have been arrested, etc. ... (I wonder if the Raiders pay out bonuses at the end of the season, for any player that's still on the 'outside' ) ...


'da Bears' go down to a weak KC Chiefs team 10-3 ... now 7-5 for season

as for 'good' Bears news, there are stories floating around, that our idiot Offensive Coach, 'Mindless Mike' Martz, is shopping for a job at a couple of colleges ... if his performance is any guide, I really think Martz should be looking for a 'high school' job, instead ... not OUR high school, they're pretty good, wouldn't want Martz to screw them up, too ...

I don't wanna talk about 'da Bears' again till next week, I am still in shock ...

after the storm ... & Update

2011-12-02T13:37:00.000-08:00

even the day after our storm blew through, it's still chilly and damp ... it drizzled a little rain all night long, which is always welcome ... I guess we are to continue with this cooler weather for a few more days, before it warms back up ...

the official foul-weather desert rat garb ... ooops, forgot my hat !

***************

Update :

just as I uploaded this post, a service truck with 'mobile awning repair' on the side of it, drove by our camp ... evidently, he was working on one of the Class A's parked way down the road from me ... that's why I don't own awnings anymore ... but, I do plan on making a lightweight, throwaway-type awning one day, something that won't make me cry, when it blows apart !

no sign of the coyote, darn it !

2011-12-01T08:11:00.000-08:00

I delayed writing about our coyote, hoping he'd come back for a photo session, but not yet ... this is a good thing, really, as coyotes are murderous when it comes to family pets ... even a dog as large as Sybil, would not be in the same league as a coyote ... they are vicious and deadly, and even worse when in packs ! ...

some RVers like to feed coyotes, thinking they're cute and fuzzy ... in the real world, this is called 'stupid behavior' ... it is also illegal by Federal law to feed wild animals, anyway ... I am an unabashed critter lover, but I also know there are 'good' critters, and 'bad' critters ... coyotes are on every state's 'varmint' list for good reason, they are destructive and dangerous ...

what was unusual about this coyote, was his size and overall condition ... he was a bit larger than Sybil, which would be a 'huge' coyote, by any standards ... and, more unusual, he was in great shape ... I've seen lots of coyotes in my life, and they were almost always grungy, ribs-showing, nasty, mangy looking things ... never saw one with a full coat of fur, and have seen two that were missing a leg ... but, they were still in the hunt ! ...

as much as I hate to admit it, this particular coyote was a fine-looking animal, really unusual, in both his size and condition ...

the winds came thru here last night (still blowing HARD as I type this), and the news says some locations here in southern Kalifornia reached 100mph ! ... I'm pretty sure the winds that blew thru here all night were at least in the 80s, but, as I had hoped, this lava-cap surface has very little dust or sand to blow around ... it's blowing like crazy out there right now, and NO SAND !! ... nothing is more miserable than a high wind in a sandy desert location, it's just scary - I sit there, imagining all the paint being stripped from my van, in a sandblast situation ...

now, on to today's political comment, from Sybil, my dog ... (she uses pictures instead of words, so Liberals can understand, too !) ...


THEIR Leader ...


OUR 'Leader' ...

Sybil says: " you'd be a lot better off, if you'd let us dogs Vote ! "

another campsite, and 'da Bears' lose a tough game ...

2011-11-29T08:52:00.000-08:00

yesterday was a busy 'work' day for me, for a change ... since I was feeling really good, I decided it would be a good day to mess that up !

we were camped too close to the highway noise, so we broke camp ... we tugged the trailer 3-4 miles down the road to a RV/mobilehome site, where we dumped our black waste tank, and filled up with water ... it cost $12.50, which is kinda high, but, it is nearbye, the alternative was to drive another 12 miles roundtrip to another dumpsite ... that's a gallon of gas, so it worked out about the same ... and, they didn't limit my water fill, so that was handy, too ...

with the now-empty holding tank, full water tanks, and, a trip to the Parker, AZ WallyWorld for groceries, (6 miles away), we're set for a couple weeks of uninterrupted camping, if desired ...

the BLM area we are situated in, has the typical 14-day camping limit ... then, we have to move at least 25 miles away, for at least another 14 days ... different BLM areas vary a little, but this is the norm ... some BLM areas that are really remote, may have a 30-day limit, but you don't see many of those ... also, if you get near a busy, popular area, say, the Grand Canyon, you will likely find 3-day limits to be the rule ...

most importantly, is the degree of 'enforcement' ... I suspect it isn't too strict here where we are presently situated, but I don't know that for sure ... they are starting to 'crack down' lately, I think they are preparing for more of America's homeless to start running from the cities ... 'they' being the despicable Government bureaucracies, that have conveniently forgotten 'who' owns this land ! ... (the day ain't complete, if I don't complain about 'da Guvment') ...

I took the following pics to show off our latest 'neighborhood' ... Sybil & I have quite the private, sprawling estate going on here ! ...

ahhhhhh, a 360-degree panorama of very few people !

Sybil and I like it here - in fact, I like it so much, I may run for Sheriff !
(private joke for my old Slab friends) ...

" hello, I'm from the 'da Guvment', and I'm here to help you "

but now, the bad news: 'da Bears' got beat by the (this is where I bite my tongue, and try not to curse too much) Oakland Raiders on Sunday, 20-25 ...

of course, 'da Bears' had lost quarterback Jay Cutler to a broken thumb last game, but in all fairness, Oakland had lots of thugs, I mean, ' players', on the injured list ... (I am currently researching this theory, but I have to wonder if Oakland really had that many injuries, or did they just get sent back to prison for parole violations ?) ...

backup quarterback Caleb Hainie got intercepted 3 times in the 1st half, but also threw for 254 yards, with 2 touchdowns ... that's great for a backup QB in his first NFL starting role ! ... but, 3 intercepts kinda ruined that ! ... Caleb will be much improved next Sunday, I believe ... the Chicago defense did a great job, 18 of the Raiders' 25 points were from kicked field goals, we just didn't let them near the end zone ... we shut down their running and passing, something nobody thought da Bears could do ...

da Bears lose a close one to oakland 20-25, now 7-4 for season

next post: a coyote appears, and Sybil pulls night watch !

Parker, AZ campsite ...

2011-11-26T10:56:00.000-08:00

Sybil & I spent almost two weeks camped about 3-4 miles east of Parker, AZ, out Shea Rd. ... once you get past the Indian Reservation line, it's free BLM camping ... and, it was a great desert camp, too !

however, this really great camping area with fantastic views, etc.., is a virtually uninhabitable mess when the 'dirt toy' crowds gather here ...

I'm a lifelong dirtbike rider, etc., but some of these people are as rude and obnoxious in their stupidity, as anyone I've ever seen ... we're surrounded by a half-million acres of empty desert, and these clowns can't seem to get more than 500 feet from their campsites, they choose to do their hotrodding in and thru campsites, instead ... it was too much, Sybil & I broke camp and left it to the idiots ...

Shea Rd. before the 'toys' appeared - very cool hillclimb trails in background

I think about my younger years, growing up in Illinois - I would sometimes truck my dirt bike 50+ miles, just to putt around in a corn field - I would have given anything to be able to ride in a great place like this !

one difference, though - I would putt slowly into and out of camp, respectful of other camps, then go tear hell outta the barren desert ! ...

anyway, after eating Thanksgiving dinner, Sybil & I pulled up stakes, and left the dustbowl madness ... we went west across the river, about 4 miles into the 'People's Republik of Kalifornia', outside of Earp ... Earp, Kalifornia is named, of course, after Wyatt Earp, the famous lawman ... Wyatt and his wife settled in the hills around here, where he did some prospecting for awhile ... I saw an old photo once, of he and his wife standing outside their tent, while prospecting ... I think he eventually got a house, but I'm not sure about that ...

west of earp, BLM free camping

Sybil & I likely won't stay here more than a couple days ... we easily found plenty of open camping space here, but this area is not nearly as nice to camp at ... with plenty of open space, and quiet neighbors, this sits on a bit of a plateau, so it has been VERY windy while we've been here ... no big deal, as there's no dust/sand blowing with it ...

unfortunately, the ground surface here is not nice sand & gravel desert pan, but primarily a lot of 'lava-cap', very sharp stones, cinders, etc ... which are probably hard on Sybil's paws ... she doesn't appear to mind it, but I sure wouldn't want to walk barefoot on it ! ... poor thing ...

before leaving our Shea Rd. campsite, Sybil discovered what I 'think' is a former prairie dog town, it seems to be vacant nowadays, anyway ... I was walking across it when we went shooting, and I was really lucky I didn't sprain/break an ankle - I just suddenly sunk into the sand - that gets your attention, let me tell ya !

Sybil never met a critter, she didn't like !

short post today ...

2011-11-25T14:27:00.000-08:00

the last couple days have been kinda hectic for me, I've been busier than expected, and moved camp this morning ... I will update soon, I'm just a little 'cranky' this afternoon ... no biggie, I'm just tired, and recovering from too much Thanksgiving food ! ... I'm still thankful for my blessings, too ...

'da Bears' win another game ...

2011-11-22T14:41:00.000-08:00

Sunday, 'da Bears' beat the San Diego Chargers in a great game, and a game in which Chicago's Offense & Defense BOTH showed up to play ! ...

Bears' Quarterback Jay Cutler was having a great game, then, in the 4th quarter, he finally threw an interception ... it's unusual for a Quarterback to go after the opposing player, but Cutler helped tackle him, in a good show of guts ...

now, the bad news: da Bears' Pro Bowl Quarterback is now sitting on the bench for 6-8 weeks, with a broken thumb on his throwing hand ... broken during the aforementioned tackle, this ain't good ...

our backup Quarterback, young Caleb Hainie, is a very good player, but he isn't Jay Cutler ... however, when he filled in last year for an injured Cutler, he played pretty well, only really flubbing it, when he threw a game-ending interception to the despicable Packers, in the playoffs ... so, maybe ...

I was cheering Caleb Hainie last year when I was ready to strangle Cutler, anyway, so it will be easy for me to cheer for Hainie this season ... more than anything, I wanted 'da Bears' to whup up on the Oakland Raiders, who we play this coming Sunday ...

don't get me wrong - I don't have anything against the Raiders, (only Raiders fans) ... hey ! I understand the Oakland fans are just enthusiastic for their team (I mean, they gotta have some kind of entertainment, while sitting around on parole !) ...

'da Bears' whup the Chargers 31-20, now 7-3 for season

another couple days, and Thanksgiving will be here ... Sybil & I are smoking a rack of pork spare ribs for Thanksgiving dinner ... the ribs are in the fridge now, rubbed down with spices, and in ziplock bags until Thursday ... they usually take about 5-6 hours in the smoker, but this is the first time I've used a dry rub on ribs, so they may finish a bit quicker, than when slathered with sauce ... I harvested some cherry wood chunks a couple years ago, from my buddy's orchard trimmings, and they will supply the smoke, while I occasionally spray the ribs with some apple juice ...

I does ribs right !

I have reached 'Official Old-Fart' status ...

2011-11-20T14:03:00.000-08:00

today, while I wasn't looking, I reached 60 years of age ... anyone that's known me very long, is surely as amazed as I am, at this milestone ... I never figured on living to see 30, and most of my contemporaries no doubt placed bets on my not reaching 20 ! ... (I was supposed to die at 27, like most rock stars !) ... now, what the hell do I do ? ...

this morning, Sybil & I drove into town, and attended the local Calvary Chapel church ... that's our 'church of choice', well, mine anyway, Sybil stays in the van ... heathen canine ! ...

right now, I'm listening to 'da Bears' vs San Diego Chargers, on internet radio, WBBM in Chicago ...
so, that's about it for the birthday boy, I need to devote my full attention to the game, and we will have a big bucket of KFC chicken & fixins for dinner ... I haven't eaten KFC in years, I hope it's still pretty good ...


i miss my sweetie

notice, I didn't put a name in the caption - I'm covered !

great weather !

2011-11-17T09:07:00.000-08:00

by now, the big 'porn/violence spam' attack on Facebook is old news, (I didn't do it !), and, it's not the reason I don't like Facebook ... the spam attack does partially indicate as to why I don't use it ... the way Facebook is set up, it facilitates the rapid spread of malware, with viruses going viral quickly ...

here's a news article taken from today's 'USA TODAY' news website, that better explains my issues with Facebook's privacy invasions:

http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/story/2011-11-15/facebook-privacy-tracking-data/51225112/1

see ? it's not my imagination - I'm just ahead of the curve, that's all !


i know, i spend way too much time with this computer stuff ...

*********************************

Sybil and I are really enjoying this campsite, it's like we are all alone (except for plenty of coyotes) ... the coyotes have maintained a wide distance from our camp, but I am still letting Sybil sleep inside, for her safety ... I have read that the wolf and coyote are natural enemies, that a wolf will kill coyotes on sight ... ??? ... I dunno, I have a hard time picturing Sybil attacking anything more dangerous than a double cheeseburger, to tell the truth, BUT -

are those eyes saying "go ahead, make my day !" ? ...

I was glad to see how relaxed Sybil was, when I was shooting my .22wmr rifle yesterday ... .22 mags are small, but powerful, supersonic rounds - LOUD ! ... I tied Sybil to a small bush about 30 feet behind me, and watched her after each shot ... she was cool, just watching, almost no reaction at all ... by my second 5-shot group, she was lying down, not even paying attention to the old man and his noisy toys ...

I wonder if it was her stormy birth, that prepared her for gunshots ? ... the Illinois summer when Sybil was born, had the most thunder & lightning storms I had ever seen growing up there ... it would storm virtually daily, that summer broke their records for rain ... the ground would literally shake with the thunder, but those newborn puppies seemed to pay it no mind ...

there have been a handful of RVs driving past, I suspect they are camping further down the road ... I think this road turns to gravel, and goes all the way to Alamo Lake and dam about 30 miles northeast of here ... but, this is just a guess ...

the weather is gorgeous, bright & sunny, our thermometer says highs are 81-83, and lows have been 48-50 ... it's cooling, though, in the next few days, as that cold air moves in from Alaska, etc. ...

HI to 'Ms. Tioga & George' ! - I see you are camped today near Bouse, welcome to the neighborhood !

not alone in the desert ...

2011-11-15T08:45:00.000-08:00

the last remaining RV that was across the road from me, left yesterday morning ... Sybil & I were alone, in the desert ... but, not for long ... we went to bed about 9pm, and were awakened at 10pm by several yipping coyotes ... they didn't sound too far away, but not near our camp ... yet, anyway - they will work their way closer and closer ... I read a couple of comments on RV sites regarding some naive campers that were feeding the coyotes, at their RV door ... dumb ...

we will feed the coyotes a 'lead buffet', if given the opportunity ...

our weather is great, up around the low 80s, and, we wake up to about 50 degrees ... no furnace required ! ...

yesterday, I discovered some money missing from my Verizon prepaid wireless phone account ... sure enough, that 'roaming' situation near Lake Havasu City was deducted from my account ... I called Verizon, who returned my money, and had me update my cellphone ... I wasn't even aware my cellphone had firmware that could be updated, and I've had the phone for years ... Verizon said the update should prevent future 'roaming' from occurring ... to update the Verizon phone, I dialed *228, and then 'send' ... it takes a minute, and updates automatically ...

some pics to illustrate our solitude out here ...

one thing that makes it so nice here, is the almost total absence of trash on the ground ... if not for several firepits scattered around, you wouldn't even know anyone had been here ... with the exception of tire tracks and trails going off in every direction, it is pretty much just plain old desert ...

the 'dirtbike/ATV/dune buggy' crowds have obviously picked up after themselves, and keep a very clean area ... most desert camp areas I've run across have been pretty well trashed out ...

the Sierra Club-types rant and rail against the dirtbikers, but maybe their time would be better spent, making the homeless bums at 'Slab City' pick up their garbage ... the 'dirtbag homeless hillbilly hippie bums' (the 'dirt-worshippers', Roger !) have turned that place into nothing more than a toxic-waste dumping ground ... I'm amazed it hasn't been declared an 'EPA Superfund Site' ... that angers me, as I enjoyed my stays there, the first couple winters, but it has just gotten too disgusting to go back ... last winter was unbearable for me, I hated it the day I arrived ... and, I really do miss my friends that still winter there ... there are some really nice folks that apparently cope with 'camping at a dumpsite' a lot better than I can ! ...

(I sometimes wish I had a more positive attitude, instead of finding fault with everything - but, I call that 'reality') ... I am destined to rant & rave, I guess ! ...

desert camped again ...

2011-11-14T09:52:00.000-08:00

after leaving our Baker, Kalifornia camp, Sybil & I have made camp farther south than planned ... we drove past our planned desert boondock site, just outside Lake Havasu City, AZ, when our phone started 'roaming' ... that was the first time this cellphone had to roam, it surprised me ... my plan allows roaming, (supposedly at no charge), but it made dialing a bit of a hassle, and I would assume it would seriously slow my internet bandwidth, if it worked at all ... so, we kept rolling south ...

we wound up camped on BLM ground, which is free, of course (free has always been good, nowadays, it's required !) ... there is a 2-week limit here, as with most BLM land, and I think they try to enforce it in this area ... no matter, as I may decide to leave anyway, when the weekend comes ...

this area is a heavy favorite of the dune buggies/quads/dirtbike crowds ... I like seeing people having fun with their bikes & buggies, but I don't want the dust ... the noise is OK with me, too, as I still love the sound of a hot 2-stroke dirtbike ... but, I don't want the dust ... if it doesn't get too wild out here this weekend, maybe we can take some good dirtbike/buggy rider photos ... but, I don't want the dust ...

the view from our front door ...

there is only one other rig out here today, after the rest pulled out last night ... Sybil has been chasing her tennis ball, and exploring close to home until we know more, regarding rattlesnakes and coyotes in the area - so far, so good (probably scared to death by the 2-strokes !) ...

Sybil lying in the shade - we woke up to 50 degrees, warmer than we're used to ...

the warmer mornings sure make a difference in how I feel, the bones seem to work better ...

NOW, the important stuff - 'da Bears' kicked some Deetroit butts yesterday ...
after losing to the Detroit Lions 24-13 on October 10th, 'da Bears' showed up yesterday with their reshuffled Offense, and some injured players returning ... the result was a total blowout, which ended in 'da Bears' winning 37-13, and that win was with a 4th quarter played by some 2nd string Bears, to spare some risk to key players ...

now, the bad news: almost all of 'da Bears' offensive gains and points, were achieved by Defense (a situation all too common with 'da Bears') ... QB Jay Cutler didn't have a very good game, nothing bad, but not many yards gained ... the same with star player, Matt Forte, the Lions shut down his running game almost completely ...

our points were basically made by Defense interceptions and Special Teams' kickoff returns ... I was only able to see a few minutes of the game online, but Deetroit played very dirty, VERY dirty ... and, the refereeing was disgusting, weird in that 'da Bears' played at home ... Bears' General Mis-Manager Jerry Angelo is so cheap, now he's not paying off the referees ! ... and while we're at it, ANGELO, PAY MATT FORTE !!!

Hey, Angelo !, this is CHICAGO, man, WAKE UP ! - home of 'Mayor Daley's Democratic Machine' and Obama's 'neighborhood fundraisings' - get it together, PAY YOUR BRIBES ! - IT'S THE 'CHICAGO WAY' !!!

'da Bears' Defense demolishes Deetroit 37-13, now 6-3 for season

and now, Sybil chimes in, for a political commentary:

smart dog !

and, if that don't work for ya:

maybe the smartest dog, ever ! ...

closed Facebook account - hopefully ... and, Rhyolite pics

2011-11-11T09:35:00.000-08:00

this morning, I hopefully closed my week-old Facebook account - I say 'hopefully', because they don't want to let us out ... while Facebook allows you to 'dis-enroll', it will not be finalized, unless you refrain from any Facebook-linked usage for at least 14 days ... and, if you have noticed how Facebook has already stuck it's tentacles into every website imaginable, you will see how they have us 'locked in', to a great degree ...

as a Computer Tech, I despise this company, I guess that's pretty obvious, by now ...

but, it served it's purpose, it allowed me to contact a couple old friends, so I am done with it now ... I don't have that many 'old friends' to contact, anyway (most have already died, trying to keep up with me !) ... as the saying goes, "I'm a legend in my own mind", hahaha ...

enough nonsense, - let's continue Sybil's re-visit to Rhyolite :

there is an adjoining outdoor Art display at the edge of Rhyolite ... it's quite interesting, not to be missed on your visit ...

as the story goes, there was a local Rhyolite miner, called 'Shorty Harris', if my memory serves right (always a shaky situation) ... as Rhyolite legend has it, this colorful character liked his booze, and when returning to town after working his claim, would claim he was followed around the desert by a penguin ... no one ever saw the penguin, except for Shorty, but that didn't deter his story one bit ... one of the outdoor art sculptures at Rhyolite immortalizes Shorty and his penguin ... Sybil just had to check 'em out ...

shorty & penguin pal immortalized in a steel sculpture ...

sybil tries to rob a Rhyolite bank ...

I sent Sybil into the bank, in the hope she'd sniff out some cash, but she came away empty-handed ... empty-pawed, anyway ...

one thing that caught my eye at the bank, was the condition of the building's crumbling walls - after all these years, the blocks looked as though they had been 'tuckpointed', the cement between the blocks looked as good as new ...

old-style 'pride in workmanship' lasts and lasts ...

always sniffin' fer critters ... note old mining derrick on far hill ...

Sybil revisits Rhyolite ...

2011-11-10T11:26:00.000-08:00

just 4 miles west of Beatty, NV sits the ghost town of Rhyolite ... we have visited Rhyolite a few times over the years, it's still a great one to see, if you're ever out this way ... Rhyolite was quite the city in it's day, with several buildings built of concrete & stone, rather than the typical wood & tin shacks usually seen in southwestern ghost towns ...

we revisited to take more photos, and with less people here than usual, Sybil was able to roam free, and do her own exploring ... I followed ...


here on Main St., gotta look both ways before crossing !

I followed closely, with a .45/.410 derringer in my pocket, just in case - the area is rife with rattlesnakes - well, according to the many warning signs, anyway - we haven't run across one here at Rhyolite, YET, but we tend to get here in the rattlesnake 'offseason', as a rule ... good thing for the snakes, as my readers know how I deal with rattlers ...

this is a 'good' Mojave Sidewinder - (the deadliest of all rattlers) ...

now, back to ghost town exploring:

Sybil ! that's just rude !

nice neighborhood, but the taxes are a bit steep - we can do better ...

next post, more pics from Rhyolite, unless something exciting happens in the meantime ... these days, I don't get too excited about anything, but we're always lookin' !

anti-Facebook, now & forever ...

2011-11-09T09:29:00.000-08:00

well, a couple days ago, I did something I have carefully avoided, and am still deadset against - 'joining Facebook' ...

after accidentally stumbling across the names of a couple old teenage friends, I 'had' to join Facebook in order to contact them ... I joined Facebook, using an obscure abbreviation, instead of my name ... I'm glad I did, since Facebook immediately raided one of my e-mail account's list of names ... and, suddenly, everywhere I appear online, there is Facebook lurking in the background ... I don't like that - and, someday, it will bite us all in the ass ... safeguard your privacy - mark my words on that ...

Facebook is every bit the 'privacy intruder' it is known for ... it has served it's temporary purpose for me, helping me to finally contact friends I have lost track of, for many years ... it really is disgraceful the way it gathers personal info, though, and I feel millions of unwitting participants have been taken advantage of ...

I prefer to maintain what little control I have, regarding my privacy, so I will not be 'active' with Facebook ... I have been asked in the past " how come you have a Blog, if you so strongly desire privacy ? " ...

this blog has no privacy concerns for me, for several reasons ... I don't post up too much personal info, I obscure license plates, etc., in photos, and, my Blog always runs at least several days behind, if not more ... if I am discussing my camp in 'Armpit, Kalifornia', for instance, you can be sure I am several days, and many miles down the road, from the location discussed ... I'm not in hiding, or anything, I just prefer privacy and freedom from surveillance ... probably a holdover from all those years of longhaul trucking, I refuse to work with people looking over my shoulder ...

when I would suddenly appear without notice, thousands of miles away, to drop in on old friends I hadn't contacted in years, I would jokingly respond with " I am the Wind ", as explanation for my unannounced presence ... I really like being unpredictable, it suits my several personalities perfectly !

Sybil & I were gonna break camp today, but, by the time I get done with some Medicare changes on the phone, and my natural laziness, we will postpone a bit ... I need to top off my propane and water before leaving, and tomorrow may be the better day ! ...

privacy aside, I have a brand-new photo of the broken-down old geezer (me) to post up ... I'm just a 'loner', not a 'fugitive', ya see ...

' I am the Wind '

Death Valley ... and, 'da Bears' looked great !

2011-11-08T09:25:00.000-08:00

Sybil and I left Beatty, NV after sitting there for 6 days ... we thoroughly enjoyed the friendly little town while we camped there, but, the weather was getting colder and wetter, so it was time to head down the road a little further ...

dropping down into Death Valley

a couple pics of 'Zabriskie Point', a scenic overlook in Death Valley Nat'l. Park ...

I still don't 'get it', regarding Death Valley National Park - it just seems to be an enormous waste of tax $$$ to me, maintaining the place ... I suggest letting the Sierra Club pick up all the operating expenses for it - and/or, leasing it for mining operations, if there's anything valuable to be found ... just sayin' ...

and, 'da Bears' made me proud last night ... I listened to the game on internet radio, and watched about 1/2 of it online (my bandwidth limits prevent me from watching more than half a game, or so) ...
what I did manage to see, was an Offensive line that was outstanding ! ... the first game of the season, where they really stepped up, and dominated
...
the dog-torturing QB Michael Vick didn't go to the hospital, but, I bet he doesn't feel too good today ... Bears' hitman, Julius Peppers, got to mug him frequently last night, it was a joy to see ! ... Sybil smiled the whole game ...

sybil likes watching dog-haters get hurt !

we had a couple players return from the Injured list, most notably Earl Bennett, a great receiver, and soon, we should have our ferocious rookie Offensive lineman, Gabe Carimi back to work, he suffered a severe knee injury in the 2nd game ... the Philadelphia Eagles came into the game with the NFL's #1-rated Offense, and the #1 rushing defense, but I guess nobody told 'da Bears' ! ...(we looked GOOD ! )

da Bears upset the Eagles in an exciting 30-24 nailbiter ... now 5-3 for season

nice, sunny day ! ... and, an Update

2011-11-07T11:55:00.000-08:00

our overcast, drizzly weather has finally passed us up, and it is just gorgeous today ... still a few degrees lower than normal (upper 60s), but warming ... there is a chance of another rain system coming thru on Friday, but I imagine we'll be rolling on, before then ... we really don't have very far to go, to our Colorado River campsites, so we're in no hurry ... I haven't camped there before, so, I guess we will know more, when we get there ...

Sybil is busy trying to fly ! ... looking for ways to entertain myself, and exercise her at the same time, I threw some breadcrumbs outside, just a couple feet beyond her reach ... pretty soon, some crows showed up for the bread ... between their wariness about approaching the bread, and Sybil being unable to reach them, it's getting pretty entertaining ! ... when they periodically fly off, she leaps into the air to go with them ... and, while she does achieve substantial 'liftoff', I'm afraid, it's more of a "Houston, we have a problem" situation for her ...

I mentioned having a pic of the transport method for the old Model A truck, that was in the Beatty parade ... here's how he tours events with his truck, it's pretty ingenious, loads and unloads itself with the help of an electric winch ...


pretty convenient setup ...

'da Bears' play the Philadelphia Eagles in a few hours ... it should be a tough one ... we've beaten them 4 out of the last 5 meetings, but we have an Offensive Coach (Mike Martz) that was dropped too many times on his head, so anything can happen tonight ! ...

Monday Night Football - be there, or be square ...

UPDATE:
***********
readers Ryan and Nicole mentioned a jet fighter that crashed near their camp recently -

today, I see the excellent 'www.dreamlandresort.com' website has some news of that crash ... after accessing their 'News and Events', then 'Latest Updates', and the 'Trip Report' called 'Mt. Ella and Highland Peak', you will finally be looking at the article ... I would just post up a simple link, but their website's really tight copyright protection won't allow a link to their site ... kinda like shooting yourself in the foot, but, it's their website ...

in short, on October 24th, an F-15c jet fighter augered in, just outside Ash Springs, NV (directly east of Area 51/Nellis AFB, etc..) ... the pilot ejected safely before the crash ... another pilot was not so lucky, on June 28th, 2011, when he was killed in his crashed F-16c, not too far away ... they have a most dangerous job ...

another overcast day ...

2011-11-06T07:33:00.000-08:00

while we're enjoying the strongest internet signal we've ever had, here in Baker, Kalifornia, it has been mostly overcast, even rainy, so our solar charging has been low - but, after today, sunnier, warmer, dryer weather is supposedly ahead of us ...

a few more pics of the Beatty Days parade ...

one of my favorites

small town gangster

gorgeous old truck

the crowd loved these two cowboys

Sybil & I are hanging out in Baker, (just because we can), and will mosey on down the road, back into the desert, very soon ... right now, we are in the culinary grasp of the 'Mad Greek' restaurant - I LOVE their gyros !

in town, and back on the Internet !

2011-11-04T10:31:00.000-07:00

Sybil & I left Beatty, NV (America's friendliest town) and headed over to the nearbye Rhyolite ghost town for some new pics ...
Rhyolite looked as though it had been cleaned up, maybe missing a shack or two, but it might just be my imagination - I won't be sure, until I compare my newer photos, to the older ones ...

then, we headed on up over the mountain, into Death Valley National Park, and visited 'Zabriskie Point', a scenic lookout ... it was named after the VP and Mgr. of the old borax operations there, and he later oversaw the change into a National Park ... also, a movie was made of the same name, back in the 70's, I believe ... I've never seen it, but I was aware the soundtrack was done by Pink Floyd, and Jerry Garcia, of the Grateful Dead ... evidence of my trivia addiction ...

'da Bears' had a bye weekend, so we were resting up for this coming Monday night's game with the Philadelphia Eagles ... I believe we'll win this one, I think 'da Bears' have won their last 4 of 5 meetings with the Eagles ... and, on a personal note, I would like to see 'da Bears' lay some serious physical damage on the Eagle's quarterback, Michael Vick ... and, I do mean serious damage, as in hospital time, ruined career, etc ...

I try to never wish bad luck on anyone, but Sybil & me have a real disgust for anybody (insert your favorite insulting word here) that would be involved in any way, with dog-fighting ... when cops bust a dog fight, everybody - EVERYBODY - from the owners & handlers, to the idiots that are 'entertained' by something like that, should be thrown into the pit with the dogs, and left to be eaten ... end of rant ...

now, on a cheerier note, let's see some new photos of the 'Beatty Days 2011' celebration ... I LOVE small town stuff like this ...

the school marching band, they were pretty good !

'beatty cowboys', floosies, and petticoats - old west re-enactments

22 mpg and no smog inspections !

i was drooling over these

this fella was camped next to me - pics of his combination 'RV/model A hauler' soon ...

i likes my wimmen a little on the trashy side !

more to come ...

'barely' online ...

2011-11-01T12:18:00.000-07:00

Sybil & I are still hanging out in Beatty, NV, (waiting for Uncle Obama to send my monthly love letter on Thursday) ... we thoroughly enjoyed the 'Beatty Days' town celebration this past weekend ... Beatty is one of the friendliest towns I have ever encountered, and that's saying something ! ...

however, if you ever visit Beatty, be aware, it is also an infamous speed-trap, too ! ... 25 mph limit thru town, and I have to wonder if the police cars' flashing lights even have an 'on/off switch', you see them so often ! ...

either Thursday or Friday, we will continue on with our road trip ... I have almost no internet connectivity here, with my Verizon wireless access, but to be fair, this is almost the only time, I have failed to find a decent signal with it ... and, I tend to be in some really desolate, out-of-the-way places, most of the time, anyway ...

it is really windy today, which, in the desert, usually makes for a good day to stay inside with the DVD player ! ... Sybil has been coming inside mostly, too, as she isn't fond of the 'sandblasting', either ...

when we leave here in a couple days, we will make a photographic return to Rhyolite, our favorite ghost town, and then go up over the mountain into Death Valley National Park, and take some photos there, too ... hopefully, somewhere soon, we will have better internet connections, and can post up some of our photos ...

it is almost amazing how much better I feel lately, after that terribly painful month with my neck ... I feel 30 years younger, without all that pain pressing down on me ... I turn 60 this month, so every little bit helps !

off the 'Net ...

2011-10-29T13:53:00.000-07:00

we arrived in Beatty, Nevada yesterday, right at the beginning of the 'Beatty Days' weekend celebration ... Surprise ! ... this is a really friendly little town, and the parade route goes right past my door, how convenient is that ? ... from the sounds coming thru my open door last night, they had a very good band, too ...more bands are playing today and tonight, too ...

when the cowboy shooters came down the street, Sybil decided it was a good time to go lie under the van ... LOUD ! ...

we hope to hang out here until the 3rd, when Obama sends me a love letter (SS check) ... then, off into the desert ...

now the downside: my cellphone works well here, but it took almost a half-hour, just to open my browser, and get to this page, to type this ...

so, I am very likely to be offline, possibly until next Friday, until we get down the road to a larger town ... (Sybil just told me " there ain't no larger towns in the Mojave Desert, ya big dummy " ) ... good point ...

so, we will be offline until we can get online - hopefully, a week, tops ...

in the meantime, we are taking quite a few photos, so it's a wait well-spent ...

ROLLING ! ... well, almost ...

2011-10-27T08:40:00.000-07:00

yesterday was spent working - that's TWO DAYS IN A ROW !!! - simply amazing ... we got 95% of the van packing accomplished, plus, washed the rig, to boot ! ...

just a few last-minute chores, a hot shower, and we're rolling (FINALLY !) ... I am a bit tired from all the work I did the last 2 days to get ready, but I feel pretty good ... I should mention I have been feeling better the last few days ... after a month of bad pain, etc., I guess something in the old neck finally popped back into place, because I am MUCH better now ... thanks again, for the prayers and support ...

I just received a note from Ryan and Nicole, campers that just left Area 51, (where my plans 'were' taking me & Sybil), until this winter weather came through ... I hope they had insulation ! ... it's just too darned cold for me & Sybil, we will have to visit again in the Spring, maybe ... I've been there several times, and it is barren, to say the least ... it's hard to stay warm out there when nothing interesting is happening, to take your mind off the cold ...

they said a jet fighter crashed in full view of their camp, that must have been a sight !

no news of a crash posted yet on the Area 51/Nellis AFB website, but full details should be forthcoming ...

if you are interested in the military jet activities there, this is the best link I know: http://www.dreamlandresort.com/

as previously mentioned, we washed the van and trailer yesterday with some wash/wax combined liquid, it does a pretty good job ... we are clean and shiny, now !

now, if I could just get off my butt, get dressed, and finish packing ...but, first, MORE COFFEE !

received my voltage controller ...

2011-10-25T11:48:00.000-07:00

UPS delivered my voltage controller this morning, and I am going to re-install it in a few minutes ... yesterday, I soldered all the connections and terminals for the wiring, so hopefully, we will start getting a solar charge again ... it's nice and sunny today, too ! ...


mounted near the bottom of my closet door - not ideal, but it fits ...

I'll update this post tonite, after I have finished some 'cleaning and loading' chores ... IF all goes well, we will begin our trip quite soon ...

********************************

UPDATE: well, the voltage controller seems to be functioning, at least it's 'charge' LED lights up now ... but, since we're currently parked in total shade, I likely won't know if my problem was solved by soldering the connectors, or not, until I pull out of my space ... it 'should' be OK ...

I worked pretty hard today - SURPRISE ! - somebody should have filmed it for proof ... along with packing most of the van gear, laundry and vacuuming the trailer ( I found my mattress !! ) ... plus, I built a plywood platform for Sybil, to extend the passenger's seat forward to the dash, which will prevent her from flying into the floor face-first from a panic stop ...

another day to finish the packing, dump my tanks, wash the van and trailer, plus, a final shower for myself, and roll out early the next morning ...
that's The Plan ... and, we all know what happens when I 'plan' ... ( I hear Him chuckling ) ...

Brrrrrrrrr ! .........

2011-10-24T09:37:00.000-07:00

well, if nothing else, I am consistent ... for the fourth year in a row, we are leaving northern Kalifornia at least a month late, the cold morning weather is now HERE ! ... I don't like being cold, cold hurts these old broken bones ...


pic is from a previous year, but this is how it's starting to feel !

there is a sudden cold front coming into this entire area, along with my planned trip routes ... the next few days are predicted to be well below freezing in my 'area of operation' ...
we can't risk trying to wait out this cold front, it's already negatively affecting my trip plans ... the Area 51 trip will likely be replaced with a warmer option, instead ...

as the saying goes: 'want to make God laugh ? tell Him you've made plans'

we should start rolling in a couple days, after I re-wire my solar controller (hopefully it will arrive in today's mail) ... by the time I refuel in Fallon, NV, I will know if Area 51 will be 'do-able', or not ... right now, it's predicting temps in the low 20s, not my idea of comfort ...

my alternate plan is a trip down to the Rhyolite, NV ghost town, for a new photo shoot ... just 4-5 miles west of Beatty, NV, the temps will be much better for me, with low temps in the upper 30s, supposedly ...
while I have visited and photographed Rhyolite before, I want to do it over again, and take more time at it ... some of my favorite shots were taken at a lower resolution, and won't make the highest-quality prints ... we hope to correct that ...

we can do better than this shot - an early example of a split-level home !

Area 51 isn't totally crossed off our list yet, but likely will wait until the return trip in the Spring - but, I'm reminded of what happens when I make 'plans', so who knows ? ...

sybil sez "let's just GO !, i'm tired of sittin' around !"

'da BEARS' win their second game in a row ! (1st time to do that, this season) ... the best part, I got to watch it (via online link to a streaming feed), and it was a very entertaining game ... the Bears dominated the first half, but, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers got it together when they came back out for the second half ... watching the Bears' significant lead start to dwindle was suspenseful, but, they held on to win the game 24-18 ... it was a fun game to watch ...

bears over bucs 24-18, now 4-3 for the season

HiHo!, a-wiring-we-will-go ...

2011-10-20T11:39:00.000-07:00

after a couple years of trouble-free solar power, my system had a glitch last week ... at that time, I was just too 'under the weather' to really dig into the problem ... while I suspect my problem was a simple wiring crimp-connector that had worked loose, the way it was acting made me question if possibly the voltage controller itself, was the culprit ... so, my 'Blue Sky Solar Boost 2000E' got removed from it's mounting place on my closet door, and sent to the factory for a thorough checkout ...

hearing back from Blue Sky this morning, my controller tested perfectly in all phases, under strenuous tests ... so, back to my wiring ...
this weekend in town, I will buy a soldering iron, and then, solder all those crimp connectors, (just like I should have done in the first place) ...

LESSON: it's always easier to do it right, the first time around ...

I should receive my voltage controller in a couple days, and commence the project ...

oh, while I'm thinking about solar -

I FOUND A COUPLE OF RECENT E-MAILS IN MY HOTMAIL TRASH, THAT SHOULDN'T HAVE GONE THERE - THEY WERE REGARDING QUESTIONS ABOUT MY SOLAR SETUP, and when I tried to open them, they weren't saved for me to read, as planned ... Grrrrrr ! ... I didn't get a chance to read them, or even see who sent them ...

so, IF you E-mailed me recently, and didn't receive a reply, you may want to try again, sorry about the confusion ...

the weather is gorgeous today, I feel quite a bit better than normal - so now, I'm suspicious as to what happens next !

back in camp with Sybil

2011-10-18T12:47:00.000-07:00

first off, many thanks to special friends that sent me get-well wishes, it is very much appreciated ... I'm a firm believer in prayer ...

long story short, a new CT-scan indicated I have lots of nasty bone spurs around my previous fracture, pressing on nerves ... that explained why the pain was 'moving around' my neck and back, it just depended on which nerve a spur touched ... which is kinda good news for me, I couldn't imagine why the pain was moving around like that, just thought I was 'getting crazier', if that's even possible ! ...

from what I hear, these bone spurs may be easily fixed via arthroscopic surgery, which could make it past my fear of neck/spine surgery ...

now, if I can just hang on thru the winter, I will try to make some sort of arrangements for the bone spurs to be fixed this Spring ... I will need a place to recuperate, not so much for the neck repair, as it sounds relatively simple, but, my replacement knee will have to be redone soon ... I've been putting off replacing my faulty metal knee, because that surgery will put me down for a couple months, most likely ... " they're never as good, the second time around ", I can't count all the orthopedic surgeons that have told me that one ...

Sybil enjoyed my time away, a couple nearbye folks watched out for her, and she always loves the extra attention ...

I verified yesterday, that Verizon telephone works well at Area 51, so I will assume my Verizon Internet will, too ... I phoned the famous Little A'Le'Inn in Rachel, Nevada, and they told me there is a tower right in 'town' ... if we can stay warm enough, I'd like to hang out around there a few days, before continuing south ...

I figure anybody advanced enough to drive a flying saucer, may have advanced medical techniques for a sore neck !

and, while I was unable to follow the game, 'da Bears' stomped all over a weak Minnesota Vikings team ... as bad as the Vikings are this year, the win wasn't too significant, but hopefully, will re-energize my stumbling Bears ... (our biggest problem is our coaching, in my opinion) ...

da Bears finally whup some butts ! 39-10 over Minnesota, now 3-3 for the season

may have to go to hospital ...

2011-10-16T10:51:00.000-07:00

if I don't post up on the Blog for awhile, my apologies ... beginning yesterday afternoon, my previously broken neck 'went out', worse than ever before ... I am literally hurting worse than ever before in my life ...

my neck is locked up, and can barely be moved ... pain, whether stationary, or moving, is intense ... I can't even swallow, without excruciating pain ... I am on Vicoden (which I hate, I have to be suffering BADLY before I take that crap) ... but, I took a Vicoden anyway, along with Ibuprofen and two Soma muscle-relaxants ... nothing is helping, so far ...

yesterday, I was feeling pretty good, and I emptied out my van ... all my gear is sitting out on the ground ... it was my plan to reload it into the van today, but I don't see that happening ...

if I am no better this afternoon, I will see if someone can take me to the hospital Emergency Room, and watch Sybil till I can return to camp ...

I appreciate prayers ...

a new campsite, and tragedy in the canyon ...

2011-10-15T09:34:00.000-07:00

we had some changes in the last couple of days ... I mailed off my solar voltage controller to it's manufacturer near San Diego yesterday, and I'm hoping to get it back next week, or so ...

I mentioned to the fee campground owner here, that I wouldn't be leaving this weekend, as planned ... I had to wait for my controller, so I may as well wait until my next check, before heading out ... my never-ending story: not rolling south before November AGAIN ...

the following day, the owner and his wife drove down to my campsite, and said I had to move my camp (he's connected with the Forest Service, and has the 'say-so' about me being there) ... I said " OK, I'll start loading up right now " ... then, he added " and, I want you to move up to any space in our campground, you'll have water and electricity there, no charge - we're leaving for a week or so " ... they finally got to take off with their big 5th wheel RV, and have a few days vacation, for a change ... they work constantly, and really deserve a break ... two of the nicest people you'd ever want to meet ...

lots of sirens in the canyon yesterday, and bad news started trickling in ... someone is frequently going off the road here in the Feather River Canyon, and it usually ends in death ...

a PG&E work crew went off the road into the river, yesterday morning ... it was at a particularly deep section, over 25 feet of water ... there were signs that a simple over-correction may have caused the accident, as speeding, etc., doesn't seem to be a factor ... of the 4 workers in the crew-cab pickup truck, only two escaped ... the two workers in the front seat drowned, while the two in the rear seat managed to get out ... all the workers were fairly young, and area residents, very sad ...

photo by Will Harris of the Feather River Journal

our prayers go out to the families of these victims

response to a solar wiring question ...

2011-10-14T10:50:00.000-07:00

I received an e-mail asking how I wired for my solar system ... I found an early post of this in my blog, in June, 2010, and updated it a bit ...

http://sunseekerimages.blogspot.com/2010/05/finding-electricity-in-boonies.html

I hope that helps ...

wonder why I didn't discuss my Bears' loss to Detroit last Monday night ? ( because I'm still ill from our performance !, that's why ) ...

'da Bears' looked pathetic while taking a butt-whoopin' from the Lions ... I can't even remember when the Lions could win a game ! ... anyway, we really stunk up the dome in Deeetroit ...


Bears stink it up, lose 24-13, now 2-3 for season - GRRRRR !!! tomorrow - changes in the wind, and a new campsite, maybe ...

long weekend ... and, an Update ...

2011-10-12T09:42:00.000-07:00

a long weekend in town and problems here at camp, have kept me away for a few days ...

immediately after arriving here at camp, my girlfriend's computer failed, so we had to go back to the city, buy a part, and install it ... it made for a 150+ mile trip, but I'm really glad it happened while I was up here, and not a thousand miles down the road ... it's vital that her computer is reliable, as we communicate daily via computer (Yahoo Messenger's Voice option), it's free, while my cellphone is not ...

after arriving at camp and plugging in my solar panel, my voltage controller has been acting differently than I'm used to ... it isn't coming on in the morning, in fact, it didn't come on until the afternoon ... pretty odd ... however, I am getting very little direct sunlight lately, what with the sun so low behind the mountain, and the overcast weather isn't helping things ... hopefully, that's all that's wrong (although it has always worked perfectly before now) ... a 'Solar Boost 2000E', it's the best controller of it's size, and has a 5-year warranty, so I'll be covered if something did go wrong with it ...

I am getting a solid 17+ volts from the solar panel, so I may put new connectors on the wires, in case something worked loose ... I don't like these crimp-connectors, but I don't have a soldering gun handy, anymore ...

Update:
sure enough, I traced my problem to a loose crimp-connector, so we are once again receiving our solar charge ! ... when I reach warmer weather, I am going to buy a soldering iron, and fix these connections the right way, no more crimping ! ...

once again, I am delayed on my trip south ... dammit, every year, I swear I will head south in September or October, only to scurry out in a cold, miserable November ... it really messes up my chances to camp enroute, as high-elevation Nevada backroads are just too cold to have any fun camping ... last year, I got to where I refused to even get out of the van to take a quick snapshot, it was so cold to me ... my numerous broken bones and damaged joints do NOT like cold or damp weather ...

speaking of sore bones, I contacted an attorney regarding my junk knee - he took my info and will run it by his Senior Partners, to see if it is something they want to get involved with ... I am to call back the end of the week, and see what they decided ... if they don't want my case, they will refer me to someone that does ... either way, it will likely take years (they are currently coming to the end of a 12-year fight over bogus hip implants), I probably won't get anything, but who knows ? ... maybe a few bucks will come in, about the time it's needed to bury me !, hahaha ...

or, maybe enough to keep Sybil in dog biscuits for awhile ...

he's dead ?? did he leave me any cookies ?

junk knee replacement ...

2011-10-07T13:33:00.000-07:00

anybody that knows me, is aware I have much trouble walking, to say the least ... the 2004 motorcycle accident that fractured my neck, also crushed my left knee ... I endured the results of that crash for a long time, before finally accepting I had to have the knee replaced ...

unfortunately, my knee is worse than it was before the surgery ... the knee is junk, and my surgeon that performed the procedure says I have a 'very serious unknown problem' in the knee, (bleeding thru the ends of the bones) and, it needs to be done over again ... another doctor I have seen agrees it definitely needs to be redone, recommending that I see a Sacramento surgeon, that 'only does knees' ...

it took me over 2 years to pay off the resulting hospital bill (my 20% share of Medicare, etc.), and I always told the doctor the only way I can have the knee redone, will be when those surgeries are paid for by someone else, since I'm kinda poor ...

my girlfriend works in the Medical Records dept. of a local doctor's office ... she had suggested that I get copies of all my medical records, that were lost in my fire, just so I'll have them ... a good idea, since I travel around the country ... when I received my records, the other day, I discovered the brand-name and model, of my replacement knee ...

guess what ? ... Google-searching for my knee replacement, I discovered literally dozens (hundreds ?) of attorney and legal firms are handling lawsuits over this knee replacement of mine ... it is apparently a real piece of crap, and what's worse, the manufacturer's 'recall' was kept VERY quiet, until the FDA finally stepped in, and demanded the recall ...

I have the 'Zimmer NexGen MIS' type knee replacement - these Zimmer knees seem to have an awful lot of problems, some models are even worse than mine, it sounds like ... if you have one, too, you may want to pursue this further ...

I wrote to a friend that is a retired attorney, to ask if I should contact one of these national networks of attorneys that are pursuing this situation, or to just consult with local attorneys ... I don't sue people - haven't yet, anyway, but my life has been very seriously affected from my mishandled knee surgery and followups ... it really is much worse than prior to the surgery, simple as that ...

so, now I'm just waiting to find out more about what to do, while I continue to get ready for our winter migration to the desert ...

this pic isn't related to the story, but is just too cute to ignore !

international exposure ...

2011-10-05T12:41:00.000-07:00

now and then, just out of curiosity, I check the 'hit-meter' for this blog ... the whole reason for starting this thing, was so family and a couple friends could see photos of my travels, and know when I finally keel over, etc., ... plus, as much as I talk to myself, it seems natural to write it down (although, sometimes it's a little scary to go back and see what I wrote earlier) ... insanity isn't necessarily a 24/7 proposition, you know ...

I have been surprised to see a couple international hits, one from France, and another from Australia, that was so cool finding those ! ... their entry sources were evidently from Google searches regarding Area 51, and the famous 'black mailbox', which Sybil and I visited last Spring :

Black Mailbox - an international attraction ! - who'da thunk it ?

the famous mailbox, which sits at the entrance road to the neighboring Medlin Ranch was obviously repainted white, a few years ago ... it is said, rancher Steve Medlin is the only civilian allowed to step foot on the huge, 'non-existent' military installation, and then, only to retrieve stray cattle ... even the vague existence of this military base was strongly denied for many years, and only grudgingly admitted to, in just the last few years ... after satellite photos became available to the general pubic, it finally got too hard for them to explain away this sort of thing:

the world's longest runway started getting noticed ...

Area 51 is in the northeast section of the Nellis AFB/NevadaTest Site Facility, etc., etc., complex ... your map may show 'Groom Lake (dry)', that's the location ... it sits roughly 148 miles north of Las Vegas, smack dab in the middle of 'nowhere' ... if you should ever go looking for AREA 51, DO NOT !, repeat, DO NOT ! ever trespass beyond it's posted warning signs !!! ... the Government signs plainly state 'Deady Force is Authorized' - remember, this is a 'Beyond-Top-Secret' facility for testing experimental aircraft and weapons systems, it's not Disneyland ... (for one thing, there's no long lines waiting for the rides !) ...

while no one has been shot YET, the ever-watchful security forces (plus, camouflaged cameras, heat and motion sensors, etc.) will hold you for the local Sheriff, and a HUGE $$$ prearranged fine will be paid, as soon as you reach the JAIL ... no kidding, you don't fool around out there on the wrong side of a fence, if you're smart ... there is NO way to talk yourself out of that substantial fine, and/or jail, either ...

don't even wonder if your "honey, I was abducted onto an alien spacecraft, forced to drink lots of beer, and then I was dumped off here" excuse you've used in the past, will work this time, either ...

you need a better alibi than that one, fella ...

to be honest, while I enjoy watching the jet fighters' war exercises out there, I do have a problem with the 'UFO enthusiasts' testing the limits ... I see the heavy presence of the security forces (private contractors), and the likely millions of dollars spent, just to maintain that secured perimeter ... I imagine less tax dollars would be wasted if people would just accept the fact THERE ARE NO FLYING SAUCERS AT AREA 51, and even if there were, you will never get any closer to them, and your continued probing wastes taxpayers' dollars ... there are crucial Top Secret military operations and testing going on out there, simple as that ... hell, ya gotta do it 'somewhere', the middle of nowhere seems about right ...

anyway, since there has been a little interest here, regarding Area 51, we will stop for awhile on our upcoming southbound roadtrip, and get some more pics ...


very soon, we will see this thru our windshield ...

but, not this ...

'humanoid snoopers deception' completed, next assignment ?

Bears win one, and it's drizzling ...

2011-10-04T09:28:00.000-07:00

before I start running off at the mouth, I want to thank my friend, Michael, that phoned to check on my well-being ... Michael is so bored, that he reads my Blog, and saw that I have been under the weather a bit ... Michael and Rascal are traveling east of here, in their large RV, we are former neighbors at the Slabs ... Michael is retired, and spends his time riding his motorcycle and traveling with his RV ... he has quite the RV rig, too ! ... Rascal is his 'Border Collie that thinks he's a Pit Bull' ... he and Sybil really tear up the desert when they're racing around ... Sybil is fast with those long legs, but Rascal can turn on a dime, while Sybil slides past, usually to crash into a creosote bush ! ... they're a ball to watch ...

I won't brag up my Bears much, as the Carolina Panthers team they beat on Sunday, is pretty weak this year ... nonetheless, a Win is a Win, I'll take it ...


Bears 34-29 over a mediocre panthers team ... now 2-2 for the season

we got a drizzling rain last night, cloudy today, but a big storm is supposed to blow thru on Wednesday, so we'll be sitting tight for now ...
I am feeling better now, the doctor gave me some Soma muscle relaxants that work well, and some Vicoden that I won't take unless I break a bone ! (i hate that crap) ... I'm doing better, finally, so hopefully my packing and final preps can get done next week ... I had planned on leaving on the 10th, but the inevitable delays will be in effect, probably ... but, not by much !

sybil is rarin' to go on an adventure soon !

decisions, decisions, I hate decisions ...

2011-10-03T14:02:00.000-07:00

a VERY generous gesture from a good friend, has had me perplexed for the last couple days ... perplexed, as to now having to make a decision after a long period of semi-planning ...

my friend and his girlfriend, are buying a house together, and selling both of their present homes ... he asked me to house-sit his home, while it's on the market ... it came as a sudden surprise, and I thanked him for the very generous offer, but I declined ... I just have a 'thing' about my independence, it's a chore to explain, so just accept it as 'that's just the way I am' ... after discovering my girlfriend was very happy to hear I 'could' stay in the area, at least for awhile, I was wondering if I'd made a mistake by turning it down ...
she has been real concerned for my safety, knowing how badly I've been feeling lately, but, while I love and appreciate her VERY much, I'm still going south for the winter ...

I just can't sit in one place this long, when I get restless, I get rude and obnoxious (go ahead, ask anyone !) ...
I swore when I came off the road truckdriving, that I would start living my life by MY schedule - no more being told WHERE to be, and WHEN ... it would be so cool, if it had worked out like that ...

now, if I could only afford the fuel to use some of that freedom !!!

I've spent the last few months sitting here in the woods, trying to put together some sort of affordable routing that will allow non-freezing camping opportunities, plus interesting sights to photograph ... I'm running about two weeks behind my own schedule, due to the severe neck & back pain I have been having, so now, I have to schedule my packing, etc. around a cold, rainy week in the forecast ... I will quite likely wind up getting out of here later than planned, and once again, I will swear to NEVER stay up north this late in the year ... (it IS pretty convenient to blame my laziness on the weather, though !) ...

Sybil and I looked underneath our trailer today, and we see it still has WHEELS under it !

and, it's time they start turning !

tough week coming up ...

2011-09-28T11:01:00.000-07:00

I'm dreading this upcoming week ... I'm too sore to do much of anything lately , and next week is the planned 'reloading the van' and 'sorting out the trailer' chores, prior to rolling out ...

next week is also my planned van service - oil change, grease, final inspections and adjustments, etc., before our trip begins ... it's also supposed to rain, beginning on Sunday, all through next week, and beyond ...
I hope the weatherman is wrong, as I have to get stuff outta storage, and pack it into the van, along with the usual gear (grill, doghouse, lawnchairs, etc.) ...
the best way to get this done, is to set everything out on the ground, and begin packing with an empty van ... if I absolutely have to, I have a plastic tarp I can cover the stuff with, while I'm loading ...

my brother-in-law sent me this photo, wondering if I have ordered one, yet ...

not much different from what I have now, but better MPG, I bet ...

sybil's public service announcement

bad football day ...

2011-09-26T15:12:00.000-07:00

uhh, I don't even wanna talk about Chicago's disgraceful performance against the Packers, on Sunday ... I think I'm gonna be ill on a lot of Sunday afternoons - (while Packers QB Rodgers had a pretty good day, the overall Packers team didn't show me much, it was just that 'da Bears' stunk up the stadium !) ... FIRE MARTZ, LOVIE SMITH, JERRY ANGELO, and anybody that speaks up for them ! ... - end of rant

bears punked by green bay 27-17, now 1-2 for season ... GRRRR !

meanwhile, behind my back, my van battery was slowly losing charge ... when I tried to start the van Saturday, it wouldnt turn over - down to 11.3 volts - DEAD ...

I have a battery charger cable that fits my Coleman generator, but it is in town, in storage ... I also have some cable and fittings, that would have allowed me to pull a charge off my solar panel, but it's in town, in storage ... I then thought about hooking up a length of wire to reach the trailer, and pull off it's house batteries, but my wire is in town, in storage ...

after 3+ years of boondocking, you'd think I'd know better ...

so, I finally swallowed my pride, and asked a local friend for a jumpstart, which he gladly did ... I'm letting the van idle for about an hour, and hopefully, it will hold the charge ...

the battery is the factory original, between 3-4 years old, I won't know it's real age, until I lift it out and read it's label ... it's also a fairly small battery, only 650cca, so if it needs replacing, it will get a more powerful battery ...

it's never cranked slowly before, so I think it's partly because it has been parked for about 10 days, with frequent cellphone and AA battery chargers running off of it ... plus, the real culprit, I left the ignition key on 'Accessory' overnight, and 'maybe' my vent fan was running all that time ... the fan always runs, when the engine's running, and the vent is open, but I'm not sure yet, if it runs during the 'Accessory' position, or not ... we will see after it is fully charged ... or, I could just NOT leave the darned key in the ignition ! ... (bears and cougars are not known to steal vehicles) ...


oh, did i mention ? while the battery was dead, it was raining, and, of course, the power windows were both down !

trash bags to the rescue ! ...

scary day tomorrow ...

2011-09-24T16:50:00.000-07:00

tomorrow will be a tough day, for Bears fans ... I want this win against the Packers, and we have so many key injuries (not to mention, a mentally disabled offensive coach) ... my g/f warns me about worrying, she thinks I am going to 'jinx' da Bears ... I am too mere a mortal, to jinx da Bears ! better ? ...

the Bears isn't the only team I'm rooting for, that has a tough road ahead - HERMAN CAIN FOR PRESIDENT 2012 - it was in the news today, that my fave Herman Cain just won the Florida Straw Poll by a W-I-D-E margin over Republican Party shills Romney & Perry ! ... very cool, he can't win, of course, but he has some good ideas to get this country rolling again -

it's called '9-9-9' and, I really like the man, he has respect and integrity that he EARNED in the workplace, not in a Harvard Law class ...

I'm getting a chiropractor appointment for next Friday, when I'm in town ... I don't know what else to do, I've tried pain shots and muscle relaxants, and I'm still stoved up, bad ... I have way too much to do before leaving on the trip, and the clock is running ...

Sybil got to play with a neighboring camper's German Shepherd today, but they are leaving Monday morning, so she's losing another playmate ... maybe I should get Sybil a puppy of her own ... after these campers are gone, only one other camper is in the area, maybe 2, but both are out of sight from my camp ...

it's that time of year, the couple regulars here, have packed up, and left for the warmer desert temps ...

Sybil & I won't be too far behind, her annual Vet appointment is on the 8th, and we'll roll shortly after that ...

not much happening ...

2011-09-22T12:15:00.000-07:00

not much happening here, just tinkering around ... I won't be going into town this weekend, as my g/f is busy with her granddaughters - they have soccer games, and a birthday party, so I will be staying at camp, with Sybil, can't really spare the gas anyway ($50 gas each roundtrip) ... I am doing some cleaning and organizing (yeah, right), since I can't do any of my van maintenance, etc. until my next check ... I'm trying to save a few extra bucks for the trip, just in case we have problems ... when truck tires are costing $200+ apiece in the event of a blowout, I feel better with a little traveling 'cushion' ... the way this year has been, I'm going to have a damn small cushion, for sure ...

so, I try to remember that I am a lot better off, than many, many others ... in most ways, I am a 'rich' man, and I forget that, a LOT ... I feel much better when I remind myself of that ... I tend to whine, bitch, and moan, most of the time (hey, it's what I do best !) ...

this time of year, immediately before leaving on another long road trip, I lose a lot of enthusiasm ... while I really enjoy driving, and would drive non-stop if I could afford the fuel, leaving my girlfriend is a drag I have to face ... not to mention, this canyon (cougars & bears included) is my favorite place to be, overall ... the canyon road along this North fork of the Feather River is partly what moved me to northern Kalifornia about 25 years ago ... it was my favorite motorcycle route, it's gorgeous scenery, and for some amazing reason, Kalifornia tends to maintain it very well ... it's really smooth compared to most roads ...

it also can be very dangerous, there are bad accidents almost weekly ... for the most part, it seems to be the 'in-a-big-hurry' drivers, that are hurrying back after a party weekend in Reno, or Kalifornians hurrying to a party in Reno ... either way, it's no road to get in a big hurry on ...

well, I'm off-subject (there was a subject ?), and boring, so I'm gonna go now ... Sybil is bored to death, she needs a good long 'hunting expedition' in the desert ...

i think i just found jimmy hoffa !

some sick Bears, and chilly mornings ... and, an Update

2011-09-19T09:00:00.000-07:00

Sunday's Bears vs Saints football game was hard to watch, and painful to recollect ...

the Bears did everything wrong they could think of, and the Saints had no trouble taking advantage of them ... once again, the blame lays squarely on our IDIOT Offensive Coordinator, Mike Martz ... how did we wind up with this moron ?, and is it true, the Bears actually pay him money $$ to show up at games ? ... everything wrong with the Bears, can be attributed to Martz, as far as I can see ... all he knows, is pass, pass, pass, and pass some more ! ...

I'm a dumbass at football, but even I know, when the other team knows what you're gonna do next, it gives them an advantage !! ... last year, after losing the first few games, the Bears management got on Martz's butt, to mix the offense up more, pass, run, run, pass, run, pass, pass - you know, they MIXED UP the game plan ! ... it worked, we won the rest of the games, and won the NFC Division Championship, and almost made it to the Super Bowl ...

GRRRRRRRR!! Martz must die !

Bears lose 30-13, and look bad doing it ... now 1-1 for season

we got up this morning at 6 am, and 42 degrees ... it's 8:30am now, and only up to 46 ... nice enough weather, really, but it shows the cold weather will be coming soon ...

this winter will likely be much different, than the last 3 ... when heading south those 3 winters, I pretty well assumed that I'd wind up at, or near, the Slabs in southern Kalifornia ... but, the Slabs have just become way too sleazy, and when the local cops start treating decent people the same as the trash they are accustomed to, it's time for me to spend my money somewhere else, and let Kalifornia's Imperial County continue it's slide into the sewer, without us, or our tourist dollars ...

as much as I really like some of the nice people I've met there, there are fewer of the nice folks, and many more of the lowlifes, every year I've gone down there ... there is a visible and significant negative change, down there, every winter ... it's a shame ...

I am not being 'snooty' or 'judgemental', I just don't like sharing my space with bums, alkies, perverts, and druggies, that's all ... hell, I'm poor, too, ya know ... just because you're broke, doesn't mean you can't wash your face every now and then, or wear halfway clean clothes ...
the few filthy, bearded freaks walking around in dresses, doesn't exactly add to the ambience, either ...

I must be getting old, I can still remember when I was the town weirdo, and everybody else was 'normal' ...

oh well, it's right next to a military bombing range, maybe an 'accident' will clean things up, and we can start over ... one can only hope ...

so, this winter will actually be our first, that we left for the winter, not really knowing where we're going ... I assume we will wind up in southern Arizona, but that is really just a guess, at this point ...

no, it's not an 'adventure' ... an 'adventure' is what normal people with 'options' do, when they're bored ... this is 'back-to-square-one survival', and we'll do just fine, wherever we wind up ... besides, I have a vicious animal by my side for protection at all times, (yeah, right) ...

on 'high alert status' 24/7 !

yesterday's Bears game is still messing with me !

let's cheer up a bit

that's not too cheery, I can do better

yeah, that's the ticket ! see ? dogs are smarter than cats !

   *************************************
UPDATE:   this just appeared on my beloved Chicago Bears' website:

Quote: " One day after the Bears called 52 pass plays and 11 runs in a 30-13 loss to the Saints in New Orleans, coach Lovie Smith vowed that the offense would become more balanced.
“I know the balance as far as run/pass wasn’t there,” Smith said Monday at Halas Hall. “All I can say is we’ll get it better. We can’t win football games with that kind of balance.”

Asked whether he had spoken to offensive coordinator Mike Martz about the imbalance, Smith said: “Yes, I have. I’m not going to sit here and tell you the reason why. I’m just going to tell you we have to get the balance a lot better and we will. We didn’t do that yesterday for a lot of different reasons." Unquote ...

HEY ! send me a check for the advice !!

gorgeous day ...

2011-09-16T13:51:00.000-07:00

I was outside, under the hood of the van, just 'tinkering' ... sniffing the oil and transmission fluid, checking the mileage against my record book, to see what maintenance is on the radar screen ... my Ford van ('Lucille II'), in hopes she will be anywhere near as perfect as the original 'Lucille', my 1977 Ford F-100, was !, has 39,600 miles on her now, after 3 years of ownership ... the first couple years included some very long roadtrips, so I expect my average annual mileage to drop a little, as gas prices rule ... but, the way it's getting harder to find good camping areas, more highway miles may be coming up, whether I like it or not ...

I will change the oil, plus the oil & fuel filters, before I leave on our southern trip in October ... I'm also going to pick up 4 zerk fittings in town, to install on the van's steering gear ... my 2008 Ford E-250 has little threaded plugs on the ends of the kingpins, instead of 'old school' zerk fittings ...

it probably saves the factory about $10 per vehicle by leaving the zerks off, plus, helps sell replacement kingpins, too ... (maybe, that's why Ford didn't need an Obama bailout !) ... I will replace the plugs with zerks so I can give the kingpins a little shot of grease every time I get under there to change the oil ...
some folks aren't aware they may be able to install the missing zerks on their cars and trucks to prolong the life of the steering components, so I will put up a couple pics, when I do them ... my van does have factory-installed zerks on the steering gear, draglinks, etc., but not the more 'grease-needing' kingpins ... I do wish my universal-joint also had zerks, but, it doesn't ... usually, the replacement U-Joints you pick up at the local autoparts store will have the zerks already in place, so, someday ! ...

as today's blog entry began, I was under the hood of the van, when I happened to look over my shoulder ... it was just such a pretty day, I had to grab my camera, and get a shot of it ...

ten feet from my door ... and, no cougars in sight !

we're going to town for the weekend - Sybil will be staying with 3 or 4 of her dog friends at my buddy's ranch ... she's already anxious to get away from the 'couch-potato man', too !

chilly mornings, and hot Bears !

2011-09-13T09:50:00.000-07:00

chilly mornings lately, but it's still hot later in the day ... my campsite is being shaded by the surrounding mountainsides, and that is the culprit ... the mountain is blocking the sun from my solar panel until almost noon, now ... then, I lose that sun to the trees on my western horizon, around 4pm ... 4 hours is not much time for solar charging, especially when the sun is low on the horizon ... the last couple weeks, I have been running my generator for an hour at dusk ... and, here in the last few days, an additional hour in the morning, keeps me until the sun gets over the hill ...

my morning charge is really only needed for prolonged computer use, I could easily skip the generator, if not for that ... but, I'm spoiled, my computer went from being a toy, to a way of writing letters and paying bills, and now, it's a pretty good way to stay in touch with my girlfriend, family, and friends while I'm bouncing around the boonies ...

I really could get by fine, without running the generator much, at all ... but, I am firm about not letting my batteries drop below 12.1 volts (50% charged) ... it's probably the best thing you can do for your batteries, and will drastically extend battery life ...

this morning, I woke up feeling better, compared to the last couple weeks (as usual, I have been having lots of problems with my neck) ... what a relief, it was starting to look like I was gonna be laid up for awhile, and at my busiest time of the year ... so, I should be able to start getting ready for my Fall roadtrip ...

time is running short ! (as slowly as I move, anyway)

**************************

my Chicago Bears played their first regular-season game Sunday, as they hosted the Atlanta Falcons in Chicago ... the Falcons were a 4-point Las Vegas favorite, and the #1-seeded team in last year's NFC Championship series ( which the BEARS won ! ) ...

I don't have television, wouldn't matter, they don't show much on the 'Left Coast' but the Niners and Raiders, anyway ... blahhhhhh !

so, I listened to the first 3 quarters of the game on internet WBBM radio, the Bears' flagship station, and then watched the last quarter on internet TV ... I'm limited to 5gb/month bandwidth usage, so I have to go easy on the streaming feeds ...

the Chicago Bears looked GREAT on Sunday, very focused, charged up, and very few mistakes, for the first game of a season ! - the Bears manhandled the Falcons on the line, and our defense sacked Atlanta's Quarterback Matt Ryan 5 times ! ... Brian Urlacher intercepted for a touchdown, the 4th career TD for our All-Star Middle Linebacker ... Quarterback Jay Cutler was impressive, living up to his abilities, with some long-overdue Offensive protection - passed for 312 yards, with two touchdowns, one interception (which was tipped by a player), and a QB rating of 107.8 ... the stats were only proof of the general opinion - " BEARS DOMINATED ON BOTH SIDES OF THE BALL " ... yup ...

and, once again, NO respect ... the following day, I listened to sports news on radio, internet radio, and my girlfriend said the same for her TV coverage: ZERO mention of the Bears game ! ... every game in the NFL was mentioned, except, ours ... I finally found some news of the game, after a Google Search for the results ... almost nobody is watching us, I guess ... but, here's the lead-in paragraph from the Reuters news agency:

Quote: " CHICAGO (Reuters) - The Chicago Bears, led by a ferocious defense and two touchdown passes from Jay Cutler, mauled the Atlanta Falcons 30-12 on Sunday for an explosive start to the National Football League season. " Unquote ...

most other seasons, I would say we have a Super Bowl team, BUT, since we were NFC Champs last year, we have a really TOUGH schedule this year, playing all the projected 'best in the NFL' ... our game schedule looks like 'fatalities ahead' ! ... no kidding, between the Bears, Packers, and Lions (who ?), even the official NFL statement called the NFC North the toughest league ... it's truly another season in the 'black and blue division' ! ...
I am sooo looking forward to watching Chicago eat Aaron Rodgers and his team alive this year (twice) ... it's coming ... Sept. 25th will be a serious beatdown, Packers, and, you're goin' down hard ! ...


bears demolish atlanta falcons 30-12 / BEARS now 1-0

New Orleans to be next week's victim ! ... BEAR DOWN !!!

visitors at camp !

2011-09-09T13:51:00.000-07:00

a highly unusual event occurred a few minutes ago ... I had just started on today's blog entry, when motorcycles pulled into my camp ... I then remembered, a buddy of mine had mentioned that he and a couple other riders would stop by, on their way up the canyon today ... this canyon road is some of the best motorcycling in the USA , it's actually what led me here 25 years ago ...

Sybil was mightily excited at their arrival, jumping in the air, grinning from ear-to-ear (yes, she GRINS !) ... she loves loud bikes, and black leather ! ... she trotted around, and sniffed each and every motorcycle seat, before settling down ... must be a 'dog thing' ... I just shook hands with 'em, instead ! ...

Sybil was born on my friends' farm in Illinois, and her very first sounds were my nasally, hillbilly voice, the VERY close, and VERY LOUD fast freight trains, and my friend Steve's Harley taking him to work early in the mornings ... so, while I'm awakened by loud trains, and loud motorcycles, (or the occasional hillbilly), Sybil will be seen wagging her tail, perfectly happy with the 'cacophony' of noise ... (I've always wanted to use that word in a sentence, this is a first !) ...

I haven't really observed Sybil's reaction when I 'light off' one of my firearms, something I need to do soon, for her safety's sake ... this upcoming trip to the desert will include some outdoor target practice, as I expect to be spending most of my time in Nevada and Arizona (two states whose residents don't automatically wet their pants at the thought of a weapon being fired) ...

last winter, I purchased a small portable target-holder contraption, so I can safely plink away with my guns in the boonies ... I want to be assured Sybil won't freak out at a gunshot, and run headfirst into a tree, or something ! ... when shooting my LOUD magnums, I will see if Sybil will allow a cotton ball in her ear, or something like that ... as I've gotten older, and lost a lot of my hearing (probably from listening to rock & roll music while shooting magnums, haha), I now wear ear protection when shooting ... duhhh, little late for that now, I'm afraid ... what did you say ? what ? ... huh ?
*********
still no Winner of the 'Grand Non-Prize' Quiz on the whereabouts of Sybil and I in this photo :


HINTS: #1. Sybil is watching the skies #2. 'the truth is out there'

HINT #3 the World-Famous 'Black Mailbox'

I think reader 'TinyCamper' will win this contest eventually, no one else has posted a guess, yet ... it might take a science-fiction fan to figure this one out (was that Hint #4 ?) ... best hurry with your guesses, so you can collect the exciting, 'Fabulous Non-Prize' ! ...

*******************************

this photo came to mind, after our Prezident's speech last night:

not many politicians would get thru that door !

I was thinking a sign like that would look appropriate over the entrances to the White House and Congress, but it might look better to hang the politicians up, instead !

Insurrection laws aside, what would the good Doctor say ?

Warning ! Conservative political opinions ahead ! ...

2011-09-08T11:41:00.000-07:00

I watched the first Republican debate over an internet link, last night ... I had to endure stops and starts with the video, due to slow internet reception, but still got to see some interesting parts ...

I almost hate to say it, but my guy, HERMAN CAIN, was the only candidate to even mention a solution to a problem, the rest were just doing their typical political posturing, for the most part ... when asked about fixing the economy, instead of the vague platitudes and cliches from the other candidates, HERMAN CAIN said :

(paraphrased)

" my solution to rescue the economy is called '9-9-9' ... a 9% Income Tax on Corporations, a 9% Income Tax on individuals, and a 9% National Sales Tax - if 10% is good enough for the Lord, 9% oughtta be good enough for the Federal Government ! "

as simple as that sounds, CAIN is correct, those 9% figures would lead to budget surpluses in a relatively short period of time ... but, that would eliminate so many opportunities for theft and fraud by every political hack in the system, not to mention the hundreds of thousands of IRS employees that would no longer be needed, I doubt anything like that could be accomplished, not in the real world ...

Rick Perry - what's all the hullabaloo about ? ... as I see it, a 'George Bush III wannabe' Texas Governor, that looks to be what Texans call " all hat, and no cows " ... a lot of people aren't aware, the Texas State government is set up in a way, that gives very little power to their Governor - their Lieutenant Governor is the power-wielder in the Capitol ... so, while Perry shouldn't be held responsible for some of their problems, he shouldn't be able to capitalize on many of Texas's successes, either ... this is a no-brainer for me, the GOP has already picked their candidate (Romney), and this late entry by Perry will only be a distraction ... distraction, and lightning rod for criticism, (taking some of Romney's heat for him) ...

Newt Gingrich, the political genius I love to hate, was right-on, as usual, but couldn't be elected dogcatcher, these days ... his 'horse's ass' personality screams at you from the TV screen ! ...

Ron Paul - poor, poor, little crazed Ron Paul ... what else can ya say about that lovable little munchkin ? ... everybody agrees with about 70% of what he says, but that other 30% is just plain scary ! ...

in Ron Paul's defense - I think it's reprehensible how he can score so high in the debates, and be IGNORED by the mainstream media ... CBS, NBC, CNN, ABC, etc., we already know he's a little nuts, but don't ignore him completely ! ... after catching a lot of flak about this after the Iowa Caucus debate, I see they did seem to give old Ron more exposure this time around ... Ron Paul has an enormous war chest, that old boy definitely has the $$$ behind him, and a loyal fan base ... the very same media outlets that have treated him so badly, will make tons of $$$ selling him air-time for his commercials ... sometimes, the bad guys win ...

Barbara Bachmann - ahh, lookin' good ! ... she doesn't say much that impresses me, but she sure looks good sayin' it ! ... her and Sarah Palin would make a hot-looking Prez & Vice-Prez, wouldn't they ? ... and, Bachmann kinda looks like my girlfriend, a real babe ! ... (that may get me outta the hole I'm digging !) ...

Rick Santorum, former Pennsylvania Senator impressed me, what little I heard with my spotty video reception ... he didn't get much face time on TV, but when he did, he sounded pretty level-headed ... maybe a future VP spot for him ? ... or, VP HERMAN CAIN sounds good, too ... I think the others for the most part, might have egos unsuited for the VP slot ...

Mitt Romney neither impressed, or made mistakes ... very well-prepared, and at ease in the debate ... I would have to hold my nose to vote for him, he's just too 'GOP Party Tool' for my tastes ... but, he didn't make any glaring mistakes, and didn't look quite as embalmed, as usual ...

I RESENT THE MAJOR NEWS ORGANIZATIONS CRAMMING 'THEIR' CHOICES DOWN OUR THROATS !!!

the way I see it, the Republican Party is going to guarantee their candidate will be Mitt Romney ... the others are gonna make noise, and that's about it ... Romney is who the 'guys in the back room' want out there ... period .

barring some miraculous turn of events that smile upon Obama, the Democratic Party will orchestrate the nomination of Hillary Clinton for President in 2012, IF they can convince Obama to come up with a face-saving excuse not to run again ... either retire, claim mental illness, write another phony book, go back to college and teach Socialism, whatever keeps him out of sight, and out of mind ... that may not be hard to do, Obama's party is rapidly deserting him, and his insane economic ideas ...

I'm opinionated, but not stupid - they're ALL selfish frauds !

BOTH sides of the aisle are full of career politicians that don't care about anything but re-election, while taxpayers give them health insurance for life, and cushy pensions, in return for a few years of emptying our pockets ...
but, that's just my opinion, and we all know about 'opinions' ...
and, now, I think I'm gonna go make pancakes ...

HINT #2 FOR IDENTIFYING TUESDAY'S PHOTO LOCATION:

'the truth is out there'

long holiday weekend ...

2011-09-06T11:38:00.000-07:00

we're back at camp, after the Labor Day weekend in town ... I was at my girlfriend's, and Sybil stayed with friends ... she has acres of fenced yard there, and 3 other dogs to play with, so she is worn out ! ... as soon as we got home, she just plopped over on her side, and snoozed for a couple hours ... I really like it when she gets to run and play, I'm not active enough to keep up with her ...

I'm just tinkering around, getting ready for our annual road trip ... I'm having an awful lot of trouble with my neck lately, so I am just doing a little at a time, until it frees up ... lots of online campsite searches, and maintenance, as I can manage ... I'm hoping gas prices will roll back soon, now that we're past Labor Day, so we can make an extended trip out of our southern journey to warmer weather ...

OK, travelers, see if you know where Sybil and I took this photo :

hint: Sybil is watching the skies

there is a ' FABULOUS NON-PRIZE !!! ' for the reader able to identify where we were parked, in this photo ...

da Bears get no respect ...

2011-09-02T18:58:00.000-07:00

last night was the 4th and final game of the Bears' preseason schedule ... we won, 24-14 over the Cleveland Browns, a team I love to despise, only because they are based in Cleveland, one of my very least favorite American cities ... hey, I try not to hold things in, it only raises my blood pressure ! ...

the game was played almost entirely by the 2nd and 3rd string players, plus some undrafted guys trying to make the roster ... they really played hard ...

the Bears' backups looked very good, and a few really stood out ... Caleb Hainie only stayed in for a few plays, and looked very sharp, scoring off a touchdown pass to my girlfriend's favorite player, Johnnie Knox ... they quickly benched them both, seeing that they're 'keepers', no sense in exposing them to injury ...

the Chicago Bears are now 2-2 for the preseason ... last year, we were only 0-4, and still won the NFC Northern Championship ... I read today on the official NFL website, that the Northern Division is definitely the toughest division in football ... every football fan knows that's why it's always been known as the 'black & blue division' ...

the 'professional sportswriters' unanimously call for the Green Bay Packers to win the NFC, and about 80% of them, go on to pick the Packers to beat the New England Patriots, in this year's Super Bowl ...

green bay ain't gettin' past da Bears, nope, uh-uh

battery maintenance: the long-winded version ...

2011-09-01T15:04:00.000-07:00

from what I've seen so far, solar panels are gentle on batteries ... once again, while servicing my batteries today, they were fine, and needed no distilled water to be added ... on the rare occasions that I have been hooked up to AC power, a monthly battery service usually included adding a little bit of distilled water to the batteries ... when dry-camped like these last 4 months, they doesn't seem to vent the water out, nearly as much ... the slow, gentle charge of the solar panel (about 7 amps), is 'friendlier' to the batteries, than the trailer's 45-amp converter, I'm sure ...

I have two Trojan T-105 batteries mounted in a steel cage, just behind the tongue-mounted propane tanks ... the popular Trojan T-105 is a typical lead/acid (automotive-type), 6-volt, golf cart battery, that has been a common sight with RV rigs, for many years ... they're relatively inexpensive, (mine cost $112 apiece, three years ago), and, are still performing like brand-new ...

they have a reputation of easily lasting 6 years, with minimal maintenance, although, in all honesty, I can't say how old mine are ... I have no idea how long they sat in the shop's rack, before I bought them, 3 years ago ... the owner of the shop where I bought mine, has been an acquaintance for many years ... he told me they are picked up by the battery wholesaler's service truck every month ... they are checked for water, re-charged, and put back into the route, basically 'rotating' the batteries throughout their sales area ... he winked when he said the wholesaler's service truck comes by monthly ... " I don't hold my breath, but he does show up now & then " ...


it's a tight fit

( you may see a length of white duct-tape on the front of the trailer, just behind the rear edge of the battery trays ... I stuck a couple layers of the tape there, to prevent the battery covers from rubbing against the white fiberglass surface of the trailer ... it does rub against the tape, too, that's how tight the battery space is ... )

regardless of their real age, my batteries have always performed very well, I have nothing but good to say about them ... I am pretty easy on them, though ... one 'Golden Rule' of solar power, is to avoid running your battery's 'state-of-charge' level below 12.1 volts ... that alone will double the life of your batteries, according to the manufacturers, etc ...

the thing is, a typical 12-volt battery will be around 12.8 volts, when fully charged ... but, that same battery is already half-discharged (50%), when it reaches 12.1 volts ... huh ? ... and, generators, alternators, and battery-chargers usually produce around 14 volts, to enable raising the battery's charge to a full 12.8 volts in a decent amount of time ...

to further confuse things, when I was finished servicing my batteries today, I switched them over to an ' Equalizing Charge ' for about 3 hours ... 'equalizing' is done about once a month (or, when I remember to), basically, this 'equalizing' raises my charging voltage up to over15 volts ! ... this overcharge rate tends to equalize all the battery cells, so they are using their full capacities, and last longer ... it still all sounds like 'Government Math' to me ... ??!??

my batteries have only discharged to 12.1 volts once, in the 3 years I've been living in the weeds ... wow, I've become a caveman ! ... generally, by the time I shut off my DVD player, light, fan, etc., and go to bed, my batteries are around 12.3 - 12.4 volts, still a pretty decent state of charge ... most RVrs are looking more more space on their roof to add another solar panel, but I'm a light user, and haven't outgrown my setup yet ...

I will possibly add another panel someday, but it's way down on my 'want-list' ... if I needed to increase anything, it would be SUNLIGHT ! ... this time of year, I'm losing sun to the 'high horizons' I have here, in this gorgeous canyon ... by the time I reach the southern deserts, there will be no more trees to block the sun ... that's depressing, when ya think about it ...

while driving, my panel will be flat on the van roof, but the van's electrical system will be supplying some additional current, too, so I should be fully charged, when I stop to camp ... if camped for any length of time, I will likely be tilting the solar panel, to get additional current ... it only takes a couple minutes to raise or lower the panel, but it does require the use of my 6' stepladder ...

and, now, my political comment for the day:

just sitting around today ...

2011-08-30T14:27:00.000-07:00

well, first off, my Chicago Bears had their 3rd pre-season game this past weekend, against the Tennessee Titans ... they announced prior to the game, that both teams would be playing their full 1st-string rosters for the entire first half ... in the first half (which is all that really mattered), the Bears looked really tight and strong ... even the Jay Cutler-QB haters said he was sharp as a tack, as Cutler threw for 170 yards, and was 13/20 with 8 different receivers, all in the first half (no, no touchdowns) ... we lost to the Titans 14-13, but I think the first half told the real story ... our Offensive unit finally started protecting the Quarterback, and gained a lot of yards rushing, too ... unfortunately, while Chicago seemed to dominate on the field, and pretty much controlled the ball as they pleased, they still weren't scoring POINTS ! ... hmmm, we maybe oughtta work on that, Lovie ! ...

titans over bears 14-13, now 1-2 in preseason

it's still pretty warm today, and I'm lazy enough to just sit around, when it's like this ... in fact, I can sit around in any weather, but that's another story ...

the sun is lower on the horizon lately, we may have to start tilting the solar panel before we leave here in October ...flat like it is now, I don't receive as much sun as I could tilted, but, I don't have to be chasing the sun with the van, either - it's a tradeoff (the solar panel is mounted on the van roof) ... tilting the panel directly towards the sun, makes for a significant improvement in solar charging, since I don't have good exposure here, being surrounded by tall trees, and mountains on 2 sides ...

kyocera 130-watt solar panel

'winter-tilt' when sun is low on horizon

I've posted these up before, but it is the time of the season to be thinking of these changes ...

definitely feeling better ...

2011-08-27T14:12:00.000-07:00

wow ! I just woke up to another 'less pain' day ! ... that's 2 days in a row, I'm on a roll ! ...

Sybil and I will be staying in the canyon this weekend, giving my girlfriend a 'weekend off', and hopefully, I will manage to get a few packing chores squared away ... I won't likely be leaving my canyon here, until the first part of October, but, as lazy as I am, I need to get started early ! ...

as much as I need to be in the company of friends and loved ones here, we do miss traveling with the trailer ... when my feet start taking root, it's time to roll ! ...

whenever I announce my future travel plans, they always tend to get changed enroute ... that's OK ... since I mostly drive along back roads looking for a good photo, my routing is pretty arbitrary, anyway ...

since yesterday's random photo was liked, I guess I'll post up more ... since I'm not doing anything the least bit interesting right now, why not ? ...

here's an early shot of our new Casita trailer, during our return trip from Texas ... I picked up my new trailer at the factory in Rice, Texas, took it to Illinois for a family visit, then returned to northern Kalifornia ... notice I said "I", as my dog Sybil was still to be in my future ...

Illipah Reservoir, Nevada - october 2008

Illipah Reservoir is situated on US50 (America's Loneliest Highway), in Nevada, approximately 30-40 miles west of Ely ... I really don't remember the exact distance, but it's quite easy to spot, it's well-marked entrance road is on the south side of the highway ... it's free camping, (so far), and I hear the fishing is good there, you may see a few fishermen gather on weekends ... I don't fish - the People's Republik of Kalifornia makes it an expensive hobby, in my estimation ... I've bought fishing licenses two years in a row, at $40+ a year, plus fishing tackle, and never even gotten a nibble, let alone catch a fish ... seems to me, I should be eligible for a refund ! ... I won't hold my breath ...

this cellphone-camera pic was taken by friends when I left here last year - we will look like this again, in about 5 weeks, when we leave for another winter road trip - just a little grayer (or, balder), and a little older (no wiser, though) ... and, in Sybil's case, a lot bigger ! ...

the dog - don't leave home without one !

finally feeling better ...

2011-08-26T13:37:00.000-07:00

waking up this morning held a special surprise for me (less pain !) ... after 3 days of muscle relaxants and ibuprofen, my neck settled down ... I woke up smiling, for sure ... now, I only have to work my way thru the sore back, and sprained/broken toe ... the toe is no big deal, but, each step reminds me about walking on rough ground in flip-flops ... duhhhhh ...

time for a photo, or two ...

it feels cooler to look at this, it's in the 90's here, now ...

driving thru Kansas, I just had to stop & shoot this old homestead ...

the whiner is back ...

2011-08-24T18:16:00.000-07:00

Monday morning, I went to the local walk-in clinic ... I've used them before, and like it much better than your typical doctor's office ...

they gave me a shot for the pain, which did less than nothing, waste of time & money ... but, the muscle relaxant pills seem to be working a little, at least I can sleep a little, now ...

- it's always sumthin'

I almost forgot, or tried to, anyway ... my beloved Chicago Bears got their butts whipped by the Giants Monday afternoon ... the New York Giants beat the Bears, in their 2nd pregame, 41-13 ... that's beat, alright ...

on the bright side, this is a preseason game, played mostly by the rookies and 2nd, 3rd stringers ... however, you still need to see that your first team can do the job ... the offensive line did a much better job of protecting the quarterback, giving up only one sack in the first half, compared with nine sacks in the previous game with the Rams ... that's a LOT of improvement, but, otherwise, the Giants pretty well manhandled the smaller Bears ...


OUCH ! Giants over da Bears 41-13

this brings the Bears to 1-1 for the preseason ... last year, da Bears lost ALL of their preseason games, and almost went to the Super Bowl, so I ain't too excited, YET !

back in camp ...

2011-08-23T08:11:00.000-07:00

Sybil & I are back in camp, after a weekend in town ... Sybil got to play all weekend with her dog friends, and I had a very painful weekend, with my neck problem ...

I went to the doctor, received a totally useless shot for pain (did NOTHING), and a bottle of muscle relaxers ... I sure hope the pills help, because that injection was about as pain-relieving as a glass of water ... no, maybe a 'half' glass of water ... damn, I hate giving money to doctors ! (they refuse to guarantee their work, ya know) ...

so, we're back up here in the canyon - Sybil's already bored, and I'm suffering with the damned neck ...

we're NOT having a good morning !

weekend in town ...

2011-08-20T10:05:00.000-07:00

we're pulling out of camp today, as soon as I finish my coffee ... I will be spending the weekend with my girlfriend, and Sybil will be staying with a good friend of mine, who has several fenced acres, and 3 dogs ... Sybil really loves it there, and just idolizes his big female German Shepherd, so she will have quite a fun weekend ... hopefully, she will manage to stay out of the poison oak there, but I doubt it ... I'll give Sybil a rinse-off when I pick her up, maybe it won't rub off on me as much (poison oak eats me alive !) ...

I didn't mention much of it, but I have been in excruciating pain for the last several days ... my old broken neck is bothering me, like usual, but last Monday it really got worse ... it hasn't improved much throughout the week, it actually has gotten worse ... if it doesn't improve a LOT over the weekend, then I will go into the clinic Monday, and see about getting some muscle relaxant and pain injections, ($$$), to give me a little break from the pain ... the neck muscles have tightened up around the nerves, and I am going thru hell with the nerve spasms, 24/7 ... my neck always gives me grief, but this past week has been unusually severe ...

I'm anxious to see my girlfriend again, as Sybil and I will be heading out of the area, not much longer ... I'm shooting for the first week of October ...

another critter - a 'safe' one, though ...

2011-08-18T09:23:00.000-07:00

last night, around dusk, Sybil got all agitated (like she does when she sees another dog, & wants to go play with it) ...
following her line of sight, I saw a small gray fox trotting right past our camp, pretty much ignoring me, and the large, hairy, jumping, wild beast that was by my side ...
I'm more used to seeing the red fox we have in my home state of Illinois - I have to say, the gray fox looks pretty drab in comparison ...

our weather has been pretty mild, but it is beginning to cool a bit ... while my high temps are in the 80's, I'm waking up to the low 40's ... real nice sleeping weather, and unusually cool for this time of year ... the local folks say when we have a cool summer like this, we wind up with an 'Indian Summer', and a mild winter ... I probably won't be here to find out if that's true, though ...
I'm still looking at an early October departure, and, if my planned Grand Canyon visit is to come true, I can't be delayed much ... October, even on the warmer South Rim of the Grand Canyon, drops into the 20's, and I have a 3-season trailer (no insulation, no protection for water pipes, etc.) ...

I'll either have to arrive before temps drop too far, or get more dogs !

I guess that won't work for me, as much as I love my dog, I don't let Sybil on the furniture, or in my bed ...

sleeping with a dog can be risky !

axle bearings ...

2011-08-16T10:45:00.000-07:00

yesterday, I finally took care of a chore that I've put off for too long ... I finally re-adjusted and greased my trailer's wheel bearings ... so far, I've put about 16,000 miles on the trailer, so I may have been a bit lax in this particular maintenance ...

these newer trailer axle bearings are really easy to work on, too ... I was surprised to find they use a different way of adjusting the axle nut these days, eliminating the need for any wrench, let alone a torque wrench ... you simply snap a retaining clip off the axle-nut, 'finger-snug' the nut, and snap the retainer back into place ... wow, it doesn't get any easier than that, I guess they have been like this for awhile now - shows how long since I've done wheel bearing work ... both of the axle nuts were only about 1/2 - 3/4 turn loose, and the grease was clean, so things looked OK ... I have been diligent about giving the bearings their occasional couple shots of grease, and a 'little loose' is better than a 'little tight' ... so, all is well ...

my girlfriend is giving me a welcome push to take more photos this year ... I have been a camera nut since I was a little kid, but I have always been particular about what I shoot (lazy) when it came to actually taking the photos ... the few times I did any commercial work, it was pretty easy for me - the client just told me what they wanted, and I came up with it ... but, left to my own, I seldom get inspired enough to pick up a camera ... my bad ... and, I'm blessed with the most gorgeous scenery possible, plus the ability to move around, so I really have zero excuses ...

so, she is cooking up a little project to use some of my photos (but, it's really just a scheme to get me off the couch) ... shows how much she knows, I don't even have a couch ...

Example: this is her favorite - it's not one of my faves, at all

back at camp ...

2011-08-15T13:28:00.000-07:00

I'm back up the canyon, after a weekend in town ...

Sybil had a ball, playing with the other dogs ... my friends took Sybil along with their two big dogs, and went to the 'afterbay', it's pretty much just flooded flat land, where some locals take their dogs to play ... so, Sybil got to run and splash around all day ... plus, my friends also gave Sybil and her playmates a shampoo ... so, thank you for that ! ... she was worn out from all the partying ... upon reaching camp, she was sound asleep, and stayed that way all night, even napping now ... she looks like the poster child for 'too much fun' ... I don't take her walking nearly enough, and I love to see her run and play with other big dogs ...

returning to the camp, I'm told the bears have been running wild up here, while we were gone ... still nothing disturbed at our camp, though ... I'm good about keeping food stored away, etc ... I keep a coffee can under the gas grill, so I can store the drippings inside the van at night ... the bear family seem to be perfectly happy at the 'Campground Dumpster-Diner', no sense in me giving them any competition ...

speaking of bears - my Chicago Bears' had a 10-3 Win last night, over the Buffalo Bills ... it was the first preseason game, really more of a 'practice game under pressure' for the players, than a competitive game ... but, it lets you get a look at the new players, and the second-stringers ... I especially like that aspect, so Bears' backup quarterback, Caleb Hainie, gets more exposure ... he scrambled up the middle last night, for the only Bears touchdown ...

my Bears also showed continuing weakness on the offensive line's pass-protection, same as last year ... still, we have some promising new guys up front, so maybe we will work through it ... we have a lot tougher schedule than last year, too, so I am 'irrationally optimistic' about this year's season ...


Bears WIN 10-3 vs Bills / 1-0 preseason

things calming down again ...

2011-08-12T12:43:00.000-07:00

thankfully, things have quieted back down, here in the Wild Kingdom - no more nighttime predator problems ... Sybil is still sleeping in the van, for her safety (and, so I don't wake up every 5 minutes to look out the window, to see if she's being devoured by rabid bunny rabbits, or something) ...

in the morning, I'm driving into town for a weekend visit with my girlfriend, and dropping Sybil off at her 'friends', for a fun weekend ... we have a good friend that is very active, unlike myself ... he and his girlfriend often go on long hikes, and take their 3 dogs, (plus Sybil) off to the lakes and rivers to splash around and run ... it's good for Sybil to feel like a dog for a change, (creaky old Dad is no fun) ...

c'mon, take me for a walk, ya lazyass !

maybe they're gone now ...

2011-08-10T16:07:00.000-07:00

two quiet nights in a row ! ... while the bears never seemed to probe my camp, they are still a concern, what with the addition of a young one into the mix ... the owners said the bears hadn't come back to trip their dumpster alarm, either night, so that's cool ...

no sound of our cougar for the last two nights, either, so maybe they're all just passing through ... or, something worse is approaching, and they have the good sense to split ! ... (wolverines ?, werewolves ? T-Rex ? ) ...

first, they gotta get past ME !

quiet night ...

2011-08-09T13:54:00.000-07:00

at last, a quiet night ... at least, at our end of the road - dunno how the campground dumpster fared ... Sybil slept in the van, with apparently no disturbances ...

days are getting hotter as of late, back to normal, after a cool period, really ... I am gradually doing chores, and trying to prepare for the next road trip ... if my local wild critter situation doesn't improve soon, I'll be taking Sybil somewhere else, no sense in being stupid about it ...

and the hits just keep on a'comin' ! ...

2011-08-08T17:27:00.000-07:00

our cougar was back last night, around 10 pm, this time ... she kept a respectable distance, and after a few minutes, was quiet ...

speaking with the campground owner, I was told we now have 3 bears ... that's THREE BEARS ... papa, mama, and baby bear evidently visited the dumpster last night, but I didn't find out if they got zapped, or not ...

the campground has pretty much emptied out, again ... there were a few RVs here for the weekend, a Jeep club, or something ... they pulled out Sunday afternoon, and the only other one in sight left this morning ... I still have one guy in an RV, in the woods behind me ... (I only gotta outrun him, not the bear !) ...


now, THIS is how all bears should be !

bear sentenced to electrocution ... well, not really ...

2011-08-07T12:16:00.000-07:00

I've never gone into detail about where I'm camped, simply because it's my favorite spot, and small enough to be easily overcrowded (at which point, it would likely be closed) ... so, I remain selfish about it's location ... I have to be this way - my survival depends on having at least a couple places to myself, that are safe, friendly, and tolerant to my RV way of living ...

I am less than a mile from a National Forest fee campground ... there is a small private campground only a couple hundred yards away from me, but the generous owners aren't up in arms over my free boondocking not far away ... I'm beyond their campground and nestled amongst the trees - out of sight, out of mind ...
it's nice to meet and get to know people like these folks ... at any time, they can remind me of the Government's 14-day limit for camping on 'their' property, and I'd have to move a minimum of 25 miles, for another 14 days, before I could return (in case anyone wondered about the legality of camping on Federal land, this info is true for 'most' areas, some that are situated near popular tourist areas, tend to have tight restrictions - always check the rules in your area) ... so, I'm fortunate to have discovered this great spot, after driving past it hundreds of times, over the years ...

BUT ! (ya just knew there was a 'but' comin', didn't ya ?) ... this year, the animal situation is just nuts ! ... the locals here that have grown up with wild critters walking around, have just never seen so much activity, so often, like we have been having the last couple weeks ...

the owner of the private campground put an electric-eye alarm around his large trash dumpster ... that guaranteed his loss of sleep, as the bear triggered the alarm all thru the night ... living right next to the illuminated dumpster, he was able to watch the bear fiddling with the lid ... he said it was the biggest bear he had ever seen, a big cinnamon male ! ... that's saying something, as he has lived here for 30 years, and is an outdoorsman that managed several large government-leased campgrounds here in northern Kalifornia, for most of that time ...
so, yesterday he was busy laying some steel fence-wire flat on the ground, around the trash dumpster ... then, he hooked it up to an electric fence-charger ... let your imagination play with that for awhile ! ...

when the electric eye signals something is at the dumpster, he will run to the window, verify it's a bear, and flip the switch to the electrified mat ... maybe not a good idea to wear your fur coat for a late night run to the old dumpster ! ...

hey, i was only sniffing it !

so, Sybil slept indoors again last night ... and, she needed out 4 times last night, too ... the second she steps out of the trailer, she makes several slow 'sniffing laps' around the trailer and van ... good night security, but not beneficial to my sleep ... almost always up and coffee on, by 6am, but today, I put Sybil outside at dawn, and slept in till 10am ! ... wow !

Sybil woke me up twice !

2011-08-04T09:49:00.000-07:00

well, it was a quiet night, no visiting critters, but Sybil barked (extremely rare), woke me up, and both times, needed out of the van ... and, quickly, too ! ... poor Sybil has diarrhea, but true to form, she held it until ol' Dad could wake up, and come let her outside ... what a good dog !

two nights in a row, this has happened ... I can't figure a dietary reason for it, maybe she's just fired up over the night visitors ... that could have her system messed up ... or, maybe she just ate too many sticks ... she does like chewin' on tree limbs ! ...

oh, now I see what's causing it ! ... Sybil's just sick of the Government ! (just like daddy) ...

Sybil's done her homework !

Sybil slept inside ...

2011-08-03T14:07:00.000-07:00

this whole 'wild kingdom camping' is getting tiresome, haha ! ...
last night, Sybil was hopping around enough in the van, to keep me from getting to sleep ... I could hear it from my window, and see her standing on the window's edge, peering into the darkness ... she didn't seem nervous, just too curious for my liking ... so, I brought her inside the trailer ...

yup, it was quite a tight-fit in there ... but, I got to sleep !

then, this morning, I was told a bear rampaged the garbage dumpster again ... that's about 150 yards from here, so I bet Sybil got a whiff of him, in the night air ... anyway, I was asleep, and my trusty 'guard-dog' was safe in the trailer with me ...

somehow, the 'guard' roles got reversed here, I think ...

our cougar's still prowling, and captured on tape ! ...

2011-08-02T09:32:00.000-07:00

our mountain lion (cougar) was roaming around again, last night ... about 11:45 pm I was awakened by her screams (my research said only the female 'screams' when prowling) ... she didn't get as close this time, but she was headed towards my camp, for sure ... I doubt if she got any closer than 150-200 yards, last night ...

during the weekend, I had another rv trailer come in, and park about 50 yards from my camp ... I can just barely see a glimpse of white through the trees, so I know it's there, but still have total privacy ... as the cougar moved closer, it evidently encountered the other camp first, as I heard a noise from them, and then the cougar reversed direction and went away, just like when I yelled at it ...

this time, upon awakening, I grabbed my voice recorder, and got a few screams on it ... it wasn't as loud as that first night, because it didn't get nearly as close, this time ... you can only imagine that scream amplified about 10x, and 20 feet away, it is really blood-curdling, the hair will stand up on the back of your neck ! (and, hell, I ain't skeered of nuthin' !)

listening closely, you can hear the cougar scream at the 4,18,20,29, and 32 second marks ...

Sybil was safe in the van all night, so I just went back to sleep ... this morning, I played the little handheld recorder back to her ... when the cat screamed, Sybil's eyes widened, and she growled at the recorder, she didn't like it, not one bit ...

curiously, my girlfriend still won't come camping ... ? what's up with that ? ...

back in the canyon ...

2011-08-01T11:41:00.000-07:00

I arrived back up in our canyon last night, and retrieved Sybil from our neighbor that was watching her for the weekend ...

our friend said Sybil was VERY agitated the previous night, growling and barking at 'something' ... I have no doubts the bear was nearby, because he had been getting into the trashcans, just a few yards from there ... bears aren't much of a concern to me, it's that cougar that is my main worry ...

and, for the first time ever, it seems Sybil did a 'wolf-howl' ! ... my friend's wife heard a wolf howl, and looking out the window, saw Sybil sitting with her head thrown back, howling in earnest ... a friend of mine, that owns Sybil's best friend (a female German Shepherd), said the only time his dog has howled like that, was when a bear was on the property ... makes sense to me ...

except, sybil is purtier than this one !

going into town today ...

2011-07-29T08:45:00.000-07:00

I'm heading into town for the weekend, and Sybil will be staying with a friend up here, in the canyon ...

my girlfriend and I have decided to go to Reno, NV on Aug. 13th, to catch the final night street parade of hot-rod cars, during Reno's 'Hot August Nights' event ... this year is their 25th Anniversary, should be a biggie ...
I will be taking lots of photos and videos there, and will post some up here, on our return ...

it won't be long, I'll have to start on my chores, to be ready to roll out in the Fall ... I'll rotate my tires, change oil, etc., and re-pack the trailer's wheel bearings ... plenty of other little things to be done, too ...

now, off to the city for the weekend !

P.S. - A CAMPER'S SAFETY TIP:

when parking on non-level ground, it's always a good idea to ENGAGE YOUR EMERGENCY BRAKE, and ...

chock your wheels, too !

'tinycamper' concerned for Sybil ...

2011-07-27T12:55:00.000-07:00

reader 'tinycamper' wrote to say she was relieved Sybil will be secure inside the van, safe from Cougar 'claws and jaws' ! ...

the room service ain't too shabby, either ...

the side door gets closed at bedtime, and you would think she wouldn't like that ... but, when I open it again at dawn, she wakes up, wagging her tail, and usually sneaks back in the afternoon, for a little naptime ! ...

needs some catching up ...

2011-07-26T13:03:00.000-07:00

I have some catching up to do, the old blog is falling behind, again ... I have been a little more physically active lately, and it has me a bit 'stoved-up' from the effort ... I broke my neck (just a little hairline fracture) when I wadded up my Moto Guzzi motorcycle in 2004, and it sometimes gives me fits ... and, horrific headaches ... (further proof there IS 'something' between my ears, after all) ...

the weather has been slightly cooler than normal up here in the canyon, so that's a relief ... especially when I see the temps across the rest of America ... real nice, actually ... along with the most beautiful scenery available, it's really quite nice ... big-toothed critters, or not ...

it's very quiet at night again, no more foraging carnivores, at least ... Sybil has grown quite fond of her cushiony dog bed in the van, and doesn't mind being locked in at night ... this is good ...

also good, the NFL strike is over, football will be starting soon ... my Chicago Bears were to play the Rams in the pre-season NFL Hall of Fame game, but the strike forced it's cancellation ... so far, looks like none of the sportswriters are even mentioning the Bears, but with some key off-season acquisitions, we should be in the running ...

fortunately, we will still have Caleb Hainey as Jay Cutler's backup quarterback ... so, if Cutler turns sissy again this season, he may have a hard time getting his job back ... I'm real comfortable with the idea of Caleb Hainey as starting quarterback, anyway ...

either way, I predict the Chicago Bears will be pretty good this season, despite the fact we have a very tough schedule ahead, compared to last year ...

and, we gonna tear off a piece of Aaron Rodgers' butt, too !