Oh Boy !!!  Fried people food.  Not as good as chocolate chip cookies, but a nice snack…..

Tinker

By  Uncle Hans

So we have gotten to know Tinker pretty in the year or so we have had him. But he seems a little clingy, like he is missing something. He hates reading those blogs about Susie and her new playmate......

..........so we caved in! We got him a little playmate. And they seem to get along well. The training is going OK, but having an older bird that can fly is kinda distracting for the training sessions......

By Uncle Hans

SWIMMING POOLS

THE RV PARKS IN THIS AREA ARE SET UP FOR THE WINTER SNOWBIRDS.  OUR PARK HAS 136 SITES AND SITS ON THE FOOTHILLS ABOUT 10 MILES OUT OF TOWN.

IN THE SUMMER THERE ARE ABOUT 15 TO 20 RESIDENTS THAT REMAIN ON THE LOWER DESERT FOR WHATEVER REASON.

I NOTICED A NEW TREND THIS SUMMER, SWIMMING POOLS.

 

 

AND THE NUMBER ONE POOL IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD:

 

DO WE HAVE A POOL?

YES,A $24 BLOW-UP POOL FROM BIG LOTS, BUT IT’S STILL IN THE BOX UNDER THE COUCH.  GUESS WE WILL WAIT UNTIL IT GETS REALLY HOT. I’M SURE IT WILL BE A SHORT STORY IN AN UPCOMING BLOG CENTERED AROUND CAT CLAWS, I BET.

Creating a Gardener

By Uncle Hans

Annie spent some time with "Grandpa and Grandma" recently. Renee was making dinner and was unhappily surprised to find her potatoes were "over-aged". Annie asked what those "funny things" sticking out of the spuds were.

So we cut one end of a potato off to plant it as a demonstration.......

...........we found an old plastic pot and some potting soil from Renee's garden supplies......

......she put it in the dirt and now we wait..............

.....I don't know if any potatoes will appear,...........

But this little smile did!

By Uncle Hans

FOLLOW-UP ON THE CAT WARS

AS YOU RECALL WHEN WE GOT THE TWO CATS TOGETHER FOR THE FIRST TIME LAST FALL, THE CAT WAR WAS SHORT AND NON-VIOLENT.

TWO CATS ARE THE BEST THING WE EVER DID FOR EACH OF THEM.  WHEN WE HAD SUSIE ALONE WE PETTED HER DAILY AND PLAYED WITH HER A COUPLE OF TIMES A WEEK.

NOW SUSIE AND “AZ” HAVE TWO EXERCIZE PERIODS A DAY, MORNING AND NIGHT !!!  THEY GROWL AND CHASE EACH OTHER THROUGH THE CAMPER AND PORCH WITHOUT FAIL.

THEY COMPETE FOR TREATS, AND KEEP EACH OTHER IN TOP SHAPE, AND FINE CONDITION.

WHEN IT’S TIME FOR A CAT NAP, SUSIE HEADS OFF TO HER CLOSET AND “AZ” HEADS OUT ON THE PORCH TO THE CAT TREE.

THEY DON’T DON’T SLEEP TOGETHER, OR GROOM EACH OTHER.  IMAGINE MY SURPRISE WHEN I FOUND THEM THIS CLOSE TOGETHER OUT ON THE PORCH LAST WEEK.

 

MY GOD, THEIR BUTTS ARE EVEN TOUCHING.  I HAVE TO EXPLAIN THAT THEY ARE LAYING IN FRONT ON MY BIG FAN ON THE PORCH, THE COOLEST PLACE TO BE.

 

   “SUNNY AND 109”

Winner……..Winner!!

 

 A couple of months ago, the place where I have worked for 12 years*, published it’s first ever newsletter.

The first issue announced a “name the newsletter” contest.

So I entered and won!!  The prize?  A voucher to eat in one of the restaurants in our building.

 

 

 We decided to use it right away, and call it “date” night.

 

I had to practice with these suckers all week!!  We had a nice dinner, a couple of drinks, and a good time.

* The company we work for has asked, in writing, it’s employee’s to refrain from mention them by name on any internet site.

Sewing Machine

By Uncle Hans

We bought a new sewing machine. Renee knows a little about it from high school and some simple sewing she has done through the years. It is a new design from China. Lots of buttons and whistles.

So it sat in the office and gathered dust for months. Recently, I got out the manual and threaded the fool thing. Then I started a project, cutting off some old jeans for a pair of shorts.

It worked well at first, then it jammed and made some sickening crunching noises deep inside. I cleared up the jam and tried again. But it won't work.

The "dogs" that feed the material seem to be in reverse. I think the crunching noises were the camshaft that moves the dogs jumping off kilter and now it is not coordinated with the needle.

 How do you get a Chinese sewing machine fixed in Spooner Wisconsin?

That, Watson, is a good question..........

So now I have managed to break the sewing machine in the first 30 minutes of use. Well let's just look in here...........

......just a few screws out...........

and.........

look! it is just some machinery inside........

 

.........I think this is where the problem is..........

..............in the end, I just opened the case (careful not to disturb anything) looked around, and put it back together again. I may have gained some understanding as to how the mechanisms work, but was not foolish enough to actually change anything. I put it back together again and it worked fine...........

.....here is my first project. Looking closely, you can see that only one leg is hemmed. Looking even more closely, you can see it is a lousy job. But the machine and I came to some sort of an agreement. I think the problem was really what Renee said it was from the get-go.

A poorly wound bobbin

live and learn..........

By Uncle Hans

WHAT DO YOU THINK?

WHAT DO THINK? IS THERE A SCOOTER IN OUR FUTURE? THIS ONE IS ITALIAN MADE BY HONDA. I THINK IT LOOKS GOOD ON US…..

IF YOU’VE EVER VISITED US IN NEVADA, CHANCES ARE WE TOOK YOUR PICTURE IN FRONT OF THIS DICE PAINTING.  SINCE NO ONE IS WITH US ON THIS TRIP I THOUGHT I’D STEP BACK AND SHOW YOU HOW THE PAINTING LOOKS FROM A DISTANCE.

 

AND AFTER WE TOOK YOUR PHOTO IN FRONT OF THE DICE MOUNTAINS WE CONTINUED ON DOWN THIRD STREET TO HOGS AND HEIFERS TO HAVE A DRINK AND BE HARASSED BY THE UNDER DRESSED BARTENDERS.

I ALWAYS EXPLAIN THAT IT’S REALLY A BIKER BAR, SO TODAY, A NICE SATURDAY AFTERNOON, I TOOK A PICTURE OUTSIDE OF THE FRONT.

WE SKIPPED THE HOGS AND HEIFERS EXPERINCE TODAY AND INSTEAD STOPPED NEXT DOOR AT THE MOB BAR.

DOESN’T THIS PICTURE ON THE WALL LOOK LIKE IT BELONGS IN A MOB BAR?

THIS SCULPTURE SITS IN A STRIP MALL IN HENDERSON.  WE STOP BY ON MOST TRIPS TO VEGAS TO SHOP AT TRADER JOE’S.  NOTICE THE LITTLE GIRL’S DOLLY ON THE PARK BENCH?

    “SUNNY & AND WAY TOO HOT”

Medical Helicopter

By Uncle Hans

The blog editor won't allow blogs on politics or religion, but I test him by submitting a political piece every now and then. This one is about helicopters. This is a medical transport helicopter landing on one of my hospitals. This hospital is about 50 miles from the destination hospital. The time it takes to helicopter a patient those 50 miles is usually longer than the time it takes to go by ground ambulance. The exception is during morning rush hour.

This is because once the call goes out to the helicopter, they have several steps to go through. They have to notify and collect a crew. They have to do pre-flight check. They have to start and warm up the helicopter. They have to fly the 50 miles (about 15 min.). They have to load the patient, which takes a few minutes, as loading is more fussy with the helicopter than the ambulance. They have to fly back to their destination hospital (about 15 min.)

If the local doctor chose to simply load the patient into a ground ambulance, the crew is usually close by, often the same people and ambulance that just brought the pt TO the hospital, they could just drive to the destination hospital. About 50 minutes, unless they go "lights and siren".
The trip on the ground is often less time than the helicopter!

It is a crime, as the only advantage of the helicopter is supposedly " faster". When you think of a helicopter racing an ambulance, it is easy to think that the helicopter is faster. But unless the distance is 100 miles or more, the ground ambulance will usually win the race.

So? Big deal.
Well the patient is paying upwards of $20,000 for the helicopter ride vs about $5,000 for the ground ambulance.

But it is the "accepted standard of care" and if there is a bad outcome and you didn't follow the "accepted standard of care", you will lose the malpractice lawsuit.

So, whenever you see a medical helicopter flying over, you can see your insurance premium going up for no real reason. We are all being ripped off...........

By Uncle Hans

CARS AND STARS

ON A RECENT TRIP TO LAS VEGAS WE FOUND A CAR SHOW GOING ON ON FREEMONT STREET, CALLED CARS AND STARS.

THE BAT-MOBILE

 

THE STATION WAGON FROM GHOST BUSTERS

 

WE WERE STANDING NEXT TO THE RED ANDWHITE  FORD TORINO AND I WAS QUIZZING MARY TO SEE IF SHE REMEMBERED THE TV SHOW THAT THE CAR WAS FROM. AS WE WALKED ON TO THE REAR OF THE CAR THERE SAT STARSKY FROM STARSKY AND HUTCH SIGNING AUTOGRAPHS.  WE ALSO NOTICE PONCH ONE OF THE TWO MOTORCYCLE OFFICERS FROM THE OLD TV SHOW CHIPS  SIGNING AUTOGRAPHS AS WELL.

AND OF COURSE THE DUKES OF HAZZARD, THE GENERAL LEE.

 

THE BACK TO THE FUTURE DELORIAN

COMPLETE WITH THE FLUX CAPACITOR

 

OF COURSE I SAVED MY FAVORITE FOR LAST. KIT THE THE TALKING CAR FROM KNIGHT RIDER.

PAULIE LIKED THIS TV SHOW SO MUCH HE NAMED ONE OF HIS PET CATS AFTER KIT.

ODDLY ENOUGH WHEN WE CHECKED OUT OF “THE D” HOTEL AND CASINO WHERE WE STAYED DOWNTOWN KIT WAS PARKED RIGHT NEXT TO MARY’S HONDA IN THE PARKING GARAGE.

   “SUNNY & 103”

The Orchard

By Uncle Hans

Our orchard is getting thin. The eight trees from 15 years ago are down to two. They are in the back on the right. They are loaded with blossoms, and it looks like a bumper year for both trees. There are two new trees, if you look close, to the left of the old trees. They are in pots, awaiting planting, which is today's chore.......

........Renee gets to use her little chainsaw, which she loves! Jake knows someone who smokes meats with apple wood, so these babies are going in the smoker. These two trees died of natural causes, not like the one that got run over by a snowmobile. Renee is dreaming of "apple crisp!, apple crisp!", but she will have to wait till Oct......

This little guy is a red maple we planted last spring. He seems to have wintered OK.............

By Uncle Hans

HEAT RELIEF

WE’RE GETTING A LITTLE RELIEF FROM THE THE TRIPLE DIGIT HEAT THIS WEEK, WE’RE OUT HOUSE SITTING.

IT A NICE CHANGE TO COME HOME FROM WORK AND PULL RIGHT INTO THE GARAGE, AND HAVE A NICE THREE BEDROOM AIR CONDITIONED HOUSE.

OF COURSE THE BACKYARD SWIMMING POOL IS GETTING A LOT OF USE AS WELL.

BUT AFTER A WEEK I’LL BE READY TO RETURN TO MY CAMPER AND PORCH.

Mount Charleston

On Sunday morning the discussion was about how to spend the day.    Rex researched the options while having morning coffee at the Four Queens.

Three Choices:

1.  Red Rock Canyon

2.  Valley of Fire

3.  Mount Charleston

OK..Mt. Charleston it is!!

This past Sunday morning, I could stand in downtown Las Vegas and see SNOW in the crevices of the  mountain.  Bizarre!!!!

Yup….there is still snow on the ski run.

My favorite picture of the day!!

This picture is taken out of the window of the Lodge at Mt. Charleston.

This is from outside of the Lodge.

A great parting shot….. I am definitely going back to try out some of the hiking trails.