THE HEAT ……

THE HEAT IS KILLING US.  MAY AND JUNE WERE EASY, BUT JULY HAS BEEN LIKE A FURNACE.  I’M GOOD UP TO 110 DEGREES AND THEN I FALL APART.  WE BOTH HATE HOLING UP INSIDE, WITH THE A/C RUNNING. 

JUST TO PROVE MY POINT, EVEN THE PUZZLE TABLE IS DOWN AND STUFFED INTO THE SHED.

THE HEAT TOOK IT’S TOLL ON ON THE DEPENDABLE HONDA.  ANYTHING THAT IS PLASTIC OR RUBBER GOES TO HELL IN THE SUN AND HEAT.  THE PLASTIC OVERFLOW TANK ON THE RADIATOR CRACKED AND ALL THE COOLANT LEAKED OUT INTO THE AIR FILTER.

WHAT A MESS, NEW RADIATOR, CLEAN AND FLUSH EVERYTHING, ETC, ETC. A $1,000.00 BUCKS LATER AND IT’S THE DEPENDABLE HONDA AGAIN.

WE STILL HAVE AUGUST TO GET THRU, AND WHEN WE SHOW UP IN LACROSSE FOR THE TORCH LITE PARADE AND COMPLAIN ABOUT THE FREEZING COLD, I WANT YOU TO REMIND US OF JULY ON THE LOWER DESERT, AND TELL US TO SHUT-UP!!!

EIGHT DAYS

THE TIMING WAS PERFECT, AS ONE OF OUR TWO HOUSE SITTING JOBS CAME THROUGH LAST WEEK.  IT HAD TO BE THE HOTTEST WEEK OF THE SUMMER WITH FOUR OR FIVE DAYS IN A ROW GOING OVER 110 DEGREES AND WE WERE SITTING SMACK DAB IN THE MIDDLE OF THE SWIMMING POOL.

IT WAS SOOOO NICE……

HOW NICE? WELL WE ONLY WORKED 23 HOURS FOR THE WEEK AND SAT IN THE POOL DRINKING JACK AND ICE COLD BEERS.  I ATE THREE RIBEYES OFF THE GRILL AND SHOUTED FOR GLEE WHEN THE HOME OWNER CALLED AND SAID THEY WERE SPENDING AN EXTRA DAY BEFORE THEY RETURNED HOME.

I WAS HAPPY WITH SUSIE, THE CAT, AS SHE ONLY RAN ONE A/C WHILE WE WERE GONE AND HELD THE ELECTRIC BILL DOWN TO UNDER $5 A DAY, AND SUSIE, THANKS FOR WATERING THE PLANTS.

 

WATER FAN

I MENTIONED IN A PREVIOUS BLOG THAT I WAS GOOD SITTING OUTSIDE ON THE PORCH UP TO 105 DEGREES IN THE SHADE.  I GET BY BECAUSE I SIT IN FRONT OF THIS WATER FAN.

 

I SIT UP TO A WHITE TABLE WITH MY LAPTOP AND CAN LOOK OVER AT THE TV IF ANYTHING GOOD IS ON, VERY COMFORTABLE.  OF COURSE IF WE ARE SITTING OUTSIDE ON THE PORCH, THERE IS NO REASON TO BE RUNNING THE A/C INSIDE.

IN THE BACK OF THE FAN IS A WATER TANK AND A RECIRCULATING PUMP THAT KEEPS THE MATERIAL IN THE BACK OF THE FAN WET.  AS THE FAN PULLS THE AIR THRU THIS WET MATERIAL THE PROCESS OF EVAPORATION COOLS THE AIR.  OF COURSE THIS PROCESS WORKS BEST IN THE DRY HEAT WITH VERY LOW HUMIDITY.

 

THE FAN GOES THROUGH A LOT OF WATER.  ON A TYPICAL AFTERNOON THE WATER FAN USES 12 GALLONS, SO MARY RIGGED UP THE BLUE JUG TO FILL THE FAN.

 

NOW YOU KNOW ONE OF MY SECRETS TO SITTING OUTSIDE IN 100+ DEGREE HEAT.

KITCHEN CABINETS

IN THE TRIPLE DIGIT HEAT, PROJECTS TEND TO HIT THE BACK BURNER, AND THAT’S BEEN THE CASE WITH BUILDING A KITCHEN OUTSIDE ON THE PORCH.  WHEN THE WEATHER IS REASONABLE, WE FIND OURSELVES SITTING, WATCHING TV, WORKING ON THE PUZZLES, AND DRINKING ICE COLD BEERS.

IN JUNE WE FINALLY GAVE UP THE SEARCH FOR USED KITCHEN CABINETS AND DECIDED ON NEW ONES FROM LOWES.  WE WAITED UNTIL THE FOURTH OF JULY FOR OUR CABINETS TO GO ON SALE AT 20% OFF.  THEY WERE LOADED INTO THE TRUCK WHERE TWO OF THE THREE REMAIN TODAY.

OF COURSE WE BOUGHT BOTTOM OF THE LINE, WHY RISK A $1,000.00 ON KITCHEN CABINETS TO SET OUTSIDE IN THE WEATHER AND EVEN AN OCCASIONAL RAIN STORM?

BECAUSE CHEAP CABINETS ARE MADE OF PRESSED BOARD, RAIN WATER IS OUR BIGGEST CONCERN.  THE WATER CAUSES THE PRESSED BOARD TO DISINTEGRATE.  WE BROUGHT THE FIRST UNIT INSIDE THE PORCH AND APPLIED THE MARINE VARNISH FRONT AND BACK.

TO KEEP THE CABINETS UP OFF THE FLOOR AND OCCASIONALLY  SITTING  IN WATER WE DECIDED TO BUILD A 2X4 BASE.  MARY GAVE ALL THE 2X4’S A DOUBLE COAT OF VARNISH AS WELL.

SAME TREATMENT FOR THE BACK LIP OF THE COUNTER TOP.

 

SO IT WAS VARNISH, DRY, VARNISH, TOO HOT TO VARNISH, OPPS, HERE COMES A WEEK OF MONSOON STORMS, GET THE STUFF INSIDE AND COVERED UP……

FINALLY IT’S THE DAY TO SET THE FIRST CABINET ON THE 2X4 BASE  TO SEE IF  OUR EFFORTS AND VARNISH ARE GOING TO PROTECT THE BACK OF THE CABINETS.  I GOT UP LATE THAT MORNING  AND  BEFORE I EVEN POURED MY FIRST CUP OF COFFEE MARY ANNOUNCED THAT SHE HAD MADE AN EXCUTIVE DECISION. THE PORCH NEEDED TO BE PAINTED BEHIND THE CABINETS.  I STEPPED OUT ON THE PORCH AND THIS IS THE MESS I SAW.

 

I HAVE TO GIVE MARY CREDIT, SHE SKIPPED A NIGHTS SLEEP JUST TO PAINT WHERE THE NEW KITCHEN COUNTER IS TO GO.  WHEN WE FINALLY SET THE FIRST CABINET AND COUNTER TOP AND STUDIED IT OVER, WE CAME  TO THE CONCLUSION THAT THE RAIN INDEED WAS GOING TO COME THROUGH THE SCREEN AND RUN DOWN THE BACK OF THE CABINETS.

BACK TO THE DRAWING BOARD.  IF WE’RE GOING TO DO THIS RIGHT LET’S TAKE THE TIME TO COVER THE BACKS BEFORE WE SET THE COUNTER.

THAT’S THE UPDATE. TUNE IN, IN AUGUST, I GUESS, TO SEE WHERE THE PROJECT STANDS.

SAME SHIT, DIFFERENT DAY ….

ENN SOLAR

ENN SOLAR COMPANY? NEVER HEARD OF IT? ME EITHER UNTIL LAST WEEK.

WITH ALL THE GLOOM AND DOOM BLOGS I’VE WRITTEN ABOUT THE CASINO INDUSTRY IN NEVADA, ALONG COMES THIS STORY.

ENN SOLAR IS AN INTERNATIONAL COMPANY FROM CHINA THAT WANTS TO BUY 5,400 ACRES OF WORTHLESS DESERT LAND JUST SOUTH OF LAUGHLIN, AND SPEND $6 BILLION DOLLARS CONSTRUCTING A FACTORY TO BUILD SOLAR PANELS AND A SOLAR FARM.  THIS MULTI-PHASED PROJECT WILL RESULT IN 4,000 CONSTRUCTION JOBS AND 1,700 – 2,000 PERMANT JOBS ONCE THE PROJECT IS COMPLETE.

JUST PINCH ME!  IF THIS COMES TO BE, IT WILL BE THE GREATEST THING TO HAPPEN TO LAUGHLIN/BULLHEAD CITY EVER!

SISTER LANE VISITS

IF YOU RECOGNIZE THE PEOPLE IN THIS PICTURE YOU PRETTY MUCH KNOW HOW THIS NIGHT WENT.


(RIGHT TO LEFT, BILL, DANNY, REX, SISTER LANE)


I’M NOT SURE WHY, BUT DANNY BECKER ALWAYS REFERS TO HIS OLDER SISTER AS “SISTER LANE”.  SISTER LANE DID THIS, SISTER LANE SAID THAT, ETC.

SISTER LANE IS A TRAVELLING NURSE FOR THE VETERNS ADMINISTATION HOSPITALS.  SHE IS JUST FINISHING AN ASSIGMENT TO THE VA HOSPITAL IN LAS VEGAS. ALTHOUGH SHE’S BEEN IN VEGAS FOR SEVERAL MONTHS, THIS IS THE FIRST TIME WE GOTTEN TOGETHER.

DANNY WAS IN LAS VEGAS WITH BECKER TRANSPORT DELIVERING FOUR CARS FROM THE MID-WEST. WHILE DRINKING 10 – 20 BEERS ALONG THE COLORADO RIVER IN THE LAUGHLIN CASINOS, WE FOUND A NEW WATERING HOLE CALLED THE BIKINI BAR.





WE CERTAINLY ENJOYED OUR VISIT AND GETTING CAUGHT UP. DANNY STAYED IN CHARACTER AND SHOWED UP FOR WOOD FIRED PIZZA AT THE BELLE WITH THE BARTENDER, BECKY, FROM THE BIKINI BAR.

 

DESPITE SCORING $17 ROOMS AT THE COLORADO BELLE, THE CASINO STILL WON, AS NEITHER SISTER LANE OR BECKY COULD THROW DICE FOR SHIT.

NO POLICE WERE INVOLVED IN THE EVENING.

     “SUNNY & 104”

The Spooner Storm

By Uncle Hans

There have been so many tornadoes in the USA this season that a recent storm in our area caused little notice.  It caught our attention, however.  We were at an outdoor dinner party on the bike on a sunny day when we started to hear thunder in the distance.  We turned on the TV and there were no warnings.  Same for our smart phones.  After 30 minutes of slowly louder thunder, we decided to leave on the bike because we lived east of there and the storm, as most storms, was coming from the west.  We got three miles and got a few sprinkles on the windshield.

15 seconds later, we were flattened by a flying poplar tree............

.........here is our tree, you can't even see the bike nestled inside there...............

  .............the leading edge of the storm developed into straight-line winds or even a tornado or two.  It caught many people unprepared and the time from first rain to disaster was just seconds in many, many stories.  We landed on the centerline in front of a summer cabin of a friend of ours, which can be seen in the back.............

  .....this scary picture looks like it's from a Stephen King movie poster.  But a little blood goes a long way...........

  .........Renee got poked in the side of the head by a branch and was bleeding profusely.  We went into our friend's cabin, inviting some other stranded people to share the shelter.  One was an elderly EMT who had his stuff with him.  He put dressings on Renee's wounds, and, unfortunately, called an ambulance..............

..... I say unfortunately because we turned out to have bumps and scrapes and other people more seriously injured had to wait for their turn for the ambulance.  Better safe than sorry, but we felt guilty when we heard the guy with the broken neck had to wait two hours for the ambulance.........

I cleaned up pretty well by jumping in the shower.  I had a chunk of poplar the size of a farmer's match stuck in my nose which I had to pull out with a hemostat.....

.....our time since has been spent pretty much in bed.  I was on call for the holiday weekend, 6 days in a row.  I stayed on call and operated, but spent the rest of the time laying low.  Road rash is basically a second degree burn.  It is quite painful, oozes a lot, and heals over 10-14 days.  This is our "pharmacy" and thank God for Vicodin!  We left the ER with 4 prescriptions apiece.......

.......as per previous instructions, Renee just held on tight and we fell off together.  She landed on me and got some rash............

.........I landed on the road and got a nice collection of rashes.  These things hurt a lot. even now, 8 days later........

   .........this is my "nest" and Renee has had to do a lot of laundry to clean up after me.  I drip and ooze everywhere I go.  I have been wearing scrub tops to work, but they bleed through and dry, sticking to me.........

  ..........this self portrait is on the 7th day. 
      We have not "learned our lesson".  On the 5th day we went out to eat with some of the same friends from dinner that night.  Renee wore the same dress (it does not even have a tear in it!) and we road a motorcycle 25 miles to the restaurant.

You have to "get back on the horse and ride".........

By Uncle Hans

Betty Ford

Today’s headline was the death of former First Lady Betty Ford.  I am sure that the people that read this blog remember her.  She was the First Lady that admitted that she had substance abuse problems, breast cancer, and her many irreverent remarks.  Sometimes to the dismay  of her husband and children.  But we loved her candor and no nonsense approach to problems.

Last winter I read a book about the First Ladies and the one thing I remember about Betty Ford—on one of her last days in the White House, she danced on the table used for cabinet meetings.  It was a great picture!!

One of of kind—Betty Ford, dead at 93.

DUST STORM

OUR DRIVE TO WORK CUTS THROUGH THE MOHAVE INDIAN RESERVATION.  BEAUTIFUL IRRIGATED HAY FIELDS OR COTTON FIELDS, IT’S A NINE MILE TRIP.

THE OTHER NIGHT AFTER WORK WE WERE HAVING A MONSOON EVENT AND ADMIRING THE LIGHTENING OFF TO THE SOUTH OF US.  SUDDENLY THE WIND PICKED UP AND THE TUMBLE WEEDS WERE CUTTING ACROSS THE ROAD IN OUR HEAD LIGHTS.

AS WE MADE A LEFT TURN HEADED DUE EAST BETWEEN THE FIELDS, THE WIND REALLY PICKED UP, WITH THE WIND OUT OF THE SOUTH.  ON THE SOUTH SIDE OF THE ROAD WAS AN OPEN FIELD THAT HAD JUST BEEN CHISEL PLOWED AND WORKED UP FOR PLANTING.

IN THE BLINK OF AN EYE THE VISIBILITY WENT TO ZERO AND I SWEAR THE WIND MOVED THE HONDA HALF OFF THE ROAD ONTO THE SHOULDER. I HAVE NEVER IN MY LIFE SEEN SUCH A DUST STORM.  THE FIELD WAS LITERALLY BLOWING ACROSS THE ROAD!

WE COULD NOT SEE OR MOVE.  WE JUST SAT THEIR HALF OFF THE ROAD WAITING FOR THE NEXT CAR TO COME ALONG AND PLOW RIGHT INTO US. WE LITERALLY DIDN’T KNOW WHAT TO DO?  WE COULD BOTH TASTE THE DUST AND ALL THE WINDOWS WERE CLOSED TIGHT.

AFTER A LONG 10 OR 15 MINUTES AND TWO OTHER CARS LINED UP BEHIND US HALF OFF THE ROAD, WE MANAGED TO SLOWLY DO A U-TURN AND HEAD BACK THE WAY WE CAME AND WENT THE LONG WAY HOME.

IT WAS OUR FIRST DUST STORM, AND A SCARY EVENT.

I UNDERSTAND THAT UNCLE HANS WILL BE ALONG IN THE NEXT FEW DAYS WITH A STORM STORY OF HIS OWN FROM WISCONSIN.

BE SAFE OUT THERE !

SUMMER TIME

THE RED BELLY SNAKE BLOG BY UNCLE HANS MADE ME THINK BACK TO OUR LAST TWO SUMMERS AT WATERFALL MOUNTAIN NEAR OATMAN.

GEEES, THE RATTLESNAKES, THE RED RACER SNAKE INSIDE THE CAMPER, THOSE PESKY GROUND SQUIRRELS, TRYING TO DUMP THE SHITTER UPHILL, THE MICE WARS, A NEW CAT, OH THE GOOD OLE DAYS.

THIS SUMMER HAS BEEN  MORE RELAXED, WITHOUT ALL THOSE PROBLEMS. WE HAVE INTERNET, THE LAUNDRY ROOM IS A SHORT WALK, IT’S A CLOSER DRIVE TO WORK, AND WE HAVE THE NEW PORCH. HELL, WE EVEN HAVE FLOWERS ON THE PORCH, (AND RENT TO PAY).

 LIFE IS STILL INTERESTING,  A COUPLE OF WEEKS BACK THE A/C UNIT IN THE BEDROOM WAS RUNNING AND JUMPED OFF IT’S STAND AND LANDED SIDE WAYS AT THE END OF THE BED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT. WE BOTH JUMPED UP IN UNISON AND DIDN’T KNOW IF WE SHOULD BE RESUCING THE A/C UNIT OR LOCATING THE HAND GUN BY THE BED?

THE A/C UNIT LIVED, BUT NOW PISSES ON THE FLOOR, SO WE’VE GOT IT STANDING ON A PLASTIC TUB TO CATCH THE WATER DRIPPINGS.

WE BOUGHT THE NEW KITCHEN CABINETES AND COUNTER TOP YESTERDAY WE WILL HAVE PICTURES AS WE TRY TO INSTALL THEM.  SO FAR THE PROJECT IS ONLY $100 OVER BUDGET.

THE SUMMER MONSOON SEASON IS UPON US AND WE HAD OUR FIRST RAIN OF THE SEASON.  IT’S A MIXED BLESSING AS THE RAIN COOLS DOWN THE TEMPS, BUT THE ADDED HUMIDITY MAKES IT JUST AS UNCOMFORTABLE.

JUST ANOTHER SUMMER ON THE DESERT FOR THE HAPPY CAMPERS!

Timothy E. Wilkinson

September 12, 1959-July 4, 2011 

My nephew Tim passed away this morning.  He had Creutzfeldt Jakob Disease or CJD for short.  This disease was diagnosed less than a month ago.  If you have any interest you can google CJD to see what it is all about.


Tim is the first baby I remember.  I used to take  care of him and  his brother all the time when they were little.  It was easy, they were on the farm next to ours. 

Tim was a life long farmer, in fact he operated the farm that grew I up on.  He had a wife, one daughter, and two grand daughters. 

You know, if he had died of cancer or in a car accident or some means of death we are familiar with it would be easier to accept and understand.  But CJD, which is practically unheard of, is just too, too bizarre.  Especially since there are NO answers as to how he got it.

Tim, you will be missed and you are gone way too soon. 

Monsoon season is on the way

 

By JAMES CHILTON/The Daily News

Published: Thursday, June 30, 2011 1:19 AM MDT

BULLHEAD CITY — Monsoon season in Arizona officially started on June 15, but more than two weeks later, residents in Mohave County still haven’t seen a drop of the famous (and in some cases, infamous) monsoon rains.

That could be set to change soon, however. According to the National Weather Service, the Tri-state will begin to see the first vestiges of monsoon season as early as next week, though it could still take another two weeks before enough moist air from Mexico arrives to begin forming any major storm systems here.

“I wouldn’t call it like an onset, more like a ‘slosh’ of monsoon,” said Faith Borden, a meteorologist with the NWS in Las Vegas. “The high is not exactly where we want it, but we are starting to see some moisture coming in from Mexico.”

According to the NWS, the monsoon occurs when intense heat from the sun causes the local air pressure to drop, which in turn causes the winds to shift direction from the west to the south and southeast, beginning to bring moist air from the Gulf of Mexico into the area. The sudden influx of moist air, combined with the heat, causes it to become unstable, eventually forming scattered thunderstorms. As the rains fall, the air becomes even more moist, sparking additional thunderstorms that typically last through the end of September, when the air temperature finally cools off to the point that the winds resume their regular flow.

While meteorologists had speculated about a monsoon “season” in North America for decades, it wasn’t until 2008 that the NWS finally pinned down the June 15 to Sept. 30 calendar it now uses to track the monsoon. Before that, Borden said, monsoon season was determined whenever the average dewpoint rose to 54 degrees for three days straight.

Borden did acknowledge that this year’s monsoon is coming a little later than usual, adding that the real rains might not begin until mid-July. Typically, she said, the Tri-state region gets between three and six inches of rain during the monsoon, though as much as half of that can come from a single powerful storm system.

“It is very fickle, even in a good year,” Borden said. “Typically we look for mid-July in our area, maybe early-July for the Mohave area. However, this year we’re looking for it a couple weeks later — what we’re seeing this next week is what we normally see around the beginning of June.”

All the same, she said, the NWS is calling for scattered showers and thunderstorms as early as Independence Day, meaning the monsoon may not be far behind.

“We’re looking for hot temperatures this weekend, and then next week some gradual shifting of moisture and for the Mohave area, probably some isolated-to-scattered afternoon and evening thunderstorms,” she said.

While the monsoon season gets its name from the torrential rains that soak the Indian subcontinent every year, Borden said that name can be a bit misleading for residents of the high desert.

“Just because we’re in a monsoon pattern doesn’t mean it’s going to rain every day,” she said. “Really, if you get one area that has a pretty good rain event one day, the atmosphere is what we call ‘worked over,’ so you’re not likely to see the rain the following day.”

Red Belly Snake

By Uncle Hans

A local bar owner, Shane, asked Renee to "step out back" of the bar to see something last week.  He had a Red belly snake.  I have no idea what that is, but they are harmless...............

..............now Renee is scared of a few things, like mice, arithmetic, not having lipstick, but she is not afraid of snakes.............

.............no, she does not like them like that!

By Uncle Hans