GRAND BOATS & A GRAND CHANGE

This is the annual Desert Storm Poker Run/Shoot Out weekend here in Lake Havasu City. This event really kicks off the boating season, and draws power boats from all over the country.

About noon, we wandered down to McCulloch Blvd. (Main St.) where we checked out all of the boats and other displays. Some of the equipment available for viewing was truly incredible, like this huge boat with Patty standing between the propellers. It was here last year, and is one of the largest, trailer able boats that I've ever seen.

Many of what I call the super boats, are being built over 8 feet wide, so trailers are now being designed to carry these over width boats at about a 45 degree angle.

We saw several boats that at over 40 feet, are longer than our motor home. On Saturday, at a closed 2 mile course in front of Rotary Park, the shootout takes place, with last years winner clocking 188 mph!

I can't ever remember seeing 4 Merc 350's on a boat, but here's proof that 4 will fit. That's 1,400 outboard horsepower!

Now, here's some real horsepower in the form of a blown big block V-8. This was the kind of engine that was being stuffed into 18 foot flatbottoms back in my day of performance boating.

When we returned home, all of our current plans for the coming summer were tossed high in the air, with no apparent landing zone. In about 4 weeks, we were going to leave Lake Havasu in the motor home, with a first stop in CA to visit with Patty's son David, other friends, and attend the wedding of Everett & Lori East's son, Trever, on June 11. Then we were heading for OR & WA to spend most of the summer at Thousand Trails RV parks, where we are members. In fact, I had already booked our stays at those parks well into August.

All of that changed, when we listened to a message on our telephone recorder from the Grand Canyon. The supervisor of the transit system, whom I had spoken with several times, left a message to give her a call. When we last talked several weeks ago, she had offered me a job as a transit bus driver, but had no spots left in the village RV park. With no place to live, Patty called the retail supervisor at Delaware North (1 of 3 park concessionaire's) and declined to accept the job she had been offered, for the same reason, that we had no where to park the motor home.

When I called back, I was again offered a driving job, and for some reason, there was now an RV full hookup space available right there at the south rim. After discussing a tentative start date of May 24, and the requirement to take care of a few formalities like an interview, and drug test, I agreed to take the job. Now the question became - was there still a position for Patty? After leaving a message, the supervisor from Delaware North called back and said that there was indeed, still a spot for Patty, and so.................it looks like we'll both return to the work force this summer, at least for about 3-4 months. On Monday, we both have appointments at the south rim, to formally interview for the jobs, and get the drug testing out of the way. While there, we'll be able to check out the RV space that they found for us, and I assume that we'll both be given an actual start date for work and/or training.

To say that a phone call yesterday, turned our world's upside down would be an understatement. Our mindset has gone from a summer of working, to a summer of RV travel, back to a summer of working. Since jobs at the Grand Canyon were our first priority, we're both happy that it looks like that's actually what's going to happen. We're also sad that we will miss seeing many of our friends, and particularly, the fact that we won't be able to attend the wedding of Everett & Lori's son Trever to Kelsey. If there's one thing that I've learned over the years, it's that it ain't over till it's over. Translation - I'm not canceling any plans or reservations until after our interviews this Monday, and I know that working and living at the Grand Canyon is most likely going to be a reality.

WOOD PREP

It took longer to prepare the new piece of plywood than I thought. Specifically, the rubberized undercoat didn't dry very fast, so it took most of the day yesterday to get the new floor piece ready for installation.

I painted both sides with 2 coats of an enamel based primer, then sprayed on 2 layers of the undercoat. By the time I had finished with all of that, it was too late to go any further.

One other thing that I've discovered in this process, is that all but one of the screws holding the damaged wood to the frame, were broken. 5 out of the 6 #10 self tapping screws weren't doing anything! The only reason the floor piece wasn't bouncing around as we went down the road, is because of all the weight from everything we have stored in that compartment. I think it's safe to say that I'll be putting more than 6 screws into this new piece of wood.

WATER DAMAGE

2x8 section of basement floor removed

A simple project yesterday turned into much more, when I discovered the basement floor in the motor home was damaged due to water intrusion. I had intended to simply clean the basement, removing some unused items, and rearranging everything. That's when I discovered that a portion of floor was warped, and upon further inspection, found out the reason why..

Notice the gap in the silicone bead where the wood rests on the frame

At the time we ordered our Camelot from Monaco (late 2006), the RV industry was booming. We had to wait about 4 months due to the backlog of orders. In other words, many manufacturers were building their units as fast as they could. Whenever the basic principle of supply and demand is tilted more toward demand, one of the biggest challenges for any manufacturer is quality control.

Most of the years we were Harley-Davidson Dealers, we had a waiting list, and no product on the showroom floor. Everything that came off the trucks was already sold. Harley could not build nearly enough product to satisfy the demand, and the public had a hard time understanding why they just didn't build more motorcycles. To Harley's credit, they slowly increased production during those years, but kept a sharp eye on quality, refusing to sacrifice that precious commodity. Monaco should have taken some lessons from Harley!

I have been a sharp critic of Monaco, for a variety of reasons. This was our first Monaco, and most certainly will be our last. During our first 18 months of ownership, we had so many problems, mostly related to poor quality standards, that I was one frustrated individual. Knowing that we couldn't take a huge financial hit, I kept working on the problems, rather than get rid of THE problem. Fortunately, 4 years after taking delivery, most of the issues have been fixed, upgraded, or otherwise taken care of, and we are generally pretty happy with the outcome.

When I discovered the problem yesterday, I think it's safe to say that I wasn't very happy, particularly when I discovered why the wood got wet. The photo that shows the gap in the silicone bead that is supposed to form a gasket, was the main culprit. Even though the bottom of the wood is treated with some sort of sealant, like an undercoat on a car, when water was able to reach the edges of the plywood, over time, it began to do what water does to plywood. How hard would it have been to make sure that the silicone bead did not have any gaps? The picture below shows the damage to the wood.

After I had everything torn out, and cleaned up, off to Lowes I went for some new wood. Naturally, the width of this section was 26", so the other 22" section will probably be useless when I discover another area of the floor that is water damaged.

Today, I'll finish treating the new wood, and put everything back together.

Water damaged plywood basement floor

THE IN-N-OUT CONNECTION

My first exposure to what I consider the best burger in the universe, goes back over 40 years. In the summer of 1969, my first assignment out of the CHP Academy was the Baldwin Park Office, in the L.A. area of Southern California. It wasn't long after arrival, that the CHP moved into a brand new office building on Fransiquito Ave, just off the I10 freeway. A few blocks down the street, on the other side of the freeway, was the original IN-N-OUT, that started the whole thing back in 1948. Currently, there are 258 locations in 5 states.

I'll never forget my very first experience at IN-N-OUT, not so much for the impact the food made, but for another reason. Throughout the months of training at the Academy, one of the things that had been constantly drilled into our heads, was the importance of NOT accepting any gratuities while on the job.

On the second day on the road, my first Training Officer pulled into the parking lot of the IN-N-OUT, just down the street from the office. It was time for some lunch, and even though this original location had no inside dining, they did have a covered area in the back, with picnic tables. When it was time to pick up, and pay for the food, the amount requested was exactly 1/2 the menu price. So, that very first double, double, with fries and a drink came to about 75 cents.
When we sat down to eat, my Training Officer, who was like God at that point in my career, gave me the real world talk about gratuities. He said "many eating places like IN-N-OUT, give us half price food, because they want us in their parking lots, particularly at night". He went on to say that it wasn't up to us to expect any favors, but they set the price, and if they wanted to charge us less than the advertised amount, that was up to them. Made sense at the time, besides, it was a pretty darned good burger, and the fries tasted different than any I had ever eaten.

On that summer day in 1969, as a rookie CHP Officer, my love affair with IN-N-OUT began. I'm not ashamed to state, that it continues today, and you might say, that I'm considered "a regular" at the corner of Hwy 95 & Mesquite Ave. Over the years, the only thing that has changed is the facilities, not the food. Patty likes to joke that the only reason we moved to Lake Havasu City is because there's an IN-N-OUT here!

CHP MEMORIES

1970 was the year of riots in Southern California. The sentiment against the war in Viet Nam was growing exponentially, and the CHP had already been heavily involved with restoring order at the Isla Vista Riots near Santa Barbara. Most of the disorder and demonstrations were directly related to the anti war feeling in the country. My involvement in the Isla Vista riots are chronicled in the Feb 9 Blog Post.

In late Aug 1970, just a few months after the turmoil at the University of California at Santa Barbara, I found myself in the middle of more riots, much closer to where I lived and worked.

A parade, demonstration, and rally on Whittier Blvd. in the East Los Angeles area turned into several days of rioting.

It all started with a peaceful march of several thousand, mostly Latinos, up Whittier Blvd. to Laguna Park, where the rally was to climax. A liquor store near the park was overwhelmed, and people started walking out without paying. When Sheriff's Deputies began arresting the casual looters, rocks and bottles were thrown, and the riot was on.

A 20 block area along the Blvd. became a war zone, as looters and rioters battled the Police. Tear gas grenades were the primary weapon against the rioters, and unfortunately, a tear gas projectile that was fired into the Silver Dollar Bar, struck and killed a well known, militant Mexican-American Journalist. When the death of reporter Ruben Salazar became known, the riots intensified to the point where Los Angeles County called for help from the CHP.

I was working the swing shift, when the surrounding CHP Offices began sending reinforcements into the East L.A. area. The Baldwin Park Office where I was assigned, was only a few miles to the northeast of the riots, so our response was relatively quick. I paired up with another Officer, and we were assigned an intersection adjacent to Whittier Blvd. The CHP's role was to secure the perimeter, so that the Sheriff's Deputies could handle the other problems. When we arrived , the fire department was just starting to get into the area, and get control of the many fires that had been intentionally set. The area looked like a war zone, and there were occasional gun shots, that except for a general area, we had no idea who, or what they were directed toward. Our contact with the rioters was relatively small, but I remember the anger was intense, and anybody wearing a uniform became the focus of that anger. We had several confrontations with individuals who wanted to pass our checkpoint, but nothing turned violent, just lots of angry words.

With the arrival of the early morning hours, the violence had subsided considerably, and our job of keeping people out of the area had become fairly routine. Many of us were sent back on successive days, but with the deployment of approx. 1,200 Deputies, the riots were pretty much contained to that first night.

The direct involvement with 2 large riots, within a few months of each other in 1970, had me wondering if my chosen career in traffic law enforcement was being partially hijacked. The need to assist in peace keeping, at mostly anti Viet Nam war gatherings, was beginning to look like a necessary part of the job.

SAME JOB PROBLEM

Never one to give up on anything, if I think there is the remotest possibility of success, I think I finally have to give up once again. After looking at the problem of where to park the motor home at the Grand Canyon, where Patty and I had both been offered jobs for this summer, I finally concluded that it just wouldn't work. My April 12th blog post describes in more detail, the issues involved.

As Yogi Berra would say - "it's de ja vu all over again"! I have a phone interview today with Delaware North, the concessionaire for Yosemite National Park. The interview is relative to a shuttle bus driver position, that is open and available. Having worked as a supervisor for the transit system in Glacier National Park, and with other applicable qualifications, I'm fairly confident that I will be offered the job. The problem, (and it's a big one), is the same issue that we ran into with possible work camping jobs at the Grand Canyon. After exhausting all possibilities that I know of, there's nowhere close to the Yosemite Valley where we can park the motor home. According to preliminary emails with Delaware North, they do not have any RV spaces for employees.

I'm keeping the appointment to interview for the job, only because the interviewer might know of some option that I'm not aware off. It's doubtful, but right now, there's is a very remote possibility that I might have a job this summer. It all depends on having a place where we can park the motor home, and be reasonably close to work. If I wanted to live in a wall tent, and share it with another person, then it would be a slam dunk. Evidently, tents and living in a dorm, are the only options that are offered for employee housing.

Fortunately, we are in a position where we don't need to work. The idea of spending the summer at a spectacular place like the Grand Canyon, or Yosemite, is very appealing. The extra bucks that go along with working, are an added plus. However, it just doesn't look like it's in the cards, at least not for this summer.

SEEKING WARMTH

Our dear friends, Bob & Diana Rush, who visited with us about 2 weeks ago, are on a serious quest for a potential winter home here in Lake Havasu. We put them in touch with our favorite Realtor, Denise Strong, who took Patty and I on a mini tour of 4 possible homes yesterday. Patty and Diana have been burning up the phone lines, discussing the pros and cons of the homes we viewed.

Naturally, each of the 4 homes we saw, had strong and weak points, as you might expect when doing comparison shopping for any item. The huge positive right now, is that it is a buyers market, with prices as low as they were 9 years ago when we moved to Lake Havasu City. Interest rates are incredibly low, however, according to Denise, it's not as easy to buy a home as it was a few years ago. Lenders have become very cautious, and minimum down payments have increased considerably.

When Bob & Diana were here, I commented that if we didn't have a motor home, I would be looking for a summer home somewhere in the north where it was cooler. The annual snowbird migration to the south can also work in reverse, as it does for us. There are countless thousands of mostly retired folks who flock to southern climates in the winter, in order to escape the harsh winter weather in the north. Many do the migration in RV's, and many have actual homes to enjoy the moderate winter weather.

Since moving here in 2002, we have not looked back, and very much look forward to the winter months. I rarely wear anything more than shorts and a T-shirt during the winter, and in fact, wear long pants more during the summer, when we are traveling in our motor home. Bob and Diana have a beautiful home, in an absolute drop dead gorgeous area of north eastern Oregon. Every time we have visited them in Enterprise, I have come away thinking that there aren't too many places that can compare with the scenic beauty of their area. Having said that, today's high temperatures in Enterprise are forecast to be between 35-42, with a predicted 1-2 inches of snow. Conversely, the highs here in Lake Havasu today are supposed to be between 87-92, with clear blue skies. Let me think for about one second, where do I want to take a ride on my Harley?

Since retiring, my philosophy is why not have it all if you can? Certainly, we all have limits regarding budgets, physical capabilities, etc. However, as we approach the "golden years", (maybe we're already there), time starts to become a factor in the decision making process. With all of the uncertainty in the world, Patty and I firmly believe in grabbing all of the brass rings while we can. If this acquisition of a second home in Lake Havasu City is in the cards for Bob & Diana, we are not only excited for them, but the idea of having our buddies here in the winter, is exciting for us as well!

THUNDER ON THE RIVER

The Grand National Boats lined up for the race start

The Bluewater Casino/Hotel/Marina/etc. is not your typical Indian Casino, parked in the middle of a Native American Reservation. It's located just north of Parker, AZ. on the Colorado River, and it's unique setting adjacent to the river, makes for a great place in which the Casino sponsors many water related activities. This last weekend was the circle boat races on a course directly in front of the Casino.

I took these pictures on Saturday, when I stopped to watch some of the action. I just happened to arrive in time to watch the Grand National Class, which is the "big boy"class for circle boats. Most of the engines are supercharged, and they do indeed make some thunder when they take off from a dead stop.

Last year, Patty and I brought our fold up chairs, and parked on the beach to watch much of the action. We had planned on driving down yesterday, but Patty was dealing with a spring cold, and our dog Sami is once again not doing very well. We're taking her to the Vet today, hopefully for some guidance on a way to improve her condition.

The boat pictured above, was the run away winner of the race I watched, and I took this picture as it was being put in the water. At first, I thought that the big hull would be a hindrance, but it proved to be much more stable in the rough water, and this boat was really fast.

When the green flag dropped to start the race, unfortunately, this boat failed to fire, and instead of being a participant, this driver was a spectator.

Summer is just around the corner, and the daytime temperatures are consistently in the 90's now, with 100's on the near horizon. It's getting close to the time where we need to start getting ready to transition from our stationary house to our traveling house, and head north where the summer climate is a little more on the moderate side.

A RIDE IN THE DESERT

The Kelso Railroad Depot in the middle of the Mojave National Preserve

I would venture to say that for most motorcycle enthusiasts, a ride through the mountains on a twisty, scenic highway is the ultimate ride. For me, the wide open expanse of the desert is right up there near the top of my list. There's just something about being in an environment where you can see for miles and miles, and your presence is like a speck in the middle of such wide open spaces. Most people see the desert as nothing more than a place to pass through as quickly as possible. Conversely, I enjoy being the only person on a lonely highway, in the middle of nowhere, where my thoughts are free to wander almost as far as the expansive landscape. OK, so this type of motorcycle riding is not for everybody, but give me the solitude of the wide open desert on my Harley, and I'm a happy camper.

My first stop, on the first day of my ride was the Kelso railroad depot, that now serves as the headquarters for the Mojave National Preserve. This is the second time I have visited this restored piece of railroad history that has found new life as part museum, and part central point of activity for the fairly new, federal preserve. Kelso is truly in the middle of nowhere! You have to venture a long way off of either I15, or I40 to find Kelso. Back in the days of steam railroading, this was a place that provided helper engines, so that the trains headed toward Las Vegas, could climb the long eastbound grade that began in Kelso. The building is a great piece of architecture, that doesn't quite fit in the middle of the desert, but is now enjoying it's second lease on life.

Death Valley Junction

When I can combine a ride on the Harley, with some railroad history, it's like double the fun. I did a self portrait in Death Valley Junction, a place where a branch railroad line toward the mines in Death Valley, left the Tonopah and Tidewater Railroad. The T&T ran alongside Hwy 127 for much of the distance between Baker, CA. and the Nevada State line, and a good portion of the old right of way is still visible. I ended the first day in Beatty, NV., a small town on Hwy 95, a little over 100 miles north of Las Vegas.

The next morning, I headed west and passed through Death Valley, picking up Hwy 190 on the valley floor. Death Valley is a fascinating place, but not a place that you would want to visit in the middle of July. The highest recorded temperature in North America was 134 degrees on July 10, 1913 in Death Valley. Knowing that I was quickly going from below sea level, to about 5,000 above sea level, my jacket stayed on, as I made the long climb to the top of Towne Pass.
I made a left turn in the Panamint Valley, traveling south on Trona Rd toward Ridgecrest. This is the valley that on several occasions, I have watched FA18's from China Lake N.A.S., make low level passes, but no sightings on this day.

After a quick gas stop in Ridgecrest, the Walker pass over the southern Sierras was my next objective. Lake Isabella was almost full, probably due to all of the snow this year. I passed through Bakersfield (not my favorite town), and headed for the oil fields, where I picked up Hwy 33 in Taft. One of the few roads I have not traveled, is the southern end of Hwy 33 where it crosses the mountains from the southern San Joaquin Valley, into the Ojai Valley. This was another objective of the ride, to see this section of highway that had been closed on a couple of other occasions when I was in the area. I wasn't disappointed, as the ride over the mountains was as scenic as it was twisty.

By the time I reached the outskirts of L.A., it was getting late, and I didn't want to deal with Friday afternoon traffic. I found a Best Western in Fillmore, and called it a day.

I rose early, and hit the road at about 7am, wanting to put some miles on early. The weather forecast for the desert, (which I had to cross again) was temps near 100 in some areas. The jacket came off at a gas stop in Apple Valley, as I headed east on Hwy 247 toward Yucca Valley and 29 Palms. Crossing the southern Mojave desert on Hwy 62, it's about 100 miles between services, and there isn't much civilization between 29 Palms, CA. and Parker, AZ. When I arrived in Parker, the temperature was in the mid 90's, and when I stopped along the Parker Strip of the Colorado River, I snapped a quick picture. I think it's safe to say that the warmer temps have sparked the beginning of the boating season, as there was a lot of activity on the river. I briefly stopped at the Bluewater Casino, where I watched some circle boat racing action, that continues through tomorrow.

Back home by mid afternoon, with a little over 1,000 miles logged on the odometer. It was a great ride, in a great country, with great weather, on a great bike!

A CHANCE TO RIDE

This will be the last post for a few days, as I'm throwing a leg over the Harley, and heading for Death Valley. This was supposed to be the weekend that an old buddy (Scooter) and I were going to revisit the Yuma Prison Run. Back in the early 80's, (gosh, that's 30 years ago!) Yuma was the destination in early spring, and many of us made the trip south for many years, to the warmer weather.

Scooter called me yesterday, telling me that he couldn't make it because his bike was still in the shop. So, with my head filled with thoughts of riding, I've decided to take off for one of my favorite places to catch some wind in my face. I've been fascinated with the eastern side of the sierras for almost forever, and the Death Valley area is at the top of my list. When I get back home in a few days, I'll have some photos to go along with where ever the road decides to take me.

NO JOBS

We had hoped to spend this summer at the south rim of the Grand Canyon, work camping, as we have at various other locations during past summers. Patty had been successful in her search for a job, and had secured a position at the main gift shop/grocery store in the south rim village. When accepting the job, she told the supervisor that it was contingent on me being hired as a shuttle bus driver, and on a place to park the motor home.

A couple of days ago, I was indeed offered a bus driving job, but there were no more spaces in the one RV park at the south rim village. It appears that each of the 3 concessionaires, and the park service, have a few subsidized spaces allocated for employees, but they are evidently hard to come by. Those spaces are given to longer term, more senior employees, and with me just starting, I'm on the bottom of the totem pole. The only other options would be to park at the desert view campground, or in Valle, each about 25 miles from the south rim. The one RV park in Tusayan, just outside the south rim gates does not allow monthly rentals, so the alternatives were very limited. With both of us probably working different hours, and possibly different days off, having to commute any distance just wouldn't be realistic. With our animals, the need to have 2 vehicles, and the extra cost of commuting 100 miles a day, I decided to say thanks, but no thanks.

That's the bad news. The good news is that we both get to be summer bums for the 3rd year in a row, and we won't miss a few things that we would have, if we were working at the Grand Canyon. The plan is to secure the house, and leave around the end of next month, with the first stop in CA. We will be able to attend the wedding of Everett & Lori East's son Trevor, to Kelsey on June 11th. From there, we'll be heading north, and spending most of the summer in Oregon & Washington as we did last year. At least that's the plan as of this morning.

CHP MEMORIES

There was one summer evening in 1970, that forever changed my mindset regarding potential threats to my life. Sure, we had been taught at the Academy to always expect the unexpected, but some stereotypes don't go away easily. The threat of being harmed by a female wasn't near the top of my personal list.

I was working the swing shift, and a little after sunset, I stopped a possible drunk driver, south
bound on the I605 freeway, just south of Valley Blvd. After determining that this young male adult was indeed intoxicated, I arrested him and placed him in the patrol car. I then went back to the vehicle where a female passenger was seated in the right front seat. When I determined that she had also been drinking, I knew that I couldn't turn the car over to her, and that I would either have to transport her to a safe place off the freeway, or call for a taxi. She didn't want a taxi, and pleaded for me not to take her boyfriend to jail. At first, the pleas were based in desperation, then they became more angry as she realized that she was going to be separated from her boyfriend. It's what happened next that shocked me into the reality that threats can come from any direction.

I explained to this young women that I was going to give her a ride off the freeway, and she could make a phone call for someone to come and get her. This was not an unusual situation, as we often had passengers that for whatever reason, could not be given the keys to drive away. Sometimes, we would enlist the help of our beat partner to assist with either transportation, or to wait for the tow truck. I can't remember why, but in this particular incident, I made the decision to handle it by myself, which again, was very routine.

As we were standing to the right of the patrol car, I asked if she had any weapons, as I started to do a quick pat down from behind. We didn't have female officers in those days, and based on her anger toward me, there was no way I was going to give her a ride without being sure she wasn't a threat. Before I even touched her, she reached into her waist area with her right hand, and pulled out a 32 caliber, semi-automatic pistol. Her big mistake was that she turned to her right, while raising the weapon where I could see it before it was aimed at me. Had she turned to her left, I probably wouldn't have seen it until it was too late. Before she was completely turned toward me, I was able to grab her right forearm just as she pulled the trigger, and the gun discharged a projectile toward the San Gabriel River. In the next second or two, as we struggled, the weapon came out of her hand, and flew through the air toward the traffic lanes. The gun struck a passing vehicle, and discharged for a second time, and I have no idea what direction, or where that bullet went.

Now, the struggle was very personal! This gal had just tried to shoot me, and the anger was now being redirected back toward her. It didn't take me long to get her on the ground, get her handcuffed, and placed in the patrol car. When I recovered the handgun from the freeway, it still had 4 more rounds in the clip, and even though a 32 caliber bullet isn't the most powerful, it sure had the potential to do a lot of damage.

My routine drunk driving arrest had just escalated to an attempted murder case, and the amount of paperwork was proportionately increased as well. After my supervisor arrived at the scene, and after I had admonished this women of her right to remain silent, she was still angry and stated that she was trying to kill me so that she could free her boyfriend.

When her attorney later discovered that I had tape recorded her statements, he negotiated a guilty plea of assault with a deadly weapon, and this young women who only wanted to continue the evening with her boyfriend, ended up serving several years in state prison.

With this incident successfully in the experience column, and not somewhere else, I learned a valuable lesson. Just as we were taught at the academy, always expect the unexpected!

WINTER RETURNS

Well, sort of. The last 3 days have been overcast, windy, and temperatures have dropped about 15-20 degrees below normal. Yesterday, it got up to a blazing 64 degrees!

With the weather not cooperating, riding the motorcycles hasn't been the best option, so we sat around most of the morning trying to decide what to do. Not wanting to just sit around the house all day, we decided to take a drive up to Laughlin. None of us had ever seen the classic car collection inside the Riverside Casino, so that became the plan for the day.

We left Lake Havasu a little before noon, taking the route through Topock & Golden Shores. When we arrived, we noticed that Casino Drive in front of all of the Casinos was torn up, with a major rehab to the road underway. Our first thoughts were that in about 3 weeks, tens of thousands of motorcycles will be here for the River Run, and it's going to be absolute gridlock. Laughlin will be a good place NOT to be during that weekend.

After checking out the cars, motorcycles, and other assorted vehicles in the collection at the Riverside, we walked back across Casino Drive to Serrano's Mexican Restaurant for a late lunch, early dinner. The drive home was by way of the AVI Casino, and through Needles. We noticed that regular gas at the ARCO in AZ. just over the river from Needles was $3.57 a gallon. When we drove through Needles, the cheapest we saw regular was $4.59 a gallon. Except for the folks who get off the freeway for fuel, why in the world would anybody else pay over a dollar more per gallon, when they can get it just across the river a whole lot cheaper? Warning---Don't buy fuel in Needles! At exit 9 on I40, the turn off to Lake Havasu, about 19 miles east of Needles, regular was selling for $3.69 at Loves, and at the Pilot.

Bob & Diana are leaving this morning for the return trip to their home in Enterprise, OR. It's been fun visiting with our buddies these last 3 days, and we look forward to seeing them again this summer.

KEEPERS OF THE WILD

I've written about this animal rescue sanctuary before, but it has been about 2 years since we last visited. Due to predicted high winds, Diana, Bob, Patty and I took the jeep instead of the bikes, and drove to Keepers, located on old Route 66, east of Kingman, AZ.

When we arrived at about 1:30 pm, the tour was just starting, so we followed along, and heard the stories about the animals, and how they came to be residents. Keepers of the Wild is not a breeding facility, conversely, most of these animals have been rescued for a variety of reasons, and had there not been room here, many of these beautiful cats would have been euthanized.

Each time we visit this unique facility, there are always new animals that have been given a 2nd chance to live out their lives, where they are well taken care of. A few months ago, we read in the local paper where Keepers had acquired 4 Bobcat Cubs. Since reading the story, we have wanted to see them, and we did yesterday. However, they weren't cubs any longer, and were almost full grown.

During the tour, the guide throws a small piece of meat to each animal, so most of them are close to the fence when you pass by. Not like a lot of zoo's where many of the animals are sleeping during the day. One of the nice things about this place is the fact that most of the animals have very large enclosures, and are not confined to small cages.

After leaving Keepers, we stopped at Cracker Barrel in Kingman for an early dinner, then finished the day at home watching American Idol. It's supposed to rain a little today, so I think the bikes will remain in the garage.

A CHANCE TO RIDE

Diana & Bob Rush, Patty & me

Our friends Bob & Diana, arrived day before yesterday, after picking up Bob's new motorcycle in Scottsdale. When they left their Enterprise home in north eastern Oregon, the average daytime temperatures were around 40, and it was still below freezing at night. Even though our weather has cooled off, it's still a lot warmer than what they had just a few days ago.

Yesterday, even with the threat of a possible shower, we rode the bikes south to Parker, had lunch, then back to Lake Havasu. It was just a little short of a hundred miles, and we did get a few raindrops on the windshields, but with the temperature around 80 degrees, it felt good to be in the wind.

Parker Dam on the Colorado River

We stopped on the Arizona side of Lake Havasu, where I took a picture of Parker Dam, which backs up Lake Havasu for over 20 miles. When this dam was built by the city of Los Angeles, they had to dig down over 300 feet to reach bedrock, and establish a foundation for the dam. It is recognized as one of the "deepest dams" in the world, even though the part that you can see is not really all that impressive.

The last picture was taken this morning in the garage, and if you look very closely, you will see a bright yellow motorcycle behind Diana's and my Harley-Davidson. That's Bob's new H@*$%, that has replaced his perfectly good Harley. Now don't get me wrong, I have very few prejudices regarding brands of motorcycles. In fact, at one time, I had 4 non Harley's in the garage, and am now down to just 2, a dual sport, and a scooter. My non-Harley's have always been in addition to, not a replacement of. So, when Bob called me on the phone to pre-warn me about the new purchase, I told him it was OK, Diana and I would just make him ride in the back, that there was absolutely no way that 2 Harley's were going to follow a H@*$%! All kidding aside, the new Gold Wing is an incredible touring bike, even though it sounds like a sewing machine!

THE LAST BOAT DAY

Not forever, but yesterday was the last day of our boat slip rental, so out she came about mid afternoon. Before putting the boat back on the trailer, we parked in the channel for an hours or so, and had our usual picnic lunch. Me with KFC, and Patty with one of her healthy sandwiches. This was the first time we had parked in the channel for any length of time. I put up one of our small tables, spun my chair around to the back, and we relaxed while watching the boats pass by in the channel.

The wind was blowing again, and when we decided it was time to start the engine, we passed through the channel to the north end, where the waves from the north wind were pretty big. Not wanting to get bounced around too much, I headed back through the channel to the south end. Apparently, the island buffered some of the wind, because the water was not nearly as choppy, as we headed south toward Copper Canyon. There were a few boats in the Canyon, and a few rock jumpers, but other than that, it was relatively quiet.

When we got back to the marina, it was about 3pm, and quicker than you can say "Jack Flash", our month of having the boat in the water was over. Renting a slip at the marina for a month, works out well for us, particularly the convenience of quickly being able to use the boat. Except for some down time this past month, due to my back, we've used the boat quite a bit, taking several of our friends out on the lake. I'm sure there will be a few more times of use before we leave for the summer, but for now, we've got some cleaning to do before putting the cover back on.

lAST WEEKEND ON THE LAKE

Judy, Ron, Patty, Jeanette, & Bob

The wind was blowing pretty good, but we still went for a boat ride with our friends pictured above. At a little after 12 noon, the action in the channel was heating up, with boats parked on both sides, and the stereos blasting away. We made one pass, then headed across the lake for some lunch at the casino. Thanks Ron & Judy.

By the time we left, white caps were starting to appear in the middle of the lake, so it was a bit of a rough ride back across. Due to the strong south wind, I decided not to stay in the open water, and we cruised back through the channel. The south channel is where everyone congregates, and the party was in full swing. We even saw one boat with a stripper pole, and even though the girls that were dancing, weren't taking their clothes off, they didn't have much on to begin with. The one thing that wasn't in doubt, is that everyone sure seemed to be having a good time.

Despite the wind, there sure were a lot of boats in the water, on this Saturday in the middle of spring break. I briefly thought about an attempt to check out Copper Canyon, but decided otherwise due to the rough water. So, we stayed in Thompson Bay, and the channel, before calling it a day around 3pm.

We always enjoy sharing the boat with friends, particularly when they haven't seen the sights of Lake Havasu from the water. Today is the last day of our boat slip rental, the temps are supposed to be in the mid 80's, so I think we'll hit the water one more time, then pull the boat out this afternoon.

CHP MEMORIES

In my last "Memories" post, I talked about our fastest patrol car, and this time, I'm staying with the equipment theme. For any person in law enforcement, their service weapon is without a doubt, the one piece of equipment that no officer can do without. When deadly force is necessary, and all other means have been exhausted, it's the last line of defense.

Smith & Wesson Model 28, 357 Magnum

When I graduated from the Academy in early 1969, our cadet class was one of the first to receive our safety equipment, compliments of the state. Earlier graduating classes were on their own to purchase their weapon and gear. My classmates and I were issued Smith & Wesson 38 caliber revolvers with a 6" barrel. These service revolvers were the smaller "K" frame, and after one year, they became our personal property. The CHP allowed us to carry either 38's or 357's, but we were only allowed to load the weapons with state issued 38 caliber, ball ammunition.

At the end of the first year, almost to the day, I sold the 38, and purchased a larger "N" frame, Smith & Wesson, Model 28, 357 Magnum, with a 6 inch barrel. (Pictured above). I remember feeling a lot more comfortable with this heavier, larger revolver. One of the trends in those days was to have the trigger and hammer either gold or silver plated. That was the "cool" look, so of course I had to have the trigger and hammer gold plated on my new 357 Magnum.

I carried this weapon on the job for about the next 6 years, then, a departmental decision forced me to make a choice. Somewhere in the state, the plating on an officer's revolver hammer either came off, or somehow jammed the gun's action. A departmental directive came down that prohibited any weapons if they had plated hammers or triggers. I either had to remove the plating, or purchase a new weapon. Not wanting to do the former, I picked the later.

Smith & Wesson Model 27, 357 Magnum

It was about 1975 that I purchased a S&W Model 27, (pictured above) and retired the Model 28. I carried this revolver for the rest of my career with the CHP. Both models were the heavier "N" frame, but the main difference was that the model 28 had a parkerized blue finish, and the model 27 had a gloss blue finish.

By then, the department had transitioned from issuing 38 caliber ball type ammo, to 38 caliber hollow point ammo. This improvement in stopping power was a welcome change, but many of us still loaded our weapons with 357 ammo. The prevailing thought was if deadly force became necessary, we wanted as much lethality as possible. I felt the 357 ammo might make the difference, and it would be better to deal with the consequences of not using 38 ammo, and still be alive.

During my later years, many departments were doing away with revolvers, and going with mostly 9mm semi-automatic service weapons. The CHP resisted this movement to more firepower, with the main argument being that revolvers were more reliable. The argument against revolvers finally won out, and after I retired, the CHP made the decision for their officers to switch to semi-automatics, using 40 caliber ammo.

Other than the range, I only fired my weapon once on the job, and that was to dispatch a badly injured horse, that had been hit by a truck. There were many times that my revolver came out of the holster, but fortunately, I never had to fire it at another human. I was only shot at once that I know of, but that's another story for a later time.