August 19, 2012 - Chuck's Birthday!

The plan was for us to complete work on the house and return in June….so I’d set up a June MUFON meeting in Wisconsin, featuring Richard Dolan – famous for his authoritative writings on UFO historical events. The plan and reality, however, didn’t mesh so I left Chuck behind and flew home. This gave me time to visit with Barb Schmidt, Mareta and Bob Prill and Pat and Richard Olson – so nice to catch up. It also gave me time to have my dentist analyze the botched dental work I had done in AZ – which caused an opposing tooth to crack in half. The tooth will have to be pulled and an implant installed in its place. I just HATE it when I lose original parts. . Chuck was still in the cement-pouring process when I left. Whenever we have services come onto “the Ranch” (as the area is called), one of us has to drive out to the paved road (20 minutes) and lead them back out to our property. One time, after leading a new cement truck driver in over the bumpy roads and trails, he gave us a studied look and asked “Are you two in the witness protection program or what?” On one occasion, the guys had a blow-out on one of the walls causing cement to seep out – an expensive and messy event. I was out leading a second cement truck in when it happened and hastened to the edge of the bunker to see for myself. I looked down and didn’t recognize the figure in the hat, up to their calves in cement – shoveling like mad. It was our good friend Marsha (Travis’ mother) who’d rushed over to help. I couldn’t believe it; Marsha is almost our age…what a woman, what a good friend! . I really thought I was going to stay home in Wisconsin for the summer. When Chuck told me that a production company was coming out to the desert to film him, however, I couldn’t miss that and flew back. We expected that the interview would take place in the house. To our surprise, they spent 6 hours outside, in the bunker and in the RV (where they didn’t want to run the air conditioner due to the sound). It was 106 degrees out! They kept handing Chuck paper towels to dab the sweat from his face. The chief cameraman was from Waukesha and he was struggling with the heat as well. We hope that at least some of the footage makes it to TV – will definitely let you know if it does. I felt like the “water boy” running glasses of cold water back and forth. One of the first items Chuck bought for the house was a water cooler, which I thought was totally unnecessary. Proved to be invaluable - as our water from the almost 800 foot well comes out of the tap at 81.7 degrees! . The annual MUFON Symposium was held in Cincinnati this year and since Chuck was teaching, I was finally able to pull him away from AZ. The trip was not uneventful. On the second day of driving, Chuck noticed a truck driver’s signal for us to pull over. He hadn’t even realized it but one of the tires on the car dolly had blown – leaving only shreds of string remaining. We were in nowheresville and the issue turned out not to be getting someone out to help us but getting someone out to help us that had that particular tire. Having the internet onboard is invaluable in this type of situation! Chuck’s ESP must have been working because he tried to buy two tires but they only had one. On day three, I was driving and noticed for a second or two that the car dolly wheel seemed to be wobbling more than usual and poof…the other tire blew in a puff of smoke, taking the fender with it. We cooled our heels in nowheresville#2 for three hours while waiting for help. We think that the months of sitting out unprotected in the AZ sun must have harmed the tires and will take precautions against this when we return. Our big tires cost about $600 so you know we’re going to be covering those. . The Symposium is always a good time to connect with people that we talk to and e-mail throughout the year. Travis Walton was one of the main speakers, and even though this was the third time I’ve heard him, I was impressed and moved again by his story. Travis is the logger that was out in the woods in 1975 with 6 other guys when they saw a light. They thought it might be a fire or hunters and drove towards the light to investigate. To their amazement, they found an unidentified craft hovering over the forest. Travis, the intellectual of the group, got out of the truck to get a better look when he was struck, picked up and thrown backwards, by a beam emanating from the object. His companions were scared to death and took off. They went down the road a ways until their conscience got the better of them, then went back to see if Travis was dead or needed help. When they arrived back at the site, Travis was nowhere to be found. Travis was gone for 5 days. The local police suspected foul play and that he had been murdered by his fellow loggers. Five days later, Travis awoke at the side of the road outside of town. He and his companions have taken and passed two sets of polygraph tests which showed no deception. Travis’ remarkable story is found in the book and movie “Fire in the Sky.” And where, you might ask, did this event take place?ARIZONA! . The trip to Wisconsin from Cincinnati was further complicated by lengthy stops at two truck garages and over $4,000 of repairs. I don’t even want to go there except to say that Chuck always seems to be the one who has to contact the Fleetwood RV expert and obtain schematics in order to diagnose the problem. ARRGGH#@!$$%# . We finally made it to the Wisconsin State Fair RV Park where we hope to sit, without incident, for at least a month. Although we miss the desert, it’s so great to be home!