April
1 April
Pair-A-Dice Escapees RV Park
Pahrump, NV
Another appointment day. That didn't mean that I had to get going real early today but that is just my way. Took Patches for a short potty walk and then unhooked and we went to town. Stopped at the Nugget for breakfast before going to the VA for our appointment.We were early, early but not as much as I had thought. When I turned on my computer I found that my watch was running about ½ hour slow. I still had plenty of time to read most of my Daily blogs before checking in for my 8:30 appointment.
Weight was up more than I thought. I knew that I had been gaining but didn't know how much. I have been more active so it has to be a lack of portion control – in simple language, I eat too damn much. Blood pressure higher than when I take it at home but that is 'normal' for me and it is well under control.
Everything else was good except I'm slightly anemic and have been for a number of years, but better than last year. My cholesterol is also higher than the optimum but I have maintained that level while being off statin drugs for a year. I look at this as being a good thing and I'm only slightly over the optimum so I bet IF I were to loose the extra weight I would hit that magic number with no drugs.
From there I made a stop at the UPS Store and picked up two more packages. I'll be writing about them later in the week. Last stop was at Smith's to fill the larder for another week.
Put some of those things I got at Smith's to use as soon as I got home. Baked some chicken breast then diced them into a pot of chicken broth and cheddar cheese soup along with a head of cauliflower. Brought that all to a boil for about 10 minutes, added a good top layer of shredded cheddar and then into the Thermal Cooker it went. I'll have a serving of it for my 'linner' today and then have plenty left for later in the week.
The excerpt below was taken from an Opinion piece by Joseph Curl for The Washington Times. I guess it will put him on the President's shit list if he was not there already. What he is writing about is what I refer to as President Obama and Family being the first Celebrities to be elected and live in the White House. They behave just like all the other celebrities that they want to hang around with. The President understood this and based his Campaign on clues taken from American Idol, which may be his next TV gig.
Being president of the U.S., the most powerful man in the world, is often most about perception. The man (or, one day, woman) in the job takes actions large and small every day, but it is the perception of the man that seeps into the everyday lives of working Americans.
But something remarkable has happened with these occupants of the White House: Neither President Obama nor first lady Michelle appear to give a damn about perception. They won the White House and, by God, they’re going to enjoy their time there, no matter the cost. And who cares what you think, anyway?
How else to explain the nonstop vacations the pair keep taking during what Mr. Obama calls the “worst financial crisis since the Great Depression”? In 2013, the First Family has already enjoyed three vacations — that’s one a month. (Sorry, Joe America, you might have to forget your week at the beach again this year, but make sure you get those taxes in on time!)
2 April
Pair-A-Dice Escapees RV Park
Pahrump, NV
A very nice day once again with an expected high of 75°. The forecast through the weekend is for increasing highs up to the mid-80s. That is not so good unless we have a good breeze like we have today. All in all pretty nice!Finished the long historical novel Dream West by David Nevin. This was the first book in his American Story Series and places John C Fremont's biography in a historical context. I have now read #1 and #3 in the Series and look forward to finding the other 3.
One of the historical facts that the novel brought out that I either was never taught or had forgotten concerned the Republican Party. I have heard it repeated over and over all my life that the Republican Party was the party of Lincoln. But the fact is the party was formed in 1854 and John C Fremont was its first presidential candidate in 1956 where he lost to Buchanan.
Both books in the Series have been very good and I recommend them if you like historical fiction. You can also learn a lot about American History that you were either not taught or have forgotten.
A recurrence of my upset digestive tract has left me not wanting to do much during the afternoon. Something has got a hold of my system it seems. Feel just fine in all other respects. I can't help but think it is food related but don't know what food.
3 April
Pair-A-Dice Escapees RV Park
Pahrump, NV
The 10 day forecast is now for a string of 80+° high temperatures with a chance of 90° next week. It looks like when I leave hear I'll be moving into just slightly cooler temperatures until I reach Albuquerque, NM in May. While there I expect to have similar temperatures to what I'm now moving into so I need to adjust.I called my RV Service shop in Sierra Vista and made an appointment for April 17-18 to get some work done. The most important, and most expensive, is the re-surfacing of the roof on Desperado.
Then knowing when I would need to be there I devoted a lot of time to route planning on how I would get there and where I would stay along the way. Also checked with Gas Buddy to plan on where and how much gas to buy along the route. I'll leave here with close to a full tank and buy only enough along the way to arrive in Tucson with about ¼ of a tank where I'll fill up (that is where the cheapest gas is to be found along my route).
The Celebrity Family can not afford to keep The People's House open for tours but it is open for other celebrities to come in and perform. I'm not convinced it is a matter of cost I think it is more one of Class. They don't want those that they consider low class soiling 'their' home by touring it, it is open only those they think worthy and are invited. This was made clear when at a "workshop" for the film 42 in the State Dining Room of the White House, First Lady Michelle Obama told the assembled guests that "this is your house, too."
Though the White House has been singing the sequester blues, the Obamas still have managed to scrape together enough cash to throw a star-studded concert celebrating "Memphis Soul" later this month.
The White House announced Tuesday that the 10th concert in its "In Performance at the White House" series would go on April 16. Set to perform are Al Green, Ben Harper, Queen Latifah, Cyndi Lauper and Justin Timberlake, among many others.
Though the White House last month decided to suspend official tours of the "people's house" citing the sequester, the budget cuts apparently have not impeded the concert schedule...The concerts are not for the Obamas' ears only. The events are streamed live on www.whitehouse.gov/live, and the April 16 concert will be broadcast on PBS stations across the country. It will also be broadcast to U.S. forces overseas at a later date.
4 April
Pair-A-Dice Escapees RV Park
Pahrump, NV
The expected highs in the 80s have arrived, the high yesterday was 81° It is forecast to be 84 today and was up to 80 by 11:00 so I'm guessing it might exceed that. There was a nice breeze during the morning but I don't know that it will be enough without the A/C by the end of the day.Patches and I did one lap around the Park before I un-hooked and we went to town. Arrived at Mom's Diner at 7:00 which was an hour before I expected to meet Don, Over The Hump, the dog sitter I had for Patches last September. I arrived early to get a good parking spot, take Patches for a potty walk and read my Daily blogs.
Patches seemed to remember Don and was very interested in his SUV. She wanted to get into it which is unusual unless the doors had been open which was not the case. Maybe could smell the scent of Don's dog Sammy that died a few months ago. She then barked at us when we walked away, not her usual behavior when I'm by myself. I went back and gave her a Quiet Command and walked away again and she was fine but Don was not with me.
I saw her barking at a couple that got a little too close to Desperado while we were eating but that is her job. Don't do it while I'm inside but protect the territory when I'm gone. Good Dog! She did the same thing again later when I stopped for propane.
A man walked past a little too close and she let him know about it. I was walking towards Desperado and he said “No one is going to get in that motor home”. I told him she does not do that when I'm inside and he agreed that she is doing a fine job when I'm away. I'm not sure what she would do if someone did try to enter when I was not there - maybe lick them to death. She does have that Pit Bull look however and when she barks at you she gets your attention!
I bought some more Hecla on March 26th at what I thought to be a great price. What do I know, right! Yesterday it plunged to a new 52 week low on heavy volume with no news releases or anything else that I could find that would cause it. It has come back strong today so I can only assume that there are some big players in the market that are moving the market price around for their benefit.
5 April
Pair-A-Dice Escapees RV Park
Pahrump, NV
Read Will Rogers column 88 years ago: April 5, 1925We only reached 82° for a high yesterday and the breeze continued throughout the afternoon. We also had a high thin overcast that made the afternoon very nice for a long walk with Patches. I had not felt well the previous two days so our walks were not very long and she was ready. She also got to meet 3 people along the way which always makes her day.
The high point of my day was after getting up a little earlier and doing a slightly longer morning walk I went to the Club House laundry. This let me get an early start and I had no problem getting a machine. The woman that came in soon after me took most of those that remained so I was glad to have been there first.
I think all the extra people that have come into the Park for the Members Meeting have all come with dirty laundry. I have seen a lot more people carrying, or pushing, their baskets full toward the Club House these past couple of days.
The Bureau of Labor has released their non-farm job numbers for March, an increase of 88,000. The 'experts' were forecasting the increase to be 200,000 and everyone is disappointed. The media News is focusing on the sequester as the cause of this of course. The good News it that the Unemployment Rate has gone down by another 0.1% to 7.6%.
If you look at the Household Data for March the number of Employed is even worse with a decreased of 206,000 while the number of Unemployed decreased by 290,000. However, once again most of those Unemployed did not get jobs. There was an increase of 663,000 in the Not in the Labor Force so most, if not all, of the previously Unemployed dropped out of the Labor Force. This was the primary reason for the drop in the Unemployment Rate.
The Participation Rate dropped another 0.2% to 63.3% the lowest it has been since May 1979. The number of people Not in the Labor Force is now at 89,967,000 another all time record high. Convincing millions of Americans they don’t need a job, the government will care for them, or compelling desperate workers to settle for part time work has been Obama's most effective policy for reducing Unemployment and we should be at Full Employment soon.
6 April
Pair-A-Dice Escapees RV Park
Pahrump, NV
Patches and I did a longer walk this morning outside the Park. Went around the ½ mile square 'block' that the Park is in for a little over 2 miles total. She thought that was great and tried to 'talk' to me when we got home. She makes all kinds of strange sounds when she is happy and I'm sure she is telling me something but I just don't understand.In one of the three packages I picked up at my UPS Store this past week was a granite mortar and pestle. I think it was described as a two cup size but that is just the declivity in the stone, the shipping weight was 12 pounds so it is a big rock. I put it into action this morning by turning a package of dry habanaro chile into crushed chile in just a minute or two.
I finished Personal Injuries by Scott Turow last night. It was a legal thriller as was the previous book of his that I read and enjoyed The Laws of Our Fathers. Both are worth reading and I was able to trade it for another one of his this morning when I went to the Club House.
Turow wrote the following in Personal Injuries: “Yet military strategists will tell you about replication, an inviolate principle which says that organizations which oppose each other tend, over time, to become alike.”
I think this explains why there is not a dimes worth of difference between the Democrats and the Republicans. They have simply been opposed for such a long time that they have become alike. I think it also explains why the United States has become more like Russia and China and why they have become more like the United States.
Something does not add up. I am seeing News stories such as this: More than 50 million Americans, including 16.7 million children, live in food-insecure homes, meaning they live in hunger or with concern for finding their next meal. Yet, the number of recipients in the food stamp program, or (SNAP) Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, has reached 47.3 million (at a cost of $80.4 Billion or $1,700/year/recipient).
In fiscal year 2012 nearly $106 billion was spent on food assistance by the Federal government, with $18.3 billion (this is over $1,000/year/child in a food-insecure home) going to “Child Nutrition Programs.” These Programs provide healthy food to children and include the National School Lunch Program, the School Breakfast Program, the Child and Adult Care Food Program, the Summer Food Service Program, the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program, and the Special Milk Program. Then, most states also have food assistance programs plus there are food banks and other charities that offer food assistance.
For the state of Nevada there were 358,500 enrolled in SNAP or approximately the same one in seven ratio as for all Americans. There are also two major Food Banks operating within the state, and perhaps many smaller charities that provided food, that distribute over 35,000,000 pounds of food annually. So I ask, in a country that has a obesity problem, and after throwing this kind of money at the problem how can there still be a hunger problem? Something does not add up!
I might add that I do not live in hunger but I certainly do live with concern for finding my next meal.
7 April
Pair-A-Dice Escapees RV Park
Pahrump, NV
We went for a short potty walk this morning before going to town again. After we got home Patches started in with her I want to go out routine so we went for another one and that appears to have been enough. She went to sleep on the couch and left me alone for the rest of the morning.I wanted to stop at Denny's here in Pahrump and get the Corned Beef Hash Skillet that I enjoyed so much in Wickenburg, AZ. I was very disappointed, it was not on the menu. When I asked about it the server said that that was discontinued about a month ago after just a short promotion period. I did have a good Skillet but not as good as the Hash.
Then went to Smith's and picked up food for this next week. Got some different stuff this week. I'm going to shake up my system with some variety and see what it does to my weight gain. More fish and seafood will be prepared for 'linners' although the standard breakfast scramble will remain.
I didn't buy the walnut oil today but have started using a walnut oil and balsamic vinegar dressing that I made up. This was to replace the flaxseed oil and balsamic vinegar that I had been using which I did not like all that much.
Prior to the flaxseed I had been using olive oil but wanted to increase my intake of dietary omega 3 and flaxseed oil is by far the highest. Walnut oil has about 1/3 as much but is far easier to find, has a better ratio of Omega 3 to Omega 6 and taste so much better.
I don't think the Lame Stream Media has had a front page headline about US casualties during the first quarter of 2013. They are still occurring and I'll keep reporting them although they get no headlines. I imagine they will start reporting deaths again IF the North Koreans begin killing troops in LARGE (that seems be what is necessary) numbers but then maybe not. The numbers shown below are for the first quarter of each year and the president that was in office when it happened.
| Total US Casualties Iraq & Afghanistan | ||
|---|---|---|
| Bush | Obama | |
| 2001 | -0- | -0- |
| 2002 | 30 | -0- |
| 2003 | 88 | -0- |
| 2004 | 133 | -0- |
| 2005 | 209 | -0- |
| 2006 | 173 | -0- |
| 2007 | 264 | -0- |
| 2008 | 124 | -0- |
| 2009 | -0- | 85 |
| 2010 | -0- | 106 |
| 2011 | -0- | 87 |
| 2012 | -0- | 61 |
| 2013 | -0- | 19 |
On February 12, 2009 President Obama went to Peoria, Ill., to visit a Caterpillar manufacturing plant where he made a Campaign speech for passage of his Stimulus Bill. The world's largest maker of mining and construction machinery had announced more than 22,000 job cuts in January amid waning demand for its products but had informed him it would rehire some of the thousands of workers if Congress passed an economic stimulus bill. It passed.
However, the stimulus was not very long lasting and the real economy has overwhelmed it. On April 5, 2013 Caterpillar Inc said it was laying off 460 workers at a U.S. plant that makes mining equipment. The layoffs will affect about 11 percent of the workforce at the Decatur, Illinois, factory and reflect softening demand from the global mining industry, which is cutting back on capital investment because of a retreat in commodity prices. The same thing will happen to the Dow if/when the Federal Reserve quits stimulating the money supply and the real economy has its way.
8 April
Pair-A-Dice Escapees RV Park
Pahrump, NV
I certainly did not see anything about a storm blowing in when I looked at the 10 day forecast yesterday. They were still predicting high temperatures in the 80s and clear. Then about 3:00 am I woke up with Desperado rock'n and roll'n in high gusty winds. They have now dropped their high temperature guesses for today and tomorrow to the upper 60s.When I got up a little before 6:00 it was still blowing pretty hard and it looked like a lot of rain to the north. Patches and I did a little over a mile walk within the Park and I then went to the Club House for coffee. When I stepped outside to go back home at 7:30 I stepped into a light rain shower made to feel harder by the blowing wind.
It was not much of a rain storm but it also left a dusting of snow on the mountains to the east. I'm guessing that the snow level was down to about 4,000' with the summit of Mt Charleston getting a good covering.
Went to the Park Office after the rain had quit and paid for my last week here and for the electricity that I used these past 4 weeks. The only thing that could keep me here now is a very surprising report from my dentist at tomorrows cleaning.
I have the Will Rogers weekly article links for May ready. I have also almost finished my latest historical novel. This one was Goldfield by Richard S Wheeler a writer of historical novels and western fiction. If this is an example of his work he is long on the fiction with a thin coating of history in his historical novels. It was entertaining so I'll look for some more of his when I trade.
I think President Obama would completely agree with this MSNBC host. There is no question that the President in waiting, Hillary, agrees since she wrote 'the book' on who owns our children.
College professor and MSNBC host Melissa Harris-Perry says your children are not yours – they are owned by the community...“We have to break through our private idea that kids belong to their parents or kids belong to their families,” says the professor of political science at Tulane University, where she is founding director of the Anna Julia Cooper Project on Gender, Race, and Politics in the South. Kids belong to whole communities, she insists, and once we realize this we’ll make “better investments” in government indoctrination of children.
Harris-Perry urges us to “break through” the “private idea” that individuals own themselves. Like Marx, she believes the individual is a “communal being” and all human worth is intractably linked to the community, the collective, and the state is the ultimate manifestation of the collective will.
9 April
Pair-A-Dice Escapees RV Park
Pahrump, NV
We had rain showers throughout the day yesterday, the official amount was .05”, and winds 15-25 mph with gusts of 45 mph. Did some slight damage here in the Park from what I heard at the Koffee Klatch this morning.This morning there was a cold wind of 10-20 mph still blowing but it was clear. Continue to get gusts up to 45 mph which I could feel as I drove to town again. This time it was for my dental appointment which went well except for it taking so long. My appointment was at 9:00 which is when the opened but they didn't even start taking x-rays until almost 9:30.
When they finally finished up the cleaning I went to El Cancun restaurant for early lunch. Had their enchilada and tamale combination which came with a big side of rice and beans with everything being very good. This is my Mexican restaurant in Pahrump now, no more El Jefe.
I'll have a small salmon fillet today for a late 'linner', close to supper time, with a crushed avocado, yogurt, caper and dill sauce. The crushed avocado was done in my new mortar that worked just great. I can already see that I have made a good choice for what I needed and I'm very pleased.
I made a trade at the Club House library this morning but did not find another Wheeler. I did get a historical novel however by Herman Wouk that I think I'll like better. He is a better author, by reputation if nothing more, and writes from a more historical base. I think I have read one or maybe two novel by him in the past but it was long ago.
10 April
Pair-A-Dice Escapees RV Park
Pahrump, NV
No more rain but the wind has stayed with us. Very strong gusts again last night soon after sun down then thought it had gone away, was almost calm when we went for our morning walk. But, it came back around mid-morning.I think I may have found the cause of my occasional diarrhea. I have been adding turmeric to my breakfast scramble for a few months with no problem. However, with long term use of turmeric there is a possible side effect that may include nausea and diarrhea. I think I'll give it up for a few days and see if I feel better.
Since I was not feeling so good I have been on the couch for a good part of the day. This has given me time to read my latest novel by Dan Brown of The Da Vinci Code fame. It was written before, but published after, that number one seller and has a similar plot. I would like to finish it and trade before I leave here but it is some 700 pages long so I may or may not do so.
I did accomplish something other than just reading while prone. I made up 3x5 cards for the first two days of my trip south. Made notes on all the roads that I'll need to be on, where I might have breakfast and where I'll get gas. I'm expecting it to be hot so I'll be camping where I can plug into electricity and have my A/C available.
11 April
Pair-A-Dice Escapees RV Park
Pahrump, NV
Threescore and ten I can remember well:
Within the volume of which time I have seen
Hours dreadful and things strange;..
Within the volume of which time I have seen
Hours dreadful and things strange;..
A very calm morning with a few scattered clouds and an expected high temperature of 81°. The little touch of winter has passed and we may now have a couple more days of spring. Nevada doesn't ever have much spring, it usually leaps right into summer from winter.
I think I will finish Angels & Demons by Dan Brown either today or early tomorrow. It is long but set in fairly large type so the reading has moved along with great speed. Will be able to trade it and leave here with a full library of un-read books.
I got the last 3x5 card prepared for my trip south. I'll probably arrive at the RV shop in mid-morning on the 17th and hope they can get the A/C and generator serviced that day. The roof coating is an all day job which they will do on the 18th. With any luck at all I'll then be able to leave Sierra Vista early on the morning of the 19th heading east.
I have grown tired of having the same salad every day so I'm going to try some that I find on the web. This week it is canned sliced beets with yogurt. It looks better than it sounds and I'll pass judgment on how it taste after I have some of it with my salmon and avocado for 'linner' today.
12 April
Pair-A-Dice Escapees RV Park
Pahrump, NV
Read Will Rogers column 88 years ago: April 12, 1925It was just over 80° for a high yesterday and is expected to be that again today. Very clear this morning as it was yesterday but clouds built up in the afternoon and it was very calm so the A/C was brought into play once again. The forecast is for some cooling after I leave on Monday and I will be moving into about the same temperatures as here.
I traded the Dan Brown book this morning and could have picked up another of his but passed. They are very formulaic and it is the symbology that holds the plots together and make it interesting. That works for a couple of his novels and they then begin to loose their luster.
A do nothing kind of a day. I'll be busy this weekend, that is busy by my standards, getting ready to pull out early, early Monday morning.
In an article Sebelius Blames GOP for Health Law Headaches by Chris Stirewalt for FoxNews.com he said the following in part. What Chris does not say in the article is that the long term goal for supporters of government-run insurance is for the insurance industry to withdraw from the market leaving it for the government to take over.
Prior to 2008 candidate Obama said that it was going to take as long as 20 years to get a single payer government-run insurance program. ObamaCare is simply the first step, I think he is quite pleased with how the implementation is going with the more chaos the better.
By opting to rely on the insurance industry to deliver subsidized benefits, rather than using a government-run insurance program Obama once sought, the president has made his law captive to the industry.
As premiums soar due to new regulations, the number of Americans who will be dumped into government programs is soaring too. Facing such massive disruptions in an election year is bad news for Democrats, and they are therefore quite willing to hear from industry honchos who seek delays and exemptions to hold down costs.
It was once thought that the government could hold down premiums through force by refusing increases. But while the Supreme Court may have ruled that the government can force you to buy insurance, but no one has said so far that anyone has to sell it. If profits vanish, so too will Obama’s partners in expanded coverage.
13 April
Pair-A-Dice Escapees RV Park
Pahrump, NV
It was very nice all day yesterday with a breeze blowing. Today I had the A/C on before 1:00 because it was dead calm. It is also expected to be about 3-4° hotter than it was yesterday.Patches and I did our morning walk and I then went for coffee at the Club House. Said my goodbyes to the few people that show up on Saturday, a smaller group than during the week. The few times I have gone in for coffee on Sunday there has been no one there.
It was then a last trip into town with breakfast at the Nugget. This is right next door to Smith' where I gathered up groceries for the week and filled Desperado with gas. Not completely full but very close when the pump shut me down at 35 gallons, that is the maximum that I can get with my Reward Card Points.
Picked up mail at The UPS Store which included my VA prescriptions. I also asked them , again, to put a note on my box that says THROW AWAY ALL CURRENT RESIDENT ADDRESSEE MAIL. That might work but I have some doubts since I have asked them to do that before.
The final stop was at a feed store to get Patches some more food. They had only the small bags which are even more expensive per pound than the #30 bags so I gave them a pass. I have enough to last for a few more weeks and I can try to get some in Deming, Elephant Butte or Albuquerque.
I do not find a Sir James Wheatstone when I do a Google search so I'm assuming that he is a fictional character that Michael Crichton has invented as well as the quote in his novel The Great Train Robbery. However, there is so much truth in the quote that I was stunned.
And it was also noted by Sir James Wheatstone that there was a logical problem inherent in a law-enforcement institution, "for, should the police actually succeed in eliminating all crime, they will simultaneously succeed in eliminating themselves as a necessary adjunct to society, and no organized force or power will ever eliminate itself willingly."You need to look no farther than The War on Drugs to see the truth of it. It was President Nixon that coined the term War on Drugs in 1971 and it has been going on non-stop now for over 40 years with no significant success in eliminating drug crimes. The Department of Homeland Security is the more recent example of an organized power that has grown larger and larger with no possibility in sight that it will ever be eliminated.
I finished The Great Train Robbery today and traded it for another Michael Crichton at the Club House library. That gives me a full library of unread books that will last me for a while until I can find another Park with some good trades. The library here is huge and I have always done well making trades here.
14 April
Pair-A-Dice Escapees RV Park
Pahrump, NV
I think it is going to be hot again today. It has also started off very calm so I am guessing I'll have the A/C on by around noon again.With that prospect in mind I went out and took care of my dumping chores while it was still cool. Filled the fresh water tank also and had some leaking again but I'm not going to worry about it unless it gets as bad as it was before I put in the new rubber washer.
I then put the contents of the other two packages that I received over two weeks ago to use. This was an Aeropress coffee maker and some Arbuckles' coffee, 'Coffee That Won the West'. I had one FINE cup of coffee when I finished my outside chores. The coffee maker is reasonably priced but the Arbuckles' is in the gourmet coffee price range.
The Aeropress works like a French Press but has a paper filter and is SO EASY to clean. That was my biggest gripe about the French Press that I had not used more than a couple times while living as a Fulltimer. I put it on the Park Donation Table when I arrived here and saw that it had gone to a good home the following day.
The coffee break was followed by some inside chores. Went to work on cleaning the cockpit dust that had accumulated for over a month so I could see the instrument panel. Got the dash cleaned up but passed on washing the dog nose prints off the windows. Patches will just have them a mess again before we reach our first night stop.
I then gave the floor a good vacuuming. Patches continues to distrust the vacuum but was brave enough to stay on the couch while I had it in operation. She would not let it touch her however even when it was turned off. Much better than the first time I turned it on but she still does not want to have anything to do with it.
15 April
Ramblin' Roads RV Resort
Hope, AZ
We were on the road again this morning at about 6:00. The wind was blowing hard and dust was so thick that only the close by mountains were visible. It stayed like that all the way to Parker before it eased up. It didn't quit but it did drop down from the 20-25 mph winds that we faced most of the day. I was beat by the time I got here.The distance was not that bad at 284 miles but fighting the wind really takes it out of me. The route today: NV160, Las Vegas Streets*, US95, NV163, Needles Hwy, Broadway (in Needles)/US95, CA62, AZ95, AZ72 & US60.
*I asked Google Maps to give me a route from Pahrump to Hope with NO Interstate. It showed me a route across Las Vegas that was new to me so I thought I would give it a try. Google did it to me again! Horizon Ridge Pkwy was going to take me to US95 and it might do so IF you are driving a 4x4. I turned around when it became very rough rock and dirt and wandered around until I could joined US95 at the end of I-515.
About ½ way across Las Vegas I heard a noise from the right rear of Desperado and another driver pointed back there. I pulled into a shopping center lot and found that the wheel cover had come off the wheel and only the valve extenders were keeping me from loosing it completely. I did not like the way it fit when Big O put it back on but the fellow rotating my tires said it was fine. Not true. I got it back in place but it is still not right, I'm going to take a look at it later today and see if I can fix it properly.
Stopped at Algobertos Mexican Food in Searchlight, NV for breakfast. They didn't have much of a breakfast menu but I ordered their cheese enchiladas with a couple fried eggs on top. They were able to make that for me but it was only fair, nothing to brag about and I don't recommend the place. Having said that, if you leave Las Vegas going south on US95 there isn't much to chose from until you get to Needles.
The only other stop was in Parker to get some gas. I didn't fill the tank, only enough to get me to Casa Grande tomorrow with about ¼ tank remaining. I'll find out when I get there tomorrow how well I guessed at how much I would need. HA
16 April
Gilbert Ray Campground
Tucson, AZ
The wind didn't come up to strength until about 9:00 and then it was mostly a tailwind from the west. Gradually shifted to be more from the south and then caused me some problems but nothing like yesterday. It is very welcome now that I have arrived and got all my windows open for the nice cool breeze and sometimes wind.The distance today was a little less at 249 miles which also made for an easier day. A lot of slower speed driving on rougher roads did make those miles a bit tough however. The route today: US60, Buckeye-Salome Rd, Harquahala Valley Rd, Courthouse Rd,Salome Rd, Old Hwy US80, AZ85, AZ238, AZ347, Maricopa-Casa Grande Hwy, Cottonwood Ln, Trekell Rd, Jimmie Kerr Blvd(AZ84) (all in Casa Grande), S. I-10 Frontage Rd, Picacho Peak Rd, N. I-10 Frontage RD, Marana Rd, Sanders Rd, Avra Valley Rd (all in Marana), Sandario Rd, Mile Wide Rd/Kinney & McCain Loop Rd.
I made a wrong turn and added a few miles but the route shown above is what I should have done. I also added about 6 miles the first thing this morning when I drove west on US60 to the Kofa Café which was the only one within miles that opened reasonably early, at 7:00. They served up a good chili omelet so the wait was worth it.
The only stop that I made was in Casa Grande for gas. Did not fill the tank, only added slightly more than 14 gallons. This was not quite enough for me to arrive in Tucson with ¼ of a tank but all that I buy here will be a lot cheaper than what I got in Parker or Casa Grande so it has worked out just right.
I drove through part of the Saguaro National Park to get to Gilbert Ray and saw a lot of saguaro that are just beginning to bloom. I'm higher here and have not seen any in the Campground with blooms on them. A lot of the other cactus are putting on a nice show. The creosote is all covered with its small yellow flowers. They still had the little white ball on them in the northern areas that I drove through yesterday.
This is the first comment that President Obama made yesterday with regard to the Boston Marathon Bombing.
“We will get to the bottom of this. We will find out who did this and we will find out why,” said President Obama this evening. “They will feel the full weight of justice.”This was what he said the day following the Benghazi killings.
Make no mistake. We will work with the Libyan government to bring justice to killers who attack our people...there is absolutely no justification to this type of senseless violence. None.There has been no justice brought to the Benghazi killers and I doubt seriously that any justice will be brought to those responsible for the Boston killings. President Obama needs the fear that the terrorist bring if he is going to achieve his transformation of this country. The people of this country will give away any and all freedoms for a promise of security so the more they fear the better it will be for the President.
17 April
D&J RV Center
Sierra Vista, AZ
Another day of very strong winds. They were from the west again so I had a tailwind for most of this short driving day. It was only when I turned south that I had the full on side wind that makes driving a high profile RV hell.I was up and away before 6:00 this morning which was a good thing because I said I would be here at 10:00 and made it with only 15 minutes to spare. It was only 116 miles but I stopped to fill up with gas and then stopped again to fill up with breakfast at Denny's. This was a Denny's Diner which I'm not sure that I have ever seen before although it is the same menu.
The route today: McCain Loop Rd, Kinney Rd, Mile Wide Rd, Sandario Rd, AZ86, Valencia Rd, Nogales Hwy (I-19 Business), Sahuarita Rd, AZ83, AZ82, AZ90, Buffalo Soldier Trail & AZ92.
I did not think much of the sliced beets with yogurt for a salad. Thought I would try a package of frozen Mexican corn which also had broccoli and cauliflower mixed in. I then put a walnut oil and balsamic vinegar dressing on it. It was better than the beets but still not so good. I am now going to add some black beans and next time I'll get just plain frozen corn with some red peppers and the black beans.
My 'linners' have been good with alternating days of salmon topped with avocado/caper/dill/yogurt or stir fried shrimp/broccoli/cauliflower/onion topped with some blue cheese dressing. I have a couple of frozen pieces of salmon remaining that I'm going to try poaching rather than baked as I have done in the past.
The Boston Marathon Massacre is a total mystery. No one knows who did it or why they did it. The only thing known so far is the bomb was built to Al Qaeda specifications in a pressure cooker as are many IEDs in Afghanistan, Pakistan and India. I will go out on a limb and say that the bombs were NOT transported to Boston on a domestic commercial aircraft. The TSAs are incompetent but I think they would have questioned anyone boarding with a pressure cooker and perhaps would have opened it.
The Lame Stream Media are beating the drums loudly for it to be the act of a right-wing extremist - that would be the most politically advantageous. Even someone with ties to Al Qaeda would be great IF the perpetrator(s) could be convinced to claim they were right-wing extremists in exchange for reduced charges and light sentencing.
18 April
D&J RV Center
Sierra Vista, AZ
Now that I am not driving the wind has quit blowing. We are at a much higher altitude so the daily highs are slightly lower and the nightly lows are much lower. It was cold again this morning when I got up.Patches only got a short potty walk at 6:00. Then after I had my breakfast and the shop opened we went for a long walk. She let me know what she thought of this change in her routine – doing her 'I want to walk dance', barking and carrying on like a fool. She has now gone into her semi-hibernation mode on the couch since we got back.
The only thing that I have done is wait. The roof re-surfacing is an all day effort with most of it devoted to waiting for each layer to dry before another layer is applied. I did buy some interior light bulbs and got them installed. I have been taking bulbs from fixtures that I rarely use when one that I have been using burns out and it was time to get some bulbs.
The only other thing that I did other than read was to prepare my 3x5 card for the route I'll be taking from here. Hopefully, tomorrow I'll drive just a short way east for an overnight stop at The Homestead to see my cousin(s). Then on Saturday I'll continue east into NM for a 4 day stay at Poncho Villa State Park. It is all dependent on getting all the RV maintenance items finished.
19 April
The Homestead
Near Double Adobe, AZ
Read Will Rogers column 88 years ago: April 19, 1925I had the intent of being back on the road soon after sun rise this morning. But we know what happens to intents, they many times become foiled. That is what happened soon after the shop closed up yesterday. Everything had been completed, I paid the bill and was then going to be up early today.
Patches and I were in Desperado when we both heard a thump on the roof. I went outside and looked up there to determine what may have caused the noise. I didn't see what caused it but what I did see was the refrigerator vent cover sitting on top of the A/C. Therefore, I knew we were going to stay until the shop opened again and the vent could be put in its proper place.
It turned out that the thump was probably from a screwdriver that had also been left up there and rolled off the A/C. There was also a paint can lid and a roll of tape left on the roof. All of that could have blown away and I would not have cared but a loss of the vent cover would have been an expensive error that would have come out of my pocket if I had not heard the thump. I was lucky that I discovered the shop error when I did.
The dully wheel cover problem was also fixed while I had it in the shop. It seems that there were fake lug nuts in the cover that needed to be positioned over the actual lug nuts. The Big O wheel guys obviously did not know this and did not have everything lined up properly. I can excuse the guys for their screw up with the vent for fixing the wheel covers.
A short day, only 66 miles, after I finally left D&J. The route: AZ92, AZ90, AZ82, AZ80, Davis Ranch Rd & Frontier Rd. There was one stop along the way at Fry's in Sierra Vista to stock up on groceries and fill up with gas.
Patches had a hard day after we arrived at my cousins. I put her in a big fenced yard where she could run and she spent most of her time at the gate barking for me to come and play with her.
The second or third time I went in the yard with her she ran around like a crazy fool and hit my leg again which dumped me on my face. My cousin was watching her antics and saw her knock me down and came running to see if I was alright. A little dirty but no physical hard done this time, the first time she did this I jammed a finger badly when I fell on it.
The day was mostly devoted to visiting with two of my cousins. Also met a first cousin once removed and his wife for the first time. They are here overnight also and will join other family members in a cemetery clean up where my maternal grandparents, an aunt and uncle and a couple of cousins are buried.
My plan to stay at Poncho Villa State Park has changed to staying at City of Rocks State Park. There I'll meet Boonie and his dog Coffee Girl again and while the owners walk and talk the dogs can run and play together once more.
20 April
City of Rocks State Park
Faywood, NM
Today was not that long, only 234 miles, but with an hour time change it was around 2:00 before I had set up and paid my self registration fees. No one around the Office, no one around the Camp Host site – if you want any information here you are generally out of luck.The route today: Frontier Rd, Double Adobe Rd, US191 (Formerly US666), AZ80/NM80 (Formerly US80), NM9, NM11 & NM61.
Made two stops along the way. The first one was at Denny's in Douglas, not that I have become a huge fan of Denny's but they and McDonalds are the only restaurants open at 6:30 in the morning. I did have a so-so Philly Steak Omelet and a huge crispy order of hash browns came with it.
The second stop was for gas in Deming, NM. I'm not counting the other two stops I had to make along NM9. I was forced off the road to allow two different convoys of oversize mining dump truck bodies pass by. There was a NM Highway Patrol leading each group of three with pilot cars in front and back of each truck and the another NM Highway Patrol as the last car. It must cost a fortune to get those dump truck bodies from the manufacturer to where they will be used.
The wind was from the west again and pushed me most of the day. When I turned north on NM11 I found out how hard it had been pushing and fought a side wind for the last 60 miles. The space that I have here in the Park is very exposed but that is where all the electric spaces are so I didn't have much choice. All I can hope for is that the wind will slack off to just a nice breeze for the next 3 days.
21 April
City of Rocks State Park
Faywood, NM
Patches and I were up at 5:30 Rocky Mountain Daylight Savings Time which was still quite dark. That is the same clock time we have been getting up in AZ and NV which for over a month now has been sun up. We did a short potty walk and I read a few of my Daily Blogs.I then put on my walking shoes and my GPS unit and Patches went into her 'Let's walk routine'. I was just getting ready to be picked up by Boonie,Occupation Of Independence, at 6:30 but Patches was not going for just waiting around. So, we started walking toward the Park front gate where I would be sure to see Boonie when he came in to get us.
We got picked up at about 6:40 and then drove back to Boonies camp north of Bayard, NM where we did a hike with our dogs. We walked about 2.75 miles with Coffee Girl and Patches running for probably twice that. Both of them had their tongues hanging out so far that they were almost dragging the ground.
We left Coffee Girl in the camp after we finished our walk but took Patches with us to Silver City for breakfast. I should say that Boonie and I had breakfast at Vicki's Eatery while Patches sat in his van and waited for us. I think she was tired enough that she laid down while we were gone.
After breakfast we did a short walk around downtown Silver City. Most of the walk was in Big Ditch Park which has a walking path that is a few blocks long on the eastern side of downtown. When Patches and I then got back to Desperado she was a tired and happy dog that crashed on the couch and was snoring within 5 minutes of our arrival.
Neither one of us did much for the rest of the day. I did finish The Gold Coast by Nelson DeMille. This is the third novel of his that I have read and I will certainly be looking for more. Each one of his has been different but all of them were very enjoyable. Highly recommended!
22 April
City of Rocks State Park
Faywood, NM
When we went for our morning walk it was so calm and so quiet you could hear a pin drop. By 9:00 the wind had started to blow again. Yesterday it had held off until noon and I was hoping that we had seen the last of the wind. This is southern New Mexico however and it is renown for its winds.When we got back home I had breakfast before starting to make up a pot of Frey's Special Chili. The last batch worked out so well that I used pork loin again rather than beef, it is so much cheaper. The habanero chiles that I ground up with my mortar and pestel have also been great, four teaspoons gives it just the right hotness for me.
I then laid down on the couch with Patches and read for a while. The next thing I knew I had woke up from a nap. Patches wasn't finished yet, I got up, she stretched out and went back to sleep.
The other big accomplish for the day was making up my 3x4 card for my route on Wednesday. I have picked out a restaurant in Hatch for breakfast and will go through Truth or Consequences so I can stop and pick up a few groceries.
My 'linner' today will be a cut corn, black bean, roasted red pepper and artichoke heart salad with walnut/balsamic dressing. This new salad looks good if nothing else. With it I'll be trying to poach a piece of salmon then cover it with my avocado/caper/dill/yogurt sauce.
What do you do when the economy is growing at a snails pace and you have been shouting to the roof tops that your policies have brought about a strong recovery? The obvious answer is to change how you measure that growth. The United States should be showing a GDP in excess of most boom years by the end of 2013 unless it sinks into another recession and shows only 3%.
Billions of dollars in intangible assets, such as film royalties and research and development investment, will be incorporated into calculating the gross domestic product starting in July, making the U.S. economy 3% bigger. It will be the biggest change in the indicator since computer software was added more than 10 years ago, altering the way states calculate their GDP and the Federal Reserve measures inflation.
23 April
City of Rocks State Park
Faywood, NM
Patches was tired by the time we finished our walk yesterday afternoon. This is not normal for her so I think it was the effect of her full on running the day before. My right knee was a little sore this morning so I gave both of us a break and did just a short walk.The early morning hours were calm with a great sunrise today. However, the wind was blowing strong again by 10:00. Even with the wind our afternoon walks have been done under a clear sky and very pleasant temperatures. I can't complain too much about our few days here.
The way I poached a piece of salmon fillet yesterday turned out to be great. In the past I have been baking them in my Roaster and then re-heating in a skillet which leaves the fish rather dry. Yesterday I left the piece in its vacuum sealed plastic wrap and placed it in some boiling water for a few minutes. This gave me a nice moist piece of fish with virtually no cleanup from the cooking process.
I think I was very lucky to get a space when I arrived on Saturday as I have said before. All the electric spaces were taken Saturday & Sunday night. On Monday there were 4 of the 10 that left but by early afternoon 3 of them had been filled again. Today one space open up and was filled again by noon. If you want an electric space here it is best to show up on a week day and do so before noon.
I did nothing today but read. Most of that was reading my new novel while on the couch. I did check out the Internet News and read my Daily blogs but very little web surfing today.
Ran across a bicycling blog of a couple that departed from Houston, TX and are planning on doing a big loop through the Rockies then back down the Pacific Coast and continue south to Tierra de Fuego. I'm getting current on the blog but they just started and are still in Texas so I should be reading them daily soon.
24 April
Cedar Cove RV Park
Elephant Butte, NM
We were on the road again this morning just a few minutes after 6:00. That got us to Hatch, NM a few minutes before I found the restaurant I had selected and as I went past it I saw they were closed. I got turned around a couple of times and finally found a parking spot about ½ block away. Walked over to the Valley Cafe´ to check on their hours of operation and they were OPEN.This is a little shack about ¼ miles south of the intersection of NM26 & NM181. It doesn't look like much but had some good reviews on-line so I thought I'd give them a try.
Had a good Chorizo and Eggs plus some very good green salsa. Most restaurant salsa is so bland that I have to get some extra hot sauce to jazz it up and green salsa is even worse. That was not the case here, it was flavorful, had a bite to it and IF I wanted it hotter I just added more. It is recommended!
Hatch, NM is famous for their chiles but as I drove north through a number of small towns I saw a lot of pecan orchards, alfalfa and grain fields, cotton and onions. There was one onion field that was being harvested for green onions with many more that appeared ready but they may be left to mature.
Stopped in Truth or Consequences at Bullock's, the only supermarket that showed up on Google Maps. It is well stocked and I was able to get everything that I needed with the exception of egg substitute. They had some but only in the small containers and there was only 4 of those on the shelf. People here eat real eggs it seems.
I then had to stop again and check Google Maps to make sure where the RV Park was. I thought I had gone past the turn but that is what I get for thinking – I had not reached the turn yet. Even with these stops I was here a few minutes after 10:00 because I only drove 123 miles.
The route today: NM61, US180, NM26, NM187, Broadway St, Date St (in T or C), NM181, NM171, NM195 & Yapple Canyon Rd.
When I checked in I asked for the best deal they offered between paying for 6 and staying for 7 or an Escapee discount. They said they would give me both and when I asked about getting a referral discount for a blogger that I read that is here now they gave us both the referral. That made for a pretty good deal for my one week stay, much more expensive than if I were to stay for a month but still a good deal for the week.
Didn't waste any time getting my dirty clothes gathered up and into the laundry which is just across the street from my site. That is where the showers are also and I'll be in there before the day is over. Two of my needed to do chores will be completed by the end of the day. Busy, Busy! HA
25 April
Cedar Cove RV Park
Elephant Butte, NM
When I checked in yesterday I met John, a.k.a. Shoeless Joe, Travlin' with John, a blogger that I have been reading for some time but had never met. It was his name that I used as a referral to stay here in this Park and we both got the referral discount.Later in the day when I was taking Patches out for her afternoon walk we stopped by at his rig and had a visit with him for a few minutes. He was having a slide awning replaced at the time so I got to meet Baker's Mobile RV Service that received high praise from John for the work they have done in the past.
Patches an I then found an ATV trail that took us through the desert to the back fence of another RV Park that fronts along NM195. This was only about ½ mile from my site but there are a lot of ATV trails branching off that one which we may explore. We followed one of them to the south and west for a short distance then cut cross country on a sometimes used foot trail back to our Park and space.
When we finished or morning walk, out to NM195 and then south to the City limits sign and return, I went to the Club House for coffee. There were three other fellow there when I arrived and then another joined us not long after. Most of the conversation revolved around the weather or fishing and how the weather is effecting the fishing. I did have a longer talk with one fellow that had worked for Phelps Dodge for many years and has homes in Safford as well as Morenci, AZ.
While I was there for coffee I also exchanged the DeMille novel that I finished a few days ago for another one of his. They do not have a very big selection overall at this Park but they had 3 DeMille novels to choose from. I may get another one of his before I leave when I finish the book I'm now reading.
I didn't escape the wind by moving. It was blowing pretty hard when we did our afternoon walk yesterday. Nice and calm this morning but we were getting wind again by 10:00 – not good for fishing. There has been a high overcast all morning that seems to be breaking up and the expected high is to be 81° which will be hotter than yesterdays perfect 75. I'm not convinced that it is going to reach the higher temperature but even if it does the wind will make it feel cool.
26 April
Cedar Cove RV Park
Elephant Butte, NM
Read Will Rogers column 88 years ago: April 26, 1925When Patches and I went out for our afternoon walk yesterday the wind was blowing in the 20-25 mph range. Not sure when we had the maximum gusts of 45 mph but Desperado was rock'n n roll'n until it died down after sundown. I'm also not sure if it was a prediction for what might happen today, we had 10 mph wind when I got up this morning.
Our walk yesterday was down to level 5 in this terraced Park and then along a draw full of gravel that took us northwest then west. We circled back through the desert and a couple more small draws to get back home. This morning it was out and back to NM195 then north away from town.
I went to the Club House for coffee again when we got home. The same fellows were there with one new addition. This seems to be the Koffee Klatch for this Park. A little ranting about ObamaCare this morning but mostly more fishing talk. The new addition provided some information about the winds and dust that he experienced coming back through Deming to here late yesterday. When we were out walking I could see that it was not pretty!
I stopped at John's rig again today around 11:00 while taking Patches for a short potty walk. It was also early enough in the day that I would not disrupt his watching the St Louis Cardinals if they were playing and being televised.
We had a nice visit once again and Patches has developed some much better manners. After the initial excitement of meeting someone other than myself she sat upon my command and then later I looked down and she way laying down. She did that a couple of times before in recent days but it didn't dawn on me at the time. She can be such a Good Girl!
I saw on John's blog where another blogger said HI to me through John. She is now on my Monthly Read List and that reminded me that it was time to start on that list once again. Probably will not finish the List before I leave here but I have now started and will make some good progress in the next few days.
I don't think President Obama did himself any good when he appeared at the Bush Library unavailing. The contrast with four former Presidents all in the same place all at the same time was simply too much and he came away lacking. I have read 3-4 articles based on this theme with The Presidential Wheel Turns by Peggy Noonan among the best. The entire article is very good this is just from the opening.
This week something changed. George W. Bush is back... His numbers are dramatically up. You know why? Because he's the farthest thing from Barack Obama. Obama fatigue has opened the way to Bush affection.
In all his recent interviews Mr. Bush has been modest, humorous, proud but unassuming, and essentially philosophical: History will decide. No finger-pointing or scoring points. If he feels rancor or resentment he didn't show it. He didn't attempt to manipulate. His sheer normality seemed like a relief, an echo of an older age.
And all this felt like an antidote to Obama—to the imperious I, to the inability to execute, to the endless interviews and the imperturbable drone, to the sense that he is trying to teach us, like an Ivy League instructor taken aback by the backwardness of his students. And there's the unconscious superiority. One thing Mr. Bush didn't think he was was superior. He thought he was luckily born, quick but not deep, and he famously trusted his gut but also his heart. He always seemed moved and grateful to be in the White House. Someone who met with Mr. Obama during his first year in office, an old hand who'd worked with many presidents, came away worried and confounded. Mr. Obama, he said, was the only one who didn't seem awed by his surroundings, or by the presidency itself.
27 April
Cedar Cove RV Park
Elephant Butte, NM
Yesterday afternoon I took Patches down to level 3 in the Park and then up a slight climb up a ridge to the southwest. This brought us to about the same height as level 1 where my space is. The ridge then overlooked the deep draw that we had walked in previously but now we were walking south.After perhaps ½ mile we came to a fence and turned back toward the east through a shallow draw and up onto a wide ridge that runs south by southeast also at level 1 height. At about the point where we reached the top there was a cairn of rocks with an American Flag lashed to a 2x2 and a number attached. Looking east I saw another flag and walked to it and found a similar cairn with the number 15 on the post.
We turned back for home and I went past two more flags along the way. When I stopped in the Office upon getting back to the Park I asked about the flags and they only knew that a guy in the Park had built them as a War Memorial.
This morning I went over to see John again and asked him about the flags and he told me that there was a map on the Laundry Room bulletin board. I now have a copy of A Memorial Walk Honoring American Military which shows 17 locations along a roughly outlined perimeter for the shape of Iraq where the Office Staff said the builders son had died.
A note on the Map says the walk is 1 ½ – 2 miles long so Patches and I will go back this afternoon and see if we can visit all 17 cairns. I'm also going to see if I can get GPS coordinates for each one of them and then prepare a Google Map. This is something I have never done before so it should prove educational.
I think the bicycling couple from Texas, whose blog I am now reading daily, went past me today on their way north. I was in contact with them yesterday when they were planning on stopping at Caballo State Park some 22 miles south of my location. I asked them to slightly detour off of NM181, which I was guessing they would be on today, and stop by but I have no seen them. I probably will not be on their route again so will only know them through their blog – like so many of my other Blog Friends.
28 April
Cedar Cove RV Park
Elephant Butte, NM
Patches and I went out yesterday afternoon to follow A Memorial Walk Honoring American Military. There are 18 cairns along the walk plus two representing the locations of Baghdad and Tehran. We visited them all except the cairn labeled #13 on the map.We found a #13 but it was where I would have expected to find #11 and then found none with a #11 on the post. The post for #1 and #18 are not labeled as such but rather as Alpha and Omega and they are the closest to the Park and not more than a dozen feet apart. This is also where a feeding and watering station for birds and rabbits is located.
I made a note of the GPS coordinates at each cairn as we went along. When I got back to Desperado I started to place them on a map but did not like how inaccurately I was doing it. I think I need to do some more study on how to prepare a Google Map using coordinates.
There was enough climbing up and down through a few draws that I woke up with a right knee that was a little sore and I was lazy this morning. That meant that Patches got short shift on her walk. It was longer than a potty walk but not up to the morning standard that I have established and what she likes. Enough to keep her happy however which is a good thing.
When I went for coffee this morning I took the novel that I finished yesterday with me. Checked the library here for the same author, Allan Folsom, but they did not have any. That did not disappoint me that much, his book was a good read but I was happy to trade for another DeMille.
The only thing that I did out of my ordinary routine today was prepare 3x5 cards for my trip north on Wednesday. I'll stop in Soccoro for breakfast then at a pet food store and a Smith's in Albuquerque to fill the larder for the two of us. It is not a long drive but I have made it much more complicated by avoiding as much of Interstate 25 as I can.
The past couple of days have been so much better than the 10 days starting with my departure from Pahrump. The winds finally dropped down to a level that I can live with and need if the high temperature gets up into the 80s as it did yesterday. The weather guessers are predicting a repeat of yesterday and that is good - it was very nice.
29 April
Cedar Cove RV Park
Elephant Butte, NM
Our afternoon walk yesterday was out toward NM195 then northwest on an ATV trail that followed the power line. Only went a couple of power poles in distance and then turned west before circling back to the Park. Walked in the bottom of a big draw and then climbed over a couple of ridges and through a couple smaller draws. A little bit of a workout but only 1.5-1.75 miles.This morning we did an out and back to NM195 which is one mile. I then went to the Club House for a cup of coffee but stayed for only that one. I had told John that I would pick him up this morning at 7:00 and we would go to breakfast so I had to get back and un-hook.
It would have been only a one mile walk to Hodges Corner Restaurant but I would have had to leave Patches for a couple of hours and did not want to do that. So, I drove us down there and I got their Huevos Rancheros breakfast special. John and I sat and visited for about an hour which was great and he was kind enough to pick up the check which was even greater. HA
After poaching three salmon fillets I have gone back to baking them in my Roaster. The poaching method was so much easier to clean up and it did leave the cooked fish more moist but I found that I did not like it as well. The cut corn, roasted peppers, black bean, artichoke salad with a walnut oil, lime dressing however has been good. I like this dressing better than the walnut oil, balsamic vinegar that I was using before although it was good also.
It seems that the worm may have turned and may be bad news for President Obama and the Democrats. Even with the complicity of the lame stream media people in the good Ol' US of A are beginning to wake up and see that they government can not provide them security. The government's promise of more security at only some small loss of freedom is not selling nearly as well as it once did. This is NOT the bad news. The Bad News is that a population that does not believe the government's security promises will soon question ALL government promises.
A Fox News survey polling a random national sample of 619 registered voters the day after the bombing found despite the tragic event, those interviewed responded very differently than following 9/11. For the first time since a similar question was asked in May 2001, more Americans answered “no” to the question, “Would you be willing to give up some of your personal freedom in order to reduce the threat of terrorism?” Of those surveyed on April 16, 2013, 45 percent answered no to the question, compared to 43 percent answering yes.
A similar poll sampling 588 adults, conducted on April 17 and 18 for the Washington Post, also discovered the change in attitude. “Which worries you more,” the Post asked, “that the government will not go far enough to investigate terrorism because of concerns about constitutional rights, or that it will go too far in compromising constitutional rights in order to investigate terrorism?” The poll found 48 percent of respondents worry the government will go too far, compared to 41 percent who worry it won’t go far enough.
30 April
Cedar Cove RV Park
Elephant Butte, NM
It reached a high of 87° yesterday and was very calm until late in the afternoon. That had me running the A/C from about noon and it looks like we are in for similar weather today. The expected high is to be 90° but then on Thursday and Friday it will be back down into the 60s.I'll be gone from here by then. However, the weather forecast for Albuquerque is almost the same. The wind will probably be less but the temperatures will be within the same range although I'll be 500-1,000' higher in elevation.
The only thing that I had to do today was dump my holding tanks and add fresh water. I got that done early today before it got very hot which I'm glad I did. It was over 80 before 11:00 so the expected 90 was on its way. Tomorrow morning all I need do is un-hook from electric and go.
Said goodbye to the Club House Kaffee Klatch this morning with the possibility of seeing one of them later next month in Albuquerque. I'll go to see John and say goodbye later this afternoon when I take Patches for a short potty walk. It is going to be too hot for our usual long walk.
In Liberal Frustrations Grow after 100 Days of Obama 2.0 by Chris Stirewalt he points out the multiple failures of President Obama in his second 100 Days, as judged by his liberal supporters. If he looses them who will remain? This is especially bad since a large majority of the media are liberal and have been carrying his water for him since Campaign 2008.
President Obama is not Mitt Romney. And on the 100th day of his second term in office, that seems to be his cardinal virtue among members of his political base.In the President's Press Conference today ABC News Chief White House Correspondent Jonathan Karl asked a question that pointed out these failures. This is not what you do in one of his Press Conferences and I would bet that is the last question that he gets to ask this President. Here is Obama's reply, in part, to the question. I say in part because this President never just answers a question, he almost always segues into a lecture to show how smart he is and how ignorant the questioner.
Despite – or, more likely, because of – the president’s boldly liberal vision and broad promises after his re-election, liberal Democrats are feeling crabby about Obamism these days.
A largely unchecked genocide in Syria, an ever-escalating drone warfare program, a botched effort for gun control, fumbling implementation of the new health law, defeats on fiscal policy and the president’s seeming acceptance of business as usual in Washington are all causing alarm on the left. What is the use of having a crusading liberal president if he won’t crusade or can’t win when he does?
“If you put it that way, Jonathan, maybe I should just pack up and go home. Golly! You know, I think it’s a little, as Mark Twain said, ‘Rumors of my demise may be a little exaggerated at this point.”