August 2013

Welcome to the Month of August- temps above 105 degrees.
I did my stretches and these knee bends I want to try out.
I headed out early to Twentynine Palms to drop off the Jury Summons and have it sign by my Doctor. Then I drove the Cougar down the street to a place called Smoggy’s to get it smogged; this took about two hours because there were about five cars ahead of mine. I was relieved when it passed, but the waiting was very stressful. I went back to collect the signed Jury summons. I decided to drive over to Joshua Tree and stop off at Star Pharmacy to get a refill on a prescription of mine. I finally got home around 3pm.
I went over to assist Linda H. setup her automatic watering system. We had to do a little digging her and there and got the whole system setup. We then had dinner of fried salmon and vegetables that was mighty filling.


Friday 02-  temps around 105 degrees.
I did my stretches and yoga. 
I watered my plants who’ve been waiting patiently for me to get around to it. 
I went over to Linda’s to help her finish up on a few things that we didn’t do last night. She gave me a few cactuses for me to take home and plant.
I did my stretches, lifted 10lb dumbbells and went for my evening walk with my backpack.


Saturday 03- temps around 100 degrees.
I did my stretches, lifted weights, yoga, ran a mile and a half with 1.5lbs around each wrists, core trainer, and punched the heavybag for five minutes.
I updated the Copper Mountain Mesa Website and sent out the Newsletter!
I called Family and Friends. I called my childhood friend Larry Carlock to wish him a happy birthday tomorrow; I kinda figured he be busy :)
 I did my stretches, lifted 10lb dumbbells and went for my evening walk with my backpack.
I tried to catch up on my astronomy reading and fell asleep... I guess I needed a nap.
I did my stretches, lifted 20lb dumbbells, and went for a night run. After I got back I setup my two small telescopes and scanned the heavens. I wasn’t looking for meteors, but saw a few; I was actually getting my bearings to the eastern skies as they came over the horizon. I saw the Andromeda Galaxy swinging its way to the west along with Cassiopeia and Pegasus. High above to my zenith was what I was really wanted to see; Albireo.  Albireo, I believe is one of the most beautiful double star; Albireo A is a bright yellow/gold color, while B is deep bluish green. It is not known if they orbit one another. The two look like one star without the aid of a telescope and make up part of the swan in the constellation Cygnus. 
It was getting late and I decided to store all my telescope equipment in my small camper so it wouldn’t be cluttering my kitchen anymore. I’ve been spending a lot of time stargazing recently and my camper is the perfect and handy place for my scopes to be.



***** Stuff I Wrote this Week****** 

I might not be the best, I would never claim to be the brightest, but I do believe everybody is equal in their own unique ways.  I can only live within this moment, for this moment and for the next if it comes. The past only fades with time, a memory, a glimmer of hope, a promised kiss. I will not dwell on the trivial of I did or didn’t do. I can only change what will be and orchestrate the future to create some safe place to rest my weary head and play in harmony with the universe.


******

Sunday 04- temps of 100 with a some high clouds.

I did my stretches.

I worked on the Harley today and found a what I think is wrong with the wiring causing the short.

I’m trying to get caught up on my Astronomy reading tonight.

Monday 05- temps around 105 degrees, no clouds and low humidity.

I did my stretches, lifted weights, yoga, ran a mile and a half with 1.5lbs around each wrists, core trainer, and punched the heavybag for five minutes.

I did a little cleaning around the house

I did my stretches, lifted 10lb dumbbells and went for my evening walk with my backpack.

I worked in my garden I making potting plants.

I did my stretches, lifted 20lb dumbbells, and went for a night run.

I went out to do a little stargazing after my night run. I took my Celestron 20x80 Skymaster binoculars with me to really drink in the night sky. It was very clear and I had a fine time of it looking at M13 and a few other wonders of the night sky. Many meteors I did see!

I practiced playing my guitar.

Tuesday 06- temps in the high 90s with smoky haze from fires in the forests way beyond that came rolling in before 10am.

I did my stretches, lifted weights, yoga, ran a mile and a half with 1.5lbs around each wrists, core trainer, and punched the heavybag for five minutes.

I did some more work on the Harley removing the broken wire connectors so I’ll have something to compare it to when I go to town tomorrow.

The smoky haze had cleared by evening and I was able to do my exercises; stretches, lifted 10lb dumbbells and went for my evening walk with my backpack.

I finally got caught up on my Astronomy readings.

I did my stretches, lifted 20lb dumbbells, and went for a night run. I was going to do a little stargazing after my run but it was too windy and clouds obscured most parts of the sky. So I decided to water my outdoor plants getting lots of water on both the plants and me because of the high winds.

I practiced playing my guitar.

Wednesday 07- temps around 105 degrees.

I did my stretches.

I went to Brown’s Music shop in Yucca Valley to purchase new strings for my guitars. I figured I be spending a lot of my time on FaceBook tomorrow replying to birthday well wishes, so I would celebrate my birthday today by having dinner at the Sizzler; nothing special, just the salad bar.

I drove over to ARCO to filled up the Cougar with gas and clean the windshields and then made my way over to Walmart and then Home Depot to get some garden equipment and electrical parts to fix the Harley.  

I felt kinda beat when I got home and just aimlessly surfed the web.

Thursday 08 My Birthday- temps around 100 degrees. Smoke and a heavy haze from a fire somewheres came in about 1pm.

I did my stretches, lifted weights, yoga, ran a mile and a half with 1.5lbs around each wrists, core trainer, and punched the heavybag for five minutes.

Jimmy Stonebraker called around 1pm to say happy birthday and I walked outside to be greeted by a heavy haze of smoke. I went online after the call and found the smoke is coming from the Silver Fire in Banning; more than 11,000 acres have been burned.

I didn’t do anymore exercising and mostly stayed inside where the swamp cooler filtered most of the smoke out of the air, but I still inhaled enough of the smoke to set me back on my breathing and gave me a headache. I spent my time answering every birthday wish sent to my timeline by my FaceBook friends and I gave each one the personal touch and sometimes a poem.

Friday 09-  temps around 100 degrees.

I did my stretches and yoga.

FedEx delivered a succulent garden bowl thingy that Judy sent me for my birthday. What a wonderful gift from a sweet gal!

I went to collect my mail at my box on Lear ave and took some sausage patties over to John my neighbor east of me on Winters road to feed his dogs. I sat and jaw with him for a spell while I fed his two dogs a few of them patties. I don’t stop to see him much and he doesn’t have many friends, so I’ll try to drop by to visit a little more often.

Saturday 10- temps around 100 degrees.

I did my stretches.

I drove the Cougar over to Bonnie and Jim’s place in Landers. They did quite a lot of work since I was last there. They gave me the two bit tour of the place to show me what they had done; I was mighty impressed! We all sat down to lunch. Bonnie had made bean soup that was delicious, with corn bread muffins. Then she brought out my birthday cake! Well what fun I had with two of the most friendly people I know in Landers.

I got home in time to call family and friends.

I went outside around 10pm to watch more meteors streak across the dark desert skies, fascinating!

***** Stuff I Wrote this Week******

May you dream beyond where dreams are made, beyond to distant shores, to catch a butterfly in mid flight and set it free to soar.

Friendships are forever and stories are to share, I’d be rudderless, lost, adrift upon the sea, without friends like you who inspire me to live beyond my dreams.

The stars and planets in the sky, the whole of the Milky Way, the vastness of the universe, even the Big Bang were created for the ingredients to make a cardboard box full of cupcakes... I stand in awe!

Lost in forever, I had no place to go, to wander by myself, along winding mountain paths, through green pastures and hidden valleys of gold. I finally arrive to where the yellow Sun encounters the ocean’s tides. I cast my net, I cast it wide, into velvet waves pounding their rhythmic dance on endless shores of volcanic sand. I came here to dream, but love is an endless chore, to be but a fish in this sea of dreams to dream of dreams no more? Not I... <3 font="">

Motions, vibrations, electric bless rains down heavenly upon my ears to rest happily within my mind...

This be true, what be said, of lovely blossoms on the road that led, down the desert's rugged path, to smiling faces in the sand.

So sweet the years, so young the mind that carries the light of happiness and shares it with those they find

It seems just like yesterday to me... memories of friends and family keeps us going, keeps us strong to carry on through life's little rough spots wearing a smile

Time passes us by, sometimes too quickly, we look back to see there is more behind us than ahead. This should not stop us from changing the world into a better place, a peaceful place, for all. To come to grips with one's own impermanence and become a lighthouse, a beacon for those who have lost their way...

Little things may bother us, little things make us mad, but they are not what really matters most that make our hearts so sad. Let the little things be forgotten, put them all to bed, be the better person, and things won't be so bad... :)

Friends we met on our brief stay upon sandy beaches of time we played.

Remember well our lofty friends who brought laughter with just a smile and a grin.

Always reaching out loving arms to greet us, or sit with us in times of sorrow and help us rise to challenge another tomorrow.

A companion to comfort, a colleague to cheer with glee, these are friends meant to be, to teach us of hope, and inspirer, to learn of love and not play with fire.

Forever is not a place in time but a realm of colors in our minds. Shades of blue and shades of green paint this landscape of our dreams. Little we know the parts we play, to wake up to another day, to search this realm of flesh and if we find, a friend so dear, not left behind.

It has always amazed me that people hold on to the differences between others; be they from another town, country, political affiliation, religion or race; when they really should be enjoying the diversity which we all hold within and are willing to share.   

Life is like a book that began all fresh and new. Some books go through life untouched while others are well used. Their spines may be broken, may be missing a page or two. With many ripped and torn pages, dogged eared quite a few. Some pages are stained with our tears shed from above, but others be yellow highlighted with things that we love. Yes life is a book, life is your story, go out and live it now, enjoy all its glory.

******

Sunday 11- temps of 100 with a some high clouds.

I did my stretches, lifted weights, yoga, ran a mile and a half with 1.5lbs around each wrists, core trainer, and punched the heavybag for five minutes.

I updated the Copper Mountain Mesa Website and sent out the Newsletter.

I did my stretches, lifted 10lb dumbbells and went for my evening walk with my backpack.

I called Family and Friends :)

I did my stretches, lifted 20lb dumbbells, and went for a night run.

I am going outside right now to watch for meteors. I was out earlier after the Moon set and saw a few, but decided to go out later around 2am.... looking towards the northeast the meteors seemed to come in groups of 3,4,5 or more and then would go for a while without any... I couldn't keep my eyes open any longer, especially after being hypnotized by Medusa's shiny evil eye Algol, and decided after an hour to come back inside and go to sleep. I would say I saw about one meteor a minute. A few were quite brilliant, but most were a quick streak and flash

Monday 12- temps around 105 degrees, no clouds and low humidity.

I did my stretches, yoga, and ran a mile and a half with 1.5lbs around each wrists.

I went down to Yucca Valley to be sworn in as a CERT member which means I can be called to work throughout the state! Not sure I like that idea, but I can always refuse. I arrived early because I wasn’t sure what time the meeting began and had to wait for an hour and twenty minutes until 6pm. I walked around the shopping center nearby. Got a small burger at Carl’s Jr. to pass the time and be somewhere it was cool! Before the CERT meeting began I met all my old friends from the training course. About 6:30 they ended the official  meeting and then passed out all these forms for the newbies like me to fill out, sign and witnessed. While we were trying to fill out these forms there was this speaker who kept explaining stuff to us about different programs and the such which made it very difficult, at least for me, to concentrate on filling out these dang forms. What I was doing was trying to read and understand all the important printed matter I was signing. Well we got that all done somehow and I had Patrick witness my signatures and I his. We were sworn in by Chief Snow, it was his first time swearing in folks, and then we all stood in line to have our pictures taken. It was almost 8pm before this whole process was over and I was very hungry! I went to Sonic Burger afterwards and had a cheeseburger and a strawberry cheesecake shake! Fricken mighty good!

When I got back home, I went outside to see if the meteor shower was still going on. There are a few but not as many as last night, but then around a little after 1am there came a whole bunch of them at once. I stayed outside for another hour or so and was happy I did! I was treated to many a meteor and a few bright earthgrazers.

Tuesday 13- temps in the high 90s with smoky haze from fires in the forests way

I did my stretches, lifted weights, yoga, ran a mile and a half with 1.5lbs around each wrists, core trainer, and punched the heavybag for five minutes.

I did my laundry over at Stoney’s and went over to jaw with Roger for a spell while my clothes were in the washer. Well we yapped and yapped and soon it was over an hour past the time for my wash to be done. I went and put them in the dryer and drove home not wanting to wait the 45 minutes there.

I did my stretches, lifted 10lb dumbbells and went for my evening walk with my backpack.

I drove the scooter over to fetch my laundry out of the dryer and get them home.

Kelly called on her way home asking if I wouldn’t mind helping her get the groceries out of her car. I said sure after I do my exercises I’ll ride the scooter over to help.

I did my stretches, lifted 20lb dumbbells, and went for a night run.

I arrived at Kelly’s around 10:30 and we unloaded her car and we yapped for an hour catching up on what’s been happening. She seems to me to be doing much better now and is more independent now she has a car of her own.

Wednesday 14- temps around 105 degrees.

I did my stretches, deep knee bends, and ran a mile and a half with 1.5lbs around each wrists.

I worked on my computer... it had died with “kernel inpage error” on my Windows 8 laptop and wouldn’t start up. I had to do a fresh install that saved my data; I have been having disk errors almost everyday and have everything backed up already. I did some searching for 0x0000007a Stop error and found this hotfix from Microsoft: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2848061 downloaded it and installed it; seems to have eliminated the problem.

Thursday 15- temps around 100 degrees. Smoke and a heavy haze from a fire somewheres came in about 1pm.

I did my stretches, lifted weights, yoga, ran up the hill and back carrying 5lbs, core trainer, and punched the heavybag for five minutes.

I installed Microsoft Office 2007 on the laptop.

I did my stretches, lifted 10lb dumbbells and went for my evening walk with my backpack.

I did my stretches, lifted 20lb dumbbells, and went for a night run.

Friday 16-  temps around 100 degrees.

I did my stretches, deep knee bends, and ran a mile and a half with 1.5lbs around each wrists.

Worked on the solar panels and installed a smaller one on the camper.

I am leaving to go to Tucson sometime soon to be there when my birth Dad comes home from continuing care. I really don't really care Tucson one bit, except I have Family there and it is good for me to see them... So I have to be ready to make the trip. I have a tire that was pretty bald and giving me trouble with a slow leak and another that wasn't that bad but bad enough that I decided to replace the two of them. I got to WalMart at 7pm, an hour before they closed their Auto Shop. I spent the next hour and a half waiting for the mechanics to put new ones on... I feel a whole lot safer driving on the road now that I done this.

I stopped off at Carl’s Jr. to grab a couple of hamburgers to share with Kelly. I gassed up the Cougar and headed to Kelly’s and spent over an hour with her eating burger and fries and catching up on our lives.

Saturday 17- temps around 108 degrees and the humidity is increasing.

I did my stretches.

I updated the Copper Mountain Mesa Website and sent out the Newsletter.

I called Friends and Family to yammer about this and that and other stuff of great importance.

I watered all the plants really good.

I decided to get the Spanish Latin American course by Rosetta Stone. I wanted to do the Latin course which I have been studying, but decided that Spanish would be more useful because people actually use it nowadays; I can always go back to learning Latin later, besides it is the root to many languages of today.

Around 9pm I felt restless and lonely. I hopped on my little scooter and rode throughout the hills and valleys of the desert for over an hour; felt much better when I got back :)

***** Stuff I Wrote this Week******

If a thing is too easy it may not be worth the effort put forth which would be taken away from doing something really worthy of your efforts...

A reply to a post:

A ghost of the forest... an evil wraith that hides between the nether worlds to lie in wait and pounce upon the pure of heart.

A birthday wish to a Friend:

Wake up sleepyhead it is your special day. A day to reflect, a day to enjoy the wonders that life has given you. A future so bright that it melts hearts of harden steel and shines as a beacon into the night.

A Friend asked why did I move out to the desert:

It is a long story to tell why I left the sea for the desert. But here is the short version of it:

I lived on the moorings for somewheres near 22 years.

The city council didn't like liveaboards out in the harbor or anywheres else for that matter and wanted us gone. We fought them for a long time, many years, and finally lost.

I sold my sailboat and lived in a camper for a few years to save to live someplace where I could be independent and wouldn't be bothered by all the drama.

I found this wonderful broken down old shack and bought it for $4,000 and fixed it up... There ya go :)

Now it don't mean I be staying here in the desert forever, but I will never sell it and always have a sanctuary from the storm...

Thanks for asking!

******

Sunday 18- temps of 107 with a chance of thunderstorms tonight.

I did my stretches, lifted weights, yoga, ran up and down the hill carrying 5lbs in each hand, core trainer, and punched the heavybag for five minutes.

I updated two Dell Mini 9 Netbooks I have. One netbook runs Lubuntu that is swift and fast, while the other runs Windows 7 which is a big fat pig that wallows in the mud and snorts at me.

I watched “Seven Years in Tibet” (1997) starring Brad Pitt; mighty fine movie!

Monday 19- temps around 102 degrees, no clouds and high humidity.

I did my stretches, yoga, deep knee bends and ran a mile and a half with 1.5lbs around each wrists.

I was on and off the telephone with my biological Family in Tucson, they’re saying Dad was getting out of the continuing care facility for sure on Thursday and coming home after a three month stay. So I must start getting everything together for the trip out there to Tucson.

 

Tuesday 20- temps of 107 with a few clouds on the horizon.

I did my stretches, lifted weights, yoga, ran up and down the hill carrying 5lbs in each hand, core trainer, and punched the heavybag for five minutes.

Twentynine Palms UPS arrived with one of two packages I was waiting for and the other was delivered by the UPS driver out of Yucca Valley; why they delivered the two shipments this way I do not no.

I spent most of the day getting ready for my trip to Tucson.

At 6pm our Neighborhood Watch held a special meeting to plan the community cleanup we will be doing on September 21 8am to 3pm... five of us showed up and the meeting went well.

I got home and continued to get ready for my journey; water the plants really good and stuff like that. I wanted to have everything done so when I woke up in the morning I could just hop in my car and be on my way.

I wrote on FaceBook that I would be away for a spell; they are my very good friends, all of them!

The last thing I did before I went to sleep was wash the windows of the Cougar. Now I must tell you that there must be an eighth of an inch of dust over the whole car and when I cleaned all the windows I just couldn’t stop and ended wiping down the whole car; I was pretty tired when I went to bed, but my car looked pretty!

Wednesday 21- on the road to Tucson.

I woke early and was on the road at 7:15am for the 426 mile journey to Tucson. The trip was mostly uneventful until I stopped to get coffee at a rest stop just out of Phoenix; tired I pull off the 10 freeway for a short rest. I decided to get a cup of coffee out of the vending machine there. When I pulled the cup out it had tiny little brown things floating around at the top I thought was coffee residue, but on closer look was those tiny little piss ants bobbing about. Well I desperately needed that caffeine high pumping through my veins and fished them out with a nickel, which was the only instrument I could immediately find in my pockets to do the job. I think I got them all out, but at the time it really didn’t matter much and I took a sip, yuck! I remembered I had some Taster’s Choice packed away in the car and added some to the weak piss ant flavored brew. Now it tasted drinkable.

I got to the Family home at 2:15pm and let myself in, took a shower and called my brother Kevin to go see Dad at the care center, then afterwards go to Carl’s Jr. to eat burgers. We should have eaten first because as soon as we walked into the care place we were hijacked by administrations and spent the next hour with my brother and sister Shiela there in a small office listening to and reading papers on the homecare our Father would be receiving and what would be covered and what would not. I sat half awake almost nodding asleep and hoping we would come out of this thing alive and in one piece.

I finally got to see my Dad and he looked ready to come home tomorrow. Me and Kevin left and went to Carl’s Jr. for burgers. We stopped off at Home Depot for a high toilet seat and a doorknob for a door that is missing one. We went to the Family home and installed the seat and the doorknob. Kevin left after we jawed for a spell and I went to bed for a well deserved sleep.

Thursday 22- it rained in Tucson.

Kevin came by to go out to breakfast. Our Dad would be released at 2pm and an in-home caregiver called John would be meeting one of us at the house at 2:30pm. We were both going to pick Dad up, but we also knew someone would have to be there at the house for the caregiver and also aware getting out of any care facility would take more time than a half an hour. So I stayed and waited for the caregiver and Kevin went to pick up Dad. The caregiver arrived on time and is a really gentle man and also a very large and strong; one who enjoys participating in “no holds barred kickboxing”! He might be able to handle my Dad.

Kevin and Dad arrived around 3:15 and I introduced them to John the caregiver.

Seeing that there wasn’t any food in the house, me and Kevin went out in a rainstorm to fetch some food down at the local market and got mighty wet in the process. When we finally got back home the wash in the back was full of water running like a river carrying all manner of flotsam and jetsam away.

Friday 23-  Tucson temps around 100 degrees with clouds and rain here and there.

John the caregiver arrived to take care of Dad, me and Kevin went out to IHop for breakfast. Everything seems to becoming together with the in-home care, but we still need to evaluate just how much care Dad will need. I hope this evaluation will be done and everything setup before I leave for my home in the desert; I’m homesick already.

This evening I went for a very long walk to do some hard thinking, away from distractions.

Saturday 24- Tucson temps in the high 80s with clouds and sprinkles.

In-home care worker Genie came to take care of Dad today and would go shopping later in the day.

My sister Paula and her husband Mark came by to see Dad and to visit with me. It was a nice visit and chat we had. Mark, Kevin and I jumped in Kevin’s car and drove to the bank to withdraw some cash for Dad’s expenses when Genie goes shopping.

It was decided that Kevin would move into the house with Dad and that I would be free to leave tomorrow. With everything setup for Dad’s care I felt I could leave and not be in the way. I packed up my car for the trip back to my wonderful home in the high desert.

***** Stuff I Wrote this Week******

Candle flicker upon golden mirror, reflections of a face so dear, a female’s face grown so familiar, who loves a modest poet she should reconsider. A wanderer, a vagabond, seeker of truths, a righter of wrongs that I be, no future in such for the likes of me.

But in amber light as shadows fall, on silken hair she brushes through, spread upon moisten breasts of honeydew, which I caress, with a gentle touch, a tender kiss, a hint of lust she can’t resist.

She smiles as she turns and with a simple push of her finger upon my chest, that I stumble then fall onto a bed of satin and lace, upsetting her fat lazy cat’s rest, who skedaddles out of this place. She laughs, then she sighs and cuddles right up next to me, we lay together two creatures of love in harmony, two who embrace to make a song, to the rhythms of nature and the oceans beyond.

Yes my friend, good night and sleep well... sleep into the long night in waves of deep azure crescents, upon moonbeams flows and sailboats sail, let your dreams live among these waters, which carry your heart to greater depths, where planets spin and stars shine bright, cast your dreams upon the night.  

We laugh, we cry, we speak those words of love which brings sweet fulfillness into our lives, our souls, our very existence.

What a wonderful life we have, full of happiness, no one sad, except the lofty maiden with hair so fine, who seems so happy all the time, but hides her sadness behind light brow, as she sings and dances all the while, pretending to be, but never quite, the princess of love on a starry night.

Upon this steepening path we must follow, a journey of a hundred sorrows, be it may to rest our souls, or search the Earth for tales untold.

Rest ye say old humbled heathen, upon this Sabbath be forgiven, nay I say I ain’t no god, I must work to carry on, for I have but so much time, to seek the truth for humankind, least I falter in my quest to find these answers I shall not rest, be it known of what has spread, beyond the valleys of the dead.

******

Sunday 25- Tucson to Twentynine Palms cloudy with rain at times.

I left Tucson when my brother Kevin came to watch Dad and was on the road around 6:30am. It started raining about 20 miles out of Tucson and I slowed the car down to 60 MPH to compensate for the wet roads and traffic ahead. I was cruising comfortably along when this white truck came roaring pass me doing at least 95 MPH or more. I didn’t see the occupants but the truck was towing a small trailer with one big and one little dirt bikes tied to its frame. I thought to myself that this was a father and son going out into the hills somewhere to ride. How nice!

About 40 miles or so out of Phoenix there is a rest area and I was going to make a pit stop there so I wouldn’t have to ride all the way through the city of Phoenix holding it and feeling uncomfortable; DANG, the rest area was closed for remodel! Now I would have to hold it all the way through the city unless I stopped at an off ramp or something. I continued driving for another 20 minutes when all the traffic came to a standstill. There was an accident just up ahead about a quarter of a mile because I could see the flashing lights of emergency vehicles. We sat there for over 35 minutes or so waiting. I had turned off my car because we were going nowhere for a spell. I decided to open the door, sit with my feet on the ground, pull down my zipper to relieve myself; I left quite a puddle. The traffic started moving very slowly now as one lane was opened. As I drove by the wreaks of four or more vehicles, one stood out; it was the same white truck that speeded pass me towing the big and little dirt bikes. It now laid in an awkward position on its side; I looked away as the emergency responders nonchalantly pulled a stretcher along side it.

I got home around 2pm after stopping at Stater Brothers to get some supplies. Sherry was watching the place for me and everything looked okay as I drove up to my humble home; I gave it a big hug and started bringing things from the car. After being away for five days, I came home and noticed the big mess inside! It was like someone else had moved in, but it wasn’t anyone but myself who made this mess. Just being away I forgot how messy I live; like a bushy tailed pack rat!

I gave my plants a good watering. Some of the ones I had planted died of thirst and some I had in containers filled with water drowned; oh well...

Monday 26- it rained all day long with temps in the 80s.  

I did my stretches.

I started on cleaning my messy house. I think my problem is that I don’t throw any of it away and it just ends up in a pile somewheres else.

Tuesday 27- temps in the low 90s with scattered clouds.

I did my stretches, yoga, deep knee bends and ran a mile and a half with 1.5lbs around each wrists.

I went about the house gathering old items that I need to give away so I can create more room and less clutter.

Wednesday 28- hey a nice day for once!

I did my stretches, lifted weights, yoga, ran up and down the hill carrying 5lbs in each hand, core trainer, and punched the heavybag for five minutes.

More cleaning!

I did my stretches, lifted 10lb dumbbells and went for my evening walk with my backpack.

Did some catching up on my astronomy reading.

I did my stretches, lifted 20lb dumbbells, and went for a night run.

Practiced my guitar.

Thursday 29- temps in the high 90s with heavy cloud cover and lots of humidity.

I woke up feeling kinda ill, like a summer cold or hay fever was coming on.

I did my stretches, yoga, deep knee bends and ran a mile and a half with 1.5lbs around each wrists.

I continued cleaning the house, but didn’t get much of anything done. I can’t wait for cooler days.

Friday 30-  temps into the low100s with a few clouds and lots of humidity.

I did my stretches.

Yup, I got hay fever and really don’t feel like doing anything today. I mostly messed around online and on FaceBook.

I updated the Copper Mountain Mesa Website and sent out the Newsletter.

Saturday 31- temps again in the low 100s with a change of rain. Humidity is sucking the life force out of everyone and in the night there wasn’t no relief either.

I still have the aches and pains of hay fever when I woke up. I’ve been taking an antihistamine which seems to help a bit.

Sherry came by and we stood by her truck and yapped up a storm for a spell.

I cooked up my rice and bean with my own secret ingredients and headed down to our monthly potluck. It seems that folks were somewheres else because of the holiday weekend. There were only about ten of us showing up and we all brought more food than we needed and ended up taking home some mighty yummy dishes. I over ate and suffered later on by lying in my bed with that bloated feeling ya git when that happens.

***** Stuff I Wrote this Week******

It might sound naive of me, but I would like to think differently, I'd like to think that we all could do something differently now for the future. I’d like to think we can bring change and start thinking we can instead of the old thinking that we can't so why try... I say no more war!

Do great things with what you have, love, inspire, create. Yes teach, but yet absorb your students minds, their hearts, their wants, their lives; teaching is a way to plant the seeds of imagination in the minds of our future!

A maiden sleeps yonder I adore on pillows satin she dreams. I have spoken to but dare not touch this fair skin vixen with my embrace. An old wanderer’s envy, a soul lost to love, a lonely man’s desire falls silently undone. To reach beyond this veil of sin, be cast into the garden again, to laugh and sing as others do, to live a life and feel beloved, to shed this bitter shell I wear.

Visions dance lightly upon my mind, with scent of beauty she leaves behind. Through distant realms shall I ride my steed, to race the night, to pass the sun, to come to thee.

A decade may be a long time ago, but it isn't that long ago in the heart.

I don't believe anything I see on the Internet until I have confirmation from three different sources and actually see the body!

Yes Change... let go those bad memories and pesky minions of false realities troubling your free spirit, let them drift away like dandelion seeds scattering into the winds.

Aloft with sweet bliss to kiss the angels and make them smile as she did here on Earth, for her friends and family still remember.

******

July 2013

Welcome to the month of July- dang hotter than that place down below. The kind of heat that sucks the life energies from your body, bake the marrow inside yer bones to a greasy goo, and drys out yer eyes that you can hear them blinking like an old rusty bike wheel needing oil.
I did my stretches.
Linda H. calls to say she has a flat tire. I drove over and changed the tire in 119 degree heat. It took about half an hour and my clothes were soaked with sweat, but it was well worth it; she had ice cream waiting for me!
I continued editing from my book from the Kindle Reader.
Kelly called to tell me a small lizard is stuck between her windows and she can’t open it to free the poor critter. I put on my cape and flew over there to free the lizard from a certain hideous death by heat.

Tuesday 02- the temps are over 105 with much humidity.
I did my stretches, lifted weights, core trainer, and punched the heavybag for two minutes.
I continued working on my book until I finished it around 11:30pm and republished it on Kindle. Lots of bad zingers I caught rereading it on the Kindle Ereader.
A treat for finishing the editing I watched season 3 episodes 19 and 20 of “Numb3rs”; Pandora’s box and Burn Rate.

Wednesday 03- temps are around 114 degrees.
I did my stretches, lifted weights, yoga, and punched the heavybag for two minutes.
I spent three hours on the phone to the IRS! It seems they started my call with someone who knows and cannot do nothing and reads from a list of FAQ. Then she transfers me to someone who knows a little something but can’t speak english very well (I did my best to listen to her very carefully as not to offend her and be hung up on) and cannot do anything to help and reads from a different list of FAQ. She transfers me to someone who finally really knows something, has a cool demeanor, understands my situation, he tells me exactly what I need to do and records the error into the IRS system (I thanked him profusely). The reason I call was a letter I received from them asking about a discrepancy in my 2011 tax return. I did a simple rollover of my IRA and the bank didn’t report it as a rollover. This led to the rollover being reported as income for that year of several thousands of dollars more than what I reported. I still have to refile the tax return but at least I won’t be sent to the deepest darkest dungeon of some tax prison for wayward souls like mine.

Happy Fourth of July!- temps hovering around 107 degrees.
I did my stretches.
I was invited to my friend Sherry’s house to have a Fourth of July lunch with her and watch reruns of “Castle”. I also helped her with a few chores she needed done around the house.
I got home around 7pm and then went over to Kelly’s an hour later to watch the fireworks from her front yard. We then went to Denny’s restaurant in Twentynine for burger and fries.
I had quite a full day and didn’t get back home till 2pm or so.

Friday 05- temps of 110 but seems to be cooler; maybe because there’s less humidity.
I did my stretches.
I did nothing today. I slept a full 8 hours, when I usually do 5 to 6.
I did watch Season 7 episode 1 of “Burn Notice” and a couple of reruns of my favorite show “Elementary”.

Saturday 06- slightly over 100 degrees.
I did my stretches.
I read part of Unit 7 of the CERT training course.
I took Kelly to get her meds at Rite Aid. We shopped at the 99cent store for a few things; I got me a 99 cent back scratcher. We had hamburgers, fries and a coke at Burger King and sat there till the 7pm. Then we went to Stater Brothers to grab some supplies.
I got home early tonight and got some web work done.


***** Stuff I Wrote this Week******

The ocean with its different shades like passageways brings comfort to my soul. Beyond the horizon as far as I can see, I know someone is waiting there, waiting just for me.


To a Dying Friend (I hope I have not overstepped )

Is it our lives we surrender on our finale day? Be it not a lonely task, the finale journey come at last? Lost, we seek, to grasp and hold on, to cherish this moment as life is our song. Fear not you this call that beckons, to leave this world of earthly skin. Fight that fight to carry on and sing that song with all your might, because your song is what you leave, a note, a chorus, or full symphony, delivered to the living in fresh harmony. We shall sing with praise this pleasant composition, a gentle essence of a prose of a life that you have written, of love and friends, in this we shall not fail, in remembrance of your sweet loving smile.


 Beneath the calm of waters clear, lies a sea of storms I fear. Carefully cross this void of endless woe, on slippery stepping stones, or fall within its tears...


The greatest gift you can give yourself is to walk away from a very bad situation and start your life over again.


Remembering a girl I knew, a kiss, a hug, a dream....

******

Sunday 07- temps over 110. I did my stretches, lifted weights, yoga, core trainer, ran up and down my hill with 5 lbs dumbells, and punched the heavybag for five minutes. I read and finished Units 7 and 8 of the CERT training course. Now I have to do lots of review of the whole book. I did my stretches, lifted 10lb dumbbells and went for my evening walk with my backpack. I watered the plants at night under the starry skies! I did my stretches, lifted 20lb dumbbells, and went for a night run. I practiced my guitar and wrote poems on FaceBook. Monday 08- over 110 degrees. I did my stretches, lifted weights, yoga, core trainer, ran up and down my hill with 5 lbs dumbells, and punched the heavybag for five minutes. I reviewed the CERT training boo I took Kelly to town so she could take care of some business and we did our shopping at Vons and WalMart. There wasn’t much over at WalMart because this store is closing and their new Super Store is opening a mile east; I didn’t get home till after 9pm. Tuesday 09- temps are around 110 degrees (was only suppose to be 98), with a lot of clouds and humidity. I did my stretches, lifted weights, yoga, ran up and down my hill with 5 lbs dumbells, and punched the heavybag for five minutes. I worked on the swamp cooler so that it would fill up with water automaticly on its own instead of me running out in the heat of the day every few hours to fill it by garden hose. I had to run a waterline from the front of the house to where it is in the battery room, then connect the whole system up to it. Now it works like a charm! I did my stretches, lifted 10lb dumbbells and went for my evening walk with my backpack. I studied my CERT training guide course thingy all day. I did my stretches, lifted 20lb dumbbells, and went for a night run. I practiced my guitar. I watched season 3 episodes 21 and 22 of “Numb3rs”: Art of Reckoning; Under Pressure. Wednesday 10- temps are around 100 degrees with clouds and lots of humidity. I did my stretches, lifted weights, yoga, ran up and down my hill with 5 lbs dumbells, and punched the heavybag for five minutes. I watered the outside plants. I did my stretches, lifted 10lb dumbbells and went for my evening walk with my backpack. Again I studied the CERT material most of the day. I did my stretches, lifted 20lb dumbbells, and went for a night run. I watched season 4 episode 16 of “Warehouse 13”: Runaway. Thursday 11- it rained today! I did my stretches, lifted weights, yoga, and punched the heavybag for five minutes. More studying for for CERT for the finale class tonight. Tonight’s CERT class covered Unit 7 Disaster Psychology: the psychological impact on rescuers and victims and how to provide “psychological first aid”, and Unit 8 Terrorism: what is terrorism, terrorist targets, weapons likely used, CBRNE indicators, how to prepare for a terrorist incident and CERT protocols during a terrorist incident. Chief Snow was away fighting a wildfire and couldn’t be here so Judy and Nancy gave the class. All those who took and passed the American Red Cross CPR and First Aid Training Course received their certificate; I was among those :) For the first hour we reviewed all the previous units of the CERT book and then watched a 45 minute movie on Disaster Psychology. We took a break and then we went over Units 7 and 8. Nancy’s husband, who is a CERT member and works in the field of radiology for 43 years, gave a thorough lecture on the effects, treatment, and different scenarios of a radiological incident. This is our finale Thursday night class and now we await the simulated training and test this 13th of July on Saturday morning at 8am; wish us luck! I watched season 3 episodes 23 and 24 of “Numb3rs”: Money for Nothing; The Janus List. Friday 12- a very little bit of rain with lots of clouds. Temps in the high 80s to low 90s. I did my stretches, lifted weights, yoga, core trainer, and punched the heavybag for five minutes. Andrew came up from Los Angeles to pick up a car and needed a ride back to his truck in Joshua Tree. He offered to buy me lunch at the Sizzler restaurant for the ride; how could I refuse. We spent over an hour eating and yammering away the time; it is always nice to see my old friend. While I was down there I stopped to pick up a few things that Kelly asked for me to get and dropped them off at her house before getting home around 8pm. I watched season 4 episodes 1 and 2 of “Numb3rs”: Trust Metric; Hollywood Homicide.  

Saturday 13- slightly over 105 degrees. I somehow woke up at 6am for my CERT disaster drill training that starts at 8am. I had two alarms set and four friends to call me at 7am; one alarm didn’t go off and one friend forgot to call. I arrived early for the class; amazingly I was the second one there. Chief Snow started out with a review and then we were given the test; all students received 100 percent! Now the hard part was to do a disaster drill. There was a 7.2 earthquake that hit our area and we had to work things out for ourselves. The Incident Commander was chosen, Ray, and he divided us up into four groups and directed each group to perform different tasks. Our CERT trainers had been busy while we were taking our written test, placing bodies around the area with various injuries. Each team had to do a CERT sizeup where they were assigned and communicate their finding back to the Incident Commander. Without going into any great detail; there were many mistakes, confusion, missed victims, and some members not following CERT sizeup rules. My team, but me especially since I was the Team Leader, missed two victims and misdiagnosed one victim as dead. I must say that most if not all teams had problems and not following CERT rules and procedures. Now saying all this you might think I thought the drill was a complete failure, but it really wasn’t. We did complete our objectives by doing the greatest good to save the greatest number of people. With our CERT training we were much more organized than some group who didn’t have training. I honestly believe we did very well even with all these mistakes we made, because we learned, reassess the situation and corrected them and moved on. If we have another drill or a real emergency, our CERT teams will even be more aware of what is required of them. We all lined up in front of the CERT trailer afterwards for a class picture. I made many friends here and wish them luck. I picked up Kelly around 4pm to drive her down to Rite Aid to collect the rest of her prescriptions. We then ate at Burger King and were going to go shop at Staters, but Kelly fell ill and I took her straight home. I watched season 4 episodes 3 and 4 of “Numb3rs”: Velocity; Thirteen. ***** Stuff I Wrote this Week****** Freedom is the way she choose, to color our world of gray. Of yellows and reds of daffodils, her canvas progressed throughout the day. With browns and greens of growing things, as bright blues filled out our skies. She sang her songs of colors so bright to take root and blossom amongst our minds. Forgotten now by all humankind these colors and songs she played. Songs left behind to win against our fears and find her love and trust, but we seek no more, it’s all washed away with her sorrowful tears, replaced by cement and rust. The 60s were fun... I remember being in a friend's garage with rock music blaring, the smell of strawberry incense mixed in with the odor of a sweet pungent smoke that lingered in the air, psychedelic posters hanging on the walls under black lights, and I'd be examining this album cover for it seems like hours. Garages were the main place to hangout in the 60s and 70s... I never found school all that inspiring until I finally went to college at the age of thirty-four. Then I was among thinking people, most of them anyways, who took a broader view of the world and life than I; in their art, writings and thoughts. To be among creative minds such as they was, and still is, very interesting to me. When it comes to my philosophy of life, I've always been a pick and choose kinda guy myself, never falling for anybody's dogma, just took a little piece here and a wee bit of a piece there that made sense to me. Normality is an evil that hampers the soul, negates creativity, destroys individuality, and turns our minds into gooey kind of gray mush. Tuneout the naysayers be they external or come from within and Dare to be yourself, Dare yourself to create! I write because it brings a calm to my mind, a joy that I can share with others. Some folks actually like my writings, journals and poems, which humbles me greatly and keeps me balanced. I try to live by example; funny I should say this now after such a wild life I lived out in the 60s and 70s ;) I think with age comes a kind of reckoning; advice we like to pass on to others. To say to anyone who comes along in later years and reads my writings that I lived here on this beautiful planet; I made a difference. Making money off my writings; I don't really care one bit :) Watch those: to too two, there their they're, then than, sense and since, and a host of other like sounding words the English language throws at you :) I written this poem for a friend who wrote to me about my other poem, "To a Dying Friend". She told of her friend who had a young 18 year old daughter in the hospital who was dying and my poem had come along at the right time. Well the young girl, who was supposed to be in college and have a bright future, passed from this Earth today. This affected me so, that I wrote a poem for her. The only condolences I should get from anyone is not ever having the chance to meet this sweet wonderful girl. (Again, I hope I have not overstepped): Dark clouds have gathered the sun grows very dim a youth passes us by not to come this way again. Released from her worry, released and depart, her young soul has left but she remains in our hearts. Such grace and glory, of pink ribbons and bows, she now dances among angels on clouds of silver and gold. A future so bright has now come to pass, all the little things that matter in life have slipped from her grasp. Her essence prevails of memories so sweet in all those she touched and all who she loved. ******

Sunday 14- temps over 110. 

I did my stretches.

Kelly called to tell me she was really sick and I went to the store to pick up a few things she needed. I stayed most of the day keeping her company.

Monday 15- over 100 degrees with lots of smoke in the air making the Sun look a deep red starting around 3pm.

I did my stretches.

At 2:30pm Kelly called saying that she needed to go the Emergency Room. I was at her house in 10 minutes and drove her down to the Hi Desert Medical Center Emergency Room. We only waited for a short spell when they took her to the ER. I stayed in the waiting room for an hour or so and decided to see what was up. They allowed me inside where I found Kelly hooked up to a drip bottle; I won’t go into her personal business but just to say she was very sick. 

As I sat there with her while the staff tried to stablizer her, folks with all kinds of problems were being rolling in on gurneys and wheelchairs. 

On guy in the bed behind the curtain next to Kelly’s bed kept asking her all kinds of strange questions. They were giving him some powerful drugs I figured, so when he asked me if I ever worked on the Alaskan Pipeline, I told him I did back in 72. He asked me if I was a welder there and I said no I was a driver delivering pipes and we could only drive during the winter because the permafrost would still be frozen, besides I said I didn’t like the mosquitoes in the summer months. I never been to Alaska, but I went on creating the story for his and Kelly’s enjoyment. 

I noticed the room across the way from us being setup for something special with the staff standing ready in blue gloves being lectured by a doctor on what to expect; I won’t go into what I heard there either. About ten minutes later firemen wheeled in a gurney with what appeared to be young man on it, I couldn’t be sure because a fireman was over the man giving CPR and I only saw the man’s shoeless legs with white socks. Not too long afterwards we heard the machines that go beep beep beep stop and the staff started solemnly walking out the door. Remembering that folks who have near death experiences report that they can see what’s going on from above, me and Kelly waved at the ceiling to say goodbye as the last one out of the room pull the curtains and turned out the lights. This death affected me much and led me to write a poem called “Cause no one really knows....”

The doctors finally had Kelly stable enough to take home somewheres around midnight. I was sure glad to get out of there. I drove Kelly home and helped her to bed. I made it to my home, flopped on my bed and slept for a full nine hours.

Tuesday 16- temps are around 106 degrees with lots of smoke from the Idyllwild fire that started yesterday.

I did my stretches.

I went to Rite Aid to get the prescription fill that Kelly got from the ER doctor. I spent most of the day there with her keeping her company.

Wednesday 17- temps are around 100 degrees with smoke and lots of humidity.

I did my stretches, lifted weights, yoga, ran up and down my hill with 5 lbs dumbells, and punched the heavybag for two minutes.

I watered the outside plants.

Kelly called telling me that the water pump on the swamp cooler had broken. I went to her landlord's other house and took the pump out of there and replaced Kelly’s broken pump with it. The pump worked well, but I told Kelly to buy a new one for backup the next time she goes to town.

I watched season 4 episodes 5 and 6 of “Numb3rs”: Robinhood; Security.

Thursday 18- temps in the high 90s with a smoky haze lingering from the forest fire. 

I did my stretches, lifted weights, yoga, and punched the heavybag for two minutes.

Linda H. came by with some firewood for me that I can use in the winter. She hung around for a spell and we jawed about the forest fire and other things in the news.

I watched season 4 episode 17 of “Warehouse 13”: What matters most.

Friday 19- 106 degrees, smoky, humid; my clothes are sticking to me.

I did my stretches.

I was fixing Margret’s laptop (she brought it to me sometime last week), when I got a call from Linda H. to come over and help her and Semi get a couch from her house to her truck so she can take it to some charity in town and be rid of it. Then we worked on a new sliding bathroom door but couldn’t get it to slide very far enough until it would get stuck. The whole dang piece of plywood she bought at Home Depot was warped and we ended up putting the old one back on; Linda will have to fill in some holes and repaint it. Linda gave me ice cream for my efforts.

I got back home at 7:30 feeling restless, I called Kelly to see if she wanted to go to town. She has been sick since last Saturday after eating at Burger King, including a visit to the ER  on Monday. I felt it was time for her to venture out if she felt up to it. I finally convinced her to go by threatening her with a Sonic Burger and  picking up her “Life’s Blood”, ice tea, from WalMart. We stopped at the newly opened Super WalMart, that place is huge, to get her ice tea. Then spent an hour or so at Sonic Burger stuffing our faces with Supersonic Double Cheeseburgers, onion rings and Cokes. Stuffed we were and then Kelly notices that the milkshakes are half off after 8pm. So we ordered two of those and I really don’t know why because I could hardly finish my onion rings. I swear the food is so good that the devil himself must be inside Sonic collecting souls!

We finally left around 11pm and sat outside her house watching and rating on a scale of one to ten the lightning from far off beyond the mountains to the east burst brightly orange and yellows sending mighty bolts of electrical spaghetti through darkened clouds. 

When I got back home I worked on my poem “Cause no one really knows...” until 5am.

Saturday 20- slightly over 105 degrees.

I took the day off from everything except I updated the Copper Mountain Website and sent out the Newsletter...

***** Stuff I Wrote this Week******

Many things from my past come trickling through I find, like a gentle rain, a morning's dew that comes to rest surreally upon my mind.... memories of friends from long ago and far away who capture the essence of our youth, to rest easy now and pass our days in fields of grass blowing dandelion seeds to the winds, this I say is a better way brings sunshine to my soul. 

We come into this life of ours with no expectations except for want of food, shelter and love. Then as we age we learn that all living things are special, much more special than any material want. We search for kindness in others and we are rewarded many times over with friendships lasting our lifetime. I for one wouldn't change my life even if I could. I am the product and the sum of all, my shortcomings included and misfortunes included. When I leave this life I leave it with the hope that I had made a difference.

I wasn’t sure I wanted to share this poem, I had a rough week when I wrote it, but to be fair to myself and my friends, here it is. I advise no one to read it!

My other side: Cause no one really knows....

Nobody knows which way tomorrow’s winds will blow, nobody knows which way the ocean tide will flow, nobody knows the beginning, nobody knows the end, you will never know, cause no one really knows.

Be they right or be they wrong, disciples of fortunes lost can yet be found, listening to greed of their yearning desire by preaching to the preacher and singing to their choir, will bring them all down, they will never know, cause no one really knows. 

In drab room at a cheap motel or under fire on the battlefield, wondering where your life will end, you will never know, cause no one really knows. 

Spreading the seeds of darkness now baby, spreading the seeds of sin, where the bastions of hell begin, you will never know, cause no one really knows.

If you live but to die another day, it is not for you or others to say. Be lost in the river of your own design, fighting against currents to your evil demise. Balanced on a feather or the roll of the dice, a flip of a coin and you shall see you have not a choice of your destiny, you will never know, cause no one really knows.

You think you know what comes after life, with a swift slice to the wrist with a pocketknife. A rotting soul torn and riddled with hate or a plastic paradise that God creates, of this let us make very clear, where you go to face your fears, you will never know, cause no one really knows.

******

Sunday 21- it rained really hard around 3am. It continued off and on all day.
I did my stretches, lifted weights, yoga, ran a mile and a half with 1.5lbs around each wrists, core trainer, and punched the heavybag for two minutes.
Linda H. came by to borrow a tarp to cover her trailer and we yapped for a spell. She left when it started to rain again.

Monday 22- around 85 degrees with a few sprinkles of rain here and there.
I did my stretches, lifted weights, yoga, ran a mile and a half with 1.5lbs around each wrists, core trainer, and punched the heavybag for three minutes.
I finally got time to myself to sit down and fill out my 2011 Federal income tax that I mentioned a few weeks ago when I spent three hours on the phone with the IRS to straighten everything out. 
I did my stretches, lifted 10lb dumbbells and went for my evening walk with my backpack.
Kelly cooked up some tasty jambalaya and invited me over for dinner... I even got to take some home!  
I watched a movie I saw way back when it first came out in 1981 called “Quest For Fire”. It is strange how I remember some parts of it differently now.

Tuesday 23- temps 103 degrees with humidity.
I did my stretches.
Linda H. called asking me to come around to help her hang the sliding door on the bathroom. We did that and just as I was going to leave she remembered that she couldn’t get her tailgate and window opened of her truck’s camper shell. I found out that the shell was coming unbolted and was starting to slide off the truck. I took two opened ended wrenches and tightened the four holding bolts down. Now it won’t fall off and onto some poor person’s vehicle driving behind her.
I went to my mailbox down on Lear Ave to see if Margaret’s power supply came... all I got was a note saying it was at the post office.

Wednesday 24- temps are around 106 degrees, light rain here and there with lots of humidity.
I did my stretches.
I took Kelly to Twentynine Palms post office and then to the DMV. We bought a pizza at Domino's Pizza and ate it at her home. 

Thursday 25- very early at 3:30am we had a downpour that lasted 10-20 minutes. Temps of 102 with light clouds and a bit of humidity. 
I did my stretches, lifted weights and punched the heavybag for two minutes.
I watched season 4 episode 18 of “Warehouse 13”; Lost and Found.

Friday 26- it has been raining off and on since 1pm. Temps in the 90s with heavy Nimbostratus cloud cover with Cumulonimbus clouds gathering and creating lightning and thunder.
I did my stretches.
I updated the Copper Mountain Mesa Website and sent out the Newsletter.
I worked on Margaret's laptop for a spell.
I wrote some poems and then watched “Battlestar Galactica: the Miniseries”. 

Saturday 27- slightly over 100 degrees with sweltering humidity.
I did my stretches, lifted weights, yoga, ran a mile and a half with 1.5lbs around each wrists, core trainer, and punched the heavybag for five minutes.
I got everything ready for potluck. It was the first time I tried to make a Caesar Salad and I hoped everyone will like it. I arrived at our Community center and there were already 35 folks standing around Chris Jonas’s Grill Master as he barbecue steaks and babyback ribs to go along with Dyan Carroll’s lobster tails her mom Dorothy Jacobsen had flown in yesterday from Maine. For dessert, Mary and Chris Koval brought strawberry shortcake with plenty of homemade whipped cream for topping. Folks were dropping by telling us the aroma from the barbecue brought them. Neighbors Mark and Claudine Morella and their daughter Izzy (you all remember them?) were on their way back from a barbecue that was canceled because of the weather. Mark made a quick call and within fifteen minutes we had a Mariachi band serenading all of us. Other’s from the canceled barbecue showed up bringing all kinds of steaks and jumbo shrimps for the Grill Master to cook up. We must have ended up with 65 folks in all. On my plate I had a whole rack of baby back ribs, salad, lobster with clarified butter. For my dessert I declined the baked Alaska and settled for the yummy strawberry shortcake. There was plenty leftover to take home and everyone had a pleasant time.
I got back home and couldn’t move, honestly, I ate so much that all I did for the rest of the night was watch reruns of Sherlock Holmes and first episode of “Battlestar Galactica”; 33. 
It is good to have friends with a good sense of humor and in actuality we only had ten folks showing up for potluck, but my friends there at potluck, God bless them all, asked me to make up a story instead of  my usual listing of what was brought. They even said to make up people... I told them I could do that :)




***** Stuff I Wrote this Week****** 

A reply to Scotty’s Poem:
But what becomes of this decay, this tiny life, this raven's prey? Where once had stood yet lives no more, has sprouted seeds from lover's tears. It grows to reach, to spread, beyond the realms of night, to carry hope, to shine a light, upon our fears of desolate waste, to guide us safely to our fate.


It is a shattered day when 
a love once held
slips away
into silent spell
that seeps darkness
into my heart
and steals
what is left
as they depart

Sadness sorrow do surround
who lost a love  
tears on the ground
seek our passion
seek our faith
what once was love
bitter ashes lay

Time will heal
or so they say
this deep dark wound
will still remain
Oh my heart
oh how it bleeds
amid oceans of sorrow
I collapsed to my knees
bending now
I cover my face
not wanting see
a new reality
that has taken love’s place
Tears of loneliness
run freely now
upon wet cheeks 
and broken brow
What is now stolen 
can not be replaced
but heal it will
to bear the scars
for yet another love
who wanders my way


Nature sings her sweet melodies
with raindrops that patter all around me
of bees buzzing in fields of flowers varied with color
painting landscapes for those who take such a bother. 
I listen to see, using sight I do hear 
Nature’s song is my soul’s request to defeat all my fears.
I saw then heard lightning booms of thundered
as distant storms rage to create such a fright
this giving me pause for things I must ponder
of life and death and how it must be
as the sounds of  winds whipping through high forest trees
If I sit quietly
close my eyes to face the Sun
I can hear nature’s song as she sings
and we become one.


 It is nice to be happy and find that spot in life where you are balanced, calm, in awe of life, and charmed by others who hold you dear to their hearts .


As for religion; I take a little bit of this here and a little bit there to add to my own philosophy. I don't much care to be a follower of any... I leave that for others to pursue... I simply exist.


Let's do more than go forth out into space, let's rip these chains our Earthly bonds that restrains us from the future we seek. Aloft up high beyond the clouds, beyond the Moon, among the stars, this is where our hearts belong, this is where we shall strive to be. Though we love and cherish our Earth our nest, but to lie stagnant in her bosom is not best. We must be thrust out to space and spread as seeds, like fields of dandelion caught in a breeze.


In reply to a question of open source society:

 BSD and Microsoft evolved from the same tree trunk (Binary code) but broke off to form different branches; one open source and one proprietary. So it would possibly be the trunk or Binary code where we want to start which is basic to all higher level languages. Putting this all in perspective; The number one problem is the world cannot sustain a singularity with the economic systems of today. 
It would be a benefit to devolve the present systems of government into something simpler... possibly eliminating money as payment altogether for another system of value based payment and commitment that everyone can contribute and benefit from.
In history I can see many beginnings of singularities that ultimately failed because they could not be maintained: The technology to construct the pyramids of Egypt are lost to antiquity. The Dark Ages was a definite step back for Western Civilization. I saw a short news item back when President Bush declared we were going back to the Moon, but NASA basically lost the know how to build a rocket like the Saturn 5 and sent teams of researchers scrambling to junkyards to retrieve parts of the Saturn 5 rockets that were sold as junk. 
I also believe that all bets are off if we cannot colonize and mine space for the raw materials we need to maintain a stable structure of government, social stability and the safety of humanity spreading out into the universe which a finite Earth cannot provide.


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Sunday 28- temps of 103 with a few clouds.
I did my stretches.
I worked on Margaret’s laptop. It doesn’t want to start Windows XP and just sits there doing nothing. I found out later that when I open the CD drive XP will continue to load. So XP hangs with the CD drive somehow.
 I went outside around 9:20pm  to watch the Delta Aquarid meteor shower and sat out there for over an hour or so before Moonrise at 11:44pm... I saw many meteors zipping across the sky coming from the radiant between Pegasus and the star Fomalhaut which hadn't rose above the southern horizon that I could see. There were more than the 15 or so an hour they said to expect! Also saw one big bright one, too!


Monday 29- temps around 105 degrees, no clouds and low humidity.
I did my stretches, lifted weights, yoga, ran a mile and a half with 1.5lbs around each wrists, core trainer, and punched the heavybag for five minutes.
At 11am I went over to Linda H. house to help her adjust her truck’s shell that had moved since the last time “fixed” it. 
I did my stretches, lifted 10lb dumbbells and went for my evening walk with my backpack.
I finished up on Margaret’s laptop by reloading Windows XP on it and getting all the new driver updates. It seems to work better now and doesn’t hang with the CD drive.
I did my stretches, lifted 20lb dumbbells, and went for a night run.
Monday I watched the Delta Aquarid meteor shower after my night run, but after an hour or more I only saw two of them...
I decided to go back inside the house, fetch my large binoculars, and come back out to drink in the night sky. Saturn is in Virgo right now. I was lost in time gazing deep within the Milky Way :)
I practiced playing my guitar.


Tuesday 30- temps 103 degrees with humidity.
I did my stretches and yoga.
I went over to Stoney’s to wash my clothes and check to see if the place was okay after the rain we had.
I worked on Margaret’s laptop. I had to reinstalled the whole OS because the laptop was so sluggish I couldn't get any work done on it. I also updated her BIOS from version A3 to A7. Now the laptop runs very nicely and called to have her come pick it up tomorrow. 


Wednesday 31- temps around 105 degrees.
I did my stretches.
Margaret came by to collect her laptop and was pleased that it worked so well. I told her she should get a RAM upgrade when and if she wanted; it is only running on 512Meg!
I went to WalMart tonight. I stopped to get my mail and found a Jury summons and a DMV renewal for my Cougar saying I need to get it smogged, bummer.
The new Super WalMart is way too big and spread out for me and only picked up a few items there that I would've gotten at the old one. I actually put the produce back I had in my cart and went to Stater Brothers to by food... I even got 6 cream filled donuts for half off :)
Then I drove over to ARCO to filled up with gas and clean the windshields.
I parked at Sonic Burger and ordered a burger with potato bud thingys and a Coke. 
I later ordered a chocolate cream pie shake to sip on while driving back home. 
I only ate one donut :)
Linda H. called telling me she seeing lots of meteors tonight. I went outside while yakking at her on the phone when a very bright one came out of the summer triangle. It lit up the ground which made me looked up to it! Two more bursts from this brilliant meteor as it traveled north to melt into the darkness above. It must have been from the Perseids....

Goodbye to July... you been a wonderful month!