Why Arizona Electricians Are So Expensive

This comes to us from Tucson Electric Power. Look for any opening in breaker boxes as they are likely to house something we do not want to come in contact with. The pictures show what one of our lineman came across the other day while checking a meter. The critter had climbed
up through the knockout hole and was after a mouse. Needless to say, neither he or the mouse made it.

This is Funny!

Pop on over to Wasted Electrons to view FW: Awesome Craigslist Ad for a quick chuckle.

Area under wind chill advisories and warnings

I just thought it was getting cold where my folks are at before. -14 Deg.F Brrrrr.
I like Tucson better.

Archery Hunting

It is only reasonable that I take the bow for a walk since I did not get a deer during the rifle season. I saw a very nice buck the day after Christmas. It was raining, cold and in general a miserable day. My better half asked the usual rhetorical question as I was getting dressed at o-dark thirty, "Are you going out in this weather?".

It was at about 7,000 feet in elevation in the Santa Rita Mountains. No, I won't say exactly where. I saw a doe walking away but she had not seen me and here comes another deer down the hill. Dang! No wondering if it was a buck. You could tell what this bad boy was at 30 yards in the rain and cover. His motion downhill kept him at about the same range. I had to move to place my feet for a shot as he moved behind a tree that obscured his view. Naturally, he heard me but still could not place me. I had that mantra going in my head, "I am just a funny looking bush, keep walking into the next spot". I thought I had him as I got away with drawing on him. Don't you know that there was one twig between us that I missed in my tunnel vision watching the buck. I was saddening when the arrow clipped the twig and sent the arrow awry. Clean miss! He bounded away as I stood there with a little tremble. Buck fever always seems to come to me after the shot. I waited a while and started to follow after him. I gave it up as the weather front continued in and the rain went to snow. The wind kicked up and it was snow blowing sideways. I would say that visibility was about 20 feet and time to head down off the mountain. What a great day!

I know what you are thinking about now. Why is there a picture of a mountain lion? I will get there. I have been going out taking that bow for a walk every time I get a chance to see if I can pattern this buck. So far no luck. He is in the area but not when I am. I imagine that is how he got to mature status. Saturday was another trip to field. I was getting a little bored and went for still walk. There was one area about a half mile away that had a small flat spot about 20 feet across that is near water. Not much grows in that flat spot as it is mostly clay right there. Perfect for checking tracks after a rain. There were a lot deer tracks, some coyote, and a lot of lion. I started to cast around looking to see if the lion was a one time visitor. I found other tracks that were only a day or so old. That lion is there regularly. I always carry a lion tag just in case I get lucky but really hadn't thought about taking one with a bow. Would you find yourself looking over your shoulder and getting creepy feelings? Me too and I like the thrill. I was thinking that I would need to carry a more substantial sidearm if I were to try a lion with a bow. The 9mm just doesn't seem adequate for an angry lion. I would expect that you will get one shot with the bow. The lion will either run or charge. I haven't made up my mind if I should try with a bow or just wait until the end of archery deer and take the rifle for a walk. You never know, I could have my mind made up for me as I will continue to hunt that area but take the 44mag.

What would you do with a lion? I have always told my wife that I would like to take a lion once. She says, "Could we get a full body mount on one of those limbs and put it over the fireplace in the living room? There's room". Bless her heart. I like her!

I Will No Longer Support eBay

eBay can pucker up and kiss my hairy, old, wrinkled.....


I was told that eBay wouldn't sell guns, gun parts and ammo. I never before checked to see just what else may go crosswise with their PC operation. I had a listing removed that was a magazine for an SKS. It was on the banned items list because it was necessary for the firing of a weapon. Really? I could have sworn that I could take the mag out of just about anything and fire it one shell at a time. Upon further consideration I thought that maybe that made some sense due to the hi-cap restrictions in some states.

Then I got another item banned. It was a holster! Part of the email exchange is below. It would appear that even an image of a weapon sparks great fear into them. Naturally the email reads on the normal reverse order.

You should go back and remove one more that is running as a relist also, 220339922289. The evil image is on this one also. The only thing pending on this account will now be the clown that bid but hasn't paid or made contact - 92141rita. You can inactivate that one also. Now that nothing is pending - you can close my account. I am not going to pay any more money to any organizations that are rabidly antigun. Please get your December payment from Paypal asap. I will decide if this account stays open later.

Do you realize how ridiculous you sound when you talk about banning IMAGES of LEGAL items.
Sincerely,
Don



-------------- Original message --------------
From: eBay Customer Support

> Dear Donald,
>
> Thank you for writing eBay in regards to your ended listing
>
> I would like to apologize if there was any confusion or if this has
> brought you any frustration. I will gladly explain why the listing was
> removed.
>
> Unfortunately, your listing was removed because it contained an image of
> a firearm in the listing.
>
> Listings that contain an image of a firearm are not allowed on eBay even
> if the firearm is not the item for sale. This policy is part of our
> effort to maintain a safe trading environment and prevent the sale of
> firearms on eBay.
>
> All fees associated with this listing have been refunded to your
> account. If your item otherwise complies with our firearms policy, we
> invite you to relist the item with a revised image that doesn't show a
> firearm. You will be able to list the case without the mention or the
> image of the firearm.
>
> For more information on the eBay Firearms, Weapons and Knives policy and
> to review the list of permitted items, please visit:
>
> http://pages.ebay.com/help/policies/firearms-weapons-knives.html
>
> Click the "Show" link to see examples.
>
>
> If you need further assistance, please don't hesitate to reply to this
> email and let us know.
>
> Sincerely,
> Alyce
>
> eBay Customer Support

I am waiting to hear their response but expect nothing but a "sorry you feel that way and goodbye" email. That is OK as I just really, really don't want to support this type of group. I will post up their next response later.

Region reeling from bitter cold, power outages

One of the reasons I left this area many years ago! I never did like single digit temperatures with wind. Wind chill there is now about -20 Deg.F. Brrrr.

Obama's Senate Seat Could Stay Vacant for Months

"Present" votes decline but no meaningful CHANGE noticed in Senate.

Fall Deer Hunt

I was drawn for the a whitetail hunt from 11/28 through 12/4 in an area that includes the Santa Rita Mountains. This is one of my favorite areas but I am not inclined to say exactly where.

My old knees sure take a toll in the hills. Swelling, cracking and creaking noises make me wonder how much longer I can do this before submitting to knee replacement surgeries. It may be worthwhile to try some of those fancy braces to try to limit lateral movement. Too many years of basketball, tennis, and running have taken a serious toll on a lot of body parts. I was told many years ago to quit the b-ball if walking was important to me. Back to hunting....

There is no cell phone service in the bottom of the canyon where we were camping. I just had to hike up to a ridge line to call out on Saturday. I needed to get an update from my better half. My mother was having her hip replaced so I was curious as to the status. This was going to be a couple of trips in a row for me. There was the hunt, a couple of days at work, and then pack to go to MI to get Mom settled in when released from the hospital. Back to the ridge line. It is one of those that is about a mile (as the crow flies) from camp. In reality it is about double that with an elevation gain of about 500 feet. Nice little hike that takes its toll on the old knees.

My buddy went up to the ridge line the next day to check with home (they have a 4 month old baby) and left his cell phone on. He was back in camp roaming around and the darn thing buzzed at him. If you stand in exactly one spot, facing the correct direction, on one leg, holding your other hand in the air you can get out. The signal was very weak as it turns out that it had to be reflecting off of a shear rock face. Dang! Really didn't need to hike up to the ridge line.

This was one of those years where you see a lot but can't grow antlers an any of them. My hunting buddy did pass up on one spike and then decided that passing up two was not a good idea. He shot a nice spike. I tend to agree with that sentiment as every time I have passed up a buck looking for a better one was usually the last one I would see that year.

The weather was beautiful with the lows being about 30 and the highs about 55. Too warm to hang a deer in the daytime. My friend had never skinned or sectioned so the morning after was fun. We skinned the buck and sectioned him down far enough to fit in his cooler. This is one of the few times that I got to skin and quarter one that wasn't mine. He was appreciative of the help/lesson but I find this to be fun and not a chore.

My friend took off on Tuesday morning but I had decided to stay at least one more day even though the knees were telling me that I was done hiking all over. I sat in camp one afternoon watching a hillside with an intermittent stream at the bottom. I was just hanging out sitting in my good folding chair all comfortable. I saw eight doe that afternoon over a period of about 3 hours with some actually coming into camp. Still never got to find that buck that you just knew had to be running in the thicker stuff.

I believe that I will need to take the bow for a walk in January to try again. Maybe I should just sit in a chair in that same spot!

Steel Shoot

Yesterday was another steel shoot and a chance to try out the EAA Match. My first error was that I did not know that it was a "regular" shoot versus the challenge match. The regular shoot is set up as a fun shoot with a variety of targets and lots of them. I did not take enough 9mm with me. One stage had two plate racks, Texas star, and six dogs. One rack was missing a plate so we had a total of 22 targets. The other stages had 12 targets each.

The EAA did not like having 17 in the magazine. It is supposed to take 18 but it is so difficult to get that last one in, even with a loader, that I went with 17. It did not want to load the first one. I dropped to 16 and all was fine. Guess that I will leave them loaded up and see if that improves. Other than that, it was a pleasure to shoot and my times were better. Maybe I can start to push Kevin.

I shot one pass on the last stage with the EAA and second pass with the Commander. I was two seconds off with the Commander but there was an extra magazine change. I also had a hot one eject right down my shirt. Darn that was hot on my tummy! I probably lost a little more time pulling my t-shirt out to get rid of the hot brass. The RO was amused. He commented that a couple seconds off wasn't bad with the extra mag and undressing!

The Taurus is Gone, Long Live EAA

I received the 24/7 Pro back with a quick note that said, "Replaced firing pin and grips." I take it that means that they had to break the grips off to get inside to free the slide? I went back to the range and it functioned perfectly again but still shot as low as ever. This was mentioned when it was sent in. It is assumed that Taurus figured that I was not using the straight 8 sights correctly. You could cover the target with these sights at ten yards and still be shooting eight inches low. I gave up on it. Over a thousand rounds and still can't shoot it well and I hate the sights.

I traded it in for an EAA Elite Match 9mm on Monday and was off to the range. This handles better than my Commander! It probably doesn't hurt that the barrel is an inch longer. I settled down, after a bit a practice, and found that I could shoot a 10 round 3.5" pattern at 10 yards. Not a bad turnout for my limited talents. It ate a variety of ammo without a hiccup. I even fed it a couple of CCI's shotshells and Magsafe scorchers. Nice.

I guess that I like the 1911 style pistols the best. Switching back and forth with the Commander was no problem. The EAA Match is one smooth operator.

The Elections are Over - Groan

I am curious to see if anyone will admit to voting for our new president in a couple of years.

I Like My SKS

I was plinking at the range with my Yugo after the Steel Challenge match. I had bought one of these a year or two ago that was unissued with all matching numbers. I have resisted making it into a bubba. The only mods so far are to replace (extend) the butt plate and put in the firing pin with spring assembly to remove the slam fire possibility.

I have noted some differences since changing the firing pin. The Wolf Military Classic ammo is no longer reliable. There is a FTF about every 8 rounds or so. The primer is dented but no bang. I wait a while, eject it, reload it and it goes bang the next time. I expect that these primer are a little hard and the strike has been weakened by the new setup.

It seems to shoot the other ammo I have just fine. I will have to count and see how much of the Wolf I have left and sell it off. Aside from all that, it is fun to shoot. It is as described by others - minute of mule deer at 100 yards.

October Steel Shoot

Yes, the Taurus is still broken but I did receive a nice letter saying that I might get it back in 7-8 weeks. We are jokingly referring to this as the limited lifetime warranty. It is under lifetime warranty if you live long enough to get it back.

A friend of mine wanted me to take his newly acquired pistol and abuse it. What a deal!! He had purchased a Commander from a retired officer that has been modified a touch. The previous owner apparently shot a little. It has had a trigger job, compensated barrel, magwell, extended mag release, ambidextrous safety...you get the idea. It worked flawlessly.

I shot an average of mid sixes for all stages. This an improvement of 4 seconds per stage over the Taurus and put me in the middle of the pack instead of riding drag. I have not decided what to do with the Taurus when it gets back but its Steel Shooting days are over.

My Taurus Broke

Last months Steel Workers shoot did it in. I was on the fourth stage. "Make ready" That was as about as far as I got. I loaded a magazine and gave the 24/7 Pro (45cal) a rack but it did not go into battery and actually popped back open a little. It was determined that I was hosed after an attempt or two. I did not have a spare weapon so stated that I was done.

A gent I was shooting with offer the use of his gun. I was hesitant but this was a "friendly" shoot and not a true competition so I used his pistol. We were doing a standard setup of four black plates and red stop plate. I have put about 3000 rounds through the Taurus and still have difficulty with the sights (shoots too low) and fitment. My best round for the first three stages was 10 seconds. Very slow by most standards. It usually takes me six or seven shots to hit five.

I was asked if I ever shot a 1911 style pistol before as this was the style I was borrowing. I have a Commander so the answer was affirmative. I shot a 4.7 second which is quite good for me. I only heard silence from behind me. The RO asked if I thought that I could speed it up a little on the second pass. Not much - 4.6 Seconds.

I voice from the back says, "You can't have it". Those STIs are smooth guns. I promptly announced that I would have a nice double stack 45 for sale in a few weeks.

Back at home I could not even dismantle the weapon for inspection. The slide will go all the way back, snap forward , and then pop open about a half inch. The opening is under spring pressure. Something is lodged/broken or whatever. Sent it to the factory. They claim they will let you know within two weeks. What they mean is that they might let you know that they received it within two weeks. I never heard anything. I called customer support and was told it was there but not opened yet. Taurus has had it for over two weeks and has yet to open the package. They also never sent anything saying they received it. I was told that it would be another couple of weeks before that happened so I still do not know what it broken.

These guys must be really busy. I think it is trade time. Wonder how the Springfield XD is?

Dove Season !!!!!

Dove season here runs September 1st through the 15th. I took my .410 out on Labor Day (opening day). I shoot this shotgun in skeet occasionally and have hunted with it in years past. I have limited out many times with it.

You would have thought that I had never shot it before. A box of shells was gone and I had one bird. Ouch! I went back to the truck and changed for my 20 gauge coach gun and shot the remaining birds in an hour.

The 20 became the go-to gun for a while. I have been going for a little each morning and arriving at work just a little late. The family has to keep eating doves so that I have a legal possession limit in the freezer. Good thing they like them!

I took the 410 for a walk again Saturday and shot 10 but couldn't find the last one. That was good enough as it was getting hot. I have heard people comment that it must be really easy to shoot those doves with a shotgun. This is usually from the non-hunting types that have no concept of trying to shoot something that zig-zags at up to 55 MPH. It would be a lot of fun to get one of these folks to the field for some of that easy as pie bird shooting.

Some days I can shoot better than 50%. I have been known to have a serious case of CHS (can't hit stuff) other days. I need to decide on barbeque or casserole tonight - yumm!

Sporting Clays

I decided to take a break from Trap & Skeet on Sunday morning and went over to Tucson Trap & Skeet for a round of Sporting Clays. It is understood that I have a strange idea of taking a break.

Sporting Clays was developed from Trap and Skeet, but it is a completely different game. The game is played in a more natural setting(s) which with several different target presentations from different locations with varying flight paths. Sporting Clays was originally designed to emulate small game hunting. Targets can be thrown as single targets, simultaneous pairs, or report pairs. There are a variety of targets in addition to the standard clay bird. These include small targets, very small targets, "rabbits" that roll and bounce on edge across the ground, arcing birds, and some heavy rockets that are very fast and maintain speed. Targets are launched from one side to the other, quartering away, quartering in, inbound, outbound, overhead, underfoot, or straight up in the air. You get the idea - every whichway.

A round of Sporting Clays will require 100 shots. I did not do all that good but better than my companions. My score was 54 with the others at 34 & 35. People that shoot this competitively will be in the 80-90 range. There are different classifications for the competition. I may have to give one a try in the newbe class. Throwing lead downrange is fun!

Trap & Skeet

Someday I will shoot a straight round. It was not to be yesterday. I usually shoot a couple of round of skeet then a couple of trap. Skeet - 21 & 23 which seems to be about as good as I get. Trap - 24 & 24. 48 out of 50 but I have failed to put 25 in the same round. It will come, eventually!

Steelworkers Shoot

Someone (Kevin) remembered to bring a camera so we could film some of the shoot. I valiantly defended my postion within the ranks although there is little desire for my last place spot by the other shooters. There seems to be a little improvement at each match which is of some benefit. The main thing is that this is FUN!

Boy is this guy slow.

Celebrating the 4th

I was trying to get a few friends and family together to celebrate the 4th. Everyone was sent invitation that informed of fun to be had with games and barbecue with Southwest themes. We even went so far as to have a schedule of events.

Games:

1 - Snake Hunt & Pull - kind of like tug-of-war - great fun for everyone. Team with the largest pieces of snake are declared winners. Caution is required for snake selection. Leave the Diamondbacks alone. Picture added for clarification.

Good snake.

Bad snake.

2 - Javelina Toss - self explanatory. How far can you throw that pig?

Oops - wrong picture

Better.

3 - Roadrunner Race - Catch the Roadrunner

I hope you have better luck than Wiley E.

4 - It's time to cool down before dinner so it is time for one of my favorites - Bobbing for Bobcats!The tough part is getting them in the tub.

Food:

Appetizer - Steamed Skunk Chunks

I actually have a recipe for steamed skunk. Makes my mouth water just thinking about it.

Soup - Pygmy Owl Soup

Have a recipe for this also but it calls for Rat Cheese. Not sure where to find it so I always substitute goat.

Barbecue - Rocky Mountain Oyster Kabobs and Red Squirrel On-A-Stick

Yup - got these recipes too.

Dessert - Chilled Condor Gizzards

Sure are ugly buzzards - no pun intended.

Drink - Coyote Whiz Beer

Like my Daddy always said, "Son, its in the water. That's why its yellow."

After Dinner Games and Papa's favorite - Playing Possum.

Not quite Southwest but who cares.

Quando omni flunkus moritati.

So far - no takers. I guess that I will go shoot a couple of rounds of trap & skeet as the range is open. One of my favorite kinds of aerial booms! Go find something to make noise with! Happy 4th!

16 Accidentally Wounded by French Military in Shooting Demo

Alright - Who is the imbecile that gave the French live ammo?

Skeet Surfing Safari

What could be better than a day at the beach shooting skeet?

Heller 5, Losers 4

What is it about these four losers that they find it so difficult to discover what the 2nd means? Please don't try to explain it as I fully understand that these justices view all items as their politics dictate without regard to their oaths of office.

Every honest constitutional scholar will agree on what the framers meant. Not all like it, but do come to the same conclusion that the 2nd is an individual right.

The strongest reason for the people to retain the right to keep and bear arms is, as a last resort, to protect themselves against tyranny in government. Thomas Jefferson

The great object is that every man be armed. Everyone who is able may have a gun.
--- Patrick Henry, in the Virginia Convention on the ratification of the Constitution

That the said Constitution shall never be construed to authorize Congress to infringe the just liberty of the press or the rights of conscience; or to prevent the people of the United states who are peaceable citizens from keeping their own arms...
--- Samuel Adams

The Constitution preserves the advantage of being armed which Americans possess over the people of almost every other nation where the governments are afraid to trust the people with arms.
--- James Madison, The Federalist No. 46

Arms in the hands of citizens (may) be used at individual discression... in private self-defense...
--- John Adams, A Defense of the Constitutions of the Governments of the UAS, 471 (1788)

This can go on and on and on...........

SCOTUS Rejects Death Penalty for Raping Children

Decides that the Judas Chair is adequate.

Bill Clinton Offers Support to Obama

Just exactly what kind of helpful support could Bill offer Obama?

Is that an African or European Pigeon?

RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - A sharp increase in drugs and cellphones found inside a Brazilian prison mystified officials -- until guards spotted some distressed pigeons struggling to stay airborne.

Steel Workers Shoot

I enjoyed myself at another shoot last weekend. This makes the third event I have attended and still failed to take a camera so that a few candid shots can be posted. My event planning needs to be modified slightly. The day before the shoot in May was backyard fence day. Oh joy! Take the old one down and get new posts set. My helpers were wore out by the end of the day and were begging to not have to get up early the next day. (You would think that I was a slave driver or something) I thought this was a great idea. I will go shoot and get everyone up afterwards. I was sore the next morning. I shot a little better than before but I am sure that my times were slower. My speed from station to station would only have impressed a snail.

There was also some error in one station's setup. The wall was upside down placing the shooting window at ankle height! I informed the RM of this mistake and was told that this was correct. It was purposely done to aggravate sore, tall people. I hate kneeling in the gravel especially since I had shorts on, stiff, sore, and knees trashed from years of basketball. I needed all the reasons I could find to account for my normal performance so that my shooting companions would not actually realize my dismal capabilities. For some reason this never seems to work. It did provide entertainment and provoked many kind comments. "Think you can get up? Hahaha!" "Maybe you should lay down and then roll over to the next window." Someday, I hope that they set one high enough to suit me. I would enjoy seeing the others try to jump and shoot at the same time. I had a great time in reality! Then it was off to the house to awake the fence crew. There was also a necessity to convince everyone that applying water seal and erecting fence rails/slats is fun!

I decided to reload 20 gauge shells the day before the June shoot. 500 rounds on a MEC 600Jr. is 3,000 pulls of the lever. Sidenote - I have come to dislike single stage presses. I actually did a little better at the shoot. I do not know if it is due to practice or just getting more comfortable on this type range. Perhaps it is only a mental image of improvement and I am getting more comfortable at being slow! I really don't know as times have never been posted for any of the shoots.

Bikini Atoll's Nuked Coral Reef Bounces Back to Life

"Half a century after the atomic blasts that devastated Bikini Atoll, vast expanses of corals in the area seem to be flourishing once again, much to the surprise of scientists."

Also of great surprise to the scientist was the discovery a very large reptile roaming the area which resulted in the scientists immediate evacuation. Some of the Japanese members of the expedition were excitedly exclaiming, "Oh no, there goes Tokyo!".

Our Presidential Candidates

The Good
"It's been a great ride. But I know how quickly these fads can pass. You all remember the pet rock, the mood ring, Howard Dean."

Hopefully, you will fly away also.




The Bad
"We are going to take things away from you on behalf of the common good."


Wonder who the commoners are that get the goods?



The Ugly
"Presidential ambition is a disease that can only be cured by embalming fluid."

Looks like it tastes great.

My Choice POTUS
"You morons"

Great evaluation of his political opponents.

VP
I couldn't find a quote that hadn't already been done by John Dingell

Marines in Berkeley

I can't say that I am a big fan of the Daily Show but even a blind squirrel........

Boards!

Reno 911 D&D

This is just unbelievable. I actually lol when the officer said, "I hope you've got a magic potion for hot lead".

NHRA

We went to the trials on Saturday at Firebird. I do like to watch just about anything but bracket racing. My favorites are the Pro-Stock, Funny Cars, and Top Fuel. I did not take a camera this year - oops. I took one last year and was challenged to get the perspective on film that I desired. Trying to take pictures starts to take away from the fun of watching the drags.

There is nothing like being close to a top fuel dragster when the tree goes green!

This weekend was just something else. Drag races on Saturday and then a steel pistol match on Sunday makes for a full couple of days. Gee - drag racin and shootin - almost sounds like it should be a regular.

Steel Match

We went over to Pima Pistol Club to shoot a steel match. I have seen one shot before but this was my first match. My hat's off to PPC and the shooters there. The people were professional and friendly. It was no problem for a first time steel shooter to feel comfortable. I will get my score later after posting but will only use this as a benchmark for future improvement. I did not expect to do well as I am no pistolero but I was pleased in that I did better than anticpated.

Kevin did quite well for a first shoot. He may have other thoughts but I know that he shot at least 30 rounds less than me.

What FUN! We will take some photos and post them the next time. One of the stages had a building facade with windows and door as shooting stations. There were a few comments admiring my form when I needed to crouch down to shoot through the windows. I am a little on the tall side and that window came about to my bellybutton when standing. I thought I had fine form for my squatshot. I know that the snickers I heard from behind me were just from being jealous of my fine form.

The Knack

Head over to The Smallest Minority to watch a great clip of Dilbert.

Space Cowboy!

Space Station Crew Can Access Gun

The article indicates that this is a piece (pun intended) of survival gear for a crash landing. I find this interesting from the aspect that there would probably be very little left intact of the space station after atmosphere re-entry, much less the spectacular surface impact.

Hmmm - wonder if there have been any tests measuring the recoil effect of different ammo in space?

Do Not Run, We Are You Friends!

Look into my eyes, you are getting sleepy, you WILL be my Valentine.

I must put some of the political pictures up as this is just too good to pass on. The semblance is almost scarey. Let me rephrase that as it is definitely scarey. Clinton fans should not be too concerned as I will most likely pick on everyone.

Redistribution of Wealth

Our fearless leaders have decided that a tax rebate would stimulate the economy. This includes a rebate to those who pay no taxes. I would believe that the classic definition of a rebate is: "return of a part of a payment".

There can be no "rebate" if there is no payment. It sounds nicer than saying that the government will take money from those who do pay and give it to those who do not. It is still an agenda including redistribution of wealth no matter how you try to disguise these actions.

I still stand by the quote at the top by Will Rogers.

Scottish Rite 32 Deg. KCCH

For service to the Rite, one is sometimes fortunate enough to receive the honor of becoming a KCCH. I am humbled that my brethren thought enough of me to distinguish me with this honor.




I should also post that previously the brethren presented me with this.

Elk hunting in November was fun!

We had a great camping spot about 30 miles North of Flagstaff. There were enough tall pines to break the winds and plenty of downed Aspen to provide a little firewood. The weather was cold but snow free. We even had decent cell phone coverage.

We went up the day before Thanksgiving to set up camp. My hunting partner left to go back south to host Thanksgiving day at his house. Opening day was the Friday after Thanksgiving so he was returning at 0-dark-thirty Friday morning.

I stayed. I had told my wife that I had been drawn (hurrah!) but it was the hunt that started right after Thanksgiving. My wife asked if I was going up early. We have obviously done this before. She then announced that we must have our family turkey day early. Bless her heart!

I had taken a leftover turkey leg and thigh with me. I sat at the fire pit on Thanksgiving day and enjoyed another round of turkey. A few phone calls were made to wish family happy turkey day. All in all not a bad way to spend the day. I can't say that I would want to spend every Thanksgiving day this way. Well let me rephrase that. I would want this every time unless I was drawn for the elk hunt every time also.

It was nice that there is a heater in the pop-up and we had plenty of propane. Some of the nights were in the teens.

It was the third day of the hunt when this nice little elk had the audacity to try to sneak by me. I do not tree stand hunt as most of those units are built for smaller people. I am 6'7" tall and run about 290 depending on the time of year. There isn't any way that I am going perch in a tree like some little birdie. I find a spot to sit that is hidden a bit or still walk. This time I was still walking.

I know that all of you will envious of my fine red-plaid wool Filson hat. This hat is hard to beat in cold weather!

The shot was a clean heart shot but I was surprised how far an elk can go with a blown heart. It was a stroke of luck at the same time. He went far enough that he dropped near an old two track path that was drivable. Sweet! Field dress him, get the trailer, and load him up.

We went back to camp to wash up and change before heading to the meat processors. A quick inventory showed that I definitely did not have enough personal libations to last through the rest of hunt. In to town we went to drop him off and stock up.

We stayed another 4 days. My hunting buddy did not get lucky but it wasn't for lack of trying. It just works that way sometimes.

I could not figure out a way to make a permanent mount on the Bronco so I took the antlers home and mounted them above the fireplace.

Mmmmmmmm!

We visited a job site West of Denver in April. This was a welcome view coming back into town. A little sunshine!

Most of trip was a white out at about 11,000 feet elevation.

The Big Ditch

We took a liitle jaunt around. The Grand Canyon is still there!

Sara's Search

Sara's old boyfriend is history.








Now the search is on for the next suitable candidate.

Chile

I resently flew to Santiago, Chile for business. The job site was in Quillota and I stayed in great hotel in Limache called Las Tortolas. It is springtime there and beautiful.

The people at the hotel were very acommodating. The restaurant there is excellent with wonderful local wines. The vino tinto is world class.

The first picture shows the grounds in back of the hotel with the first door on the right (#3) being the entrance to my room.


I can not say enough nice things about everyone I met. My Spanish is almost non-existent and everyone was quite tolerant of my stumbling efforts. I think that I must do better with the language for my next trip.

Sara's Boyfriend

I found a picture!!!!!!!

I Wonder How Fast the Rav4 Will Go?

While traveling for work, I occasionally find myself in with some interesting sights.

Wouldn't it be a blast to see just how fast...........

After a Hard Day at Archery

Sometimes after a hard day at the range we like to clean up and go down to the watering hole for a little rest and relaxation.

We enlarged the Wanted Poster and put it below as these are fairly dangerous outlaws.

Note the mean look on the one on the left and the close set eyes of the other. Telltale signs of bad medicine. Believe it or not, the one on the left is a female that is known as Heartless Heidi. Her trademark is to shoot all her victims square in the heart leaving them heartless. The taller one on the right is pure mean and goes by the name of Crusty Colt. He is as mean as he is in need of a bath. Both should be avoided at all times as they are never in a pleasant mood.

More Archery

In the black at 40 yards! We both get better as we keep practicing. Let's see if this Saturday brings us some more bulleyes!

Archery is Fun

My younger daughter has been bugging me to get a bow since her trip to one of the school outings where they had an opportunity to shoot. I have been shooting for many years, I even remember when we had to chip out our own arrowheads from the flint quarry before we could go dinosaur hunting....But I am getting off topic. Some of the new youth bows are quite nice as they have a draw length of 18-30". This will allow them to shoot the same bow for a few years. We went ahead a got one for her as an early birthday present. She is shooting some of my old arrows that are too heavy but bombproof out of a 20# bow. She loves it! This is really fine as I always like someone to shoot with. We shot Saturday & Sunday mornings at the Tucson Mountain Park Archery Range. This is nice facility as we consider anything that has running water and restrooms to be quite civilized. We shot at the field range as she had some concern about not doing well and having a bunch of people watching. She is doing well and constantly improving. We shot 4 dozen arrows on Saturday and she wasn't sore and was ready to go Sunday morning again. I was ready to go but sore. Sunday brought us the first bullseye! Congrats! Woohoo!

The Sky is Falling. Oops, I Mean Warming

"The Inconvenient Truth" is indeed inconvenient to alarmists
By Tom Harris
Monday, June 12, 2006

“Scientists respond to Gore's warnings of climate catastrophe”

Border Patrol Agents Opinion

This NewsMax article is worth reading.

“U.S. Border Patrol Agents Angry with McCain”

Bedford Gets National Award for Excellence in Education

My old school - Way to go Kicking Mules!

Article published Friday, June 9, 2006 - Toledo Blade
TEMPERANCE - Bedford Public Schools has been selected as one of three in the country to receive an award from a national community education group.
The district, along with counterparts in Lincoln, Neb., and Chicago, will receive a "Community Schools National Award for Excellence" from the Coalition for Community Schools, a branch of the Institute for International Leadership in Washington. The ceremeony will take place Wednesday in Baltimore, Bedford Superintendent Jon White said yesterday.
The award, which will be bestowed for the first time this year, honors districts that have strong partnerships with their communities, said Martin Blank, coalition staff director. Three communities are also receiving awards, he said. The coalition received 40 applications from communities and school districts.
"What stuck out about Bedford was the comprehensiveness of what they're doing," Mr. Blank said yesterday. They have "an array of programs and services centered around the schools. Bedford represents the deep and long-term connections that need to be built between school systems and community, and community organizations."
Mr. White was "elated" with the news, calling it "validation" for the district's approach to community education and inclusion.
Sharon Throm, director of community education at Bedford, lauded volunteers and staff.
"They play a vital role in the continued success of our programs," she said.


I will add my two cents:

Cheer, cheer for ol' Bedford High
For it's the best school under the sky!
Sing it's praises far and wide,
We honor, we love it, it's our pride!
On the road to victory,
we will pledge our loyalty,
Onward, always to the end,For dear ol' Bedford High!

The Upstairs Bathroom or How I Spent Memorial Day Weekend

The tub surround turned out nice and the girls are pleased to have their shower facilities back. I am glad also so they may now stay out of the downstairs bathroom. The only challenge was final fitment of the vinyl. This unit had the molded corners that actually expect the wall corners to be square. I am sure that the company that built these houses didn't own a single square and probably wouldn't have known how to use one. This was only a minor challenge for one with my skills. You can do almost anything with enough caulking!

Senate "Amnesty" Bill

The following article by Senator Jim DeMint is worth reading.

“Top Ten Reasons to Oppose the Senate Amnesty Bill”

I wish our Senator McCain was opposing instead of promoting this travesty.

Remodeling a Bathroom

The old ceramic tile was loose and leaking so here we go. The tile and green board have been removed along with some nasty pieces of drywall. New wallboard has been put in place. The old tub is still in good shape so a new vinyl shower enclosure will go above the tub. I still have a little patching and painting to go but should be ready to install the vinyl and new fixtures over the holiday weekend. I am not sure which is worse, going somewhere on the holiday and join the throngs of people or to stay home and do chores all weekend. I like doing this just about as well as replacing fences - not. I hope my darling daughters enjoy having an upstairs shower again.

25 MPG

I love it! First fill up and decent mileage. I was driving about 50/50 hwy/city and with a heavy foot occasionally. It is necessary to play with a new one for a while. I received the tow hitch that was ordered but am still waiting on the wiring harness. It will be fun to see what mileage it gets pulling the boat. I can feel a run to Parker Canyon Lake coming. I hope the Toyota mud flaps arrive before the weekend so that I can get them on. Pictures of the RAV4 will then be posted for viewing pleasure. I expect that I will post some on the RAV4 forum site and maybe one here.

New Car

The trip was a success. Hats off to Power Toyota in Tempe. There were no surprises and all paperwork was in order. This is the best experience I have ever had at an auto dealer. We have already nicknamed the RAV4 the "Go-Kart" due to its relative size and performance. It is quick and fun. We will see how the mileage turns out.

New Car Coming

It appears that we will bring one of these foreign cars home tomorrow. Amazingly enough, I can drive this. I am 6'7" tall and have difficulty with many vehicles. I could not find a US made version that would come close on mileage. I have owned a couple of foreign jobs on the past. One was an Audi S90 that was fun, comfortable, and was broken more in 5 years than all other cars combined. The other was a Buick/Opal that was not so comfortable but OK. I am disappointed in that I could not find a US equivalent. 269HP, 240 ft/lb, and 22/29 MPG. What is wrong with the big three to let themselves get completely outdone in this market?

Now for the fun part. Don't you love car shopping? There are two Toyota dealers in Tucson. Both seem to feel that the MSRP is the lowest price available to you and do not budge from it. The first place I went to test it out had one that was close to what I wanted. The salesman did not how the middle seat belt worked for the rear seat. Nor did the next salesman who 's help was requested. My wife asked if anyone thought it might be a good idea to look at the owner's manual. While salesman #1 is off looking for another more intelligent knowledge source, we look over the vehicle for the manual which was not to be found. This was finally solved after about 10 minutes. Now the salesman can proceed to educated on how to work an automatic transmission. D is for drive! I am serious. I did not know whether to laugh or get really insulted. This was a real zoo. The Primeval portion of my blog name is partially true. Most of my classmates are grandparents. This guy listened to absolutely nothing that was said to him. He was either deaf or the perfect salesman. Next he started with quoting payments instead of bottom line. Wrong tactic. He wanted to know what he could do to sell me this car. I was vaguely interested but did not want all the options on it so money talks. They did not budge and we left.

The following day I spoke with the competition (Dealer #2) who did not have what I was looking for either but had another shipment coming in, could do a five state search, and could order one if I wanted. This all sounded hopeful but was not. Two weeks went by and calls went unreturned. Yesterday, I called twice and upon leaving the second message told the operator that I would not be calling again. Hours went by. They must be sitting pretty to ignore people who are trying to buy something from them.

I know that some of the dealers in the Phoenix area have large inventories. I called one of the big boys. Two minutes on the phone and he is faxing me the sheet on the vehicle. I call back and give him a deposit. The price of a fully loaded Sport version was less than that of a Basic in Tucson. They mark up $500 from their invoice (not MSRP) and go from there. Their price was right in line with Edmunds. Hopefully all holds firm tomorrow.

A man I do not know from dealer #2 calls back towards the end of the day. Says the original guy is hungover, jk indisposed, and he is responding in his place. I told him that I had given up on them and went on to a Phoenix dealer. Now they want to earn my business. I told him it was simple, here is a description of the vehicle and the price, all you have to do is beat the price. He seemed to be choking on the price but said he would get back to me. I have yet to hear anything and am not holding my breath!

Our So-Called Representatives

I am amazed that our government is considering another amnesty (call it what you will) program when the last one was a dismal failure and independent polls show a very clear majority oppose this. I am independent. If pressed for a classification, I would say that I am a constitutionalist and feel that both parties should be ashamed. The radar is up and tracking is in progress to see who votes for what. I will respond accordingly at the voting booth.

Being independent does means that I have no qualms about picking on rabid republicans or democrats. For example: When with a group of republicans, I say that Rush is nothing more than a radio entertainer and a shill for the party. When with a group of democrats, I announce that I always vote however the NRA tells me to and that the ACLU are a bunch of commies. The ensuing lectures to correct my way of thinking can be lengthy and spirited.

Regardless of your stance, contact your reps and always VOTE. Remember that the letter to the Gov that was being composed in the movie Blazing Saddles, by the good folk of Rockridge, is probably not beneficial.

Boat Got Wet #2

My goal is to see how many time this boat can be used through the first year. Last weekend we went to Big Lake. This was a camping/fishing trip open to all ages. It is referred to as the family fun run. The wiser family members (my wife) usually do not go to the high elevation lakes (over 9,000' ) at this time of year. She has in the past and seems to be a fast learner. The weather prediction was for the possibility of a little rain on Friday and clearing that night.

We stayed at an established campground this time where our norm is to go primitive. I did not have to dig a slit trench and set up my folding toilet seat. Don't laugh, it's a place to sit. I am getting to old and beat up to be perching over some rock and hoping I don't fall down.

My daughter and I had the tent and camp set up well before it starting SNOWING. Most of the it was melting as it hit as the ground had been dry with sun the last few days. This continued on until about 1 AM by which time we had about 2" accumulated. I was awaken several times to talk to my daughter who was concerned about little things like being cold, will the tent collapse, are there bears, will the lightening hit the tent, can we leave the heater running in the tent, and trudging over to the toilet. She was a real trooper. During our midnight trip to the toilet her only comment was that, "I wish I were home right about now". There are adults who would have already bailed out by now.

I arose about 5 AM. We had 2" or better of snow and the sky was clear. The weather prediction was partially correct! My daughter got up about 6 AM. It seemed colder than it actually was. Being the hardy outdoors family that we are, I started the Bronco and told her to get in. She warmed up in the truck while I brushed snow off the vehicle and boat cover. We decided that going on the water would be rather cold right now and that we would wait till later in the day. We sat in the nice warm truck and had hot oatmeal, coffee/hot chocolate.

The other in camp arose as it suited them. A friend with his two kids had brought their pop-up camper and seemed fairly comfortable. Another fellow and his dog had come up with a travel trailer. We were the only hardy souls in a tent although I must admit that it isn't that bad with the heater. That is just my opinion as my daughter was sure that it should be at least 40 or 50 degrees warmer in the tent.

The day continued to warm with clear sky's so we put the boat in before noon and went off for the rest of the day on the water. Fishing was poor, weather was good, company was good, and it was a great day! Time to plan the next trip.

The Boat Got Wet!

The day before we were to make a family fun run to the White Mountains to try out the new boat was the usual orderly event. Everyone knew exactly where everything was that they needed for trip. This location must be in my wife's mind as the normal question heard throughout the day was, "Mom, do you know where the (fill in the blank) is?". Thankfully, I know where nothing is. This lack of clairvoyance left me free to finish up some wiring on the boat for the battery, electric motor, gas motor, stern light, and bow lights. I hooked up the gas line to the fuel tank only to have gas running out. I discovered that the tank had the wrong fitting on it after saying a few choice words and praising the people who prepped this boat. Now I must stop trip preparation and go the boat store. The correct fitting was installed by the parts manager.

I will diverge for a moment here. Even though they use "Marina" in their name and the term "Blue Water", I will only call it a store. There is no harbor and the water, if any, flowing down the Santa Cruz River is definitely not blue water. It is what you would expect from a boat store in Tucson. My experience there has been poor to say the least. They had the boat I wanted but tried to show it to me on a trailer for a shorter boat, I installed the oar sockets when they finally came in, the fuel fitting was wrong, and.....See the previous post "Neighbors & Boats" for further little details on their level of competency. OK, I have that little piece out so that we may continue with the fun.

We were packed up, ready to go, and it wasn't even dark! This is a new record for us but it is most likely because we were staying in a motel instead of camping this time. Sunday morning we hitched up the boat trailer and we were off. The trip to Springerville was uneventful and therefore perfect. We hadn't planned to go to the lake that day so the motel was the first stop to check in and get settled. That night while watching the weather report it was discovered that there would be high wind advisories for all the next day. We had watched weather forecasts prior to leaving so this was a surprise. This area is always breezy but 35-40 mph is a bit much.

I got up Monday morning and was windy but not severe (yet). We all got ready and went to the lake. There was no one at the lake except a Forest Service employee in his truck. I went over to speak with him to inquire about road conditions to other lakes, how the fishing been, and other pleasantries. He was very pleasant and we spoke for about a half hour. During this time period the wind was steadily picking up. He said he wouldn't go out on a boat today and echoed the sentiment. By now you could stand 20 yards from the lake and get rained on by the spray from the white caps. The original wind speed estimates were considerably low. I would estimate gust ranging from 50-60 mph at times. We returned to the motel and parked the trailer. It was time to visit the local gift shops, book stores, and other inside activities. We decided that if it was the same tomorrow that we would leave a day early and take the boat to another little lake by Tucson for the morning. You must realize that I am anxious to try out the new boat.

The next morning was perfect. We launched the boat and trolled around the lake. At times the lake was a mirror. I had my limit of trout in two hours being the master fisherman. Those were the only fish caught that day. The girls took turns rowing the boat and did well. Both motors ran quite well so I got some decent breakin time on the gas. The eldest got to pilot the boat using the electric motor. My wife got to hone here launching and anchoring skills and performed admirally, as usual. It was a nice day.

We noticed that the wind was kicking up again and decided that everyone was satisfied. The boat was much more difficult to get on the trailer as the wind started to shift and pick up velocity. Both my wife and I ended up wading to trailer the boat. She performed with great bravery and forethought when she walked down the ramp into the cold water to make sure that the nasty old van didn't get any scratches on the nice new boat. It was a great time as finally the boat got wet and so did we!

1st Night in Tucson

I have been asked many times to tell this story so I thought I would share it. This tale is true.

I was camping across the states when I first came to Tucson twentyfive years ago. My fine little Jansport dome tent was set up in Gilbert Ray Campground. I had the tent area to myself as not too many are out camping in the winter. Having left a truly cold climate this seemed pretty enjoyable. I watched a beautiful January sunset while having some freeze dried something or other for dinner and then snuggled into my sleeping bag. My slumber was disturbed a couple of hours later by the sounds of a vehicle that seemed close. This was followed by a loud thump. This sounds close! Now the racing of the engine is accompanied by the sounds of spinning tires and the smell of burning rubber. It must be time to get up. I get out of the bag to get dressed and all the while the person is spinning back and forth. Now that I am outside, I can see that this clown had driven off the regular path and has the front end on a rock about 16" in diameter. He's stuck and gunning it like mad. I have just got to get rid of this guy so that I can go back to bed.

Upon my offer of assistance, he gets out of the vehicle and can barely stand. "Whanna rink", he says offering me a sip from his open fifth of whiskey. This I will pass on. I can likely get you unstuck if you get back in the car, put it in reverse, give it just a little gas and at the same time I will pick up on the front end while pushing. Now let me see you put it in reverse as I do not want to get run over. "NO! Don't floor it!", I shout as the tire squeals and the rubber burns. This goes on for a few times but he is finally unstuck. I am going to go to the restroom now to wash my hands etc before re-retiring. He decides that this is a good idea as he has to take a leak. I point out the way to the restroom but he decides to drive as it is quite a ways (50 yards). This guy is really loaded. About now I am wondering if it was a good idea to get him unstuck - oh well it's too late anyways.

"Whanna go forra ride?", he asks. I politely decline having great difficulty repressing the urge to laugh. You have got to be kidding. Off he goes on his trip to/from oblivion and I return to my sleeping bag. Thank goodness, now I can get back to sleep. A chuckle arises as I lay in my bag and mull over the recent events.

I am again awakened to the sound of a vehicle approaching the tent and then parking with headlights on the tent. It can't be! It isn't as I notice the strobing lights of the police rollers. I hear this voice, "Sir, I am a Pima County Deputy and I need to speak with you." I say OK but it will take me a few moments to get dressed. It is now 2 AM in the desert and full dress is required. Remember I said this was January. As I stand up from the opening of the tent, the officer says, "Yup, you're the right guy". I am now concerned. Thoughts race through your mind. Did something happen to Mom or Dad?

Me - What's wrong officer?
Deputy - Sir, I am sorry to disturb you but I need to ask you a few questions.
Me - OK - what is going on?

Now I am really awake but still clueless as to what is going on. This officer is all business so my level of apprehension is climbing.

Deputy - Did you help get someone unstuck this evening?
Me - Yes.
Deputy - Did he pick up a passenger.
Me - No, not in this area.
Deputy - Are you sure?
Me - I got him unstuck, we both went to the restroom, he asked if I wanted to go for a ride, I said no, and he left this area alone. What is going on?
Deputy - One second please, I need to report in.

He goes back to the vehicle and radios to dispatch that no passenger had been seen in the vehicle at the campground. The Deputy returns and now he is actually starting to laugh.

Deputy - I am sorry to disturb you but now that we have that business cleared I can chat for a moment. We picked this guy up on the roadside after he had been running through the desert. He was very scared and very very drunk. He said that he got stuck here and a giant came out of a green igloo and lifted his car off the rock and set it off to the side.

I'm am 6'7" tall and my tent is a green dome tent. So I am the giant in a green igloo! Now I start to understand the officer's first statement about me being the right guy. I would like to claim the strength to lift a full size vehicle but there is a slight difference between rocking a vehicle and dead lifting it. A few of us were known to make off with VWs and MGs but full size is difficult.

Deputy - This guys says that he picked up a rider here and went cruising. They stopped to take a leak and while standing outside he heard a gunshot and the other fellow fell down. He was scared and took off running. We found his vehicle but no body or blood or anything else but we have to double check something this serious.
Me - I understand.
Deputy - Now you have got to see this guy to believe it. He took off through the darkness bouncing off rocks, cactus and the ground. He is all cut up from falling in the rocks and has prickly pear and cholla stuck on him from head to toe. You really would have to see this guy to believe it. Boy is he gonna be in bad shape when he sobers up.

As the officer and I chatted for a while, we noticed that a few other campers were trying to figure out why we are just standing around talking, laughing and generally distrubing them. None came out to ask us to be quiet though since the rollers were still going. I knew that there would be some interesting conversation in the meeting room tomorrow. As we said our goodbye the officer asked, "Been camping here long?" To which I replied, "Nope, 1st night in Tucson." The officer laughed as he walked to his patrol car and said, "Welcome to Tucson." I thought to myself that this town could be interesting as I crawled back into my tent and the warmth of the sleeping bag.

Wrong Flag

I believe the demonstrations involving the display of the American flag upsidedown and under the Mexican flag sends a loud message. Mexico is best and we disrespect the US. Let's turn the US into a nation just like Mexico.

Golly, I thought everyone was leaving there for better opportunities here and to become US citizens. My bad. If you are here for the money only then the sooner you leave the better as the welcome mat is not out. If you want to be a citizen then the mat is back out.

One of the neighbors has a Mexican flag on display. There is no disrespectful display of the American flag. I find it mildly irritating but it's his house. I would hesitate to display a foreign flag in another country anywhere but in the good old USA.

My stance on the policy is that we should:
1 - Build that wall, NOW. We must end the uncontrolled invasion that is taking place.
2 - Get the people working here a path to citizenship if they are not criminals. That is aside from being here illegally.
3 - Get the people who are criminals deported or prosecuted.
4 - Set a viable guest worker program and enforce it.
5 - Make it a federal offense in the future.

Don't like my opinions? I have the same answer to you as to those who don't like my neighbors flag. That's too bad as this is the USA.

Neighbors & Boats

My neighbor is not like many people. He immediately paid for his portion of the fence previously posted. I actually never doubted his intent but it made fun text. I would say that he is a gentleman and a scholar (he actually is both of these in life).

I have picked out a small 16' utility boat that will suit my need for fishing nicely. It is difficult to determine the exact fees that I will charge for people to get in my boat. I would expect that various rates should be used depending upon their being family or not. Different categories could easily involve the capabilites to row, bait hooks, net fish, designated operator, launching, and other activities as defined by me. I am open to suggestions for line items as we all know that the more items you can list, the more you can charge. I have learned this from some of my doctor/hospital visits.

Boat shopping has been fun and very similar to auto shopping. Hold tightly to your wallet and watch your back. I would start off saying that I wanted a package deal with boat, trailer, motor, etc. I would then receive quotes back that had to be carefully examined as they would typically be missing a trailer, motor, or other significant item.

Salesman: Oh, did you want a gas tank with that motor?
Me:Gee, what do you think? Do I really need one? Will it run on methane?

Salesman: Did you want a spare tire for the trailer?
Me:Gee, I figured that I would just carry the whole thing on my back.

Salesman: Do you want oars?
Me:Yes! Darn it, what do you think "package" means?

Me:Don't you need lights at night?
Salesman: If the boat is under 20', you only need the white transom light.
Me: Are you sure?

He was sure and he is very wrong. The regs say that if the boat is powered it will have the red/green bow and a white transom light. I wanted to be current in boating regulations and brush up on navigation rules so I took an eight hour boating safety class at the AZ Game & Fish Department. I may be the "old guy" to some but I am not always stupid. Rules and regulations do change over the years and sure enough, a couple had involving PFDs and age restrictions.

This was a very good course to take, it was free, and reduces the cost of your insurance. There were only a couple of people that didn't enjoy the course but they had bad attitudes after being ordered to attend by the court.

One More Gate

My fence is done! My neighbor's portion has one gate to go which I have agreed to finish for him. My daughter helped him put in his last two posts. I am amused that she has paid attention and after one stretch of fence has more working knowledge than the man next door about how to level something, mix concrete, set posts, etc. Our neighbor offered to pay more than his share if we finished his last piece. He may be smarter that we think as he has avoided most of the shared work (see previous post) and now offers extra money. We will see at collection time.

Bottom line is that the fence looks good! I now have a double gate that will allow me a place to park a boat. It's shopping time!