This morning, Mitchell Geriminsky an I had breakfast at Bella's Restaurant and Cappuccino in Wells, Nevada.
This was where I had my heart attack thing three years ago.
Thankfully, I wasn't taken out feet first this time.
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Saturday, July 31, 2021
Wells Fun Run
The Wells Fun Run in Wells, Nevada started yesterday and was packed with attendees and events.
Below are some photos of the Slow Drag Race.
Thursday, July 29, 2021
Overnight Thunderstorm
Last night's sleep was interrupted by a thunderstorm around 12:30.
It must have lasted around 45 minutes or so. I ended up staying awake for almost 2 hours before going back to bed. Much of it was directly overhead.
During the time, it rained hard.
That's the first time in a long time thunder woke me up.
Wednesday, July 28, 2021
Top 10 Reasons to Come Back To Tokyo
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| Above, a view from Tokyo City View in Roppongi Hills. Photo by Armand Vaquer. |
The time will eventually come when tourists can go back to Japan and savor its delights. Whenever that'll be, tourists will be ready with lists of things to see and do. Right now, Japan is having a difficult time getting the coronavirus under control.
One source posted today the top ten reasons to come back to Tokyo.
It is Modern Diplomacy and they compiled a good list.
They begin with:
Rediscover Japan’s captivating capital with these top 10 experiences, curated by the Concierge team at Four Seasons.
To see what their ten best reasons to come back to Tokyo, go here.
What Kind of RV Should You Rent?
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| Above, RVs on the road in Yellowstone National Park. Photo by Armand Vaquer. |
Summer vacation is in full swing and before we know it, it'll be over.
But there's still time to take an RV road trip.
Autoblog.com has an article on RV rentals. If one is wondering what kind of RV should they rent (if one doesn't own an RV), what should it be? A Class A, B or C?
They begin with:
It’s late July and back-to-school ads have already started appearing on our Instagram feeds, but that doesn’t mean summer is completely over. There’s still plenty of time to hit the road for one more memorable trip, and why not take this one in an RV? With rental sites like RVshare you don’t have to own your camper in order to take advantage of a hotel room on wheels.
What type of RV should I rent?
When it comes to types of rentals available on RVshare, there are two main categories: drivables and towables. Let’s break them down.
To read more, go here.
No More Mask Mandates
I've been vaccinated since February, so I am not going to submit to anymore mask mandates.
For you unvaccinated, you're on your own.
Tips For Happy RV Outings
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| Above, camping at Lightner Creek Campground in Durango, Colorado. Photo by Armand Vaquer. |
There's a lot of people who have purchased motorhomes and trailers since the pandemic began.
The rise in RV sales has not abated and shows no signs of doing so.
But many of the new RV owners are new to the RV lifestyle and are (hopefully) learning. One person I know (I'm not naming any names) bought a travel trailer last year and was not aware of some of the features of it. This made for a miserable first camping trip with it.
He and his wife were dry camping in the desert and it got cold at night. Not knowing that the trailer had a built-in propane heater, they about froze. A friend arrived the next day and after hearing their story, pointed out the propane heater. (I would blame the dealer for not pointing this and other features out during the walk-through, if they got a walk-through.) They had a better second night.
Joshua Gunter at Cleveland.com posted an article on tips for happy outings that he learned from personal experience.
The article begins with:
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The COVID-19 pandemic created a huge surge in travel trailer sales over the past year. People were desperate to get away safely. Forced to work from home, some discovered they could be productive from just about anywhere with some connectivity. So why not hit the road and see the country.
Sales continue to be high.
To read the full article, go here.
Cruise Lines To Follow CDC Guidelines Voluntarily
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| Above, a Florida sunset from a cruise ship. Photo by Armand Vaquer. |
The battle between the state of Florida and the Centers For Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has gotten murkier.
TravelPulse reported:
If you’re having trouble keeping up with the latest developments in Florida's legal battle against the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to overturn its Conditional Sailing Order (CSO) for cruise lines, you’re not alone.
Since Florida’s Governor Ron DeSantis filed a lawsuit against the federal agency in April, multiple conflicting rulings have been handed down. First, on June 19, Federal District Judge Steven Merryday sided with DeSantis by issuing a preliminary injunction order against the CDC, preventing the agency from enforcing its CSO regulations in the state of Florida.
One month later, a panel of three judges in Atlanta’s 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals reversed that decision, upholding the CDC’s right to impose COVID-19 regulations on the cruise ship industry. Florida’s government promptly appealed this ruling, which would have stayed Merryday’s original injunction. Less than a week later, on July 23, the same three-judge panel said it was withdrawing its earlier decision, stating that the CDC had, "failed to demonstrate an entitlement to a stay pending appeal."
The ruling was flipped shortly after Florida's attorney general asked the Supreme Court to step in on an emergency basis to block the CDC’s COVID-19 cruise protocols the very same day that, arguing that the state was, "all but guaranteed to lose yet another summer cruise season while the CDC pursues its appeal," Reuters reported.
The CDC explained in a statement issued Tuesday that, as a result of the appeals court’s reversed reversal, the CSO’s detailed safety measures and technical instructions, "have become nonbinding recommendations for cruise ships arriving in, located within, or departing from a port in Florida. CDC will continue to operate the CSO as a voluntary program for these ships."
It also reported that, despite the latest ruling, "All Florida-porting ships have chosen to voluntarily follow the [CSO]."
This should be looked upon as a victory for Gov. Ron DeSantis who said this isn't about restarting the cruise lines, it is all about power of a federal agency by overreaching its authority "not explicitly delineated by law."
To read the full article, go here.
Tuesday, July 27, 2021
Do It Yourself RV: 3 Off-Grid Camping Tips
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| Above, dry-camping at the Gallo Campground in Chaco Canyon. Photo by Armand Vaquer. |
Camping without electric or water hookups is something self-contained RVs are made for.
This kind of camping is known as dry-camping, boondocking and off-grid camping.
Before doing any off-grid camping, campers have to make sure they have plenty of water and the batteries are all fully charged, among other things.
Do It Yourself RV has three tips for going off-grid.
They begin with:
Thinking of going off the grid in your RV? There are many rewards to camping off grid in your RV, but before you go off grid for the first time, you need to become educated, prepared, and well practiced.
Start out right by following these 3 tips for going off the grid in your RV.
I last camped off-grid two weeks ago at Chaco Canyon. The campground had no water or electric hookups. So it was definitely dry camping.
To see what the three tips are, go here.
The Sport That Still Respects Our Country
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| Above, rodeos don't start without a flag ceremony. Photo by Armand Vaquer. |
Normally, I would watch the Olympics, winter and summer games.
Well, this year, thanks to all the woke B.S., I haven't bothered to watch the Olympics in Tokyo, Japan this week.
Radical leftists have already ruined baseball, so I have decided to cut the sport from my interests. I have never been a fan of the NFL or the NBA.
There will be 2 or 3 rodeos in Gallup next month for me to enjoy.
So now, the only sport I'll bother with is this:
We May Have To Build An Ark
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| Above, the deck yesterday during the late morning. Photo by Armand Vaquer. |
It is amazing how Mother Nature can swing the weather pendulum from one direction to another in a day.
Yesterday began as a sunny, but cloudy morning and I enjoyed relaxing over iced tea on my deck.
Then, during the afternoon, a thunderstorm rolled in and pummeled Jamestown, New Mexico with heavy rains for about an hour. This had to have been the heaviest storms to have hit in this monsoon season.
However, Mother Nature isn't quite finished with us. The coming week has more of the same rolling in, at least that's according to the National Weather Service.
We just may have to build an ark.
Here's their forecast for the coming days:
NRA-ILA: Biden Reiterates Call to Ban 9mm Handguns
The so-called "fact-checkers" in social media are trying to protect His Fraudulency by saying he didn't call for a ban on 9mm pistols.
But real facts are stubborn things. Biden did call for a ban on 9mm handguns the other day during his CNN "town hall" broadcast. And it wasn't the first time either.
According to NRA-ILA:
During a July 21 CNN “presidential town hall,” Joe Biden expressed his support for a ban on commonly-owned handguns. Responding to a question about the recent increase in violent crime, the career politician stated,
I'm the only guy that ever got passed legislation, when I was a senator, to make sure we eliminated assault weapons. The idea you need a weapon that can have the ability to fire 20, 30, 40, 50, 120 shots from that weapon, whether -- whether it's a 9-millimeter pistol or whether it's a rifle, is ridiculous. I'm continuing to push to eliminate the sale of those things.Of course, any semi-automatic firearm capable of accepting a detachable magazine has the “ability to fire” in the manner Biden deemed objectionable. Therefore, the seasoned grandstander’s statement was a call to ban all semi-automatic handguns, rifles, and shotguns capable of accepting a detachable magazine.
This wasn’t the first time Biden advocated for such a wide-ranging gun ban.
A November 2019 article in the Seattle Times chronicled Biden’s attendance at a pair of high-dollar private fundraisers in the Emerald City. While speaking to attendees at one of the soirees, Biden reportedly asked attendees, “Why should we allow people to have military-style weapons including pistols with 9mm bullets and can hold 10 or more rounds?” Biden also shared his tired claim that because there is a shot-shell restriction for migratory bird hunting, “We protect geese from Canada more than we do people.”
To read more, go here.
The Arroyo Has Water
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| Above, the arroyo and the utility road. Photo by Armand Vaquer. |
After yesterday's hour-long deluge in Jamestown, New Mexico, I took a walk through Barking Spider Acre to take a look at the arroyo that borders the back of my and my neighbors' properties. I was curious to see what, if any, water was flowing through it.
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| Above, a different view of the utility road and the arroyo. Photo by Armand Vaquer. |
Sure enough, it was like a small river (more like a creek) with water flowing northward in the direction of Interstate 40. We had a lot of water in a very short period of time.
From what I've been reading from New Mexico Facebook pages, people in and near Continental Divide haven't seen this much rain in a long time. They noted, "we had lots of rain, flash-flooding and lots of thunder & lightning."
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| Above, the arroyo flowing northward in the direction of Interstate 40. Photo by Armand Vaquer. |
I took some photos of it at the point where the utility service road crosses it. I have driven that road in the Jeep and it eventually leads to the shooting area in Cibola National Forest.
From what I saw, no off-roaders will be driving that for a while.
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| Above, Barking Spider Acre from the arroyo. Photo by Armand Vaquer. |
Although the ground of Barking Spider Acre was very wet and muddy, it was firm enough (maybe due to the clay content of the soil) for me to walk to the arroyo without making a muddy mess of my boots.
This has been quite a monsoon season!
Monday, July 26, 2021
Today's Hour-Long Deluge
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| Above, water from the drainage ditch washed out more of Barking Spider Road. Photo by Armand Vaquer. |
We weren't expected to have much in the way of thunderstorms today, at least according to earlier forecasts.
Now it is at 50% chance of monsoon rainstorms, according to the National Weather Service.
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| Above, the drainage ditch at the road in front of my property. Photo by Armand Vaquer. |
Well, for about an hour this afternoon, a thunderstorm cell came over Jamestown, New Mexico and dumped about (I'm guessing) 1" to 2" of rain.
It came down hard for about an hour and after it was done, I walked to Barking Spider Acre and saw that it caused more washout of Barking Spider Road. I definitely have to fix it (probably around the end of August when the storms start tapering off) with more gravel.
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| Above, the drainage at Barking Spider Acre. Photo by Armand Vaquer. |
The ground was pretty dry two weeks ago. Now it is saturated with the rain we've been getting.
Although the repairs to Barking Spider Road will cost me a few hundred, I am not complaining. We really did need the water.
Florida Takes CDC Regulations To Supreme Court
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| Above, the Fort Lauderdale cruise line terminal. Photo by Armand Vaquer. |
"Don't you think you're bounding over your steps?!" - Stan Laurel to a cop in The Music Box.
"He means, overstepping your bounds," Oliver Hardy corrected.
That appears to be the case with the Centers For Disease Control and Prevention when it comes to Florida's cruise ship industry. The state is taking the CDC to the U.S. Supreme Court.
According to TravelPulse:
The State of Florida is taking its fight with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to the Supreme Court.
Florida's attorney general asked the Supreme Court on Friday to step in on an emergency basis to block COVID-19 protocols put in place by the CDC requiring the cruise lines to meet certain conditions before they can sail again.
Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody initially won a court ruling when it was determined the CDC protocols for returning cruise ships to the sea were beyond its authority. But when a federal appeals court sided with the government agency, it was back to square one, prompting her outreach to the nation’s highest court on Friday.
For the better part of 16 months, the CDC has virtually shut down the cruise ship industry, which is one of Florida's biggest industries.
To read more, go here.
Bringing Back Tourism To Tribal Lands
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| Above, Thunder Road Steakhouse & Cantina at Route 66 Casino Hotel. Photo by Armand Vaquer. |
Last month, a friend and I went to the Route 66 Casino Hotel near Albuquerque, that is owned by the Laguna Pueblo, to have dinner at Thunder Road Steakhouse & Cantina. At the main door, security said that only New Mexico residents are allowed in. I would be able to go in, but my friend (an Arizona resident) could not. So we went into Albuquerque for dinner.
Now, the hotel and casino are open to everyone.
Slowly and cautiously, tribes in New Mexico are reopening their casinos, trading posts, parks and other facilities to visitors.
The Albuquerque Journal posted an article on tribes bringing back tourism. The process hasn't been easy.
A snippet:
Across New Mexico, tribal nations are grappling with similar questions. For many of the 23 tribal nations in New Mexico, tourism, in the form of overnight stays at resorts or visits to cultural sites like Sky City, was an important part of their pre-pandemic local economies. By not allowing visitors during the pandemic, tribal nations incurred significant economic impacts in order to protect vulnerable citizens.
New Mexico lifted its own restrictions at the start of the month, and has seen renewed visitation and tourism activity. But some tribal nations, which are free to set and remove their restrictions as sovereign nations, have done so piecemeal. Acoma, Nambe and Cochiti pueblos remain partially or fully closed to visitors, citing safety concerns, even as casinos on Sandia and Isleta pueblos reopen. The Navajo Nation, where more than 1,300 people died from COVID-19, reopened parks, casinos and other facilities to visitors on July 8.
“After 16 months of this pandemic here on our nation, and our businesses having a difficult time,… I think it was time for us to reopen,” Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez told the Journal earlier this month.
To read more, go here.
Sunday, July 25, 2021
Why Is Kyoto So Popular
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| Above, Kyoto's famous Kinkaku-ji "Golden Pavilion". Photo by Armand Vaquer. |
Vacation trips to Japan are still in the distant future due to the pandemic, but when the country does open up to foreign tourists, Kyoto should be at the top of the list of places to visit.
I have been to Kyoto twice and enjoyed it both times.
The Travel has an article on why people are "falling in love" with Kyoto.
They begin it with:
Kyoto is one of the main attractions for tourists visiting Japan. Kyoto has a very long and impressive history and was first established as the seat of Japan's imperial court way back in 794. It remained the imperial capital up until 1869 after 11 centuries as the capital. Like Germany, Japan was devastated after World War Two with many of its cities and other heritage sites leveled and destroyed. Fortunately, Kyoto escaped much of this wartime firebombing and devastation and so it remains largely preserved.
If you are traveling to Japan and plan to experience Japan's rich culture, then Kyoto is certainly the place to go. Kyoto is one of Japan's and arguably the world's greatest cultural and historical cities.
For Godzilla fans, Kyoto was prominently featured in Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II (1993) and, for Gamera fans, in Gamera 3 (1999).
To read more, go here.
Cleveland Indians, The Real Story
In a move that reeks of sheer stupidity, the owners of the Cleveland Indians renamed the team, erasing over 100 years of history.
According to Breitbart (some snippets):
CLEVELAND, Ohio — Cleveland’s Major League Baseball team announced Friday it is doing away with its moniker, Cleveland Indians, and renaming itself the Cleveland Guardians — a move that erases a 106-year-old name said to be in honor of Louis Sockalexis, who played major league baseball for the Cleveland Spiders in the late 1800s and is credited as the first Native American to play professional baseball.
The Cleveland baseball team went through several name changes from the 1870s to early 1900s before ultimately deciding on the Cleveland Indians — a moniker that would last for more than a century before eventually being canceled.
In January 1915, team owner Charles Somers decided to revive the local nickname — which had previously defined the city’s National League club — and officially named the team the Cleveland Indians, says SABR.
While some historians claim Somers chose a Native American-esque name, in part, to mimic the Atlanta Braves — due to being inspired by the team winning the World Series a year earlier — the name “Cleveland Indians” is nonetheless the stark revival of the team’s old byname.
But 106 years later, in the wake of political correctness, cancel culture, and the woke mob running rampant, the Cleveland Indians — a name presumably derived from Somers reminiscing about the period of excitement that Sockalexis brought to Cleveland in 1897 — is no more.
I am done with Major League Baseball. The sport is now run by idiots.
To read the full article, go here.
The Best Products For Preventing RV Roof Leaks
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| Above, The Beast at Lake Havasu City in March. Photo by Armand Vaquer. |
The big downpour two evenings ago made me think more about my Winnebago motorhome's roof.
It is a fiberglass roof and it has served well with no leaks (thus far). I expect that it is in good shape as I keep the motorhome in a steel RV garage. It is well-protected in the GOCO Beast Barn.
But, it is time to do some preventative maintenance on the roof so that if I happen to be caught in a downpour somewhere, I don't get any leaks. Thankfully, I have a new 14' ladder to access the roof without climbing onto the roof itself (which is not recommended by Winnebago).
So, I put in an order for some Dicor Self-Leveling Lap Sealant - White this morning.
As it happens, Do It Yourself RV has a new article on the best products for preventing RV roof leaks. The Dicor Self-Leveling Lap Sealant looks to be the best one listed to suit my motorhome's roof maintenance needs.
The article begins with:
A leaky roof is an instant trip-ruiner for anyone who loves to travel in an RV. You’re counting on your camper to keep you warm and dry, so RV roof leaks cannot be ignored. They can cause long-term damage to your vehicle as well, which will affect its livability and resale value.
Luckily, there are ways to fix or prevent leaks from happening in the first place. You’ll want to make sure you’re trusting the right product with this important task, so we’ve assembled a list of 6 of the best sealants and protective coatings to use on your RV roof. These might come in the form of tapes, liquid coatings, or caulking tubes. Rest assured that your roof is in good hands with any of these options though!
To read the full article, go here.
2021 Wells Fun Run
This coming weekend, I will make my second attempt to actually attend the Wells Fun Run in Wells, Nevada.
As many who read this blog know, my first attempt in 2018 didn't work out too well as I had a heart attack (or something) that had me airlifted from Wells to Twin Falls, Idaho to have two stents inserted into a coronary artery. So I missed the show (it hadn't started yet) that year.
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| Above, from left, Mitch Geriminsky, Bill Wilson and yours truly in Wells in 2018 before everything went south for me. |
Then, in 2019, we decided to skip the show and went directly to Buhl, Idaho to party with Bill and Linda Wilson as Bill came down with a blood cancer disorder and couldn't make the Wells Fun Run. We brought the "rally" to him. It turned out that it was the last time Mitch Geriminsky and I got to see Bill as he passed away last year from leukemia.
While heading to Buhl, we stopped at Bella's Restaurant & Espresso in Wells, where I was stricken the year before. This time, I was able to finish my meal and wasn't carried out feet first.
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| Above, at the restaurant in Wells in 2019 where I had my heart attack the year before. This time I wasn't carried out feet first. We stopped there while en route to Buhl, Idaho. Photo by Mitch Geriminsky. |
Linda Wilson requested that Mitch and I attend this year's Wells Fun Run. So we agreed to do so and are flying up this weekend. I think there might be a memorial tribute to Bill there.
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| Above, at Bill Wilson's in 2019. This was the last time we were able to see Bill. |
I'll have a cat-sitter for Sierra while I am in Wells.
I am now more healthy than I was three years ago. I have followed my cardiologist's instructions, changed my diet and taking my meds. I have also dropped down to 185 pounds (I am below 200 pound for the first time since college). Driving the Jeep also was a big help in keeping more active.
Hopefully, everything will go without any problems.
Joshua Tree National Park Tips For Visitors
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| Above, Joshua Tree National Park's Cottonwood Spring Oasis. Photo by Armand Vaquer. |
Out in the Mojave Desert, sits Joshua Tree National Park.
I first visited the park back in the 1960s when it was still a national monument. Today, due to its close proximity to Los Angeles, it is a busy park.
Before heading there, it would be wise to check out what Joshua Tree's park rangers recommend.
TravelAwaits has posted 10 key ranger tips for visiting. They begin with:
Joshua Tree National Park has a rugged landscape, which isn’t surprising since it includes parts of both the Mojave and Colorado Deserts. Notably, the park is also home to most of the world’s Joshua trees, which explains its name.
The park, located just outside Palm Springs, California, is also very popular. In fact, Joshua Tree was the tenth most-visited national park in the U.S. last year — drawing 2.4 million visitors. In 2019, about 2.8 million visitors traveled to Joshua Tree to enjoy activities such as hiking, camping, photography, rock climbing, and simply enjoying the desert scenery — including its spectacular sunsets.
When planning a trip to Joshua Tree, there are two factors that must be considered. The first is those crowds. The larger consideration, however, is the park’s desert wilderness environment.
The staff at the National Park Service (NPS) understand that planning a trip to Joshua Tree can be challenging. To help make planning your trip easier, NPS has released its “Top 10 Tips for Visiting Joshua Tree National Park” as part of its “Plan Like a Park Ranger” series. These tips explain how Joshua Tree’s rangers themselves would plan a trip to the park.
So, let’s get to it. Here are Joshua Tree’s park rangers’ vacation-planning tips.
To read them, go here.
When Is The Best Month To Visit Grand Canyon National Park?
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| Above, there is no shortage of spectacular views. Photo by Armand Vaquer. |
Whether or not one has visited Grand Canyon National Park, the question that often pops up is, When is the best month to visit?
Fortunately, The Travel has posted an article delves into that question.
They begin with:
The first impression that confronts you when you see the Grand Canyon is "wow" and that it's appropriately named. The Canyon is long and it is wide. It is beyond all description and something one needs to see with one's own eyes. The canyon together with its adjacent rim is not all in the Grand Canyon National Park. Some of it is also in the Navajo Nation, the Havasupai Indian Reservation, the Hualapai Indian Reservation, the Kaibab National Forest, and the Grand Canyon-Parashant National Monument. The Grand Canyon is also important in paleo history as more than 2 billion years of earth's history have been exposed by the Colorado River.
The Grand Canyon is an incredibly popular tourist destination and attracts around 5 million visitors annually (mostly from America). It is a place shrouded in myth and legend.
To read more, go here.
Saturday, July 24, 2021
How To Estimate Your RV's Value
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| Above, this one should be easy to estimate. Photo by Armand Vaquer. |
Are you one of those thinking about selling your RV, either for upgrading to a bigger and better model or for health reasons? The main problem is that you don't know how much your RV is worth and are in a quandary about setting an asking price.
Well, you're in luck! RV Life has an article on how to estimate your RV's value.
They begin it with:
If you’re thinking of selling your RV at some point in the next year, now might be the best time to do it.
First, there’s significant pressure in the RV industry to keep the RV pipeline full. There has been a significant rise in interest in RVing since the pandemic altered the way people travel and recreate, which has increased the demand for RVs. Additionally, according to friends in the industry, there have been many supply chain problems, with scarcity of some RV components causing production delays. It’s a sobering thought that a production line can be stalled for the need of just a few components.
I’ve heard of some RV manufacturers that have not been able to deliver finished RVs because they’re waiting for slide covers, or drivers’ seats, or windows. The rest of the RV is finished but these parts are on back order. That puts the finished RV on back order with the RV dealers, and that in turn impacts RV buyers.
There’s an increase in demand and constraints on supply, which increases the price of what products are in the market. If you have an RV that you’re willing to sell, you can take advantage of these market conditions. The price you may be able to put on your rig now may be higher than it’s been for a few years even though your RV is a year or two older now.
To read more, go here.
Beach Camping In The U.S.
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| Above, The Beast at Crazy Horse Campground at Lake Havasu. Photo by Armand Vaquer. |
Before I read the following article in RV Life, I initially thought they were writing only about oceanfront beach camping.
It turns out they are writing about lake beach camping as well. As such, one lakefront beach camping spot I've been to (several times) they include is Crazy Horse Campground at Lake Havasu City, Arizona. I was last there in October.
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| Above, a view of Lake Havasu from Crazy Horse Campground. Photo by Armand Vaquer. |
The article is about "15 best RV parks in the U.S. for beach camping."
They start it with:
If you don’t mind a little bit of sand on the floor of your rig, then you are going to love these 15 beachside RV parks. Scattered around the U.S., these parks are either right next to a sandy beach or smack dab in the middle of them.
While many of these beaches are located in sunny Florida, you’ll still find some in other waterside spots such as Oregon and even New York. Make some room in the rig, it’s time to pack the towels and flip flops. To get up-to-date information and reviews on these and other RV parks, visit CampgroundReviews.com.
To see what the 15 campgrounds are, go here.
Lassen National Park Announces Dixie Fire Closures
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| Above, Lassen Peak in 2017. Photo by Armand Vaquer. |
Starting today, portions of Lassen Volcanic National Park in Northern California are being closed due to high fire risk due to the Dixie Fire.
KRCR-TV reported:
LASSEN, Calif. — Lassen Volcanic National Park has announced closures due to the Dixie FIre. The fire has burned 181,289 acres in Butte and Plumas Counties and is 19% contained.
The entire area of Lassen Volcanic National Park is closed to backcountry camping. This closure is to protect visitors and provide resource protection during high and extreme fire danger.
Other areas of Lassen Volcanic National Park are also closed.
To read more, go here.
Part of Barking Spider Road Washed Out
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| Above, a small section of Barking Spider Road got washed out. Photo by Armand Vaquer. |
A little while ago, I took a walk over to Barking Spider Acre to check if there were any residual problems from last evening's storm.
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| Above, gravel washed into the field. Photo by Armand Vaquer. |
Sure enough, the deluge washed out part of Barking Spider Road and deposited its gravel into the field. Rains had done so before, but not this much.
Looks like I'll have to get some more gravel to fill in the ruts in Barking Spider Road.
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| Above, the drainage ditch at the road. Photo by Armand Vaquer. |
The drainage ditch in front of the house at the street showed evidence of large amounts of water flowing through. Well, that's not surprising since we got around 2 inches of rain last evening. That's what flowed through and washed out part of Barking Spider Road.
Otherwise, everything else is okay.
Near-Biblical Flooding
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| Above, last evening's downpour. Photo by Armand Vaquer. |
Last evening, we had one of the most intense monsoon thunderstorms since I've lived here.
The lightning was directly overhead at times and the thunder shook the house, unnerving my cat Sierra. It was quite a display. I was very much entertained.
The downpour from the storm was welcome as the area had been parched. But it caused some flooding problems on Historic Route 66 and Interstate 40 near milepost 33 near Iyanbito. We're at milepost 39.
According to one resident of our community, her rain gauge showed two inches of rain. I guessed before seeing it that we got 2" last evening.
The downpour got frogs or toads out and some here were doing some frogging. One resident joked, "It might be that a few rattlers got washed out of their normally dry holes and they are making frog sounds just to lure you in close." Actually, I didn't know we even had frogs or toads here.
Anyway, I think we made up for the dry months we had here this year. The area should be greening up pretty soon!
Friday, July 23, 2021
Biden Wants To Ban 9mm Handguns
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| Above, my Ruger P95 9mm pistol. Photo by Armand Vaquer. |
If you thought Joe Biden was a "moderate" Democrat, then you'd best rethink that. There's no such thing as a moderate or even a conservative Democrat right now.
He let the cat out of the bag during his town hall Wednesday night that he wants to ban 9mm handguns, one of the most popular guns on the market.
Breitbart reported:
Wednesday night during a CNNLOL town hall, His Fraudulency Joe Biden added 9mm pistols to his growing list of gun bans, which once again proves America’s fact checkers are stone-cold liars.
Biden said, “The idea you need a weapon that can have the ability to fire 20, 30, 40, 50, 120 shots from that weapon, whether it’s a 9mm pistol or whether it’s a rifle, is ridiculous. I’m continuing to push to eliminate the sale of those things.”
And there it is… The 9mm. Just like that, the 9mm, one of the most popular handguns in America, is sitting right there on the table.
I'd like to see the "fact-checkers" weasel their way out of that one!
To read more, go here.
2021 Bloomer Trailers Best of the Best Timed Event Rodeo August 4 - 7
August will be a busy month for rodeo events (thank God).
As mentioned in my last blog post, the Gallup Inter-Tribal Indian Ceremonial will be held August 6-15 at different venues in and around Gallup, New Mexico.
Also coming up, is the Bloomer Trailers Best of the Best Timed Event Rodeo at the Red Rock Park Rodeo Arena on August 4-7.
Here's their flyer:
2021 Gallup Inter-Tribal Indian Ceremonial August 6 - 15
It appears that the parties involved in the Gallup Inter-Tribal Indian Ceremonial in (where else?) Gallup have come to terms and the show will go on.
This has been posted on the official Ceremonial Facebook page:
I, for one, am looking forward to attending, especially the Ceremonial's rodeo events.
More Rain Likely
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| Above, actual puddles near the GOCO Beast Barn after yesterday's storm. Photo by Armand Vaquer. |
Yesterday's monsoon drenching in the Four Corners area was a big help since it is currently in a drought.
Due to the dry conditions we've been having, I have been refraining from having a fire in my yard fire pit. Since we've received a good soaking (and if the upcoming storms live up to their "advertised" intensity), it won't be long when I can use it again.
More rain is expected to come today.
The storm left puddles in spots in Barking Spider Acre. This has been somewhat rare since we've had weak storms and the ground here is porous with high clay content.
According to the National Weather Service:
Thursday, July 22, 2021
A Good Soak
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| Above, the storm left puddles, a rarity lately, on Barking Spider Acre. Photo by Armand Vaquer. |
A good monsoon thunderstorm came to Jamestown this afternoon.
For about an hour or so, a deluge came down and gave the grounds a good soaking. It left so much water that even a half hour after it ended, there were puddles in Barking Spider Acre. I haven't seen that for quite a while.
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| Above, the GOCO Beast Barn and a puddled-up Barking Spider Acre. Photo by Armand Vaquer. |
Well, it is not surprising since we're under a Flash Flood Warning.
This was a welcome soaking as it has been dry this season. More is expected to come.
Jimi Hendrix Experience: Live In Maui
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| Above, the front of the set's package front (top) and the booklet. Photo by Armand Vaquer. |
A package arrived at my post office box today. It was the Blu-ray/CD set, Jimi Hendrix Experience: Live In Maui.
Back in the summer of 1970, a movie was in "production" in Maui, Hawaii that was called Rainbow Bridge. It was a hippie counter-culture flick "directed" by Chuck Wein. It was a mess production-wise. No script. No pre-production. It was basically a mess captured on film.
Hendrix had been working on a new studio in New York, Electric Lady Studios, at the time, but work on it stopped and started, depending upon there was any money to work on it to completion. Much of Hendrix's concert fees that year went to the building of the studio. Manager Michael Jeffrey saw the Maui flick as a means to bring in some cash to complete the studio. Hendrix really didn't want to have any part of the movie, but was eventually talked into it.
Admittedly, when Rainbow Bridge first came out in theaters, I was, admittedly, entertained by it even though it was obviously flawed. I have a copy of the movie on VHS. One shot in the movie I got a kick out of seeing (nearly 40 years later) was of La Cienega Blvd. in West Los Angeles with the White Front department store very prominent.
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| Above, the set has interesting packaging for the booklet, 2 CDs and Blu-ray. Photo by Armand Vaquer. |
The Blu-ray in this set contains a documentary, Music, Money, Madness...Jimi Hendrix in Maui on how Rainbow Bridge came about and how Hendrix and sidemen Mitch Mitchell (drums) and Billy Cox (bass) participated. Since Billy Cox is the sole remaining member of the Jimi Hendrix Experience still with us, he adds his own memories to the documentary.
The Blu-ray also has the two shows the Jimi Hendrix Experience put on at the Haleakala Crater on Maui on July 30, 1970. These shows also comprise the two CDs of the set.
The concerts were flawed as the wind was blowing towards the band causing sound issues. For the footage used in Rainbow Bridge, Mitch Mitchell dubbed new drumming sound while watching footage through a movie editor's moviola screen.
Also included in the set is a 31-page booklet.
The set is an interesting piece of music history and Hendrix fans will enjoy it.
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