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scooter

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A view out the back window from another site I stayed in this winter. The light rock wall is the retaining wall for the dam holding back the Pecos River. Bill is not here. One more state park, then back to Timberon. A guy pulled into the site next to mine at a park. He lives in Montana and has a mobile RV repair and service business. Traveling with three magnetic signs on his truck, picking up some business as he travels. He also buys older RVs, makes repairs, then sells them. I forgot his name, but he was traveling in one, making repairs as he travles. Efficient. I learned some things, which is always good. When in a laundromat, I went up to a man who was wearing a Vietnam cap. I wanted to hear about his experience. It was a good conversation. Back then it was the time of the draft. I was driving a beer truck out of Paterson, NJ, making deliveries in Jersey City, Union City and Hoboken, and taking college courses at night. On the day the draft came out, as soon as I got back
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mouse and gifts

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From back in the life. Well, the mouse had to go. Most of my staples are in glass jars but some are in sealed, thick plastic bags. Two were in the oven (which I use for storage). No holes in the bag of, Snyder’s pretzel pieces jalapeño (tasty). But there was getting to be way too many droppings. Not healthy. I’m hoping there was just the one. There was a line from the main character, Lieutenant Eve Dallas, in a J.D. Robb novel. “People are a hazard to the damn human race.” One can chuckle at this. One could also think, Sounds about right. Our species has come a long way over thousands of years. But in some ‘secondary’ areas, it seems we have leaned squat. When given a gift, some respond with ‘Oh, you didn’t have to do that.’ What? I would think an acknowledgment of appreciation is more warranted. Maybe, That was kind of you. And generous. Thank you. When one responds to a gift in such a manner, it shows that one is thankful. And is also a gift back to the giver. Just seem
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old life, old books and raccoons

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This is an unused photo from my eight years of off grid hard-wall camping. Sure had quite a few wonderful experiences from those years. I think M&M and I were camped an hour or so east of Silver City, NM, for this photo. Well, I downloaded the next book in the L. Ron Hubbard’s Earth series, ‘Black Genises. $7 for the ebook. Got home and went to open it. The ebook is locked by DRM. Guano. My converter program could not format it into a readable format. Again, guano. It would be nice to inform a buyer before hand if it is locked by DRM. Not the first time this has happened. Looks like I’ll have to get the paperback, $29. For a 30 year old sci-fi novel?! Eight more to go. I’ll order the book when I get back to Timberon, so I have a place to receive packages. Remember these books from Stieg Larsson? I checked out, The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, when my library in SLC acquired some. I was in Lisbeth Salander’s corner pretty much from the start. Read the second book, but never
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solstice, new tenant, and sci-fi

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Hope you had a Stellar Solstice, the Earth’s New Year. “Cultures around the world have long held feasts and celebrated holidays around the winter solstice. Fire and light are traditional symbols of celebrations held on the darkest day of the year. Humans may have observed the winter solstice as early as Neolithic period—the last part of the Stone Age, beginning about 10,200 B.C. Neolithic monuments, such as Newgrange in Ireland and Maeshowe in Scotland, are aligned with sunrise on the winter solstice. Some archaeologists have theorized that these tomb-like structures served a religious purpose in which Stone Age people held rituals to capture the sun on the year’s shortest day. Stonehenge, which is oriented toward the winter solstice sunset, may also have been a place of December rituals for Stone Age people.” We picked up an addition to our household in the last two or three weeks. A mouse. I first became aware of it when I noticed Mesa on-point facing the bottom of a wall. Do
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Swiss, talked at and dysfunctional

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I had a really nice conversation with a Swiss couple that I met in one of the parks. They have a one year travel pass for Canada, ‘United’ States and Mexico. They had their VW camper van shipped to Canada, where they started. The couple also brought their large dog with them. I asked what they thought of living in Zurich. The response was something like, better than here. They are enjoying the wide open spaces in their traveling. Quite a bit different from the compacted spaces in Europe. I wish I had more time with this couple but they were moving on the next morning. One day when taking a walk through a park, I stopped to talk with an RVer. After a while, he switch from having a conversation to merely talking at me. Thought I was going to have a birthday before I managed to walk away. Generally I am more abrupt when dealing with such people. But the guy lives alone and came across as being lonely so I stood there. My mindset was that I was giving him a gift by listening. You bee
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last turkeys and the library

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Okay, this is the last turkey page. I wanted you to be able to follow along with me as the chicks grew. It looks like July was the month I first uploaded chick photos. But in that photo, I’m guessing they were 2-3 weeks old. If you can not see the young deer on the left, click on the photo. This year has not been one of my best. My digging projects took way longer than other years and I couldn’t swing the pick for as long before needing to take short brake, bummer. I hate hearing the cliche, It’s part of growing old. As you’ve heard me say quite a few times in this blog, age is not the key factor. This winter and next year, I’ll be working towards gaining back what I lost these last two years. Know what the problem was/is, not dealing with the key factor. Been here, done this, always got it back. Hoo-ah. The ball is in my court—and I picked it up. ‘Rabbit ears’ ring a bell? Three turkeys were hunched together at a library table, reading a book on turkey anatomy. The g
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blurry, diner, javelina and needle

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I wonder how young ones cope with their first winter. This might be the fifth or sixth time this has happened. I would think the little ones see me taking a photo, and not do a flyby in front of the lens. Hmm. Remember having a meal in a diner, back in the 60s (or 50s-early 70s)? What was at the end of the booth? I’m not talking about the condiment carrier? And what could be hanging on the walls? It’s been colder most mornings, down in upper 40s and lower 50s. If it is overcast and maybe raining, the turkeys seem to sleep in and don’t come around until nine. As Benjamin Franklin believed, smart birds. This javelina (peccary) came walking across the back yard one day. I’ve always seen them at lower elevations. “javelina (early 19th century: from Spanish jabalina, from the feminine form of jabalí ‘wild boar’, from Arabic jabali ‘mountaineer’.” A mini jukebox and large car prints. Only a few hummingbirds around, most have headed south. Don’t know if the few I see are l
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