The End or is it?????????????

So here I am where I was when I started this trip sometime back in July. I have finally arrived at my final destination for this trip which was the beginning.

I have traveled several thousand miles, 8,861 miles according to the speedometer. Miss Mabel now has 223,417 miles on her and she is just like a Timex Watch. Takes a lickin and keeps on tickin!!!!!! oh and Blue Boy is fine too.................

I have been through or stopped in 21 states, bought untold gallons of gas (unfortunately I did not keep a record this time) and had for the most part a really good time.

The states that I was in at one time or another are as follows: Florida, Georgia, Tennessee, Kentucky, Indiana, Illinois, Missouri, Iowa, Nebraska, Wyoming, Utah, Nevada, California (actually was in and out of California twice), Oregon, Washington, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and finally back to Florida.

I have been gone almost 5 months, met a lot of people, hopefully made some new friends. I did not get to see every body I wanted to see, but there is always NEXT TIME??????? Some I will remember, some I wish I could remember, and some, WELL, NEVER MIND.....................

I found several bottles, unfortunately no messages, probably that was due to the fact that I had to consume the contents to see if there was a message in there.

The good news is that this time I did not have to hurry home for the BIG WIND season as the only BIG WINDS that happened went some where else or I just drove away from them.

I have already said that next year I am going to take a break and maybe just go to the keys. But some I have talked to said the POOL has already started as to when I will leave and where I will go, but as I said, for me it is time to take a break.

I have attached some pictures of my little shack so you know where I started and where I ended up at.

From time to time I will post other stories from times past just because it is fun to put em out there.

But for now hope you all have or had {depending on when or if you read this??????}a Happy Thanksgiving.

I do believe I stumbled on to the PHILOSOPHY OF LIFE or at least one that sounds good. I just want to live happily ever after every now and then.

HOW IS THAT FOR A WAY TO END IT???????????? FOR RIGHT NOW...... and by the way the PENGUIN is the security guard.

Heart Attack Grill...........

So what you ask is the Heart Attack Grill and even if you don't ask I am going to tell you anyway since I am the one doing the writing. Why do I always have to explain this???????

Anyway on to the GRILL. I had heard about this place while I was in Florida and decided that I had to see it when I got to Arizona. This place should be considered the home of the CHOLESTEROL OVERDOSE!!!!!!!

It is a combination of HOOTERS and the EMERGENCY ROOM at a hospital. The food has to be the greasiest in the world and I can say that with some authority since I have been out there to most of the world and this place truly ranks up there as a GREASY SPOON!!!!

I have included the link for the curious, but I was surprised the day I went as there were approximately 12 RED HATS in there (AND IF YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT A RED HAT IS, TRY GOOGLE). The only thing I would recommend is that if the occasion ever arises and you are able to go, make sure you have taken a DOUBLE DOSE of your cholesterol medication!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! There are only 5 items on the menu. French Fries {ALL YOU CAN EAT} fried in lard!!!!!!! and your choice of one of 4 hamburgers. The SINGLE BYPASS, DOUBLE BYPASS, TRIPLE BYPASS, or QUADRUPLE BYPASS--8000 calories!!!!!!!!!!!!!! and I ain't makin this up!!!!!! The food goes down really easy, actually it slides down because of the grease!!!!!!!!!!!!! One of the pictures is of a TRIPLE BYPASS.

Here is the link.

http://www.heartattackgrill.com/

So if you are ever in Chandler, Arizona just stop on by!!!!!!!!!!!
Unfortunately I had no time to look for messages from a bottle as I was SLIPPIN AND A SLIDIN OUT THE DOOR!!!!!!!!
{:-)

Tortilla Flats, and the

So once more into the DANGER ZONE I go. For I am here and that is where I have been, but now it is time to go find me again. By the time you read this you will not know where I am and I will have no idea where I am. But the next time you hear from me I will be where I was and that is where this whole thing started some months back. But that will be a story for another time since I am not there yet I can only write about the present since I have no idea when I will be there, but I know where I have been and that is what this is all about is telling where I have been.

I have been busy trying to find a bottle with a message in it. I found plenty of bottle and even a few cans, but no messages and I am not sure about the PHILOSOPHY OF LIFE, but I may have an idea about that by the time I get to where I am going. I am not sure how long it will take to get to where I am going since I have a few stops along the way. But I am sure that some where along the way I will find me.

So it was off to Tortilla Flats for a day of picture taking, doing touristy stuff and just generally relaxing. Every time I am out this way I always go to Tortilla Flats. It is about 25 miles from where I stay and it is a fun drive through the mountains and on the way you go by Canyon Lake.

The restaurant has great food and the bar has saddles for bar stools and unfortunately no stirrups so it is not wise to consume COPIOUS, {now that is a word!!!!!} amounts of alcoholic beverages for a couple of reasons. First, no stirrups means no way to hang on and second there are a whole lot of curves and two single lane bridges on the way home!!!!!!!!!!!! Therefore unless you come equipped with parachutes, it is recommended that alcohol be consumed in small amounts so that you do not attempt to straighten the road out!!!!!!!

This next little tidbit comes under the heading of INTERESTING, BUT USELESS INFORMATION. If you have to go to the men's room, which some of you won't for obvious reasons, just go see John Wayne!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I have taken the liberty or literary license or drivers license or fishing license or whatever license to include some information about Tortilla Flats.

Tortilla Flat is a small unincorporated community in far eastern Maricopa County, Arizona, United States. It is located in the central part of the state, northeast of Apache Junction. It is the last surviving stagecoach stop along the Apache Trail. According to the Gross Management Department of Arizona's main U.S. Post Office in Phoenix, Tortilla Flat is presumed to be Arizona's smallest official "community" having a U.S. Post Office and voter's precinct. The town has a population of 6. Tortilla Flat can be reached by vehicles on State Route 88, via Apache Junction.

Originally a camping ground for the prospectors who searched for gold in the Superstition Mountains in the mid to late 1800s, Tortilla Flat was later a freight camp for the construction of Theodore Roosevelt Dam. From this time (1904) on, Tortilla Flat has had a small (100 people) but continuous population. A flood in 1942 badly damaged the town, resulting in many residents moving away. Today Tortilla Flat is made up primarily of a small store and restaurant, which were constructed in the late 1980s after a fire consumed the existing store and restaurant on the same site. Several hiking trails into the Superstition Mountains begin near Tortilla Flat.

Based on available records Tortilla Flat got its start because of the road construction to Roosevelt Dam in 1904. There was a need for a stagecoach stop for freight haulers on their way to the construction site at Roosevelt Dam and Tortilla Flat served that purpose. Shortly following the construction of the road, Roosevelt Dam became a big tourist attraction. At that point Tortilla Flat was a stage stop for tourists and mail carriers through the 1930s.

The name "Tortilla Flat" originated from the cowboys who used to drive cattle from Globe to Phoenix. While in Phoenix, rancher Mr. Cline and his fellow cowboys celebrated their sale, and, having a little too much to drink, forgot to get supplies while they were in town. They ended up with only flour to make tortillas when they camped at the flat and were stranded.

Forest Service records show Tonto National Forest being established in 1905 as kind of a "package deal" with the Salt River Reclamation Project. The Forest Service was needed to manage the land and protect watershed for the dams because cattle grazing had denuded the land. The freight camp at Tortilla Flat, as well as the other camps along the road to the dam, were, therefore, on U.S. Forest Service land. Folks who decided to make Tortilla Flat their permanent residence kept up the lease on the land in later years whenever it came due.

Well, now it is on to the HEART ATTACK GRILL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
{:-)

A drive in the desert or am I part of a PINBALL MACHINE??????

So there I was and then I wasn't. I knew I had gone some where but I wasn't sure where, so I left California and went looking for myself and when I got to where I was going I was there just like I thought I would be.

So I left where I was and headed for Bakersfield on OLD HIWAY 99, this road is so old, (how old you ask?), well I will tell you, even if you did not ask, but I know you did........( : - ), this road is so old that I believe it was here when the Spanish monks traveled this way in the 1700s, (some of you are old enough to remember back then, but I was born (JUST A FEW YEARS LATER) and I believe at that time it was called the El Camino Real, that is your is your history lesson, find out if this is true or not!!!!!!!

This road has truly not changed that much since I traveled on it as a child, this stretch of pavement ought to be a historical monument similar to the EAST/WEST Route 66, it has about as many pieces missing and just about as many potholes as the roads in Mississippi, however not to be dissuaded (now that is a word I heard once, but I am not sure how to spell, I sure hope it is in spellchecker) I persevered and much to my surprise it has been fixed and is now really a good road or at least better than it was!!!!!!!!!!!!

And so at Bakersfield I made a left turn and headed out into the MOJAVE DESERT.

Normally I try to drive the "DESERT" at night.   This makes for a cooler drive and a lot less traffic, however you never really get to see what is out there, and what would be out there you ask?????  Well, I will tell you even if you already know.

When you drive into the Mojave during the day on a good day, it is only "HOT, HOT, HOT", (somebody wrote a song like that), on a bad day you can get thunderstorms, wind and sandstorms, these are the really fun times, thunderstorms cause flash floods so the best thing to do is run and find a rest area.   Trust me it is the safest place to be.   Then we have the wind and sandstorm, this is the most fun.   You are driving along and all of a sudden the wind picks up and the sand starts blowing and the next thing you know depending on which direction you are traveling, your car now has a shiny metal side and a painted side and quite possibly depending on the wind speed, you could also have some ETCHED GLASS.   The only way to describe this is to tell you to take a hair dryer, turn it on high, hold it about 12 inches away from your face and take a handful of fine grain sand and throw it in front of the blowing hair dryer.   WASN'T THAT FUN??????? and while you are having all this fun, remember that you should have gassed up in Bakersfield and should have a full tank. {:-)

Believe it or not there are actually things to see out in the desert, it is just a PLETHORA (whoa, how'd you like that word??????) of wonders of nature and man.  

I passed a sign out in the middle of the desert that read, "THIS PROPERTY FOR SALE FOR DEVELOPMENT" now I have never been the brightest light in the closet or the sharpest knife in the drawer, but I just could not see why I would want to buy a few hundred acres of Sand, Sagebrush, Jackrabbits, Rattlesnakes, and where the wind blows hot enough that you have to figure it is the Devil's own exhaust fan from down below!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

There is a town called BORON, not to be confused with MORON out there, I am not exactly sure where, you will have to look at a map of California to see exactly where, also there is Edwards Air Force base out there, this is the alternative landing site for the shuttle, both these places give new meaning to the words, "OUT IN THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE," wherever nowhere is, it is definitely better than this!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Well, now we come to Boron or maybe I already went through Boron, well anyway Boron has 2 things that I could see as I was passing through, well actually 3.   The first would be a BIG TRUCK STOP, you can buy gas there, but remember to bring your mortgage application with you!!! {actually the truck stop is at Four Corners, but it is close to Boron}, the second thing is a Transit Bus Boneyard, and what is that you ask????  That would be where they take the old  city buses that used to carry people around cities (am I glad we got that cleared up!!!!!), anyway if you are interested in purchasing a city bus for whatever reason (and I cannot think of any) then you should be gassing up the car and heading with great haste for Boron, Calif., oh and by the way it is on your right as you are going east.

Now the final item regarding Boron, this I did not know as I am not as old as some of you who read this, but I remember my parents telling me about the "TWENTY MULE TEAM" Borax show.   That's right folks, this is where it all started.   I even stopped and took a picture of "TWENTY MULE TEAM RD.," for the scrapbook.   This will most likely be on the test later so make sure you remember this......................... 
and finally the last thing you see before leaving the desert is acres and acres of "BIG WHITE AIRPLANE PROPELLERS ON REALLY TALL POLES," and no, ALCOHOL had nothing to do with this part of the story.   These things are everywhere and I am really not sure if this is an experiment from "Weird Science"the power facility for a town or maybe a form of communication for outer space.

One last stop along the way is Hinkley. I am sure all of you have heard of Hinkley. It is the town made famous in the movie ERIN BROKOVICH.

One other thing that you might want to be concerned about are the tumbleweeds. Driving across the Mojave with the wind blowing, not hard enough to {REFER TO PARAGRAPH 6} etch the glass, you encounter one of natures phenomena called a tumbleweed. These things are designed for only one purpose that I can determine and that is the total destruction of your vehicle. When the wind blows these GIANT BALLS OF UNBREAKABLE WEED can bounce off your car or get under your car and really ugly things happen. Scratched Paint, steering not steering, keeping it between the lines and for obvious reasons this is not a good time to stop for a drink or look for a bottle with a message in it. It is just like being in the middle of a pinball machine and your are a moving bumper!!!!

So you come out of the desert and it is on to Barstow. Barstow is the beginning of I-40 which travels 2554 miles all the way to Wilmington, NC and I know this for a fact since I have been on all of it. So I took I-40 as far as Kingman and bought gas in Arizona because buying gas in California more than once would have required that I take out a mortgage on my house and I did not have the proper paperwork and then headed on to where I was supposed to be.

As you travel through Arizona in the evening the surrounding mountains start to change color as the sun sets.   I have seen sunsets from one side of the country to the other. Some are not bad, some are good, and some are great.   I happen to prefer the Key West sunset.   Of course there was a time when I was not sure if the sun was going down or coming up (I believe alcohol was involved in the confusion) however I digress (don't ask me what it means, I left my Funk & Wagnall somewhere?????) where was I, oh yeah, the sunsets, as you travel through the mountains and the sun is going down, the mountains start to turn pink (a good friend of mine calls it the PINK TIME) and then they change to purple.   It really gets a little weird if you just stop and look at them. (It is sort of like a Jimi Hendrix Experience without the BONG and GUITAR, "OH YEAH!!!!!", but since I was on a schedule there was no time to stop and take pictures, just looked as I drove.

So now I am where I thought I would be even though it took me a while to find me, but I knew if I waited long enough I would show up.
{:-)
    

The Security Guard, Water 2 Wine and a Car Show

Here I am in another time zone??????? Actually I am in the same place I was except that with the time change I actually moved into a different time zone......... How does that happen you ask and even if you don't ask I am going to tell you anyway!!!!!!! I was in one place and then I went someplace else and that was in the Pacific Daylight Time and then it became Mountain Standard Time and I did not even have to go across the street. It is just one of those unexplained phenomenoms {I HOPE SPELL CHECK HAS THIS ONE?????} of the other side of the time warp or in my case I may be the one that is warped, wrapped, trapped or otherwise confused about what I am doing, where I am doing it, and should I be allowed to do it in the first place???????

Isn't this part fun???? I just love this part. It always gets me so confused that by the time I actually get to the part where I start to write whatever it is that I am going to write about that I DO NOT HAVE A CLUE WHAT IS GOING ON!!!!!!! It is like taking a trip back to the '60's. They say if you remember the 60's then you probably were not there and I can tell you from experience that parts of that time in my life ARE JUST A LITTLE BIT VAGUE?????!!!!

Well, now that I have gotten the drug induced part of the writing over with where I listen to JIMI HENDRIX'S "PURPLE HAZE" whilst I listen to TIMOTHY LEARY talk about the TRILOGY of "TUNE IN, TURN ON, and DROP OUT" I will proceed without further "wow man"!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So since I am not where I was when this part of the story takes place I will put pen to paper or in this case maybe not pen to paper, but keys to the screen and then print it out, or not???? depending on how I feel at the moment.......

While I was where I was there was this cat, actually there were 2 of them, but only one of them had a tail, but that is a story for another time, so there were these 2 cats, one with a tail and one without a tail not to be confused with a TALE since they are part of the TALE, both of them that is. The one with the tail and the one without the tail.

The one with the tail was the actual security guard as he ate the most and was always the one who was at the door so I have to assume that he was the one in charge. The one with no tail always showed up to eat, but never was seen at any other time so I have to assume that he was back-up in case of any major problem like maybe somebody else wanted to eat out of the bowl.

The guards were good at their jobs as no one tried to break in where I was staying and there were never any prowlers that I knew about?????? The problem with the guards was that they only worked part time which was similar to the DOORMAN in a previous story {refer back to MY CHATEAU TO GO--PART DUX} and I was never really sure which part of the time they were working. I know they ate on a regular basis and the lead guard was always at a different spot. I am just not sure if he was guarding, sleeping or maybe that was a type of camouflage to confuse us all. I know that while I was there I am sure he put on a pound or two and certainly seemed to be guarding the front door a lot more. While he was eating and guarding, I was busy tasting wine which brings me to the next part of the story. How is that for a skagway or segway or my way or anyway. WHATEVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So it was off to look for bottles of wine and the wine tastings. A whole lot more fun that making sure the guards ate well. I found this winery which was not that far from where I was staying which is always a good thing because when you start tasting wines, the problems you have with other drivers on the way home is multiplied by the amount of glasses consumed while tasting. Of course it is always necessary to taste several types so that you are sure of what vintage you prefer. Luckily the first one I tasted was the one I decided on so although all the others were good and the wine tasting was a SMASHING SUCCESS so to speak or probably I should not speak, well anyway all in all a good time was had by all.

I actually ended up selecting a batch and had it bottled and my own label put on. So I figured after I drank all the contents I would autograph the bottles and give them out as Christmas Presents. Just kidding folks. I think I will keep them and use them for candle holders during the BIG WIND SEASON??????? So after consuming COPIUS AMOUNTS {don't know what it means, but I figured I would throw it in there anyway} of wine and managing to find my way back to the house and feeding the security guards, {they sure eat a lot!!!!!!!}. It was off to the car show.

I have to tell you, well I don't really have to tell you, but I am going to anyway that I like HOT ROD or OLD CAR SHOWS. It seemed like every time I was somewhere where there was a car show this summer I had to be someplace else when the show took place. So when I heard about this show I made it a point to be sure and be there so I could go and guess what???????? Well, even though you won't guess I will tell you. That is when I got the FOOD POISONING!!!!!!!!!! Well,!!!!!!! I was going to the show no matter what and as it turned out by the time of the show I was recovered enough to be able to actually enjoy the show. The show was great, the cars were fantastic and again a good time was had by all. I can only put a few pictures on the blog so if you want what I have from the car show, just email me separately and I will send what I have.

Well, I must get ready to pack and head where I am going next even though I am already there, but since I am writing this as if I was still there I just figured I would end this story that way.

Have a HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
{;-)

Festus, Roger Rocka's Ruckus, and a Weather Event

Well, good morning, good afternoon or good evening depending on which time zone you are in. For me it has been an eventful time. Most of it was good, some of it I could do without, but for the most part I should not complain as I am still on the right side of the grass.

I apologize for not writing sooner, but unfortunately about the time my creative mode kicked in so did a really bad case of FOOD POISONING and so all my creative energies went south for a little while!!!!!!! {HOPEFULLY NO ONE IS EATING WHILE READING THIS PARAGRAPH?}

Well, now that my excuses have been made it is onward and upward to greater and glorious things such as what have I been doing since my last correspondence. I am sure you have all been waiting with baited/bated????? breath, bad breath or possibly no breath at all. So without further adieu or adon't or a will or a won't, or a should nor should not!!!!!!!!!!!!! See what you all have missed??????? Isn't this fun??????? YUP, Grampa, the wandering writer has turned it on again!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So here I am where I was not before, because I have since journeyed further south and to the East to continue my trip and start writing again. But remember that the stories until I tell you different all took place in a different place and time than where I am now. Obviously I cannot write about what has not happened yet, but I can write about where I was. Now does that make sense or do I need to explain all this, but that is another story.................

So first the Festus Part. I was in Clovis, California which is just east of Fresno and slightly north of Los Angeles. I always like to help the GEOGRAPHICALLY CHALLENGED whenever possible. So as I was saying, I was in Clovis looking for bird houses. Don't ask as that is a story for another time that refers back to a story of another time..... any way I was in Clovis looking for bird houses {didn't I already say that????} when I spotted a statue of Festus, now for those of you who did not know, the character of FESTUS was actually created during the series of HAVE GUN, WILL TRAVEL {a little trivia there} and then continued on as a character on GUNSMOKE.

Ken Curtis, the man who played Festus was from Clovis and thus the statue in the center of OLD TOWN Clovis.

So after an unsuccessful bird house trip it was on to Roger Rocka's Dinner Theater which I have been to twice before and as always the food was great. This time I saw "HAIRSPRAY" which was hysterical. I always like this place because the actors and the story always seem to end up in the audience eventually, at least part of the show does anyway. The man who played the mother was as good as John Travolta, at least according to my opinion which I have been told by various people at various times in my life is not really worth very much, but I still like to throw it out there anyway, just to see what happens.

And now for the most important part of this story. A little drum roll please!!!!!!! Did you hear the drums??????? Oh well to late.

THE WEATHER EVENT!!!!!!!
I think most of you know where I was and if not, it should not matter that much. I was sitting there watching the news and weather and they come on with
"SPECIAL NEWS BULLETIN/BREAKING NEWS"
We are going to be experiencing heavy rains and extreme winds for the next 24 to 36 hours. So anything that is not tied down should be moved inside and there will be sandbags available. Well, I don't know about the rest of the country, but I know down south that means a BIG WIND is on the way!!! Well out here it meant 1 1/2 inches of rain and 15 to 25 mile an hour winds!!!

I ain't making this up folks. It is for real. I actually thought it was joke. Where I live we don't even get the kites out for a breeze like that!!!!!!!

Anyway fast forward 24 hours later and I am watching the news and there are sand bags everywhere and 29,000 people are without power!!!!!!!!!! That evening was the evening I went to Roger Rocka's and some traffic lights were not working!!!!!!!!!!!! I just wonder what would happen if a real weather event like we get ever got here??????????

So that is it for this one. A little trivia, a little fun and a little editorializing??????? Until the next time, from out there somewhere????????????
{;-)

A Train, A drink???????, and Some Trivia

Well, here I am again!!!!!!! Standing before you to stand behind you to tell you something I know nothing about....... So how is that for an opening. Trust me folks, it will only get worse from here.

Since I am where I am and not anyplace else and not going anywhere I figured I would take some time and do some touristy stuff. I am in wine country, but going to a wine tasting every day can be hazardous to your health.

First you have to get there and then you start tasting wine and that averages between 5 and ten tastes or small amounts which you do not want to eat before as that clouds your PALLET?????? {I hope I spelled that right????}, AND THEN, AND THEN, AND THEN,???? "ALONG CAME JONES"!!!!!!! and if you are old enough you will understand, if not find somebody who is cause you can't GOOGLE THIS ONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! But that is another story.

So I decided that being a tourist of the first order or second order or whatever order you want to be in was in order and I ordered a round whilst I perused {pretty slick wording ain't it} what was available for the tourist to do this time of the year. It was decided to go for a ride on the SUGAR PINE RAILROAD, and what you ask is the SUGAR PINE RAILROAD????? and if you didn't then you should because that would be bad manners and you would hurt my feelings, and I am very sensitive to that sort of thing, but that is another story so I will just assume that everyone asked and make myself feel all mooey gooey inside!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
So it was off toward Yosemite to catch the train which is not really in Yosemite, but really close. Of course me being from Florida and not realizing that I would be 4000 feet!!!!!!!!!!!! up in the air, I only wore a tee shirt and took a hooded sweat shirt. DUMB MOVE!!!!!!! but that was OK because there was ALCOHOL available afterwards to warm the body and soul!!!!!!!!!!!!!! But that is another story.... So everyone gets on the train {see pictures} and we all head off into the woods together. Doesn't this just sound like so much fun or BULLS@#T depending on how you look at it, but remember there is no light, but ALCOHOL at the end of the tunnel!!!!!!! Well, not really a tunnel, but I needed some way to write this and that sounded best????????????

So the Yosemite Mountain Sugar Pine Railroad (YMSPRR) is a historic three-foot narrow gauge railway with two operating steam train locomotives located near Fish Camp, California, in the Sierra National Forest near the southern entrance to Yosemite National Park. Rudy Stauffer organized the YMSPRR in 1961, utilizing historic railroad track, rolling stock and locomotives to construct a tourist line along the historic route of the Madera Sugar Pine Lumber Company. Service began with the purchase of three-truck Shay locomotive No. 10 from the West Side Lumber Company railway of Tuolumne, California. Built in 1928, No. 10 was recognized as the largest narrow gauge Shay locomotive—and one of the last ever constructed. After his retirement in 1981, Rudy Stauffer was succeeded by his son, Max, as the railroad's owner and operator. In 1986, the YMSPRR purchased Shay No. 15—also a former West Side Lumber Company locomotive—from the West Side & Cherry Valley Railway tourist line in Tuolumne. The two steam locomotives operate daily during the summer months, while the railroad's Model A "Jenny" railcars, capable of carrying about a dozen passengers, typically handle operations during the off-season.

From 1899 to 1931, the Madera Sugar Pine Lumber Company operated miles of narrow gauge railroad track. During that time, nearly one and a half billion board feet of lumber were harvested from the forests. Five wood burning Shay locomotives hauled massive log trains to the mill over the extensive rail network.

Today, the Yosemite Mountain Sugar Pine Railroad is a restoration of the old narrow gauge Madera Sugar Pine Lumber Company Railroad. A section of the original railbed has been reconstructed using the same techniques used at the turn of the century. Two vintage Shay steam locomotives have been brought in from the Westside Lumber company and restored to provide authentic motive power for the trains.

Shay number 15 was built in 1913 and weighs 60 tons. Number 10, built in 1928 weighs 83 tons and is the heaviest operating narrow gauge Shay locomotive today. Railcars once used to provide transportation for logging and track repair crews have been refurbished and are now operated for passenger excursion. Antique Model "A" Ford gas engines power the trolley-like "Jenny" cars over the route.

The trip is approximately 4 miles long as you go around in the woods and well worth the time to get there and go for the ride. Of course after that the alcohol really made the whole trip worth while!!!!!!!!!!! Which brings me to the next part of the trip. THE ALCOHOL!!!!!!!!!!! YAYYYYYYY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

After saying good by to the train and the cool weather it was off to DUCEY'S to have some SPIRITS, raise our SPIRITS, and even toast the SPIRITS and maybe even have something to eat. I have been to Ducey's before. It is up in the Sierra's at Bass Lake. Really quite a spot. You can eat out on the Veranda/Deck and view the lake and the mountains and if you are lucky even see a Bald Eagle!!!!!!!!!!!!! all this while you are getting HAMMERED!!!!!!! Now how much more fun could you have, well maybe more, but that would be another story............ Unfortunately, the sun was in the wrong place so every time I took a picture, I just had a white out and besides it is much easier to blame the sun than my drinking!!!!!!!!!!!{;-/

So after a few, well maybe MORE THAN A FEW LIBATIONS it was off to NORTH FORK, California and what you ask and if you did not ask then refer back to PARAGRAPH 4!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! and that is where the TRIVIA part comes in because North Fork is the Geographical center of the state of California Now aren't you all just a little more excited than you were a few sentences ago??????????

Well, now that my fingers are sore, I have had a little to much wine and I am thanking the SPELLING GODS for spell check. I bet you can hardly wait to see what happens next??????? Well, I already know what is next. you all will just have to tune in and find out what is next.........................

FILM AT ELEVEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
{;-)

And AWAYYYYYYY I go!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The weather turned cold......... How cold was it you ask and even if you don't ask I will tell you!!!!!!!!!! It got so cold that when we talked the words came out frozen and we just took the ice and put it by the heater so it could melt and we could find out what each other said!!!!!!!!!!! Not really, I might be stretching that just a bit, but it did get down to ICE ON THE WINDSHIELD!!!!!!! and that is tooooo cold for me so it was time to head further south.

So I gave notice and told everyone that the CHATEAU TO GO was closing it's doors for the winter and the coffee pot was being loaded up, my clothes were being packed up, Miss Mabel was being loaded up, Blue Boy was being hooked up, and then I got Miss Mabel started up and with a cloud of smoke and a "LET'S BLOW THIS TACO STAND!!!!!!! we all headed on down the road for warmer temperatures.

When I left there I really still was not sure where I would end up until I realized it is still a bit warmer than what I want where I was originally headed so I took a detour and ended up some place else instead.

But along the way it was fun to take a couple of pictures and note a couple of geographical items for those of you who are interested and for those of you who are not. TOO BAD!!!! Read it anyway as it may come up in Trivial Pursuit and then won't you be surprised to know the answer????????????

So first off I went over SISKIYOU PASS at 4310 feet and that is the highest point above sea level on all of I-5. Now isn't that a piece of interesting, but useless information for you trivia buffs???????

Then next came Mt. Shasta which is 14,179 feet high, also called UYTAAHKOO {I can say it, can you?} in KARUK which means WHITE MOUNTAIN and is the second highest peak in the CASCADES. Now aren't you just feeling all warm and fuzzy inside just knowing that, well maybe not knowing, but at least reading that stuff???????

I also saw the SUNDIAL BRIDGE in Redding, Ca. Unfortunately, no pictures as it is located in Redding and taking pictures from a moving vehicle in Redding would have been a not so smart a move!!!!!!!!!!!!

So off to LAKE SHASTA, which for anybody who reads this and has ever been there is a REALLY, REALLY BIG LAKE!!!! But now it is a REALLY, REALLY BIG MUDHOLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The water level is 940 feet above sea level. The full lake level is 1067 feet above sea level!!!!!!! The shoreline now is approximately 217 miles. When the lake is full, there are 365 miles of shoreline!!!!!!!!!!!! The boats are on docks that are so far down that the parking lot is now the lake bottom!!!!!!!!!!! YUP, a REALLY, REALLY, REALLY big mudhole!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! anyway enough of that........ So on I went in search of other interesting, but useless information.

So the next stop or not really a stop, but sort of a pass through was French Camp, California. Not exactly a big hit on the tour bus destinations, but a tine little town located between I-5 and Hiway 99. The community was named after the Hudson's Bay Co. trappers who camped here in the 1830s and 1840s. It is only 20 feet above sea level which puts it just a little higher than where I live. I just thought I would throw that in for grins and giggles!!!!!!! Oh just get over it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Well, now I am where I am and will be until I leave. Now that is a statement just full of ????????????? truisms........ I have been here long enough that more stories will be coming along for those of you who do not fall asleep reading them. Now aren't we all just really excited????????????
{;-)

My Chateau To GO--Part Dux

Well, it has been a while since I put pen to paper or fingers to the keys since we all know that putting pen to paper would do absolutely no good for a couple of good reasons, one being, nobody would be able to read my writing and two, I do not have a scanner so how could I possibly get it to my laptop.

So now that I have the rambling preamble out of the way I will start the body of this text which is not to be confused with the body of the first part which would be me since I am typing this ??????????? words escape me as how to describe what I am doing, but I am sure there are some learned {never figured out whether that was LEARN-ED or LEARNED} person or persons unknown who if they read this would surely ask that my laptop be removed at once or at the very least my fingers be immobilized in some sort or fashion!!!!!!!!!!!!!! But since I am the body of the first part, leave us continue, well not really leave us, I guess I should say let us start but then that does not make any sense since I am the only one here so there cannot be an us except in the singular sense which makes no sense and is complete nonsense so without further ADO or A DON'T I will PRESS AHEAD as I have done previously.

Well, I will be vacating the premises in the next few days and heading for parts to be determined at a later date, but not to much later since I probably should have some idea of where I am going. Actually I do have an idea, but the plan has not been completely firmed up yet so I may just be out there wandering and wondering where the H@#& I am going, but since I have been doing that for years, I am actually pretty good at it.

But alas I stray from whence I was trying to go and I am sure that if you could talk to me right now you world have no trouble telling me where I should be or where I should go.

So since I am vacating the premises I should show you the latest in CHATEAU TO GO improvements. The pictures will show the most, but since my last EPISTLE {neat word, HUH????} I have managed to find another sheet of plywood so the deck now measures 8 feet x 12 feet and allows a solid entry to the front door. I also managed to obtain a FUSCIA {spell check will love that one} bath mat which doubles as a door mat and so company can wipe there feet. PRETTY UPSCALE, at least I think so!!!!!!! AHHHHHHH but I saved the best for last. I now have an entry door for my patio/deck which you will notice has a window which allows me to see who is at the front door, and also a part time doorman, so if you are here that part of the time you will get to see the doorman!!!!!!!!!!! because part of the time he is taking a break and you have to open the door yourself!!!!!!! These are all simple pleasures that make life just a little bit better.

Well that completes this chapter and when you hear from me again I will be some place else again which makes sense since I have to be some place, I am just not sure which place.
{;-)

The Great Grants Pass Chili Cookoff and Joe's Bar & Grill

So first off let me explain the title.  I am not going to explain it, just sort of tell you about it.   Well not really tell you about it, just sort of explain why it is so long.   It is not really long as far as I am concerned, but some people might think so and that is why I am telling you about it.   However since I completely forgot about why I was writing this and I have always been told that I might be a sandwich or two short of picnic I just figured I would let you read all this and then get on with the really good stuff.

So here we are "TOGETHER AGAIN," is there a song by that name????? Of course a song by any other name is still a song and that is all the wisdom you are getting out of this mess today because now I have had some coffee and I am only one sandwich short of a picnic!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

And so it is time to PRESS AHEAD and how you do that is to take your right hand or your left or both if you are ambidextrous [NOW HOW IS THAT FOR A WORD??????] and since I have no idea what it means, but I was told it means you can use both hands??????? so class take one hand or two and put them on your forehead and press gently and begin reading...........

ISN'T THIS FUN????????????? AS I AM SITTING HERE WRITING THIS I AM THINKING THAT PEOPLE ARE ACTUALLY GOING TO READ THIS??????? AND HOW MANY WILL ACTUALLY "press ahead"?????????

OK, enough of this BLATHER, (I can hardly wait for spell check on this mess)!!!!!!!!!

So as is fairly obvious from the title I either am, was, or still may be or will be in Grants Pass.   That would be in Oregon for those of you who are GEOGRAPHICALLY CHALLENGED!!!!!!!!!!! and that is where the CHILI COOKOFF was!!!!!!!!  Pretty simple, HUH, Grants Pass and Chili Cookoff sorta like word association, but that is a story for another time.   Just trying to get this one written has turned into a shorter version of "GONE WITH THE WIND"!!!!  

So back to the subject at hand which if I wasn't reading what I was writing I would probably forget!!!!!!!

Saturday, Sept. 12 turned out to be a perfect day to go get a really serious case of heartburn!!!!!!!!!  The temperature was in the low 80's and the chili I would rank anywhere from shuttle misfire, meaning no heat, to liftoff(well you get the idea)!!!!!!!!!!! 

The cookoff started at 11 in the morning and by noon we were looking at finding the beer garden or a rather large water tank or just going and jumping in the river since it was right where we were. Some of the chili tasted good and some should not have been there at all. There was one booth which I took a picture of (see attached) that made Hawaiian chili with pineapple, peppers, and apples along with some sort of meat which I did not bother to ask about that was spicy and slightly hot, but REALLY GOOD!!!!!!!

There were the usual sunspot chili's, but we found one chili called CHICKEN CHILI which was another really good one. There was also a CHEF-BOY-R-DEE which I actually was looking for the spaghetti O's that were not there. But I definitely recognized the taste. Then there was the CREAM OF CHICKEN chili which tasted just like MAMA'S Cream of Chicken Soup!!!!!!!!!!!!! for those of you familiar with chili cookoff's and for those of you chili cookoff challenged, I was surprised to find out that there was no THROWDOWN CHILI and for you boys and girls who have no idea what that means, your assignment is to FIND OUT!!!!!!!!!!

I keep saying we so I suppose I ought to explain that there were three of us. Two HOPELESS PEOPLE, not to be confused with HOMELESS. As you can see from the pictures they were two pretty motley looking people, but I took pity on them and we all went to heartburn city and sampled and consulted and insulted, which resulted in us voting for our favorite chili. Just as a footnote, the winner received a $1500.00 first prize!!!!! We have no idea who won since our presents was not required to announce the winner.

All in all the chili tasting tour was a rousing success by any standard of measurement. They also had a barbecue cookoff, but unfortunately by the time the cooking was done and the tasting began we had consumed enough chili so that barbecue was out of the question, however there was room for some consumption of that FROTHY MIXTURE called ALE or MEAD in medieval times, but called BEER now, so after a short detour to AT&T to get a new SIM card for my phone, (I THROUGH THAT IN THERE JUST TO TAKE UP SOME SPACE {;-) We jumped back into Blue Boy and headed on down the trail to Joe's Bar and Grill. No, I am not making this up, it is really called that. I figured I might get a message from the bottle there?????? but even though I found a couple of bottles, I received no messages, however the contents were good so I will keep looking!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So at Joe's Bar and Grill, we proceeded to order and consume enough of that miracle wonder drug that cures heartburn and at the same time met Sasha, the bartender?????, bartendress???? I am trying to be politically correct here??????? Sasha was both entreating and good at her job {see the pictures), so after a pair for each it was time to head back to the Sanford and Son Campground and do some barbecuing of our own!!!!!!!!!!! which was a good way to cap off the day, the heartburn was gone, the thirst quenchers were good and the barbecue at the CHATEAU TO GO was superb and second to none!!!!!!!!!!!!
{ ; - )

Me and My CHATEAU TO GO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So here I am where I was before and then went someplace else and then came back here to stay again for a little while??????????????........... but that is a story for another time?????????????

So I left where I was and came here, but I already said that. I am staying in a CHATEAU TO GO in what some would call a campground or R. V. Park or one or probably more than one would call a junk yard or one or probably more than one would call it the SANFORD AND SON CAMPGROUND, however I did manage to find a rather large bottle so I am also busy trying to receive a message or at least find some portion of the meaning of life.............

As you can see from the pictures, I have my own private 8x8 plywood deck. My own refrigerator {there is not one inside} outside seating and a table for drinks. I particularly like the decorative fencing which is a combination of two pickup truck front ends, tire rims and the small picnic bench which after these pictures were taken became more seating as it seems the crowd grew even bigger and the piece between the two front ends has also been removed so that I now have a formal entryway!!!!!!!!!! and the plumbing is all inside, just makes me feel all warm and fuzzy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The dump truck and the VW provide some privacy from the road and since I have SIRIUS radio {this is not meant as a plug or commercial} I can listen to the 50's, 60's, Island music or whatever the people want to listen to.

My CHATEAU is a nice place to be as the bed don't squeak, the roof don't leak, there is food to be eaten, coffee and wine to be drank so all is right in MUD RIVER!!!!!!!!!!!

I prefer to think of it as my own BEACH HOUSE ON THE MOON with 16 Palm Trees and a Bar and a CHEESEBURGER IN PARADISE (I heard songs by those names) where I can get a taco salad, a glass of wine, a sunset and friendly neighbors. We sit and talk about absolutely nothing at all and solve all the worlds problems or whatever the problem seems to be at the time, of course the first liar never has a chance!!!!!!!!!

I have been busy getting BLUE BOY back in shape and he is running well now. There was some not so MAJOR SURGERY performed as he needed a new carburetor, a new distributor, new oil, a filter and various and sundry other parts, plus what was done before I left to go work to pay for all this, but now he runs much better so he is happy and so am I.

The weather is a bit cool for my taste, but the afternoons and evenings are nice so all in all I cannot complain, well maybe a little as the mornings are in the 50's and that is a bit much for me, but over all life is good.

But here I am and here I will be for a while as I plan to do some exploring and see some of what is around here??????????
{;-)

Rocks, a Planter and a Door????????

Well, since the last time I blogged (is that a real word?????) I am sure you have all been curious about what is going on. Well, even if you aren't I am going to tell you.

I have been busy, as you know I finished the big job and then Monday, that would be Aug. 24 just so you know which Monday......... I had a small job which took about 3 hours and then I took the rest of the day of. You can do that when you are the boss and the only employee......................... so anyway I took the day off and then I started on the planter yesterday which would have been Tuesday and finished it today.

This planter was nothing like the other planter as this one had a decorative cinder block border, ground cover and a river rock filler.

So I laid it out, put in the border, and filled it in with rock, but also planted plants as I went. Now I know that this is about as exciting reading as watching someone unload a Sears truck or watching paint dry, so as a bonus I will include for edification and reading pleasure another past life story. Now aren't you excited !!!!!!!!!!

The other part of this story is that I also replaced a front door on the place where I am staying (but I did that before the planter) to make the place a little more weather proof for the coming winter. Unfortunately the door frames was not straight so that meant that the door would not be straight. The previous door was a hollow core with a hole in it which actually during the winter time made the whole door freeze!!!!!!! Well, again with a lot of acid reflux, heartburn, and speaking in several languages and finally climbing to the top of Mt. Ignorance, I finally got the door hung and swing correctly after which some VERY MINOR REPAIRS were required to put certain parts of the structure back together again!!!!!!!!!!! but that is another story.........

And so I am off to Vancouver for a small job and then I will be starting to head south to see what I can do about anything along the way?????????? and continue my search for messages from the bottle which by the way I have managed to locate two more bottles!!!!!! and continue to look for the meaning of life?????
{ ; - )