Nice Thing About Living Here

Each neighbor is at least a half acre away.

No Critters Tonight

Above, the utility access road and the ravine/gully beyond. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Well, tonight was unproductive as my neighbors Scott, James and I didn't see any coyotes. We heard them the first few minutes, but silence for the rest of the time.

Two teen girls were out walking their dog near the hill across from the gully/ravine. They may have spooked the coyotes.

Above, storm clouds beginning to move into our area. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Monsoon storms were beginning to come in, so we had a good light show from our "sniper's perch" behind my property. And, we had beer.

Better luck tomorrow morning, maybe.

Got It Done

Above, yours truly a few months ago.

Finally, after almost a week of haggling with my medical insurance carrier, my blood-thinning medication prescription was filled today.

Originally, I was prescribed Brilinta by the doctor at St. Luke's Magic Valley Medical Center in Twin Falls, Idaho. I put in a refill request. The insurer put a hold on it until a pre-authorization notice is received by the doctor. He never responded.

At the pharmacy's suggestion (to speed things up), I had my cardiologist (who is in the medical insurance list of doctors) submit a prescription for the Brilinta. Again, it was put on hold by the insurer. A pre-authorization was sent by my cardiologist. The insurer denied the prescription as it was not on their list of approved medications. The substitute we found was Plavix. It is on the approved list of the insurer.

A prescription for Plavix was submitted by my cardiologist and it was approved. I went into Gallup to pick it up and to get some groceries while I was there.

My cardiologist's office was grateful that I did the "legwork" in getting this straightened out. I told them that since I am retired, it gave me something to do and as I was an insurance adjuster, I was used to being getting things resolved on the phone.

Now I can relax!

Get Well Brent Young!

Above, Jeff Bean Green, Don Frye and Brent Young at G-FEST in 2008. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Two years ago, I was headed into St. Louis, Missouri to go to the bank and to possibly meet up with Brent Young of "The Kaiju Bros."

Unfortunately, I didn't get to do either as Brent was at work and I had a mishap with a sharp-edged traffic island that tore up two tires on The Beast. But we did manage to have a good chat on the phone.

Earlier today, his daughter Tamara posted some alarming news on Brent:

Dear family and friends on Sunday the 26th my dad had a massive stroke caused by a blood clot in an artery in his brain, a couple of days later swelling started and had to have surgery to remove part of his skull to relieve pressure. He is still unconscious. PLEASE SEND HEALING ENERGY, POSITIVE VIBES, PRAYS to him and his family. I love you Dad!

I met Brent years ago at G-FEST and we have been in contact over the years. He is one of he nicest Godzilla fans around. Hopefully, your healing energy will get Brent on the road to recovery and be restored back to robust health.

I checked my archives and found the photo at top of Brent at G-FEST in 2008 with Don Frye.

Get well, Brent!

The "Great" Coyote Hunt

Above, James and Scott. Scott's residence is in the background. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Today was "Elmer Fudd Day" in Jamestown. Only we weren't after "wabbits".

This morning, I joined two neighbors, Scott and James, behind my property on a coyote hunt.

Recently, a coyote has been brazen and approached near the deck of Scott's property. He has dogs at his residence, including a chihuahua, and he fears that the fencing around his yard is not sufficient to keep out the coyotes. I saw one behind my property a couple of morning ago.

Above, the gully and hill across it. Later, a coyote appeared at the treeline on he hill at center. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

So, we set up directly behind my property. It overlooks a gully and a hill across from it. The hill is about 200 yards from where we were positioned.

We started around 8:00 and sat and waited for a coyote to make its appearance. We did see a large jackrabbit on the hill. At around 8:55, we spotted a coyote at the tree line on top of the hill.

James aimed his rife and tried the trigger, but he had the safety on and nothing happened. At the same time, I had the coyote in my sights and pulled the trigger and nothing happened. I forgot to cock the rifle. Then the coyote came down a little from the tree line and it appeared to be looking in our direction. Scott had his electronic predator caller and that may have attracted the coyote's attention.

Above, James after taking his shot. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Then, James turned off the safety and managed to fire off a shot. As he did so, the coyote turned and ran, so James's shot missed.

We waited another half hour to see if the coyote will reappear. He didn't. So we decided to end our little hunt but also agreed to meet there tonight at 7:00 to try again. We may be joined by more neighbors tonight.

Although unsuccessful, it was still a fun time.

Greyhound vs. Truck, Multiple Fatalities

Above, Interstate 40 in the Jamestown area. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Possibly the first inkling I had yesterday of a major crash was in our Jamestown community page on Facebook. There, members were wondering about the traffic situation on Interstate 40. The highway was closed for several hours on the westbound side with some interruption on the eastbound side.

Then, when I called a doctor's office on a list of primary care physicians for me to sign up with, one asked me to call back after 4:00 as they were on "Code Yellow" (an alert to medical staff to prepare for a pending emergency) due to a major crash on Interstate 40.

I learned that the crash involved a Greyhound bus and a semi truck/tractor.

CBS News reported:

At least seven people were killed and more than 40 injured after a semi-truck and Greyhound bus collided on a busy New Mexico highway Thursday. One survivor, Rachel Cunningham, who said she was asleep on the Greyhound when the crash happened, woke up to a gaping hole in the bus' passenger side. 

"It was horrifying. Like, I've never actually seen in my life a bus look like a ripped open sardine can," Cunningham said. 

Forty-nine people were on board when the crash happened near Thoreau, New Mexico.

Thoreau is about 14 miles east of Jamestown, New Mexico, where I am located.

To read more, go here. 

Labor Day Camping Fees To Be The Highest Ever

Above, The Beast at the Ely, Nevada KOA Kampground. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The summer camping season is about to end as Labor Day weekend is coming up.

Since Labor Day weekend is many people's last chance to head out to the great outdoors, camping fees are being hiked to the highest ever.

eTurboNews reported:

Labor Day marks the traditional end to the summer camping season. According to the latest data from CampgroundViews, 2018 will have the highest overnight camping fees ever recorded with average nightly rates for a traditional camping site increasing 6% (from 2017) to $31.53. The company gathers data on campgrounds and RV parks in the United States to help campers make better choices about where to camp.

To read more, go here.

Latest Democrat Lunacy: Boycott In-N-Out Burger

Looney Left Report

The lunacy of the Democrat Party sinks down to lower levels each day. Maybe it's time to consign them to the ash heap of history.

The latest comes from the Los Angeles Times, who report that the chairman of the California Democratic Party, the big lunatic himself, has called for a boycott of In-N-Out Burger. In-N-Out and Tommy's are my two favorite hamburger chains.

The Times reported:

Will the California resistance have the stomach to do without its Double-Doubles?

The head of the California Democratic Party this week called for a boycott of the popular West Coast fast-food chain In-N-Out after a public filing revealed that the company had donated $25,000 to the state’s Republican Party.

Party Chairman Eric Bauman in a tweet Wednesday linked to a story about the contribution, wrote, “Et tu In-N-Out?” with the hashtag #BoycottInNOut.

Other Twitter users also expressed their disappointment, announcing they will no longer patronize the restaurant.

“Looks like my family and I will be boycotting your restaurants from now on. You donate to the GOP, that means you stand with Trump and all his bigotry,” one Twitter user said.

Bauman didn’t return a call Thursday morning.

In-N-Out Burger responded:

In-N-Out Executive Vice President Arnie Wensinger said in a statement Thursday that the company “made equal contributions to both Democratic and Republican” political action committees in California in 2018.

“For years, In-N-Out Burger has supported lawmakers who, regardless of political affiliation, promote policies that strengthen California and allow us to continue operating with the values of providing strong pay and great benefits for our associates,” Wensinger said. “We have been fortunate to do business in this great state for almost 70 years. While it is unfortunate that our contributions to support both political parties in California has caused concern with some groups, we believe that bipartisan support is a fair and consistent approach that best serves the interests of our company and all of our customers.”

The stupidity of the Democrats seems to know no bounds. But then, we're talking about California, aren't we?

To read more, go here. 

iRV2: Cease and Desist

Well, well, well. Just as I thought might happen, it did.

Back in April, I decided to ban myself from the iRV2 forum as I got into a dispute with a moderator who calls himself Clifftall after he sent me an obnoxious and abusive message.

As I mentioned in my post on the matter, I had been a supporting member. I suspected that they may try to get a donation out of me and, sure enough, they tried.

I received a notice from them early this morning:

Hello Armand Vaquer , The payment for your subscription to iRV2.com Supporting Member ($15.03 Annually Recurring) Subscription failed because the funding source you chose is currently unavailable. Social Knowledge, LLC has been notified of this failed payment. We will try to make payment again on Sep 2, 2018. 

I contacted iRV2 and told them to "Cease and Desist" with their efforts in trying to get a donation from any of my accounts. Further attempts may expose them to legal action.

I am not sure if my message went through, so I am posting this as I know they stalk ex-members on the Internet, so they should get the message and I sent them a message with a link to this blog at their Facebook page.

Since I left iRV2, I am involved with better and mature forums on recreation vehicles.

******
UPDATE:

It looks like iRV2 got the message. I received this from them:

Thanks for contacting iRV2. We have cancelled your subscription via paypal. Date of Cancellation: Aug 30, 2018
Safe travels

Newt Gingrich: It All Comes Down To This

It all comes down to this.

If Conservatives don’t meet their FEC goal BEFORE MIDNIGHT, they will lose.

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Nancy Pelosi, Maxine Waters, and the radical left are raising millions upon millions of dollars to create a master plan to attempt to defeat President Trump’s Conservative majority and wipe out his successful America First agenda.

If Democrats take over, the future will look bleak: higher taxes, socialist-style single-payer health care, and a failed big government agenda.

BUT -- if Conservatives stay in Washington, we can continue to see the incredible results of the past two years: huge tax cuts, a booming economy, and an America First agenda that helps our nation thrive.

We must protect our President’s Conservative majority.

The future of our nation depends on it.

Thanks,

Newt Gingrich

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TravelPulse: "The World's Top Destinations For UFO Sightings"

Above, Roswell, New Mexico's official logo. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Interested in UFOs/flying saucers and like to travel?

You're in luck! TravelPulse has a pictorial article on "The World's Top Destinations For UFO Sightings". Throughout recorded history, UFOs have appeared in many places around the world and the article lists 15 of them, including, of course, Roswell, New Mexico.

It begins with:

There have been countless UFO sightings reported all over the world for thousands of years and while many have been deemed hoaxes or discredited some have managed to become the stuff of legend. Travelers to these 15 destinations might just be able to find out for themselves whether we're really alone in the universe.

Above, the International UFO Museum and Research Center.in Roswell. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

To read more, go here. 

Gort Is Among Us

Above, Gort is ready to blast someone at the Roswell International UFO Museum and Research Cener. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

When I visited the Roswell International UFO Museum and Research center, I found that the museum has a full-size replica of Gort, the robot policeman from the 1951 science-fiction classic, The Day The Earth Stood Still.

Above, yours truly with Gort in Roswell. 

This wasn't the first Gort I've ever encountered.

On La Brea Avenue in Los Angeles, stands a Gort replica in the window of Grey Goose Framing at 1170 S. La Brea Ave. I've passed by the store many times over the years.

At the Action Figure Insider website, they state that there are two other full-size Gort replicas in the Los Angeles area. One is at a collectibles shop in Santa Monica. Another is at Fry's Electronics in Burbank. They have photos of both along with a photo of the one at Grey Goose Framing. To view the site, go here.

I have my own Gort. It is a five-inch metal figure that I bought at the Science-Fiction Museum in Seattle, Washington in 2005.

Above, my 5" Gort. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The helmet to the real Gort movie prop helmet was sold to a collector three years ago for $150,000. I don't know what became of the rest of the Gort suit.

How UFOs Exploded Into Public View

Above, yours truly with a couple of other attendees of the 2018 Roswell UFO Festival.

Ever wondered how the flying saucer or U.F.O. phenomenon burst into the public consciousness?

The New York Times, in an article posted on August 3, takes a look back on how flying saucers became serious business.

It starts with:

In the early morning of July 20, 1952, Capt. S.C. “Casey” Pierman was ready for takeoff at Washington National Airport, when a bright light skimmed the horizon and disappeared. He did not think much of it until he was airborne, bound for Detroit, and an air traffic controller told him two or three unidentified flying objects were spotted on radar traveling at high speed. 

The controller told Captain Pierman to follow them, the pilot told government investigators at the time. Captain Pierman agreed, and headed northwest over West Virginia where he saw as many as seven bluish-white lights that looked “like falling stars without tails,” according to a newspaper report. 

The sighting of whatever-they-were garnered headlines around the world. And in the decades since, U.F.O.s have become part of the pop culture zeitgeist, from “Close Encounters of the Third Kind” to “The X-Files.” In September, a star of that long-running series, Gillian Anderson, will appear in “UFO,” a movie about a college student haunted by sightings of flying saucers. A “Men in Black” remake is in the works. And the History Channel plans to air “Project Blue Book,” a scripted series about the government program that studied whether U.F.O.s were a national threat.

On the Roswell incident in 1947, the article states:

The events in Washington were not the first unexplained encounter report. Debris from what observers called a “flying disc” had been spotted in Roswell, N.M., five years earlier, which Army officials said was from a “weather balloon.” By 1952, though, a number of sightings of U.F.O.s were being reported across the country and the nation was on edge.

To read more, go here. 

John McCain's Pallbearers: Only 2 Republicans

It is interesting to note in the list of pallbearers for Sen. John McCain, except for Phil Gramm and Tom Ridger, no other Republicans are listed among them.

Pallbearers at McCain’s funeral in DC on Saturday will include:

—Warren Beatty
—Joe Biden
—Phil Gramm
—Michael Bloomberg
—Russ Feingold
—Carla Eudy
—Tom Ridge
—Gary Hart
—Mark Salter
—Fred Smith
—Sheldon Whitehouse
—Vladimir Kara-Murza

Actually, it really shouldn't be a surprise. McCain has been a RINO for most, if not all, of his political career. In 2008, my vote for the McCain-Palin ticket was primarily for Sarah Palin. If she wasn't chosen as McCain's running mate, I would have held my nose and voted for McCain anyway as Obama was a Marxist.

RVs and Ice Chests

Above, the Stanley ice chest I keep in the RV. 

The Beast has a very good refrigerator and freezer. But once in a while I will go on a short overnighter (such as trips to Albuquerque where I only stay one night) where I don't plan on cooking but I don't want to use up the propane for only water, soft drinks or beer.

On a trip to San Diego, I threw in a bag of ice into the freezer along with water bottles and soft drinks. That worked fine, but when I got home, it was a chore getting the water from the melted ice out of the freezer.

That's why I bought a small Stanley ice chest. One bag of ice will last more than two days in it. For one night stays, I usually bring a couple of water bottles and a couple of other drinks.

There are other reasons why RVers should consider keeping an ice chest handy and Do It Yourself RV has a list of them.

They begin with:

RVs are fabulous because they include everything you need. But since RVs come equipped with so many features and luxuries, many people feel like they don’t really need to pack much. 

This is 100% understandable, and even correct to an extent. However, there are some things my family likes to keep in our RV that many would deem redundant or unnecessary. That’s fine, to each their own, but let me assure you that we carefully consider each and every item we carry with us on our travels, and everything we keep, we keep for a good reason. 

Take our ice chest for instance. Considering the fact that our trailer has a perfectly good refrigerator, using some of our limited space on an ice chest may seem like a silly move. I understand this and have even thought the same thing from time to time, but we always end up holding onto our cooler. Why? Because it’s super useful. 

Here are some of the ways we make use of our ice chest. Maybe you’ll decide you could use one too!

To read more, go here.

Typhoon Warning In Japan Mistaken By Tourists As Godzilla Alert

Above, the Godzilla slide in Yokosuka. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Suppose you are vacationing or on a business trip in Japan and a storm warning goes off on your cell phone. Naturally, being a foreigner who does not understand Japanese, you wonder what's the warning is for.

Some visitors in Japan recently received a typhoon warning on their phones and they mistakenly thought the warning was for an impending attack by Godzilla. Seriously!

According to Social News Daily:

This was the case according to Japanese Twitter user @Znplus2. According to the Japanese person, a group of Italian tourists was aboard a passenger train when all their phones started ringing and buzzing. Of course, the Italians could not understand anything and one of them kept asking “Godzilla?!”

Afterward, the Italians realized that no Japanese on the train was panicking, meaning it was probably just one of Godzilla’s enemies— er, a storm. Specifically the typhoons Soulik and Cimaron. Still, the Italians had a good laugh, along with the rest of the Japanese on the train who also found the foreign bewilderment hilarious.

To read the full story, go here. 

If Jamestown Had Its Own Postcard...

If Jamestown has its own postcard for sale at the Flying J...

The Roswell Incident Documentary

Above, the flying saucer "takes off" at the International UFO Museum and Research Center in Roswell. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Last night's thunderstorms reminded me of the flying saucer incident in Roswell, New Mexico in July 1947.

When I went to bed, I started watching this documentary on the Roswell Incident. Despite the government's cover-up, there were just too many witnesses for the story to ever go away. It is an excellent documentary with interviews of witnesses.

Here's the documentary video:

Special Day

Above, Sierra, today's birthday girl. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Sierra turned 3 years old today!

I got her in November 2015 from the Hawthorne, California SPCA shelter and as the old saying goes, "Who rescured whom?" She's been a great companion, at home and on the road.

She's getting some extra treats today.

Also, today marks exactly one month since I had the heart attack or whatever it was in Wells, Nevada, since my Gallup cardiologist says it wasn't a heart attack. Maybe it's probably due to no heart muscle damage. But thanks to Mitch Geriminsky for his fast action in getting the paramedics and the work by the paramedics and the doctors at St. Luke's Magic Valley Medical Center in Twin Falls, Idaho, I feel pretty much back to normal with the two stents. Whatever it was, I sure don't wish to have an encore of that experience!

Put Kyoto On Your Travel Bucket List

Above, the stage of Kiyomizu-dera. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Whether or not you've been to Japan before but never visited Kyoto, you should add a visit to your "bucket list".

The Evening Standard (U.K.) has an article on why Kyoto should be on people's bucket lists. I have been there twice, first with G-TOUR in 2004 and again three years ago. I enjoyed it both times.

They begin with:

Kyoto was the capital of Japan for over 1000 years until 1868, yet it has a completely different feeling to its modern day counterpart. 

The dizzying array of neon lights are instead exchanged for more traditional, low-rise architecture set to the backdrop of the verdant mountains that surround the city. 

Kyoto was created in a grid according to the principles of Feng Sui and whether it is psychological or not, you immediately feel a sense of positivity and warmth on arriving in the city. 

Juxtaposing modern, urban life with traditional Japan, follow the city’s cobbled paths where an unsuspecting side road leads to impressive pagodas and shrines and unexpected pockets of calm. Boasting over 2,500, each temple and shrine is as impressive as the next – and it would certainly take a lifetime to see them all. But it is not just the extensive selection of religious landmarks that have tourists – Japanese and foreign alike – heading to Kyoto. The city is the ideal place to get a taste, both literally, with the extensive selection of five-star dining, and metaphorically of Japanese culture. 

We’ve selected our top reasons to visit Kyoto.

Above, a gate of Nijo Castle. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

To read more, go here.

Lightning Tonight and Roswell

Above, a diorama at the Roswell International UFO Museum and Research Center. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

New Mexico is well-known for its lightning storms. After tonight, I can see why. We've had several since I've been here. But tonight's storm was the topper.

Tonight brought the most spectacular lightning display I've seen in years. It was as if four King Ghidorahs parked themselves around Jamestown, New Mexico and one directly above. It even drove Sierra into hiding!

This went on for about an hour with heavy rains. The lightning was all around and continuous. It began while I was watching The Big Trail, John Wayne's first starring movie that was produced in 1929. I shut off the living room lamp and enjoyed the light show in the dark.

Then, it began again around 9:20

I commented that I could easily see how a flying saucer could be zapped by a powerful lightning storm and crash near Roswell and Corona, New Mexico in July 1947.

Above, yours truly at the Roswell welcome sign last month.

For the fun of it, here is what took place on July 4, 1947 according to witnesses:

Friday, July 4, 1947

William M. Woody and his father, working at night on their farm, see a bright light with a "flame-like" tail streaking across the sky. The Woodys observe the object for some twenty to thirty seconds before it disappears below the horizon, some "forty miles north of Roswell." 

Between 11:00 and 11:30 p.m., two Catholic nuns, Mother Superior Mary Bernadette and Sister Capistrano, at Saint Mary's Hospital in Roswell, record in a logbook entry seeing "a brilliant light plunge to Earth." The location of the object is north of Roswell, and the nuns believe it to be a disabled aircraft. 

During the "worst lightning storm he had ever seen," William W. "Mac" Brazel, who operates the J.B. Foster ranch, hears an "odd sort of explosion, not like ordinary thunder, but different." 

At 11:27 p.m., the radar sites operated by military personnel continue to track the UFO that has befuddled them for three days now. The object seems to "pulsate" repeatedly, then explodes in a "starburst." The military believes that the object it has been tracking has suddenly crashed.

Yep, if Roswell's storm was anything like this one (or even more powerful), I can see how it could down a UFO. Not even aliens can withstand Mother Nature!

I took a video of some lightning as the storm moved to the northeast. I posted it on Facebook.

Well, we can sure use the water and that helps with my water bill.

To read more on Roswell, go here.