February 15 through February 21, 2006
Wednesday February 15:
I spent lots of time today trying to get the most recent web page ready…for once it went easily, and I even managed to make progress on the incomplete page already posted. I did not want to overdo the hot spring soaking for the second day in a row…even I can turn into a prune, dry up, and maybe blow away. :-)
Thursday February 16:
I was up early and finished up the incomplete web page. All that is remaining is Claire's review, but I'll upload it as is today, and reload the HTML part if necessary when she catches my spelling and grammar errors. :-) Today we bought a replacement fluorescent tube for the ceiling light in the RV at Home Depot (geeze, they are almost $7 each for a F15T8 tube...glad I did not have to buy it in an RV store!). We stopped for internet, uploaded the webpage, checked email and confirmed our packages were at UPS. We then picked up the packages with the camera and USB 2 PCMCIA card. As usual, it took 10 minutes for UPS to locate them, but they were here and in good order. I checked the packages for intact content only, then we moved on. I'm sure the camera will take MUCH more than a few minutes to learn to use.... :-) We need propane, must shop several stores, do laundry, and need to fill fuel too. The day ends at Sam's Club where we buy our usual dinner to end a full tiring day in Yuma....double cheese pizza.... Then it's off to Sidewinder road BLM free 14 day area for the evening. I had lots to do to ready the camera for use...but fortunately had my spare battery already charged. The $17 spare battery was 910 maH ...beating the Panasonic battery by 200 maH, and if I wanted the Panasonic brand I'd pay nearly $50. I was concerned about the Corsair SD memory card I'd bought...a few folks had trouble when they formatted them, losing half of the 2GB space. I noticed in the camera manual that the cards had to be formatted by the camera to work, NOT in Windows using the computer...I wonder if the folks with problems did not read the manual first? I just stuck the card in....it did not ask me to format...and tried to take a picture...it worked! This is TOO easy..... I took several pictures inside the coach...with and without flash. I do not notice any graininess in low light that reviewers remarked about...it is better than the old Olympus 3040 zoom was. Claire can do it without much instruction....
just show her the shutter button. Time now to figure out how to get pictures OFF the SD card into the computer. I insert the USB 2 PCMCIA card...it finds all sorts of new hardware devices, but does not ask for the supplied driver CD.... I connect the card reader...it works! The pictures are 3 to 4 MB each, but they download much faster than the 300KB files from the old camera. I guess the USB 2 card is worth its $18 delivered price. I'm happy with the picture quality at first try...and VERY happy with the user interface. The Olympus was reputed to be hard to use for good reason. I expected this more complicated camera to be nearly impossible to learn....but it is quite intuitive, and the default settings seem to be the ones I would want. It is time for bed....tomorrow starts early to be ready for the dentist at 9:30.
Friday February 17:
We left the Sidewinder road BLM free 14 day area at 8:30, AFTER I tried the camera in daylight....the 12x optical zoom is amazing to me.....
Notice the tower in the EXACT CENTER of the picture, just right of the cream colored trailer. Here it is at full zoom in....hand held.
It is very good...but it is not PERFECT....it must be held stable even with the stabilizer, or a bit of motion blurring occurs, and of course the effects of less than clear air become evident at these ranges too. I am somewhat disappointed that I cannot expect to use the 8 megapixel resolution at full zoom and crop for more zoom.....but I do NOT want to carry and bother with a tripod. We will get what we get, and throw the rest. Today is dentist day in Algodones, with a 9:30 AM appointment. I took the camera across, and experimented a bit....however I did take note of the dentist's office manager's warning to "be careful" when he saw the camera.... I'm sure it would bring a good price on the underground market here. Here is a shot of a trinket salesman taken from across the street....
He is demonstrating a toy tarantula that walks on a string.
Here the 8 megapixel resolution pays off, as I can crop the spider and use that part of the picture at full resolution. The sales folks here seem VERY interested in my camera....perhaps because they hope to be paid for posing for pictures? I am VERY happy with the speed to take a picture from turn on. I can turn the camera on while I raise it to my eye, it is ready as soon as I compose the picture. I must become more familiar with reaching for the zoom ring on the lens...it is the SLOW part of the operation now. The picture takes instantaneously when I press the shutter button. Look out babies and animals...I'll get your cute expressions now! :-) I walk around trying for a camera case, but there is nothing that fits the camera. I find the line to get across the border quite short, and decide to relax in the RV for two hours before my next dentist appointment. It was nearing 5PM when I was ready to cross the border again...and the line to cross was no longer short!
However, this is the last time I must do this for quite a while, and I have a camera to occupy my time....this little salesman is happy for the delay.
It gives him more time to work the line with his toy turtles with the bobbing heads. :-) He is not alone, as more senior salespeople work along side him....
These folks are trying to make a living, and although insistent that you notice them, they do take no for an answer...good thing, as there are way too many to buy from all. :-) When I crossed, there was a biplane flying at around 1500 feet...I decided to try the long zoom lens on it.....
I am amazed at what it can do...but need to brace the camera against something for better sharpness. It is time to go home to Sidewinder road. Tomorrow we can soak in the hot spring! :-)
Saturday February 18:
We left the Sidewinder road BLM free 14 day area at 8:00, before breakfast, so we could get in a few hours of soaking at Holtville before going to the Slabs for the Saturday night music. There was quite a crowd here today....
The local working folks join us snowbirds on weekends. This lad learned to float in the hot pool today! :-)
His mother told me how he was diagnosed with a fatal disease with no cure, but has completely recovered....a miracle! I'm sure he has been through a lot more than immersing his ears under water to learn to float, but he was an EXCELLENT pupil. :-) By noon we left for the Slabs, as we intend to stop for a shower, dump, and water on the way. We are constantly alert for farm equipment running in our lane of the two lane road at 15 mph....
We really catch up to them FAST at 60 mph...and hope there is no traffic coming in the opposite direction when we need the oncoming lane to pass! We arrived at the Rayhound Slab just in time to meet Sassy and her daughter Chris who is an over the road truck driver.... They had stopped by to visit Sage and meet some of the other Slabbers they'd known on the internet. It's always NEET to put a face on a person you know on line. :-))
We all arrived too late to contribute Claire's beans to today's dinner....but we agreed they would keep until tomorrow. Slabs time is NOTHING if not flexible! :-) Sage's friendly slab cat William makes himself at home ANYWHERE....even if the dogs are in his territory.
I don't believe black cats are bad luck at all....lucky William found his home with Sage! :-)) We moved to the area across from the range at dusk. We like easy walking distance to home in the dark..... Insane Wayne plays early.
He's irreverent as always, but a GOOD musician. We enjoy his performances. Roger accompanies on Steel
Wayne asked for prints of some of the pictures I'd taken of him, so I'll try printing some at Walmart and mail them to him. Roger found the cool wind chilling to his fingers AND his steel guitar, which would not remain in tune in the cold. Roger switched to bass guitar and the band played on...with a different set of performers.
Here Robin and Builder Bill dance to the music of Roger, Mike, Joe and a volunteer drummer I did not identify....sorry. :-( Despite the bright fire, I finally chilled and went home after Roger said he'd try to get something going during the day tomorrow when it's warm enough for fingers AND steel guitar....and maybe me also! :-)
Sunday February 19:
The morning started slowly for us....even though the night had been cut short by the cool weather, I was not quick to hop out of bed in the morning. We did move back to Ray's slab in the morning, and it was not long thereafter that Roger knocked on the door announcing that a 1 PM jam session was planned at the range. I walked up, Claire decided to pass and work on dinner. The afternoon session proved to be one of the best I'd heard here...perhaps the warm weather? The sunshine? The performers? But most were the same as last night.
Roger, Insane Wayne, Mike, an unidentified EXCELLENT guitarist, and Builder Bill put out some good sound. The blue sky atmosphere is much different from the dark of night too. :-) Roger moved center stage to accompany Builder Bill on Bass.
The good lady singer Jan joined in....
I spoke with Jan about increasing her volume...and she said she sounded too loud to herself as the speaker was right behind her. She turned it up later. :-) She's easy to listen to...and is better when she's easy to hear. Roger's job on the steel seemed much easier in the warmth of day too....
His "cat claw" finger picks intrigue me. The sound is pretty special....and I'm driven to try the video recording feature of my new camera just to record the sound. Amazingly, I can get it to work WITHOUT the book. It is not a bad video CAMERA (640x480 pixels, 30 frames per second, about 20 minutes capacity with the 2 GB card), but the operator is ...uhhh... very BAAD! A video camera person I am NOT! I can't include any video on this website, as the files are WAAAAY too big; I'm limited to 1 MB files on the free servers. I'm not sure I'd want to embarrass myself that badly anyway. :-) Perhaps the video gods were extra kind today because Sybil and Marion were visiting here from Switzerland, and videoed the Sunday afternoon concert as part of their effort to collect enough snippets of video about the Slabs to gather support for a complete Slabs film. They are not sure they will get funding, but will try. I'm sure the afternoon daylight performance made their filming much better and easier. It certainly made still photos better. The Swiss ladies came by Ray's Slab for dessert (Sage's apple crisp topped with Bob's ice cream), conversation and drinks after dark too....
The wind still blew cool, and most folks drifted away quickly....
Perhaps ice cream and beer do not lead to long cool evenings outdoors, even with Sage's trays of hot briquettes from the grill which warmed our chairs a lot.....but not enough. :-( It was too soon time to turn in......
. Monday February 20:
This morning I had a bunch of dishes to do, and saw Airplane Roger & Neal (his instructor) head out along the road in their para planes. In a bit I heard the planes low overhead and hurried to take a picture.
I got some, and Ray invited me onto the second deck of the Rayhound to take more. I am amazed at how close the 12x zoom can get me to Roger way up there....this is cropped to 100% of the image size.
Looking at Roger's beard blowing back in the wind...I'm kinda glad it doesn't reach the prop, or he'd get a fast shave. :-(( The planes circled the area, Roger quite high, above 1000 feet it seemed, before they landed near the canal. They were not back by the time we left the Slabs at 11:15 AM, and headed over "scenic" SR78 to San Diego. Claire remarked that it was like leaving home again, we had been here so long. :-) The folks were really nice, and shared their lives, meals and even WiFi internet connection with us.....BUT it is time to be moving if we want to see San Diego before we head for Las Vegas....and we have a firm commitment to meet a friend at the airport there on March 1. However, we will miss the folks on Rayhound's Slab, and the music and musicians at the Range too. The road through Banner Pass was windy and carried a notice that tractor trailers with over 30' kingpin to rear axle should not use it. Some folks had recommended we not use it....
We seemed to be following a long caravan of large RVs pulling their ATV "toy hauler" trailers, so we figured we could do it too. It was a lot of work steering and downshifting, but we did not use the brakes too hard. The transmission peaked at 207 degrees on the 5 mile long 6% upgrade leading to Julian.
The scenery here is truly magnificent ..... even if we maybe should not be driving it in the RV. :-) Julian is a "tourist town"....
it's been found and knows it. :-) There are quaint antique shops, farm produce stands, and this coffee shop on the left. Even traffic jams have found Julian, and it isn't even a weekend!. :-( It is a BEAUTIFUL day for a drive in the country though... :-)) We stopped in Poway north of San Diego at the Walmart, as the customer service rep had said on the phone that overnight parking required a manager's approval when we came into the store. I assumed we would get it. Instead the manager told us there was a local ordnance prohibiting it, but said we could stay at the store on Aero Rd, I-15x8. When we got there, it was the same Murphy road Walmart we had been run out of by a rather rude guard from a hired security firm 3 years ago. This time the customer service rep said we could stay, but if police ask us to leave in the night, we must go. She said she had not seen anyone run out herself. We will stay, as we are tired after the drive over the mountains, and have few alternatives, with none of them being any better than this.
Tuesday February 21:
This morning we visit the zoo....and find we must travel some city streets to get there, just like last time when we tangled our bicycle in a truck's mirror. This time we get there bump free, and park as close to the gate as possible so Claire does not need to walk any extra distance. Our first visit is with the Pandas...before the crowd gets too big. This male is eating breakfast..
Panda breakfast is bamboo.... Last time here we saw panda in the afternoon, and they were sleeping off breakfast. :-) The San Diego Zoo specializes in breeding endangered species, and this critically endangered Calamian deer native to a few small islands in the Philippines is typical of that commitment.
The velvet covered antlers on this buck are interesting. The polar bear is on the surface this time....
He's nobody I'd want to meet without the heavy glass between us.... Of course I had to try out the timer on the new camera, and it proved to be intuitive so I did not need the book.....
We got this picture of some unidentified other animals in the San Diego Zoo. :-) Of course, the camera took multiple shots that I did not expect...but this way we can find one with everybody's eyes open and smiling. As we wandered a wild hawk circled....
This is a good opportunity to try the telephoto capability...but neither Claire nor I can identify this bird....we feel reasonably sure it is NOT a red tail hawk...usually a safe guess. :-)) While looking at non captive zoo critters, this bee settles to forage on some of the many pretty flowers in the zoo.
Notice the yellow blob of pollen that she has packed on her rear leg for the flight home. This zebra is showing his true stripes.....
Yeah, well, maybe a few other things about himself too.... :-))) This threatened Zambian sable antelope is striking with his curved horns.
I expect he's learned not to throw his head back fast.... :-) This two humped bactrian camel grins at me as I capture his soul....
The one humped dromedary camel does not often get south to the equator in Africa. The humps store fat for energy, not water which the camels use VERY efficiently in the desert. This cute koala does what they all want to do in daylight....
SLEEP! They are nocturnal, but rather slow movers even then. On the other end of the size scale, this armor plated rhino prepares to lie down....
I'm just glad he's not going to land on me!! These almost hyperactive meercats move quickly....
But they rise up on their haunches and focus intently on anything that draws their attention, too. This Southern warthog is interesting....he even kneels down to get his picture taken. :-)
I can understand why folks are not flattered when called "warthog"....but other warthogs MUST find them attractive...or is that why they are on the list of vulnerable species? :-)) The gorillas are active. Here the one on the left practices 'gorilla yoga' while the one in the middle rolls and scratches....
The big one on the right seems to be contemplating its rather ample belly. :-)) These guys are a HOOT to watch. So are the Chimps. This one seems to go into a black funk and tries to hide away from the group....
Does this remind you of anyone YOU know? :-)) This colorfully nosed member of the monkey family will go unrecognized, as I failed to photograph the nameplate. :-(
The noses seem so brilliant they must be painted on.....but I would not want to be the makeup man! :-)) We are fading fast as our day at the zoo comes to an end. Again we have not seen it all....but we've enjoyed what we've seen, so that makes it a successful day. The flamingoes provide a brilliant finale for the day!
They have identifying leg bands just on top of the locking leg joint that eases the task of resting on one leg...I recall I heard somewhere that they do that to conserve heat loss. There certainly is no denying that they do it.... :-) We returned to the RV dead weary...but quickly took the opportunity to get out of the tight parking place before someone came into the adjacent spot. We parked in an open section of the lot to recover our energy for the drive to Sam's Club on College Drive. The manager had suggested a place to park when we called, but it did not make sense when we saw the lot...we just parked in an open area, and when we asked, the customer service person said it was fine. We found free WiFi, fast and strong so were able to catch up on email here too. :-)) Dinner is a Sam's Club DELUXE Pizza....and I find it OK despite the sausage and pepperoni. Perhaps Sam's does not use as much of those ingredients as some others? We are very quickly in bed this night...tomorrow we will drive out onto Point Loma, and save heavy walking on the Wild Animal Farm for the following day after some rest.
PLANS: As of Saturday 3/11/06 we are waiting out a Winter storm in the Walmart in Claypool AZ, on US 60, headed for the Hot Wells Dunes hot spring via Safford on US 70 when the weather clears, hopefully Sunday sometime. US70 goes over a 3790 foot hill 6.5 miles ahead, and the forecast snow line is 4000 feet. The wind is rocking the RV parked here in the parking lot at 3300 feet elevation, and the heat runs frequently. We got some mixed sleet with rain during the night. We will stay here today, and re-evaluate conditions tomorrow. Iffy weather, high wind and poor visibility do not make travel pleasurable in the RV...we don't have to go today, and we won't. The cellphone is strong, the propane tank full, and we can run the generator whenever we need it to keep the furnace perking along. We're comfy and can use the time to get something done on overdue web pages. :-) Longer term, we will drift east as weather permits....but stay a bit south for a while until Spring really arrives. We want to pass through Albuquerque NM, and the Sam Houston Memorial in Texas (we'll figure out what PART of TX later... :-)) Then we'll head northeast to arrive in MA by the last week in April.
Until next time.... ENJOY! We are!