Peregrinating
2018

April

1 April
Quail Ridge RV Resort
Huachuca City, AZ

Not much happening here on this Easter Sunday. I made up another batch of breakfast meals using barley, apricots and raisins this time. That may be all that I do today other than my usual routine.

The Adventure of the Devil's Foot is one of the 56 Sherlock Holmes short stories written by British author Arthur Conan Doyle. It is one of eight stories in the cycle collected as His Last Bow. Doyle ranked The Adventure of the Devil's Foot ninth in his list of his twelve favorite Holmes stories. I read it as a stand alone book downloaded from Gutenberg.

The addition of the Verizon cell phone has killed the Chrome Data Saver extension that I was using to tell me how much data I was using every day. It did not agree with what Verizon says I use but it was helpful. Now it tells me that I have used -0- data which is not useful. I think I'll stop at Verizon again and see if I can get that fixed. I found instructions on the Internet but they tell me to click on things that do not exist - at least I can not find them.

I certainly hope David Hogg stays in the Media limelight until the midterm elections. I think his call for advertisers to drop the Laura Ingraham show is going to backfire. From what I have read the only thing that Laura did that was wrong was apologize. She certainly did not say anything that approached the attacks that Hogg launched against Senators Rubio and McCain. Maybe Rubio is a fair target but McCain is a dying old man that certainly will not be running for re-election.

2 April
Quail Ridge RV Resort
Huachuca City, AZ

Replaced both batteries in my hearing aids yesterday. The ones I replaced lasted 6 days the original ones lasted 7. I was told that they would need to be replaced every 5-7 days so they seem to be right on schedule. I received 60 from the VA about a week ago which should last me about 7 months.

When I replaced the one for the right ear it was not working. I then replaced the wax guard in the aid and was good to go. How long the right side had not been working because of the plugged wax guard is unknown. I do check every morning after fitting them in to see if they are each working.

The Adventure of the Red Circle is one of the 56 Sherlock Holmes short stories written by British author Arthur Conan Doyle. It is included in the anthology His Last Bow. I read it as a stand alone book downloaded from Gutenberg.

"We’re supposed to believe students who survived the Parkland FL school shooting about gun control. If a survivor lived through it, experienced the terror, and now supports gun bans, then he or she must be right, we’re told.
Yet if a different survivor lived through it, experienced the terror, and now supports the Second Amendment — not gun bans — then we’re supposed to dismiss him as too young, and too brainwashed to know any better." - If David Hogg is Too Fragile for Laura Ingraham, Then Why Believe Him on Guns?, Dr. Michael J. Hurd

"A country without a unifying moral culture is no longer a country. Yet, what pretends to be a country, the US, is being led into war against Russia, a real country. There is no chance whatsoever of the US prevailing in the oncoming war." - How Our Country Was Stolen, Paul Craig Roberts

"You know I believe the Lord split knowledge up among his subjects about equal after all. The so-called ignorant is happy. You think he is happy because he don’t know any better. Maybe he is happy because he knows enough to be happy. Well, the smart one knows he knows a lot, and that makes him unhappy because he can’t impart it to all his friends. Discontent comes in proportion to knowledge." - Will Rogers

3 April
Quail Ridge RV Resort
Huachuca City, AZ

A lot to do in town this morning. I had a dental cleaning appointment that went fine but with x-rays is just too expensive and the reason I'm trying to get an appointment with the Clinic. Followed that with breakfast at Café O Lé where I got their Chorizo Omelet with very good home fries (get them vs hash browns) and decent coffee.

I then wanted to get my Chrome Data Saver issue taken care of at Verizon but the sales rep that I bought the flip phone from was on vacation and there was a 30 minute wait. So I made an appointment for Friday.

Then did some driving around until I found the Sierra Vista Fire Station that accept drop offs of cell phone donations for Cell Phones for Soldiers. The map location that is shown on their website is wrong and I went past it twice before stopping and looking it up on Google Maps using the street address. I donated my TracPhone.

Filled Desperado with gas at the Fry's station and filled the pantry with groceries at the store. Then on the way back to the Park I stopped at RV City and got Desperado's propane tank filled, bought some water hose and water inlet washers and had my SurgeGuard check out. I thought the SurgeGuard was history and simply had that confirmed.

The Adventure of Wisteria Lodge is one of the fifty-six Sherlock Holmes short stories written by British author Arthur Conan Doyle. One of eight stories in the volume His Last Bow, it is a lengthy, two-part story consisting of "The Singular Experience of Mr. John Scott Eccles" and "The Tiger of San Pedro", which on original publication in The Strand bore the collective title of A Reminiscence of Mr. Sherlock Holmes.

This has disrupted my routine but that is going to be true for the next couple of weeks. I have another VA appointment and Patches has a couple of appointments. I need to go back to town on Friday to Verizon and with any luck my orders from Amazon will be there waiting for me at the UPS Store. Post this now and then see what may be happening according to the Lame Stream Media.

4 April
Quail Ridge RV Resort
Huachuca City, AZ

Cooked up some Chicken Pozole this morning. This batch will give me 3-4 'linners' and something different than my daily fish meals. I'll see if the diet this past year has resulted in any weight loss when I have the weigh in at the VA next week.

Not a lot of Customer Reviews of this Wells book. The one I have chosen to quote comes as close to what I thought as any of them. The "sort of recommended" is faint praise, I can not even go that far. Read at your own risk.

Not your average H.G.Wells. Mystical and religious, with some fairly heavy-duty theology. It certainly had its moments, but though I felt it was worth reading to the end, it was tough going. Sort of recommended. - Customer Review @ goodreads.com.

"Those in America today are, in essence, a subjugated people, just as Europeans were prior to the American Revolution. They’re accustomed to the concept of the “nanny state”—one which taxes its people heavily and throws back a portion of what they’ve stolen in the form of “bread and circuses,” as in ancient Rome.
Americans today complain continually, either that too much is being taken from them or that the state isn’t providing them with sufficient largesse. Some even complain of both at the same time.
And yet, a very large percentage of Americans holds out “hope” that somehow, the process will reverse itself—that a new political candidate will appear—a “Freedom Fairy,” who will somehow stand in front of the runaway train, stop it, and reverse it. Historically, this never happens." - The American Revolution in Two Acts, Jeff Thomas

This is good News for the gun confistication advocates. The strict British gun laws are working, very few murders are committed using a gun in the UK. There is some bad News however.

"In a nation that’s a gigantic gun-free zone, stabbings have surged to the point that the capital has surpassed the murder rate of New York City. The British city’s surge in violent stabbings has seen the murder rate also spike as citizens have been denied the right to defend themselves from attacks.
A massive decline in crime has helped to transform New York City, where London is facing the opposite effect. The total number of murders in London has fluctuated over the years, but it’s risen by 38 percent since 2014. And now, deadly stabbings in England and Wales are now at their highest levels since 2011, rising by 12 percent in the year ending December 2017." - ‘Gun-Free’ London’s Murder Rate Surpasses New York As STABBINGS SURGE, Mac Slavo

It seems that all the of the Lame Stream Media was reporting Fake News again regarding this YouTube shooting. The facts just did not fit their narrative; a woman mass shooter that did NOT use an AR-15. Perhaps the name scared them and they were trying to cover up another Islamic terrorist attack when what they were doing was providing cover for YouTube.

"As it turns out, Tuesday’s shooting at YouTube headquarters (which has so far resulted in zero deaths other than that of the shooter, who committed suicide) had nothing to do with domestic violence and everything to do with blowback to YouTube’s demonetization efforts – as many initially feared." -YouTube Shooter Identified As Nasim Aghdam

This happened in California where " one has to acquire a gun safety certificate from the state before being allowed to purchase a gun to keep in their home. Once they have the certificate they must go to a gun store, choose a gun, pass a background check, and then wait 10 days before being allowed to take it home. They must also register the gun with the state of California. In order to carry the gun for self-defense they have to convince their county sheriff they have “good cause” to do so, which is part of the process of going through another background check to acquire a concealed carry permit. California also has an “assault weapons” ban and ammunition controls." What law needs to be passed that will control guns? I think I know - CONFISCATION.

However, how is that Confiscation Law going to be enforced when the gun has been obtained illegally? Or, what if the gun has been manufactured at home?
"Under federal law, building an unserialized gun is legal so long as it is intended for personal use and is not sold. And now building one is truly easier than ever; what once required hulking and expensive machinery and expertise can be accomplished with relative ease and on the cheap using tabletop mills and 3D printers. Everything a person would need can be freely purchased and sold online, no questions asked. And since the only part of a gun that does require a background check is the receiver, the companies that sell them have created workarounds by offering partially completed receivers. Known as “80 percent” lowers, or unfinished receivers, they don’t require checks or serial numbers, and they are manufactured so that all a person has to do is drill a few holes, make a few cuts and, depending on the type of gun, bend it into shape for it to be completed. What’s more, some milling machines, small enough to fit on the top of a desk, can now churn out unserialized receivers with just the push of a button." - People Are Making Completely Untraceable Guns in Their Homes, Bryan Schatz

5 April
Quail Ridge RV Resort
Huachuca City, AZ

If the weather guessers are right we are going to have a week of boring temperatures with the high in the 80s and the low in the 50s - every day. There will be winds every day also which is almost a given, no need to forecast them.

The latest Wells book that I am reading is a collection of short stories with a couple of them of novella length. One of them is a prequel to The Clan of the Cave Bear by Jean M. Auel published in 1980. The Clan of the Cave Bear - Earth's Children, first in the series of 6 books, has 30 reviews at goodread.com whereas the Wells short story as a book received none.

A Story of the Stone Age is a short story written in 1897, was featured in three parts between May and August 1897 in The Idler magazine, and was later released in collected editions. The story is set during the Stone Age, and tells of a caveman named Ugh-lomi, who bonds with the young woman Eudena and kills his rival, the de facto tribal leader Uya. Whilst in exile, Ugh-lomi becomes the first man to ride a horse, and to combine stone and wood to fashion an axe. He uses this weapon, along with his wits, to survive encounters with cave bears, hyenas and rhinos, and ultimately claim the position of tribal leader for himself.

I made up some more sardine and potato patties this morning which will be all the cooking I'll be doing for the next few days. The latest breakfast mix that I am eating is barley, apricots and raisins. I like it better than the previous one that used Craisins® although when I mixed them with chopped dates I though that was good.

My Amazon order has been delayed because of weather. It has the electronic ear protection muffs that I wanted for the range this Saturday so that is a disappointment. It may still make it by Friday but I am no longer counting on that happening.

6 April
Quail Ridge RV Resort
Huachuca City, AZ

History does rhyme - be sure to see this week's Will Rogers article.

I received an email from Amazon this morning that claims that the package that was delayed, which contains my electronic ear muffs, is out for delivery. I have the afternoon appointment with Verizon that I made before this delay happened wanting to give as much time as possible for the new ear muffs to get here. Very glad that I did and I might actually get them in time for the Match at the range tomorrow.

There is 10# of hulled barley in that package also but I have enough for a couple more weeks. Also a Stainless Steel Chain Mail Scrubber for Cast Iron Cookware that I lived all this time without. Didn't know that there was such a thing but soon I'll be the proud possessor of one.

The second of two packages coming from Amazon arrived yesterday. It was to arrive after the one that was delayed. So I have that to pick up after Verizon. There is also a package in the mail via USPS from a holster maker but that will probably not arrive until next week. Very long delivery times on holsters from small custom makers if you go that way versus the big commercial companies. Maybe the wait will be over next week.

Probably will not get any pixel art drawing done today. I will be reading the Wells book and could finish it today as well as a collection of short stories by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. He is known for his Sherlock Holmes stories but these short stories have nothing to do with Holmes. His non-Sherlockian works include fantasy and science fiction stories about Professor Challenger and humorous stories about the Napoleonic soldier Brigadier Gerard.

"The worst form of inequality is to try to make unequal things equal.” — Aristotle

“The inherent vice of capitalism is the unequal sharing of blessings; the inherent virtue of socialism is the equal sharing of miseries.” – Winston Churchill

7 April
Quail Ridge RV Resort
Huachuca City, AZ

This customer review is better than what I could say. I had read The Crystal Egg, The Star and The Man Who Could Work Miracles in previous collections but they were enjoyable re-reads. The two novellas are very good with "Days to Come" a prequel to another one of Wells books that I have read.

Despite its age, this is an excellent little collection. It consists of 5 stories. The Crystal Egg is a story about a device that lets someone observe somewhere else. Sort of an interplanetary CCTV camera. The Star is about a near miss of an interplanetary body, a star, which is a sort of a disaster story but is much too conservative (pretty sure if what is described actually happened, the Earth would be no more). The next two stories are linked - A Story of the Stone Age is a bit of historical fiction - similar to Clan of the Cave Bear type writing, while A Story of the Days to Come is a story about a futuristic society in the same location. Together they are attempting to push Wells' socialist view of how humans should change. The last story, the Man Who Could Work Miracles, is a bit of time travel in a way. - Customer Review @ goodreads.com.

My appointment with Verizon was a complete waste of time. The guy that was to help me did not know any more about how to fix the problem than I do. He suggested that I contact Google but I know what I will get there - nothing, not even a run around. I searched the Internet and found nothing but that is not too surprising. If It is a Google problem a Search is not going to bring it up in the first 10 pages.

I got my new electronic ear muffs yesterday. Today at the range I wore them with the hearing aids. If the muffs Sound Amplification is set at the lowest level I can not hear the starting beep signal but with it set on high I can hear it 30-40 feet away. Able to wear them while having a conversation and hear just as well as with only the hearing aids.

Now if I could only shoot. I think I did better than last month but it would be hard to do worse. I see scores tomorrow but expect to be dead last again overall. I'll probably be last in the Revolver Class also because there were two other Revolver shooters. However, they were both 6-shooters so I'll still be first in the Bug- R (Back Up Gun -Revolver) Class because I was the only one in that Class.

The temperature was up to 80° by the time we finished so the 5-10 mph wind was very welcome. The forecast high for today is 85° but it was already at 86 by 1:30. I expect it to be even higher by the time we go for our afternoon walk.

8 April
Quail Ridge RV Resort
Huachuca City, AZ

This customer review does a great job. The point that he makes about the British satire of the French must have been very common in the later part of the 19th century. Not that it is not still true. The General Gerard character is very similar to the French characters that Leonard Merrick included in his books although they were all artiste. Recommended - it is a fun collection of stories and not Sherlockian in any way.

One probably has to be English to get the most out of Etienne Gerard, who is one of Conan Doyle's most beautifully-drawn characters (as good as Sir Nigel or even Sherlock) and a wonderfully bitchy British satire on the French. Etienne is an old Napoleonic grognard who attributes much of the Emperor's success to himself, gallant beyond belief, with a gallic overestimation of his abilities, charms and achievements to rival Cyrano. If you understand the centuries-old Franco-British rivalry, you will revel in his adventures. The episode of the fox, especially, brought tears to my eyes. Gerard fumbles and brags his way through the Napoleonic wars, managing to make a complete cock of just about everything yet somehow escaping with the credit. - Customer Review @ goodreads.com.

I'll not be doing much today. The time at the range is a work out, need time to rest. When I say a work out there is a lot of standing plus I pick up brass which requires a lot of bending that I do not do as a routine.

My hope that the space on my west side would remain open was dashed yesterday. There is a big 5th wheel in there now that blocks most of my Whetstone Mountain view. Even worse than they being there it looks like they are going to stay for awhile.

9 April
Quail Ridge RV Resort
Huachuca City, AZ

This customer review is only one of many but seemed to say what I had in mind. The book is a novella so a very quick read. Written during the period when Wells was writing his classic 'science fiction', a term that he did not like, preferring 'scientific romances'.

Surely an oversight that I hadn't read H.G. Wells' The Time Machine before now. By all accounts, this is the original time travel story. Still, social class and how technical innovations change humanity are more central to the story than whether the narrator was actually able to travel to 802,701 AD. Ever since, time travel stories have been about exploring the possibilities of the present rather than some far-flung future (or past). This novella was sometimes clunky (but it was written in 1895), but I found it a quick and fun read which continues to be thought provoking. And it has a solid ending! - Customer Review @ goodreads.com.

As I expected I was dead last overall in the Match on Saturday. The two other revolver shooters are both rated so they have far more experience that I. But I could tell that by watching the one shoot that was on my squad. I did do better so not disappointed, I'll never be very good but just want to be good enough.

I have a VA appointment this morning so will post this and be on my way. Just my annual sit down with my 'health provider/doctor'. I would say with my doctor but I don't think I have seen a doctor since I left Reno and then they were all 'doctors' doing their residency. I'll be seeing a new person today that is a Family Nurse Practitioner - Board Certified.

That is fine with me. The non-doctors take more time with you and seem more willing to listen to what you have to say. I will once again find out if I am right.

10 April
Quail Ridge RV Resort
Huachuca City, AZ

A very good annual check up with my new VA 'doctor'. I think I will like her even more than the previous one that I had here in Sierra Vista. Blood pressure was high as always because of 'white coat syndrome' but she had my latest report of home readings and said that I was fine. Said I could quit taking readings but I said it was now such a habit that I would continue.

Total cholesterol was a little high as was the LDL but both were less than from the last lab test. All my other blood work readings were excellent. What the lab test did not show was my weight. At the weigh in today I tipped the scales at 202.6# which is about 34# less than what I weighed 5 years ago when I started changing my diet.

I am now overweight per the BMI charts but the Smart Body Mass Index (SBMI) has me rated as Normal. I want to drop some more over the next few years and get back down near my bicycling weight which will put me in the Normal range per the BMI. The 'doctor' thought I was doing great when I said that as of today I weighed less than when I went into Army Basic Training.

The left ear hearing aid announced that it needed replacing while we were doing our morning walk. I knew that the right ear would be making a similar announcement within a few hours and sure enough it happened while I was at my VA appointment.

The hearing aid does not shut down after making the announcement and I have not attempted to find out how long it might last before going completely dead. About 7.5 days on the prior pair of batteries.

Camera Hogg, the Media's gun confiscation Poster Boy, received good News. He has been accepted by the University of California - Irvine but will not attend until his work is done on the 2018 election. The out-of-state tuition and fees are $43,530 so he will also need that year to cash in on his temporary leftist lovefest. I think it is also good News that he will be working the 2018 election.

11 April
Quail Ridge RV Resort
Huachuca City, AZ

With my total cholesterol and LDL (bad cholesterol) slightly high I wanted to see how I was doing when measured by the Cholesterol Ratios.
LDL/HDL ratio is the LDL level divided by the HDL level. It's one of the most popular measures of a heart disease risk.
ideal: below 2.0
good: below 5.0--I'm at 3.1667, a long way to go
Triglyceride/HDL ratio triglyceride level divided by HDL level. It's a less popular indicator; nevertheless, it is also used to determine heart stroke risks.
ideal: 2.0 or less
good: 2.0-4.0--I'm at 2.0833, so close to ideal
Total cholesterol/HDL (TC/HDL) ratio is found by dividing the total cholesterol level by the HDL level. It is considered the worst of these three indicators but this number provides a general idea of your health condition.
ideal: under 3.5
good: under 5.0--I'm at 4.583, not too bad

We were off to town this morning with a number of things to do. There was a Patches vet appointment where she got a clean bill of health. The vet said she looked great and I was doing a good job keeping her weight where it is. Expensive but I liked this vet and the office personnel better than the prior vet in Sierra Vista.

Then breakfast at Café O Le´ where I had what the waitress said I was to have. She knows my order when I walk in the door. How does she do it? I am only in there about every two or three weeks.

It was laundry time when we we left there. While that was being done I got this posting started. Maybe finish it by the time the dry cycle has done its thing.

Then a stop at Fry's for groceries and PetSmart that is next door. I'll get a wash and dry appointment for Patches for next week, hopefully on my shopping day.

The winds started to build up at 10:00 today with them expected to be 15-20 mph and 30 mph gusts. Then tomorrow they will get stronger. Storm blowing in with the high temperature on Friday forecast to be 64 and a low Saturday morning of 34. Then we will move back into Summer again.

“In one job I had to manage a cutthroat cast of characters desperate for TV time, totally unprepared for their roles and their jobs, and each week afraid of having their asses fired. And the other job, I was the host of a smash television hit.” - President Trump @ 2018 Gridiron Dinner.

12 April
Quail Ridge RV Resort
Huachuca City, AZ

I have been good about putting my hearing aid in when I get up in the morning except this morning. Don't know why I didn't do so this morning but was a couple hundred yards into our walk before I realized that I did not have them. Didn't hear any birds chirping was probably my clue.

After breakfast I did my first long telephone call in years. The Verizon flip phone with hearing aids works! I don't like a telephone but at least I now have something that I can use.

The TracFone was an emergency phone only that I could use to talk but could hear only very limited replies. I had the same problems with landline phones which I have not tried to use yet with my hearing aids.

The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes is a collection of twelve short stories that was first published on 14 October 1892. The individual stories had been serialised in The Strand Magazine between July 1891 and June 1892. The stories are not in chronological order, and the only characters common to all twelve are Holmes and Dr. Watson. The stories are related in first-person narrative from Watson's point of view.
In general the stories in The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes identify, and try to correct, social injustices. Holmes is portrayed as offering a new, fairer sense of justice. The stories were well received, and boosted the subscriptions figures of The Strand Magazine, prompting Doyle to be able to demand more money for his next set of stories. The first story, "A Scandal in Bohemia", includes the character of Irene Adler, who, despite being featured only within this one story by Doyle, is a prominent character in modern Sherlock Holmes adaptations, generally as a love interest for Holmes. Doyle included four of the twelve stories from this collection in his twelve favourite Sherlock Holmes stories, picking The Adventure of the Speckled Band as his overall favourite. Recommended!

"To keep the hoax from being confirmed by independent investigation, Washington vetoed a UN Security Council resolution to send in neutral experts to evaluate the claim of chemical attack. Why would Washington prevent an investigation that would prove Washington’s allegation? Clearly, Washington would only prevent an investigation that would disprove the false allegation. There is no doubt whatsoever that Washington’s allegation is false and is being used as an excuse to force Russia to fight or to accept Washington’s hegemony in the Middle East." - Idiocy Is Bringing The End Of The World, Paul Craig Roberts

13 April
Quail Ridge RV Resort
Huachuca City, AZ

Strong winds for about 20 hours, even blew hard during the night which it usually does not do. Steady winds at 25-30 mph with gusts up to 43. I woke up around 4:00 and thought the wind had died but it just dropped down to the 15-20 mph range which seemed like a zephyr since it quit shaking Desperado.

The forecast is for a repeat today with winds again in the 25-30 mph range and gusts up to 50. There is a Wind Advisory as well as a Freeze Advisory with a high today of 65° but back over 80 by Sunday.

I'll be on the couch with Patches and my Paperwhite for much of the day. We may get dirt blown in out face again during our afternoon walk but we will be out there.

How can President Trump possibly believe that starting a war with Russia in Syria is going to Make America Great Again? Why are there not anti-war activist clogging all the streets in this country? Why is the Lame Stream Media all in favor of the United States getting into ANOTHER war? A war that we can not win if we cannot defeat the goat herds in Afghanistan after 17 years.

"It’s disappointing to see President Trump possibly going down the same road that his failed predecessors — Bushes, Clintons, Obama — did in the Middle East. He talked like he knew better during the campaign. Trump won’t have the uncritical support of the media that Obama did. Perilous waters ahead!" - Why EVERYBODY is Wrong About Syria, Michael J. Hurd

"So, now, the Russians and Syrians have had plenty of time to scramble their airplanes and move personnel around the landscape to await another US smackdown, and the Russians have promised to shoot down our missiles with some spooky new technology, and it looks like our side is blinking. Do we have any idea whether the Russians actually can shoot down our offensive missiles? Maybe we don’t want to know. We surely don’t want the world to know. It would be — how you say? — bad optics." - Warmonger’s Remorse, James Howard Kunstler

14 April
Quail Ridge RV Resort
Huachuca City, AZ

It appears that President Trump's attack on Syria went way out of it way NOT to involve Russia or spark retaliatory action. It was bigger than the aspirin factory attack that President Clinton initiated in Sudan in 1998 but served the same purpose - distract the Sheeple from domestic issues.

From what I have read we have Mad Dog Mattis to thank for talking President Trump down from the ledge he was on. I think President Trump put paid to any chance he might have had to be a two term president with this attack - more war does not Make America Great Again.

"Now looking again at how this has gone down, in the early hours of April 14th, 2018, we have the US firing – according to what the Russian General Staff issued in a statement – a total of 103 cruise missiles from which 71 had been intercepted by Syria, adding that no government military airfield had been damaged as a result of the attack.
Setting ‘rates’ aside, what really matters is what was hit. If the tactic was to overwhelm the defense systems then[sic] a high intercept rate would be expected as a possibility. If the airfields were the strategically significant target of the attack, then it certainly was a failure." - Syria Stuns World, Thwarts Us Attack, Joaquin Flores

"How was the feared conflict between the US and Russia avoided? From what I have been able to learn, the US Joint Chiefs of Staff would not accept the risk of conflict with Russia. The reason is not that the Joint Chiefs are more moral, more caring about the deaths and injuries that would result, or less inclined to go to war based on lies. Their objection was based on the lack of protection US Navy ships have from the new Russian weapons systems. An attack that brought a Russian response could sink the US flotilla and present the US with a humiliating defeat that would discredit American military prowess." - Are We Over the US/UK Fomented Crisis In Syria?, Paul Craig Roberts

It did not get nearly as cold as forecast but I was dressed with my winter gear this morning. The low was only 40° which means I was almost overdressed but better that than being cold. The wind has dropped down to its usual 5-10 mph and there were gusts of only 33 mph yesterday versus the 50 mph that were expected. The stronger winds will be back on Monday so it is only a reprieve. We should have a very nice weekend so that is good news.

15 April
Quail Ridge RV Resort
Huachuca City, AZ

President Trump has declared victory in Syria. They are dancing in the streets of Damascus; not for his victory but for shooting down more than half of his missiles. No dancing here in the US, there are at least 37 anti-war protest marches scheduled for the streets of US cities this week following his attack. Is that what victory looks like? Is that how you Make America Great Again?

It was warmer this morning than yesterday but I felt colder. That is going to change for the better tomorrow and the next 10 days if the weather guesser are right - low temperatures to be in the 50s with the highs in the 70s and 80s. Strong winds early next week then maybe calming down to just the usual 10-15 mph.

I have nothing planned for today and know that if I don't finish there is always tomorrow.

16 April
Quail Ridge RV Resort
Huachuca City, AZ

This is cushion #6 which I think turned out looking good. I did have to use a RBG color code that was one shade darker than the pale yarn color that was to be used for cross stitch. That seems to be true of all yarn colors that are described as being pale or light. The next pixel drawing that I will do is a city logo similar to the football club logos that I have been drawing.

I thought I could go another day or two before dumping and taking on fresh water. Didn't happen. This morning when I was doing breakfast dishes the water pressure was very poor and the fresh water tank idiot light was showing red

Got everything out to do the dumping, hooked up the fresh water hose and connected the dump hose. Well almost connected the dump hose, I broke one of the bayonet connectors so no way to connect and dump. I did get the water tank filled with minor leaking with the new washers installed.

Went to the Park office and asked if they had a hose I could borrow. That may happen today then again it may not. I can probably last until I go to town tomorrow and buy a new sewer hose. I'll will see how it works out.

"...I think the chances the U.S. experiences an imperial collapse similar to that of the USSR (or like any historically unmanageable and corrupt empire) has become increasingly likely. My view at this point is the U.S. and its global power position will be so dramatically altered in the years ahead, it’ll be almost unrecognizable by 2025, as a result of both economic decline and major geopolitical mistakes. This will cause the public to justifiably lose faith in all leadership and institutions." - World War 3, Michael Krieger

"According to the Washington authorities, or to the presstitutes’ reports of their statements, two or three alleged Syrian chemical weapons facilities were destroyed by Washington’s missile attack. Think about this for a minute. If Washington bombed or sent missiles into chemical weapons facilities, a vast cloud of lethal gas would have been released. The civilian casualties would be many times higher than the claimed 70 victims of Assad’s alleged and unsubstantiated chemical attack used as the pretext for the Trump regime’s war crime against Syria. There is no evidence whatsoever of these casualties." - Once Upon A Time Long Ago Truth Was Important, Paul Craig Roberts

17 April
Quail Ridge RV Resort
Huachuca City, AZ

A lot done in town this morning, most of it successfully. The first thing was to drop Patches off at PetSmart for her wash and dry. Two hours to get that done which gave me just enough time to go to The Landmark, probably for the last time this year, where I got their Southwest Scramble with very good home fries.

I didn't take to entire two hours for breakfast. There was more to do. Pick up a package of meds from the VA at my UPS Store. Then on to Tractor Supply where I got a couple bags of Earthborn Meadow Feast for Patches.

Just down the street there was Fry's where I got groceries for me. Next door was PetSmart where Patches awaited after almost exactly two hours. From there things did not go so well.

I stopped to pick up my watch that was to be repaired and ready by now. It was not! Stopped at RV City on the was back to the Park and got a new sewer hose. That was good but it does not fit inside the pipe that is mounted under Desperado where the other hose was carried when not in use. Not so good.

Strong winds had come up by 10:00. The forecast is for 15-30 mph and gust to 40. They usually forecast wind correctly and that is what we are now getting with the strongest gust at 37 so far but will most likely be higher this afternoon. Probably have the winds and cooler temperatures until the weekend then it will start warming up.

18 April
Quail Ridge RV Resort
Huachuca City, AZ

Today we celebrate April 18th, that fateful night in 1775 when Paul Revere rode out across the countryside to warn the colonists that “the British are coming.” Amongst other things, the colonists were concerned that the crown was going to disarm the citizenry.

We 'deplorables' have that same fear some 243 years later but now it is the United States Federal Government that gives us concern. Said Federal Government is far more tyrannical than George III and the British government were those many years ago.

The low temperature was 38° this morning and felt colder, probably should have had my gloves. I went out there and dump holding tanks after it warmed up over 60. I had to move stuff around to find some way to store the sewer hose when not in use. Maybe get the under Desperado storage pipe replaced but not anytime soon.

For about the past year my daily big salad has included Romaine lettuce which has some cholesterol reducing goodness and taste better than Iceberg in my opinion. This coming year I am going to see if some more diet change will affect cholesterol level. I have my doubts thinking that weight loss probably does more to reduce cholesterol than diet but I'm going to give it a try.

Replaced the Romaine with eggplant and avocado and changed the dressing from olive oil and balsamic vinegar. The new dressing is still a work in progress with the first experiment used plain Greek yogurt, feta cheese and basil in a tube (commercial pesto). It is good but I think the next batch will use plain yogurt (not Greek) to give it a creamier consistency. Also adding a dark green leafy vegetable to the stir fry vegetable mix that I have been eating with every 'linner'. Romaine falls into that category but is not as good a kale, spinach, mustard greens, collard greens or Swiss chard.

19 April
Quail Ridge RV Resort
Huachuca City, AZ

This wells book received very mixed reviews; some people loved it and some hated it. It was published in 1909 so Wells retained some of his clasic scientific romance writing but his Socialistic belifs were starting to overwhelm it.

George Ponderovo, whose life story closely parallels that of the author in many respects, is the rebellious son of a housekeeper for the English landed gentry. After a set-to with a social superior, George is farmed off to his uncle, Edward Ponderovo, a small-town pharmacist who dreams of rising to the highest pinnacles of British society. To this end, Edward starts peddling a worthless patent medicine, and soon enough parlays his initial success into an ever-expanding financial empire based on little more than savvy advertising and wishful thinking. Inevitably, however, the bubble bursts and there is a price to pay for all involved.
Wells's novel is a brilliant dissection of a society adrift, whose Old Order, based upon land and hereditary privilege, has been fatally undermined, but whose New Order are a bunch of rapacious, self-centered and amoral commercial hucksters preying on the credulous and greedy. A motif running through the novel is one of moral and social corruption: a society that has blindly accepted perpetual "growth" as the only desirable goal, not realizing that this same unhealthy and unsustainable cancerous "growth" is, in fact, destroying it. - Edited Customer Review @ goodreads.com.

I got a new neighbor directly in front of me yesterday around 10:00. They had been in a space in front of the Club House when we went for our morning walk and then moved. They have a month old Bowlus Road Chief towed by a reletively new Mercedes SUV. Now that is a rig I could live with! HA

I sent President Trump an email that was critical of his latest Syria attack. Didn't ask for a reply but received one that certainly did not sound like what Trump would say. I think someone in the Deep State wrote it and the President is now firmly in the grasp of The Establishment.

I think they will keep him as their whipping boy with the hope that enough hatred of him will result in Liberals being elected to Congress in November. He can do things around the edges domestically but The Establishment is calling the shots for foreign policy and who is Commander in Chief.

I used my new Verizon flip phone a couple days ago to call a number that answered with one of those menu responses. I need to hire a 5th grader to teach me how to use a damn cell phone. I hear much better but still hate telephones.

It was so much simpler when all you had to do is lift the receiver and crank the handle on the side of the telephone. Then when the operator answered you gave her the number. There was also the advantage that the only other person listening to your conversation was the nosey widow woman on the party line.

"The Russians seem to think the U.S. (and UK) are acting like desperate feral lunatics and the best thing they can do is sit back, play defense, and let the short-sighted fools running the American empire ruin themselves. The erratic and demonstrably thuggish and shady manner in which the U.S., UK and France behaved in this latest criminal act has not been lost upon the populations of the world, including considerable portions of the American and British populace who are disgusted at what these governments are doing in our names. Russia’s strategy is to look reasonable on the global stage compared to a U.S. which seems increasingly crazy and unhinged. It seems to be working." - The Road to 2025 (Part 2) – Russia and China Have Had Enough, Michael Krieger

20 April
Quail Ridge RV Resort
Huachuca City, AZ

The city of Stockholm logo. It is smaller than the cushion covers that I have been drawing and also offered more opportunities for bucket dumps of color, a much easier draw although I messed it up somewhat trying to show it with a transparent background. It does not look too bad and is not worth trying to fix it. The next pixel drawing will be cushion cover #7.

IF the weather forecasters can be believed we may be spared more strong winds for the next 10 Days. That does not mean there will not be any wind just not any strong winds. The highs will be in the 80s and the lows in the 50s. My next camp is forecasting temperatures to be 5-10° cooler for the same 10 days. I might be timing my move right for a change but then maybe not.

I'll not be doing much today or during the weekend. Same routine reading and pixel drawing with twice a day walks with Patches. Although right now she is on the couch - snoring!

"Meantime, my head is still reeling from the shenanigans in Syria last week. How many of our missiles were shot down exactly? I’m not too confident we’ll ever get a straight answer about that from the generals. Nor why they decided to blow up a suspected chemical weapons factory which, you’d think, would disperse a residue cloud of chemical weapons all over the Syrian landscape — and since that didn’t happen, was it actually a chemical weapons factory at all? And what of the shockingly credible claims from many quarters that there was no chemical weapons attack on Syrian civilians in any case? Judging by the front-page of The New York Times today, that nearly world-ending incident has already been shoved into the memory-hole." - Whirling Whirling, James Howard Kunstler

21 April
Quail Ridge RV Resort
Huachuca City, AZ

This is certainly not a Sherlock Holmes book. It could have been written by Wells. Published in 1892 during the time that Wells was writing his scientific romances and starting to add women liberation motifs. That is what Doyle does as a sub-plot in this novella which surprised the goodreads.com reviewer.

This is a side of Arthur Conan Doyle that I didn't know existed. After the indifference to women of Sherlock Holmes and the sentimental chivalry of Dr. Watson, one would not expect a story based on a liberated woman of the turn of the century. While Doyle does not completely embrace the more radical notions of his cigarette-smoking, stout-drinking, divided-skirt-wearing, tricycle-riding protagonist, he shows her great sympathy. - Edited Customer Review @ goodreads.com.

My latest west side neighbor has left this morning. I'm happy to see them go. That gave me a view of the Whetstone Mountains again although since the mesquite have leafed out they block some of that view.

His daddy told him to 'warm up' his vehicle before driving on the road and he still does it to this day. Warming up a vehicle before driving is a leftover practice from a time when there were carbureted engines. Every time he starts up his truck he lets it idle for 5-10 minutes before leaving. That included one time when he did it at 3:00 am. Goodbye!

"And you know with way over 100 missiles shot in, they didn't shoot one down, the equipment didn't work too well their equipment and they didn't shoot one," said Mr. Trump. He added, "Every single one hit its target, think about it how genius." Russia claimed that Syria downed 71 of the 103 cruise missiles launched by the U.S. and its allies, but the Pentagon says that none "were successfully engaged by Syrian air defenses." - Trump touts "successful hit" in Syria

I have read that President Trump is not nearly as pleased with the Syria results as that statement may indicate. It is said that he is mad as hell that his advisors led him astray. This article should really set him off.

"DAMASCUS, Syria – Two cruise missiles found unexploded by the Syrian military after the US missile strike on April 14 have been handed over to Russia, a source in the Syrian defense ministry told TASS on Thursday.
“Two cruise missiles that did not detonate during the US missile strike on Syria overnight to April 14 were found by the Syrian military,” the source said.
“Both are in rather good condition. These missiles were handed over to Russian officer the day before yesterday (April 17),” the source said, adding that both “were sent to Russia by plane yesterday (April 18).”
The Russian Defense Ministry are yet to make a statement." - Two unexploded cruise missiles handed to Russia by Syria when found after US-led attack

22 April
Quail Ridge RV Resort
Huachuca City, AZ

There are a few reviews of this book but not any worth quoting. I have quoted a portion of the book promo. The only reason that I read this book was it appeared on the Gutenberg list for H. G. Wells but he only wrote the introduction. It was a Wells kind of scientific romance so I can see why he did the intro. It is a novella so it is a quick read and not bad but not something I would usually select.

Gabriel de Tarde was a well-known French sociologist and criminologist. Underground Man, published in 1905, was written to dramatize de Tarde's theory that man is the creature of his social environment. In the story, mankind is driven underground by the extinction of the sun; attitudes change dramatically as the migrants drill deeper and deeper.

Since the west side neighbor left I now have no nearby neighbors on either side. There is a Class 'A' next to me on the east side but it is not occupied. The same with another one two spaces over on the west side. There is even a good chance that it will stay this way until I leave because the snowbirds are migrating north.

"David Hogg and his sister, Lauren, have inked a book deal with Random House with a release date of June 5." WOW, he is busy little beaver. Doing all those TV interviews, leading all those marches and still has time to write a book. Very spectacular for a 17 year old.

“A general dissolution of principles and manners will more surely overthrow the liberties of America than the whole force of the common enemy. While the people are virtuous they cannot be subdued; but when once they lose their virtue then will be ready to surrender their liberties to the first external or internal invader.”― Samuel Adams

23 April
Quail Ridge RV Resort
Huachuca City, AZ

This is not a short work as the reviewer says, it is a short story that was published as a book. About 10 printed pages or a little over 100 locations on Kindle. It is probably included in one of his other books of short stories but I read it as a book downloaded from Gutenberg.

The Cabman's Story is a short work by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, who of course is famous for his highly successful Sherlock Holmes stories. It is an accounting of several interesting episodes from a (horse-drawn)cab driver in London sometime in the last half of the 19th century. They are interesting and insightful of that period, and quite believable. Comparing this story to the Sherlock Holmes stories seems a little unfair, but I would say that the characters or plots are not developed enough to grade them on the same level. That said, it is entertaining in its own right and I would recommend it. - Customer Review @ Amazon.

Another shopping trip in Sierra Vista plus some other running around. Stopped on the way at Sunny D's in Huachuca City for a Corned Beef Hash breakfast. The on to Fry's.

From there it was to on to Wal*Mart where I hoped to pick up some SmartWool socks. They offer them online but the store does not carry them so I struck out there. I forgot to order them from Amazon when I put in my last order a few days ago. Not in desperate need so I will try again at my next camp.

Then went to VA Audio again to get my right side hearing aid working once more. I don't know what was wrong with it or what needed to be done to fix it but the tech did some 'stuff' that now have them both working better than ever. They are great when they are working but whatever I do to screw them up is a big unknown to me. Even worse I don't know how to fix them.

The last stop was at Kay's Jewelry to pick up my watch. I got there about a half hour before they opened so used that time to type up this posting for today. After I get the watch it will be back to the Park and do very little for the rest of today.

24 April
Quail Ridge RV Resort
Huachuca City, AZ

These short stories are very enjoyable. Doyle shows that he has talent that extends far beyond Sherlock Holmes.

The Captain of the Polestar and Other Tales is a volume collecting 10 short stories written by Arthur Conan Doyle first published by Longmans, Green & Co. on 6 march 1890. link.

I have very little on the agenda for today. There is cooking. Some more barley for breakfast that has added apricot and coconut granola. Plus another batch of sardine and potato patties.

"Right now the “collective West” is engaged in a truly titanic effort to preserve the Hegemony, but the writing is very much on the wall, hence the kind of silly histrionics we now see from the likes of Trump, May and Macron. In this context, the war in Syria is primarily a war over the right of the USA to do whatever the hell it wants irrespective of international law, facts, logic or even common sense. Nikki Haley’s message to the world has been beautifully simple, consistent and blunt: “we are the Hegemon, we are above everything and everybody, above you and above any of your laws or principles. We are even above facts or logic. Bow down and worship us or else!“." - Each “click” brings us one step closer to the “bang!”, The Saker

"Undoubtedly Hillary Clinton had a magician’s touch of turning two political unknowns (Obama and Trump) into presidents." - J.T. Young

JIm Quinn is a firm believer in The Fourth Turning and a Game of Thrones fan. Read his latest series of postings where he relates them to our current time in history.

Winter Is Coming - Part 1
Winter Is Coming - Part 2
Winter Is Coming - Part 3

25 April
Quail Ridge RV Resort
Huachuca City, AZ

The latest mass killing in Toronto shows once again that there must be more marching in the street with placards clamoring "Never Again" and "Enough is Enough'.

There needs to be stronger background checks before vans can be rented with longer waiting periods. Rental vans must have restricted gas tank capacity. If guns are restricted to 10 rounds per magazine then I think the gas tanks should be limited as well. No one needs a 100 round magazine or a 50 gallon gas tank. Most important of all, these assault vans must be banned.

I'll be doing very little today. Try and stay cool after the 87-94° high yesterday. I show that range for the high because that is what I found when I checked three different reporting stations. The lowest of the 3 is from the National Weather service which uses a standardized weather station. The other two are from Weather Underground stations that may approach that standard and or may not. Be that as it may, it was hot with very little wind.

26 April
Quail Ridge RV Resort
Huachuca City, AZ

It will be a couple days early but I have other things to do this weekend so today and tomorrow are house cleaning days. Just the regular bathroom, kitchen, living room and window washing. I did add cleaning the A/C filter which I usually don't think to do and it needed to be cleaned.

That may leave me some time to do some reading while on the couch with Patches. Probably have that A/C running again with the forecast only a few degrees less than yesterday. My next camp is still expecting the high temperatures to be in the 70s with a couple day in the high 60s. I'll be moving into Spring from Summer which is good I never get much Spring here.

Suggested reading, presented with no quotes or comments: Entertain a Clown and You Become Part of the Circus by Doug “Uncola” Lynn

27 April
Quail Ridge RV Resort
Huachuca City, AZ

This customer review says what I have been thinking as I alternate between Doyle and Wells. Sometimes I have to stop and think about which author I happen to be reading. There were four short stories in this book that I had read previously in one of his other short story books but they were enjoyable re-reads. Recommended.

When H.G. Wells departs from science-fiction, his writing is somewhat analogous to the great Sir Arthur Conan Doyle when he departed from Sherlock Holmes. These great writers had extraordinary versatility and pretty much everything they wrote, regardless of genre, is gripping. Wells is one of those great writers you need to read until you have exhausted his entire repertoire. - Customer Review @ Amazon.

I got most of the house cleaning chores taken care of yesterday. I need to wash Patches slobber off the windows and wipe down the dash. That will leave the stove top and kitchen counters to be done in a day or two.

I need to get another salmon fillet in the Roaster. That could happen today or tomorrow or Sunday but it needs to happen. These near 90° days are not a good time to have the Roaster fired up. It was a very nice 53° when we went for our morning walk at 6:00 but it was already over 70° by 8:00. Another warm one expected today and through month end then cooling the day that I leave. HA

28 April
Quail Ridge RV Resort
Huachuca City, AZ

Today was my last chance to shoot at the Cochise Gun Club Pistol Workshop this year. I started off the day shooting low which I think was caused by what I have been doing during my dry fire practice. I need to raise my sight alignment a little when I dry fire. The last target of the day I was in the X zone with all 4 shots at about 10-12 yards. That is an ataboy for this old man!

It was also a last stop at Café O Lé this year. I had a different watress this morning that did not know what I was going to order and I had to look at the menu to get the name for what I always have.

Stopped at my UPS Store on the way back to the Park and picked up my latest Amazon order. Some new Keed shoes, Aeropress coffee filters and 1000 poop bag for Patches although I'm the one that has to scoop the poop.

I also had my VA copay billing waiting for me which was good. I thought that receiving it now I could avoid a forwarding. No such luck, when I opened email I found that the VA had shipped a prescription that I really do not need at this time and I will have to get it forwarded next week.

Late getting this posting up and way behind in my daily routine. I need to get 'linner' ready and Patches will be pestering me to go for an afternoon walk. I'm tired from all the standing and stooping at the range but she doesn't care - she wants to walk.

29 April
Quail Ridge RV Resort
Huachuca City, AZ

The new Keen Voyageur Hiking Shoes that I bought in June 2017 had seen better day so I clicked Buy Again at Amazon which said they were not available. It was only that the size and color that I ordered before was not available. When I searched the Amazon site I found them in my size and in a color that will turn dirt brown in a couple months.

I was complaining about shoes not lasting 1,000 miles when I bought the first pair of Keen's. They were more expensive than what I had been buying but they lasted almost 1,300 miles and have been the most comfortable shoes that I have worn in many years. I sure hope they have not changed anything except the color.

Today was the last time this year for a couple more of my regular activities. Last breakfast at Sunny D's in Huachuca City where I had their Chorizo Omelet one of my two favorites at this restaurant. It was also a last gas fill-up for Desperado at Fry's (big increase in price since last month). Then the last grocery shopping adventure in Fry's where I could not find any buttermilk. I ask for some and the clerk found it someplace.

I wanted that to make my next salad dressing experiment. The plain yogurt with feta cheese was still too thick so I am going to use buttermilk for the batch I make this week. I am also finally getting around to putting that salmon fillet in the Roaster.

The weather forecast is not favorable. The gurus think I will have winds the next 4 days and they are usually right. That means I'll be driving in the wind - not good. If they have the direction that it will be coming from correct it will be a tailwind - that is good.

Busy doing other stuff so not as much Paperwhite reading and no pixel art drawing the past few days. I probably will not get much of either done until I reach my next camp. I do need to get next month's Will Rogers weekly articles prepared and set up my web pages for another month. Times flies at month end.

30 April
Quail Ridge RV Resort
Huachuca City, AZ

I have a few things on the agenda for today. Mostly new month stuff like the Will Rogers weekly articles, a new month set up for daily postings and pay my electric bill.

Then there are holding tanks to dump and fresh water to be added. I was going to get out there and do that before the wind picked up but the wind started at about 7:00 - I was just doing breakfast. I also needed to read my daily blogs and News sources to find out if we were at war someplace else this morning.

Speaking of wind. The forecast continues to be for strong wind tomorrow starting at 10:00. I hope to be down the road ahead of them before they become strong but IF they are tailwinds then it will not matter so much.

Cooked up some more sardine and potato patties. With the salmon that I roasted yesterday that will provide me with 'linners' for the next week. I'll be on the road for a couple of days and will have no time or desire to be cooking.