Photography: Yosemite Tried, True, And New

Above, a view of Yosemite Valley from Tunnel View. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

For those of you who travel to national parks and are photography buffs, the following is something to keep in mind while visiting Yosemite National Park.

Although there are some vistas in the park that have been photographed millions of times, that should not dissuade others from doing so.

Rebecca Latson has an article in National Parks Traveler on just this topic.

She begins with:

Not too long ago, I read a portion of an interview with a young and upcoming adventure landscape photographer who dismissively remarked that all the iconic spots were over-photographed and over-published and not worth any further attention (I’m paraphrasing here). My response was to roll my eyes and mutter “Whatever.” You see, I truly believe that, no matter how oft-photographed an iconic vista may be, you should still get a photo of that spot, if you are there. Why? For one thing, because you are the one capturing that particular composition, and for another, what the heck is wrong with getting a photo of an awe-inspiring location, even if a gazillion others have photographed the same vista? To paraphrase another photographer with whom I heartily agree, a popular spot for photography is like a great restaurant. You go there because the food is great and you’re not going to skip out on it because many others have eaten there.

I wanted my first view of, and introduction to, Yosemite National Park to be Tunnel View. Talk about iconic! And I wanted it to be a sunrise view. If you’ve ever looked at other sunrise shots of this location, you’ll know that sunrise may not be that dramatic. Didn’t matter to me. That’s what I wanted. Now, I’ve written this before, and I’ll write it here again: even an iconic view can look different on a daily or even hourly basis, because of the time of year, weather, and quality of light. On the morning I visited, the haze from area wildfire smoke diffused the light, creating a soft, saturated deep pink glow over the valley while silhouetting the rock formations. It only lasted a few moments, but I happened to be there during those moments to capture a sweet version of an iconic vista.

To read more, go here. 

Haitian Illegals in Federal Custody Have “HIJACKED” MULTIPLE Transport Buses

The horror show of the southern border of the U.S. gets worse as each day passes.

The tragedy didn't have to be if only His Fraudulency Joe Biden continued the Trump policies of securing the borders.

The latest involves Haitian invaders (just calling it as it is) coming into the country through Mexico.

According to the Gateway Pundit:

Earlier this week, the crisis on Biden’s southern border became such a free-for-all that a group of illegals actually overpowered federal authorities and stole the bus they were being transported in, using it to make their escape into the US. 

The border agents who were involved were injured in the assault. 

Now, it’s becoming a pattern for other illegals.

According to a senior federal law enforcement official who spoke to the Washington Examiner, ‘multiple’ federal transport buses have been “hijacked” by the Haitian illegals that were in federal custody. The detainees escaped after taking the bus up the road.

To read more, go here. 

Go Fund Me: Funeral Expenses For Janice Casamero

Our post office clerk down at the Flying J, Janice Casamero, passed away from COVID-19. Everyone in our community will miss her. A GO FUND ME page has been set up by her daughter to raise money for her funeral expenses.

Longhorns At Mesa Ridge Ranch

Above, longhorn cattle at Mesa Ridge Ranch. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Earlier this afternoon, I went over to one of the neighbors in our community to sign a sympathy card for the family of our post office lady Janice, who passed away two days ago of coronavirus. 

While there, we were chatting and it was mentioned that there are some longhorn cattle over at Mesa Ridge Ranch, the subdivision next to ours.

This evening, I went over to see them and took the photos that accompany this blog post. 

They look exactly like the ones I saw in Fort Worth in January during one of their cattle drives in the streets of the Stockyards.

Photos:

Finally, Two Open Lanes On Interstate 40!

Above, looking west from our bridge over Interstate 40. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Finally, at long last, Interstate 40 at Exit 39 has two open lanes in both directions.

It has been three years for the construction of this section of I-40 to be near completion. It has been a nuisance as semi trucks have caused massive traffic jams along the construction area. I've done some driving on interstates in New Mexico, Arizona, Utah, Colorado, Idaho and Wyoming over the past three years and been through several road construction zones but all flowed good EXCEPT for the construction zone at our exit. It has been a real pain in the ass!

Many of us, including me, have tried to avoid going to Gallup in order to avoid the traffic jams going eastbound. We have used Historic Route 66 that runs parallel to I-40 from Gallup to Iyanbito to avoid the jams. Many truckers have discovered this alternate route and have jammed up Route 66 as well.

Glad it's finally over!

Status On Cuba Travel

Above, Mitch Geriminsky and yours truly after arriving in Havana Port in 2019. 

Out of curiosity, I checked the website for the U.S. Embassy in Cuba for the current status of travel to Cuba.

Nothing has changed since 2019 when travel to Cuba was prohibited. This came after my April 2019 cruise to Havana.

According to the website:

Travel to Cuba for tourist activities remains prohibited by statute. However, the Department of Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) has issued general licenses for 12 categories of travel. Individuals who meet the regulatory conditions of the general license they seek to travel under do not need to apply for an additional license from OFAC to travel to Cuba. The 12 categories of authorized travel to Cuba are: family visits; official business of the U.S. government, foreign governments, and certain intergovernmental organizations; journalistic activity; professional research and professional meetings; educational activities; religious activities; public performances, clinics, workshops, athletic and other competitions, and exhibitions; support for the Cuban people; humanitarian projects; activities of private foundations or research or educational institutes; exportation, importation, or transmission of information or informational materials; and certain authorized export transactions.

For details on Cuba sanctions regulations, including fact sheets on recent changes and information about applying for an OFAC license, please visit this Department of Treasury webpage on Cuba sanctions. The Department of State also provides information on Cuba sanctions and travel restrictions on its webpage on Cuba sanctions.

To read more, go here. 

Have You Checked Your Passport's Expiration Date Lately?

How much time do you have left on your passport until it expires?

The average person (who doesn't use their passport that much) likely doesn't know when it expires. I have to renew mine next year and have already noted when to start the process in my phone's calendar. It seems not that long ago that I renewed it, but it has been about nine years already. I last used it two years ago during my cruise to Havana, Cuba.

Above, yours truly at Havana's Plaza de la Revolución two years ago. Photo by Mitch Geriminsky.

Travel + Leisure has an article on how long the process takes to renew a U.S. passport.

They begin it with:

Before you even think about booking that bucket-list vacation, there's one thing you need to do right now: Double check the expiration date on your passport.

It's vital to make sure your travel documents are valid for at least six months past the dates of any planned international trips. Since passports are valid for up to 10 years, it's understandably easy to forget when exactly it needs to be renewed (especially if you don't use it all that often). This seemingly small detail could result in a travel disaster.

To read more, go here. 

Papers, Please! Los Angeles County To Require All Theme Park Goers Be Vaccinated

Above, visitors to theme parks like Universal Studios will have to show proof
  of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test to enter. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The fascism never ends in Democrat-controlled locales.

The latest is in the County of Los Angeles where thrill-seekers wishing to enter a theme park has to show proof of vaccination to enter starting next month.

According to Travel + Leisure:

Thrill-seekers in Los Angeles will be required to show proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test to enter theme parks next month, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health announced.

Starting Oct. 7, anyone heading to a theme park within Los Angeles county, including Universal Studios Hollywood and Six Flags Magic Mountain, will have to show proof they have been vaccinated or received a negative COVID-19 test taken within 72 hours of arriving, according to the department of health. Children under 12 are exempt.

The mandate applies to venues "with more than 10,000 attendees that are ticketed and/or have controlled points of entry to a well-defined area." 

To read the full article, go here. 

Our Community's Loss

This really hits hard.

I just read some sad news that was posted last night at our community Facebook page:

I have just been notified that Janice, the post mistress at Pilot, has passed on because of the Covid virus.  The family is planning on bringing her back to Gallup from Phoenix where she was hospitalized.  Margaret E-S has a card if you desire to sign it.  It will be given to the family.

Janice Casamelo was in charge of our little post office at the Flying J and contracted coronavirus two weeks ago. She lived in the Mariano Lake area of the Navajo Nation. 

She had a great sense of humor and did her post office duties very well. When my painting of the mesas arrived from St. Petersburg, Russia, she laughingly asked me if I ordered a door due to the wooden packaging.

She will be greatly missed by our community. 

"Muhammad Ali" Documentary By Ken Burns

Above, a visit with President Reagan in the Oval Office in 1983. White House photo.

For the past three nights, I've been watching Ken Burns' Muhammad Ali documentary. It has been an interesting three nights that brings back to life "The Greatest" boxer of all time. 

It has been airing on New Mexico's PBS channel 5.1. 

Tonight is the final chapter of the documentary. I reminds me of the late 1970s when a friend of mine, Frank "Captain Rowdy" Lunney, and many of us at work were following his bout with Leon Spinks and lost. Lunney was a huge fan of Muhammad Ali.

When Spinks defeated Ali, many at work needled Lunney. Ali eventually beat Spinks in a rematch. 

It also brings to mind how revered Ali was in later years. I recall a supervisor of mine going to a Lakers game at the L.A. Forum in Inglewood, California and saw Ali there. He and others greeted him with, "Hey, Champ!" If memory serves, I think the onset of Parkinson's Disease had already affected Ali at the time.

For more on the Ken Burns documentary, go here.

Gabby Petito and Why It Was Absolutely Everywhere, Explained

Above, Gabby Petito and "person of interest" Brian Laundrie.

Several days ago, when news of finding a body near Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming hit, interest in the Gabby Petito case exploded.

At the same time, I saw several Twitter Tweets by liberals (the usual suspects) complaining that this was another case of "missing white woman syndrome" where the interest is race-related and ignoring non-white missing women cases.

An interesting and fair article has been posted on Vox that discusses the interest generated and true crime amateur sleuthing.

It begins with:

The entire internet was looking for her.

In the days before FBI officials on Sunday announced — and on Tuesday confirmed — that the body of 22-year-old Instagrammer Gabby Petito had been found near Grand Teton in Wyoming, her status as a missing person had gone massively viral. For the past week, the story of Petito and her boyfriend Brian Laundrie, 23 — who had returned home from a heavily chronicled #VanLife road trip without her — dominated social media, mesmerized true crime communities, and led the nightly news around the country. When news broke that Laundrie, amid intense public scrutiny, had fled authorities and gone on the run, the saga became one of the most viral news stories of 2021.

A coroner for Teton County in Wyoming confirmed after an autopsy conducted on Tuesday that Petito’s cause of death was homicide. Currently, Laundrie is the only known person of interest in the case.

On one level, Petito’s case is typical of true crime cases where a victim of alleged domestic violence goes missing. Too often the partner simply clams up, as Laundrie did, impeding investigation into the person’s disappearance. But the case of Petito and Laundrie garnered so much attention so rapidly that an extraordinary amount of public effort went into finding her — with the internet and social media platforms from TikTok to YouTube playing a major role in the search efforts.

 To read more, go here.

Best Fall Foliage RV Campgrounds

Above, The Beast at Santa Fe Skies RV Park in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Since today will be the first day of autumn, the following is rather timely.

RV Life has posted an article on the ten best RV campgrounds to see fall foliage. Of the ten mentioned, I have been to one of them, but that was in January of last year. That was Santa Fe Skies RV Park in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

They begin their article with:

A trip to see the trees showcase their beautiful colors should be on every RVer’s bucket list. Whether you head west to see the Aspens or east to see the color in New England, you won’t be sorry you took the trip. You might even want to make plans yearly and it wouldn’t hurt to plan a year in advance.

Below are some of the best campgrounds to see fall foliage; you can find even more great RV parks and destinations on Campground Reviews or while planning your travels with RV Trip Wizard and the RV LIFE App. 

 To read more, go here.

U.S. To Relax Air Travel Restrictions For Foreigners In November

Above, air travel restrictions will be eased for vaccinated foreigners in November. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Foreigners from selected countries who are vaccinated and want to travel to the U.S. will be able to do so as air travel restrictions will be relaxed in November.

Reuters reported:

WASHINGTON, Sept 20 (Reuters) - The United States will reopen in November to air travelers from 33 countries including China, India, Brazil and most of Europe who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19, the White House said on Monday, easing tough pandemic-related restrictions that started early last year.

The decision, announced by White House coronavirus response coordinator Jeff Zients, marked an abrupt shift for President Joe Biden's administration, which said last week it was not the right time to lift any restrictions amid rising COVID-19 cases.

The United States had lagged many other countries in lifting such restrictions, and allies welcomed the move. The U.S. restrictions have barred travelers from most of the world including tens of thousands of foreign nationals with relatives or business links in the United States.

To read more, go here. 

The Travel: Go UFO Hunting In Roswell, New Mexico

Above, Roswell's famous welcome sign. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

If one has wanderlust and would like to see something offbeat, then the Roswell International UFO Museum and Research Center in Roswell, New Mexico is right up your alley.

I visited the museum three years ago and found it interesting and entertaining (where else can one pose for a photo with a full-sized Gort?).

Above, every so often, Gort's visor opens to vaporize someone. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The Travel has posted an article on the museum.

They begin it with:

One fateful day in 1947 first contact was made. A UFO crashed in Roswell, the little green (or are they gray?) men were captured, the flying saucer was stored in secret in Area 51 in Nevada. Then in 1996, the aliens returned obliterated all the major cities, but the world was ultimately saved on Independence Day by Will Smith at his coolest and some 1990s computer virus.

But what really happened in Roswell? Today one can go there and sleuth out its secrets, perhaps one of its main attractions is the International UFO Museum and Research Center and Gift Shop as well as guided tours of the various points of interest.

Above, a dead alien is about to be autopsied. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

On the first week in July, Roswell holds their annual UFO Festival, now called Alien Fest. It is a lot of fun, despite having to do a lot of walking to take in everything.

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

There's plenty of motels and RV parks in Roswell for overnighters.

To read more, go here. 

It's Cold!

Above, two residents of Jamestown. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Right now, according to my yard thermometer, it is about 39° outside. I fired up the heater inside the house for the first time since around May.

We're in a cold snap from a frontal passage that's supposed to last for a day or so. After this, the temperatures are expected to return as they were.

According to the National Weather Service:

Today

Sunny, with a high near 76. South wind 5 to 10 mph becoming northwest in the afternoon.

Tonight

Mostly clear, with a low around 43. Northwest wind 5 to 10 mph becoming southeast after midnight.

Wednesday

Sunny, with a high near 78. Light and variable wind becoming west 5 to 10 mph in the afternoon.

Wednesday Night

Clear, with a low around 47. West wind 5 to 10 mph becoming south after midnight.

Brian Laundrie In Hiding...Or Dead

Above, Brian Laundrie from the Moab police body cam.

Michael Reagan, the son of "The Gipper", Tweeted:

 Gabbys boyfriend is probably also dead… His family is a shit show

I opined the same the other day and I agree with his view of the Laundrie family. This raised a question in my mind a little while ago: Does Brian Laundrie own guns and are any of them missing? So far, Laundrie has not been found and the authorities have stopped searching the area he was supposedly was backpacking in. The Laundrie family has been less than cooperative with investigators despite pleas from the Petito family. That certainly sends up quite a number of red flags.

According to Fox 13 in Tampa Bay:

Laundrie was named a person of interest in the case earlier this week. However, despite pleading with the family and their attorney, investigators had not heard from the Laundrie family at all until Friday night, when they told investigators their son had actually been missing since Tuesday. Investigators spent two hours at the Laundrie home collecting things they say may help them find Brian and hopefully get answers. An attorney for the Petito family says Brian is not missing but rather on the run, adding that the Laundrie family’s request to have the North Port police look for their son but not for Gabby is "reprehensible and hypocritical."

Investigators are asking the public for help in locating Laundrie. They say he is a white male, 5-foot-8 and weighing 160 pounds. He has brown eyes, very short brown hair, trimmed facial hair, and was last seen wearing a hiking bag with a waist strap. Anyone with information is asked to call 1-800-Call-FBI.

With his face plastered all over the place on social media, he won't be able to hide for very long. If he's dead, I guess they'll have to watch for buzzards in the area.

To read more, go here. 

Vehicle Swapping

Above, the Mustang before the electrical issue cropped up. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

It has been said that "everything happens for a reason."

That seems to be the case over the past several days. Last week, I had to have the Jeep brought into Gallup to my mechanic as it broke down over the freeway bridge. Luckily, I had enough momentum so that it rolled across the bridge so not to block traffic coming from the Flying J. 

Then Friday evening, I left the headlights on the Mustang for about four hours before discovering it. I figured the battery would bounce back overnight or, if not, I'll charge it with my battery charger. It didn't bounce back and the charger was hooked up to it. 

After about an hour, it still wouldn't start. It just made the solenoid noise and the needle on the charger's meter was acting peculiar. Greg Lucier came over with his charger and it would act odd as well. Also, the car wouldn't make the solenoid noise and there was no indication of power. 

We then tried jump-starting it, but it caused the battery cable to heat up and smoke was coming from Greg's car battery. We immediately unhooked the cables and I decided to bring it to the mechanic when the Jeep was done, which was yesterday.

I needed to go to the market, so I got The Beast out and used it for the shopping trip. Nothing like having a third vehicle available.

Thankfully, the Jeep was done yesterday and I had the Mustang towed in with me riding along. As I said at the outset, things happen for a reason. Instead of asking for a ride with someone to the mechanic, I was able to go with the tow truck and then drive the Jeep home after leaving the Mustang at the mechanic's. A little vehicle swapping.

It turned out that the electric fuel pump went bad and I had it replaced with a better one by a different company. Unfortunately, it was two months out of warranty. But I got a good deal though. 

At least these mechanical problems happened now instead of during the dead of winter. 

RV Transporter At The Flying J

Above, The Beast (left) and the Jayco Class C motorhome being transported. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

As the Jeep was in the shop to have a faulty electric fuel pump replaced and the Mustang is having electrical problems (no power), I had to use The Beast to go into Gallup this morning to do some grocery shopping and to stop at the Flying J to get my mail. More about that tomorrow morning.

When I parked The Beast, it was next to a new Jayco Class C motorhome. How could I tell it was new?

Well, the rear license plate was an Indiana transport plate. Indiana is the Mecca for recreational vehicle builders.

The Flying J is a popular stop for RV transporters for fuel and break. They were either headed to Arizona or California to deliver the motorhome to a dealer. 

Sage's Complete Markets

Above, the Redlands, California Sage's.

Back in the late 1960s, whenever we went out to Twentynine Palms, California, we would stop at Sage's in Redlands on the way back home to Hawthorne to do some shopping and have a meal.

Sage's had just about everything. It was a restaurant, grocery store and a department store. It was like what Walmart stores are today. Items included a bakery, dairy, deli, general grocery, drug, coffee shop, meats, produce and toys.

Sage's opened in Redlands on Nov. 2, 1959 by founder Milton Sage. Sage's was based in San Bernardino.

Sage spread himself thin by trying to build an empire that collapsed in 1973.

Body Found "Consistent" With Missing Gabby Petito

The missing person investigation has turned into a homicide investigation involving Gabrielle Petito of Florida.

Human remains "consistent" with descriptions of Petito were found yesterday near Spread Creek Dispersed Campground near Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming.

Reuters reported:

Sept 19 (Reuters) - Police and FBI agents searching a national park in Wyoming have found a body "consistent" with missing Gabby Petito, a 22-year-old woman whose disappearance has captivated the United States.

The body was discovered on Sunday in a remote area of the Bridger-Teton National Forest, near the Spread Creek Dispersed campground where law enforcement officials had directed their search, FBI spokesman Charles Jones said.

A formal identification of the remains has not been made and the cause of death is yet to be determined.

Members of Petito's family reported Petito missing on Sept. 11, 10 days after her 23-year-old boyfriend, Brian Laundrie, returned home from a months-long cross-country trip in the van without her.  

Laundrie has been named a "person of interest" in the case but has not been seen since leaving his family's home in North Port, Florida, last Tuesday. North Port is on the west coast of Florida, some 70 miles (112 km) south of St. Petersburg.  

Before disappearing, Laundrie had refused to speak with investigators and retained a lawyer.

It would not surprise me at all that Laundrie would be found dead of suicide. That's the gut feeling I have. I suspect that a quarrel gone very bad led to Petito's death. 

Above, Gabby Petito from police
 body cam video in Moab, Utah. 

The pair had a quarrel August 12 in Moab, Utah and the police investigators posted body cam footage of them during questioning. There were no charges but the police had the two separate that night. 

To read more, go here.

California's New Assault Weapons Ban

Commiefornia's new and "stronger" assault weapons ban had gone into effect on September 1.

From a Press Release by the California Department of Justice (courtesy of Redheaded Blackbelt):

Press release from the California Department of Justice:

 As Senate Bill 118 goes into effect, expanding the state’s assault weapons ban, California Attorney General Rob Bonta today announced owners of firearms that are now banned by the bill will be able to register their firearms during an upcoming three-month period. In 2020, SB 118, which then-Assemblymember Bonta voted to pass, broadened the state’s definition of “assault weapons” to include semiautomatic centerfire firearms with certain specific features. Californians who lawfully possessed these firearms before September 1, 2020, must register their eligible assault weapons with the California Department of Justice (DOJ) between 9 a.m. PST on October 1, 2021, until 11:59 p.m. PST on December 31, 2021.

“SB 118 closed a loophole in our law’s definition of assault weapons that will prevent gun manufacturers from developing and selling these firearms in California,” said Attorney General Bonta. “Many of our laws are currently under attack in the courts, but my office will continue to defend the commonsense gun laws that have worked to keep Californians safe.”

SB 118, which went into effect on September 1, 2020, changed the definition of an assault weapon to include a semiautomatic centerfire firearm that is not a rifle, pistol, or shotgun, and:

• Does not have a fixed magazine, but has any one of the attributes currently associated with assault weapons;
• Has a fixed magazine with the capacity to accept more than 10 rounds; and
• Has an overall length of less than 30 inches.

The bill exempts individuals who lawfully possessed firearms that meet the new definition before September 1, 2020, as long as they register their firearms within DOJ’s registration period: 9 a.m. PST on October 1, 2021, through 11:59 p.m. PST on December 31, 2021.

Beginning October 1, 2021, at 9 a.m., registration applications may be submitted electronically at www.oawr.doj.ca.gov or by submitting the Other Assault Weapon Registration Form (BOF 1039), which is available for download from the Forms and Publications page on the DOJ website. Additional information, including registration fees and requirements, can be found at www.oag.ca.gov/firearms/oawr-notice.

It is important to note that the registration period for “other assault weapons” differs from and is not an extension of the bullet button assault weapons registration period.

"A Lady Takes A Chance" (1943) On Blu-ray

This week, my ordered Blu-ray of A Lady Takes A Chance (1943) arrived in the mail.

The movie, a romantic comedy, stars Jean Arthur, John Wayne, Charles Winninger and a young (with hair, probably a toupee) Phil Silvers.

From Blu-ray.com:

A city girl on a bus tour of the West encounters a handsome rodeo cowboy who helps her forget her simpy city suitors.

It had been a long while (likely since the 1970s) since I've seen this movie. I decided to order it and it was as I remembered it.

The Blu-ray is quite good as the transfer is from a 4k scan of a black & white nitrate negative from the Paramount Pictures film archives (even though the movie was produced by RKO Radio Pictures). The distributor of the Blu-ray is Kino Lorber.

According to a review in Home Theater Forum:

According to the package’s liner notes, this scan was taken from a combination of elements including the original negative as well as nitrate fine grains. Perhaps as a result of being sourced from multiple elements, the presentation here is inconsistent. At its best, the film can appear incredibly sharp, with excellent detail, great contrast, and a nearly pristine image showing almost no evidence of age or wear. At its worst, sections can appear indistinct, lacking sharpness and clarity, and showing some speckling and other age-related wear and tear.

Although the movie was made four years after Stagecoach, Wayne carried off well his comedic end of the movie. 

T+ L: 10 Mistakes to Avoid on a Road Trip

Above, The Beast at a pullout after crossing Wolf Creek Pass in Colorado. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

As more people are avoiding air travel and ocean cruises during the pandemic, they are taking to the road in cars and RVs to get away from "the four walls".

Mistakes can and do happen while taking a road trip and Travel + Leisure has some tips on what to avoid when doing so.

They begin with:

There's something liberating about heading out on the open road. You can pull off to look for aliens from a UFO watchtower (yes, it's a thing), spend the afternoon picnicking at an overlook, or cruise through the night fueled by gas station coffee and snacks. All you need is a reliable car, a killer playlist, and a plan that's flexible enough to allow for a little wiggle room — because that's where the fun comes in.

But even the most go-with-the-flow road tripper knows that without some solid pre-trip planning and smart on-the-road know-how, the most amazing road trip can be a bust. To help, we chatted with a few experts who know what you'll need to do (and not do) in order to make your road trip seamless.

 To read more, go here.

This Year's Monsoon Rainy Season

Above, the drainage ditch was kept busy this monsoon season. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The monsoon season in the Southwest generally goes from June through September.

Right now, after two dry weeks, we are getting some rains as I am typing this. Every drop is welcome and hopefully we will have a plentiful winter snowfall season.

Agri News posted an article on this year's monsoon season. It was a very wet one here in Jamestown, New Mexico. It even washed away part of Barking Spider Road.

The article starts off with:

FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (AP) — After two bone-dry years that sank the U.S. Southwest deeper into drought, this summer’s rainy season unleashed with fury.

Monsoon storms have brought spectacular lightning shows, bounties of wildflowers and mushrooms, and record rainfall to the region’s deserts. They’ve also brought destruction, flooding streets and homes, and leading to some swift water rescues and more than a dozen deaths.

It’s a remarkable reversal from 2019 and 2020, when the annual period known simply as “the monsoon” left the region parched. The seasonal weather pattern that runs from mid-June through September brings high hopes for rain, but the moisture isn’t guaranteed.

To read more, go here. 

"COVID-19 AND COVID-19 VACCINES ARE BIO-WEAPONS"

Interesting video from Barbados.

Biden Wants The IRS To Have Access To Our Bank Accounts

Well, here's another reason why stupid people shouldn't be allowed to vote and voter fraud must be eliminated.

From Fox Business:

The Biden administration is aiming to bolster the Internal Revenue Service by adding bank account reporting requirements to Democrats' massive tax and spending bill, prompting a swift backlash from Republicans who have warned it infringes on customers' privacy.

Under the proposal, banks and other financial institutions would be required to annually report customers' account inflows and outflows of $600 or more to the IRS. The White House has estimated the policy, which would apply to bank, loan and investment accounts, could generate about $463 billion in additional revenue over the next decade.

In a memo to congressional Democrats, the administration defended the plan, saying it requires banks and financial institutions to provide a "little bit of high-level information" to the IRS on account flows in order to give the agency more information about wealthy Americans' earnings from investments and business activity. 

Talk about an invasion of privacy! It is none of their damn business what we have in our bank accounts.

To read more, go here.

Scattered Showers and Thunderstorms

Above, the first snows usually arrive in mid-to-late October. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

UPDATE (1022): It has already started to sprinkle.

It looks like we may get some scattered thundershower today and tomorrow. It is cloudy here in Jamestown right now.

The last rains came over two weeks ago, so any rain now would be most welcome.

Fall is on the way as the daytime temperature averages are dropping into the upper 70s. Before we know it, we'll be getting snow here (usually in mid-October).

According to the National Weather Service:

Today

Isolated showers and thunderstorms after 3pm. Partly sunny, with a high near 82. Southwest wind 5 to 15 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%.

Tonight

Scattered showers and thunderstorms, mainly between 9pm and 3am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 53. Southwest wind 10 to 15 mph becoming light and variable after midnight. Chance of precipitation is 30%.

Sunday

Scattered showers and thunderstorms after noon. Mostly sunny, with a high near 77. Light and variable wind becoming southwest 15 to 20 mph in the morning. Chance of precipitation is 30%.

Sunday Night

Mostly clear, with a low around 52. Southwest wind 15 to 20 mph decreasing to 5 to 10 mph after midnight.

Monday

Sunny, with a high near 75. West wind 5 to 15 mph.

Monday Night

Mostly clear, with a low around 41.

Tuesday

Sunny, with a high near 76.

Tuesday Night

Clear, with a low around 45.

Wednesday

Sunny, with a high near 79.

Wednesday Night

Mostly clear, with a low around 48.

Thursday

Mostly sunny, with a high near 80.

Thursday Night

Partly cloudy, with a low around 49.

Friday

Mostly sunny, with a high near 78.

"Enterprise" Rollout 45 Years Ago

The following was posted yesterday on Facebook:

It is hard to believe that the rollout took place 45 years ago.

I was able to see the Enterprise up close in July 1977 when I visited Mitch Geriminsky at Edwards Air Force Base. He was stationed at Edwards and had clearance to different areas on the base. We went to the hangar where the Enterprise was kept and the photo below was taken during our visit.

The shuttle prototype got its Enterprise name from a petition drive of Star Trek fans. They actually should have waited to have an actual space shuttle be named Enterprise instead.