Drive-In Movie Night

The pandemic has caused the RV park to cut back substantially on their organized events. One way they have enabled people to get together is by having an outdoor movie every couple of weeks. Tonight, they are showing "Sully" starring Tom Hanks...

COVID-19 Stimulus Package

Congress on Monday passed a $900 billion COVID-19 stimulus package that no one read before they voted on it. Senator Rand Paul, who voted against the bill, wrote: "Deficit busting bill will be 5,593 pages! If there are 250 words per page, then that's 1,398,250 words. If Congresspeople read at the American average of 300 words/min, then a Congressperson might read this in 4,660 minutes or 77.68 hours!" Congress was given only two hours before having to vote on the legislation. Even Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez tweeted "This isn't governance. It's hostage-taking".

The bill contains hundreds of unrelated legislative items negotiated by leadership for special interest groups. It is politics at its worst. Here are some of the expenditures contained in the bill...

• $300,000,000 for Migrant and Refugee Assistance
• $10,000 per person for student loan bailout
• $100,000,000 to NASA
• $20,000,000,000 to the U.S. Postal Service
• $300,000,000 to the Endowment for the Arts
• $15,000,000 for Veterans Employment Training 
• $30,000,000,000 for the Department of Education stabilization fund
• $200,000,000 to Safe Schools Emergency Response to Violence Program
• $300,000,000 to Public Broadcasting 
• $500,000,000 to Museums and Libraries
• $720,000,000 to Social Security Administration
• $25,000,000 for Cleaning supplies for the Capitol Building
• $7,500,000 to the Smithsonian for additional salaries
• $35,000,000 to the Kennedy Center for Performing Arts
• $25,000,000 for additional salary for House of Representatives
• $3,000,000,000 upgrade to the IT department at the Veterans Administration
• $315,000,000 for State Department Diplomatic Programs
• $95,000,000 for the Agency for International Development
• $300,000,000 for International Disaster Assistance
• $90,000,000 for the Peace Corps
• $13,000,000 to Howard University
• $9,000,000 Misc. Senate expenses
• $100,000,000 to Essential air carriers 
• $40,000,000,000 goes to the Take Responsibility to Workers and Families Act
• $1,000,000,000 Airlines Recycle and Save Program 
• $25,000,000 to the Federal Aviation Administration for administrative costs 
• $492,000,000 to National Railroad Passenger Corporation (Amtrak) 
• $526,000,000 Grants to Amtrak 
• $25,000,000,000 for Transit Infrastructure 
• $3,000,000 Maritime Administration
• $2,500,000 Public and Indian Housing 
• $5,000,000 Community Planning and Development 
• $2,500,000 Office of Housing

Even foreign governments are getting billions of dollars. Among the payouts: $1.4 billion for the Asia Reassurance Initiative Act, $1.3 billion to Egypt, $700 million to Sudan, $135 million to Burma, $130 million to Nepal, and  $85 million to Cambodia. Israel will also haul in $500 million and Ukraine will get nearly the same. If this money were to go to American citizens, we would be getting a lot more than a $600 stimulus check. And lastly, why are we giving this money to foreign entities when our country is running a national debt of almost 28 trillion dollars?

Silverbell Sasco Loop

Terry, Gail and I joined Sunny, Jane and Leyman northwest of Tucson to explore the Silverbell Sasco Loop, a fun drive in the desert with lots of interesting sites and some very unique saguaro cactus.

Our first stop was the Titan II Missile Interpretive Site which served as a deterrent to nuclear war during the cold war. There is not much to look at as it consists of signs telling you what used to be there and some old concrete foundations. It would be interesting to know what the government left buried underground. 

Heading westward we passed one of the largest open pit mines I have ever seen. The overburden material from the mine has formed small mountains that run for miles and continues to grow as it is an active mine. We had lunch on a large, flat spot where they had dumped slag from a smelter...

Next were some very large and unusual saguaro cactus...

"Mutant" saguaro

Magnificent crested saguaro which are fairly rare

A little ways off the trail where the abandoned mining town of Silver Bell was located is an old cemetery with simple gravesites marked by wooden crosses...

Sasco, which is an acronym for the Southern Arizona Smelter Company, was a company town with a large smelter that served several mines. Here is what's left today...

Intrepid group of adventurers at what remains of the Rockland Hotel

At a time when most of the country is in lockdown, we were able to get outside and enjoy life. It's a nice feeling.

Desert Cam Take 2

I placed my trail cam back at the same spot as the last desert video and was able to capture a Gambel quail, a hawk, a coyote and a road runner...

I think I will try a different spot next time to see if I can find some different creatures. Ultimately, I would like to film some javelinas and a bobcat or puma.

Arizonian Christmas Parade

Each year residents of the Arizonian RV Resort decorate their vehicles for the annual Christmas parade...

Desert Cam Take 1

I found a watering hole in the desert back of the RV park and setup my trail cam where I could video anything that came to drink. After two days and nights, this is what I captured...

CamPark T80 Trail Cam

Last winter, I purchased a trail cam for the purpose of videoing critters out in the desert. Unfortunately, the pandemic hit before I was able to deploy it, so I packed it away in the RV. While moving into the park model, I discovered the cam cleverly concealed in one of my boxes. 

Yesterday afternoon, I placed it in a bush across from my site and left it overnight. Although capturing a rabbit and a gambel quail does not qualify as spectacular viewing, I was pleased with the cam's performance, particularly, the night vision. It should be fun seeing what else is out there.

 

Old Family Photo

One of the ways I am decorating the interior of the park model is to use photographs that I have collected over the years. In looking through my albums, I came across one taken approximately 45 years ago that seems to be a perfect fit for my home here in the southwest...

Click on photo to enlarge

Black Bear Pass Crash

This is an excerpt from a YouTube video that demonstrates what can happen if you take your eyes (and wheels) off the road on Black Bear Pass...

Park Model Interior

Most of my furniture has been delivered and the interior of the park model is beginning to come together...

Here's a quick list of some of the things I like about the model:

• It's light and airy due to all the windows and sky lights
• Lots of storage space
• No longer have to dump tanks once a week
• High speed Internet
• Great insulation makes heating and cooling more efficient
• View of the Superstition Mountains...

Park Model

After nine and a half years living full-time in a RV, I decided it might be nice to have a home to come home to, so I have purchased a used park model in the Arizonian RV Park. It is on a corner lot in the rear of the park with a great view of the Superstition Mountains (home of the Lost Dutchman Mine)...

I am keeping the RV and will continue to travel whenever I get the desire to hit the road again. I may have to change the name of my blog to "Ex-Full-time RVer".

Benjamin Franklin Quotes

Here are some Benjamin Franklin quotes that should be considered before voting in the upcoming election:

• "When the people find that they can vote themselves money that will herald the end of the republic"
• "Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety"
• "Freedom of speech is a principal pillar of a free government; when this support is taken away, the constitution of a free society is dissolved, and tyranny is erected on its ruins"
• "Only a virtuous people are capable of freedom. As nations become more corrupt and vicious, they have more need of masters"
• "Ordaining of laws in favor of one part of the nation to the prejudice and oppression of another is certainly the most erroneous and mistaken policy...An equal dispensation of protection, rights, privileges, and advantages, is what every part is entitled to, and ought to enjoy"
• "I hope...that all mankind will at length…have reason and sense enough to settle their differences without cutting throats"

Atomic Cannon

About an hour's drive south of Quartzsite at the entrance to the U.S. Army's Yuma Proving Ground is an Atomic Cannon, a relic of the cold war...

Click on images to enlarge

Quartzsite Boondocking

After a month in Las Vegas, I decided to spend a couple of days boondocking north of Quartzsite on my way to Gold Canyon, Arizona. Although I enjoy the amenities of full hook-ups, occasionally, it is nice to park out in the desert away from civilization. It is the quiet tranquility and the ability to gaze at the millions of stars in the night sky that make it such a great experience.

At this time of the year the area is not very crowded which makes it very easy to get around and not have to wait in lines. Although the town normally sees two million visitors during the winter months, the locals I have talked to are concerned about how the pandemic will affect business this winter, particularly, with the Canadian border closed.

Words of Wisdom

Back In Vegas

Having spent most of the summer away from big cities, I found myself needing to do some shopping, have maintenance done on the Jeep and get my next macular degeneration injection, so I have returned to Las Vegas where I know I can find everything I want.

Although masks and social distancing are still required, most stores and restaurants are open with certain limitations. You can even go to a movie theater with reserved seating (however, there are no new movies to watch as Hollywood has been shut down due to the pandemic). After leaving here, I will probably head to southern Arizona. It's hard to beat the winter weather there, plus, I have friends in the area to regale/bore with my tall tales and feats of daring-do.

Reds Canyon

Reds Canyon is one of the most scenic trails I have ever driven. At times, you would think you were looking at the Grand Canyon in Arizona. There were so many great photos from this trip, I decided to create a slideshow...

I recommend viewing a fullscreen version of the slideshow by clicking here 

Temple Mountain Campground

I met Sunny and her friends, Matt & Sherry, at the Temple Mountain Campground north of Goblin Valley State Park where we would be boondocking for the next two days. How far are we from civilization; well, there is no Internet service here (delirium tremens may be imminent). We spent the afternoon at the Temple Mountain Wash Pictograph Panel, an abandoned uranium mine, Goblin Valley and Little Wild Horse Slot Canyon.

Campsite with a view
(click on photos to enlarge)

Group photo with ancient pictographs above our heads

Old uranium mine

Goblin Valley

Beginning of Little Wild Horse Slot Canyon

Black Dragon

The Black Dragon trail showcases the San Rafael Swell, an upheaval of rock 75 miles long. The southern part of the trail features colorful sandstone formations jutting out of the ground...

Click on photos to enlarge

The northern part features the Black Dragon Wash that takes you through a magnificent canyon with sheer rock cliffs hundreds of feet high...

On the way out of the canyon, I turned around and got several nice panoramic shots...

9 Mile Canyon

9 Mile Canyon is another fun trail about 50 miles north of Green River. My first stop was at the largest concentration of old coke ovens I have ever seen...

Remains of over 800 coke ovens near Sunnyside, Utah

Next was an aerial tram once used by a mining company to transport ore off the mountain...

About half way through the trail, I came across one of mother nature's roadblocks...

Not wanting to back track several miles, I searched for an alternative route around the logjam (blog humor). After several dead ends and one locked gate, I found one that took me through a beautiful canyon...

The last leg of the trail had a number of petroglyph panels, but it was late in the afternoon and I was tired, so I only stopped at one...

"The Great Hunt"

The big surprise of the day was watching a squirrel and what I believe to be a mink battling it out in the middle of the road...

Lastly, the area around Green River, Utah is becoming one of my favorite places to explore. The variety of scenery is simply amazing.

Black Tank Maintenance

I learned early on that the best way to control black tank odors was to thoroughly flush the tank when dumping. This included filling the tank about half full with the valve closed in order to build up enough pressure to wash stubborn particulate matter out of the system and get relatively clear effluent. I had been guessing at when the tank was half full which runs the risk of overflow through the toilet (not a pretty image). While in a Ace Hardware yesterday, I came across a water flow meter for $17.99 that will hopefully eliminate that risk...

Caveat: I have read that these plastic meters do not hold up well over time

While on the topic of black tank maintenance, here's a YouTube video that was helpful in learning how to unclog my tank's sensors. The CliffsNotes version is to add fresh water to the tank along with dish detergent and Borax and let that soak the tank while traveling to your next destination. All of my sensors are now working like new.

Coal Canyon

Occasionally, I come across a trail that I have never heard of that turns out to be a lot of fun. Coal Canyon just east of Green River, Utah is such a trail. Although there are some minor obstacles along the way, it is the changing landscape that makes it worthwhile. The first segment takes you through lush, verdant farmland that included a sizable field of hemp plants and a group of pronghorns...

FYI - hemp contains 0.3% or less of THC whereas marijuana contains more than 0.3% THC

Then you work you way through some very impressive canyons...

The last segment of the trail is a barren area that reminded me of the Badlands in South Dakota. During this half day drive, I did not see another vehicle the entire time. Great way to social distance during the pandemic.

Unique Indian Motorcycle

This was parked next door to my RV this morning...

Click on photos to enlarge

Engineer Pass (almost)

I rode with Ken and Faye today with the intent of us driving over to Engineer Pass. However, that was before Murphy's Law caught up to us. Our first problem was when it started to rain around Silverton which made the trail a little more treacherous than usual. Then, Dave and Bev's transmission began to fail to the point that they were unable to shift into four wheel drive which was needed on the steeper inclines, so they had to return to the campground. Lastly, when we got to the turn for Engineer Pass, the clouds had moved in and you could not see the top of the mountain, so we decided to return to Highway 550 via the Alpine Loop.

The section of the trail we had to traverse was extremely rocky with severe off-camber obstacles on the side of a cliff. Needless to say, that created some heart pounding adrenaline rushes. I cannot repeat Faye's comments regarding the experience as this is a family oriented blog. Fortunately, we returned home safe and sound, albeit, with a few more gray hairs.

Click on photos to enlarge