Above, yours truly at Mustang Sally's in Deadwood, South Dakota last summer. Photo by Mitch Geriminsky.
Now that I am at the ripe old age of 72, I guess that puts me into the senior (some say geezer) category. While that's the case for me, I still enjoy hitting the road in my motorhome.
Last summer, a friend and I took a long trip to Cody, Wyoming, Little Bighorn Battlefield, Devil's Tower and the Black Hills of South Dakota. I surprised myself that I was able to do all the driving with no problems.
RV Travel has posted an article and video with 13 essential tips for seniors to make the journeys more comfortable and enjoyable.
They begin it with:
In the video below, Mike and Jennifer Wendland from RV Lifestyle share their most important RV tips for seniors. Spoiler alert: Many of these tips apply to everyone, not just seniors.
Our hosts, seniors themselves, firmly believe that with proper preparation and expectations, seniors can live their best lives ever in an RV!
Above, the Winchester 94 named top used lever-action rifle by GunBroker for July. Photo by Armand Vaquer.
Ever wonder what are the top used firearms?
GunBroker has posted their results for July 2026 and the top used lever-action rifle category was the Winchester 94. The Ruger 10/22 is the top used semi-auto rifle. Neither one is a surprise to me.
They begin with:
The top used guns on GunBroker in July 2026 sshowed stability across every major firearm category, with the Remington 700 leading used bolt-action rifles and proven names such as the Colt Python, SIG Sauer P320, and Remington 870 Wingmaster topping their own categories. This month’s top 10 spanned rifles, shotguns, and handguns, with established, long-production platforms represented throughout the rankings with long production histories.
The list broke down to four rifles, four shotguns, and two handguns, and Remington accounted for three of the ten category leaders. Every category leader from June held its position, making July a month defined by stability at the top, with the month’s movement concentrated further down each category’s top five. Below are the top 10 used guns for July 2026, followed by the key trends behind the rankings.
Henry, Marlin & Winchester Ranked (Two Aren't the Company You Think) video from Frontier Files.
Summary:
Henry rifle, Marlin 336, Winchester 94: three lever-action rifle names, 160 years, and only one of them ever won anything the record can prove
No bench test here, because none ever happened. We follow the paper trail instead: two U.S. Army ordnance boards, an Ottoman order for 50,000 guns, Imperial Russia's 300,000, and seven million Model 94s. Plus the parts nobody says out loud. Winchester lever guns are built in Japan, and there was no rifle company called Henry for 130 years.
Well, we had our longest sustained rain of this monsoon season yesterday. It rained pretty much all day yesterday (which is what we need) and I stayed indoors for much of the day except for a quick trip to the Flying J. I did watch the 1996 flick, Independence Day for entertainment.
Then, around 2:00 this morning, I was awakened by the sound of a downpour. Once I am woken up, I generally can't get back to sleep.
As of now, my weather phone apps say we're to have a dry day today with a small chance of rain in the afternoon.
For your entertainment, I've posted Jimi Hendrix's "Rainy Day, Dream Away/Still Raining" medley from his Electic Ladyland album.
For those reading this who are considering a late-summer/early-autumn vacation trip to Japan, here is the current exchange rate of the U.S. dollar and the Japanese yen.
Jiji Press reported:
On the Tokyo foreign exchange market on the 1st, the yen was trading at 159.98-159.98 yen to the dollar as of 5 p.m., a depreciation of 41 sen compared to the previous day (159.57-159.57 yen).
This, naturally, is the exchange rate for the "high rollers", but provides a good idea on what one could get at the foreign exchange offices in Tokyo.
Above, yours truly at the International UFO Museum in Roswell, New Mexico.
The Library of Congress has hoards of documents (and, I guess, books) on all kinds of topics.
One topic is of UFOs and Aliens Among us.
I perused a webpage from the Library of Congress on UFOs and Aliens and it is loaded with additional pages on UF0-related subject matter.
The page begins with:
UFOs and Aliens Among Us
In the 1940s and 50s reports of "flying saucers" became an American cultural phenomena. Sightings of strange objects in the sky became the raw materials for Hollywood to present visions of potential threats. Posters for films, like Earth vs. the Flying Saucers from 1956 illustrate these fears. Connected to ongoing ideas about life on the Moon, the canals on Mars, and ideas about Martian Civilizations, flying saucers have come to represent the hopes and fears of the modern world.
Are these alleged visitors from other worlds peaceful and benevolent or would they attack and destroy humanity? The destructive power of the Atomic bomb called into question the progressive potential of technology. Fear of the possibilities for destruction in the Cold War-era proved fertile ground for terrestrial anxieties to manifest visions of flying saucers and visitors from other worlds who might be hidden among us in plain sight.
For those who want to delve deeper into aliens and UFOs, go here.
Above, yours truly having an adult beverage aboard the Norwegian Sky in 2024.
When it comes to taking a cruise, many think that the advertised prices are what one pays. That's actually not the case. The current trend among cruise lines are higher prices.
There are addition add-on costs such as gratuities, excursions, drinks, Wi-Fi and dining.
AOL posted an article on what travelers should look for when it comes to additional costs.
They begin it with:
Cruise fares can look surprisingly affordable, but the price advertised is rarely the amount travelers ultimately pay. In 2026, rising gratuities and charges for drinks, WiFi, dining, and activities can quietly add hundreds of dollars to a vacation.
Anyone trying to save money on travel should calculate these expenses before booking, especially since a low base fare may cost more overall than a higher-priced cruise with extras included. Watch for these sneaky cruise fees before setting sail.
Above, a bear cub at Yellowstone Bear World in 2015. Photo by Armand Vaquer.
Yesterday morning, we had a little bit of excitement in the neighborhood.
I had just gotten onto Interstate 40 to go to Gallup when my next-door neighbor called and said a baby bear was in a tree at a neighbor's down the street (about three doors away) from my home. He was concerned that the mother bear might be nearby.
Bears have been coming down from the mountains lately, probably looking for water. One was killed a month ago on I-40 and another was seen in the town of Milan (around 40 miles to the east) a couple of days ago.
The Department of Fish and Game was called in on the baby bear and they darted her and took her away and is going to a rehabilitation center in Espinola, New Mexico. Apparently, the cub came out of Albuquerque with mom but she abandoned this one and another cub. She was already tagged.
Fish and Game was still at the neighbor's when I got back from Gallup.
The stuff that now passes as "music", particularly rock 'n roll, leaves me cold. So, to start off the week, here's a video of a classic rock artist.
To start off the week and wrap up the month of August, we have Tears For Fears with their 1985 hit, "Everybody Wants To Rule The World." Note the Cabazon dinosaurs in the music video.
Tears for Fears are an English pop rock band formed in Bath in 1981 by Curt Smith and Roland Orzabal. Founded after the dissolution of their first band, the mod-influenced Graduate, Tears for Fears were associated with the synth-pop bands of the 1980s, and attained international chart success as part of the Second British Invasion.
When I saw this picture of the Dalai Lama, my immediate thought was that he looked like he was wearing garb from a Superman comic book character: Mr. Mxyzptlk from the 5th Dimension.
Here's the photo:
Here's Mr. Mzyzptlk by Curt Swan on the cover of Action Comics #273 (From 1961. I have this issue, by the way):
Above, barbed wire fence next to Six Mile Canyon Road in Jamestown, New Mexico. Photo by Armand Vaquer.
Barbed wire. Where I live in New Mexico there's plenty of it around.
There's cattle pastures near our community, especially along Six Mile Canyon Road that takes people to Six Mile Canyon of the Cibola National Forest.
The reason I am mentioning barbed wire is that RV Travel posted an article on the "devil's rope." They also call it "the fence that won the West."
The article begins with:
Mention the words “barbed wire,” and I immediately envision growing up on our Iowa farm. Those barbs snagged my chore clothes countless times!
I didn’t fully appreciate barbed wire as a child. Nor did I know then what I now know: There are two (yes, two!) museums dedicated to barbed wire—one in Kansas and one in Texas—and both have become popular roadside attractions for RVers who enjoy discovering America’s history.
You may not have a high interest in or memories of barbed wire, like me. However, the museums dedicated to this invention are worth a stop along your way.
Above, balloons at the Red Rock Balloon Rally near Gallup. Photo by Armand Vaquer.
September is only days away and before we know it, it will be December soon.
This means that the Red Rock Balloon Rally will be coming in early December at Red Rock Park near Gallup, New Mexico.
The rally will be held December 4, 2026 to December 6, 2026.
Above, a campground is near the balloon launch area. Photo by Armand Vaquer.
For those who are RVers, there is a campground right next to the balloon launch area. I have stayed there and it is a nice campground with water and electric hook-ups. There is also a dump station available.
A New Mexico Federal Court made a decision on the 7-day waiting period that is confusing at best and is a clear violation of the Equal Protection Clause of the the U.S. Constitution at worst.
The ruling states that two plaintiffs don't have to be subjected to the waiting period while other New Mexico citizens still are subject to the law. This means we all have to wait for our 2A rights while the plaintiffs get theirs by this decision. Ridiculous!
FEDERAL COURT RULES ON NEW MEXICO’S SEVEN-DAY WAITING PERIOD
Federal court enjoins enforcement of New Mexico’s firearms waiting period law for only the two named plaintiffs in Ortega v. Grisham, but allows government to delay the exercise of Second Amendment rights for all other citizens of New Mexico
LAKEWOOD, Colo. (August 28, 2026) — Mountain States Legal Foundation (MSLF) and its Center to Keep & Bear Arms is disappointed to announce a decision in Ortega v. Grishamthat leaves New Mexico’s seven-day firearm waiting period largely in place.
New Mexico’s waiting-period law requires nearly every firearm purchaser to wait seven days before taking possession of a firearm—even after completing the required background check. MSLF represents New Mexico residents Samuel Ortega and Rebecca Scott, who challenged the law as a violation of their Second Amendment rights.
The case began in May 2024, when MSLF filed a complaint and motion for a preliminary injunction on behalf of Ortega and Scott. Two months later, U.S. District Court Judge James O. Browning denied the request, finding that the plaintiffs had not established that the waiting period law was unconstitutional. MSLF appealed that decision.
In August 2025, the U.S. District Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit issued a significant ruling in the case. The court held that the Second Amendment protects the right to acquire firearms and concluded that New Mexico had failed to demonstrate a historical tradition supporting its seven-day waiting period law. The Tenth Circuit sent the case back to the district court in Albuquerque for further proceedings.
Yesterday, Judge Browning issued a final judgment in the case. Although the judge stated that he continued to believe that the waiting period law was constitutional, he acknowledged that he was “bound by the Tenth Circuit’s decision and the law of the case.” As a result, he permanently prohibited New Mexico from enforcing the waiting-period law against Ortega and Scott.
So, while this ruling provides a total victory for our clients, it appears to leave millions of other law-abiding New Mexicans seemingly still subject to the same seven-day waiting period.
For that reason, MSLF strongly disagrees with the court’s watered-down ruling.
“Unfortunately, Judge Browning decided to take King Solomon up on his ‘great’ idea to split the baby. Big mistake,” said Michael McCoy, Director of MSLF’s Center to Keep and Bear Arms. “What a mess this is going to cause! All Judge Browning’s decision is going to do is create mass confusion among individual citizens and gun store owners in New Mexico over the status of the law. The decision prevents the state from enforcing the waiting period law against our two named plaintiffs, but leaves open the ability of the state to enforce the law against the other 2.12 million people who live in New Mexico. Will each of them need to bring their own individual lawsuits to acquire a similar injunction? Ridiculous! In trying to reach some sort of middle ground, the district court has failed to do what the 10th Circuit made clear needed to be done … declare New Mexico’s waiting period law unconstitutional and permanently enjoin enforcement of it except as to those individuals whose background checks have not yet cleared.”
MSLF strongly disagrees with the court’s decision. Except for our two named plaintiffs, New Mexico may continue to impose an arbitrary seven-day delay on law-abiding citizens exercising their constitutional right—even after they have completed the required background check. The Second Amendment protects the right to keep and bear arms; it does not give the government permission to decide when that right may be exercised.
While this decision is not the clear and complete victory we were hoping for, it is not the end of the fight. MSLF will continue defending the Second Amendment and will consider every available avenue to ensure that the constitutional rights of law-abiding New Mexicans are fully protected.
Above, a Winchester 94 on display at the Cody Firearms Museum. Photo by Armand Vaquer.
When I bought my used Winchester 94 made in 1962, I had been on the lookout for one for some time. I wasn't following any trend at the time, because there was no trend when I made my purchase in 2019.
At the time, prices for pre-64 Winchester 94s were reasonable. Mine was under $500 and in good shape. Since then, something clicked with lever-action rifles with people and now they are among the hottest firearms on the market, new models and used classics.
Firearms News posted an article on why lever-action are popular today.
They begin it with:
For much of the early 2000s, it seemed as though the lever-action rifle's best days were behind it. Almost as if it was time for the old cowboy gun to ride off into the sunset. Looking back, the expiration of the Federal Assault Weapons Ban in 2004 immediately changed the American commercial firearms market. It unleashed an enormous firestorm for AR-15s and other modern sporting rifles. Manufacturers poured their resources into black rifles, optics, accessories and tactical gear. For a while it seemed like anything labeled “Tactical” would sell, and so with money to be made everything became tactical.
Meanwhile, many lever-action models quietly disappeared from production, and some shooters began viewing them as little more than nostalgic reminders of a bygone era. Chambered for strangle old rimmed cartridges and typically without optics or even a Picatinny rail, who would want such a piece? To many, they seemed like obsolete old designs that in the time of the GWOT were obviously out of style. Obviously the old 19th Century lever-action rifle’s time had come to an end. That prediction turned out to be spectacularly wrong.
A few years ago, I was getting a gun case for a friend from the garage. While going through the gun cases left from my dad, I found that one had a gun inside.
Lo and behold, it was a side-by-side Joseph Manton percussion shotgun. I never knew my dad had it until I opened the case.
Here's a photo of it:
Here's a quick Facebook video about Manton shotguns:
The .30-30 Was Supposed to Be Obsolete by Now — Instead Hunters Are Paying More for It video from Hunt Forge.
Summary:
How can a cartridge that looks obsolete on a modern ballistics chart still pull new rifles, new factory ammunition, and premium-rifle money 131 years after it was introduced? In 2026, manufacturers are still launching new rifles and new factory ammunition built around this cartridge and the lever-gun ecosystem it lives in.
This is not a nostalgia video. It's an honest look at the difference between maximum capability and relevant capability — and why a great many American hunters were never competing in the ballistics race that supposedly made this cartridge obsolete.
Inside this documentary:
• Why the .30-30 was the flat-shooting, "modern" cartridge of 1895 — and what that should teach us about confidence in any spec sheet
• Capability surplus: the performance you buy, carry, and never actually spend
• The 300-Yard Tax — the real cost of range you rarely use
• Why cartridges don't die from criticism; they die from losing manufacturing attention
• How modern bullet design improved an 1895 cartridge without replacing it
• The three years you couldn't buy a new Marlin 336 — and what its return actually signaled
• Exactly who still benefits from a .30-30, and who honestly doesn't
Why Americans Are Buying Lever Guns Again — And It Has Almost Nothing to Do With Nostalgia video from GunRank.
Summary:
A carbon fiber barrel. A Magpul PMAG. Three hundred Blackout. M-LOK slots and a Picatinny rail.
Every rifle in that sentence is a lever action, and every one is current production. Which raises a question nobody discussing "the lever gun revival" wants to answer: if this is nostalgia, why are manufacturers spending real research and development money redesigning a nineteenth-century action?
This is not a Top 5 list and it isn't a cowboy history lesson. It's an investigation into what actually changed — starting with the day in 2006 when the Winchester factory in New Haven shut its doors, and the market let one of the most recognizable objects in American life stop being made.
What's inside:
• The corporate filings behind the Marlin revival — and the widely repeated sales statistic that is a misreading of Ruger's numbers
• Why the S&W Model 1854 is named for 1854, and how one failed Connecticut workshop produced Smith & Wesson, Henry and Winchester
• The real reason lever guns were stuck with blunt bullets — it was never the lever
• Why a manually operated action turns out to be an unusually good suppressor host
• The federal tax change of January 1, 2026 — and everything it did NOT change
• Ohio's straight-wall rules, and the uncomfortable fact that the .30-30 doesn't qualify
• Michigan 2026: the counterexample that breaks the easy explanation
• Why one company built a rifle around a Maine tracker instead of a ballistic chart
Winchester Model 62A, Year,1947/48. 22cal. pump action Gallery Gun. #1 of 5 of my 22 review videos. Video from Cold Steel Bill.
Summary:
In this video I discussed mechanics and do a field cleaning on the model 62 a. skip to 9.45 minutes. starts the range portion of shooting Winchester model 62 a.
the magtech 22 long rifle that I was attempting to use did not want to feed smoothly
Note: I have a Winchester 62A that I inherited from my maternal grandfather. It was made in 1947.
HUGE 2A WIN: You CAN’T Be Forced to Wait for Your Gun Rights video from Guns & Gadgets 2nd Amendment News.
Summary:
A federal appeals court has delivered a major Second Amendment victory, ruling against New Mexico’s mandatory seven-day firearm waiting period. The Tenth Circuit says the government cannot simply force law-abiding Americans to wait to exercise a constitutional right because it fears they might misuse it. We break down Ortega v. Grisham, the court’s powerful constitutional reasoning, the dissent, and what this could mean for gun waiting periods nationwide.
Above, Mount Rushmore National Memorial last summer. Photo by Armand Vaquer.
Last summer, one of the stops during the vacation trip by Mitch Geriminsky and me was at Mount Rushmore National Memorial.
It was my second visit there and Mitch's first.
The official Mt. Rushmore National Memorial Facebook page posted the following bit of trivia:
Of the approximately 2.5 million visitors who come to Mount Rushmore National Memorial each year, the only ones able to move freely across the sculpture, including the carved faces, are the mountain goats.
Mountain goats can navigate the steep rock surfaces of Rushmore thanks to the structure of their hooves, which provide stability on sharp angles. Their hoof pads increase traction, and their cloven hooves help distribute their grip across uneven rock. They also have dewclaws on the back of their feet that help prevent slipping when climbing slopes reaching about 60 degrees.
Spotting mountain goats at Mount Rushmore or elsewhere in the Black Hills is relatively uncommon. The current population traces back to six goats that escaped from the Custer State Park Zoo in the 1920s. After moving into the Black Elk Peak area, their numbers gradually increased. There is now a healthy population in Spearfish Canyon as well.
NPS Photo
I remember seeing mountain goats along the road to Mount Rushmore during our 1990 visit. We didn't see any last year.
Yesterday afternoon, I drove down to the Flying J to pick up some stogies.
While there, I got the idea to take a photo of the Jeep with a sign saying "Hello Jamestown." For those who are unfamiliar, the Flying J Travel Center is just down the hill from our community.
I noticed that the price for unleaded regular at the Flying J was at $4.09/gallon. That is more than the average price in Gallup (18 miles west) of around $3.89/gallon. I will likely gas up in Gallup on Friday when I go there for dinner.
The Real Reason Hunters Still Choose the 30-30 video from Ron Spomer Outdoors.
Summary:
Few cartridges have shaped American hunting like the .30-30 Winchester. Introduced in the late 1800s, it quickly became one of the most popular deer hunting cartridges ever created.
In this episode of Cartridge of the Week, Ron Spomer explores the history, design, and real-world performance of the .30-30 Win and why it has remained a favorite for generations of hunters.
We cover:
How the .30-30 changed sporting rifles
Its role in the rise of lever-action hunting rifles
My favorite cartoon character when I was a kid was Popeye the Sailor. Particularly, the cartoons from Max Fleischer Studio.
Did you know that Popeye was voiced by two different men? Well, blow me down! It's true!
Popeye's distinctive voice was originated by Billy Costello. But he was replaced by Jack Mercer after Costello made too many demands. Listen to the following and compare them.
William Arnold Costello (February 2, 1898 – October 9, 1971), commonly known as "Red Pepper Sam", was an American actor and the original voice of Popeye the Sailor in animated cartoons.
Although he never received onscreen credit, Costello knew of Popeye's international popularity and reputedly became difficult to work with, demanding more money and days off in the middle of a recording session. He was replaced with Jack Mercer, who was working in the studio. Costello's final appearance as Popeye was in You Gotta Be a Football Hero (1935).
Here's a recording of Costello's voicing of Popeye:
Following Costello's departure, Jack Mercer took over the voicing of Popeye.
Winfield Bennett Mercer (January 31, 1910 – December 7, 1984), known professionally as Jack Mercer, was an American voice actor. He is best known as the voice of cartoon characters Popeye the Sailor Man and Felix the Cat. The son of vaudeville and Broadway performers, he also performed on the vaudeville and legitimate stages.
When his predecessor William Costello, the original cartoon voice of Popeye (1933–1935), became difficult to work with, he was dismissed. Mercer had begun imitating Costello's interpretation of Popeye, and he practiced it until his voice "cracked" just right and he had it down. Searching for a replacement for Costello, Lou Fleischer heard Mercer singing the Popeye theme song and gave him the job of doing the voice. Mercer's first cartoon was 1935's King of the Mardi Gras.
The entertainment world (especially Country Music) was shocked by the passing of singer/songwriter/actress Dolly Parton at age 80. It is said she passed away from cancer, which she kept private.
If anyone can be called the ultimate mega-superstar, it was Parton. Her story is the definitive rags-to-riches story.
Yes, I liked her music and her sense of humor. I admired her business prowess. I wasn't a big fan in the sense that I followed her career. That is why I am surprised at my reaction to her passing. Admittedly, I got a little teary-eyed at the news of her death. She seemed ageless even though she was 80. While it is sad that she is no longer with us, 80 is not a bad run.
The reaction to her passing crossed all spectrums. Everyone loved Dolly. She never alienated anyone. In fact, she believed in keeping her political views to herself as she was "only an entertainer." Many should follow that example.
The first Dolly Parton song I remember hearing was "Jolene" in 1974. I have a copy of the single, which is the only Dolly Parton record I have. That is why I chose a video of Parton performing it on Porter Wagoner's show for this blog post.
For those who would like to delve into more details of her career, I recommend getting the DVD box set of Ken Burns's Country Music by PBS that came out about eight years ago.
It is indeed a fitting tribute that President Trump ordered the flag to be at half-staff for seven days. If anyone deserves the honor, it is Dolly Parton. She will be missed.
7 Best Lever-Action Rifles For Deer Hunting - Accurate And Reliable video from AntPrepper.
Summary:
When a buck slips through timber and gives me seconds instead of minutes, I would rather have a rifle that mounts quickly and cycles naturally than one built around shots the woods will never offer. The best lever guns still understand that reality, and the one at the top has been doing the job so well that every newer design still gets compared against it.
