WC Welding

Pretty Little Dog and Cluck Old Hen on the Enoch Tradesman Banjo

2012-01-26T16:31:00.000-08:00

Recorded, unedited on a sony DSR 75 digital camera, it is grainy at best but the sound works. Once again I am tuned to A minor or Mountain Minor for these two old time songs. Played at the Lake Mead National Recreation Area, Boulder Beach campground, January 26, 2012. It always takes me warm up...a moment of shattered focus, called the brain fart by some, that occurs before I can perform the songs on camera. If anything, this process has taught me respect for the real musicians out there.

2011 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 at one month

2012-01-22T17:59:00.000-08:00

January 17th at Cottonwood Cove, I am at the one month, plus a week, ownership of the Chevy Silverado 1500. The milage turned to 1599 while rolling into the campsite. The mileage at fill ups so far has been 17.4 mpg and 18.5 mpg. That was mixed town and country driving during the break in period and I did not calculate the first tank mileage. The most recent fill up was at 1317 miles. I have driven mostly highway miles, light footed this trip and the gas gauge is right at half a tank. The six cylinder should offer some economy, as long as I do not overload the truck, hoping to get this baby up around 22-24 mpg on the open road.

The tire pressure warning system told me this morning to ad air to the right front tire. And all I wanted to do was check out a few radio stations.... I double checked the tires all around, the right front was at 26 psi and the rest were floating 28-30 psi. I will air them up in Searchlight when I leave for Boulder City, Sunday. I had a tire pressure warning system on a 2007 Toyota Tundra as well. It would flash a pressure warning when the truck was leaning too heavily to one side. It got to be annoying. This time , however was a good heads up from the Chevy.

Cottonwood Cove at the Lake Mead NRA 1/17-1/22

2012-01-22T16:54:00.000-08:00

Mid January 2012 and the venue is on limp mode. Forever Resorts runs the concession aspect of the Lake Mead National Recreation Area at Cottonwood Cove as well as Willow Beach, both on Lake Mohave. The company has invested heavily in these properties, RV sites, new buildings, motels, marinas and boats... lots of boats. The plan is to further develop the lake properties with the help of the Park Service. Add some beach access away from the marina to make room for more slips, for more boats and more boats bring more people and will make the business more money. But all that will wait for the late spring and summer because nobody is coming out here for wind and cold water.

The cafe is closed Tuesday and Wednesday but cooks up a great breakfast when open, prices are on the high side but OK. The general store is open 8-5 everyday, again the prices are a bit high with the exception of beer. Land gas was $4.04 per gallon for premium. Boat gas was $4.94 per gallon. Gas up before you get here.

The wind blows mightily and for an uncomfortably long spell through the campsite. It is a tent camping challenge, I had a days worth of panic and cussing Saturday but for only $5.00 per night with my Access Pass. There is water and a comfort station, AKA sink and toilets. The electrical power was blown away with the wind...good news, it was not cold.

1983 Airstream Excella 27 foot Motorhome

2012-01-13T14:39:00.000-08:00

This rig was driven out to Lake Cahuilla County Park for a trout fishing tournament to be held on Saturday, January 14. The RV park is usually full this time of year but the primitive campground got filled up as well for the event.

When I see these classic and destined to be classic vehicles, I feel obligated to record them. This is a gem, 1983 Airstream Excella 27 foot motorhome, original except for some plumbing maintenance. It has the Chevy 454 gas engine with less than 60K miles. The owner told me that he purchased the rig used in 1984 with very low miles. It has the original Onan 7000 watt generator. The interior is great with the original '80's style beige/brown fabric chairs and sofa. The carpet is a little dirty but not worn or badly stained. All the lights work, as well as the 2 AC units, no electrical problems. The tires are new and he has a rear hitch for a carrier. I do not recall the hitch feature as original but it is no deterrent from the value and new tires are a safety must. He attends the Airstream rallies all over the country and has several other vintage airstream trailers.

Tent Camping Again at Lake Cahuilla County Park, CA

2012-01-12T12:23:00.000-08:00

I have been given a few good tips about tent camping from the “full timers”. It is best to place a tarp on the inside of the tent, as opposed to laying the tarp on the ground and setting the tent on to tarp. The rocks and twigs will inevitably perforate the tent floor and if the tarp is below the floor material, water will seep in. With a tarp that covers the entire floor surface and a little up the walls, water cannot get to your stuff. Unless you have a hole in your tarp, good thing tarps are relatively cheap to replace, $5-$12 depending on the size at Walmart, so I try not to have that problem.

Tarps also come in handy to control wind and intense sun. Place a tarp under the rain fly that covers the windward screening or the sunny side of the tent. You still have your windows and the tarp does not stop the flow of air into the tent to much for operating a propane heater.

Get a tent that you can be comfortable in during poor weather. My Coleman, Meadow Falls, 5 person tent has a ten foot square base and is 6 feet tall in the center. The rain fly provides excellent overhang protection from the rain and the door is large enough so I do not have to crawl in. I got this tent at Big 5 on sale for $39.99, regularly $115. It pays to shop for the deals. It has handled winds up to 50 mph, so far but it is nerve racking. Having a hard shelled camper to crawl into when it gets blowing is the best alternative.

The Mr Heater, Little Buddy propane heater provides excellent radiant heat inside this tent. I get the heater going to warm up the tent on cold evenings, shutting it off before going to sleep. If the morning is nippy, I turn it on a few minutes to warm the space up. I bought this item at Bass Pro Shop for $69.99. I do not remember if it was on sale.

If you are a committed full timer, plan to stay at a campsite for a while. Once you get the tent set up you are styling. The BLM lands and National Parks/Recreation Areas have a 14 day limit, as a rule but there are LTVA (Long Term Visiter Areas) on BLM land all over the southwest from Lake Havasu to Yuma along the Colorado River, that allow for longer stays. Lake Mead NRA allows for 30 days at any one of the campsites, either at Lake Mead or Mojave and you can stay in the region for 90 days each year. Most of the BLM land is truly remote and without water or even pit toilets. I prefer the improved sites, plumbing in the comfort stations (code for toilets/sinks) is appreciated.

It is also good to be in an area that has cell phone/internet service. Lake Cahuilla County Park nearLa Quinta, CA has great AT&T service for my phone and internet router. At $75 per week for a primitive campsite, it is a bit high rent for a full time escapee but still within my budget.

Jumbo Rocks 1/8/2012

2012-01-09T17:34:00.000-08:00

I have not been to Jumbo Rocks in the Joshua Tree national Park since I was in the Boy Scouts, mid 1960’s. I think the park was a monument back then, lots of scouts and peace freaks, running about. We were out there for the wilderness and the stars, astronomy. I really do not remember too much about the trip, I did imprint on some of the constellations; Ursa’s Major and Minor, Orion, Cassiopeia and the Seven Sisters. The universe still revolved around the earth back then. The canvas tents smelled like mildew. I was worried about bladder control and freezing in the night. Everybody came back sun burned and bandaged from falling injuries. There were a lot of large rocks, fun enough.

The campground is well developed today. The big beast motorhomes have found the place,14 days at discount rates for the 40 foot snow birds and rock climbers. Recycle and trash bins line the road, there is still no water here but it does have the little, stove pipe pit toilets strategically placed in the loops.

I have one picture with my Chevy Silverado in the foreground, maybe allowing some perspective as to the size of the premiere rock phalanx at Jumbo Rocks.

13 inch MacBook Pro Battery Charging, Joshua Tree 1/8/12

2012-01-08T09:15:00.000-08:00

I bought the 175 watt Enercell inverter for $68 plus tax at a Radio Shack in Boulder City, November 2011. It is a great travel charger and works well, powering everything I use; MacBook Pro, Sony digital camera, cell phone... one at a time. This morning, while warming up the car for a drive to Twenty Nine Palms from the campsite in Joshua Tree NP, I could not get the charging light to change to amber. I had that feeling of dread I get when I am confronted with malfunctioning technology. But I recalled that the charging system of the MacBook Pro is temperature and humidity sensitive, so the owners guide foretold.... I did have a charging failure while camping during an afternoon of 70-80 percent humidity in August of 2011.

It was only about 5o degrees F, even in my tent and the metal casing of the computer was icy to the touch. I unplugged the charger, turned on the heater and drove to McDonald's in 29 Palms. I reconnected the inverter/charger system and the charging light immediately turned amber, all good. That pile of notices and advisories Apple packs in with the computers is not just to add weight to the box. Temperature and high humidity will cause your Apple battery charging system to fail but not forever.

So the Enercell 175 watt inverter is still working very well, some noisy moments, maybe a period of cooling fan cycling but not continuously. It charges the battery in the MacBook Pro back up from red/dead in a 2 hour drive.

I really like the Chevy Silverado 1500 power points. They even work with the engine turned off. And there is a sensor that shuts the system down if the car battery is in danger of running low. Are all cars like this now? I know, where have I been all these years?

Joshua Tree National Park, White Tank 1/3-1/9/2012

2012-01-07T09:18:00.000-08:00

White Tank campground in Joshua Tree National Park is named after the reservoir used by cattle ranchers until 1930. The boulders here are also defined as white tank granite, specific to this geology. The Arch Trail makes a .5 mile self guided loop around an area of the White Tank boulder field revealing the formation of several of its unique geological features. The arch is a small monument to this act of nature but worth the hike.

There is no water at White Tank campground, pit toilets only and the design of the sites allow for only smaller RV’s or tent camping. There is a sign limiting vehicles to 25 feet maximum, combined with a trailer but every day somebody rolls in with a 40 footer only to have to make a clumsy retreat back to the main road. The fee here is $10 per night with a 14 day limit. That made it $5 per night with my Access Pass putting this campsite right on budget.

Twenty Nine Palms is about 16 miles north of the campground. AT&T cell phone service, McDonald’s wifi and my AT&T router all work great there. I have received several calls in the park around the campground but the connection is poor.

My Chevy Silverado 1500 is working well. Just got the odometer over 500 miles, so we are technically broken in and ready for some cross country driving. The tent has been a great zone to escape the elements and play the banjo, so far. Wind and below freezing weather are the main downers for me regarding a tent.

Kitchen Girl on an Enoch Tradesman Banjo

2011-12-24T17:11:00.000-08:00

I have been adding a few more A minor or mountain tunings songs to my traditional music repertoire. Kitchen Girl is a lovely song that goes well in a set with Lonesome John and Cold Frosty Morning. Some day I will get a real video camera but for now I record using the MPEG format on my Sony DSR 75 digital camera.

Windy Days at Lake Cahuilla Recreation Area 12/22/11

2011-12-22T14:10:00.000-08:00

The wind gusts got up to 40 mph today, the forecast was for around 20+. Meteorology is, of course, an imperfect science. The back tent wall was bowed in for hours, pushing the table and whatever to the center. The rain fly has a spar that lifts it away for drip control, I presume... but the wind forced the structure up like a jet engine cowl, so it gets noisy in there.

I had to drop the sun shade and tether it down. If the wind gets any fiercer I will remove the canopy.

I am actually having a great time, wind and all. The coming weeks weather forecast in Indio looks calm and pleasant. This commitment to being a full time camper does have challenges along with the rewards.

1954 Ford Restored at Lake Cahuilla

2011-12-21T15:10:00.001-08:00

I noticed a little gem in the right of my viewer while taking a picture of the lake. The owner restored the truck to near original, I do not know about the bed cover and the suspension has some modification for drivability. It has the original overhead valve V8 engine, three speed transmission and the custom cab but this is all truck, lean and mean. It gets better than 20 mpg and it gets to go fishing a lot. The paint looks better than original.

The first really cool 1950's V8 F-100 series truck I remember was owned by my first boss, Mac of Mac's Phillip 66 Service Station in Placentia, CA. All that is long gone, a wave in the rear view mirror while he drove off to "see a man about a dog", code for a visit with Jim Beam.

High Ho Chevrolet Silverado at Lake Cahuilla, CA 12/20/11

2011-12-20T16:30:00.001-08:00

I am back on the trail at Lake Cahuilla Recreation Area near La Quinta, CA. I am getting to know my new 2011 Chevy Silverado 1500. I bought the truck at the Jessup Auto Plaza in Cathedral City by Palm Springs, CA, good people. I cannot complain about the deal and I really like the Silverado. The truck is easier to drive, much-much lighter and, well, it smells better. There are no gasoline cans, generators and food storage containers to add a pungent bouquet to the cabin.

The down side is the lack of storage space and of course the cot...it is tent camping time for awhile. I am ready. The stuff I do not use went into storage and I am considering thinning down my inventory even more. I met a fellow traveler by the name of Ken who has been tent camping using a 2010 Chevy Traverse, nice SUV but still has the smells thing by my account.

Lake Cahuilla is a good place to test out my new camping technique. Camping in the primitive area costs $15 per night or $75 for a week, 7 days. I am in budget at $10.75 per night through the Christmas weekend. If you have CA fishing license, costs $6.00 per day to fish for the trout they say is in the lake. There is an equestrian area, with trails and horse stuff on the west end of the lake. There is an airport nearby, I heard the jet engines. And PGA West, the golfing heaven/community is just a long putt to the east of the park. The lake is a sterile, man made hole and the trees are pitiful but shade is not an issue in the winter. The view of the mountains to the west in the evening is spectacular.

While I do not mind setting up tents, I have oodles of time these days, I am pretty certain that I will be mounting a camper shell on the truck in the near future.

The Dodge Van is History 11/26/2011

2011-12-20T16:07:00.000-08:00

My Dodge van/RV was parked in front of my daughter's house for the Thanksgiving holiday. The red Buick, shown further up the street, hit the driver side hard enough to break the front steering and suspension, along with customizing the sheet metal from bumper to bumper. All 4 hub caps were knocked off. I found one, crushed between the curb and the right rear wheel. I guess that the others are on a neighbors roof or part of the Buick. My insurance totaled the van due to cost of repair...I lost money on the deal but learned another lesson. Do not put money into old vehicles.

I will miss the van, it was easy enough to drive and fit into campsites all over the country.

Cold and Frosty Morning Played on an Enoch Tradesman banjo

2011-12-03T13:05:00.000-08:00

Two versions of Cold Frosty Morning played on my Enoch Tradesman banjo. Tuning is A modal or mountain minor.

Fly All Around, played on an Enoch Tradesman Banjo

2011-11-15T08:07:00.000-08:00

Fly All Around My Pretty Little Gal...or Blue Eyed Gal is one of my favorite traditional music tunes. I am playing it here in double D on my Enoch clawhammer style banjo. Again,the video is a stylishly grainy mpeg off of a Sony DSR75, the sound works.

Willow Beach National Fish Hatchery

2011-11-08T08:37:00.000-08:00

The hatchery was built in 1962, if I read the sign correctly. It originally raised sporting fish, bass, rainbow trout.... Now the hatchery is part of the effort to re introduce the Razorback and Boney Tail native species into the Colorado River. I do not know the species of fish in the pictures. But there were thousands of them in several tanks. They mass around the feeders shown top right, making the water roil. This hatchery is well worth a side trip to Willow Beach on the way up AZ Hwy 95.

Willow Beach Marina, Lake Mead NRA

2011-11-08T08:15:00.000-08:00

Willow Beach marina and campground is reached by taking the marked turnoff from Arizona highway 93 at about mile 14 from the Nevada Border. I was heading south from Hoover dam. The marina and facilities, including a campground up about 1/4 mile from the river are new. The building shown on the left has offices and a snack bar/grill. I did not notice a store but the grill was open and had good food. I ordered the breakfast burrito with coffee for $9.40 plus a $2.00 tip. It was a big serving but still a little pricey. The marina looked empty and there was very little activity on the river. There were two fellows handing out brochures for boat tours of the Colorado River from Hoover dam down to Willow Beach. They also rent kayaks and have kayak tours as well.

The campground is well laid out with easy parking for the big rolling outhouses. There were only two motorhomes in the campground, a bad sign I think. It has no shade but if you do enough desert camping you will learn to bring shade. I do not know if camping here is the same as the entire Lake Mead NRA, $10 per night or $5.00 with an Access Pass, usually a great deal. A couple I met when I was traveling back to Katherine Landing, claimed that the campground was being operated by a concessionaire at about $30 per night. A good reason for nobody in the campground.

Desert Hills Shooting Club, South Boulder City, Nevada

2011-11-04T16:52:00.000-07:00

The rifle range has covered shooting stalls. It was 100 yards to the berm.

You can see the Gun Club marker from Hwy 93, heading west from Boulder City. Take the Hwy 95 exit south towards Searchlight/Needles.

There are several open air pistol ranges

Zombie girl target, left over from Halloween

provided the backboard.

The club house sells shooting supplies, rents firearms; full automatic as well. There is a bar for when you finish range shooting or taking the sporting clays loop with your shotgun.

I tried out a new Konus scope on my .50 cal CVA Wolf muzzleloader. I shot a variety of rounds; 6 Powerbelt 295 grain hollow points, 6 Powerbelt 223 grain Aerotip and two .50 caliber round balls all using 100 grains of IMR White Hots. The zombie girl target was a bit over 50 yards. My first three rounds hit 10 inches low and 3 inches to the left. I adjusted the scope 40 clicks up and 10 clicks to the right. I am not using a sandbag or or bipod to steady my aim, so I ended up with the doughnut around the center. But I am getting closer, next time I shoot for 100 yards with a rifle rest.

This is a great facility, great club. There is an emphasis on shot gun sporting clays, which is very popular with a yearly membership is $300. But they accept non member, daily shooters; $10 for Nevada residents and $20 a day for non-resident people like me. Again, safety is stressed with a mandatory video screening and review of the range rules. These are very good shooting sports people. And I really enjoyed the clubhouse. Check this place out when you travel south out of Las Vegas.

"Lonesome John' Played on an Enoch Tradesman Banjo

2011-10-29T12:13:00.000-07:00

Here I am, working my way through "Lonesome John" on my Enoch Tradesman Frailing style banjo. It is grainy and I did not edit out the fumbling in the first set, sometimes I get the tune confused with "Pretty Little Dog". They are both played in A minor or A modal as the books have it. I will get a better video camera some day but for now I will keep posting with my Sony DSR75 in MPEG mode.

My banjo and guitar have helped me pass the time in campgrounds all over the country. I rarely meet other musicians or at least folks that bring their instruments. I keep checking the web for fiddle and traditional music festivals that I can attend along the way.

Echo Bay at Lake Mead NRA

2011-10-27T10:33:00.000-07:00

Echo bay is on the north west side of the Lake Mead National Recreation Area, Nevada Unit. It has gone though some hard economic times over the last several years, as have we all. There is a new concession management group operating the stores, RV Park and rentals. The motel/restaurant was closed about 14 months ago, never to reopen. The marina was moved about 2000 feet in late October 2011, while I was visiting, to the area shown in the picture. The service station, harbor shops and boat launch are all clean and functional but there is a depressed edge to the conversation with employees. My ATT cell phone service was spotty and I could not get the internet with even a 2G connection using my ATT Lightning Connect router.

The good news is that the National Park campgrounds are well shaded and have a happy couple hosting your stay. With my Access Pass the per night cost was only $5.00 and I just cannot complain. The comfort stations were clean with no visible graffiti or evidence a wild chimpanzee attack. The bathrooms I used had electrical service for razors and things, unlike the more frequented Boulder Bay campground.

Las Vegas Bay Marina By The Park Entrance

2011-10-26T17:23:00.001-07:00

The marina was floated over from the campground area named Las Vegas Bay in 2002, as stated in an earlier post. There is no water there now and silt was filling the bay from the adjacent river at an alarming rate. The carp and ducks all came with the marina in the move, there are a few striped bass in the mix, no fishing of course. If you enlarge the duck picture you can see his feet paddling over the swarm of carp. That open mouth is a great target for popcorn tossing.

There are actually two marinas in the harbor. The Boulder Bay marina was also floated over in 2002, it is to the right of the Las Vegas Bay Marina shown in the picture. You can take your pick from two separate general stores and restaurants. There are also lake tours offered, aboard a paddle wheeler. The water is on the rise, over 25 feet this year so far and I was told that they expect to be up 30 feet more by February 2012.

Boondockers and Fringe Dwellers of the Eternal Campout

2011-10-14T08:33:00.000-07:00

Traveling around the western USA, I have spoken to many people, mostly my age or older that have chosen to live a simpler life. They sold their homes, told the kids not to worry and headed out.... They go down to the National NRA, RV parks or BLM land or their own private reserve along the Colorado River in AZ. Some drive to the beaches of Baja California in the winter, get their teeth worked on in one of the Mexican border towns and tell me that the medical care in Mexico is excellent and affordable.

They have terms for their lifestyle, "Boondockers" or "Fringe Dwellers" and they get together for hikes or happy hour socials in the desert moonlight. Some have 40 foot motorhomes or 5th wheel trailers, others show up with a car and a tent. They have learned to let go of most things, literally the physical things but I get that most of these people has tossed the drama as well. It comes down to what you want to pack around in your life. And they still drive over to see the grand kids for the holidays...most have laptops, cell phones and use the internet.

Boulder Campground, Lake Mead NRA

2011-10-12T10:54:00.001-07:00

The campground is average for the National Parks service. I get the half price fee of $5.00 per night. There is water in the comfort stations (toilets) but no showers available to campers. The RV park/mobile home park is baboon butt ugly, saved only by the beauty of the volcanic creations and desert landscape. The lake is low but rising according to the rangers. One lady told me that the eucalyptus trees planted throughout the campground keep the mosquitos away...not. But there were very few, I give her that much.

Las Vegas Bay Marina was floated over to the Boulder Bay, about 12 miles in 2002. A lowering water level in the lake and silt deposits forced that relocation. It is about 1 1/2 miles away if you walk there from the campground. The marina restaurants had good breakfasts at between $7-$9.00 plus tip. The general stores have a good selection of food and other necessities, the Las Vegas bay store has beer and wine.

It is a great place to hike and bike ride around from your campsite. There are two general stores within a mile or so. The lake is within easy walking distance for fishing. The daily highs have been in the low 90's F and the nights in the low 60's F, not a cloud.

Fort Beale RV Park, Kingman, AZ

2011-10-12T10:42:00.000-07:00

The RV campground is off I-40 at exit 48, just south of the freeway behind the Chevron and Carls JR in Kingman, Old Town. I stayed one night for $31.02 including taxes. They do have monthly rates available for RV campers. They will waive the 10 year or newer rule with an inspection of your RV. It is not an aesthetics rule here, they do not want any disasters. There is a waiting list for long term camping because of the location and I will admit, quality of their RV park. It is a very clean, well designed park with reasonable prices.

Seven Mile Hill Shooting Range, Kingman, AZ

2011-10-10T15:52:00.001-07:00

Get off of I-40 at Exit 44 on the west side of Kingman, AZ, go north-ish on the road about 1/4 mile to Oatman Rd and make a left. The shooting range property is on the right, 3 miles down Oatman Rd. If I heard him correctly, the range master said they have over 800 acres of land with long range, 1000 yard rifle and 200 yard rifle and pistol ranges. There is also an archery range. I got there on a Monday, they are open 7 days a week, 8 AM-5 PM in the Fall. I was shooting from the number 8, 200 yard rifle range.

I tried out my .50 caliber CVA Wolf muzzleloader. I started at 25-30 yards using a door sized target. Using two 50 grain (100 grains) IMR White Hots, that is pelletized propellant as opposed to black powder and 295 grain Powerbelt hollow point bullets, the Wolf shot 6-8 inches high of where I was aiming but consistently with a 3 inch group. I walked the target out to the 50 yard marker and took three more shots. The impacts were 6-8 inches below the center and slightly wilder. I do not know if the wilder shots were from a dirty bore, the hollow point bullet wandering or my wobbly aim.

The recoil is rough, so after the first three shots I was getting spooked/weary of the gun. I can only imagine what the 150 grail loads kick like. The muzzle end developed a hard crud ring after six shots. So frequent cleaning is a must with these muzzleloaders but I knew this.... I prefer a scope to the barrel sights, that is on my list as well as a recoil pad. The gun really is a joy to load and shoot. I will simply have to get muzzleloader tough.

I spent another hour sighting in my AR-15. That rifle and the Millet scope combination work quite well when I steady my aim and have a good resting position. I can get 1 inch groups of three at 50 yards repeatedly. At 100 yards I am still a little wobbly, very inconsistent.

If you like shooting, this is a members style shooting range that allows for non-members to visit for a $10 fee plus targets, that is for all day. A one year membership of $50 is required of regulars. It is well worth the cost. The people are knowledgable, helpful and friendly. The property is well groomed and safe.

Katherine Landing, Lake Mojave Unit in the Lake Mead National Recreation Area

2011-10-10T09:17:00.001-07:00

The South Campground is open for the fall/winter campers. You can stay 30 days over the course of the year at the Katherine Landing NRA campgrounds and 90 days total for the Lake Mead NRA region. With my Access Pass the camping is $5.00 per night. It is a short walk to the marina, restaurant and store. The prices for for food and supplies is reasonable. There is a Walmart in Bullhead City, about 15 miles away. Laughlin is maybe 10 miles away.

My ATT cell phone works well everywhere but right down by the lake, to the left of the boat ramp. The ATT Lightning router can only power up to 2G but works if pushed, not reliable for pictures and blogging.

I stayed here for 5 days, through the weekend of Oct. 8-9. There was some boater use and camping travelers but the boater recreation season is over for the area. The snow birds fly in after Thanksgiving but there is always space available for camping, according to the ranger.

This is a beautiful place to stay. The prices are within the any camper lifestyle budget. You can even stay for up to six months at the concession operated RV park with full hookups for $30 per night or $425 per month.

The down sides can be the wind and that it can get cold in the winter. Most of the camping old timers head farther south after November.

My impression of Katherine Landing is positive. There is no aesthetics babble, like with my previously blogged KOA vehicle age and appearance incident. I give Katherine Landing 5 stars.

The AVI Casino KOA RV Park, Laughlin, NV

2011-10-04T18:55:00.000-07:00

I do like this park, mainly because the weather was great, there was very little in the form of dust and bugs and I enjoyed the rain and limited lightning in the evenings. It does unfortunately, adhere to the 10 year old or newer RV campground rules, there was a waiver for my overnight stay but long term campers must comply. It is not applied as a practical rule, say for a leaking septic system, fuel or oil leaks, faulty electrical systems...you know, real problems. It is because Ozzie and Harriet feel offended if they must park near a fading, dinged old RV, when they spent $500K on their rolling outhouse. The woman manager that proudly defended the rule was old, fat, with a fading posture...well dumpy looking, wearing a faded yellow KOA polo type shirt. She is a potential risk management nightmare for slip and fall on the job if you choose to be critical and by no means a poster child for the RV Campground industry. The question is; If the vehicle or person does their job, what do you care what they look like? We are entering an era of class war or at least class action suites in the making.

I do love the desert landscape and the weather was great but I cannot give this KOA campground my recommendation.

More TIG Welding Stuff

2011-10-02T11:32:00.000-07:00

The motorcycle theme bar stools were my favorite projects. The base was made from a used aluminum rim 18-21 inch, 6061-T6 aluminum tubing for the spokes and strut, a 2 inch aluminum truss clamp to hold the fork leg and the handle bar clamps from whatever model of vintage motorcycle fork leg I used for the stool (1970's Husqvarna fork leg is shown with a 21 inch rim, right picture). A clean weld is important, I removed the anodized coating, corrosion and crud from the rims prior to welding. Making this stuff was eccentric, pure fun, it always sold and I hope that it is still used and appreciated by the owners.

Fun with Steel 2

2011-09-30T08:40:00.001-07:00

Keeping the welds small with the TIG torch allows for easier clean up with a grinders and other shaping tools.... making the leaves and thorns requires patience. Some folks prefer the rusty look, this piece ended up with a rough, rust-brown texture sealed with a clear coat.

Fun with Steel

2011-09-30T08:19:00.000-07:00

TIG welding has so many practical as well as fun applications. I welded the glass top, table base shown above using mild steel round stock ranging from 1 to 1/4 inch diameters. Besides welding, there are many hours of sweat equity with a cutting torch and a grinder that go into this type of project. The entire surface is layered with silicon-bronze filler rod bead welded for the bark texture. I prefer TIG welding for sculpture work, it keeps the weld profile down for easier clean up and other metals can be clad to the steel with better control over heat and bead shape.

Technical Note: Why not heat treat?

2011-09-29T08:41:00.000-07:00

Lifting the HD full dress and other custom road riding motorcycles high enough for minor service and cleaning, or even to get the bike off of the side stand in the garage for the winter was the idea for this stand. The item shown is for a lowered, HD engine in custom frame. The aluminum platform is 24 inches wide, the handle about 42 inches. The handle is .125 X 1 X 2 inch 6061-T6 aluminum with a handle section of .125 X 1 inch round. I used gussets at the pivot and the curved section (opposite side of the sticker). The gussets re-enforce the welds but also widen the softer, heat affected area of the 6061-T6 weld joints. This could be bad for an airplane part but it helps disperse/absorb the stress load when lifting a 700 pound motorcycle 2 inches. The 1 inch round tubing handle of some of the stands bent slightly in the heat affected area of the weld after the repeated lifting of ridiculously heavy or lowered motorcycles but never broke.

Using softer alloy aluminum (al-5051) for this style of lift does not work well due to the lack of memory in the metal. Even with the softening of the 6061-T6 at the joints, the alloy can retain it's shape after many uses and abuses. I was always asked the "Heat treatment" question by non buyers: I welded aircraft/military industrial products most of my career, I am very aware of the need and use of heat treatments for metals. Heat treat options are cost prohibitive for these stands, since you would need to start with T-4 or softer aluminum and build fixtures for the process.... The bushings could not be installed until after heat treatment, making this pivot arm design impossible.

Technical Note: Motorcycle Work Station

2011-09-28T09:01:00.000-07:00

Top picture shows a folded, strut style work station leaning against the wall at my shop. This model had a recessed front wheel chock.

The motorcycle work stations were designed to fold for storage and travel as well. I used the same bushings that were in the stand lever arm assembly to pivot the station legs. The top picture shows a rail style design with a truss support for the table/rail top. The other stations were ironing board designs with strut supports for the table. .125 Aluminum 6061-T6 tubing was used with .125 6061-T4 sheet "deck plate". The sheet metal was stitch welded to the tubing to limit distortion.

The upper array was designed to help lift, then lower the motorcycle with a slight rising arch. Most people opted for my wheel chock design that cost less and were less complicated assemblies.

If you live in the LA area, Industrial Metal Supply (IMS) is a great source for aluminum metal of all shapes and sizes. Be as creative as you desire, build some things.

Technical Note: Folding Motorcycle stand Fabrication

2011-09-27T10:03:00.000-07:00

These stands were made for specific motorcycles, the lever arm folded out to lift the intended motorcycle and folded back in for storage and travel. I used machined 1.5 X 2 inch brass/bronze bushings to carry the swing load for my lever arm designs. One inch diameter center axle with the OD turned to fit .125 X 1.5 inch aluminum tubing. I did gusset these welds on the motorcycle stands. I never heat treated any of the welds. The combination of 6061-T6 aluminum, a sound weld and gussets in the right place made for adequate joints.

Technical Note: Motorcycle Engine Stand Fabrication

2011-09-26T16:55:00.000-07:00

My original WC Welding engine stands were welded using .125 wall, 6061 T6 aluminum alloy tubing or a mixture of tubing and .188 aluminum angle. The engine mounts were usually steel and welded to a piece of 2 inch tubing or 1.5 inch pipe. An architectural grade, 2 inch weldable aluminum truss clamp (I think one brand that I used was TUV) supplied out of LA, gave the stands a practical swivel feature for working on or showing the engines. I used 4043 aluminum filler rod on all of my aluminum products. In most cases gusseting was not needed. The welds were not subjected to shock and the combination of materials aged compatibly over time.

Note; welding AL-6061aluminum with 5356 filler can lead to the welds breaking over time when a load is applied.

Tarantula Hawk

2011-09-13T10:35:00.001-07:00

In reverse order; Top picture is the tarantula being stuffed into the wasp burrow.

Wasp dragging the paralyzed tarantula, she dragged it over my tarp along the journey. It was an impressive task.

Wasp looked at me once in between dragging the tarantula and cleaning debris from the burrow. I did inadvertently damage the burrow when I pounded in a rain fly stake for my tent.

The paralyzed tarantula body was about an inch long and 1/2 inch wide. The wasp left it several times to clear the burrow, a very meticulous bug.

The wasp, in action digging in the burrow.

The process took a little over an hour. The wasp dragged the tarantula about 8 feet from the time I saw her moving across my tarp. If I had not damaged her burrow, I am sure that she would have completed the task in much less time but then I would not have been able to photograph the event.

This is a recurring event in Southern California, the interaction between the Tarantula Hawk and her prey. The paralyzed tarantula becomes food for the wasp larvae and the cycle continues, at least for the wasp. I think the Alien movies were inspired, in part by this process.

New Plan

2011-09-11T08:14:00.000-07:00

The trailer conversion has not worked out. It is cramped, more than I thought. If I just needed it for storage...it was plan B anyway. The next time I decide to stay anywhere for more than a month, I want a few more conveniences; toilet, shower, less bugs, less dirt, within walking distance of a store or internet/cell phone service. Not to be disrespectful to the young Abe Lincoln's or Daniel Boone's out there but I do not want to have to take an 11 mile trip for a phone call every day. I live and learn.

I will get back on the road at the beginning of October. I would like to check out some places in New Mexico with Mesa Verde NP and the Grande Canyon in between.

Anti-gravity Chair

2011-09-06T13:16:00.000-07:00

As per the plan, I received the anti-gravity chair today. It fits in the small interior space of the Haulmark 5X8 trailer very well. There is plenty of room to stretch out to nap and enough side clearance for the slide out beverage tray that is attached to the chair. It should make rainy days or evenings watching the DVD's and cooking more enjoyable.

One note of caution; these chairs will flip you right over, like head thumping style, if you do not use the lock/set pull pin adjustment levers.

Farmer and the Cook

2011-08-21T10:33:00.000-07:00

The Farmer and the Cook is a combination organic foods market (a lot of the produce is grown locally) and restaurant located in an area near Ojai called Meiners Oaks. The store is small but has many loyal customers. The restaurant seating has a funky feel, very earthy in color and decor. I had a breakfast burrito; scrambled eggs, cauliflower, squash...a blend of vegetables and spices in a whole wheat tortilla with salsa on the side. I tried out their organic coffee, also. Everything was delicious.

This place serves good food, fair prices and smiles.

Trailer Shelves Pretty Much Complete

2011-08-15T18:11:00.000-07:00

The shelves are in and functioning. I will need to get a dvd player. My plan to use the cot from my van was foiled. I think I will try using a camping, "gravity chair"/recliner to save space. I have time to decide on a roost of some type. The inside still reeks of wood sealant, so sleeping inside will not happen for awhile.

Great House in Ojai

2011-08-15T17:45:00.001-07:00

This is my view of the main house on the property. The house is built to be energy and ecologically efficient. The windows look low because the house is dug down into the hillside, utilizing the thermal mass of the earth for heating in the winter and cooling in the summer. The design works quite well. There are gardens all around and a chicken coop with hens, as the couple I rent from grow much of their own food in their effort to best use the approximately 4 acres. Where the wheel barrow and wooden frames are positioned in the picture, they are starting a potato garden. Hard digging, there are a lot of rocks in the ground.

I will offer more pictures of the house over the next few months.

Starting The Shelves in the Haulmark

2011-08-08T19:35:00.000-07:00

My idea is to make the shelves hold what I need to use but be able to remove them if have something large to transport, like a toolbox or a motorcycle. I used a 3/4 birch plywood 4x8. It was more expensive than the cheap stuff at the local ACE, about $62 at Ojai lumber. The cheap stuff was truly ugly. I saw an add for quality plywood for $48 at Home Depot but the store is at least 30 miles away. The van gas mileage, you know...the math was not good. Next step is face boards and shelving supports.

A note about the $39.99 Ryobi circular saw deal; The blade that comes with the saw is not good for much, it wanders, dulls and smokes up almost instantly. I bought a generic plywood blade at the local ACE for $7.99. It did the job. Just another reminder for me to be aware of good deals. The saw is an ok, light duty tool. Cutting 8 feet lengths of 3/4 plywood does slow the tool way down.

Haulmark 5X8 Transport Deluxe Trailer Conversion

2011-08-06T17:51:00.000-07:00

I left Riverside on August 3rd. Friends have let me camp on their property off of Hwy 33 north of Ojai, CA. It is rustic and buggy during the day and hot, as expected for southern California during the summer. The plan is to convert my 2010 Haulmark DLX 5X8 trailer into a camper over the next month and spend 6 months here enjoying the wilderness.

I mentioned in an earlier post that RV parks across the country are not allowing vehicles and trailers 10 years plus to stay for extended periods (monthly or seasonal rates). It is purely aesthetics, the big dollar RV folks do not want a 1974, sun faded, rusty, road warrior parked next to their brand new, $500K, 40 foot rolling outhouse. The perception of power and affluence seems to be more important to many people than enjoying the moment....I plan for my 2010, low impact RV to conform to most of the RV park regulations for long term tenants.

So, I have to fit my refer, microwave, TV/DVD, toaster oven (it's a Cuisinart, so cool), cot, porta potti and clothes rack in for maximum benefit.

I will post the conversion progress as well as some Ojai local points of interest.

Back in Riverside 7/24

2011-07-26T14:40:00.000-07:00

I got back to Riverside, CA on Sunday evening. I was on the trail for about 10 weeks.

The plan had been to keep traveling north, then east to Glacier, Yellowstone, Rocky Mountain NP's and some of the National Recreation Areas around the Rocky Mountains. I would head back to southern CA by October. Turns out, the weather just would not warm up where I wanted to go. Or the wind and thunderstorms were tearing the campsites a new one. Just as well, I did not want to see too much more snow and I need time for the mosquito bites to heal.

I did ok on a tight budget, gas prices did not get up past $3.99 anywhere, lowest fill up was $3.499 per gallon in Oregon. I tried to limit the miles traveled per month to under 1000.

With the help of my disabled person Access Pass, camping costs per night were between $5.00 at Kalaloch/South Beach in the Olympic National Park to $7.00 for USFS camps and up to $10.00 at Army Corps of Engineer campgrounds, electric hook up included. For non federal lands camping I paid a high of $36.00 at Silver City RV Park in Carson City, NV . I averaged paying less than $10.00 per night camping for the ten weeks. If weight loss is an indicator of spending less for food, I did drop about 12 pounds.

Yosemite National Park 7/23

2011-07-25T14:01:00.000-07:00

I had never been to Yosemite NP. I figured that the western entrance would be a packed, so being on Hwy 395 anyway, I chanced getting into the park from Lee Vining and Hwy 120, from the east.

I knew that I would not be able to camp...there were so many motorcycles, cars and RV's, even some suicidal bicycle riders...because the place is beautiful and so close to a massive urban population center, it has too many visitors. I took a picture from the eastern entrance visitor center and bought a park sticker.

Bootleg USFS Campground 7/22

2011-07-25T13:47:00.000-07:00

Bootleg campground is in California off of Hwy 395 between Walker and Bridgeport heading south from Nevada. It was hot and arid during the day, ok at night but lots of mosquitoes being close to the Walker River.

The campground map at the entrance looks like a barb wire lasso. I took a walk around, 60 plus sites and most of the sites away from the highway were full. The forest is lovely, lots of old trees and ground cover, very Sierra Nevada mix of life, steep mountainsides and granite boulders.

The road noise is steady near the entrance. So I stayed there.

Virginia City, NV 7/21

2011-07-25T07:50:00.000-07:00

Note the cast legs of the Palace Saloon bar stools

Mark Twain lived and worked as a reporter here.

The "Suicide Table" in the Delta Saloon has an interesting history, go check it out.

The town has seen some hard times lately with a reduction in tourist travel to the area. It is a shame because Virginia City is really quite an experience, history, geology, the feel of a real old town that wasn't built as a theme park. It is a real place with rough boardwalks, real mines, old tobacco and gunpowder smells, some hints of mold and a lot of life left.

Silver City RV Park, Carson City, NV 7/20

2011-07-25T07:32:00.000-07:00

The park is a couple of miles south of Hwy 50, heading toward Minden, NV on Hwy 395. The gas station offers a discount per gallon for cash transactions. The park store is well stocked, there is a gaming area, a laundry room, showers and full hook up sites all for about $36.00 per night and $425 per month ($375 winter rate) plus some start up costs for long term campers. The park is very clean and well maintained. They have a 10 year old vehicle or newer RV rule for long term campers. That rule has become fairly common at the RV parks around the country.

There is no shade in the park, a few small trees and the wind blows through mightily at times.

Granite Flat 7/19

2011-07-24T22:49:00.000-07:00

This is a memorial of sorts to the native Lahontan Cutthroat trout, out competed for existence by the settler introduced Brown trout to Truckee River. The USFS is attempting to re-introduce the Lahontan species but has, as yet had no success.

The campground is homely and noisy from Hwy 89 but a good place to catch a stroll by the river.

Lassen National Park 7/17-7/18

2011-07-24T08:37:00.001-07:00

B. F. Loomis' seismic monitoring station is at the northwest entrance, near the Manzanita campground. The technology is old but it still works.

More snow at Lassen, beautiful views but limited trail access for most of us. The center picture show the depth of the snow at the trail head for Lassen Peak. The parking lot is at over 8000 feet and the road getting there had walls of snow 10-15 feet high on each side.

Still, there were thousands of visitors buzzing about the park.

Klamath Sportsmans Park 7/16

2011-07-23T20:20:00.000-07:00

The Klamath Sportsmans Park is a member run combination shooting/archery range and OHV park a few miles outside of Keno, Oregon. Check out a map, it is about 10 miles west of Klamath Falls.

350 acres with dry camping available for $7.00 per night. I paid $6.00 to shoot for the day on the 200 yard range. I could not effectively see the target on their 600 yard range even with my scope.

I have been interested in archery but I remember slapping my forearm raw with the bow string as a kid.

Safety is the key to enjoying shooting sports in general. The park has range masters living on site and an effective system of lights and horns to let people know when people are down range setting up targets. The facilities are simple, efficient and clean. The park has no junk or garbage cluttering the ranges, a few cartridge casings. They have some old timers that pick up the brass for reloading. Everyone that I met here was helpful and seemed to be enjoying their sport with respect to others and their environment.

Crater Lake National Park 7/12-716

2011-07-20T10:30:00.001-07:00

I camped at Mazama campground about seven miles down the mountain from the crater. There were big drifts/piles snow everywhere, on the trails, in the campground and swarms of mosquitos that did not seem to care about OFF. No real hiking, so I walked around on the park road.

As with all NP's Crater Lake is beautiful but activities were limited due to the snow and road closures. I headed south, I wanted to check out Lassen NP and a couple other places on the map.

Kalaloch/South beach at Olympic NP 7/7-7/10

2011-07-20T09:40:00.000-07:00

South Beach at Kalaloch (pronounced K'laylock) has been the best camping experience so far. Just south of the lodge and ranger station by about three miles on Hwy 101, it is a dry camp, so you need to bring your own water for everything.

Abundant sea life, bird life and enough wind to to chase the bugs away made this place a peach for me. I saw two whales, a fellow observer said they were Grey Whales, doing their thing. The next day porpoises surfed the beach at high tide. Thousands of birds float around on the easy rolling sea just past the breakers. Someone saw otters, I missed that but I did walk on the beach at low tide and saw a bald eagle perched high on a mostly dead tree overlooking the shoreline. I walked about 8 miles that day. The tide goes way out for hours, so I had time to wander.

Hoh Rainforest 7/6

2011-07-19T13:22:00.000-07:00

The big spruce log is 190 feet long from where it cracked off from it's base. The park uses the log to show the life cycle of trees in the rainforest. Young trees sprout up from the decaying logs, utilizing the dead logs nutrients and over time rooting themselves in the soil below. You can see the tunnels left by the process all over the forest.

I hiked the nearby trails, enjoying the sights for most of the day and evening until the mosquitos chased me into the van. The bugs here are fierce.

Forks Hardware 7/6

2011-07-19T13:11:00.000-07:00

The Forks Hardware store off of Hwy 101 on the way down to the Hoh Rainforest has the usual stuff as well as a hardware history of sorts for the Olympic peninsula. All of the homestead necessities, memories of service to the country; US Navy, bell bottom uniform (there are a couple of women's service uniforms, dusty but cool looking) and the obligatory vintage Coca Cola sign.

This picture does not do the display justice, it is a big wall.

Travel Note about Earwigs and Gasoline

2011-07-19T10:23:00.000-07:00

Ugly way to go for some of my uninvited guests.

The bugs seem to be attracted to gasoline. They crowd into the spout and up under the cap, dozens of them winding their way into the can. I have had to check the cans after every stop, or spend hours chasing the survivors out of the van.

Most die from the fumes and drown in the gasoline. These are really serious huffer-type drug addicts.

Fairholme Campground 7/5

2011-07-19T10:10:00.000-07:00

The campground is part of the Crescent Lake recreation area in the Olympic NP zone and about 15 miles west of Port Angeles, one hiking trail that I could see on the map. I did not try the trail. There is a boat launching beach/swimming area with a store. I prefer a little wilder/remote camping. But there was one cool happening....

The doe was not too afraid of people but did flick her tail if overly curious campers approached.

Hurricane Ridge 7/2

2011-07-11T07:19:00.000-07:00

The visitor center at Hurricane Ridge was the only place to buy Olympic NP stickers. It was freezing and windy as the name promised but worth the 12 mile drive up from the Heart O' The Hills campground. Tour buses bring visitors from all over the world. I met a group of wild and crazy Canadians, all at least 80 that did not seem to be bothered by the cold.

Lake Angeles Trail 6/29

2011-07-05T09:16:00.000-07:00

Very creative trail work on the way to Lake Angeles out of the Heart O' The Hills. I made it about 3/4 of the way up to the lake, too much rain. The roots get slippery and there is a lot of mud. It was a beautiful hike.

Heart O' The Hills 6/27

2011-07-05T08:56:00.001-07:00

Made it to Olympic National Park in the afternoon, it was raining on and off. Heart O' The Hills campground is about six miles out of Port Angeles. That is the entrance station to the park in the center picture. The campground is up the road to the left about 200 feet. The road will also take visitors to Hurricane ridge about 12 miles up on the mountain.

There are a lot of dead fall trees, no attempts to clear the forest understory, it is an old growth ecosystem. They want the whole story.

La Wis Wis 6/26

2011-07-05T08:34:00.000-07:00

I stayed the night at the La Wis Wis USFS campground off of hwy 12 on my way to Olympic National Park. The campground is about 10 miles south of MT Rainier National Park, my original destination but the big volcano was still snowed in, at least for camping. There was no water service at La Wis Wis due to a construction project. The camp and river were beautiful. The mosquitos were hungry.

The tree shown next to my van was 6 feet in diameter at the base and about 100 feet tall. Big trees all over the campground and lots of new, greenery.

Hodaka Days 6/22-6/26

2011-06-27T10:06:00.001-07:00

Hodaka Days is celebrated the last weekend in June. The small town of Athena, Oregon has hosted the event since 2000. The town was the original site of the Hodaka R&D and distribution facility and Pabatco, the acronym for Pacific Basin Trading Company Hodaka's parent company...you can research the history if you like.

I parked next to my friend Earl (Earl of Hodaka) in the RV site that the city lets the attendees use for free. There are events from Wednesday through Sunday; a poker run, trail ride, observed trials, parade and a motocross race, all on 1970's era Hodaka motorcycles. The swap meet is excellent and several new parts vendors show up to support all the Hodaka restoration efforts, fun enough.

Ice Harbor Lock and Dam 6/16

2011-06-18T10:30:00.000-07:00

Pictures of the dam and the south bank fish ladder the north ladder is over by the lock. Great engineering, I do not now about the sustainability of dams but the hydro power technology and the construction feat is inspiring. Cameras are not allowed in the facility.

There is a fish viewing room, you see the big fish swim past on the trip up river.

Charbonneau Campground ACoE 6/13

2011-06-18T10:09:00.000-07:00

The park is named after the indian guide and interpreter for the Lewis and Clark expedition as it traveled west from what is now North Dakota. Sacajawea was his wife and his infant son, Jean Baptiste also traveled with the party.... Anyway, this spot along the Snake River in Washington is dedicated to Mr. Charbonneau. He was also a good cook, so the story goes and he would sometimes cook a dish called, "...boudin blanc, bison intestine stuffed with bits of meat, boiled then fried in bear fat." Ummm, better than the fried dog.

In the distance, west, you can see the Ice Harbor Lock and Dam.

Lepage Campground, ACOE 6/9-6/13

2011-06-16T14:31:00.000-07:00

The picture on the right is of the rail and I-84 overpass going east up the Columbia River.

Four nights at Lepage, a good break from the cold and rain. Named after one of Captain Lewis's mates on the voyage of discovery. Lepage bartered for some wood with the local indian tribe, so the troop could cook their dog meat. The site on the banks of the Columbia and John Day rivers is named after Mr. Lepage. I guess not having to eat raw meat and rotten, moldy supplies was a big deal. I wonder what the dog's name was?

McKenzie Bridge USFS Campground 6/8

2011-06-16T14:12:00.000-07:00

USFS camping does not give the frills but maintains the beauty. $7.50 per night with my Access Pass. There was a table at the site, a water faucet a few steps away and an outhouse far enough from camp.

I spent one night here, on the bank of the McKenzie River. It is about 50 miles east of Eugene. There was store 1/2 mile up the road, next to a motel and a bridge...McKenzie Bridge. Far from the campground, I could get 2 bars on my cell phone. ATT is frugal with their cell coverage out side of the cities.

Baron's Den Range, Eugene, OR 6/8

2011-06-16T13:50:00.000-07:00

This is a great gun store/indoor shooting range. They sell rifles, shotguns and handguns and all of your shooting supplies. They do not barricade everything behind the counters... customer friendly and helpful. They do not allow plus .22 cal rifles on the range. 2000 fps max velocity firearms only.

Yes, you can rent and shoot the .45 caliber Thompson, gangster era machine gun. I did not ask if it was fully automatic. I did not shoot the gun, not on my budget. Oregon has an odd mix of folks, they are green but mean.

Schwarz Campground-Army Corps of Engineers 6/6

2011-06-09T09:28:00.000-07:00

I stayed at Schwarz ACOE campground, about twenty miles south of Eugene, near Cottage Grove for two nights. Well maintained, almost sterile, it has hot running water and showers. The campsites do not have hook ups, so having a generator to power up is good. If you like fishing the river has steelhead, chinook salmon and trout species, bass hangout in the lake above the adjacent dam. A young fellow, 30's ex military, fishing off of the dam platform told me about the local fishing. He was out of work but waiting for his disability settlement to blossom. Good luck waiting brother.

No ATT wireless service, Verizon works, at least that is what a working fellow doing a turtle survey told me. He stayed in contact with his office using his droid phone. His company is retrofitting the dam with hydro-turbines for power generating (made in China, note; we do not make anything here anymore). He was hired to identify animal life, that day it was turtles, potentially affected by the project. He lamented that he should be completing his doctoral thesis at WSU instead of tramping around the marshes looking for turtles, needed the money.... Anyway, his phone worked and he used Verizon.

Panther Flat 5/29-6/6

2011-06-01T13:24:00.001-07:00

Panther Flat campground is about 20 miles east of Crescent City, CA on Hwy 199. During the winter months, January through February it hosts steelhead fishing fanatics and from the accounts I heard from USFS workers, it is a full camp.

It is empty, except for me and the camp host, an old fellow from Florida that wandered in by chance one day, saw the Help Wanted sign and became the camp host. He is absent most of the day. I think he likes the waitress at the diner in Hiouchi. He gets to wear a USFS vest. Women like men in uniform.

It has rained every day, sometimes all day. A two camper touring group from Germany, more old folks, showed up on Monday 5/30. They brought their diesel powered RV's over, tall but compact, one had a roll up rear door for transporting motorcycles. They said they traveled around the USA and Canada for about 6 months each visit.

I have tried fishing, no success but the river is beautiful. I have mixed results getting a sustained campfire going. The wood is plentiful but wet, no surprise. I am leaving Monday, inland this time, looking for less rain. I have had some great music practice sessions in the tent after I got the leaks plugged.

Gosling 5/25

2011-05-26T13:47:00.000-07:00

I think that the big one is a mother goose or perhaps the kids lawyer. "No Paparazzi!"

So much for the locals, I will try to land a fish (with picture) by Sunday to show that I really am fishing the lake. Oak bottom lives up to it's name, I have lost two hooks with a lure and a worm, snagging the sunken trees.

Canada Goose 5/24

2011-05-24T13:26:00.001-07:00

I went over to take some pictures of the goslings bunched up on the shore next to the boat launch. This fellow came over before I could focus on the peeps and chased me back from the ramp. I will try for a shot of the youngsters when he is not around.

Oak Bottom Water ditch Trail 5/23

2011-05-24T12:48:00.000-07:00

Tall stands of manzanita line sections of the trail between the campground and the power station at the headwaters of the lake. The trail winds along the shore and allows several different views of the lake and gives shore based anglers a varied access.

I walked the 2.5 miles of trail and another .5 miles to the power station today. I will come back with my fishing gear over the next few days and try my luck.

There are plenty of good views of snow covered Mt Shasta Bally. The peak rises to 6199 feet and is a big recreation draw for the area.

Oak Bottom Campground-Whiskeytown Lake NRA 5/19

2011-05-20T13:44:00.000-07:00

Outside the house in Riverside, CA.

To Oak Bottom-

Left Riverside, finally, for the Whiskeytown-Shasta-Trinity National Recreation area outside of Redding, CA. Miles traveled to the campground were about 650, which is too far again for me but for some reason I have to hurt my back every time I drive somewhere. High gas price was in Riverside at $4.279 and the low was in Redding at a T/A truck stop for $4.079. I dropped the trailer off in Bakersfield. I will get an idea about the mpg in a couple of fill ups.

The campground area is great but the RV spot I reserved is an asphalt parking lot. Good thing it is still cool up here. This place would cook in the summer. I' ll be here 10 days, so there will be more to post, maybe a fish photo or two.

Heading North

2011-05-15T06:23:00.000-07:00

I decided to travel north starting May 18th, as opposed to an alternate plan to go east via the Lake Mead National Recreation Area-Grand Canyon NP-Mesa Verde NP...and other points east, then north. But straight north will get me to other places that I have been afraid of going for one reason or another, then east.... There will be rain and cold at least through early June. For fishing, which I intend to practice, the water is cold in the rivers and lakes. And fish are scary to me for some reason.

The recreation.gov site is priceless for planning ahead for camp grounds. Army Corps of Engineers and US Forest Service are the easiest to access and the prices for most of the camp sites are very reasonable. I will post pictures and details on my blog of each of these sites over the next few months.

Costs of traveling to Texas

2011-04-25T11:38:00.000-07:00

The 18 day, round trip mileage total was 3480, from Riverside, CA to Jefferson, TX with some short hops and a side track to Carlsbad, NM. Fuel was the major expense at about $950. My Dodge 350 Ram Van averaged about 13 mpg pulling the trailer, there were some strong winds blowing across Texas and New Mexico. Overnight and camping cost was $141 and food, including restaurant stops was somewhere in the $200 range. The cheapest deal at $35 was dry camping at Diamond Don's for ten days but I had to suffer getting chewed by ants. The Army corps of Engineer camp ground was the next best price stay for $10 per night with electrical and water, by far the best deal. I stopped over at KOA, once going out and once back for about $38.00 per night. The highest cost gas was in California at $4.159 and the lowest I paid was in New Mexico at $3.609. I bought a Texas fishing license for $58 and a Walmart fishing pole with tackle for about $40. There were a few more expenses...not much.

Fuel cost and driving too far in a short period were the trip down points. The spring and summer gas price hikes are predictable and I do not intend to travel that far in so short a time span over the summer months. I do plan to travel to several of the National parks in the west with Rocky Mountain NP being the farthest East. I plan to fish a few rivers and lakes, try out some shooting ranges in several states and see what people are doing in the the coming months, maybe without spending more than I make every month.

Carlsbad Caverns, NM 4/22

2011-04-23T18:17:00.000-07:00

Ansel Adams photography of the caverns is the best source for the beauty of this National Park. I just wanted to get a few shots of the entrance to the facility and the cave.

The ranger guide prepared me for the hike into the cavern as best he could, though I doubted that a downhill walk could be a challenge. It was a slippery, steep, cold and wonderful experience that made my knees hurt from braking. I took the elevator back up.

And then I rode it back down to walk around down in the cavern one more time. This really is a world treasure.

Lake of the Pines, Texas 4/17-20th

2011-04-23T18:02:00.001-07:00

Buckhorn Creek campground is an Army Corps of Engineers RV and tent camping area on the south shore of Lake of the Pines in Texas about 8 miles from Jefferson. I used my Access Pass here for a 50% discount on the camp site. It has water and electric sites, so there is no generator noise and I could fish all day if I wanted. I stayed for 3 days here, I caught a Northern Pike but the bass weren't biting at my jig. I still had a very relaxing and interesting time at this park. I left before the Easter weekend crowd and the folks coming for the Bass Pro fishing tournament. $105K in prize money for fishing brings out a lot of people.

Bugs in Texas

2011-04-23T17:39:00.001-07:00

I have been out to Eastern Texas 5 times in the last decade. This time the fire ants chewed me properly. And I had a queen wasp of some type relentlessly trying to build a nest in my Easy-Up.

After about ten days the bugs, dust and the noise of 1500 or so people riding motorcycles chased me away. I did my part helping set up the Vintage trials and checking a section on Friday. But when Sunday morning came, I was on the road.

Vintage Bike Racing Weekend At Diamond Don's

2011-04-23T17:21:00.000-07:00

I am no longer alone camping, by April 15th the park is packed. Along with the race bikes there are many people like me, offering old motorcycle parts as well as restored race bikes for sale.

These are two modified vintage Hodaka Motorcycles built for customers of Hodaka Dave.

Diamond Don's Steam Driven Train

2011-04-23T17:03:00.000-07:00

Part of the weeks activity at Diamond Don's Vintage AHRMA National is riding the train from the racetrack to the town. The steam engine driven train at Jefferson, TX is a replica of the early locomotives of the 1800's. It has open, theme park style seating for viewing the wilds of the Big Cypress Bayou.

The station and the weekend Ghost Train offering, complete with paranormal guest speakers is an active tourist attraction for the town.

Diamond Don's, Jefferson, TX

2011-04-14T11:27:00.000-07:00

I arrived on April 7th (trip took 3 days) at the Cypress Bayou RV Park, site of the 2011 AHRMA Vintage motor sports National race event. Diamond Don let me dry camp my rig in the clearing above the infield.

That's my van and trailer between the trees in the picture to the right, the RV park entrance to the left.

The infield is sparsely occupied with race course helpers...I am the first actual race guest at the park. Though I am technically a worker because I help layout and check the Vintage Trials event

Heading to Texas

2011-04-14T11:14:00.001-07:00

I have the van and trailer ready to start on the trip to Diamond Don's River-port National AHRMA event in Jefferson, TX. The van set up with the bunk, food and water, etc. within easy access. All the gear is in the trailer. I do not want to stay in motels, maybe a KOA or RV park and use the rest stops as needed. The plan is to keep the rig below 60 miles per hour and take it slow this time. Save on the fuel and the travel stress

Death Valley National Park Trip

2011-02-09T12:57:00.000-08:00

I headed out to Death Valley National Park for a test of my tent camping equipment. I went out via I-15 and HWY 395 from Riverside, CA. MapQuest quoted the travel time at about 4.5 hours for 275 miles. It took a little over 6 hours with some stops for gas and viewing the country side.

Parking lot at Father Crowley Vista over looking the top end of the Panamint Valley. That's my 1994 Dodge B350.

My camp set up at Furnace Creek on Monday. The Coleman 10X14 tent was easy to pitch, though it did take about an hour.

The wind picked up to around 40 mph on Tuesday and Wednesday. Some campers lost their tents...whoosh.

I tied the tent fly to the van, picnic table and a large rock after the wind ripped out the stakes. Wind and very intense sun really do try my patience with tent camping. The effort of keeping a small environmental foot print while enjoying the natural wonders is going to be a challenge.

Getting ready for a 2011 road trip

2011-01-17T12:13:00.000-08:00

The plan is to head out in late January for an extended visit to some of the southwest points of interest...see you out there.

Looking Up

2009-10-25T09:20:00.000-07:00

When I got up to pay for my coffee and doughnut, the clerk at the 7/11 pointed at my left shoulder. "Why sir, you have a bird spot on your sweater. That is very good luck." He had the most sincere smile.

I had to strain my head around (my left eye is blind) to see what he was pointing at and sure enough, there was a blob of bird shit. "Oh yes." I answered, returning a smile, not feeling the luck but he seemed so happy about the event. I paid the $1.88 and walked out, pausing once to flick the turd part off in the parking lot. I did not want the added luck of eating that with my chocolate bar.

Maybe it is good luck in Pakistan, is one thought. More likely it is just a break in his typically boring day to point at a bird poop on a customer's shirt. Less exciting than a robbery at gun point but a better than average encounter.

I think the bird poop stain looks like the Virgin Mary, standing in the fog and waving at passing airplanes. Or maybe the Statue of Liberty.

TQM

2009-10-24T16:49:00.000-07:00

In the final days of Northrop Corporation's Ventura Division (I had been with NCVD about 5 years) the company management unleashed a last ditch effort to save face with the government (all of the overcharging and "Radio Shack parts in the guidance systems" stories were a real stock downer). The first salvo was called CPI or "Continuous Process Improvement" classes aimed at ensuring all employees had personal ownership in the products that we riveted/welded/inspected...and we were encouraged to sing out with any suggestions on how to improve whatever process we were performing. The idea was to do this continuously-CPI. I recall Bill Thomas (a tooling shop machinist and a real old timer with Northrop) telling me that, "this is the beginning of the end." I was shocked by that kind of sarcasm at the time. CPI seemed down right noble to me.
A few months later we were all sent to some more classes. The "Total Quality Management" series began. The idea was a bit like CPI and the same contract educators presented the material. We had to break down into small groups, perform role playing senarios and get in touch with the concept of quality. "Who is responsible for the quality of your work?" Why the answer is-"YOU IS" (are). And there was a day reminding us about honesty and ethics.
Bill asked me. "What's TQM stand for?"
I answered. "It stands for Total Quality Management, Bill."
He said. "No man, it means, Time to Quit and Move."
How right he was.
Every time I hear President Obama speak I remember the eloquent delivery of the CPI and TQM course teachers. Those guys could talk ethics, quality and personal responsibility like nobody I had heared. It was later in my life that I learned that talk is the cheapest resource.

Working People: Rob's Auto Repair

2009-09-11T10:27:00.000-07:00

Rob's Auto Repair in Ventura, CA

Toyota 4X4 Engine Rebuild

One part at a time.

Cars waiting to be picked up by owners, if they ever pay for the work. That is one of the down sides of self employment. One other side of self employment is fees. City fees, States fees, Federal tax, Air Quality Mgt fees, Hazardous waste (oil stuff) fees....Making some money can always be motivating when you work for yourself.

I met Rob in the mid 1990's. He is a vintage (and modern) off road motorcycle rider, loves Bultaco motorcycles. He has restored many trials and MX model Bultacos for himself and others over the years and still owns several of the bikes.
1970's Bultaco Frontera

Rob still maintains my vehicles or will when I get around to owning one again. Most of Rob's customers are repeat business. He has a deserved reputation for good work and fair pricing. His motorcycle restorations are some of the most original and dependable. Now if he could get more people to actually pay for the work, he could almost be persuaded to stay in business.

More Old Stuff from WC Welding Days

2009-08-23T10:37:00.000-07:00

I made the Aluminum Folding Work Tables from 2002-2007 (about 30 made) They sold from between $500-$600. I sold several of the demo/prototype stands at the tracks for $300. I wish that I would have kept one.
One style was made with struts for support and another style was a truss design. They were relatively light and easy to move around a garage or race pit. They all folded up for storage and travel.

Stuff I Used to Make; Re Visiting Old WC Welding Products

2009-08-22T16:52:00.000-07:00

August 22, 2009 Reviewing Old Products:

Vintage Stool (about 100 made 1996-2007)
It had an oak or poplar seat and an aluminum base. Pictures show how the item looks now and when new.
The stools were all about 16 inches tall and were made primarily to sit on while servicing a motorcycle. They were easy to move around and strong enough to hold the weight of most vintage and modern off road motorcycles. The wood can get scuffed up but it is restorable and replaceable. I sold the stools for $80.00

Engine Stand (about 100 made 1996-2007)
The stand bases varied over the years but were all aluminum and used the same style 2 inch clamp to hold the engine mounts.
The bases were 12 X 16 inches with the riser varying in height on a 15 degree angle. I bought the aluminum clamps from a theatrical lighting company in LA,California. The engine stands sold for about $160 plus the cost of the mount.

Lever lift style stands (about 500 made 1994-2007) both fixed and folding design. The folding lever arms are the only style shown. They sold for between $160-$200

I did not make much money manufacturing these items but it kept me going to the Vintage races around the country for years. And I enjoyed the creative outlet. I never made one item exactly the same.

Blood Pressure.Hypertension and Weight Watcher's

2009-08-18T18:04:00.000-07:00

In early June I tipped the scale at 263 pounds in my birthday suit. I am 6' 4" tall but but that is still a lot of love to hang on a body. Unmedicated my BP was 198 over 93 and rising, (even on a new higher dose of BP meds my pressure stayed around 136/90) my back hurt constantly and my feet went numb at night when I slept. I had been resigned to this state and accepted it along with my other ailments. Blind, bad back and neck, vertigo from Meniere's disease and depression... I got tired of running the ailing, fat boy story.
June 14th I started on a Weight Watcher program along with my sister. I did not have too much faith in the process because it did not appear to be a serious diet. No real push to exercise or ban certain food groups at all. Just keep track of what you eat, focus on the fruits and vegetables, be aware of the fat content and obey my daily point allowance. I never really paid attention to what I ate. It was sort of exhilarating, a project that even a fat, lame guy could do.
I lost 10 pounds in the first week. I never realized the process could be this simple. I ate great meals and no diet foods or drinks. I just paid attention to the portions. And I started to walk more.
This is mid August and I am down 30 pounds. I have a quite bit left to go to hit my BMI (body mass index) goal of 205 or less. But my BP is down noticably. So much so that I have cut my meds in half. I actually had a scare when I passed out for having too low blood pressure after getting up to use the toilet one evening. The doctor cut the meds in half and figures that I can get med free if I keep the weight loss going. So far my BP is at 104/60 resting rate.
This stuff is probably old news to most people but it came as a real revelation to me. While my eyes will not get better, my body feels better and I have some control over my depression, an action I can take. My back and neck still hurt but I do not care. Thank you Weight Watchers.

Welding Products and Projects

2009-08-18T10:44:00.000-07:00

Some projects I have made as a welder and manufacturer.

Me and Bud (short guy) building a magnetometer for Northrop in the 1980's

Vintage motorcycle work stand with
a 1962 TriBSA 650 pre unit.

Del and me working on a chase van control panel

Modern Dual Sport and MX stand

Modern motorcycle work stand with options

Presumed Ocular Histoplasmosis Syndrome, Medical Practice and Maybe Nationalized Health Care

2009-08-16T12:00:00.000-07:00

I have been slow to take a stance regarding most State or National health care issues. For most of my working life I either had insurance through my job or the wife's job (ex wife now). And up until 2007, I paid for my medical and dental care out of pocket as a self employed individual. It could get pricey, especially the dental proceedures but I was healthy for the most part and did not see a doctor for years at a time...but it is the little things that get you, like fungus.

Now after 7 years of being practiced and mal practiced on I have an opinion about the need for a National health care system. But let me lead into my rant with the background to my health care problem.

In the later part of 2000 I noticed a spot in the vision of my left eye. Being a welder and metal worker, I assumed the problem was related to my trade; perhaps a flash burn or a bit of metal had affected the surface of the eye. I waited several weeks before going to see (funny to me now how we use "see" in referrence to contact) an opthamologist.

That is how I learned that I had POHS, a disease that can presumably cause hemorrhaging of the blood vessels of the retina. In my case the blood vessels were bleeding out into the viteous humor (fluid) of the eye. The blurred vision that I was experiencing was the blood floating around in the eye and there was a blind spot where the vessels burst just outside of the vision center. I saw the spot in the upper left above my vision center. The authorized treatments for the syndrome at that time were laser cauterization.

Skip forward to 2002 and my third laser surgery to stop the bleeding in my left eye. This time the doctor completely burned out the macula (vision center) of the left eye to stop the bleeding. By this time it had become pretty much common knowledge that laser techniques were counter productive for this disease, maybe even triggering more hemorrghing in the the macula. There was a drug called Macugen, being used on a trial basis for the treatment of wet macular degeneration and retinal bleeding that could be injected perhaps into the eye or directly behind the eye to stop the bleeding. I was not a candidate for the trial due to the advanced stage (or buggery practiced upon) of my left eye.

I paid all the medical bills to have my left eye functionally blinded. Though, I do thank the doctor for discounting ($)the proceedures. He did not know what to do about this disease. He had access to every bit of data about the syndrome at the time and acted in good faith.

Today there is a fairly well accepted drug treatment using Avastin (a cheaper alternative to another dirivative of Macugen called Lucentis, the FDA approved drug for wet macular degeneration). If the big Histo spot (Doctors call them lesions due to the presumptive nature of the disease) in my right eye blows out, an injection or two will stop the bleeding and reduce the possibillty of blindness in my right eye. I do not know if any of this drug treatment story is true but I will never let a doctor use a laser on my retina again.

Where I am now is functionally blind disabled from ever welding and light sensitive in both eyes. It feels like a tooth-ache behind the eyes when bright light hits them and it is not glaucoma. I have a County Med Center doctor monitoring my condition because I am broke (BK) and on MISP (medically indigent). He likes himself a lot and tells the interns training at the hospital that he has testified in federal court about all kinds of eye conditions. He rattles on so much that I have to remind him shut up and check my eyes.

I do appreciate that while broke I am receiving care for my disabilities in this nation, POHS being just one. But the medicine for profit motive and the overpriced numbers on the hospital bills they send me are just crazy. I believe that medicine is a practice. Some doctors are much better than others but no matter how good, they are all faced with mal-treating people just to learn. National health care may be able to level this dilema, remove lawyers, insurers and drug companies from the conversation so doctors do not hesitate to use the newest or best option. In my case the unhindered use of Macugen would most likely have stopped the bleeding in my left eye and the cost would not have been controlled by a drug company or risk management bimbo. And I could have paid for it all.

Check out (GOOGLE) POHS on the web for more information about the disease.