Dining After Dark

When the sun sets in the desert, the temperature drops very quickly. Fortunately, my neighbors have a propane heater built into their outdoor table, so we were able to dine in comfort...

Glenn & Sheila

96 Ranch Road

The 96 Ranch Road south of Florence, AZ got its name from an old abandoned ranch...

It appears to have been a nice home years ago

Unfortunately, time and vandals have taken their toll...

On the way to the ranch, you pass a number of huge, 100+ year old saguaros including a very unique half-crested one...

Bitcoin Soaring

Bitcoin has been setting all time high price records since Trump was elected President. I started mining it years ago when it was $100 per coin. I now have ~$6000 (at current values) which I use to buy Amazon gift cards. If you have a high end computer with excellent cooling, may I recommend a Windows based program called Kryptex that mines cryptocurrency 24/7 and still allows you to use your computer for other purposes.

You can also purchase Bitcoin via sites like Coinbase, but remember it is highly volatile which makes it a risky investment; whereas mining has very little risk.

Bad Influence

They say you can judge a person by the company they keep. I think I may be in trouble...

Missy, Darby, Dale

You may note that while they were drinking beer, I was drinking ice tea. I was the "designated passenger" on the ride.

Blog Blocked

Yesterday morning, I received this notice from Google indicating my blog had been made unavailable to blog readers because it violated their Community Guidelines...

Hello, As you may know, our Community Guidelines (https://blogger.com/go/contentpolicy) describe the boundaries for what we allow-- and don't allow-- on Blogger. Your blog titled "http://ncmotorcyclists.blogspot.com/" was flagged to us for review. We have determined that it violates our guidelines and have made the URL http://ncmotorcyclists.blogspot.com/ unavailable to blog readers. Why was your blog removed? Your content has violated our REGULATED policy. Please visit our Community Guidelines page linked in this email to learn more. If we feel that a blog's content does not fit within the expectations of our Policy, we no longer allow it to be publicly available. If you believe we made an error, you can request an appeal https://www.blogger.com/go/appeal-blog?blogId=14759407. You may have the option to pursue your claims in court. If you have legal questions or wish to examine legal options that may be available to you, you may want to consult with your own legal counsel. Sincerely, -The Blogger Team

I immediately appealed the decision as I was in danger of losing 14 years of posts and photos. Fortunately, that evening they reinstated my blog...

Hello, We have re-evaluated your blog against Blogger Community Guidelines https://blogger.com/go/contentpolicy. Upon review, the blog has been reinstated. You may access the blog at http://ncmotorcyclists.blogspot.com/. Thank you for understanding. Sincerely, The Blogger Team

In my opinion, it would have been more appropriate for them to have given me a warning first and then the opportunity to make corrections instead of just banning the blog outright. My guess is that it was due to some autonomous bot and when a real person looked at the blog, saw nothing that violated their Community Guidelines.

Suspicious Voting

President Trump has been severely criticized for suggesting there was fraud in the 2020 election. Here is a chart listing the number of popular votes for each candidate in the last four presidential elections...

Note that in three of the four elections including the last one, the Democrat candidates consistently received around 66 million votes each. However, in 2020 the year of the pandemic when states extended voting hours and expanded early voting via absentee ballots and ballot boxes, Biden got 81 million votes. I do not consider myself to be a conspiracy theorist, but I have to wonder how many of those 15 million additional votes might be due to fraud?

Backway To Mt Lemmon

I took the Jeep the backway to Mount Lemmon from Oracle, AZ. It's a crooked, dirt trail that requires a high clearance vehicle. Although I enjoyed the ride, there were not enough "WOW" moments for me to want to do it again anytime soon.

I thought the paved road coming up from Tucson was much more scenic and would be a good Sunday drive, particularly, in the hot summer months.

Fine Wine

My neighbor, Missy, works for a very wealthy individual in Wisconsin, who collects and drinks expensive wine. At the end of the summer, he gives her a bunch of bottles that he no longer wants. As a thank you for some work I did for her, she gave me two bottles of Ornellaia 2016. Out of curiosity, I went online and was able to find it on sale for only $279.99...

Not wanting to drink alone, I shared my good fortune with my other neighbors last night. Nothing like a $300 wine with your smashburgers. The sad part of the experience was I could not tell much of a difference between it and my $10 bottle of wine with the screw top. Apparently, I do not have a sophisticated enough palate.

Rummaging Rodent

My neighbor has a large rat running around his tool shed at night, so we setup a trail cam to monitor its activity and see if we could trap it. Although we got some great video clips, the rat was too smart for the trap. Watch how it plays with and moves the trap without tripping it...

 

Tonight, we are going to switch the bait from cheese to peanut butter, drop some poison bait and then see what happens.

Update 10/27/2024: That rat outsmarted us once again. It is so big that it was able to reach the peanut butter without putting enough weight on the plate to trip the trap. However, it did take the poison bait, so we may get it that way. Video posted at https://youtu.be/cApdJcVSIv4.

Update 10/28/2024: It appears we may have gotten the rat with the poison bait as it did not reappear on last night's video...

Mesmerizing Sunset

Click on image to enlarge

SoloCam S340

I recently added a eufy SoloCam S340 to the front of my park model. One nice feature of the camera is the ability to track and follow moving objects...

 

They are "spray painting" the streets in the park this week. It is a temporary fix to make them look good for returning snowbirds. I was told they will resurface the streets next year.

FEMA Failure

The federal government cares more for illegal immigrants than for its own citizens...

 

Elon Musk and private individuals have done more for the victims of Helene than the entire Biden/Harris administration.

Another Democrat Debacle

Click here for full story

More Liberal Hypocrisy

Kamala Harris drops millions on private jet spending despite calling climate change an 'existential threat'...

Apparently, it's okay to pollute the environment if it is for political purposes such as fund raising
Click here for full story

Old Age Humor

 

Surveillance Cameras

I recently purchased two wireless solar surveillance cameras to cover both entrances to the house. Last night was a good example of how effective these cameras are as an unknown vehicle was recorded checking out my place a little after 8:00 pm. Although it was probably someone who did not realize I tend to go to bed with the chickens, it's reassuring knowing that I will have video evidence if an intruder steps onto the property.

 

Arizona Heat

I believe I have come up with a way to beat the Arizona summer heat...

Coyote

When you live out in the desert, you get to see a lot of interesting critters...

 

Siphon Fire

A fire in the Superstition Mountains north of me has burned over 2,000 acres and is 0% contained. There have been a number of evacuations east of Apache Junction, but I am far enough away that there should be no problem here. This is the view from my front porch...

Click on image to enlarge

Update: You can now see the flames from the fire...

Unleashing Elon Musk

This is the type of thinking that we need in government...

 

Toad Heaven

We finally got some monsoon rain & wind and I am pleased to report that my awning is still intact and my new roof does not leak. One group that enjoyed the downpour are the desert toads...

Click on image to enlarge

Storage Shed

One disadvantage to living in a park model is not having quite enough storage space for all your stuff. Today, I had a Suncast resin shed delivered which then had to be assembled. I suspect a good handyman could probably put it together in less than an hour. However, it took me almost three hours (which I think qualifies me to be on a state road crew). Once again, I was reminded of how bad my endurance is, particularly, in the desert heat. I would work for 20-30 minutes and then need a break. I am hoping that consuming mass quantities of alcohol and ibuprofen will dull the pain tonight. As I have often said "getting old is not for sissies".

Baby Rattlesnake

When I opened the front door this morning, I was greeted by a baby rattlesnake wanting to join me for coffee, so I called Scott, our professional snake removal expert here in the park. He told me that he had recently removed another rattlesnake near my home which makes me wonder "where is the rest of the family".

Click on image to enlarge

818,000 Fewer Jobs

How can you trust an administration/government that overestimates job creation by 818,000...

 

Nails & Screws

One hazard from having work done on my awning and roof is the number of nails and screws left on the ground around the house...

And just when I think I have found them all, I'll walk by a couple of days later and find a few more. It's like a never ending scavenger hunt.

Roof Repair

The same storm that damaged my awning also damaged a number of shingles. After looking at the roofer's photos, I decided to replace the entire roof with newer, heavier shingles so that I do not have to worry about leaks in the near future. My knees hurt just watching one of the workers haul 70 pound bundles on his shoulder up a very tall and steep ladder...

The other thing that amazes me is how Hispanics can work in long sleeve hoodies in 100+ degree weather!

Awning Repaired

I finally got the damaged awning repaired...

It's nice to be able to park all my vehicles in the carport again

Eerie Eyes

The toads were out in force last night...

Kamala Harris Parody

 
Sadly, the parody Kamala is more truthful than the real Kamala

Another Pack Rat

I noticed a rather large hole in the front of my home, so I setup a trail cam to see what was using it...

I'm setting out more traps and throwing some poison packets under the house to stop the infestation

Illegal Voting

A majority of House Democrats voted against a bill that would require voters to show proof of citizenship. Under current U.S. law, only citizens can vote in federal elections, but the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 prohibits states from confirming citizenship status. In my opinion, this is why Biden and his DEI administration have allowed 10+ million illegal and unvetted immigrants into the country. In swing states, it would only take a small percentage of illegals voting to influence the outcome of an election.

Democrats do not care about the country nor its citizens. Their only interest is getting and keeping power and they are willing to do and say anything to achieve that goal. If the DNC believed those illegals would vote Republican, I suspect Pelosi and Schumer would be on the first private jet to the border to help erect that wall.

Gambel's Quail Families

Video of a large group of Gambel's quail and a lone desert hare... 

The chicks are growing up

Saving Democracy

Democrats continue to say that Trump is a threat to democracy. As usual, what they accuse him of is what they are actually doing. Here is a video that proves my point...

 

Biden's Legacy

No Longer A Dry Heat

Southern Arizona is traditionally known for its dry heat (<10% humidity) which makes high temperatures more tolerable. Unfortunately, we are experiencing much higher than normal humidity levels (currently ~45%). If this keeps up, I may have to move to Florida this summer to cool off. <grin>

Click on image to enlarge

Storm Damage

Last night just before dark, monsoon winds swept through the park doing extensive damage. It tore up my carport awning and damaged the rear of my car...

It could have been worse. One of my neighbors lost their roof...

My next door neighbor lost their carport awning and the roof of their Arizona room. Somehow that roof was lifted in the air, tossed over my house and landed in the field across the street. Otherwise, there would have been significant damage to my place. It was one of the more frightening storms I have experienced and I have lived through a couple of hurricanes. Now, the ordeal of dealing with insurance and repairs begins.

Zebra-tailed Lizard

Pack Rat

What I thought was a large mouse appears to be a pack rat that was too big for the d-CON trap, so I placed the poison bait beside the trap and it took it. 

Update: finally got him with a Tomcat Rat Trap...

Babylon Bee

Here are two more reasons the Babylon Bee is my favorite satirical website...

Sign Of The Times

While waiting in the lobby for my physical...

Makes you wonder what people did before smartphones

Desert Rodent

Looks like it is time to put out the mouse traps...

Almost There

Gambel's Quail Family

Here's a video of a Gambel's quail family with a bunch of little ones...

Update (5/31/2024): This morning, I recorded a better, longer video of the quail family which I have posted at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ggA3W7lVRMU

Check List

In preparation for Memorial Day, I made a list of things I wanted to accomplish:

• Lunch - check
• Nap - check

It was a good day!

Desert Hare

Gambel's Quail

Here's a close up video of a Gambel's quail drinking water from my A/C...

If you would like to see similar videos, click here to view my YouTube channel

More Biden Gaffes

Another great vblog from Conservative Momma...

Fuel Prices

My friend, Keith, sent me this photo of fuel prices in Mississippi...

Looks like we are getting "hosed" here in southern Arizona at ~$4.00/gallon

Crocs

I finally bought a pair of Crocs. It's beginning to get a little warm here in the Phoenix area and I noticed that my fashion conscious neighbors (they look like the cover of GQ Magazine while I look more like the cover of Mad Magazine) were wearing them. So far, I have found them to be cool and comfortable, although it did take a little while to get used to the bumps on the insole. 

Liberals vs Conservatives

Windows "S Mode"

A friend here in the park bought a new computer with Windows 11. When she tried to install an app for one of her devices, it was denied. It turned out that the computer was sold in the "S mode" which will only allow apps that are in the Microsoft Store to be installed. Also, included in the factory installed software was McAfee Antivirus which I have found to create more problems than it is worth; I recommend deleting it before doing anything else with your new machine. If you run into a similar problem, here's Microsoft's directions for switching out of S mode:

• Windows 11 in S mode is designed for security and performance, exclusively running apps from the Microsoft Store. If you want to install an app that isn't available in the Microsoft Store, you'll need to switch out of S mode.
• Windows 11 in S mode is only available in the Windows 11 Home edition. If you have the Pro, Enterprise, or Education editions of Windows 10 in S mode, Windows Update will not offer Windows 11 because S mode is not available in those editions of Windows 11. Therefore, if you have the Pro, Enterprise or Education editions of Windows 10 in S mode, you'll need to switch out of S mode to upgrade to Windows 11.
• Switching out of S mode is one-way. If you make the switch, you won't be able to go back to Windows 10 or Windows 11 in S mode. There's no charge to switch out of S mode.
• To switch out of S mode, click here to open the Microsoft Store to the Switch out of S mode (or similar) page.
• On the Switch out of S mode (or similar) page, select the Get button. After you see a confirmation message on the page, you'll be able to install apps from outside of the Microsoft Store.

Emotional Support Snake

While buying groceries at the local Bashas', I came across this fellow and his live snake...

Click on image to enlarge

Arizona Commemorative Air Force Museum

Today, I visited the Arizona Commemorative Air Force Museum in Mesa, AZ which has an excellent collection of military aircraft from WWI to Vietnam...

Arizona Railway Museum

If you like trains, may I recommend the Arizona Railway Museum in Chandler, AZ. It has a unique collection of old locomotives, passenger cars and cabooses along with ancillary equipment...

Note that the museum is open only on weekends 10-4pm and is closed in the summer months due to the heat.

Vintage Aircraft Flyby

We were treated to a unique airshow this morning...

Climate Change

Climate change has become a convenient way for government to control every aspect of our lives. Already, they are telling us which cars we can buy and what appliances we can use. I suspect it will only get worse as it is in their best interest to scare the public by predicting "doom & gloom" and calling climate change an "existential threat". They want to spend trillions of taxpayer dollars on projects that they have no idea as to whether they will work or not, but will lower the standard of living for most Americans. Therefore, I found this common sense video a refreshing view of climate change...

Sign Of The Times

Full Self-Driving Vehicles

Full Self-Driving (FSD) technology just keeps getting better. Here's a video of a Tesla that will drive wherever you tell it to drive by itself...

I generally like to wait a year or so after something new is introduced in the car industry in order for the "bugs" to be worked out. It will probably take a lot longer than a year for me to feel comfortable turning over control to a computer, but I suspect this is the future.

Large Lizard

Here is a compilation video of a large lizard hanging out around my A/C. Look at the length of that tail.

Desert Toad

They're back! The first toad of 2024 came out of hibernation last night by my A/C. It will not be long before I will be blowing poop off my carport onto my neighbor's property <grin>.

Digitize Print Photos

I have a high speed scanner that can digitize large volumes of print photos up to 8x10 inches including the back (if it has any writing on it). This would allow you to edit the photos and share them with friends and family.

The price is $0.20/scan ($10.00 minimum) plus the cost to return your paper photos along with a 16GB SanDisk USB drive containing your digital photos (should be about the same cost as shipping everything to me). Use the "Contact Form" in the left column to exchange information with me.

Scary Stupid

Recently, Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee told schoolkids that the moon is a ‘planet’ and ‘made up mostly of gases'. I find it scary that someone that dumb can be elected to Congress. No wonder our country is in trouble.

"No-brainers"

According to her biography, she earned a BA in political science from Yale University in 1972 and a JD from the University of Virginia School of Law in 1975. In 2023 she stated that she is a 'clear recipient' of affirmative action. In my opinion, this is a great example of the dumbing down of America due to the liberal bias of our education system, particularly, our institutions of higher learning.