Peregrinating
2015

March

1 March
Patagonia RV Park
Patagonia, AZ

Yesterday afternoon we did a loop to town, a short bit of the Patagonia Train Track Trail, across Harshaw Creek, over the fence and back to the Park. This is a good loop also that gives me more route variety. It wasn't very cold but the wind was gusting and it was partly cloudy. This morning it was clear and very mild wind but the forecast continues to be a 90% chance of rain tomorrow and 20% today.

Today is Baba Marta Day in Bulgaria and I remembered to send martenitsa cards to my friends in Bulgaria. We have very sporadic contact now after almost 20 years but I try to remember to send them Happy Baba Marta!

I did three more API map replacements this morning. They took far longer than I wanted to spend on them because they were in and out of a large metropolitan area. It is difficult to force Google API maps to follow a route that the powers that be at Google have not decided is the 'best' route. Sometimes it is impossible, the map will not draw a line where you want it.

I needed a break from that. Started the Will Rogers weekly article link preparation for another month. That is much easier to do. HA

It is also a lot easier to lay on the couch with my book and Patches. I did that for a while, not much else happening here today.

2 March
Patagonia RV Park
Patagonia, AZ

When we walked into town this morning there were scattered clouds alternating with overcast but it was blowing east. That was the good news the bad news was that wind was blowing a rain storm our way if the weather radar was right and it didn't quit raining before it reached us. We may not be doing an afternoon walk.

Yesterday afternoon we went north across the field then west along the Seed Farm fence, north along the Seed Farm fence, west on San Antonio Rd, then looped the northeast part of the Patagonia Train Track Trail, east and south on San Antonio Rd, west along the Seed Farm fence and then south across the field. Another good loop route that is slightly over 2 miles and more interesting than back and forth to town.

When I changed my web site host to Web Hosting Hub I got AWStats as part of the hosting package. Among the many things that are reported are the countries from which people have viewed my site. I have also installed StatCounter on my Home page which reports countries as well.

Yesterday soon after I posted my daily update I checked both stat reports and find a huge difference. AWStats claims that the United States had the most viewers as did StatCounter; no surprises there. However, in second place at AWStats was Ukraine (by a large margin) whereas StatCounter had Brazil in second place by a large margin and Ukraine was not in the Top 20. AWStats does not report Brazil at all.

I got a couple more API maps replacements built and have only two more to do to finish Bike Trip 3. It has been raining off and on this afternoon and only up to 54° so I think I'm going to be inside which may be a good time to get this done.

Yugoslavia's Warning to America by John R. Schindler at The XX Committee is not the first article that I have read that compares the direction the United States is heading to Yugoslavia. It is one of the better article that I have read that does so. Selected quotes from the article.

The root of Yugoslavia's collapse was economic, particularly its parlous state finances...After two years of study, Krajgher's commission in 1983 released its report, which correctly assessed that Yugoslavia needed to get its economic house in order to avoid financial, and then political, collapse...The report was ignored, and Communist officials never made any effort to seriously implement any of Krajgher's solid recommendations...Comparisons to Obama are unavoidable. Early in his first term, he empowered a bi-partisan board, known colloquially as the Simpson-Bowles commission, to investigate improving the long-term condition of America's state finances. The commission's findings were thorough and persuasive, and they offered a way out of the country's fiscal morass. ...and nothing happened.
Playing political games with race and ethnicity in any multinational society is a dangerous thing. Obama, by promising that he wanted to be president of all Americans, then governing as a highly partisan Democrat, has laid the groundwork for a hazardous future for the United States, hardly helped by his public indulging of black nationalism, particularly his incautious discussion of crimes both real and imagined against African Americans. However verboten discussion of white nationalism is at present among polite Americans, it is unavoidable that this will become an issue in the future, with potentially explosive consequences - to say nothing of the rise of Hispanic and Asian nationalisms too, as the United States becomes even more diverse than Yugoslavia was.

3 March
Patagonia RV Park
Patagonia, AZ

It rained off and on all afternoon and into the night. The bad news was that we did only a short potty walk between showers. The good news was that my roof did not leak. The official measurement was 0.22" but there was some standing water that indicated it might have been more. The last time my roof leaked the storm was very similar to this one but dumped 0.33". Maybe it is the amount of rain?

Continued to be partly cloudy this morning but is clearing. The weather guessers claim that is what is going to happen but then forecast a 50% chance of more rain tomorrow morning and colder than yesterdays 57°. Not good.

I finished the API map replacements for Bike Trip 3 yesterday. Started making replacement maps for Bike Trip 5 and immediately had a problem with Google API maps not wanting to draw a line across a road that is closed during the winter. I could add a note to the map as I have done in the past but I started thinking about building the maps differently. I will not be able to show the exact route that I rode and the current map screenshots do not so I am thinking to not show the route at all just a Marker and InfoWindow. However, I want to use a custom Marker with the InfoWindow and I have never done that before so it is time to go back to school. Another project that is going to keep me busy and out of trouble for a while.

4 March
Patagonia RV Park
Patagonia, AZ

Yesterday afternoon we walked part of the western portion of the Patagonia Train Track Trail. Went out thru the field, north and west on San Antonio, then looped back on the Trail and field. Did not get a good reading on the distance due to equipment or operator error but think it was about 2 miles. Another good route.

The forecast for rain this morning could have happened very early but by the time I got up the clouds were starting to clear and by 9:00 there were only some mares tails remaining. We did a short potty walk because I was lazy and wanted to get on with my shopping day.

Went to the Wild Horse for breakfast where I had a make your own omelet of sausage, feta and spinach. The omelet was small and light on the spinach but made a good feta omelet served with a big portion of home fries and some good coffee. The waitress was new, I may have been her first customer, but she did a respectable job until it came time to pay using my Credit Card. Even when she went for help the help could not straighten out what she had done. I think(?) I will be charged only once and don't think the waitress will get the tip I tried to leave her on the Card but maybe if I go back next week everything will be working smoothly. Then again she may be gone. HA

Grocery shopping at Patagonia Market and Red Mountain Food went well. Got everything that I needed. Not necessarily everything that I wanted but that is what shopping in a small town is - it is what it is.

I made up a pot of Frey's Special Chili yesterday. Today I'll bring it to a boil for a few minutes and then leave it in the Thermal Cooker until 'linner' time. It has been a long time since I had any of my Chili and the weather has turned so I thought it was time.

I have not been able to write the API map coding that works they way I would like. For Bike Trips 5 & 6 there are too many days for me to build an API map drawing the route for each day. It is also not possible to draw the entire week because of the limited number of Waypoints that API maps allow. Therefore, I have decided to show only a stick pin icon with the name of each camp for the week on a map without a route drawn between the camps. So far I can not do it. Spending a lot of time and accomplishing very little.

5 March
Patagonia RV Park
Patagonia, AZ

There was a light frost again this morning. I didn't see anything in the forecast about it getting that cold. The weather station that I am using for official readings is not far from me and it is claiming the low low was 36° which I don't think will cause frost to form. Maybe in the lower elevations near town it got lower.

The temperature did not stop us from walking into town but I did stop at The Gathering Grounds for some hot coffee. We then returned home by way of Harshaw Creek, climbed over the fence and then across the north field. That way back is almost exactly one mile from the Gathering Grounds whereas via the road is about 0.10 miles shorter.

Most of the readers of this posting will not have any interest in the following but I am writing about it so I can come back to it if I get confused when building more API maps. In my posting of 25 September 2014 I showed a screenshot of an API map that I built with five Markers and an InfoWindow. This was done by using example files I found as templates, pasting the code into my own web page and changing the data. I did not understand the principles involved but at the time I was satisfied that I could build an API map with multiple Markers.

In my latest endeavor I used that coding to begin building a multiple Marker map with my Stick Pin Marker and a Title for the Marker when the mouse hovers over it. Simple enough IF you understand the principles involved which I did not.

One of the principles was that the coding has syntax and I did not understand what it was. Example:
var locations = [
['Manzanos RV Park Silver City, NM 11 Sep - 11 Oct', 32.780093,-108.218815],
['Magic Circle RV Park Wilcox, AZ 11 Oct - 11 Nov', 32.263846,-109.846765]
]
The data enclosed by the red apostrophes is called a "string" and is what appeared in the InfoWindow on the screenshot. The string is further defined by the red comma after the closing apostrophe and the string can be replaced with locations[0] when that data is used. Similarly the first number is defined by the red comma and is locations[1] but the second number being the last data in that line of the array does not have a trailing comma and is locations[2]. The second line in the array is presented only to show that the last one does not have a comma following the ] and the total array is enclosed by an open [ and a closed ]. Any mistake in this syntax and the map will not appear.

It was understanding the use of locations[0], [1] and [2] that finally registered in my mind and I could then see how some of the other code that I had copied worked.

I was able to change the Marker from the default Red Marker shown in the screenshot to my Stick Pin Marker easily enough again by copying code and changing the data. I was then able to add a Title when I understood that I could get it from the array by calling for locations[i][0] where "i" was advanced one array line at at time in a loop and [0] was where I had entered the Title name as a "string".

I have accomplished what this project intended to do and I'm satisfied that I have reached that goal. But! I now want an InfoWindow for each Stick Pin Marker and that is a problem.

The default Red Marker has an InfoWindow attached to it by default also but a custom icon (my Stick Pin Marker) does not. Therefor the coding that works with a default Marker now does not work. I am back in school again but I have learned a lot since this time yesterday.

This is the second book in the Earth's Children Series and the second one of Auel's that I have read. I could not find a Publishers Weekly review of this book and I suspect they did not publish one because they don't like to write bad, bad reviews. The customer review that I copied is a good example of what I found when I read reviews by customers at a couple sites. I agree with most of what this review has said but what was not said is how the author made Ayla to be the inventor/discoverer of all sorts of things and Jondalar couldn't find his ass with both hands until he joined up with her. A paleolithic feminist meets cave man. I have the third book in the Series in my unread library and can only hope that it is more like The Clan of the Cave Bear which I reviewed on 20 January 2015.

It sounds a bit harsh, but there it is. As I was reading "Valley of Horses," I could hardly understand how a woman who could write something as enchanting and interesting as "Clan of the Cave Bear" could degenerate to such...drivel. Here's the story: Ayla, the plucky cro-magnon raised by neanderthals is all alone, playing a sort of female Dr. Doolittle/Pamela Lee to the animals in the valley she inhabits. All she really wants is to belong somewhere...i.e. to have a mate of her own. Enter Jondalar, a sort of paleolithic Fabio, on a journey toward...whatever destiny lies before him. On the way he has fun hopping into bed (VERY graphically) with just about every pretty cave-woman he comes across. WHAT HAPPENED? The beauty of the last book was the originality and believability of the characters. You really felt for them, especially Ayla, Iza, Creb, Brun, and some of the others. This Jondalar is a two-dimensional male-pinup admired far and wide for his incredible schlong (I'm not kidding). Ayla whines incessantly. Her animal friends don't provide too much snappy conversation. There really ARE no other characters, except maybe Jondalar's younger brother, who's about as fascinating as a slice of spam. It's also not so well-written. Do we really need three chapters on the building of a boat? I mean all the little intricate details? Do we need all these lengthy descriptions of food, tupper ware, and so on? Better if Auel had used all those chapters and pages to work on her plot and her characters. Here's the thing: "Clan" is REALLY good book. Don't let this review dissuade you from it by any means! Read it! Enjoy it! I certainly did! Just pretend it's the ONLY book in the series. Or make up your own ending. - Amazon Customer Review

6 March
Patagonia RV Park
Patagonia, AZ

I spent a lot of unproductive time looking for, and trying various changes, the solution to opening an InfoWindow with a custom Marker. I think I reached the point where I was crazy - trying the same things expecting different results. I'll be back at it later today.

I did something this morning that I was was proficient at and more productive. I did my laundry. The machines here are a little expensive and I needed more quarters. There was a bill changer on the wall that I have always hated to use but I needed the quarters. Put in my best looking $1 bill and it spit it out, rinse and repeat a couple more times - same result. Tried my next best looking $1 bill and I was promptly rewarded with 3 quarters.

That was enough for me to get the washer going. I then went to the Park Host and got him out of bed to give me 4 quarters for a $1 bill and tell him about being cheated by the laundry slot machine. I got the 4 quarters which gave me enough to then use the dryer and the Host brought me my other quarter later in the morning. A little bit of a problem but a lot better results than what I accomplished with the API map build.

The Bureau of Labor released their non-farm job numbers for February today that showed an increase of 295,000 jobs. The Ministry of Propaganda is all atwitter with this great news and even more so about the 6 1/2 year low Unemployment Rate.

The CES Birth/Death Model added 132,000 to that total for the month. The Ministry doesn't say anything about that even knowing that there are more businesses closing than opening.

If you look at the Household Data the number of Employed increased for the ninth consecutive month but nothing last month with only 96,000 being added in February. The Unemployed went down by 274,000 and the Not in the Labor Force increased by 354,000.

It was this combination that brought the Unemployment Rate down to the 5.5% that the Ministry and the Federal Reserve are so pleased with. It gives the Fed the justification they want to raise rates and it gives the Administration gloating points about how well their policies are driving the recovery.

That increase in the Not in the the Labor Force was enough to change the Participation Rate to 62.8%, down 0.1% but is 0.1% better than December. The 92,898,000 Not in the Labor Force does match the all time record set in December however. The Ministry has little to say about this either.

The average earnings increased by 3¢ to $24.78 an hour while the average workweek remained at 34.6 hours for the fifth month. I think the Federal Reserve is getting the wage inflation numbers that they need as cover for their rate increase. I expect more monthly earning increases leading up to the Feds rate increase by mid-year.

An early afternoon update! I have an API map with custom Markers, that have Titles that appear when a mouse is passed over them and, and, and --- the InfoWindow for each one now opens when the Marker is clicked. Finally! I'll tell more of the story tomorrow.

7 March
Patagonia RV Park
Patagonia, AZ

The night before last I did not sleep all that well. I was awake around 3:30 and never went back into any meaningful sleep. Thinking about all the changes that I had tried and what I might be missing and should do. Yesterday starting around 11:00 I went over all the code that I had messed with the day before and then added one line of code that I though might be missing which defined the InfoWindow.

That didn't work so I did some more reading. Looked over the code that I had added and saw that I had made a syntax error. Corrected it and had a working map. I then added more data to the Array and no longer had a working map. Checked the Array for syntax errors found one, fixed it and still did not work. I had to go through that process about 6 times because it was not only syntax but the "string" can not have any apostrophes, colons or parenthesis; any of those characters within the 'string' will also keep the map from opening.

I learned a lot in the past few days. I now see where I could use PHP coding so have more of an incentive to learn how to use it. If I don't have something that I can build with code I don't understand the gibberish that the geeks use when writing about how to write code.

The documentation for API Maps is like that and the help site Stack Overflow is even worse. A lot of the people there will respond to a newbie question with some snide remark about get a book and lean basis coding. A lot of them are too good to answer a question from a beginner. Or, if they do give an answer it is geek speak that I usually can not understand.

Having said all that this is what the map looks like now. You can see it by clicking on When it opens hover your mouse over a numbered Marker and it will show the name of the town where I camped. Then click on the Stick Pin and an InfoWindow will pop up with a date that is linked to the Journal posting on that day. This is good stuff for an 'ol fart like me to be able to do; most of this kind of coding is done by young'uns.

The other thing that I did was get different icons for the place Markers and Restaurants in all the API Maps that I have built. The place Markers are a little smaller and the Restaurant icon is more colorful and maybe slightly smaller. More of a style over substance change versus the substance that is built into the new custom Markers with InfoWindows.

I also confirmed that I can use HTML links from the InfoWindows which I thought was possible. I can, and have, linked from the My Maps that are embedded or linked in the left column of the Home page but can not use HTML within those InfoWinows. The idea is now forming in my mind that I will replace those My Maps with API maps that I build. I will have a lot of options available that are not included in the My Map way of building maps.

Yesterday afternoon we walked into town past the library and I saw a sign "Book Sale". I had checked out the library web page and saw that the Friends of the Library had an annual sale but they also sell from the library when ever it is open. I stopped and checked with them and they want a lot more for their books than most Friends and have no interest in trading.

That is just as well because I found two books here at the Park. There is an exchange library with about 20 paperback book in it and there were two that looked like trading material so I did that the day I was doing my laundry. I now have only one book on my shelf that has been read and I know I can trade it at my next camp - at lest I think I can.

8 March
Patagonia RV Park
Patagonia, AZ

We did a little shorter total daily walk yesterday; both morning and afternoon were closer to 1 mile each rather than two. I just was not in the mood and Patches seemed to think it was a good idea also.

This morning Boonie came by and picked us both up and we then rode in his van to the start of our walk. Patches was excited as always to see Coffee Girl and Bonnie once again and excited to be off leash and running through the brush and grass. The hike was an up and back along the service road that leads to the towers that are on the top of Red Mountain. One of those towers making it possible for me to send this posting to my web host and then to be read by whomever all over the world.

I wrote about my neighbor and his 4 bird dogs when I first got here and made the comment at that time that he didn't show them a lot of affection, that they were working dogs. Since that time I have not changed my opinion about him showing affection, although he does show some nothing like what we pet owners do.

What he does in place of that is he shows them care. He takes care of his dogs! He does a lot of the veterinarian care for them that we as pet owners would not begin to know what to do. His dogs love him for it as much as our pets love us for the affection that we lavish on them.

I built more multiple custom Marker API maps for the Cross Country Bike Tour yesterday afternoon and today (I'll have more to say about this tomorrow). Before doing that I did some work on the Will Rogers weekly article links. Then after the map building I added a drop down menu for My Prior Camp Maps, that are in the left column of the Home page, that has more to do with style than simply having the year that could be clicked on to activate a link to a map.

I went on-line and found the code to create the menu and got it up and working. Then I went to a HTML Tutorial and found out what all the code meant and why it worked. I learn the coding better this way than reading about the coding and then trying to make it work.

Another Dubious Jobs Report by Paul Craig Roberts is a good article which makes some of the same points that I have about the BLS jobs reports. He also raises some questions that that the Ministry of Propaganda never do.

...the report claims 32,000 new retail jobs, but the Census Bureau reports that retail sales declined in December and January. Why would retailers experiencing declining sales hire more employees?
Construction spending declined 1.1% in January, but the payroll jobs report says 29,000 construction jobs were added in February.
Zero Hedge reports that the decline in the oil price has resulted in almost 40,000 laid off workers during January and February, but the payroll jobs report only finds 2,900 lost jobs in oil for the two months.
There is no sign in the payroll jobs report of the large lay-offs by IBM and Hewlett Packard.
These and other inconsistencies do not inspire confidence.

9 March
Patagonia RV Park
Patagonia, AZ

I'm going to write about Google Maps and all of the related maps that have Google attached to the map name. More importantly I want to write about the differences in the maps although many times they appear to be the same there are differences in how they are 'built".

First there is the Google Map that opens when you select Google Maps from a Search. On this map you can draw routes (limited to 10 locations), avoid Interstate Highways and then link to the map or embed it in a web page.

My Maps (this is what appears in the left column of my Home page) will let you do routing also but is not any better than Google Maps and it is harder to do. My Maps offers multi Markers with some limited different icons and icon colors with automatically attached InfoWindows. This is good if you want to show a lot of locations with an InfoWindow which you can not do on a Google Map. These maps then can also be linked or embedded.

Google API Maps offer a LOT more options that I am only slowly learning about and how to use them. However, the API maps require that you learn Java Script and API coding. Once built they can also be linked or embedded.

The first API maps that I built were route maps that required some coding but they used a Direction Service from Google that draws the maps the same as if you were using Google Maps but it is harder to do. You say "why do it then"? Because of the options! I can use any icon, not just the one that is the Google default (a red Marker). The map is "cleaner" without the Input box and Marker List box hiding parts of the map.

The API maps that I have been building for the past few days for the Cross Country Tour has forced me to the next level of understanding. If you want to show 10 Markers plus Waypoints with a route drawn between them it can only be done if you accept the route that Google wants to use (there is a way to work around this but way above my pay scale at this time).

If you deviate from the route that Google wants then you use up Waypoints to do so and you will have fewer Markers. Therefore I could not draw the route I rode between 5-7 camps and have shown the Markers. What I have been able to do is place a Marker for all the camps with Titles and Infowindows.

What I did not understand before doing this was that while using the Direction Service I was also getting the maps centered and the zoom level adjusted as part of that service. When I started adding multiple Markers across the map I then had to make those adjustment using more API code to see all the Markers when the map opened. So each step along the way has been a learning experience, frustrating at times but gratifying when I accomplish what I set out to create.

The Arizona Trail uses Harshaw Rd as part of the Trail and I have seen a few hikers. Yesterday afternoon four young women (the mother looks like one of the girls) came into the Park with full backpacks. Since I have been here these are the first that have stopped to stay overnight so I talked to two of them briefly as they were sitting with my neighbor having a beer.

It is a mother and daughter that have thru hiked the Appalachian Trail where they met the third member of this hike with the fourth coming from Hawaii where the daughter met her. They are doing the thru hike of the Arizona Trail which is going to be a "cake walk' so to speak compared to the Appalachian.

Patches had me up twice last night between 1 and 3 am. Not good, but far better than her making a mess on the carpet. She seemed to be alright this morning when we went for our walk so I fed her breakfast. Maybe not the thing to do but we will see and I will be up already if she needs to go out before we do our afternoon walk.

I didn't realize that I had slept with one window open during the night. When we got back from our walk I opened the curtain and found it open. It did feel a little cold inside this morning when I got up but I'm used to that and thought nothing of it. The low was 41° which is a little colder than I like to have the windows open but not too bad.

10 March
Patagonia RV Park
Patagonia, AZ

I took a break from building more multi Marker maps for the Cross Country Tour. I think I understand what I need to do now to build more of them, which I will, but I wanted to start learning how to use PHP and MySQL to handle the database for these kinds of maps. That is what I did for a great part of yesterday afternoon.

It was back to the frustration of not knowing what I was doing. I was trying to follow along with the coding provided in an online tutorial and could not get the page to open through my host. I kept getting an error message that the host name, user name or the database name was not correct. I finally got some help from Web Hosting Hub Chat after a long, long wait. It was none of those things and would take far too long to try and explain what I screwed up.

The unsettling thing for me so far is that the only results I do see is an ERROR message or something like this' "New record created successfully ". I don't see the Table with the Column Headings that I created - or so the message claims. I think I'm making progress but have nothing to show for it. Not very satisfying.

This morning we did a short potty walk and then headed to town for breakfast at the Wagon Wheel. I saw a menu in the laundry room here at the Park and they claimed that they were open at 7:00 am. I was there at that time and left at 7:05. I think there was an employee driving up as I left. If you can't open at the time that you say you are going to then you will probably not get my business. This is my rule in the Good 'Ol US of A; in foreign countries I have other rules based on their customs.

Went back to the Wild Horse and had their Huevos con Chorizo with potatoes rather than beans and some of their good coffee. The waitress that I had last week was not in evidence - enough said.

Then did my last shopping trip to Patagonia Market and Red Mountain Food. The owner(?) at Red Mountain was very appreciative of my business and remembered that this was my last shopping trip before I left. I highly recommend this market for produce while in Patagonia; good merchandise and fine people working there.

I saw that my neighbor had cleaned up all around his trailer when I went out this morning. He was right behind me as I came back into the Park and as I got hooked up again and started doing a holding tank dump and fresh water fill he was preparing to leave. There are 7 spaces in my row with me in number one and my closest neighbor now in number 7. There are 6 spaces in the row in front of me and not many days ago they were all full also, now there is one remaining and he is almost across from number 7 referred to above. It is too bad I'm not staying longer now that everyone has left.

11 March
Patagonia RV Park
Patagonia, AZ

Yesterday when I got back from shopping I made what was planned to be a vegetable stew with enough bacon in it for seasoning. The plan was thwarted by adding too much broth and I ended up with more of a soup than stew. It is tasty so I can't complain very much.

I also changed my usual housecleaning chore routine this month. Usually I would do them this morning but I got the first stage of it done late yesterday afternoon after our walk. Cleaned the bathroom, including the dreaded toilet that is not dreaded as much now. Vacuumed the bathroom and kitchen floors and then washed them. Also got the living room carpet vacuumed which puts me way ahead of schedule for housecleaning.

The reasoning for that spurt of domestic activity was another morning walk with Boonie and Coffee Girl. I didn't want to face it after I got back from a walk with them and a later breakfast than usual. We dove west on AZ82 to an abandoned subdivision that had some paved roads and some dirt that offered some good walking. Even more importantly it offered a great place for Coffee Girl and Patches to run off leash. Patches had fun and promptly laid down in a sunny spot to take a nap when we got home.

In the past Patches has run into me twice and knocked me to the ground. Today it was Coffee Girl's turn. She hit the inside of my right knee which didn't knock me down but hurt like hell. The knee pain went away rather quickly but what remained was a muscle pain in the top of the calf, like a cramp pain. It continued to hurt during the walk back to the truck and is going to be sore for a few days. It is already sore when I sit for a little while and then get up to walk - tomorrow should be interesting.

Finished the last of my domestic chores after fixing and eating breakfast. Well, after that and a couple cups of coffee. I now have a day off to rest and recover before moving camp. It is not going to be a long move which is good.

I was back in school for PHP and MySQL lessons yesterday afternoon and will be back again today. I made some progress and have been able to see what I put into a Table in a MySQL Database. So far I have learned to create a Database, a Table in it, put data in the Table, view what is in the Table and delete data from the Table. Not very exciting but when you know nothing at the start it is good to see increased understanding begin.

The Ministry of Propaganda is on E-mailGate like white on rice (I think that is doubly PC incorrect) which makes me wonder why. They have done everything that they can to protect Hillary from any blow back from Benghazi but they want to take her out of the presidential primary race? Or to quote Hillary, "What difference at this point does it make?"

12 March
Patagonia RV Park
Patagonia, AZ

We walked to downtown a little slower this morning. That we walked was good news, the bad news was that it hurt but the good news was that it didn't hurt any more than it did yesterday afternoon and we walked farther. I think the pain is coming from a tendon that got stretched past what it is normally called upon to do. There are a bunch of them that hold the knee together and it was just doing its job when I took the hit. I think the walking now is good therapy.

Took a rest and had coffee at the Gathering Grounds. It was packed inside with Go Sojourn bicyclist but it was a very pleasant morning to be sitting outside with Patches. A couple of the bicyclist came out and gave her some attention which she is always seeking.

I learned some more PHP/MySQL yesterday, made some more mistakes which lead to learning experiences and found a tutorial "Using PHP/MySQL with Google Maps". I also discovered PHP MyAdmin is available to me at Web Hosting Hub which is going to make my life easier. I'll be devoting some time to this new tutorial today and for some days to come. Using it with Google API Maps is what learning PHP/MySQL was all about for me.

Not making much progress with that efforts. Needed to take a break so I did some more preparation of Will Rogers weekly articles. That is something that I can do. HA

13 March
Quail Ridge RV Resort
Huachuca City, AZ

The knee and calf felt better yesterday afternoon than yesterday morning. This morning we did a shorter walk so I didn't give it a fair test but there was less pain and I think it it is getting better.

Yesterday after we finished our walk I spent some time with the PHP/SQL for Google Maps and found it to be dated (2007) which is before the current API v3 release so what ever it might have said is ancient history when it comes to this computer stuff.

I did build a good map, although it is not yet complete, for the Cross Country Tour. It will have a Titled Push Pin Marker at every town where I stopped with an InfoWindow that when clicked will show the Date that I was there, if the date is clicked the Journal Page will open with that Date's entry showing. Good stuff!

I think I can do the same thing with the My Maps that are in the left column of my Home Page. The reason for doing so is to get a 'cleaner' looking map and to remove myself, as much as possible, from the arbitrary changes that Google makes. I will still be using their API maps and the associated Java coding which can also change but historically not as frequently as Google Maps and Google My Maps.

There was no need to hurry but I am a morning person so when we finished our walk I unhooked and we moved on to our next camp. Stopped at the Vineyard Café in Sonoita for breakfast. They only opened for business last December so I did not see any sign when I went past on my way to Why, AZ or they had not opened yet. I have always wanted to find a restaurant in Sonoita that was open for breakfast when traveling west from Sierra Vista and now there is one.

I had their Corned Beef Hash with poached eggs, sourdough toast and good coffee. The toast did nothing for me, the portions were on the slight side and it was a bit expensive. That is to be expected however, the place is catering to the Southeastern Arizona wine growers and the wine snobs that come to visit. You are paying for a somewhat more chic ambiance than what most Southeastern Arizona restaurants offer and the Vineyard is more of a lunch dinner place rather than breakfast.

I continued on to RV City in Huachuca City/Whetstone where I got my propane tank filled. I last filled up in Silver City, NM on 19 September 2014 so it has been just a few days short of 6 months and I needed 10.7 gallons. For this past year I have averaged about 1.75 gallons/month which has done all my cooking and heating. Very good I do say!

I was then checking into my new Park space by 9:00 after driving only 34 miles on Harshaw Rd & AZ82 (the side trip on AZ90 was to get propane so it was only about 32 miles to the Park).

The space that I was assigned had a tree with limbs that would drag across the top of Desperado if I were to use it as a drive-thru so I asked for a different space. I'm closer to US82 which some people would find unacceptable because of the road noise but it does not bother me so my new home is fine.

14 March
Quail Ridge RV Resort
Huachuca City, AZ

One of the GOOD things about coming back to a Park that I have been in before is that I know the walking routes. One of the BAD things about coming back to a Park that I have been in before is that I know the walking routes. We were out on some of them yesterday afternoon and this morning and I couldn't see much change. The business that was closing is now closed is probably as much change as has happened.

We were lucky when we did our morning walk. The temperature was great and it was calm. As the day progressed the wind started building up and by noon I was getting some shaking of Desperado. I don't know what our afternoon walk may bring. Yesterday it was very pleasant with some scattered clouds but when we were maybe a half mile from the Park on our return we got some sprinkles. Still in full sun shine and getting rained on - this was not right.

I did some more work on Will Rogers weekly article links today. Yesterday and today I have also been redoing the API maps that I had built for the Cross Country Tour and did more work on the Total Tour map. It is the Total Tour map that will have a Push Pin Marker for every place that I stopped with a Title and InfoWindow attached. Click on the Marker, then click on the Date in the InfoWidow and voila you open the Journal Page on that Date. As soon as I get it finished I'll provide a link to show off this coding magic.

I also spent some time trying to get RV Park reservations for the next few months. I have a dental cleaning appointment in August with the office in Pagosa Springs, CO that did my tooth extraction last year. I wanted to stay at a Park near there and filled out their reservation form twice, then sent them 3 emails as follow-up. Never received a reply. Today I tried calling and received a phone disconnected message.

Moved on to plan "B" and sent more emails. What I'm going to do this spring and summer is reverse my camps of last summer and fall. Haven't quite decided on next fall and winter except I'll winter over in Yuma and get Desperado painted in Algodones, MX while there.

Last but not least I fixed the location in my posting of yesterday. I did remember to include the Will Rogers weekly article link yesterday but didn't change the location from Patagonia to Sierra Vista. This remembering to do stuff when you are old is tough.

15 March
Quail Ridge RV Resort
Huachuca City, AZ

I finished the Will Rogers week article link preparation yesterday. I now need to start reading blogs from my Monthly List before I get to far behind. That and a lot of appointments during the month that I am here will cut into my API map building time. But I will do what I can. I'm anxious to get the Cross Country Tour finished but it will keep.

We have a rinse and repeat weather day shaping up it seems. Very nice when we do our early morning walk and then the wind picks up. There were gust of over 35 mph yesterday but it wasn't that bad when we did our afternoon walk. Speaking of walking, my knee and what I think to be the sore tendon is doing well; I now feel only some slight pain from time to time not much different than before being run over by Coffee Girl.

When I got here on Friday there was a trailer on my west side but they left within an hour or two. That left me with an empty space on each side until late Friday when a pop-up pulled in on my east side. They left early this morning and I'm back to no nearby neighbors. None of them can block my great view of the Whetstone Mountains that I have from my chair right here by the window looking northwest. I think most people would hate this space but it is a good one for me!

CNN Is Beating the Drums of War by Paul Craig Roberts is his latest article that warns of war between Russia and The United States. He always makes a good case for his warning and it would not surprise me if he were to 'disappear' some day soon. The only good news that I could find in his warning was that it was Wolf Blitzer at CNN that was doing the propaganda piece and few people will see it since few people watch CNN anymore.

Wolf Blitzer (CNN, March 13) used the cover of a news program to broadcast a propaganda performance straight out of the Third Reich or perhaps from George Orwell’s 1984. The orchestration presented Russia as a massive, aggressive military threat. The screen was filled with missiles firing and an assortment of American General Strangeloves urging provocative measures to be deployed against the Russian Threat. Blitzer’s program is part of the orchestrated propaganda campaign whose purpose is to prepare Americans for conflict with Russia.
Putin understands the seriousness of the situation and is working hard to diffuse it, but Washington has made it impossible to diffuse. Washington’s price is that Putin must hand over Crimea and the Russian Black Sea naval base, abandon the Russian populations in southern and eastern Ukraine, and accept NATO military bases in Ukraine. Washington’s demand is a demand for Russia’s pre-emptive surrender.
In the CNN propaganda show, Wolf Blitzer failed to report that German intelligence challenges Washington’s claims about Russia and that the French and German governments have finally realized that Washington is insane and are working desperately to stop Washington’s drive toward war.

16 March
Quail Ridge RV Resort
Huachuca City, AZ

Today was more exhausting than if I had been working. We started off the day by getting up about 30 minutes early and doing a short potty walk. Then took off for Sierra Vista and parked at my dentist office before doing a little over a mile walk with Patches. I knew she was going to be doing a lot a waiting so a walk was necessary. She is wore out also from the strain of waiting for me to return.

Was in the dental chair a few minutes before my appointed 8:00. Wasn't out of it until nearly 9:30 with a temporary crown and a fat lip. That made breakfast at the Country Corner a little difficult to eat and I think I chewed on it some. From there I went to R&D RV Service and made an appointment for next week. On the way back to 'downtown' I also stopped at Ramsey Canyon Feed & Pet and ordered 3 bags of Canidae Pure Elements to be picked up at the end of March or first of April.

Went into Fry's to get groceries for the week. By far the largest market that I have been in for the past 4 months. They had everything that I wanted and the moving things around because of construction didn't bother me at all. I couldn't remember where anything had been so it was an adventure.

I did finish shopping and got to the Library where J. A. Jance was speaking and doing a book signing just as she was being introduced. I only heard parts of her talk because of my bad hearing and the amplification equipment that she had to use. I did wait around until she had finished signing books and introduced myself as one of the half dozen people in the audience that had raised their hands when asked if we received her emails. We had a very short conversation and I headed for home.

I had left over vegetable stew/soup for 'linner' but needed to make up another batch of desert and a salad for today. I usually have that done before I do my web page posting for the day but everything is off schedule this day.

The first book that Baldacci had published was Absolute Power which I reviewed on 18 December 2013. I have also read two from his King & Maxwell Series Split Second 23 March 2014 and King & Maxwell 14 August 2014. Deliver Us From Evil one of two in the Shaw Series on 4 June 2014. Simple Truth reviewed on 26 January 2015 and this one do not rely on characters from any of his Series. I thought he did well for over 500 pages building the suspense and mystery but then he crammed all the twists and turns into the final 100 pages along with some made for movie/TV action that was uncalled for. It was another book written for the big or little screen, that is where the money is. It was entertaining - I have one more in my unread library and will be looking to trade for more.

I've enjoyed many of David Baldacci's books, although none of them are what I'd consider deep- more appropriate for a summer read or an audiobook in the car, where you don't have to pay complete attention. Total Control must have been an early novel, though. It's written as if the author's only experience in life is from movies and television - here's how an FBI agent acts, this is what an IT guy is like, etc. The female lawyer is especially bad - she's supposed to be a partner at a very large law firm, but both the police and the bad guys manipulate her by telling her all the trouble she's in, how she'll spend the rest of her life in jail, when she hasn't really done anything wrong. A partner at a large law firm wouldn't fall for that. - Amazon Customer Review

17 March
Quail Ridge RV Resort
Huachuca City, AZ

I finished all the maps for the Cross Country Tour. When that page opens click on the Total Tour Map button and a map will appear with all of my camp locations shown with a Push Pin. If you hover over a Pin the town name will appear, if you click on the Pin an InfoWindow will open. In the InfoWindow is a Date that when clicked will open the Journal at that Date. There are also Weekly Route Map buttons that when clicked will open and show the approximate route that is described in the text. Use the Back Arrow to return to the Total Tour Map.

It will not happen anytime soon but I will replace the My Maps that are now in the left column of the Home Page with maps built in the Total Tour Map style. I want to get all my trips to have this style map first which is going to be a lot of work. I may learn how to build them using PHP/MySQL as I move along but know that it can be done with API Map Java Script and HTML.

Mostly cloudy this morning but the temperature was just right for no cap and no gloves. The weather guesser think there is a 20% chance of rain today increasing to 80% by Thursday. I have a VA appointment then which I would rather not drive to or from in the rain - I hope they get this guess wrong.

My unread library is fully stocked once again. I went to the Club House here this morning and got two nice thick books in trade. One is by an author that I read before and enjoyed very much so that was a 'find'. The second one is by an unknown to me author but the book has volume which is good considering the scarcity of books offered.

One Last Look At The Real Economy Before It Implodes - Part 2 by Brandon Smith at Alt-Market.com is a very good analysis of the economy as is Part 1. What I have copied are selected pieces of the article that speak of the BLS employment fabrications. Yes, another article that asks questions that the Ministry of Propaganda will not ask.

Now, it is probably important to address the lies presented in the mainstream and by the BLS in terms of unemployment statistics because even after years of alternative analysts debunking establishment stats and how they are calculated, we STILL end up hearing the same arguments parroted by disinformation agents and unwitting useful idiots.
Such people continue to parade around boasting about the latest BLS reports on job creation claiming that “all is well” because the unemployment rate has dropped to 5.5% and all other talk to the contrary is “doom and gloom.” So, once again, I must relate the fact that the current BLS numbers are an utter sham.
Of the 102 million working-age Americans without work today, only 8.7 million are counted by the BLS as unemployed...Well, if you ever read establishment-leaning propaganda websites like Factcheck or Poltifact, the argument is essentially that these 92 million Americans are not counted because they “refuse to participate,” not because they can’t find adequate employment and not because the government is misrepresenting the numbers.
So, first, I would ask how it is that the BLS comes to the conclusion that nearly one-third of the U.S. population does not want to work?...Second, even if such claims were true and tens of millions of Americans did not want to work, why would this matter? Shouldn’t they still be counted as unemployed...Third, if the assertion is that 92 million people do not want jobs, then by extension the BLS would have to show that those millions of people could in fact get a job if they simply tried...Fourth, a common misrepresentation attached to the claim of “refusal to participate” is ... these people do not want a job and should not be counted as unemployed. Of course, the BLS includes such people in its stats when they DO have jobs...Fifth, millions of Americans are losing long-term unemployment benefits every quarter and are being removed from BLS statistics... Again, where are these jobs that said prime-working-age people refuse to accept?

18 March
Quail Ridge RV Resort
Huachuca City, AZ

We did get a little rain yesterday afternoon. What I would count as a trace but the official rain recorder didn't even give it that much recognition. The forecast has changed to 60% chance of rain today and only 30% tomorrow. That is better I would rather it rain today. We did get a few sprinkles while on our morning walk, the way it looks I may not do one this afternoon.

I read about a dozen RVer blogs and the repeated use of the word "adventure" has started to make me grind my teeth every time I see it. This is the noun definition of adventure which is how it is most commonly used by RVers and even more so by those that write Comments. But none of these definitions fit the activities that they are calling an "adventures"

1. An undertaking or enterprise of a hazardous nature.
2. An undertaking of a questionable nature, especially one involving intervention in another state's affairs.
3. An unusual or exciting experience.

I don't like words that hide the truth; I don't like words that conceal reality. I don't like euphemisms or euphemistic language. And American English is loaded with euphemisms, because Americans have a lot of trouble dealing with reality. Americans have trouble facing the truth, so they invent a kind of a soft language to protect themselves from it.
And it gets worse with every generation. For some reason, it just keeps getting worse. I'll give you an example of that. There's a condition in combat - most people know about it - it's when a fighting person's nervous system has been stressed to its absolute peak and maximum - can't take any more input. The nervous system has either snapped or is about to snap.
In the first World War, that condition was called shell shock.
Simple, honest, direct language. Two syllables: shell shock. Almost sounds like the guns themselves. That was 70 years ago.
Then a whole generation went by, and the second World War came along and the very same combat condition was called battle fatigue. Four syllables now; takes a little longer to say; doesn't seem to hurt as much. Fatigue is a nicer word than shock.
Shell shock. Battle fatigue.
Then we had the war in Korea, 1950. Madison Avenue was riding high by that time, and the very same combat condition was called operational exhaustion. Hey, we're up to eight syllables now! And the humanity has been squeezed completely out of the phrase. It's totally sterile now.
Operational exhaustion. Sounds like something that might happen to your car.
Then of course came the war in Vietnam, which has only been over for about 16 or 17 years. And thanks to the lies and deceit surrounding that war, I guess it's no surprise that the very same condition was called post-traumatic stress disorder. Still eight syllables, but we've added a hyphen, and the pain is completely buried under jargon.
Post-traumatic stress disorder.
I'll betcha if we'd have still been calling it shell shock, some of those Vietnam Veterans might have gotten the attention they needed at the time.

19 March
Quail Ridge RV Resort
Huachuca City, AZ

Our routine has become a short potty walk and then drive into Sierra Vista to do our long morning walk on those days that I have appointments. That is what we did this morning before my VA appointment.

The nurse that did the preliminary blood pressure and 20 Questions (I wish) was great. I'm not too sure about my new doctor. Nothing bad to say about her it is just that I didn't feel a "connection". She did listen to me and what I had to say which is a big plus for her, many 'doctors' don't listen to their patients. One of the reasons that I have liked all the PAs that I have ever been seen/treated by.

I have another appointment next week to get the wax cleaned out of my ears. That may improve my hearing so much that my current RV Park space will become undesirable. Or, it may prove that my hearing has gotten much worse. We will see.

I had fasted anticipating a blood draw but one had not been scheduled. The doctor did arrange for me to get one today which was good. That also meant that the first place that I went, after the VA, was to Denny's just blocks away and had a South and Southwest Sizzler for breakfast. It was good but I'm not sure it was better than my usual Santa Fe which I did not look to see if they still offered.

Then on the way home I stopped and made an appointment for Patches to get a bath while I am at the VA next week. All this waiting for me to return and going to town every few days has Patches upset. Dogs like routine and I have disrupted hers! Maybe some time at the dog spa next week will mellow her out. HA

We had rain showers off and on all through the day and night yesterday. It was mostly cloudy this morning but did not look like we were going to get any more rain and the weather guessers thought there was only a 40% chance. I did not have to drive to or from Sierra Vista in the rain but we got hit with a heavy down pour, replete with lightning and thunder, at about 1:00 this afternoon. I think it will measure as much, or more, than the got yesterday - officially reported to be 0.15".

I knew, and the entire world knows, that President Obama dislikes Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu both personally and as the leader of Israel. But who knew that he felt the same way about the Prime Minister (Taoiseach) of Ireland? He had no problem shaking hands with Raul Castro, what is it with Mr. Kenny (maybe too white?).

Maybe they should have had a beer summit first.
Ireland Prime Minister Enda Kenny visited President Obama at the White House for St. Patrick’s Day only to be embarrassed by what appeared to be an epic snub.
As cameras snapped, Obama turned away from the Taoiseach and left him hanging during a clear attempt at a handshake.

20 March
Quail Ridge RV Resort
Huachuca City, AZ

The rain I got yesterday was very localized. The weather station that I am using reported an official measurement of 0.01". I know that I got as much or more than the day before. The good news about both of those rain events was that my roof did not leak so quantity of rain may in fact play a part in it leaking or not leaking. I think the degree of level also plays a part. Perhaps I'll get some answers on Monday.

I received an email from my Executor today that said in part "They called my office because you do not have a phone number listed in their records. They are wanting to set an appointment for you to do some blood work".

Here is my reply which says it all:
I'm sorry that you have been contacted by the VA. They are screwed up which should not come as any surprise.
I was there yesterday for my first visit with the VA and had blood drawn while I was there. While there I also changed my emergency contact information naming you as my Executor and gave them copies of the Powers of Attorney. I also explained to EVERYONE that I talked to that I did not have a telephone, that they were to contact me via my email address, which they have, or the VA's Secure Messaging System, both of them the VA is wont to use for some reason.

I sent an email to the one VA email address contact that I have here with copies of the messages that my Executor and I exchanged. I also said that Secure Messaging was not available to me although I had two people yesterday assure me that it was. Maybe it will be straightened out by next week, if not I'll try to do so while I am there for my next appointment.

I think this is the sixth book by J A Jance that I have read. I like her Joanna Brady Series the best but have only read two of them. This is the second one in the J. P. Beaumont Series that I have read. The Weekly review is probably accurate except when they say this book is a less than stellar effort by Jance. I think it is probably as good as she gets. I enjoy her mysteries for the plot not necessarily for her character portrayal or other literary qualities and I think the Weekly was wrong in some of their criticism. I will always trade for one of her books if I see it available.

In bestseller Jance's complex, overlong 18th J.P. Beaumont novel (after Long Time Gone), the Seattle special homicide investigator works three cases simultaneously. The first involves the murder of a wrongly imprisoned ex-con, the second the disappearance of a whistle-blowing electronics engineer who vanished the day Mount Saint Helen's erupted in 1980, the third the deaths of several former felons. Meanwhile, Mel Soames, Beau's female colleague and lover, looks into the unexplained deaths of recently released sex crimes perpetrators as well as the disappearance of a childhood friend's abusive father. Unbelievably, all Beaumont's and Mel's assignments meld into one, except for the case of the missing engineer. The detectives are helped by the delightful Todd Hatcher, a young forensic economist and statistical analyst, but the exceptionally busy plot, host of characters, incredible coincidences, ignored clues and red herrings add up to a less than stellar effort from the usually reliable Jance. - Publishers Weekly

As I said yesterday President Omaba hates Netanyahu personally as well as what he and Israel stand for. He had a temper tantrum that Netanyahu was to address Congress - he lost. Then he did what he could to prevent Netanyahu from being re-elected - he lost again.

This can not be allowed, he will take his case to the United Nations Security Council and they will punish Netanyahu for not bowing down to his superior - President Obama. There is only two things wrong with this plan; China and Russia. What do you think the chances are that Russia will vote with the United States on anything brought before the Security Council?

The quote is from Obama May Find It Impossible to Mend Frayed Ties to Netanyahu by Helene Cooper and Michael D. Shear for The New York Times.

President Obama and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel had a poisonous relationship long before Mr. Netanyahu swept to victory on Tuesday night in elections watched minute-by-minute at the White House.
But now that Mr. Netanyahu has won after aggressively campaigning against a Palestinian state and Mr. Obama’s potential nuclear deal with Iran, the question is whether the president and prime minister can ever repair their relationship — and whether Mr. Obama will even try.
On Wednesday, part of the answer seemed to be that the president would not make the effort...
And with Mr. Netanyahu’s last-minute turnaround against a Palestinian state alongside Israel, several administration officials said that the Obama administration may now agree to passage of a United Nations Security Council resolution embodying principles of a two-state solution that would be based on the pre-1967 lines between Israel and the West Bank and Gaza Strip and mutually agreed swaps.

21 March
Quail Ridge RV Resort
Huachuca City, AZ

Very nice day yesterday and the 10 day forecast is promising more through the end of the month. High temperatures are going to be back in the 70s with some low 80s, low temperatures around 50°. I may have to shorten up the afternoon walks when/if it get up into the 80s, Patches does not like it that hot. I make her suffer some however to get even with her for wanting to stay out when it is freezing or drizzling rain.

I broke my temporary crown this morning while eating breakfast. Sent an email to my dentist as soon as I realized what had happened but don't expect to hear anything until Monday. I have an RV roof repair(?) appointment Monday morning so I will probably go to the dental office from there and see what they are going to do.

I have made some progress reading my Monthly list of blogs. Next month will be even easier because I have deleted some and may drop more as I read through them this time. I also dropped one from my Daily list and moved a Weekly up to fill that space. There may be one or two more moves like that to come. The other change that I have adopted is I am no longer reading Comments nor am I making any. I think this has cut down the time I have been reading blogs by half or more.

Yesterday when I was trying to get the Latitude/Longitude for a location on the New Google Maps by right clicking on the Red Marker that appeared the What's Here choice no longer showed the Lat/Lng. I went to Google Maps Help Forum and found that others were also complaining about this.

One work around that I found yesterday was to go back to Classic Google Maps where that procedure still works. This morning there was an answer on the Forum that said that the Lat/Lng was included in the Map URL address bar. Sure enough there it was but I would have never thought to look for it there. Another "improvement" by the Google Map developers and coders that they make and we users are somehow supposed to know that it was made.

Another scorned U.S. ally turns to Russia Quietly reaching out to arch enemy by Aaron Klein for World Net Daily is an article that you will not see published by the Ministry of Propaganda. Another Obama diplomatic success story. He has not only soured relations with Israel but also with one of the few remaining Arab state allies due to his position on Iran. What do you think the chances are that Israel may also turn to Russia for some support since President Obama is creating "daylight" in the US-Israel alliance?

Saudi Arabia has quietly reached out to arch foe Russia in an attempt to temper Iran's regional influence and reach a compromise on Tehran's nuclear program, Middle Eastern defense officials told WND.
The Saudi move already has resulted in the opening of back-door dialogue between the two countries aimed at possibly forging a new alliance, the officials said.
The talks may showcase Saudi desperation in light of the Obama administration's rapprochement toward Iran, perhaps the House of Saud's biggest competitor for influence in the Middle East and Persian Gulf.
Already, the shifting U.S. regional alliances have seen Russia's military relationship with long-time U.S. ally Egypt grow ever closer.

22 March
Quail Ridge RV Resort
Huachuca City, AZ

Another very nice day. Not doing much after our morning walk. A quick read through my Daily blog reads which did not suffer any deletions. I did drop more from my Monthly List yesterday as I worked my way through it. Not reading, nor making, Comments in either cuts down the reading time and I am almost current.

I then devoted quit a bit of time to find another Shoutbox to replace the one that I have been using. Freeshoutbox.net has added an advertisement to the Shoutbox that I have had on my Home Page for some time now and I can not remove it. I complained to FreeShoutbox Support but they have ignored me so that Shoutbox is soon to be history.

I have found a replacement that I am testing. Perhaps in a few days Freeshoutbox.net will disappear and a new and improved Shoutbox will appear for your shouting pleasure.

I wrote in my posting yesterday that I had broke my temporary crown. A piece of it came off during breakfast and then a second piece during 'linner'. I called the emergency number for my dentist and after a couple of tries on my TracFone I did get to talk to him. He said to come in on Monday and they would get me another temp. Lost the connection with TracFone but had said enough that he knows I'll be there some time after I get my RV roof looked at.

Obama calls for mandatory voting in U.S. by Dave Boyer for The Washington Times quoted the President "Other countries have mandatory voting". He then went on to name Australia as one example. Here are the laws for two countries that have compulsory voting; I think I know which of the two laws President Obama would prefer.

Australia: Compulsory for federal and state elections for citizens 18 years of age and above. The requirement is for the person to enroll, attend a polling station and have their name marked off the electoral roll as attending, receive a ballot paper and take it to an individual voting booth, mark it, fold the ballot paper and place it in the ballot box. The act does not explicitly state that a choice must be made, it only states that the ballot paper be 'marked'. According to the act how a person marks the paper is completely up to the individual.
North Korea: Everyone over 17 is required to vote. For a single candidate that their party leaders select for the ballot.

23 March
Quail Ridge RV Resort
Huachuca City, AZ

I'm current with all my blog reading. I will probably do some more discarding during this next month and maybe move some Weekly to Daily and Monthly to Weekly. I'll see how it goes.

Only a short potty walk before going into town where I had my favorite menu item, Rise and Shine, at Caffe O-Le for breakfast. We then went to D & J RV Center to have my roof looked at. It didn't take long to patch around the TV antenna, that I never use, and to install a new A/C gasket. Probably the first time I have ever been in to see them that I got in and out for less than $100.

The next stop was at my dentist to get a new temporary crown. Not a good plan. He was stacked up with appointments until 3:00 pm. I now have an appointment on Thursday for 1:00 after my second appointment with the VA at 11:00. I can only hope that the VA is on time and I can get in, out and pick up Patches before 1:00.

Checked in with the Arizona DMV to see what I needed to do to get a drivers license and register Desperado. Seems simple enough but the waiting area was about three quarters full. I don't know if going early will help but that is the plan - not sure of the date yet but most likely in April.

Final two stops were to get groceries at Fry's and pick up mail at my UPS Store. I was hoping that I would have a package from Amazon but the USPS had not made a delivery yet.

Adam Smith wrote what I have quoted below in Wealth of Nations at a far different time than the one in which we now live. If he knew that the average income of our households was $51,759 and each of those average households had debt totaling $203,000 he would roll over in his grave. Even more so if he knew that all of that debt was used for consumption.

The stock which is lent at interest is always considered as a capital by the lender. He expects that in due time it is to be restored to him, and that, in the mean time, the borrower is to pay him a certain annual rent for the use of it. The borrower may use it either as a capital, or as a stock reserved for immediate consumption. If he uses it as a capital, he employs it in the maintenance of productive labourers, who reproduce the value, with a profit. He can, in this case, both restore the capital, and pay the interest, without alienating or encroaching upon any other source of revenue. If he uses it as a stock reserved for immediate consumption, he acts the part of a prodigal, and dissipates, in the maintenance of the idle, what was destined for the support of the industrious. He can, in this case, neither restore the capital nor pay the interest, without either alienating or encroaching upon some other source of revenue, such as the property or the rent of land.
The stock which is lent at interest is, no doubt, occasionally employed in both these ways, but in the former much more frequently than in the latter. The man who borrows in order to spend will soon be ruined, and he who lends to him will generally have occasion to repent of his folly. To borrow or to lend for such a purpose, therefore, is, in all cases, where gross usury is out of the question, contrary to the interest of both parties; and though it no doubt happens sometimes, that people do both the one and the other, yet, from the regard that all men have for their own interest, we may be assured, that it cannot happen so very frequently as we are sometimes apt to imagine. Ask any rich man of common prudence, to which of the two sorts of people he has lent the greater part of his stock, to those who he thinks will employ it profitably, or to those who will spend it idly, and he will laugh at you for proposing the question. Even among borrowers, therefore, not the people in the world most famous for frugality, the number of the frugal and industrious surpasses considerably that of the prodigal and idle.

24 March
Quail Ridge RV Resort
Huachuca City, AZ

The package I was looking for from Amazon was delivered yesterday after 2:30. I have now received notice from my UPS store that they have received 3 packages which is all of my Amazon order as well as the meds ordered by Sierra Vista VA. The plan is to go into town early Thursday, pick up the packages that were delivered ( one of which contains a new keyboard) and go to Staple to have it installed.

I finished building all the API maps for my Western Tour today. I'll continue on and do those for the Natchez Trace Tour, which was included in the Mid-West Loop Car Trip. I may do that Trip at the same time, or maybe not. I do want to keep the map numbers in some kind of order within each Tour or Trip.

I made up a pot of barley with clams and green peas for my forthcoming 'linners'. I didn't add anything else so it might be called the simplest Barley Paella to every have been made. I'll find out if it is worth eating this afternoon but even if it is not that is what I have for my 'linners' for the next few days.

Condominium to Require DNA Samples From All Dogs is one of those "What next kind of stories". I did love the picture that was included at the end of the story and have blatantly copied it to post here.

In order to crack down on dog owners who allow their dogs to "go" wherever they like and then don't have the common courtesy to pick up their pet's waste, one Virginia condominium complex has decided to extract DNA from all of the dogs in their building.
The Rotunda, a condominium building in Tyson's Corner, Virginia has implemented a policy in which all new pet owners who are moving into the building will be required to have their animal's mouths swabbed in the presence of a building authority. If pet waste is discovered outside of the building, the waste will then be tested and matched up to the guilty animal's DNA.

25 March
Quail Ridge RV Resort
Huachuca City, AZ

I opened the New Shoutbox yesterday. Went to the old one and wanted to close my account, so to speak, but could not find a way to do so. I could not find a way to delete all the shouts that were posted all at one time either so I went through and deleted each one individually. My shoutbox may still be open at shoutbox.net but there is nothing in the box other than my Goodby posting.

The only thing that was new about today was our morning walk. Made one small modification to a route that we have done before and have another route. It is slightly less than our usual 2 miles in the morning but not enough that either Patches or I noticed without my looking at my GPS watch.

Memo to Netanyahu: Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain by David P. Goldman for Asia Times is probably the most sever slap at President Obama that he has written. He has been critical of the President in the past but hasn't 'let it all hang out' like he has in this article. Opening paragraph:

The “Wizard of Oz” is the best available single-source explanation of American politics. Specialists, to be sure, will want to read the Federalist papers, de Tocqueville and the speeches of Lincoln, but the 1939 MGM movie gives you the essentials. We are a nation of scarecrows without a brain, tin men without a heart, and lions without courage. Nothing is going to cure us, but the next best thing is to feel better about ourselves. The Wizard, a broken-down carnival huckster impersonating the Great and Powerful Wizard of Oz gives our three national archetypes not what they need, but the next best thing: A phony diploma, a testimonial, and a medal. The party favors don’t help the feckless trio (the Scarecrow proceeds to recite a comically mistaken formula for the length of the sides of an isosceles triangle) but they did wonders for their self-esteem.

26 March
Quail Ridge RV Resort
Huachuca City, AZ

Today was a big disruption in my routine as well as that for Patches. She may have handled it better than I did. We started off with just a short potty walk before I headed for town. stopped at Denny's where I had my usual Santa Fe Skillet.

We then drove the short distance to my UPS Store that I thought opened at 8:00 but found it to be 8:30. That gave us time to do some parking lot walking while waiting for them to open. It is just as well because my next stop was Staples where I was going to get the keyboard installed that I had just picked up. They did not open until 9:00.

In November I had been told that Staples would replace the keyboard if I brought the new one in. I did so this morning and was told that Staples does not do any computer repairs. Drove up to Best Buys for their Geek Squad and found that they did not open until 10:00.

With Patches having a bath appointment at 10:00 and it being next door to Monsoon PC I thought I would give them another try. My prior experience with them and today tells me that they can do simple repairs but if it involves them buying parts I would not recommend them. If you buy the parts and take the parts to them then they seem to do a decent job.

I was then at the VA for my 11:00 appointment early and complained again about not having Secure Messaging. I finally got someones attention and I think I now have a connection. I had an email notice that I had a Secure Message but could not connect to the VA web site the three times that I tried after getting home. The ear washing is not complete and I go back on 2 April for some more "flushing".

I was out of there in time to check and see if my laptop and/or Patches were ready for pick up. Neither were so I was early for my 1:00 dental appointment and waited. It seemed to take forever to get another temporary crown but only about 30 minutes. The time does drag for me when in a dental chair! The good thing is I got another temporary and they gave me a Subway Gift Card because they could not see me this past Monday.

I'm late with everything. Daily blogs, news browsing, 'linner' and this posting. I should be caught up by tomorrow and can settle back into my routine.

27 March
Quail Ridge RV Resort
Huachuca City, AZ

In those packages I picked up from my UPS Store yesterday was a pair of New Balance Men's MK706 Walking Shoes. These were bought because the ASICS Men's GEL-Resort 2 Walking Shoes that I have used for the past two years were not available. It just happened that the pair of ASICS that I threw away today were exactly one year old and I had put 1,315 measured miles on them. The New Balance cost about twice what the ASICS did but I doubt that I'll get two years of wear from them.

The best News of the day: Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid announced he will retire at the end of his term. The only News that would have been better would have been that his retirement was immediate and Governor Brian Sandoval could appoint someone to serve out his term.

The other good News I received yesterday when I was at the VA. The nurse that is part of my assign "VA Team" brought me a copy of the lab results from my blood draw. Total cholesterol and LDL are borderline high but better than one year ago. There is some disagreement about how important cholesterol level numbers are to heart health - it is not 'settled science'. Some medical 'experts' claim that cholesterol ratios are more important than the numbers.

If I look at my Total Cholesterol/HDL Ratio it is GOOD, HDL/LDL Ratio is GOOD and Triglycerids/HDL Ratio is NORMAL. I can still try for the target ratios and if I achieve them then the numbers will fall into the acceptable range also. The nurse agreed with me that although the numbers were borderline they were not that high and I should continue with fish oil. She had no problem with my refusal to get back on any statins.

Getting Russia Wrong All The Way To War is a blog posting by a Russian with a very good command of English living in the USA. The posting recalls a lot of history that the West (USA) not only does not know but does not want to know. I have copied only one paragraph from the body and his closing.

If only half of the Russian people believe as he does then President Obama is pissing into the wind with his Sanctions War and saber rattling. He has also sent a strong signal that all is not well with NATO per a Josh Rogin story for BloombergView. "President Barack Obama has yet to meet with the new head of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, and won't see Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg this week [23-27 March 2015], even though he is in Washington for three days. Stoltenberg’s office requested a meeting with Obama well in advance of the visit, but never heard anything from the White House, two sources close to the NATO chief told me."

Russia is a defensive empire, that is, most wars or series of wars were not started by Russians but by enemies attacking or massing on Russia's borders. After 800 years of almost non-stop aggression by Europeans, Russia does not tolerate any enemy massing on her borders in what appears as a preparation for invasion or the creation of large scales basing areas as would be a US neo-con dominated Ukraine.This is also coupled with the Russian approach of not abandoning Russians (ethnic or cultural) and allies, as opposed to Anglo society where back stabbing allies when the opportunity to earn exists, is a prized skill.
The reality, Americans, Germans, and foolish Poles, is, Russians will fight and 152 million people will fight to the end, not because Putin sits in power, or because we fear the enemy, but because love of Russia, the very idea of Russia, will drive fanatical, well trained and armed with advanced weaponry resistance. Russians will fight regardless of who sits the throne, because we are not fighting for the leader but for Christ and for Russia, the land He gave us as the Third Rome. What exactly will you be fighting for?

28 March
Quail Ridge RV Resort
Huachuca City, AZ

I checked the idiot light for the fresh water tank yesterday afternoon and saw that it was on the last quarter of a tank. The holding tanks have been showing full for a few days so I got on it and did the dumping and filling chore. Even toted a few buckets of water inside and dumped water down the drains to flush the system. The bathroom drain is slow and I mentioned it to D & J RV Center. When I asked if they had a drain snake they said no, so they probably did nothing.

I got started preparing my 2014 Federal and Arizona Income Taxes last night and finished this morning. Using TurboTax as I did last year just to check and see that what I thought was correct. I have no Federal tax liability and have a credit available from Arizona but the cost to file the return is more than the credit. I will file neither.

I have been building More API maps for the Natchez Trace Tour and the Mid-West Car Loop for the past few days maybe a week. It is eating up my Verizon monthly internet data plan so I will have to back off doing any more until next month. I'll also have to watch what I do about reading blogs and News for the next few days also. Going on an Internet Diet for a few days.

The first Steve Berry novel that I read was The Venetian Betrayal reviewed on 16 February 2015. It was the third book in the Cotton Malone Series and I think I like Cotton better than Miles. What the Weekly has to say is mostly correct but they got this "Lord comes to believe Baklanov is the raven" completely wrong. It is Miles and Akilina that are the "raven" and "eagle". I was also not pleased that the author let the reader, me, know who all the bad guys were. For me, the story would have held much more suspense if one of the villains had not been disclosed until the close of the story. The background history of Nicholas II and his family was also more interesting than the not so thrilling thriller. Dan Brown uses cryptography themes for his thrillers Steve Berry uses prophecy themes; both authors are worth looking for to trade.

With this second Russian suspense novel, which focuses on the restoration of the Romanov dynasty, Berry shows he's honed his craft since his somewhat shaky debut, The Amber Room (2003). Miles Lord, a workaholic African-American lawyer from Atlanta, is in Moscow to help Stefan Baklanov, the Romanov claimant his high-powered firm is backing. Since the new tsar will reign as an autocrat like his ancestors, both big rubles and big bucks are at stake-not to mention access to nuclear weapons. Lord soon discerns that Baklanov is corrupt, a tool of the mafiya. While digging through old files on the Russian Revolution, Lord comes to believe Baklanov is the "raven" Rasputin predicted would help save the royal house in 1916. Teaming with a beautiful acrobat, Akilina Petrov of the Moscow Circus, Lord attempts to discover whether any children of Nicholas II escaped Lenin's executioners. A series of exotic clues propel the pair on an international scavenger hunt. Berry uses Russia-past and present-to excellent effect and makes sharp observations about the contemporary Russian scene, such as the racism Lord encounters throughout the country. The book's villain needs a bit more development, but this doesn't detract much from a solid tale a cut above-and then some-many thrillers on the market. - Publishers Weekly

29 March
Quail Ridge RV Resort
Huachuca City, AZ

Nothing happening here today. Very nice morning walk but the afternoons are starting to get a little warm. The high was 84° yesterday and is forecast to match that today. The 10 day forecast then has it cooling a little with the highs to be just over and under 80.

This morning was the first day for my taking Losartan 50 mg which was prescribed to replace the Lisinopril 5 mg that I have been on for my blood pressure. Lisinopril has a cough side effect that almost everyone suffers. I have had it for years since being put on it but it has never been very bad. The doctor here thought that I would do well to change to Losartan so I am doing so.

I took a blood pressure reading around noon and it was a little lower than what I have been seeing. I also had a slight headache but not enough that I would say it was caused by the new medication. I'll give it a week and report daily readings to the VA Team and see what they think.

The label on the prescription bottle says "Must get labs for further refills". This may be a problem since I'll be long gone from here when the 90 day supply runs out. This is something that I need to talk to the nurse or doctor on 2 April when I go back for more ear flushing.

Pro-Hassan Rouhani Iranian editor defects while covering nuclear talks in Lausanne by Ahmed Vahdat and Richard Spencer for The Telegraph is a story that the Ministry of Propaganda here in the Good 'Ol US of A will do their best to suppress.

It does not fit the narrative that President Obama wishes to be told in this country so it will not be told. The Europeans will hear it however and it may give the French some additional backbone to stand up to the pressure that the President is putting on them to support his Iran "agreement."

A close media aide to Hassan Rouhani, the Iranian president, has sought political asylum in Switzerland after travelling to Lausanne to cover the nuclear talks between Tehran and the West.
Amir Hossein Motaghi, who managed public relations for Mr Rouhani during his 2013 election campaign, was said by Iranian news agencies to have quit his job at the Iran Student Correspondents Association (ISCA).
In his television interview, Mr Mottaghi also gave succour to western critics of the proposed nuclear deal, which has seen the White House pursue a more conciliatory line with Tehran than some of America's European allies in the negotiating team, comprising the five permanent members of the UN security council and Germany.
"The US negotiating team are mainly there to speak on Iran's behalf with other members of the 5+1 countries and convince them of a deal," he said.

30 March
Quail Ridge RV Resort
Huachuca City, AZ

I will be on short Internet rations for the next few days but plan on getting a posting out every day.

We were off to town again this morning after a short walk. Parked near the Landmark Café and took Patches for a longer town walk. She was upset this morning and vocal until we did that second town walk. The short potty walk was just not cutting it this morning.

I then had the Huevos con Chorizo with a good serving of home fries for breakfast at the Landmark. Nothing special but a decent breakfast except for the flour tortillas. They were gummy, like they had been steamed rather than heated on the grill. The coffee was good. Speaking of coffee, I got an email from Arbuckels' that my order had shipped - I'll pick it up on Thursday.

Stopped at Fry's and filled up with gas. Then went inside and filled the cart with groceries for this next week. Changing my daily salad to a wannbe Greek salad and will have salmon with it for my 'linners'.

Blood pressure recorded lower than usual again today. Late yesterday I got a reading that was what I have come to expect. The readings that I take earlier in the day are lower but I'm not dizzy. The first dosage level of Lisinopril that I was put on left me very dizzy and had to be reduced. I am thinking that this dosage needs to be reduced also. We will see.

I last commented on Social Security's Old-Age and Survivors Insurance (OASI) and Disability Insurance (DI) benefits 22 February 2013. The most recent Congressional Budget Office report (18 December 2014) had this to say about the Trust Funds.

CBO projects that under current law, the DI trust fund will be exhausted in fiscal year 2017, and the OASI trust fund will be exhausted in 2032. If a trust fund's balance fell to zero and current revenues were insufficient to cover the benefits specified in law, the Social Security Administration would no longer have legal authority to pay full benefits when they were due. In 1994, legislation redirected revenues from the OASI trust fund to prevent the imminent exhaustion of the DI trust fund. In part because of that experience, it is a common analytical convention to consider the DI and OASI trust funds as combined. Thus, CBO projects, if some future legislation shifted resources from the OASI trust fund to the DI trust fund, the combined OASDI trust funds would be exhausted in 2030.

*Approximately 2,000,000 additional spouse and children also receive payments from the Trust Fund.

31 March
Quail Ridge RV Resort
Huachuca City, AZ

Not much for me to write about when I'm not reading the News. I have not read any of my Daily blogs for the past two days and only skim through the News headlines to see if we have gone to war someplace new in the world. I do check my email and reply if one is called for.

Yesterday morning I broke the clasp on my Timex GPS watch which was a bummer. The straps are molded rubber that also enclose the bottom of the watch. No way that I could see to repair the clasp so I cut the straps off close to the body of the watch and it now goes into my Wrangler Jeans watch pocket or into a shirt pocket. It still gets a GPS signal here, therefore so far so good.

The wannabe Greek salad was a hit yesterday. I had grown tired of the same one that I have been making for weeks now so any change would have been a hit.

Cooked two big pieces of salmon in my Roaster today. I'll have one for 'linner' this afternoon and then warm the other piece in a skillet tomorrow. I can only get two or three pieces in the Roaster at one time and Thursday is going to be a busy day so I'll cook some more tomorrow that can be re-heated. They will be served with some yogurt dill on them with the salad and corn tortillas - an international meal offering. HA

This tractor and trailer rig was parked alongside AZ82 and the RV Park fence for most of the day and overnight. I have no idea what function the huge steel box that is on the trailer may serve. It looks like it has openings were pipes are attached but that is about all I could see. I was far more interested in the trailer. The left picture shows almost all the total length (I'm guessing close to 150'), I cut off only a little of the goose neck that attaches to the tractor. From what little research that I was able to do on the Internet I think the trailer is rated at 300 tons. It has hydraulic suspension on 24 axles with dual tires on each axle. The right picture shows a close up of each axle with 12 of these on each side. The driver was not around when I went past but it would have been very interesting to talk to him.