Dec sunsets in Wells, NV

Freeway - Headon?

I drove from Wells, NV to Gresham, OR - 500 miles. I hit a cloud, hail and snow on a mountain pass and then I drive over a pallet in the middle of the freeway. The storm was going like crazy, so I did not stop and the little truck was doing fine.

I had lots of wind all the way through the Columbia Gorge.

I get to Cascade Locks and I am driving West on 84 when I see head lights coming at me. I was in the slow lane. Some person passed me on the freeway. He was going the wrong way on the freeway. I called 911 and told them. I checked the news when I got to Gresham and did not hear of any accidents on the freeway.

I also saw a car on its roof in Boise.

So glad the drive is done. It took a little over 12 hours.

26 degree - 12 mile- bike ride

***I just drove the truck to see the milage on my bike ride - it is a 12 mile ride, not 8 or 9. We have had freezing fog all day - the high temp got to be 26 degrees. The sun finally kind of came out so I decided to get in a bike ride. I did my usual 9 or 10 mile run. I went about 4 miles up hill. I am trying to stay in good enough shape to cross country ski into Trillium Lake up on Mt Hood next week. I take off for OR in two days.

i also will be doing some snowboarding next weekend.

Looking Funny: I wss wearing shorts, sweats, snow pants, 3 layers of shirts, a sweater and a wind breaker along with 30 below boots from my days in the village. Talk about looking weird. I might add, I rode the same ride yesterday wearing tennis shoes and my toes froze. That is why I wore the AK boots. Funny thing is: My toes were cold in the big boots as well.

I feel I am ready to cross country ski and snowboard though - I really needed the bike ride to whip my lazy butt into shape for some serious, but wonderful, exercise.

Wells in snow

Here is downtown Wells, the place where the earthquake happened about 4 years ago. See the snow? We got down to 20 below zero - just like the Alaskan village where I stayed for 6 months.

I dropped my camera - hope it will keep shooting pictures.

horses in winter

The horses are getting shaggy. They have the winter fur which they need for the twenty below zero temps they have had to face. They are a bit upset with me. I go there to clear the snow off the parking lot and they want hay.

Snowing in Wells, NV

It has been snowing a lot in Wells, NV. It has been snowing all day. I am now waiting for the temperature to drop so I can cross country ski It is presently 33 degrees, which is too warm for skiing. I feel 20 derees is perfect for cross country skiing.

Hope to be skiing in an hour. Pictures up later.

Shotgun weddings in Oatman, AZ

More pictures of Oatman. They have shotgun weddings there. It is real desert in Oatman. If it stops on the road, it can be shot (the car.)

Torential Rains in Oatman, AZ

Yesterday, we had Alaska type rain in Arizona. It was torrential rain and it kept going for four hours. It was so humid that we had fog so you could barely see as you drove.

SNOW: Kingman, Flagstaff and higher areas got 2 feet of snow yesterday. Freeways have been shut down.

I take off for Vegas today and will spend the night there and then I take off for Wells. I will be in Wells until next Tuesday or so.

Wild Burros at Oatman, AZ

These are wild Burros seen in and around Oatman, AZ, a living ghost town. They wander all over the place and follow you around. You can buy carrots to feed them. However, do not feed the babies, they could choke on the carrots. There are stickers on their head that say 'do not feed me."

Bike Riding: I went for a bike ride and it was great. My body was able to push it and I just felt good during the ride.

SHOOTERS: While bike riding, I rode past 3 groups of people shooting. These people shoot right next to the road, which is only 2 miles from housing developments. People can carry guns in Arizona, they just have to have the gun in public view. There were 2 groups shooting shotguns and then I came across one guy who was shooting a 44 Magnum. He shot it off just as I was riding by him and it was loud. He had noise reduction ear muffs on so he did not even hear it. I rode faster after he shot.

LITTER: Then as I rode, I noticed the litter. People put crap out in the desert and shoot it. They do not pick it up after shooting it either. There are thousands of shot gun shells everywhere as well as beer cans. The guy with the magnum was shooting a beer can.

Bull Head City, AZ and Oatman, AZ

I am in Bull Head City, AZ and it looks like I will stay for a few days. I had planned on leaving tomorrow but plans change.

My brother, Gene, just got admitted into the hospital. He keeps throwing up. I will have to go visit him in the hospital in a bit.

The pictures are of the hills around Bull Head and the town is Oatman, AZ. Oatman was a gold mining town at the turn of the century. There are wild burros there because they were used in mining. Once the mines closed, they let the burros loose.

Thre is a nice 10 mile dirt road which I want to ride my bike on before I leave.

The Interview

The pictures are of Angel Lake Road capped by clouds. I have pictures of Red Rocks Canyon in Las vegas but my download thingie is not working well. I have to buy a new one here in Vegas but I have not yet found a store yet.

Interview: It went well. I had a most pleasant time discussion education, etc with a lady who is a principal overseeing Special Education Programs. The district is organized like other large districts. Paperwork, etc, sounds like what I am used to.
After this interview, I am in the pool of applicants if and when a position comes up.
it is funny how I kind of relax and enjoy when an interview happens. I worry and fret a bit the night before and the morning of, but settle down when we talk about philosophy and educational practices. I left the meeting feeling good.


The district is tight financially so they are trying not to hire new people. I am now in the pool of people to be considered when a job comes up. I still have to send in transcripts from colleges, which will happen today and get certified which I am also doing today.

I have been getting used to not working but I got kind of amped up about teaching after talking about teaching. If I were offered a job, I would accept it.

I talked to people about housing too. One person said she got a 2 bedroom place for $500.00. I could get a nice 2 bedroom for $800.00 easily, I was told. I heard on the news today that the city is asking its employees to take an 8% cut in pay. The cut would be 2 years. Then while waiting for the interview, another district employee said he was expecting to be layed off.

The interviewer said she was impressed with the Sp Ed programs they offer, which is hopeful.

We shall see what comes of this.

Mom: I saw you smile today

i rode my bike 20 miles up Angel Lake road, with about 10 miles uphill total. I even went over 'the monster' which is a hill that increases dramatically in elevation after you have gone 3 or 4 miles of steady uphill. I do not like that hill. I was going to take 'the monster' my first day back, but it had snow covering it, so I was saved.

I made it up to the top and did it ok, my body was working with me today. As I got to the top, the cold wind started kicking up like it did not want me to make it over the hill. I made it and I looked at the mountains and I swear i saw my mom's shit eating grin smiling at me. (She passed away a few years ago.)

Her last few months on this earth: I drove 100 miles every 3 weeks or so to see her in a nursing home. I would take time to bike ride, kayak or scuba dive before I saw her. (I would scuba dive with my nephew Mike, now deceased.)

She would have this shit eating grin on when I came in and she only wanted to know about what adventure I had done. She wanted to hear about the kids too, but she was very intent on listening to what dumb thing I had tried. She liked me to do things even though she could never undsrstand why I would enjoy such things.

Making it over the top of this pass on a bike was a birthday present to myself. My mom liked to share in my stupid little stunts and I kind of felt she was there today.

FUTURE: I was thinking about cross country skiing around Crater Lake in Oregon. I have done about 5 miles before but it would be great to do the whole 20 miles. Kicking out this bike ride tells me I have the stamina.

So, If I do not get a teaching job in Nevada. I might hang out in Southern OR for a few days.

That wind can be cold around here. brrrrrrrrrrrrrr

I guess I am and always was a momma's boy. Thanks mom.

A slob cleans up

I have been alone in the Wells house since Monday. I tore up plywood and linoleum in the living room. I am a natural slob anyway so the perfect storm of natural slob and destroy a floor makes for a major mess.

I am now in cleaning mode, with interuptions. (I will call them excuses)
1. I was cleaning and the sun was blazing away outside and then I saw the clouds over the Humbolt Mountains. I had to get in the truck and take some pictures. Two are on here.
2. I started to clean again and then I could swear that I heard voices. The floor was talking and laughing at me. "You aren't done stupid." So, I started doing more flooring.
3. I was cleaning and I saw a pile of wood outside. I went outside and chopped wood. (There is already enough chopped wood to last all winter but I had to find a good excuse for stopping the cleaning.
4. The temperature is rising and the sun is coming back out - a bike ride beckons. I am holding out though.
Then I thought: Cleaning: My kids and ex would come in and be mad because I did not clean, that was after I had spent great effort in cleaning. I swear it was cleaned up so well and perfect. They would reclean and tell me this is how it is done. I would swear that it looks the same as when I cleaned. (My eyes see differently maybe.)
5. I have to watch the Man vs Nature series so I can survive in the cold when I am thrown out of the house for not cleaning. I payed particular attention to the cold weather shows. I sure hope I do not have to resort to drinking my pee like the fellow says to do. I guess it warms you up if you are super cold - like tea.
6. The thermometer says 54 degrees - that says bike riding to me.
7. The bike ride (20 miles) wore me out.
8. Drinking wine and blogging and facebook time is taking away from from cleaning time.
9. Reading: Lincoln President Elect and drinking wine.

Update: I did clean up the kitchen and the bathroon a bit. I got all of the old linoleum out. I will put the rugs down tomorrow morning. I want Tricia and Gar to see what I did to their house. I hope the kids are sleeping. They are supposed to come in between 9 PM and 11 PM.

Escape Plan: If they are upset because it is not clean enough and throw me out on my ear. (It is actually my house.) I have my twenty below sleeping bag, a tent and debit and credit cards. I also know of a couple of places that allow a poor unemployed, homeless fellow named Brisco to get out of the cold.

Got to say, I will work a bit then maybe a bike ride.

Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving to all!

I am in Wells, NV, Last Thanksgiving I was in Juneau, AK. The second year of not having Thanksgiving with family. I cooked a chicken and have the bike loaded up and heading out to bike ride in a canyon I have been meaning to check out.

The weather is wonderful. Sunny, no wind, 45 degrees today.

I have been ripping plywood off the floor of the living room. I made a mess! There is linoleum under the plywood and old pine under the linoleum. I am now taking the linoleum off. What a job. I should be in Bullhead City, AZ but it looks like Saturday.
I have to finish this up. I finally figured out how to get the linoleum up but it is a lot of work.

Wishing all the best on this Thanksgiving day! Off for a bike ride.

Update: The first ride was work! Uphill and in the shade where ice was forming. I went 3 or 4 miles up and turned around then went back to Wells to my familiar bike ride. That felt so much better. I got in about 12 miles.

I must admit that I miss family at Thanksgiving, it is kind of weird not to hang around those goofballs. However, Last year was in Juneau with teachers and this year basically just me. I wonder - what about next year?

sunsets

We have had some spectacular sunsets about 4;30 IN the afternoon.

I am ripping out plywood from the living room while everyone is gone. It is turning out to be more work than I had thought it would be. I am supposed to be in Laughlin, NV tomorrow or Friday for Thanksgiving. Because of the floor project, I might not get their until Saturday.

Stupidity

The pictures were taken as I was bike riding at about 35 degrees or so.

Story 1: Alasks by Fairbanks. It has been 55 below zero already in this area. (That cold usually is seen in Jan) A MAN, WIFE AND 2 KIDS moved into the wilderness with a canvas hunting tent with a wood stove to live for the winter. They just got rescued.
the mom had severe frostbite. It is crazy living in that place with a house. I lived in a village at 20 and 30 below zero. It would be crazy to attempt living in a canvas tent in such extreme conditions. 12 dogs also had to be rescued.

Story 2: Anchorage: A man was babysitting with his buddy. The called an 9 year old boy to come see them. The boy did. The man had a can of flammable spray and held a lighter to it. This made a torch and the boys face got burned up. That was Saturday.
The boy went to school on Monday and the school called the authorities. The 2 adult males were arrested. They said they just wanted to toughen the boy up. The boy was taken to the hospital. The men or the mom when she got home did not take the boy to the hospital - crazy stuff. Sadly, this was a real story.

Since living in AK: I still follow what is happening. Speaking of what is happening in AK: SARAH PALIN IN NUTS! I have been following the Palin Book and following the reaction of folks in AK. She is not making many friends in Alaska.

Wells, NV - bike ride

Here are some pictures of my bike riding right about 32 degrees. It was 5 degrees this morning but it has warmed up to 32 or so. No wind though and sun which make it a bike riding day.

Wells is at 5300 feet elevation which makes it harder to ride. The air is thinner here than sea level, which my body is used to. Slow an steady is how I ride here with potential ice.

I look funny: I have long johns on, ski pants, a shirt, a sweater, a vest and a wind breaker. I also carry 2 or 3 pair of gloves. I only needed one pair on this ride. I went for a short this this morning at 25 degrees. I am waiting until it gets above freezing so I can do a long ride. I will probably hit angel lake hill - not many cars there and it gets me huffing and puffing real good.

H1N1

Picture: The road up to Angel Lake.

Swine Flu: I am in Wells, NV. Across the street is a house where a lady, Marilyn, lived and she ultimately died of swine flu. She had a sprained ankle that caused blood clots that went to her heart and lungs. The blood clots almost killed her.

She had recurring clots for 5 weeks. She was sent home to Wisconsin, started to recover and then caught swine flu and died. (No health insurance so she did not want to go to the hosp.)

TODAY: My first day back, it was weird to see where Marilyn lived knowing she passed away. I had to ask if she really did die or was it a dream. It was true. Her pickup truck is still in Wells. It is sitting on a fellow employees farm, waiting for her family to come pick it up.

I had kind of a weird, sad feeling. Saturday, discussions of getting health care to uninsured people is finally being discussed. I feel it is stupid really that we will fund a war started with lies, but we cannot get health coverage to people like Marilyn.

Bobcat

Here are some Nov pictures of the Angel Lake area. I went there hoping to see enough snow for cross country skiing. Not enough. The lake is freezing up.

BOBCAT: I was asked to help with a little project and I said yes. We ssw a Bobcat and start it up. I am then taken to a backhoe gear for the Bobcat. The backhoe attachment is huge. It had also fallen down so it was not usable. One oompany said they would fix it for $800.00. This big thing had to be set upright. The ranger was in the Bobcat and gave me two chains then said my job was to hook the back hoe attachment up so it can be lifted. it looked impossible but I started,

I did some chain work and we lifted it. (The first time, the hook was lightly set and the whole thing could have come crashing down.) We got it lifted on the second set and then got hay bails to set it on to keep it up in the air.

We had it very close to being able to hook it up, inches. It was dark and we were working under lights so we called it quit. We went back this morning and an hour later, we had it sitting properly. (saved $800.00)

i then got lessons on driving the bobcat ans spent the next two hours doing bobcat work. It is kind of fun, I had driving a bulldozer years ago and it was kind of like that with hydraulics. I also got to hang around the horses.

It is snowing in Wells.

Downtown Wells, NV - winter

Here is the downtown area of Wells, NV. It is about 2 blocks long. EARTHQUAKE: Four years ago, there was an earthquake centered in Wells. The downtown blocks were not used much even then. The earthquake destroyed what was left of the buildings.
On the day that I took the pictures, it was 30 degrees with blue skies. There is some talk of rebuilding but really, business has moved to other streets.

Today it is snowing. I hope to get some cross country skiing in while I am here. Yesterday, I went to an area where I thought there would be enough snow for skiing but there really wasn't. I am hoping this snow will make enough for cross country skiing.

Wednesday - to Wells

I will be on the road Wednesday instead of Tuesday. I got a little 'sick' kind of which set me back a day. I don't think it is really sick, I think it is more playing wrestling and tackle football with a 3 year old. I ended up getting that feeling like riding a roller coaste. I ride crazy rides rarely but i do and then my stomach lets me know I should not have don that. This ended with an upset stomach and light headedness. Anyway, did not get loaded etc.

All food is staying down so it is not sickness.

We had a big storm all night. Today, it is sunny. They say that tomorrow, Wed is the good day for weather. So I will travel then. This truck by the way has an annoying habit of beeping while driving. I take out the chip to make it stop but then the windshield wipers do not work.

Ashley got asked to interview for medical school in Orlando, Florida. She has to be there Jan. I bought her plane tickets last night. She got round trip for $330.00. After paying to fly to and from Alaska, that is a good price. Any person who applies for Medical School has done so much top get to that point. She is a very dedicated person and I am very proud of her.

Snow - Wells, NV tomorrow

Here are a few more pictures of the snow on Mt. Hood. I am still sore - 2 days later, but, it is better than yesterday.

Loading up and going to Wells, NV tomorrow. They had 3 degrees yesterday, so it is cold. It is supposed to get up to 45 degrees today. The low was 18 last night in Wells. I am hoping there is not a lot of ice on the road as I travel.