CONTENTS

NOTES:
Septemba,Rememba?
TransSierra Variant
Domesticity Redux
Up&Downhill Again
Yet Another Week+
raw Yosemite notes
Ongoing To-Do List

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THEMES:
No September

Long Way To Bodie

FINDINGS:

ACCOUNTS

JOURNALS index

Guatemala Journal

Eat It! Food News

Go2: Odd Moves

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Ridge Rat News

River Rat News

Desert Rat News

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Recall/Candidates

Recall/TheBabes

SkeptiLog: Sightings
  to 15_09_2003

THEMES

NO SEPTEMBER

I just can't believe in September
September just doesn't exist
It's lost somewhere in my nightmares
Like a toadstool that's never been kissed
I just can't believe in September
Maybe that's because I'm pissed

I just can't believe in September
It's like a smoke cloud on the hills
Lost in the flickering heat
Lost in a sandstorm of pills
I just can't believe in September
Don't say that I'm mentally ill

I just can't believe in September
It's like Santa Claus or raw honesty
A rumor of time in the making
A terror of time breaking free
I just can't believe in September
Excuse me, I've gotta go pee

* Opium crop clouds Afghan recovery (BBC) The IMF warns that rich pic­kings from opium gro­wing threaten to stran­gle legit­imate econ­omic growth in Afghan­istan.   In libe­rated demo­cratic Afghan­istan, anyone can aspire to be (or kill) a warlord, opium grower-traf­ficker, or Taleban jihadi. Such progress!

* CIA 'Planned To Bring Down' Vene­zua­lan Prez Plane (Vhead­line) Hugo Chavez cancels trip to DC after being warned of immi­nent term­ina­tion. Aw, Bush's gang is just jealous bec­ause Chavez was popu­larly elec­ted and Bush wasn't. Luzers...

* US Troops: Stretched Thin, Lied to & Mistreated (Nation) On the urban battlefields of central Iraq, "shock and awe" and all the other "new way of war" buzzwords are drowned out by [reality]. The Pentagon can screw the public and the pols, we'll still keep giving'em money; but when they screw the troops, nobody will re-up. Gut the US military!

* Two news items heard on NPR: 1. The US is pushing the new Iraq to be a model free-market economy. 2. The US is pushing for Iraq's re-entry into OPEC. Q. Since OPEC is an anti-free market cartel, who's lying? A. Don't look up.

* Update on that: A member of the Bush-appoin­ted Iraqi gover­ning coun­cil was a dele­gate at the recent OPEC meeting. This means that the Bush admin­istra­tion is effec­tively a member of the OPEC cartel. Hmmm...

Monday 1 Sept, Labor Day 2003 and beyond

Labor Day: We stayed home, hiding out, conserving energy.
Tuesday: We swam early (before noon). Maureen rolled into Jackson for PT, then went with her mom & aunt (las abuelitas) to watch SEABISCUIT. I stayed, slaved over the computers.

Wednesday: Drove down the Sierra slope, up the foothills under cloud cover, to Kaiser (Roseville) to REALLY put a heart monitor on me - taped tightly, maybe it'll stay put this time. Have I mentioned that driving long distances to obtain and return the monitor, wearing the monitor, sleeping in the monitor, having the monitor dig into flesh, having the electrodes disconnect, having to do this all over again, REALLY SUCKS?!? Have I mentioned that? Well, it's true.

Afternoon: Tasty healthy food at Rubio's in Sac, then on to Sonoma. We had spare time, parked on the square, walked into Santa Fe Trading, learned we'd missed a really huge thunderstorm, great bolts of lightning. Then at the doc's we were told that it had rained in San Francisco that morning. I sat in the surgical specialist's office with a computer on my lap, reformatting webpages for just a few minutes before Maureen came back out. Doc gave her a most cursory exam and said No, You're Not A Candidate For Surgery (on arm & wrist).

Return: Going back across the Valley, it was over 100°f around Jackson. Got back home just as it started raining, got a little bit of rain, mostly wind knocking debris out of the trees like hail. And thunderstorms, lightning strikes right nearby. Huge crackling blasts that probably shook-out all the dogs.

Requirements: I'd better get the trailer on eBay pretty soon. Gotta do more webfile reformatting to get'em to look right on a wider screen. Gotta write PROGRESS FOR MORONS, and POWER FOR MORONS, and maybe INTELLIGENCE FOR MORONS. Gotta connect the old computers and peripherals (scanner, webcam, PDA, plotter, etc) to network. Another focking busy week, already.

Thursday morning 4 September 2003, at home.

Early morning: For some reason when we got back yesterday I plugged the computers back in, networking had failed again. So as I was working overnight reformatting Desert Rat Scrap Book webpages and others, and no way to upload them, can't get the Sony communicating, so bother. Hopefully the networking will do a self-heal like it did the first time I tried getting these machines connected. One could hope.

Forecast: Today I'll take the heart monitor off, we'll swim early (being around 11:00 to noon) and then drive down to Sac for me turn in the heart monitor, and for Maureen to get a sonogram of her thyroid, to help the surgeon decide what to recommend.

UPDATE: Yes, with the computers powered off and then on, and replugging the network wires, they are now communicating. Glory be!

Friday: Maureen does Jackson; we continue rearranging library.
Saturday: Slaving away on the library. So many travel books!

Sunday 7 Sept, Lake Alpine California

Lunching: We're on another route over the Sierras, we had a great googly ride up fromlow-rent West Point on sweeping ridgetop Winton Road past beehives and boulders and old clearcuts; and views and vistas; and past blue sprice and wildflowers and watercourses. Now we're lunching al fresco over Lake Alpine, sucking clear air and tasty sandwiches at 7350 feet under blue skies.

Today's soundtrack: Jimmy Dale Gilmore and the Flatlanders.

Cruisin' up up up, now we're in the Ebbets Pass country, 8700 feet, past the Pacific Grade Summit, a controlled burn there off there, it's smoky but this is really high wild country, narrow road for a state highway. Definately got to get back here again. Sure a helluva nice route for a shopping trip. We stopped at Mosquito Lake for a few minutes, took a bunch of pictures, very picturesque place, yep.

Crossing: Down below Ebbets Pass on the dry side now, interesting patterns on the rocks, red color on the grey-white granite: runoff or deposition or what? Hard to tell.

Further below Ebbets Pass, this is like the being on the road from the Camino PanAmericano over to Chichicastenango, except with no political signs or chicken busses. And then a little further below that, it looks kinda like the road in New Mexico below Eagle's Nest going down to Cimarron past the Philmont Scout Ranch, similar geography and vegetation.

And we stop at the site of Historic Silver Mountain City, Kongsburg, silver boom town, 1866. And have a look-see at the remains of the city jail. Not much there. Then down through the wild-west town of Markleeville. Boy, haven't been there for a LONG LONG time, I remember going thru there in the early years of our marriage in that old Chevy pickup.

Reno: And then once again to Carson City and Reno for shopping. No wild shows or gambling or divorces, just shopping and breathing. Ta-tum.

End of the day in Carson City: we accomplished most of our goals: frames, fuels, food, and Maureen ordered a chair that should suffice for her needs. So we'll have to come back in 6-8 weeks to get it. OK, well. We can always come back here.

Gorgeous clouds in the sky, late afternoon; a big bright moon dancing around behind the clouds this evening. A copacetic day, getting a bit tired though. My epithet of the week is: PINHEAD. Not 'moron' but 'pinhead'. As in, "For such a small state there sure are a lot of pinheads here." We stopped for dinner at a BBQ house and they're out of BBQ sauce. And no BBQ Tofu. What kinda place IS this?

Returning: Passing thru Hope Valley, Maureen hit a deer. Driving along thru the clear moonlit night, th road nice and bright, and all of a sudden there's a deer standing there in front of us. And Maureen swerved a little bit and the right front of the car hit the deer squarely on the butt, smacked its right flank and hindquarters. Maureen saying, :Oh I killed her, I killed her!" and stopped fairly quickly, and I ran back but didn't see anything, no sign of the deer, it obviously went off into the brush beside the road somewhere. Smashed-up the plastic grill on the Explorer a little bit and bent the headlights, had to duct-tape that back together. Now we look like a local, but not a LOT of damage, not like some cars that hit a deer straight on and get stove-in. Other than that it was a lovely day.

So we twisted back across the Sierras under the stars, the Moon hopping back-and-forth as it does there. Driving fairly slowly so as not to get the jump on any more fuzzy critters.

Late Tuesday night, 9 Sept 2003, at home

Yesterday (Monday) there was work done on the house, and we worked on the house rearranging the library etc. We went for a swim although it was really too cold for that but we did anyway. Kept warm by shivering.

Today we worked more on the house, doing library & computer, then went for a walk down the Ridge to Mountain Misery. Didn't notice horses. Now it's late at night; the Moon and Mars are bright and high in the sky, casting shadows like sharp memories. So gorgeous out there. Full Moon, bright Mars, no clouds.

Oh yeah, Monday Maureen had PT, I don't know now if she's on for tomorrow (Wednesday) too. And we gotta see about repairs for the car and RV. Maybe we'll just glue everything back together ourselves. Or maybe that's not such a good idea.

We got the damaged bits of the RV pounded and gooped back into shape, it just needs some touch-up paint now. Assessed the Explorer's damage, figure it's too extensive to handle ourselves so Friday we'll solicit some bids. Gotta call Brad and get a shop recommendation. Or whatever.

Then over to Bobby's for a chat and for me to print off our emailed Xmas plane tickets. I worked awhile upgrading the software on Bobby's old machine and managed to delete something crucial. Oops. So tomorrow I get to come back, reinstall some drivers or all of Windows or something. Bother.

Sunday 14 Sept 2003, rolling

Now it's the following Sunday, we're headed up towards Ebbetts Pass again - ran into a couple guys from Sutter Creek Fire Dept at the end of the pavement, end of Winton Road, trying to figure out where to go next, I pulled out maps and helped I hope. Now we're stopped at a high vista point, lotsa rocks.

We've been talking about various stuff and I'm reminded that we have to, *I* have to re-research the value of the Hans Bol prints, scan lots of the other small prints that we have. Hmm, I think I can hook up the Compaq to the network with a separate PC card network adapter that I have (gotta find the cable now) - in which I can use the docking station on the Sony, and maybe use IT to drive the scanner, and the plotter, and the webcam, and the PDA, and whatever. And take pictures of the Currier and Ives and that Patrick Kelly print and maybe that old grayscale litho of Sancta Caecilia, get those big ones evaluated. At least the Mouse print [BUILT TO LAST] is up on the wall now.

Up here by this lookout, this high vista point, it kinda looks like a good camping spot for a few days. I think we'll have to come back here when the season's right. OK, that site is between Cabbage Patch and Pumpkin Meadow, about halfway.

Lake Alpine: Now we're back up at Lake Alpine at the lodge, at the same table, we'll have a similar lunch, same view of the lake except we swapped sides - wow. we're such adventurers.

Correction on that prospective campsite - it's above Middle Gulch, not Pumpkin Patch, repeat, NOT Pumpkin Patch.

Mount Reba: Cows standing under the ski lift, bells blowing in the wind, cowbells reacting to the cows' movements: [on tape: several minutes of sounds of bells clanging, me walking, some wind] Recorded on Mt Reba at Bear Valley Ski Resort.

We're not going any further beyond Alpine Lake, there's a big smokey fire out beyond here, doesn't look too healthy to drive thru. Other than all the roiling smoke in the air, some of which is red from the proximity of flames close enough to see, other than that it's quite beautiful up here.

Spicer Lake: We cruised thru the Bear Valley. Eh, yeah, OK, another ski-burg. Down the road a bit, down to Spicer Resevoir, smoke from that fire is hanging low and thick in the trees on the other side of the lake. Good thing we're west, upwind of all that. Spicer Resevoir - that's where we'd considered, that's where *I'D* considered taking the canoe, getting a trolling motor for it, and going up the length of that long resevoir, deep into the heart of the Carson-Iceberg Wilderness. Yah, that still could happen.

Looking Out Above Middle Gulch Again

OK, now we're heading back towards Winton Road, we took another look at that potential campsite and it's just around the corner from a maze of beehives. So we'll have to reconsider camping there, or just be ready to move at a moment's notice. Maybe jump into a gold mine.

It was just a week ago that we came up this way for the first time, it sure seems like a lot longer. Oh, how time is whipping along! Pretty soon we'll be hauling out our warmer clothes and dreaming of heading towards... Arizona!

Ah, back there at Spicer Lake, that's in Stanislaus National Forest, and despite the name it's NOT Polish. St Wenceslaus, St. Stanislaus - naw, no connection.

We're taking a little stretch out beyond that bunch of beehives and before the next bunch, we're in a mixed oak-cedar forest, incense cedar, looking out over vast views to the north - that might be the Crystal Range 'way off over there. Still smoke blowing down from the management (not controlled) burn up above Spicer.

(Controlled Burn: some fire agency started it. Management Burn: nature started it, and the fire agencies are watching it. Those are the official definitions.)

Back home: unlike last Sunday, we had no soundtrack to the trip today. But after we left Spicer we plugged in some music: Paganini, Boccherini, Pat Metheny, a bunch of them 'eeny' guys, all chamber music wih guitar. Good stuff for the return home. And that reminds me that I need to hook up the MIDI guitar and record some stuff.

Monday 15 Sept 2003, home

Mom called just before we returned yesterday evening, I called back and answered questions about our health issues, and was reminded that I need to contact Barbi. I also need to handle the (hopefully last) email snafu, caused by my inadvertantly using a dead account, so any replies would bounce or vanish. Duh.

Working overnight I did more page updates (of course) - still haven't found that PC-card network cable. Today I finally called Toshiba and found why Goliath won't burn DVDs: because it wasn't built to! Guess we'll be getting a Firewire DVD burner [and other hardware] soon, when the Airfloat sells.

Ah, the Airfloat: listed on eBay on Friday, bidded up from US$500 to US$1100 fairly quickly (reserve not yet met), got a couple email inquiries today including someone 10 miles away who wants to take a look. I posted notices of the Airfloat auction on a couple of elists, guess I'd better find some more soon and try to draw more attention. We sure can use the money, and the space, and the excape from responsibility. Did I mention that we want it gone? We do. We really do. At least, Maureen really does, so I guess I really do too. Life is like that, eh?

(We had the weekend to swim as much as we wanted at B&B's but it's just too cold. Bother. Need another heatwave.)

Sunday 21 Sept 2003, home

Yesterday Maureen hit the Stockton Symphony with Ginny and Bobby. I stayed, rested, surfed. On the news: hurricane Isabel cleanup. Back in Maryland, Wayne and family are OK, minimal damage. Ginny is so relieved. Here, the Airfloat is sold. I am so relieved. Now we gotta pry it from its cubbyhole, inexpensively.   [Heart news update: nothing yet.]

Today we slept late, hung around until the air and heat got too bad, then headed upcountry. For a change, NOT to Ebbetts Pass - too late a start for that. Peddler Hill, Middle Fork Cosumnes, some walkabout, some lookabout. Atmosphere is too smoky for pictures.

Upcoming is another flurry of activity. Tomorrow if hot enough, swim before noon, then to Jackson for PT whilst I dash to Sac for a new grille (to replace the deer-damaged one), then reprovisioning amidst heat and smog. And we gotta move the Airfloat and placate Paypal. Tuesday I get to stock the RV. Wednesday it's to Jackson for PT early, then off to a family confab in Yosemite for a few days unless the air is too too too bad. It's getting there.

Ah, the air. These "let'em'burn" "management fires" are good for restoring the ecosystem but bloody hell on air quality, which ain't too good in the Central Valley anyway. I foresee lawsuits, obscured by the recall frenzy. Never a dull moment.

The raw Yosemite journal notes are here.

FIRES: I know it's important to let the fires burn here, to restore the ecosystem. The same is true in big cities. Restore an urban ecosystem, let the fires burn! Cities are clogged with detritus, let'em burn down! That's only logical. [SAVE THE EARTH: Kill Yourself]