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For you gamblers out there who love March Madness and can shell out $60, 10 of which goes to the March of Dimes, or if you know anyone who might be interested, contact Brandon. Last year the pool had over a quarter of a million. Better odds than any lottery game. The other pool he runs, the King of the Hill football pool, was a quarter short of a million. Both a little more interesting than the average office pool. It’s all cash so if that gets you nervous just wrap it like you’re mailing pot.

And, while we’re on March Madness – go Stonybrook Seawolves!

Part two. These are a few days old but it took the editing department about a week to get that first one past the censors.

Every once in a while I get a feeling Alfred Hitchcock is around

Cabrillo National Monument at the tip of Point Loma

Love that surf

Tidal pool – well, it’s down there but the cliff wall looked more interesting

Cool place

Now, still at Cabrillo NM, looking back east across the Naval Air base on Coronado to San Diego

The big pano

And Mr. Cabrillo, with quite the headpiece, and one hell of a sword

Back at the ranch, our neighbor got his new Bronco Super Bowl Champs flag.

Over on the Coronado side of the bay near Silver Strand State Beach, another dog park.

And lastly, this shirt got a comment from a 60+ on our dog walk last evening. As he passed he said, “Dark Side of the Moon. My favorite band.”

I’ll take that as a ‘like’. Same one that got all the Grand Canyon comments.

Yes, I’m losing hair.

First, apologies for that last mess. It was so bad that it set off warning bells at NSA headquarters where they interpreted the typos and inanity as code for some subversive activity. A team of psychologists was dispatched and interrogated me for hours. Turns out I have three loose screws and all those years of feeding my head have left me a card short of a full deck, possibly causing the jerkoholic symptoms. They were nice enough to tighten the screws but just wished me luck with the short deck. To prevent future nonsensical garbage from hitting cyberspace they installed a feature on my phone that disables the email Send button after 10pm.

No, Denise, none of that is true. But perhaps if I start to believe it I might stop sending crap in the middle of the night. I was getting close to closing shop and referring you to Andrea’s Facebook page.

And then a phone call out of the blue wishing me a happy birthday and encouraging me to write these things. Of course my birthday isn’t until July but I’ll still take the advice. Thank you – you know who you are – and stay strong with your new endeavor. Have fun in the Audi!

So, for you who are in it just for the pictures, the misery continues. Apologies for typos and inadvertent “error-correction”.

We are finally in the perfect weather we’ve been chasing for 18 months. And we’re booked for a month here in one of my favorite cities, San Diego. To be exact, and that has always been one of my OCD problems – unless I over medicate – what a balance life is: health/fun, crazy/boring, perfect/f’d up; moderation=mediocre – we are not in San Diego, but Chula Vista, a few miles south. Exit 7B on I-5, then go west until you get to San Diego Bay. That’s where the RV park is.

San Diego has some history for us. Besides my brief stint, sort of a boys-night-out, cross-country road trip in 1976 with two friends, Andrea and I have separately, and together, boondoggled here on our employers’ expense several times in the last twenty years. She will claim she learned something at the conferences. I saved seats for co-workers at Hooters. San Diego has, without a doubt (don’t you hate when someone pushes an opinion on you, like the word ‘clearly’ drives me nuts, as in – Illinois’ budget makers are clearly useless – maybe they are but ‘clearly’ only to those that don’t need convincing), the best weather in the country. Did I convince you? How about 7 straight days of breezy, cloudless, seventy-five degree weather with no change in sight.

One of Andrea’s trips was during the summer and coincided with the Del Mar race meet. Del Mar is probably the most prestigious horse track west of the Mississippi while Saratoga, in upstate NY, the classiest in the east – sorry Kentucky. It was a bucket-lister for me so I had to make that trip. Here’s a little factoid for you on the far side of 50 – Del Mar was built by a partnership including show biz legends Bing Crosby, Pat O’Brien, Gary Cooper, Joe E. Brown, Oliver Hardy and money-man Charles S. Howard (owner of Seabiscuit). Now there’s some black and white footage.

Ah, but I digress. Seriously, if you’ve never been here, especially you west of the Mississippi where the Southwest flights can be very cheap, try it. Lots to see and do, or just sit on a beach and watch the sun set over the Pacific.

But, you didn’t come here for a thousand words. Oh, sure you did or you wouldn’t have gotten this far. We haven’t had much to photograph for a while. We stayed in El Cajon for 5 days and that area is to be avoided. The very expensive RV parks were very creepy. Now, operating out of Chula Vista RV Resort, the photo ops abound. So here goes with the pics. I have too many for one email so we’ll break it up into whatever it takes.

First stop, Ocean Beach Dog Beach, the absolute best dog park on the planet, the part of the planet I’ve seen. Acres of sandy beach separated from the people beaches by jetties.

Dog heaven:

Luna:

Modern Day Dirty Old Man Pretending to Take Selfie:

From Bayview Park, right in front of our RV resort, looking south toward Mexico, 7 miles away:

The Coronado Bridge. Coronado is technically an island connected to two other isles by tombolos (look it up) and Imperial Beach to the south. It appears to be an isthmus but somebody thought it would be neat to go with tombolos. Wonder what it cost to document that. At any rate, The Hotel del Coronado resort, with beach, is open to the public. Go buy yourself a $15 umbrella drink and look at pictures on the wall of Marilyn Monroe from the movie, Some Like It Hot, filmed there. We’ll go over one of these days and take some pics. Coronado is also home to Halsey Field, a sprawling Naval Air Station. They were conducting an exercise a couple of days ago with helicopters passing overhead every few minutes, F-15’s and transports all day long, and – you don’t see too many of these – a couple of Ospreys, the twin engine vertical takeoff and landing plane. I like planes. Naval Base San Diego is just 5 miles up the shore from here on this side of the bridge. The bridge had to be built very high to accomodate the fleet.

Half mast for Justice Scalia:

From the roof, looking out to the bay.

And finally, a cloudless sunset. Meh.

Will follow up with more from Cabrillo National Monument.

Wait, I got a ‘like’ on today’s (Saturday) t-shirt while picking up mail:

Break in some rules here but WTF, it’s New Hampshire break the rules. It’s after 2, Tramadol in effect, zolpidem kicking in, sorry, no pot, and alcohol wearing off. So hear we go:

The eastern hill of KQ Ranch revealed a beautiful view into the ruggedness of the national lands to the east. But at 4500′, we had enough of the cold and snow. So last Wednesday we bolted to the lovely nowhereness of 1300′ Sundance Meadows of Aguanga, CA. Part of our network, this is a free seven days. And not bad if you like private and peaceful, and like looking at horses. The campground is empty except on weekends when Billy Bob and his crew of 4 RV’s, 20 people, including kids and folks our age, introduced a whoofin’ music system pouring out tunes like that heart felt classic, ‘My brother’s new twins are my nieces from my sister, Oh, Lord!”. And except for a half hour on Saturday afternoon when the seniors were let out and the music master allowed a half hour of a classic rock station, it was more of the CMA award winners like “Three Peckered Billy Goat Where You Be? Thirty-Three Percent Says You Nail Me?” Yeah, that one becomes a tough visualization when the refrain is repeated 25 times, “I love Billy goats nailin’ me. Bahhhh! Bahhhh! Bahhhh! Bahhahhiteme! Ooooooh That hurts”

The third photo – you can see My Palomar

OK so the weekenders and their genital injuries left Monday. Quiet and warm Tuesday. Beautiful night for stargazing but nothing going on.

Tuesday, laundry day. We haven’t had contact with human beings since Sarurday. We’re not sure that its a good idea anymore. But we sure scared those fuckers off.

We did find a little property that sells metal animals down highway 79 a but, or is that, The 79?.

Tomorrow we head for El Cajon.

Bye

Go Bernie

Yes, it’s been some time between my brand of BS. Well, if I don’t have pics, I just start writing until I have some. So, you’re stuck with some ramblings I tried to edit out but my other self said leave it. Unfortunately for you who appreciate raw emotion, I’ve had lots of sober time to clean it up, somewhat. We negotiate a lot.

We had a lovely visit in Colorado. The original point of the trip was to babysit on MLK day. Can’t let two months go by between Leo days. But when my back went downhill we extended the four nights to six and when the pain doctor moved his vacation up a day it became a seven nighter. Thank you Sandra and Hubert for putting up with our 3AM arrival, eating all your food, and drinking all your booze. You are hosts extraordinaire. We couldn’t have been more comfortable and the movie marathons were great. I will always remember the line from A Million Ways to Die in the West, “Looks like a firecracker wrapped in roast beef”. See the movie if you like crass, vulgar, disgusting humor. I loved it. The extra good news, three added Leo days and a super successful back shot. Now that’s what I call a miracle. I feel like Lieutenant Dan – ‘new legs’.

So what’s with the TSA? The last few years we have flown almost exclusively on Southwest and I can’t remember the last time we didn’t get PRE-TSA. This time Andrea gets the PRE and I don’t. Leaving LAX I get a creep feeling up my left ankle. WTF? My ankle swells up sometimes from BP meds. We pay for technology that detects swelling? I think there’s a joke with that but, talk amongst yourselves. At least there was no non-Pre line. On the way back in Denver, Andrea breezed through the PRE line but at noon TSA went on what seemed like a combined donut and lunch break. The long line that was moving nicely came to a halt. So much for the Earlybird A seating. This time the scanner picked up the sweat on my back from the backpack I’d been standing with for an hour. WTF? Andrea bravely saved an aisle seat or I would have been between the screaming baby and the guy that thinks showers are optional.

So you think traffic is bad in Chicago and NY? You got nothin’ on LA. Even driving in the HOV lane most of the way, all on highways, the 99 miles from the airport to a hotel in Banning, where we left Luna and the RV, took well over three hours. OK, it was rush hour, but averaging 30mph? With the last 30 miles doing about 70? And, Google maps even rerouted us at one point to avoid an accident slowdown. Arrrgh! Long Island Expressway is a mini-mall lot next to the 105. Yeah, numbered roads are not like I-25 or I-295, they are THE 105 to THE 60 to THE 15 to THE 10. You watch Saturday Night Live the last few years? They had a recurring bit called ‘The Californians’, an awful soap opera take off that always has a conversation about ‘taking the 405 to the 105 to the 15 to the whatever’. One of those bits that makes one say, “SNL isn’t as funny as it once was”. What’s up with that? Anyway, welcome to SoCal driving. I suppose it’s not so different than taking the Southern State to the SOB to the LIE (that would be the 495) to the Cross Island to the Throggs Neck, etc. Everybody on Long Island knows exactly what that means.

So that was Tuesday last week. We picked up Luna a half mile away and the RV at The Perfect Storage Place. It really was. Harley, the proprietor, said, when told we only needed to store it 8 days, “No charge, good PR if you tell someone.” Never signed a paper, he didn’t remember our names and we only knew Harley. Normally, a rental space is $65 a month. I bought him a bottle of Jack. We will make it a point to stop if ever going by on I-10, that is, the 10, and shoot the shit with Harley and share a beverage. Here’s to you Harley.

Leaving Harley with a few air horn blasts, we headed southeast (on the 10 to the 60 to the 15) to Lake Skinner County Park, a fairly non-descript campground overlooking lovely Lake Skinner, about 15 miles northeast of Temecula, CA. Kind of a stretch squeezing 43′ into a 40′ site but they don’t seem to mind.

No pics outside the park. We haven’t been out much. Andrea was a bit under the weather for most of the time there and then passed the shit, er, sick baton to me for a few days.

With no stomach to visit any of the dozens of wineries in the Temecula area, we moved on to our next destination, the KQ Ranch Resort in the little mountain town of Julian, CA, ignoring a highway sign saying RVs over 40′ prohibited next 19 miles on SR76 – as we were halfway to Julian. Come on. No fucking way I was turning back. Here I come, get out of the way. And that’s kind of how it went for the next 19 miles. California drivin’ on a winter’s day. It sucked. Had to pay attention the whole time, couldn’t take one picture, but, concluded that California highway engineers ought to drive across Independence Pass before they post some bullshit scare sign.

Before getting to the “ranch”, we passed through the one block town of Julian. Once a gold mining town, they now specialize in, drum roll, pies. Yep. A mini-Village Inn in every coffee shop. Deep-dish Apple pie at Granny’s. Eat your heart out Chicago. Whatever.

We booked this RV park because it was in our network and free. The reviews were mixed so our expectations were low and our seven day booking was in our mind, optional. Suprise. It is one of the nicest we’ve been in, I guess ever. It’s so quiet. We’re in the mountain boonies. Just before sunset today we took a walk to the far side of the park, up a big hill. The view on the other side, into the Sawtooth Wilderness, was fantastic. Finally, some pictures worth posting.

Tonight I took Luna out for a walk as the moon was rising among some whispy clouds. The stars were also surrounded by swirls. The hooting owl made a perfect scene. That’s one picture I’ll tuck away until the technology can pry it out – or I learn to paint. Until then….

The number one priority of the trip, Leo:

Number 2: back shot

Sorry, I forgot to tell the shot doc to take one for me

Numbers 2A-6

From Skinner Lake. Nothing great.

Then, KQ Ranch:

Last words:

Whoopie! Yahoooo! Friggin’ (oh, the restraint) Great!

The Mets sign Yoenis Cespedes!

And, Stonybrook beats Albany! (Sorry, Dan) March Madness for the Seawolves? Jeez, I thought they’d legalize pot before my alma mater fielded a decent sports team. Oh, they did. See? You can learn something in college.

You don’t see a lot of that where we come from – that would be Colorado and NY. First two pics.

No witty, pseudo-intellectual, or chemically influenced comments in this one. My back is in a very bad place so I’m crabby. I’ll be getting a mind-set fix Wednesday morning – another epidural steroid back shot focusing on the L5-S1 nerves, more the right leg than left. The shot works for 4-5 weeks but if I couldn’t get the shot, I’d ask for morphine or find heroin, a lot of it. It’s bad.

With that pain making me want to stay in bed all day, Andrea talked me into getting off my ass on Saturday. I picked an easy hike in Whitewater Preserve, a beautiful valley tucked into the San Gorgonio Pass with trail access to the world famous Pacific Crest Trail.

It was an easy hike, for anyone without knives slicing into the backs of their legs. But, it sure was pretty. Next three pics. At one point, another hiker claimed to see 8 big horned sheep. Here? So we went towards where he was pointing. We saw a couple up on a hill, fairly distant. But as we watched they started to meander down. As they did, we got closer. About 200 yards was as close as their lookout would allow. We counted at least 10 which I think the pictures indicate, but could be 11. Never saw so many before.

The next shot was right outside our RV door before we left Catalina Spa RV Park. Next, from a to-be-developed section of the park, shots of the mountain pass and one of the mountains making up the pass. Notice the sentinels of the pass, the windmills.

On Saturday we moved to Hemet, CA, home of Golden Village Palms RV Resort. Nicely done. A lot of these 55+ places are loaded with permanent “park models” with few spaces left for TV’s. Just the opposite here. Anyway, just as I took Luna out for her early evening walk, I looked behind me and saw the sky. Wow.

One last stop for the night at the ‘Mega Liquor Store’. They got great prices on some items. But they got rules about idiots and bums. So, Andrea had her hands full getting me in.

Nice enough area but the main drag is a 3 mile strip mall. Hemet is about 40 miles west of Palm Springs, as the crow flies. Next stop tomorrow is Banning, CA to store the tv. Then store Luna in a doggy hotel and off we go to LAX and Colorado Springs. This trip was planned to get our bi-monthly (every two) grandson Leo fix but with the effectiveness of the steroid fading, I added a couple of days to get a back shot.

We’re going to remain somewhat inland for the next few weeks and then expect to make a few brief appearances on the coast. It’s just so damn expensive on a beach. Well, after we win powerball we’ll just buy the beaches.

Enjoy.

So this one is mostly just the pictures from our hike in and near Painted Canyon. It was an hour’s drive east of here and we didn’t arrive until just after 3pm. With the sun setting at about 5, we only had about an hour in and out. The sun was at a pretty steep angle right from the start so most photos contain a lot of contrast – bright upper walls, dark down below. This is a pretty wide ‘slot’ canyon, if you can call it that – we may have gone down the wrong canyon. Unless the website provides pictures it can be challenging to find the right canyon among many small ones. But, it was fairly colorful and typically twisty-windy. Elevation gain was only 100′ and very gradual but a mile out we run into a set of ladders. Otherwise the rock scrambling would have been very difficult.

Andrea and Sasha have pictures of carrying Luna in Sasha’s hood on his sweatshirt over the ladders. It might have been an eye opener for Sasha. He and Luna were photo’d by about a dozen young women “she’s so cute” (really meaning, sorry Chris, “He’s so cute”) while he was carrying her up and down the ladders. In fact they were most likely new Sasha groupies. I speak from my experience in 1984 when Bree was a baby and taking her to Roosevelt Field Mall in short-shorts and being swarmed by hotties. My business model for rent-a-baby at local colleges ran into some licensing problems. I suppose the company name, Pervert King, was ahead of its time. But, apparently, I digress again.

At one point we looked back to the west and the misty clouds swirl enough in front of the sun to produce a little ball-rainbow.

Luna was off leash most of the time and loved to lead the way.

On the way out the sky started turning pink, purple, red and indigo blue.

And finally, the five mile washboard dirt road provided a view of the infamous Salton Sea. Please look it up in your spare time. Oh yeah, it’s Monday and you need anything to avoid work. The Salton Sea has a very interesting history. Look it up. Really.

So we went back to the All-Star Burger across the street from the RV park. On the way I was blown away by the number of RV’s heading west. I guess it’s time after Jan 1.

Leaving here tomorrow, heading 1.4 miles south of here to Catalina Spa &RV Park for three more nights. Not really moving. Then we’re going west to a surprise location. Hint: George Carlin, Telephone Booth Time Traveller. What number are you thinking? Napolean, Lincoln, Genghis Khan, Sigmund Friend and more.

We’ll try to document the area, then store the RV to fly back to COS to see Leo and family. And get shot in the back again. It’s a new Medicare year.

So here’s a question, and I encourage responses. I was thinking earlier about my favorite takeout food. If we were in N.Y., it would be pizza, and if they had a rep for great Sicilian, it would be that. But we’re not so that suddenly opens the field. But just one? Late at night after drinking too much and, of course, having a designated driver, two MickieD cheeseburgers and fries. Or, a Taco Bell Enchirito, a been burrito, and crispy taco. But most reliable and most ordered of all fast foods is a Subway, Italian bread with turkey, provolone, lettuce, tomato, onions, banana peppers, if they have them, pepperoncini, and a few jalapeno slices, salt and pepper with extra mayo AND oil and vinegar. What is your favorite?

The verdict is in. We like the entire Palm Springs area. We’ll be back.

First, the email list has grown. Welcome Sasha and Chris. Time for the disclaimer again. Andrea’s Facebook page usually has better pictures. That’s good enough, right? Y’all know the drill. If the commentary sucks or you are offended by words that rhyme with suck, stop reading. Like that last email. That was boring. I know what you’re thinking -Where are the mind spinners (god, did that take restraint from saying mind-fuckers) from last winter/spring where you had no idea what I was talking about and thought I was ripped on something. Drunk? Smokin’ dope? Whacked out on tramadols? Sleep writing on ambien? Well, if you didn’t check all of the above…. Ah, but I digress. So, having lulled you into a minor coma, let’s get on with it.

Last week I complained about how windy this place is, directly across the street from about 2700 windmills.

A wind warning was in place when we arrived. It blew hard for three days and it was pretty awful inside the RV. By Christmas Eve morning thing’s calmed down to 10-15mph, but still enough to shake us up. Then another NOAA wind warning rattled our phones. This time they forecast 20-25mph steady wind for Christmas Eve and the next 48 hours with local gusts up to 40-50 but as high as 70-80 through the mountain pass. That night we inflated swimming tubes and placed them under the awning covering the big slide and then tied the awning down. The concept was to keep it from flapping under the massive gusts. The storm hit with full force that evening as Andrea was texting with nephew Sasha, who, with wife Chris, own a magnificent estate way up on a hill in Joshua Tree, the town next to the national park.

Their property literally backs up to the national park. Andrea begged and pleaded to let us stay at their house for a night, or two. (Well, maybe they graciously offered).

Christmas morning, before running away from the crazy windstorm, we noticed water on the rug around the fridge. Since it rained during 60mph winds overnight, we assumed it had gotten up under the outside fridge vent. With no more rain in the forecast we figured it would dry up in a day. It was never wet there before.

So, off we went for a night in Joshua Tree, about 40 minutes away, in a solid house that didn’t roar and shriek, for a lovely Christmas dinner. The wind was relentless but we managed a quick ride into the park

and a short walk off trail to get a flavor for the park before dark.

The wind was just as bad or worse on Saturday. We went back into the park via dirt, side roads

up to Eureka Peak

where the wind was ripping at 50-70. Luna was in danger up there, as were we. We let her out of the car and she almost became a flying dog. The wind chill was ridiculous as well. We put our freezing asses in the Jeep and headed back to the house on the hill to gather around the wood burning stove. We had a great time with family.

The wind finally faded on Sunday as we returned to the RV. The windmills turned south with reduced rotations. But the wetness of the rug around the RV fridge got worse. After a little investigation, I found that the connection of water to the ice maker was one strong twist short. Must have loosened up with the shaking and wild wind. Shop vac and space heater to the rescue. All is well, no repair cost. After a day of dry calm, the sun lit up the clouds over the windmill farm like a wave of fire.

We bolted six miles east on Monday. It’s nicer here at Caliente Springs RV Resort. The wind doesn’t knock you over. And they have real hot springs pumping into their pool with no sulpher smell. The people are nice and Luna found a playful boyfriend, Willie. Ok, go ahead and make your jokes about her playing with her Willie.

Wednesday we visited a date farm down the road. There were little signs for the ‘farm’ along the way to the RV park so we took a look. We arrive at what looks like somebody’s yard sale. As we sit in the car wondering whether we should get out, a young guy comes out of the house to greet us. So we do a five minute tour of a date farm – you know they grow on date palm trees? – and buy a two pound box. I forgot how good they are. And how sweet. Kind of like sugar wrapped around a nut.

But that wasn’t the most exciting stop of the day. From Desert Hot Springs to Memorial Park in Cathedral City where Francis Albert Sinatra is buried.

Just like all the other gravesites in the park, except for the Jack Daniels and Camel cigarette pack. Simple gravesite, no mausoleum.We didn’t stay long. A bunch of drunken zombies were headed to the bottle of Jack.

Wednesday we tried to go to the zoo. We brought Luna, figuring to leave her in the car. Temps were around 50. But big signs said no pets and if pets are left unattended in cars, animal control will be notified. Went right to a pet smart and got her a crate (pink). She was not afraid of it so we’ll try again tomorrow(the zoo). If that doesn’t work, Joan Jett and the Blackhearts are at a local casino. Cool Happy New Year.

Thursday, New Years Eve, we had planned to go to the multi-million light show at the zoo, but my back ruined those plans. Time for another shot. Instead, Andrea made macaroni in a crock pot with cream and cheddar cheeses. It was crazy rich. The ball dropped in NY at 9pst and my sorry ass was in bed by 10. Sometimes pain is exhausting.

And sometimes, the best thing for a bad back is getting off your ass and walking. So on Friday we planned an easy hike in the Coachella Preserve. The website/app ‘All-Trails’ said it was dog friendly. Not! Plan B, find a dog friendly hike. Andrea finds Cap Homme/Ralph Adams Park in Desert Palm. Not exactly the easy, level hike I was hoping for. Instead, after a hundred flat yards to the trailhead it was up, up and away. The goal? The big cross at the top of the hill – zoom in and look to the left of the contrails. There’s a whole lot of people up there. Hey, it’s New Years Day.

To the top it’s 1.1 miles and 680 ft of vertical ascent.

The pano function worked ok:

And at the top

This little, easy hike was more a moderate to difficult for us, only because of the steepness. Back pain left side gone, right side calf, s1 nerve outside knee.

I’d go on to today’s (Saturday) hike but with 14 pics already, this might not get out of my outbox.

Really late and I made up some rules last summer when I sent out an email very late under the influence of, you guessed it, all of the above. Pretty close to that mix now. We’ll work on Painted Canyon tomorrow.

Last Friday we walked in without a line to a 2:55PM showing at the theaters at the Riverside Casino in Laughlin, AZ. 3D to boot. About 30 people were in the theater at show time. With the senior discount it was $9 a piece. The emptiness was quite bizarre as we watched long lines at theaters in NY (we get NYC network TV). Not even a line for pop corn. I guess dropping quarters in slot machines is more fun.

In 1977 Star Wars was mind blowing. Actually, the light speed visual was the killer for me. Tripping without the acid. In 2015, I’m looking for a little more, maybe that procto-tazer to pop up from the seat and really light up my life. Maybe some wookie smell, you know, super-sensorama. Oh well, the 3D was ok. Now about the movie….no comment until everyone has seen it. Y’all seen it by now? We hadn’t planned on seeing it in 3D but Bullhead City, AZ is on mountain time and sister city Laughlin across the river is in Nevada where they are on Pacific time. So we were an hour early for our show at 3:55 but just in time for the 3D version.

Seems like the southwest is not the place to be this winter. It dropped down to 29 degrees last week in Bullhead City. Not a day over 63. It was warmer in NYC. The wind factored into the nastiness ruining the couple of nice days. On one of the milder days we took Luna to a dog park. It was closed. Andrea found one point of oddball interest – the Laughlin Labyrinths. My vision of 8 foot shrubbery – in the desert? Ha! – was brought down to earth, literally, upon arrival at the location on a hill overlooking a couple of the casinos. As you can see in the photos, the labyrinths are made of rocks. Somebody certainly put some time into them.

A note of apology to all football fans for the behavior of my favorite player (and top fantasy pointman), Odell Beckham. At least he keeps his violence on the field, so far. And how ’bout those Giants. Five losses with 10 seconds or less to go, including the Pats and Panthers. Good teams win those games.

We left cool and windy Bullhead City (friggin’ auto-correct keeps making it Bulkhead) yesterday and minutes later it was an hour earlier. Better than light speed! A few minutes later and we were in California. That southernmost tip of Nevada is pretty narrow. The 200 mile drive to North Palm Springs passed around mountain range after mountain range through the vast Mojave Desert. Not the most boring drive but nothing spectacular. We realize we are pretty jaded when it comes to scenery. Along the way we noted many different types of cacti. That was kind of interesting. Not many trees. I also worked on my distance estimates, as in, ‘wonder how far it is to that next cell tower’. And you watch the odometer for 8 miles. Or, measuring distance in songs – ‘it’s Dazed and Confused’ to that next big hill’. On long drives your mind really wanders.

Remember the song, “It Never Rains in Southern California”? Maybe not, 1972. It was always on the radio, still is on classic rock stations. Well, its rather pathetic and depressing lyrics are overshadowed by a very upbeat, catchy tune. I remember the irony of it playing on the radio at midnight as I was driving out of rainy Escondido in 1976. It’s in my head now because it’s been raining all day off and on. What hasn’t been off and on is the wind. It has been relentless at a pretty steady 15-20mph with gusts around 40. Truth be told, we could see it coming. As the GPS was winding down the miles to the RV park, we were beginning to grasp the enormity of the windmill farm on the west side of the street. It streches miles to the west, up and onto the top of a mountain/hill. No wonder there is no residential or commercial development anywhere close by. I brought down the satellite antenna for fear of it bending. The awning over the large slide out has been roped down but it still flaps. Big gusts shake our 17 tons quite easily. We are facing north and thus completely sideways to the wind. It’s a bit unnerving.

The geography has created a giant wind tunnel, the San Gorgonio Pass. Take a look at Google Maps in satellite mode. Find Desert Hot Springs and then look west. Interstate 10 curves up to go through the pass between San Gorgonio Mountain to the north and Mount San Jacinto to the south. Now imagine a low pressure system moving in from the northwest, churning counterclockwise. Voila, the perfect storm. Or at least the perfect place to build a wind farm. It is the oldest wind farm in the US. You could look it up (but I already did).

Three of my favorite subjects in one swoop – Classic Rock, Geography and Meteorology. OK, now the photos. Nothing spectacular here. I have a very shaky video that I won’t include – walking by a decorated front window of an RV at night. The window included a backlit 3D image of Jesus – wait, let’s keep him out of this for fear of offending anyone – it was an image of a serious Russell Brand and he always looks at you no matter what direction. So when you walk by, his eyes, actually the whole face follows you. It’s creepy. So I named him Creepy Je.., I mean Creepy Russell. But it’s too big, datawise. Sorry.

First pic – driving over the mountain range to Bullhead City. A very short stretch of that ride is really awesome. Wish the picture was better but that was a big turn.

2 – Laughlin at night, mini-Las Vegas Sorry about the quality.

3 – Andrea and Luna on the shore of the Colorado River in Bullhead City Park looking over to the last casino on the Laughlin strip, Harrah’s.

4 – the Riverside Casino movie theater, 7 minutes from the start of Star Wars on opening day

5 – the entrance (ha!) to the Laughlin Labyrinths. It’s the only indication that you have arrived. There’s just dirt, sand and rocks – looks like a vacant lot from the road. Google Maps found it.

6, 7, 8 – the labyrinths

9 – view of a couple of casinos from up on the hill by the labyrinths

10 – the Colorado River from the river walk outside the casinos

11 – fourteen of eighteen Ortega tacos were broken. Come on, man! I’m writing to them. Back to Old El Paso.

12 – view west from our RV’s window today. Rain and windmills

Hoping to have some decent photos soon. Hiking in Joshua Tree NP later in week.

Hello friends and family. The Odyssey has had its major blemish cleaned up and some other fixes including an unexpected manifold replacement. Cha-ching.

Our month in Colorado Springs was a bit surreal. We arrived October 30th and the next morning some crazy guy went on a shooting rampage and killed three random people. Then on Black Friday it was the Planned Parenthood madness. In the midst of the insanity we treasured our time with all the McDavid’s and, of course, Mr. Personality, grandson Leo. He really seemed to enjoy his first Thanksgiving with a juicy, fried turkey smothered in queso topping off the annual gluttony feast. Can’t we just have peanut butter and jelly sandwiches or a big bowl of Capn Crunch some year? Really. It’s too much food. The memory of the old Thanksgivings is better than the food. My memories of teen years at Uncle Bobby’s (my mother’s little brother did more to keep the 20+ first cousins together than anyone else) for Thanksgiving were mostly of playing morning tag football and then watching afternoon college games before (mid 60’s) the pros made it their day. Give me some white meat and mashed potatoes in gravy, some of my mother’s string beans/mushroom soup/onion crisps, and finally a piece of pumpkin pie and I’m happy. But, I digress. Leo called us out on our plans to leave a week later.

As sad as we were to leave our little buddy, we couldn’t wait to flee from the cold (and the shooters). After a too long drive to an overnight stop at an RV park near 30 degree Albuquerque, we continued our bolt to warmer weather, stopping overnight at Meteor Crater, AZ. Surprisingly, it is on private property that has been commercialized. The RV park is just off I-40 and the crater is 5 miles south. The moon astronauts used it for familiarization with the moon’s surface. Got a few pictures. It was a dreary day. One interesting picture from the deck frames the mountains in the west. It was cold there too.

We finally made it to relatively mild weather in Apache Junction, about 30 miles east of Phoenix. Carefree Manor is yet another 55+ RV park among hundreds in the sprawling Phoenix area. They don’t hold back on the holiday decorations. It was fairly cloudy for the week there but every sunset, though lacking direct sun, produced a vividly deep orange horizon. Sorry, no photos. We did manage to take a nice hike on another dreary day in Lost Dutchman State Park. A little bit of sun would have helped the photos as would more camera battery life. It died before we got to the height of the hike.

During our week in Apache Junction we had the RV washed and waxed by a guy from Smithtown, Long Island, uncle Bobby’s home town. Truth be told, a guy The Donald wants to kick out did most of the washing and waxing but the guy with the thick NY accent was pleasant.

We moved on Friday at a more reasonable pace. The stopover that night was at a little town named Wikieup, about 100 miles or so northwest of Phoenix. I should have stopped to take a picture of the sign for the town of Nothing on the way but there was no warning and I can’t back up towing the Jeep. But really, it was nothing, just a sign declaring a town. It’s actually on some maps. About 30 miles north of Wickenburg, a town of fast food joints in the midst of nowhere, just north of Nothing, route 93 becomes the Joshua Forest Highway. Suddenly Joshua trees were everywhere. And every so often there appeared these giant rockpiles, cairns on steroids if you will. Remember the rock people in Galaxy Quest? Well, picture dozens of them standing together downing Jim Jones Slammers and then collapsing on each other. Or, perhaps they were just soft rock hills ravaged by water and freezing temperatures. The Galaxy Quest story describes them better. I loved that movie. What a cast. Alan Rickman was great. Whatever, the rock piles were cool and unusual as were the Joshua trees.

Passing all that scenery we dropped down into the tiny town of Wikieup. Our destination, Dazzo’s Country Store and RV Park is a member of Passport America, a network of 50% off parks with severe limitations on days of discount usage. Dazzo’s pros: $10 a night with PA. Dazzo Cons: Dazzo (unless of course you subsribe to the science fiction of Fox News). You can’t just pay your $10.58 and walk away. Dazzo is like a talking statue at a boardwalk arcade that someone put a thousand dollars in coins in. In our five minutes of walking away we learned these great truths:

*The world is flat. God wrote in the bible about the four corners. Makes perfect sense that he meant the corners of a flat planet.

*We never went to the moon. Proof? Neil Armstrong asked each of the supposed moon walkers to swear on a bible that they walked on the moon. None Did!

*There is a tunnel between LA and NYC. Truckers told him.

*When the race wars that the government is attempting to start get under way, the government is going underground. (And probably taking the subway to LA)

*Obama is a Muslim. Isn’t it obvious by his name.

*When the president declares martial law, which apparently happened on Fox News minutes before we arrived, he’s going to send in the militia to take away all our guns.

After the first couple of sentences I thought he was a comedian and laughed but Andrea engaged him questioning his facts. Like trying to put out a fire with oil. We didn’t hear anything about Roswell, Area 51, or contrails but he did offer this mind blower of all truths:

*The government, the same one that prints “In God We Trust” on money and makes immigrants pledge their allegiance to “one nation under God”, has Proof, and is hiding that proof, of the existence of God. I wonder which one?

Escaping the office we just wanted to hide in the RV. About a minute after taking Luna out for her 9PM walk, a flash of lightning was followed seconds later by hail and a torrential downpour that lasted for hours. I kind of wondered if crazy Dazzo had anything to do with the weather. We then locked the doors.

Next day on to Golden Valley, AZ, about 10 miles west of Kingman. I chose the Tradewinds RV Park because I knew, from experience through the area last year, that it was also nowhere and subject to no light pollution. And this past weekend was the peak of the annual Taurids Meteor Shower, known for fireball type streakers. It turned out to be too cold, windy, cloudy and rainy at night – except for a couple of hours after sunset Sunday night. Nice sky. While it was 70 degrees in NY, I walked the dog in windy 40’s, again around 9, watching the huge hole in the skies for one little flash. Before surrendering to the weather again – cold and snow cancelled the November Leonids – I hid from the southwest wind in front of the RV and decided to spend 5 minutes looking up. In about 10 seconds I was rewarded with one of the top three fireballs I have ever seen. As I looked northeast, about 80 degrees up, it streaked to the north increasingly flaming to almost blowing up about 30 degrees across the sky. Not real long but quite the spectacular fire breather.

Coincidentally, our friend Amy, a fellow full time RVer and high school friend of Andrea’s from Wheatly HS in Roslyn, LI, on her way from Florida to Seattle, met us in Golden Valley and we shared a lovely dinner. See you down the road, Amy.

One more stop, twenty miles down the road to Bullhead City, AZ in Ridgeview Resort and RV Park where we are here for a week. Still chilly. We were here last February, up on a hill overlooking the Colorado River and the mini-Las Vegas Nevada city of Laughlin in the Pacific time zone on the other side of the river. Leave here to gamble, gain an hour. Return, you lose. Kind of a bonus loss. We actually have a view of a few of the casinos here. I promise, I’ll get some decent pictures. There are some small but jagged mountains around the area. Very pretty. Again, I’ll get some pics.

Is that enough for now? I had a lot more to say about the shooters in CO but I mellowed over days with no photos. No point in raising my dander over some meaningless murders. But, as I often ponder sights along our long drives I focused on a sad one Monday. Driver training today is pathetic. Driving along the nation’s highways I note the many, many tributes to Darwin – beautifully flower decorated sites, often accompanied by crosses denoting the failure of a driver to drive straight, negotiate a simple turn, or slow down at an intersection with a stop sign or traffic light. But mostly they are on straight highways. Shrines to Darwin. Appologies to anyone who’s lost anyone because they didn’t slow the fuck down or were slaughtered by someone else.

Well, it’s been a while so I had a lot to say. Hope I didn’t piss anyone off. …..Nah.

Just watched the Republican ‘Debate’. Thinking of crazy Dazzo. He said it doesn’t matter who is voted president. The bankers run the country. Perhaps his you-tube school of education missed the Goldman-Sachs debacle. I actually don’t think he’s too off on that conspiracy theory. Dwight D. warned us about the growing power of the military-industrial complex. My theory is he was right, it grew, and they control foreign policy – and created enough enemies to continue cranking our billion dollar war machines with the blessing of 300 million while selling billions more to our enemies. I asked Dick Chaney to swear on a bible that this is not true and he told me to fuck myself so it must be true.

Happy Trails.