Well - now we can check the Roswell UFO Museum off of our list. It was nice but I've read so much about the 1947 event that not a lot was new to me - other than some affidavits that I hadn't seen before. The exhibits are primarily framed items on the wall and my back and neck started hurting after awhile. They'll be building a new museum in the future. I hope they get enough money to put in some nice benches and AV exhibits for geezers.
As we prepare to depart, Chuck has difficulty keeping our generator running. All of our electrical appliances run off of the generator when we're not hooked up. We don't really need it when we're on the move so we depart for Albuquerque. We've experienced high, dusty winds ever since we hit El Paso. We just saw a program on the "dust bowl" problems of the 30's and now get a small taste of how it must have been. Hellacious winds buffet the RV and hamper our progress. A police car flies past us, lights flashing - and we finally see it again down the road where a trailer has tipped over in the wind.
We've heard a whistling sound in the past; now all of a sudden, it seems much, much shriller. I attribute this solely to the high winds (as my Dad used to say, "you girls drive your cars until the wheels fall off.") Chuck, however, hones in on the problem. The right side of the windshield is starting to separate from the frame of the RV and there is an open slit at least 1/4" wide. WHAT! How could this possibly happen? We tape it up but I'm on pins and needles for the rest of the trip thinking it's going to pop out. Each side of the windshield costs about $1,000. We have insurance for glass but a question lingers in the back of my mind - can you get sucked out of a moving vehicle?
The drive into Albuqerque was beautiful and I have a much better appreciation for this area than I had when I flew in to see Bill and Laureen in the past. The "box" formed by the surrounding mountains offers a unique environment for ballonists and the famous Albuqerque Balloon Festival. We park for the night and make appointments for our needed repairs. According to the glass replacement specialist, it is quite common for RV windows to become unseated. Uh huh....okay, that makes me feel better, but how can the generator be presenting problems when we've had it inspected and maintained it? The expert's opinion? The wires were chewed by rodents. RODENTS! What in the world do we need to do to prevent that from happening again? Just call me Lucy!
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Friday, May 7, 2010
May 7, 2010
Per Ray and Hannelore Heizer, "don't know if you have ever watched Lucy and Desi's wonderful movie, "The Long, Long Trailer," from the early 1950's, but this latest tale of yours is a near-perfect reproduction of an early scene in that movie....rent and watch it ASAP! ...be sure to have kleenex handy as you will laugh tears...;-)" GREAT ....can't wait :-P
Actually, we might be able to go one better. Our next stop was Lackland AFB but that's a whole other story for another day...or maybe not.
After Lackland, we headed towards El Paso. As we drove, Chuck started getting sporadic "check engine" lights. The Cummings Diesel folks found that the stainless steel covering on the high pressure oil hose had ruptured, spraying oil onto two separate air coolers - one for the air conditioning and transmission and the other for the engine. How the heck? It's all a long story but the bottom line is that we left 9 days later and $4,800.00 poorer. I filled much of the down time with a great page turner, "The 19th Wife," by David Ebershoff. This modern-day murder mystery was interspersed with historical information about the Mormon Church and Ann Eliza (Mrs. Brigham) Young.who became famous for her eventual campaign against polygamy. Marilyn - this might be a good book for your book club.
I also did a little antiquing and loved the SaddleBlanket (http://www.saddleblanket.com/). The owner is a bit of a character and was onsite. There is a sign outside the store advising visitors that well-behaved dogs are welcome at all times. Outside is a large trailer and sodded dog runs which serve as a showcase for abandoned dogs. Pamphlets announce that each Saturday one can shop and adopt. You gotta love someone who runs their business this way. I told Nicky that we need to have a dog party at the house when I'm home.
We finally headed towards White Sands Missile Range - where Chuck served a couple of years in the late 60's. The surrounding mountains are impressive - and provide a beautiful view from the front of the RV. Absolutely no crises here and we enjoyed an evening stroll/tour on the white dunes of White Sands Monument. This is the world's largest gypsum deposit, easily seen from space. There is a road into the park which then turns to a plowed gypsum road. It looks like snow and the kids bring their saucers to slide on. Interestingly, they purposefully did not pave a large part of the road because of the shifting dunes. The road, picnic tables and portable toilets all have to be moved periodically to stay ahead of the dunes.
I drove over to Holloman Air Force Base to see if I could find any records about balloons which were sent up or retrieved in 1947. After looking in vain for the Freedom of Information office, I drive back to the "Welcome Center" where I ask the slug behind the desk whether there is a map of the base. "Absolutely not," she responds, "we don't want anyone to know where everything is." I do understand the need for security but we've obtained basic maps at many bases (and I really think they ought to change the name of the center.) The FOIA people, on the other hand, were very friendly but inform me that one must request records online or by mail. They don't even have a form I can fill out or a computer they can consult for me. Right.
Chuck's been following a case in the East where the individuals claim to have been picked up in their car by a UFO and subsequently dropped. Interestingly, there is no damage to the exterior of the car - except to the bottom - and a broken windshield caused by the deployment of the air bags. We're hoping that the individuals involved will choose to undergo hypno-regression.
We're finally in Roswell, NM and will tell you about that in the next post.
Vicki and Chuck
Actually, we might be able to go one better. Our next stop was Lackland AFB but that's a whole other story for another day...or maybe not.
After Lackland, we headed towards El Paso. As we drove, Chuck started getting sporadic "check engine" lights. The Cummings Diesel folks found that the stainless steel covering on the high pressure oil hose had ruptured, spraying oil onto two separate air coolers - one for the air conditioning and transmission and the other for the engine. How the heck? It's all a long story but the bottom line is that we left 9 days later and $4,800.00 poorer. I filled much of the down time with a great page turner, "The 19th Wife," by David Ebershoff. This modern-day murder mystery was interspersed with historical information about the Mormon Church and Ann Eliza (Mrs. Brigham) Young.who became famous for her eventual campaign against polygamy. Marilyn - this might be a good book for your book club.
I also did a little antiquing and loved the SaddleBlanket (http://www.saddleblanket.com/). The owner is a bit of a character and was onsite. There is a sign outside the store advising visitors that well-behaved dogs are welcome at all times. Outside is a large trailer and sodded dog runs which serve as a showcase for abandoned dogs. Pamphlets announce that each Saturday one can shop and adopt. You gotta love someone who runs their business this way. I told Nicky that we need to have a dog party at the house when I'm home.
We finally headed towards White Sands Missile Range - where Chuck served a couple of years in the late 60's. The surrounding mountains are impressive - and provide a beautiful view from the front of the RV. Absolutely no crises here and we enjoyed an evening stroll/tour on the white dunes of White Sands Monument. This is the world's largest gypsum deposit, easily seen from space. There is a road into the park which then turns to a plowed gypsum road. It looks like snow and the kids bring their saucers to slide on. Interestingly, they purposefully did not pave a large part of the road because of the shifting dunes. The road, picnic tables and portable toilets all have to be moved periodically to stay ahead of the dunes.
I drove over to Holloman Air Force Base to see if I could find any records about balloons which were sent up or retrieved in 1947. After looking in vain for the Freedom of Information office, I drive back to the "Welcome Center" where I ask the slug behind the desk whether there is a map of the base. "Absolutely not," she responds, "we don't want anyone to know where everything is." I do understand the need for security but we've obtained basic maps at many bases (and I really think they ought to change the name of the center.) The FOIA people, on the other hand, were very friendly but inform me that one must request records online or by mail. They don't even have a form I can fill out or a computer they can consult for me. Right.
Chuck's been following a case in the East where the individuals claim to have been picked up in their car by a UFO and subsequently dropped. Interestingly, there is no damage to the exterior of the car - except to the bottom - and a broken windshield caused by the deployment of the air bags. We're hoping that the individuals involved will choose to undergo hypno-regression.
We're finally in Roswell, NM and will tell you about that in the next post.
Vicki and Chuck
Saturday, April 17, 2010
April 17, 2010
This post is dedicated to Ray and Hannelore Heizer - who seem to identify with our challenges.
The weather forecast wasn't good but Ken decided we should go to Mexico anyway and we are so grateful that we went. It rained before we got to New Progreso and again after we left - but while we were there, it was pleasant and we had the whole place to ourselves. First we stopped at the duty-free shop where we purchased a new kind of Tequila to treat Chuck's palate. Then we parked our car and headed for the coffee/donut shop. The streets are filled with vendors of food, leather goods, baseball caps, DVDs, tons of jewelry, baskets, etc. Then there are the mobile vendors - mostly women and school children - trying to sell their wares. My favorite, however, was the white-coated professional greeting passersby.... "senor - a root canal today?" I have never seen such a heavy concentration of dentist offices in my life. Many Americans cross the border to receive dental care at a fraction of the cost - even though most of the dentists were trained in the states. Ken and Vera have visited this town often enough that they know some of the shop keepers. They also participate every Christmas in a special volunteer gift program at the local school. Hoards of children come from many, many miles away for the only Christmas gifts they will receive. What an admirable contribution to this poor community!
We had a wonderful lunch with $3 Margaritas and live music - then headed over to a reputable pharmacy. I purchased an antibiotic which my doctor has prescribed in the past for cheap, cheap..... but then they took it out of the bottle it was in and put it into an Omeprazole bottle. ???? That did give me pause. Once back to the RV, I immediately used a magic marker to put the correct name on.... but had forgotten what the dosage was ....hmmm. All in all, it was a great visit. Ken and Vera were heading home to Wisconsin in a couple of days and we hope to catch up with them when we're back in August.
Unfortunately, that wasn't the end of our day. When we got back to the RV, it seemed to be tilting a bit. Whereas we had been level before, it looked like we'd have to put the jacks down to straighten it out. I have to explain here that there had been an unpredented amount of rain in this area. We never expected, however, what happened next. The back left jack went down and down and down - into at least 18 inches of soggy mud. We determined that we better put down the premium wooden boards with handle (that Chuck and Karl made before we left) and after several attempts to lift the balky, muddy jack, I was able to slide two boards (criss-cross) in. Back down with the jacks - which snapped the two boards like teeny matchsticks...crack, crack, crack...all the while I'm screaming at Chuck, who can't hear a word over the engine. Now not only are we in the mud, the matchstick halves are solidly stuck and are pointed upward towards the bottom of our rig. Will they rip something out of the bottom if we move? We went to the office to enlist their help. The woman peers over her glasses and states that there wasn't a hole there before we arrived. What...we poured water under the RV to create a hole that we can't get out of? She calls the handymen. They don't have any winches but have a few helpful hand tools and after a bit of a struggle, they pull out the offending boards. Nonetheless, when we go to move the RV, it too is now stuck in the mud. We're dirty, the floor is muddy...arrgghh. We give up the struggle and have a drink. Time to call the professionals - which we did in the morning. It didn't take much to get us going but we'd had it. We had already paid through the next day but decided that it was way past time to move on. I finally understand the attraction of cement pads.
The weather forecast wasn't good but Ken decided we should go to Mexico anyway and we are so grateful that we went. It rained before we got to New Progreso and again after we left - but while we were there, it was pleasant and we had the whole place to ourselves. First we stopped at the duty-free shop where we purchased a new kind of Tequila to treat Chuck's palate. Then we parked our car and headed for the coffee/donut shop. The streets are filled with vendors of food, leather goods, baseball caps, DVDs, tons of jewelry, baskets, etc. Then there are the mobile vendors - mostly women and school children - trying to sell their wares. My favorite, however, was the white-coated professional greeting passersby.... "senor - a root canal today?" I have never seen such a heavy concentration of dentist offices in my life. Many Americans cross the border to receive dental care at a fraction of the cost - even though most of the dentists were trained in the states. Ken and Vera have visited this town often enough that they know some of the shop keepers. They also participate every Christmas in a special volunteer gift program at the local school. Hoards of children come from many, many miles away for the only Christmas gifts they will receive. What an admirable contribution to this poor community!
We had a wonderful lunch with $3 Margaritas and live music - then headed over to a reputable pharmacy. I purchased an antibiotic which my doctor has prescribed in the past for cheap, cheap..... but then they took it out of the bottle it was in and put it into an Omeprazole bottle. ???? That did give me pause. Once back to the RV, I immediately used a magic marker to put the correct name on.... but had forgotten what the dosage was ....hmmm. All in all, it was a great visit. Ken and Vera were heading home to Wisconsin in a couple of days and we hope to catch up with them when we're back in August.
Unfortunately, that wasn't the end of our day. When we got back to the RV, it seemed to be tilting a bit. Whereas we had been level before, it looked like we'd have to put the jacks down to straighten it out. I have to explain here that there had been an unpredented amount of rain in this area. We never expected, however, what happened next. The back left jack went down and down and down - into at least 18 inches of soggy mud. We determined that we better put down the premium wooden boards with handle (that Chuck and Karl made before we left) and after several attempts to lift the balky, muddy jack, I was able to slide two boards (criss-cross) in. Back down with the jacks - which snapped the two boards like teeny matchsticks...crack, crack, crack...all the while I'm screaming at Chuck, who can't hear a word over the engine. Now not only are we in the mud, the matchstick halves are solidly stuck and are pointed upward towards the bottom of our rig. Will they rip something out of the bottom if we move? We went to the office to enlist their help. The woman peers over her glasses and states that there wasn't a hole there before we arrived. What...we poured water under the RV to create a hole that we can't get out of? She calls the handymen. They don't have any winches but have a few helpful hand tools and after a bit of a struggle, they pull out the offending boards. Nonetheless, when we go to move the RV, it too is now stuck in the mud. We're dirty, the floor is muddy...arrgghh. We give up the struggle and have a drink. Time to call the professionals - which we did in the morning. It didn't take much to get us going but we'd had it. We had already paid through the next day but decided that it was way past time to move on. I finally understand the attraction of cement pads.
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
April 13, 2010
I attended Paul Smith's Intermediate Controlled Remote Viewing class in Austin. Unlike the first class I took, there were 6 people - including a physician, nurse practitioner, physics teacher, myself and two guys from France. One of the guys was someone who earned his living as a psychic and the other one was the owner of a company that teaches paranormal processes and offers advice to businesses of various types. The latter had his cameraman there to film the beginning of the class - so we were off to an interesting start!
The intermediate class covers Stage IV. Paul said that we would find it empowering and we did. In addition to using words describing what we could pick up with our senses, we were now able to add how any people at the target site might feel, tangible objects and intangible concepts. We could now comment on impressions such as political, religious, and historical that had been popping into our heads. You're also encouraged to "air model" (using your hands in the air) to try and determine the target's shape.
Next they took us through movement exercises which are designed to let you "view"the target from any angle. Your monitor gives you an instruction such as "Prepare to move. At a distance of 200 feet above the target, something should be perceiveable." We did one session where we were "moved" to three different places...as if one wasn't enough!
I had a couple of good sessions, the rest so-so. Paul says that I get a good signal but that I'm in a huge battle with my left brain, which is trying to name what I'm describing. An example of this was a sketch of a triangular form on top of a couple of parallel lines - which immediately brought the Parthenon to mind. Similarly, our senses take in information on an unconscious level and the left brain tries to name it. The strict format of Paul's CRV approach is aimed at opening up the aperture beween the unconscious and conscious and allowing you to describe the elements of the target as opposed to naming it.
My favorite and best target reminded me of my trip to Nepal. Once into stage IV, I wrote down the words door, decorated and foreign. Paul told me to go on through the door but naughty me - I'd already snuck in. Darker complected people here seemed centered, pleasant and studious. I sensed that there was a distinct class structure. I felt compelled to get up and illustrate how they walked in an unhurried, quiet way. I heard a faint tinkling and said that there was a scent like heated oils. The colors of gold and crimson, velvety textures and objects like gold chalices produced a pronounced feel of opulence. The structure itself was perched, had a panoramic view and there was a higher purpose associated with it. The target was the Potala Palace in Lhasa, Tibet. This experience made the effort of taking the class worthwhile.
I learned that the shorter Associative Remote Viewing Class was going to be offered one day after we finished the Intermediate course. This class hadn't been offered for a year and a half so it seemed to make sense to stay and take it as well. Associative Remote Viewing is used to predict select future events such as the outcome of sports events and performance in the stock market. The problem with this process is that you need a lot of people to participate and even then the results didn't seem to be that much greater than chance. Each of us did place a $2 bet on the Texas lottery and were tasked with trying to pick a certain number in a certain position. My partner and I were the only ones who got our number and position correct but I certainly wouldn't risk any serious money using this procedure.
Chuck and I spent our last afternoon in Austin at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center. There were a lot of interesting plants and art work but the huge crowd and my aching back made the experience a lot less enjoyable than it should have been. But no matter - as we drove south from Austin we were treated to the most amazing display of wildflowers I have ever seen along a roadside. Blue bonnets were joined by other wildflowers in colors of tangerine, pale pink, brassy gold, yellow and magenta. We were there at just the right time and the wildflowers were phenomenal. Never expected to see that in Texas. I kept wishing that it was a sunny day and that PJ was onboard with her camera.
We're now in Mission, Texas - winter home to my sister Joannie's dearest friend, Vera and her husband, Ken. More on that part of our trip later.
Vicki and Chuck
The intermediate class covers Stage IV. Paul said that we would find it empowering and we did. In addition to using words describing what we could pick up with our senses, we were now able to add how any people at the target site might feel, tangible objects and intangible concepts. We could now comment on impressions such as political, religious, and historical that had been popping into our heads. You're also encouraged to "air model" (using your hands in the air) to try and determine the target's shape.
Next they took us through movement exercises which are designed to let you "view"the target from any angle. Your monitor gives you an instruction such as "Prepare to move. At a distance of 200 feet above the target, something should be perceiveable." We did one session where we were "moved" to three different places...as if one wasn't enough!
I had a couple of good sessions, the rest so-so. Paul says that I get a good signal but that I'm in a huge battle with my left brain, which is trying to name what I'm describing. An example of this was a sketch of a triangular form on top of a couple of parallel lines - which immediately brought the Parthenon to mind. Similarly, our senses take in information on an unconscious level and the left brain tries to name it. The strict format of Paul's CRV approach is aimed at opening up the aperture beween the unconscious and conscious and allowing you to describe the elements of the target as opposed to naming it.
My favorite and best target reminded me of my trip to Nepal. Once into stage IV, I wrote down the words door, decorated and foreign. Paul told me to go on through the door but naughty me - I'd already snuck in. Darker complected people here seemed centered, pleasant and studious. I sensed that there was a distinct class structure. I felt compelled to get up and illustrate how they walked in an unhurried, quiet way. I heard a faint tinkling and said that there was a scent like heated oils. The colors of gold and crimson, velvety textures and objects like gold chalices produced a pronounced feel of opulence. The structure itself was perched, had a panoramic view and there was a higher purpose associated with it. The target was the Potala Palace in Lhasa, Tibet. This experience made the effort of taking the class worthwhile.
I learned that the shorter Associative Remote Viewing Class was going to be offered one day after we finished the Intermediate course. This class hadn't been offered for a year and a half so it seemed to make sense to stay and take it as well. Associative Remote Viewing is used to predict select future events such as the outcome of sports events and performance in the stock market. The problem with this process is that you need a lot of people to participate and even then the results didn't seem to be that much greater than chance. Each of us did place a $2 bet on the Texas lottery and were tasked with trying to pick a certain number in a certain position. My partner and I were the only ones who got our number and position correct but I certainly wouldn't risk any serious money using this procedure.
Chuck and I spent our last afternoon in Austin at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center. There were a lot of interesting plants and art work but the huge crowd and my aching back made the experience a lot less enjoyable than it should have been. But no matter - as we drove south from Austin we were treated to the most amazing display of wildflowers I have ever seen along a roadside. Blue bonnets were joined by other wildflowers in colors of tangerine, pale pink, brassy gold, yellow and magenta. We were there at just the right time and the wildflowers were phenomenal. Never expected to see that in Texas. I kept wishing that it was a sunny day and that PJ was onboard with her camera.
We're now in Mission, Texas - winter home to my sister Joannie's dearest friend, Vera and her husband, Ken. More on that part of our trip later.
Vicki and Chuck
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
March 31, 2010
We were in Louisiana rolling along when the "check engine" light came on and the engine died. Chuck was able to get the RV off the road, where we placed a call to our Good Sam roadside assistance. Eventually..... the tow truck appeared. It's quite a process to get the RV set up to tow and that poor guy was on the ground with traffic whizzing by...not the safest job in the world. Once he was done, we climbed up into his truck; it had so many instrument dials that it looked like a cockpit to me. Apparently there aren't that many shops here that work on Cummings Diesel engines so we're off to Lake Charles.
We arrived in the late afternoon and they can't get us in. The only thing left to do was to crack open a bottle of White Zin. Fortunately, we were able to hook up to electric but we'll have to use as little water as possible - no showers. If the black water tank fills up, we'll either have to pee in the sink or the parking lot. The first indication we have of the type of neighborhood we're in was the sound of several gun shots. Have another sip of WZ. The rest of the night passed without incident.
They're closed on Saturday but we're able to locate a nice mechanic who came in to do some extra work. Unfortunately, his buddy had taken the diagnostic equipment on a job and then home. At a minimum, we're stuck until Monday. At least Chuck and I can take the tow car off and go out for a nice dinner...except that when we try to leave, every single gate is closed and locked. Back to the RV where pickings are slim.
By Sunday, I'm ready to take action and take the bike out in search of groceries. The GPS says there is a grocery store a mile away. Fortunately, Chuck decides this is not an adventure he should let me take on my own. Down comes his bike - which hasn't seen any action since it went up. We're off.
The first thing we pass is a burned out area of grass across the street - guess that's what the fire truck was doing here yesterday. Then there is the street guy pushing his belongings in a grocery cart. The path we travel is uneven. Sometimes there is a bit of sidewalk, sometimes not. We pass a police officer and check our directions. I can see the question in his eyes - what the heck are you two old geezers doing out here?
On the way, we pass a lovely old cemetery. They elevate the graves and cover the full length of the body with stone here. Interesting. Reminds me of the trip I made with my folks to Louisiana as a kid. I believe that something good comes out of almost every adversity. The best part of our little adventure is that I got Chuck on the bicycle.....the exercise felt great.
Monday morning FINALLY arrived. Greasy hair is driving both of us nuts. The diagnostic equipment has been returned but it isn't working right. Chuck is on the computer and the phone trying to buy the Cummings Diesel program himself so that we can get the heck out of here. In the meantime, we notice a flat tire on the tow car...which they don't fix here. Right. They make a call for us - tire repair is on its way. Not soon but hey....
Late Monday, they have finally diagnosed our problem. The serpentine belt is off and hanging. I don't know what this means but its an easy fix so that's good. The thing is that we had total maintenance 200 miles away, including air con....during which, they either put the belt back on wrong or should have seen the problem with this stupid belt. ARRRGGGHH.
We're operational again. On the way, we passed over "Crawfish Bayou" and a Crawfish Farm. Who knew they had such things? Once in Texas, we start singing "Deep in the Heart of Texas" but we only know one verse so it doesn't last long. I look up the lyrics on the computer and we start making up our own...we're so hard up for entertainment. I'm on the lookout for "little doggies" and we finally see some. Even saw some little "little doggies." Chuck expounds on animal husbandry...he's a font of informaion.
Finally we start to see swathes of the beautiful blue bonnets - the Texas state flower. Interspersed are other, unknown flowers - in tangerine, a few pink and crimson. Texas is alive and beautiful at this time of year - highlighted by frequent US and Lone Star Flags along the way. Even the Lone Star RV park is one of the nicest we've encountered and Chuck will stay here for a week while I'm at Paul Smith's CRV class. Mufon's Research and Development guy, Robert, lives in Austin so it will be great for them to spend some time together.
All our best -
Vicki and Chuck
We arrived in the late afternoon and they can't get us in. The only thing left to do was to crack open a bottle of White Zin. Fortunately, we were able to hook up to electric but we'll have to use as little water as possible - no showers. If the black water tank fills up, we'll either have to pee in the sink or the parking lot. The first indication we have of the type of neighborhood we're in was the sound of several gun shots. Have another sip of WZ. The rest of the night passed without incident.
They're closed on Saturday but we're able to locate a nice mechanic who came in to do some extra work. Unfortunately, his buddy had taken the diagnostic equipment on a job and then home. At a minimum, we're stuck until Monday. At least Chuck and I can take the tow car off and go out for a nice dinner...except that when we try to leave, every single gate is closed and locked. Back to the RV where pickings are slim.
By Sunday, I'm ready to take action and take the bike out in search of groceries. The GPS says there is a grocery store a mile away. Fortunately, Chuck decides this is not an adventure he should let me take on my own. Down comes his bike - which hasn't seen any action since it went up. We're off.
The first thing we pass is a burned out area of grass across the street - guess that's what the fire truck was doing here yesterday. Then there is the street guy pushing his belongings in a grocery cart. The path we travel is uneven. Sometimes there is a bit of sidewalk, sometimes not. We pass a police officer and check our directions. I can see the question in his eyes - what the heck are you two old geezers doing out here?
On the way, we pass a lovely old cemetery. They elevate the graves and cover the full length of the body with stone here. Interesting. Reminds me of the trip I made with my folks to Louisiana as a kid. I believe that something good comes out of almost every adversity. The best part of our little adventure is that I got Chuck on the bicycle.....the exercise felt great.
Monday morning FINALLY arrived. Greasy hair is driving both of us nuts. The diagnostic equipment has been returned but it isn't working right. Chuck is on the computer and the phone trying to buy the Cummings Diesel program himself so that we can get the heck out of here. In the meantime, we notice a flat tire on the tow car...which they don't fix here. Right. They make a call for us - tire repair is on its way. Not soon but hey....
Late Monday, they have finally diagnosed our problem. The serpentine belt is off and hanging. I don't know what this means but its an easy fix so that's good. The thing is that we had total maintenance 200 miles away, including air con....during which, they either put the belt back on wrong or should have seen the problem with this stupid belt. ARRRGGGHH.
We're operational again. On the way, we passed over "Crawfish Bayou" and a Crawfish Farm. Who knew they had such things? Once in Texas, we start singing "Deep in the Heart of Texas" but we only know one verse so it doesn't last long. I look up the lyrics on the computer and we start making up our own...we're so hard up for entertainment. I'm on the lookout for "little doggies" and we finally see some. Even saw some little "little doggies." Chuck expounds on animal husbandry...he's a font of informaion.
Finally we start to see swathes of the beautiful blue bonnets - the Texas state flower. Interspersed are other, unknown flowers - in tangerine, a few pink and crimson. Texas is alive and beautiful at this time of year - highlighted by frequent US and Lone Star Flags along the way. Even the Lone Star RV park is one of the nicest we've encountered and Chuck will stay here for a week while I'm at Paul Smith's CRV class. Mufon's Research and Development guy, Robert, lives in Austin so it will be great for them to spend some time together.
All our best -
Vicki and Chuck
Thursday, March 25, 2010
March 25, 2010
We've driven home and then back again to Florida. Plagued by anxiety and angst over our upcoming depositions, I didn't pay much attention to the road on the way home. On the way South again, however, I became engrossed in the passing countryside. Once we hit Kentucky, I started oohing and aahing. Kentucky is such a beautiful state - I would have loved to spent some time adventuring here. The terrain became more contoured and interesting. "Isn't this beautiful?" I exclaim. The engineer beside me responds - "typical-limestone-formation." My romantic...we did just see the same thing, didn't we?
Then - just as we were discussing it on the phone - we passed the Louisville Airport on our right. This is the site of an important UFO incident last year - witnessed by multiple, highly credible witnesses....an event that the FAA apparently doesn't want anyone to talk about.
Moving away from the city, the white-petaled crabtree seems showy and special among the greenery. Then on to Tennessee - birthplace of my dear sister, Joannie. We have Joannie's ashes with us and I can't help but think of her.
In Tennessee, we picked up a new element. Slender fingers of lacy plum/orchid branches poke out here and there. Not sure what this tree is but the color is almost indescribable and definitely wasn't blooming two weeks ago.
My childhood memories of trips to the South include signs for Burma Shave and Rock City, back-road stands highlighting chenille bedspreads, old barns with pictures of tobacco products, firebrand preachers on the radio and a slight concern about having a "Northern" license plate. Why am I surprised that they're all gone? Unlike Wisconsin with a bar on every city corner, churches seem to be the thing here. Were also hearing a bit more country twang on the radio and have seen a few confederate flags. A trip to the grocery store reveals gizzards and cans of every kind of bean, pea and greens.
We're surprised at how much we both missed our RV. Our Tempur~pedic mattress is at the top of both of our lists and the Cusinart coffee-maker is high on mine but really, we just missed the whole thing. All signs of "road incidents" have been repaired and we're good to go. I don't like the short distance between campers at the typical RV parks but then again, once we're on the road, the whole country is our back yard.
Once in Florida, we saw rusty-red buds popping out on the trees. At first I hoped it might be the Golmahar tree of Farmville fame but the shape of the tree was wrong. Now in Louisiana, yellow plants - wild mustard? - dot the roadside. Our MUFON friend, Robert, has promised us "beaucoups bluebonnets" - the state flower of Texas - once we arrive.
I'm working on finishing up my controlled remote viewing practice sessions in anticipation of my class. Paul sends me a picture of the actual "target" after I e-mail him the session...and I always hold my breath to see how close I came. The last one I did was interesting. After you write down the co-ordinate number, ideogram and structure, you start describing the colors, shapes, textures, tastes, smells and sounds of the place. Then you start sketching. As you go along, ideas will pop into your head as to what the target might be. This is called Analytical Overlay (AOL) and you need to write down what you thought of - in order to validate it and put it aside. Typically, the farther along you get in the session, the Analytical Overlay becomes more like the actual target. In my last session, I drew a tower type structure with one line coming into it and several lines glancing off. My last AOL was a cell phone repeater tower. In my summary, I said "it feels as though there is something glancing off of the building - perhaps light." The target was a windmill in Spain. It's hard to know what you might be sensing...for one thing, you can be seeing something from any angle whatsoever or picking up on one particular feature. In one of my sessions I said that I couldn't see whether there was a dip or chasm ahead. Paul responded that then I should have moved to a different vantage point. I suppose this all comes with practice. It's a very eerie feeling when you're "on." Everyone can do this....if you can overcome the dominating, logical left side of the brain. I know my left brain will be compressed into mush soon in the intense experience ahead.
I'll let you know how the classes went after 4/6.
Vicki
Then - just as we were discussing it on the phone - we passed the Louisville Airport on our right. This is the site of an important UFO incident last year - witnessed by multiple, highly credible witnesses....an event that the FAA apparently doesn't want anyone to talk about.
Moving away from the city, the white-petaled crabtree seems showy and special among the greenery. Then on to Tennessee - birthplace of my dear sister, Joannie. We have Joannie's ashes with us and I can't help but think of her.
In Tennessee, we picked up a new element. Slender fingers of lacy plum/orchid branches poke out here and there. Not sure what this tree is but the color is almost indescribable and definitely wasn't blooming two weeks ago.
My childhood memories of trips to the South include signs for Burma Shave and Rock City, back-road stands highlighting chenille bedspreads, old barns with pictures of tobacco products, firebrand preachers on the radio and a slight concern about having a "Northern" license plate. Why am I surprised that they're all gone? Unlike Wisconsin with a bar on every city corner, churches seem to be the thing here. Were also hearing a bit more country twang on the radio and have seen a few confederate flags. A trip to the grocery store reveals gizzards and cans of every kind of bean, pea and greens.
We're surprised at how much we both missed our RV. Our Tempur~pedic mattress is at the top of both of our lists and the Cusinart coffee-maker is high on mine but really, we just missed the whole thing. All signs of "road incidents" have been repaired and we're good to go. I don't like the short distance between campers at the typical RV parks but then again, once we're on the road, the whole country is our back yard.
Once in Florida, we saw rusty-red buds popping out on the trees. At first I hoped it might be the Golmahar tree of Farmville fame but the shape of the tree was wrong. Now in Louisiana, yellow plants - wild mustard? - dot the roadside. Our MUFON friend, Robert, has promised us "beaucoups bluebonnets" - the state flower of Texas - once we arrive.
I'm working on finishing up my controlled remote viewing practice sessions in anticipation of my class. Paul sends me a picture of the actual "target" after I e-mail him the session...and I always hold my breath to see how close I came. The last one I did was interesting. After you write down the co-ordinate number, ideogram and structure, you start describing the colors, shapes, textures, tastes, smells and sounds of the place. Then you start sketching. As you go along, ideas will pop into your head as to what the target might be. This is called Analytical Overlay (AOL) and you need to write down what you thought of - in order to validate it and put it aside. Typically, the farther along you get in the session, the Analytical Overlay becomes more like the actual target. In my last session, I drew a tower type structure with one line coming into it and several lines glancing off. My last AOL was a cell phone repeater tower. In my summary, I said "it feels as though there is something glancing off of the building - perhaps light." The target was a windmill in Spain. It's hard to know what you might be sensing...for one thing, you can be seeing something from any angle whatsoever or picking up on one particular feature. In one of my sessions I said that I couldn't see whether there was a dip or chasm ahead. Paul responded that then I should have moved to a different vantage point. I suppose this all comes with practice. It's a very eerie feeling when you're "on." Everyone can do this....if you can overcome the dominating, logical left side of the brain. I know my left brain will be compressed into mush soon in the intense experience ahead.
I'll let you know how the classes went after 4/6.
Vicki
Saturday, March 6, 2010
March 6, 2010
We stayed at a great place in Tampa - waiting out the cold. The RV park was filled with Canadians who bought camp sites up when their dollar started gaining strength; most of them were bilingual and very friendly. The thing that I enjoyed most about this place was the line-dancing class. My mother line-danced at her senior center until she was 83. For awhile, I would join her for Thursday class. Taking the time out of my schedule seemed to be a bit annoying as I always had so many other things to do (I also resented the fact that they thought I was a senior too!) Now, that time spent together is a very happy memory. Line dancing is great exercise and it really felt good to be moving. I'm still bicycling too but a little more carefully now as I fell down making too sharp a turn. Note to self: that's why bicylists wear gloves - get some. I do always wear a helmet.
While in Tampa we caught up with the DaVinci exhibit (at MOSI, Tampa's Museum of Science and Industry) that we missed in California. It was a whole lot more about his inventions than about his art. Most interesting to me was the forerunner of the dive suit but there were lots of military and civilian machines using gears, levers, pulleys and screws in ways that were entirely new for his era. None of the works were originals - considered far too fragile and valuable to place on tour. This exposure to DaVinci me want to learn much more about him as a man. We also saw an IMAX film on fighter pilots and visited the Butterly Garden there. Compared to Milwaukee Museum's Butterfly exhibit, MOSI's exhibit was pit i ful....PITIFUL.
We also bombed out at Busch Gardens where we froze our bums off. I've been in ski villages that were warmer. The monorail wasn't working because of the wind. I didn't want to take the terrifying rides and it was way too cold to take the water ride. Being cool, it was another bad alligator day but I finally did see the encaged alligator up close and personal......well, on the other side of the barrier. Evil looking things even when smiling - but definitely not as exciting as the ones we saw on the Lamanai River trip in Belize.
We've been working on a couple of cases where retired military folk - baby boomers like ourselves - have decided to give MUFON their account of UFO encounters. One individual is very ill but he is still willing to take the time to discuss his work experience. His story provides additional detail and credence to concerns about U.S. defense systems.
We also had a fascinating visit with a forensic scientist who will act as an anonymous consultant to our program. He gave us several tips on gathering trace evidence. The one I appreciated most was the use of a material called dental stone which he uses to take castings (such as footprints.) For our purposes, this material is excellent for preserving the impressions made by landing gear. It comes in two formulas - one for warm weather and one that is used in cold weather and actually enables the investigator to take impressions of indentations in the snow!
We're headed for Pensacola where we will leave the RV and depart for home. We had no choice in the matter as we have to give our depositions in the case we filed against San Francisco's Lang Jewelry store. We've set up all of our medical and beauty appointments and are looking forward to spending a week with family and friends. If you're available on Sunday the 21st, we're meeting up with a few folks at Saxe's Restaurant on Hwy. 18 at 4:00 p.m. where we'll provide appetizers and you can order a drink or two.
Best regards - Vicki and Chuck
While in Tampa we caught up with the DaVinci exhibit (at MOSI, Tampa's Museum of Science and Industry) that we missed in California. It was a whole lot more about his inventions than about his art. Most interesting to me was the forerunner of the dive suit but there were lots of military and civilian machines using gears, levers, pulleys and screws in ways that were entirely new for his era. None of the works were originals - considered far too fragile and valuable to place on tour. This exposure to DaVinci me want to learn much more about him as a man. We also saw an IMAX film on fighter pilots and visited the Butterly Garden there. Compared to Milwaukee Museum's Butterfly exhibit, MOSI's exhibit was pit i ful....PITIFUL.
We also bombed out at Busch Gardens where we froze our bums off. I've been in ski villages that were warmer. The monorail wasn't working because of the wind. I didn't want to take the terrifying rides and it was way too cold to take the water ride. Being cool, it was another bad alligator day but I finally did see the encaged alligator up close and personal......well, on the other side of the barrier. Evil looking things even when smiling - but definitely not as exciting as the ones we saw on the Lamanai River trip in Belize.
We've been working on a couple of cases where retired military folk - baby boomers like ourselves - have decided to give MUFON their account of UFO encounters. One individual is very ill but he is still willing to take the time to discuss his work experience. His story provides additional detail and credence to concerns about U.S. defense systems.
We also had a fascinating visit with a forensic scientist who will act as an anonymous consultant to our program. He gave us several tips on gathering trace evidence. The one I appreciated most was the use of a material called dental stone which he uses to take castings (such as footprints.) For our purposes, this material is excellent for preserving the impressions made by landing gear. It comes in two formulas - one for warm weather and one that is used in cold weather and actually enables the investigator to take impressions of indentations in the snow!
We're headed for Pensacola where we will leave the RV and depart for home. We had no choice in the matter as we have to give our depositions in the case we filed against San Francisco's Lang Jewelry store. We've set up all of our medical and beauty appointments and are looking forward to spending a week with family and friends. If you're available on Sunday the 21st, we're meeting up with a few folks at Saxe's Restaurant on Hwy. 18 at 4:00 p.m. where we'll provide appetizers and you can order a drink or two.
Best regards - Vicki and Chuck
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