2017 New Year's Resolution Suggestion

“Ignorance is Strength” is the third and most powerful slogan chiseled into George Orwell’s Ministry of Truth in 1984.

To combat FAKE news and support the truth in the coming year, Boots and I have resolved to support repitable news sources. We will select something (Washington Post, Mother Jones, New York Times, The Guardian, Slate, Huffington Post, Miami Hearld or Union-Tribune in San Diego, etc).

Like you, we can’t support or fund everything but we can try to help one or two. If you can, select something you trust will provide you with researched and true news. Then put some money on them. We all know that newspaper hard copy versions are archaic and disappearing in a lot of areas of America. Since none of us have the funds of a Warren Buffett and can’t be buying up papers across the nation, contributing to your choice(s) is a step to protecting the TRUTH.

Fight FAKE news - make support of TRUE and REAL news one of your New Year Resolutions!

Donald Trump Tricks The Media Into Crediting Him For Creating More U.S. Jobs

We need to prod legitimate news sources to be part of the solution not part of the problem with FAKE news! We need to write “letters to the editors,” call them on their complacency and/or lack of rigorous attention to the truth! Journalists need to stay on topic (truth) and not be swayed by the flashing lights and do-dads that the president-elect dances in front of their eyes.

The president-elect will have ample time (4 years at least) to make his mark and get credit for his administration’s successes/failures just like every president before him. He needs to keep his ego off of President Obama’s history/record!

“Ignorance is Strength” is the third and most powerful slogan chiseled into George Orwell’s Ministry of Truth in 1984.

Outraged over the focus on 'fake news,' conservatives pretend they don't know the difference

I don’t think I need to say anything else – this says it all!

“Ignorance is Strength” is the third and most powerful slogan chiseled into George Orwell’s Ministry of Truth in 1984.

Wielding Claims of ‘Fake News, Conservatives Take Aim at Mainstream Media

This is exactly what I have been emailing/sending other links about. The TRUTH will be diminished or overwhelmed by FAKE news. The term once referred to fabricated accounts intended to deceive, but many on the right have turned it against news they see as hostile to their agenda.

Is It a Religion Test or Just Islamophobia

Check out how the president-elect skirts around his original “Muslim Ban.” He’s still pushing the lie about how other family members saw “bombs all over the apartment” in the San Bernardino apartment. I believe that he will institute a Muslim Registry or worse.

Freedom of religion is a key component of the 1st Amendment “. . . respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise . . .”

“Freedom of the press, if it means anything at all, means the freedom to criticize and oppose.” 1984 author, George Orwell

One of the Ways the 1st Amendment Gets Attacked?

The president-elect’s new press secretary, Sean Spicer, has begun the process of diminishing the truth about the 1st Amendment. By falsely defining the “actual” 1st Amendment and the president-elect’s support of the amendment, Mr Spicer lets us know that truth is an optional element of his job. Again, these are the small seemingly minor attacks on the freedoms of the constitution –

“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.” [Emphasis mine]

I am encouraging you to stay alert and challenge conversations that degrade or disparage free speech/press. The continual false attacks and FAKE news will cause people to doubt everything in the media. A demagogue can then lead us by the nose anywhere they would like! Truth and freedom are the only weapons that we need. Keep them sharp and available!

Don't fall for these dishonest attacks on the 'metropolitan liberal elite'

A British perspective (and reminiscent of JFK's quote from a few emails back) but none the less pretty much right on!

“Freedom of the press, if it means anything at all, means the freedom to criticize and oppose.” 1984 author, George Orwell

An Open Letter To President-Elect Trump

What if we all sent this letter of respectful requests to the president-elect? Since I don't know his pre-augural email address and am not on Twitter, I'm sending this same email (minus the narrative) to the President of America's email address right after the inauguration ceremony.

OR, I found this link to the president-elect. You could call it “your story” – and copy the article’s text there.

How about you? What if he got a hundred of these requests, a thousand (‘cause we forward this email on to our friends), or almost 3 million?

“Freedom of the press, if it means anything at all, means the freedom to criticize and oppose.” 1984 author, George Orwell

FAKE NEWS IMPACT

First, Happy Holidays or Merry Christmas!

I am truly sorry to bring this to you on such a night as Christmas Eve but FAKE NEWS is starting to push people to make very serious scary decisions. Pakistani Defense Minister Makes Nuclear Threat Against Israel After Fake News Provocation.

“Freedom of the press, if it means anything at all, means the freedom to criticize and oppose.” 1984 author, George Orwell

Pakistani Defense Minister Makes Nuclear Threat Against Israel After Fake News Provocation | The Huffington Post

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/pakistan-nuclear-israel-fake-news_us_585f2e8ae4b0de3a08f58fb6?na55be9er45y36jemi

Samantha Bee and Glenn Beck Join Forces

This is an absolutely amazing exchange of perspectives and ideas! Enjoy!

“Freedom of the press, if it means anything at all, means the freedom to criticize and oppose.” 1984 author, George Orwell

Gutting Social Security

And, another important topic that isn’t about the 1st Amendment. Social Security is a prime concern of anyone in their 60’s and beyond. For me this is VERY VERY personal. My partner and I are living a pretty cheap life style in our RV. Gutting Social Security would put us in a very precarious situation. How about you? Watch the news and remember to contact your Representative and Senators!

“Freedom of the press, if it means anything at all, means the freedom to criticize and oppose.” 1984 author, George Orwell

Democrats See Medicare Fight As Donald Trump’s Achilles Heel

I know this isn’t 1st Amendment related but Medicare is critical for us mature Americans. So, check it out.

“Freedom of the press, if it means anything at all, means the freedom to criticize and oppose.” 1984 author, George Orwell

News Source Classifications

One of you assisted me by sending this diagram of new sources. While you might argue a little about the boundaries or definitions, it will be helpful in understanding how reliable and/or slanted content might be. With my old eyes, I had to enlarge this quite a bit but it was informative.

“Freedom of the press, if it means anything at all, means the freedom to criticize and oppose.” 1984 author, George Orwell

Bill of Portland Maine - DailyKos - Take on the First Amendment

“You can say anything you want except ‘Fire!’ falsely in a crowded theater or "Donald Trump has a mandate" seriously in a crowded room of people with functioning brains; You can peaceably assemble in public spaces to call out the government when it's acting badly, but we reserve the right to pepper-spray you in the face, zip-tie your hands behind your back and haul your ass off to jail if we feel like it; The press has the freedom to treat the statements and policies of the left and the right as equally valid because we know you gotta sell papers and achieve your daily clickbait goals. Bonus right: The United States is technically neutral on religion, except for prayers in Congress, and invocations at inaugurations, and language in proclamations, and at the end of political speeches, and during the Pledge of Allegiance, and in assorted draft legislation, and on your money, and...oh, never mind.” Billy Harnsberger

“Freedom of the press, if it means anything at all, means the freedom to criticize and oppose.” 1984 author, George Orwell

Interesting 1st Amendment Attack

There are many ways to negatively impact Freedom of the Press. Here’s another way from New Jersey’s Governor Christie.

“Freedom of the press, if it means anything at all, means the freedom to criticize and oppose.” 1984 author, George Orwell

FAKE News - UPDATE

Here is an approach to help ensure you are not getting FAKE news!

Ask the posting party for the journalism school of the author, note the absence of any by-line or profile on LinkedIn.....

Help Stop the Spread of FAKE NEWS

While this isn’t the only approach, it does appear to be on a good path to at least identifying FAKE NEWS and sharing that ID with others. When FAKE NEWS starting showing up on Facebook so prevalently, I wasn’t surprised. I prefer Internet Explorer to Chrome but will try this extension (This Is Fake) and see how effective it is for my needs.

Hope this is helpful for you all!

“Freedom of the press, if it means anything at all, means the freedom to criticize and oppose.” 1984 author, George Orwell

FAKE News

This morning MSNBC had an un-scientific survey about whether the one reading/forwarding news was responsible for ascertaining if it was FAKE or not. About 70% voted that it IS NOT the responsibility of the reader/sender to ensure that what they read/forward is TRUE or not.

I STRONGLY disagree with that! And, endeavor to send out only TRUE information. Remember to only send me something that you personally have confirmed it’s truthiness! THANKS

“Freedom of the press, if it means anything at all, means the freedom to criticize and oppose.” 1984 author, George Orwell

Autocracy: Rules for Survival by Masha Gessen

I haven’t read this yet but it is on my list. If you get a chance, watch an interview with her. She makes some interesting comparisons between Putin and our president-elect. I think her experience and perspective might be helpful to us in the coming days. Essentially – be observant be very observant!

“The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.”― Edmund Burke (in a letter addressed to Thomas Mercer).

Artist Illustrates What To Do If You Witness Hate Speech Or Harassment

An action that we can all do to buffer HATE SPEECH. Be a helper!

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/comic-islamophobia-racism-guide_us_582b6cd5e4b01d8a014aea4b

"When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, 'Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.'" - Fred Rogers

1st Amendment Challenges

Just an FYI, I believe that our 1st Amendment rights needs to be protected from ALL sides (Democrats, Green Party, Libertarian, Republican, and any of the other smaller parties) and at ALL levels (Local, State, and Federal). I will not hesitate to share any impingements no matter where it comes from. As long as it isn’t “FAKE” news and we (you and I) can verify it’s truthiness.

Thanks

“Freedom of the press, if it means anything at all, means the freedom to criticize and oppose.” 1984 author, George Orwell

1st Amendment Attacks

Here are 3 links to how the free press (1st Amendment) of our nation is being attacked by the president-elect and his supporters that he encourages.
1) Megan Kelly must have armed guards for herself, her husband and her CHILDREN!
2) The FBI doesn’t follow protocol and investigates a journalist for a joke.
3) AP pulls reporters and rotates others for their own protection from rally supports

NONE of these are “fake” stories but each is an example of how the 1st Amendment of the US constitution is being eroded little by little until it will be gone! Forward this email to your Representative and Senators. Speak up! We can all, each, make a difference!

"When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, 'Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.'" - Fred Rogers

President-elect's Education Secretary Pick Wants To Make Christianity A Bigger Part Of Schooling

Hmm, the 1st Amendment, enough said!

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/betsy-devos-religion-in-schools_us_583f04d1e4b04fcaa4d61c88

“Sometimes a people lose their right to remain silent when pressured to remain silent.”
― Criss Jami, Killosophy

Armed Man Targets D.C. Restaurant That Faced Violent Threats Because Of Fake News

This is what FAKE NEWS leads to . . .

"When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, 'Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.'" - Fred Rogers

Of 8 Tech Companies, Only Twitter Says It Would Refuse to Help Build Muslim Registry

I was surprised by the 1 that responded and how it responded! Good for Twitter!!!! Microsoft, on the other hand, gobbily gook, cover all the basis - yuk!

https://theintercept.com/2016/12/02/of-8-tech-companies-only-twitter-says-it-would-refuse-to-help-build-muslim-registry-for-trump/

“Sometimes a people lose their right to remain silent when pressured to remain silent.”
― Criss Jami, Killosophy

Do NOT Let your Representative / Senators Privatize Medicare!

Really, this is coming and we need to ACT. Call or write your Representative & Senators. We (anyone 65 and over) will pay MORE and get LESS. Don’t believe me, do the research and push for Medicare to remain!

“Sometimes a people lose their right to remain silent when pressured to remain silent.”
― Criss Jami, Killosophy

Here's How To Make Sure Congress Hears You

A follow up on the request that you contact your Representative/Senators.

Want to ensure Medicare or the US Constitution aren't decimated? Want your Washington representatives to know where you stand? This advice might come in handy.

More Irony . . .

General Petraeus’s misdemeanor (by virtue of plea bargaining) for sharing classified information with his lover (remember he was married at the time, too). Hmmmmmmmm

“Sometimes a people lose their right to remain silent when pressured to remain silent.”
― Criss Jami, Killosophy

Keep Alert on the Affordable Care Act, Medicaid and Medicare

REALLY, this nominee will try very hard to eliminate/dismantle safety nets.

“Sometimes a people lose their right to remain silent when pressured to remain silent.”
― Criss Jami, Killosophy

Fake news network 'tried to write fake news for liberals — but they just never take the bait.'

Liberals didn’t bite! Check it out.

Note from member of my email list - Snopes has been found to be untrustworthy. So, try to double or triple check for truthiness.

“Sometimes a people lose their right to remain silent when pressured to remain silent.”
― Criss Jami, Killosophy

A Free Press?

Mary Mapes’ speech on Freedom of the Press (given at Chautauqua Institute). Very very interesting!

A big thank you to a member of my family for this link!

“Sometimes a people lose their right to remain silent when pressured to remain silent.”
― Criss Jami, Killosophy

The political IS personal and the personal IS political

Remember, if you are receiving this, you have NOT asked me to remove your name from the email list. At any time going forward, you may let me know if you do not want to receive any more of these emails. I have gotten a lot of wonderful responses - some from friends/family with whom I do not always agree and some from those with whom I do usually agree. There are so many topics in our political world, that I am sure we will continue to agree on some things and challenge each other on those other items. Either way let’s stay friends and work together on our common ground and leave our disagreements alone. This way, I think, we will be as individuals and as a country better for it!

My goal is to be a conscious American citizen. While I was disappointed in the recent election results, I do accept that we have a different president taking office in January, than I had imagined. He has promised a number of things that challenge our US Constitution, agreements with other nations in the world, and the core of who we are as a nation and a people. He is the president-elect – on January 20th, 2017, he will be inaugurated as our 45th President.

There is so much fiction swirling in the press, TV, internet, Facebook, our various email feeds, etc. etc. etc. I will strive to only pass on factual items. I ask that you do the same with any responses to me. I use SNOPES and POLITIFACT. Here is a link to another way to check information. When I sent the first email, I thought I’d be covering the topics below:
Personal: Protect and Maintain - Social Security (AARP) and Medicare (AARP)
Family: Protect and Maintain - Pro-Choice (Planned Parenthood / NARAL) and Affordable Care Act (House & Senate)
Community: Fight Discrimination (Anti-Defamation League/NAACP) and Support immigration for all religions (Anti-Defamation League)
Country: Maintain the Freedoms and Privileges accorded us from the Constitution of the USA (focus on the Bill of Rights) (ACLU)
World: Follow rules of the Geneva Conventions with respect to opponents (United Nations)

I have since determined that this list is too long, too broad, too ambitious. I may be retired but I don’t have to explore everything across the spectrum. So, I am primarily focusing on the US Constitution. It has gotten us this far (228 years) it can take us out 4 more years. Specifically, I am going to focus on the Bill of Rights (first 10 amendments to the constitution).

The frequency of any item (or email for that matter) will depend on what I find or what interests me. As I find things, I will send them on – no particular order. Feel free to send me information related to the 1st Amendment that you have found of interest. Don’t forget to verify it’s truthiness (to steal a term from Stephen Colbert).

“Sometimes a people lose their right to remain silent when pressured to remain silent.”
― Criss Jami, Killosophy

Not Just Obamacare But Medicaid, MEDICARE Also On GOP's Chopping Block

As a mature American (over 65 yo), I am very concerned about the future of Medicare. Tangentially, I care about the Affordable Care Act and Medicaid for those younger people in my life but Medicare affects me very personally! Prior to turning 65, I had my own company and little access to health care insurance. What I did have was an insurance card that I showed at the doctor’s office which (no matter the incredible monthly premium) covered none of the care received. The only benefit was that I could say “I was insured.”. A scary time but luckily for me personally, I had no medical issues that could have bankrupted us. I love Medicare. The ease with which I am able to get care, the speed with which the bills are paid and the security of knowing I have health insurance makes me breathe easier.

Please check out this article and watch the efforts of your representatives/senators with respect to Medicare. Thanks!

“When someone shows you who they are, believe them the first time.” Maya Angelou

1st Amendment Support

Amendment I. Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.

Support the 1st Amendment’s freedom of the press, subscribe to your local paper and one of the national papers’ digital versions (NY Times, Washington Post, USA Today, etc. etc. etc.). We can’t get “home” delivery of the local San Diego Union-Tribune here at the RV park. So, we buy it daily out of one of the boxes within the park. That’s more expensive but we do like the local news, NYT Crossword/Sudoku puzzles, and honestly the “feel” of the paper in our hands.

“Withholding information is the essence of tyranny. Control of the flow of information is the tool of the dictatorship.”
― Bruce Coville

Isn't It IRONIC

Our Vice-President-elect wants to keep the public from accessing HIS EMAILS. Note, these are not personal emails but those from when he was Governor of Indiana (a public office). Isn’t it IRONIC!

“The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.”― Edmund Burke (in a letter addressed to Thomas Mercer).

Citizenship Test

Here’s a link to the USA Citizenship Test, try your hand at it. I found it challenging and very interesting.

“The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.”― Edmund Burke (in a letter addressed to Thomas Mercer).

Crash Repairs - Valencia, CA

Remember the CRASH ( see 8/12 blog entry) - an incoming rig crashed the picnic table into our slide wall. Well, on our way south to Santee/San Diego area for the winter we stopped at Camping World for some annual checks/fixes. We didn't think they had any body shop facilities but we had arranged for the insurance adjuster to meet us there and figure out how and for how much the fix would be. Since the hole punched into the side of the rig broke the moisture barrier, it was important to get it sealed before the winter rains came.

Camping World did an amazing job - BEFORE

AFTER

Really this is the same spot! There is no way for anyone, who didn't know of the crash, to guess that there was a hole there. they were able to get it sealed smoothly and painted the same shade of faded dark blue. AMAZING! and it didn't cost us a penny - they on the other hand had to shell out $900.00. And, we are ready for the rains!

The future of political issues

OK, I am going to start sending political emails that support my various perspectives.

Here’s your chance to be removed from that particular list of receivers.
You can remain on the “HUMOR” (sometimes silly/stupid/inspiring or just cats/dogs).
And/or the “TRAVEL” (let’s you know where we are and how things are going, with our blog link).
While declining the “POLITICAL”.

Just respond and let me know. No response means you stay on all the lists and get added to my new one – your choice! Thanks and have a wonderful Fall day!

If by a "Liberal" they mean someone who looks ahead and not behind, someone who welcomes new ideas without rigid reactions, someone who cares about the welfare of the people---their health, their housing, their schools, their jobs, their civil rights and their civil liberties---someone who believes we can break through the stalemate and suspicions that grip us in our policies abroad, if that is what they mean by a "Liberal," then I'm proud to say I'm a Liberal.
---John F. Kennedy

Oceano to LA to San Diego to LA to Oceano, CA

We needed to go back to SD for Boots’ headache fix. This time we boarded Karma at her regular daycare facility, so as to minimize her stress levels. We left early (for us) on Sunday and zipped through LA relatively easy. We got to SD in time to check out some other RV park options so we don’t have to drive the 300 miles each summer to avoid the heat in Santee.

Our motel/hotel was right in the middle of a number of restaurants. So, we were able to walk to/from for dinners. The Monday Drs’ appointments were spaced enough that we got to go to our favorite ramen restaurant. Remember this isn’t your college ramen experience at all. If you ever get a chance to see “The Ramen Girl,” you will have a whole other appreciation of the noodle called ramen. We were first introduced to REAL Japanese ramen in Hawaii and have sought it out ever since.

Anyway, after the last procedure we stayed overnight again so that we could rest and get an early (for us) start back up the coast. Knowing that we would be going through the 2nd largest city in the US on a Tuesday, we expected a lot of traffic. We like to drive I-405 through LA and Google Maps accommodates us well. As we have mentioned before, we have discovered the HOV lane (for High Occupancy Vehicles, i.e. 2 or more) keeps us out of harm’s way and pretty much zips along pass most traffic slowdowns.

So, we are moving along fairly steady between 60-70mph with cars in the other lanes crawling or maybe going 40mph. Suddenly, Google Maps tells us to get off I-405 and go to I-605 because of traffic delays. We talk about it and decide that being in the HOV lane means that the delays would have less impact on us and continue on I-405 North. Then we are instructed to get off and use I-710 to avoid more slowdowns – which we cannot see and are not experiencing in the HOV lane.
Next, we are informed that the road is closed ahead. We find that very hard to believe and decide to take our chances with any forced exit and the side streets that would need to be used. Since we weren’t towing (i.e. just had the truck), we didn’t see that as so bad. Soon, Google Maps tells us to exit to I-110 and then I-105 and finally I-10. None of which we do. We continue on I-405 to its end at CA 101 North with rare slow downs, no closures and relatively quick travel through LA. We think that Google Maps couldn’t tell that we were in the HOV lane and really immune to traffic delays as a result.

The moral of the story is always travel with more than 1 person in your vehicle and use the HOV lanes at every opportunity!

CRASH – Oceano, CA

Here we are just minding our own business. Boots is getting dinner ready and Ruthi is waiting to feed Karma and take her for her evening walk. Ruthi, sitting at the desk, notices a new neighbor pulling in on the “slide” side of our rig. She sees that they are coming a bit close to the lamp post at the opening of the site and mentioned it to Boots. When the rig hits the lamp post and bends it a bit she and Boots stand at the windows to watch the rig. Then the rig hits the picnic table for the site and drives it into our utility station - bending the power stand to 45ᵒ (which smashes into our rig and makes a 2-inch square indentation), smashing the sewer connector, breaking the fresh water faucet connector (spewing water everywhere) and tipping over our water conditioner tank. We are yelling but they don’t seem conscious.

We run out and they finally stop. Ruthi keeps yelling at them and calling them names- “F#@$ing @$$Hole” and “F#@$ing Idiot.” The driver (40ish male) and passengers (2 80’s male & female) come out of the rig and say nothing to us. They stand around looking no place in particular. They don’t off an apology or volunteer to help. Boots and Ruthi went to the sites of 2 of the park office e workers to see if there was anybody in the park to assist. One of them was able to get the senior level camp host to come over and help us get things back together, verifying that the power was clean, water no longer leaked, sewer wasn’t running everywhere, water conditioner standing upright, etc.

In the midst of all this, the younger man and older woman decide to move the picnic table through the small gap between our units. Ruthi having no idea what they might be thinking laid into them and suggested they move it to the street behind their unit if it was in the way. She told them that moving it through that limited space was as stupid as were they. Still they said nothing. Ruthi finally asked them if they spoke English. (We do have a lot of European visitors at the park but they usually are in Class C rigs not 44 ft fifth wheels being pulled by a truck.) Still they had no response. Later, we figured out that they were moving the table to the front of their rig to begin setting up their camp site – UN F#@$ING BELIEVABLE.

Boots suggested to Ruthi that she had sworn at and belittle them enough and that she should stop. Ruthi on the other hand thought as long as they continued to stand around like idiots, she would continue to point that out is any fashion she wanted. And, she did!

The camp host offered us replacement pieces but we had what we needed for the night and could replace anything else tomorrow. He confirmed that the power was good. He and Ruthi did move the picnic table (the one the rig owners thought was so important to slip between the rigs) out of the way. And, most importantly, he found them another site and insured that they didn’t hit anything else leaving this site and getting into the other one.

After feeding Karma and taking her for her walk, Ruthi stopped at their new site to get their names, numbers and insurance information. She had stopped swearing at them by then and they finally spoke English and apologized. The older woman said that they had never been to the park before and the 40’s male had never towed the rig before. Additionally, she references that the younger man had some problems – no specifics - but his eye sight and social skills (or lack there of) might be included in the diagnosis.

Below are some pictures of the damage after the fact. We talked about how we don't remember to photograph until after it's over. Our initial focus is "righting" the damage. Probably a good idea, don't you think?

BANG - Oceano, CA

It's a quiet Sunday morning. Boots is working on the crossword, AM Joy is on in the background, Karma has had her morning walk and Ruthi working on the receipts. Then BANG something hit our rig! We figured the kids here for the week-end lost control of their ball or Frisbee. Karma, of course, went berserk!

We looked out the window and saw a small bird collapsed on the ground outside Karma's window. We have been watching multiple Vet shows on NatGeo Wild (Dr Jeff, Dr K, Vet Life, Dr Pol, and Dr Oakley) lately. So, we knew that it would be possible for the bird to recover if it wasn't already dead. Ruthi went out, covered the bird's eyes and moved it to a shady area. It was still breathing and blinking its eyes.

It took awhile and we kept checking that it was still breathing. After about 20 minutes, the bird sat up and began to look left/right resting. It took another 20 or so minutes for it to standup and make some movements beyond breathing and head turning. Then our immediate neighbors returned from breakfast and their little dog came charging up our stairs to see Karma. This startled the bird and its recovery seemed to be over. It ran away and flew off. Whew!

Tiny Sinks - Oceano, CA

Back on September 15, 2014, we commented on the fact that many toilets in California are small, very small. Really! They look like the toilets Ruthi's sister has at her pre-school facility. OK, so now we have found the matching bathroom set. Here's the tiniest sink we have ever seen. It is in the bathroom of the very best hamburger joint on the central coast of California - Sylvester's. Really everyone we have met here has told us to be sure and go to Sylvester's. There are a number of locations but the original is just down the road from our RV park - lucky us!

Anyway, back to the main point of this post - check out the teeny tiny sink!

Slither & Skitter - Oceano, CA

44 railroad ties make a staircase from the lower up to upper level. Ruthi and Karma used go down and up for both the morning and evening walks. But the preponderance of snakes and lizards has forced them to only do the "up".

Walking down doesn't give the varmints enough time to get away from the feet stomping down the stairs. Karma on the whole has no interest in either. Though she will glance at them and determine that they are not ground squirrels, and then move on.

Coming up the stairs, Ruthi tries to make a lot of noise and vibration as she would prefer not to have an up-close and personal encounter with either of them. The lizards are ordinary and look the grayish color of the faded railroad ties; hence they are very hard to see unless they are skittering away. While the snakes are coal black with a fluorescent pea green stripe down the back. The snakes are in the garter snake family.

July 4th - Oceano, CA

Municipal fireworks started to go off about 8pm. Because the RV Park is high up on the dunes, we could see about 3-4 cities shooting fireworks into the sky for about 2½ - 3 hours. Ruthi and Karma walked out to the top of the stairs and got a panoramic view of the all the displays. Lucky for us, Karma is not in the least bit disturbed by the noise, crowds, or bright flares in the night sky. After Ruthi and Karma bored of the excitement, they returned home to listen to the private fireworks being set off on the associated (but not regulated by the park) sand dunes west of the parked RVs. The private explosions lasted until midnight. So, all in all the 5-cities area is a 5 hour extravaganza of fireworks.

Now You See Them, Now You Don't - Oceano, CA

Whether it's the 4th of July or any other summer week-end, the park fills up beginning on Thursday night. Then by Monday noon, everybody has gone back to work. Here's the week-end view of our row of RVs.

And, now most of them are gone.

Temperature Variances - CA 101 Northbound

Coming back from Ventura we stopped off at the Gaviota rest stop to give Karma (and us) a bathroom walk-about break and to change drivers. Coming out of the rest stop we immediately entered a tunnel and came out in a valley. The temperatures began to rise from the 75ᵒF (24ᵒC) that we had experienced on the other side. Very quickly we needed to turn on the air conditioner as the temps kept rising, finally stopping at 99ᵒF (37ᵒC) for approximately 24 miles. Once we broke from the hills keeping the cooling Pacific breezes away, the temperatures dropped back to the mid-70s as quickly as they had risen just minutes before.

RVing With Farm Animals – Oceano, CA

When we were parked at Santee Lakes, Ruthi and Karma would occasionally meet Watson, the miniature pig, Well, he’s not all that miniature but definitely not going to get up to the 300-400 pounds of a normal boar. The couple that RVs with him also have a dachshund. They got the pig as a piglet. So, it doesn’t know any different life style. Karma was not particularly interested in Watson, nor he her.

Here at Pacific Dunes, Ruthi and Karma have encountered Otis, a billy goat. Like Watson above, Otis has been RVing since he was a kid. They also carry hay for his meals. He gets long walks multiple times a day. It appears that he has had his horns removed/stunted. Karma and Otis really didn’t seem interested in each other.Ruthi had at first thought the site with hay maybe had a horse in the park’s stable and brought their own feed.

For their morning walks, Karma and Ruthi pass the large pasture that has 10 horses used for the trail rides the Park offers. When Karma isn’t too freaked out, they do try to walk by the stable area where there are about 30 horses boarded. If the horses haven’t yet been fed in the mornings they are more interested in us and the resident mule lets us know. Karma doesn’t like it when they are moving around in their pens or making noise. We guess she thinks they are huge dogs and not at all friendly.

Red Tailed Hawks – Oceano, CA

See 2009 Santee, CA entries for Thursday, November 12 and December 2.

We are seeing these beautiful, graceful predators here in Oceano. There are a plethora of ground squirrels, chipmunks, rabbits, lizards and snakes to keep them well fed. In the mornings when Ruthi and Karma are out for their trek, they have seen at least 3 perched on the telephone/power poles scanning for creature movement before going in for the kill. Or, they are floating above them circling again looking for breakfast to move down on the ground. One day, there were 2 hawks on the same power pole crossbar – one looking west and the other looking east.

OK, we got a better picture -

Vegetation – Oceano, CA

For their morning walks, Ruthi and Karma take a country lane around the local farm right next door to the RV Park. This particular field is for cauliflower and cabbage – 2 of Karma’s favorite treats. She’s really a vegetarian except for celery. Carrots, broccoli, peas, cauliflower, cabbage, romaine lettuce ribs, etc. are really treats for her while Boots is fixing our dinners.

After the crop is harvested, they plow the remaining vegetation back into the ground to fertilize the next planting. In the process, some bits and pieces are left on the edge of the field/road. The smell of these raw cut pieces must be overpowering for Karma as she goes from one chunk of cauliflower leftovers to the next as they walk down the lane.

HOV/Car Pool Lanes on Interstate 405 – LA, CA

HOV – High Occupancy Vehicle – in California, 2 counts as high occupancy.

We had to go back to San Diego for a doctor’s appointment that we weren’t able to get scheduled before we came here. We left Oceano early and headed south. Anchorage really doesn’t have a rush hour traffic issue unless you live out in the valley and the 4-lane Glenn Highway is your path to and from work/home. We have been learning the ways of the city dwellers across America. With respect to LA, all of the various paths don’t really help the crowded roads much. So by the time we hit the northern edge, we were in the midst of everyone’s trip to work.

We have learned that the HOV/Car Pool lane is great for us in the truck. Unfortunately, it isn’t an option when we are pulling the rig (AND we are restricted to 55 mph when towing in CA). So, we slipped into the far far left lane and pretty much kept the needle at 70mph and seemed to just zip through LA. Various delays in the right hand lanes didn’t interfere with our progress. One of the other benefits besides speed is that you only have to worry about idiots cutting you off from the right and (usually if they understand the HOV/Car Pool lane rules) cars can only come into/go out of the lane at certain intervals (i.e., double yellow lines edge the right side of the lane).

Going south, it was get on at the start of I-405 and stay there until it ends by merging into I-5 south to San Diego. Coming back north, we were only on I-405 for about 20 miles before we had our stop for the night so the HOV/Car Pool lane wasn’t as much help as on the second day when we again 'car pooled' through LA in our quest for “home.”

Dragging Bikes Addendum – Oceano, CA

We just noticed that one of our external window screen covers is missing. We had 3 when we left Santee – 2 on the side and 1 on the rear. We have them rolled up for travelling. The rear one wasn’t even down while we were in Santee ‘cause the back window faced the northwest and didn’t get any direct sunshine.

Our guess is that the departure of the shade might have triggered the bike rack’s final dive to the pavement. Though we can not figure out why the shade roller would have come away from the rig. As the picture shows, the side screens didn’t leave the rig. Before we return south we’ll check these shades, too.

Dragging Bikes - LA, CA

One of the scariest things when you are driving/towing the rig from place to place, is when drivers/passengers of passing cars are waving frantically at you. It has happened twice to us. Once very early in this adventure (2008), we drove the rig from the Anchorage campground through town to the shop for last minutes fixes/correction before we left Alaska. That time we had left a compartment door open. Luckily nothing had fallen out. And, then yesterday . . .

Having hooked up Saturday night, we got up early in San Diego, fed/walked the dog, we each did our final walk around (a habit we learned after the Anchorage hand waving mentioned above). The bikes were strapped on the bike rack, first Ruthi’s then Boots’. They were covered with a black canvas type of material with reflective sides for safety. We pulled out of Santee Lakes 7:45am ugh.

On Saturday (the day before we left Santee) after our bike ride, Ruthi was putting the bikes up on the rack at the rear of the 5th wheel when a neighbor came by and asked if our rack was sturdy. Indeed it was, Ruthi said. With the first bike, we had unsuccessfully hung it from the rear ladder. The bumps and vibration of the roads out of Alaska (or for that matter anywhere) eventually led to the bike riding inside the rig until we got somewhere with a new idea. Then we had 2 bikes and had bought the current rack we have. We had to have a “bumper” welded to the rig’s rear frame and then the hitch welded to that (Sept ’08).

One summer when crossing Montana in temperatures way above 100 degrees (July ’11), we made a pit stop and discovered that the bike rack itself was insecure, resulting in one bike almost touching the pavement and we again had to remove the 2 bikes inside the Rv. It seems that when work people had used our rear ladder to get to the roof they have inadvertently stepped on the bike rack and bent/loosened the rack’s frame. When we got to Illinois, Ruthi’s brother re-welded the bike rack back together. All of this history is in support of Ruthi’s comment that the bike rack was/is very secure. Now to what happened yesterday.

We had our first pit stop at the Camping World in La Mirada, CA (102 out of 296 miles). All 3 of us used the facilities and Boots, Ruthi and Karma did another walk around. We checked that the lights all worked (we had forgotten in our quest to get out of Santee so early). Everything looked good and off we went again. 15 miles later other vehicle occupants are waving frantically and pointing at us. So, we pull over immediately which puts us at the very end of an access ramp for traffic entering Interstate 5 going North. We put the flashers on and got out to look. As we do not have a rear camera (might consider it??), could see no problem from our mirrors. We just thought that we had left a door open, the steps down or the stair handle folded out.

Imagine our surprise to see the bike rack with the bikes still wrapped in the bike cover and securely fasten to the bike rack now at a 45 degree angle to their former position, being dragged along the highway!! Again the secure bike rack, bikes and cover were still packaged together but the “bumper” weld had broken on the right side and was hanging on by only an 1/8 of a inch. While the left side remained secure. Thus we were dragging the bike “package” along the highway for at least a couple of miles at 60mph. Yes, Ruthi was speeding as the California speed limit for towing vehicles with 3 or more axles is 55mph.

So, do we call Roadside assistance or start solving the problem ourselves and still get to Oceano before the office closes at 5pm. We got busy unlocking the bike rack from the hitch and were attempting to pick up and rock the package out of the hitch and get everything to the road side, when a group of 6- 8 young people appeared out of nowhere (well, probably not out of thin air but you get what we mean). They offered to help and they got the package to the curb. We thanked them and realized that getting everything separated would probably be simpler for just the two of us.

The whole contraption was separated into parts/pieces then stored inside the rig on the living room slide floor. The bikes were separated by blankets and cushions to prevent damage to them or the floor they were lying on. The bike rack itself was separated into its components and placed in the truck bed behind the fifth wheel hitch.

Then we looked at the “bumper” to determine did we need to have someone come cut it off or could we secured it for the remained of our trip up the coast and take care of it then. Using bungee cord and Velcro we secured both ends of the “bumper” to the rig’s frame. Just as we were finished and thinking about how we would ease back out into the I-5 North traffic (which by the way had not slowed down or eased up the entire time we were dealing with our crisis), a CalTrans (DOT) truck pulled up right behind us to check on what happened, etc. He helped us get back into traffic safely and we were on our way again!

Damage Assessment: The bike cover had only 3 holes ripped into it. These can be easily sealed up and the cover can be used again. The bike rack itself suffered some road rash on one of the wheel braces. This damage didn’t restrict removing the brace. Ruthi’s bike appeared to have no damage. Boots’ bike (only 4 or 5_months old) was on the outside and received the bulk of the damage. One of her handlebars had the outside edge smoothed down a bit, cosmetic damage only. The brunt of the damage was that one of her pedals is now about 1/3 of the length it was when we left Santee.

Now that we write this, we now realized a couple of things we didn’t: 1) put out our safety cone to support the vehicle flashers in warning oncoming traffic; 2) remember to always walk on the curb side of the truck/rig out away from traffic; 3) think to shake each and every hand of the young good Samaritans that stopped to help us get the package off the rig; and 4) take any pictures during the recovery process – no selfie!

Position of the Hitch

Right Side "Bumper" long cut

Left side "Bumper" small cut

Boots' bike pedal

Karma and Mary sitting in a tree . . . - Santee, CA

K I S S I N G! Eight years ago when we started off on this adventure, Karma discovered that golfcarts have camphosts with treats. Then at every RV park she would seek out the golfcart/camphost combination. Here at Santee Lakes, she has fallen in love with the clubhouse camphost, Mary. Even though Mary is a cat lover/owner (Miss Alice) and Karma is a cat chaser, they seem to have established an amazing connection. So much so that all winter long while Mary was gone from Santee Lakes, Karma kept looking for her to be at the laundry room or clunhouse! Since we are going to be gone for this summer and Mary is not the clubhouse camphost this year, Ruthi took Karma to see Mary one last time before we left. They met for an outdoor lunch as you can see from the picture below Karma has a strong admiration/love for Mary!

Canadian Goose – Santee, CA

On Karma and Ruthi’s morning walk, they saw a Canadian Goose hunkered down near the tires of a truck in one of the sites. Ruthi was guessing that it might be a family pet. Heck, there is a family with a pet pig, Watson, in the park; so, why not a goose? As Ruthi and Karma tried to get by the goose and continue on their walk, the goose began coming at them in attack mode. Karma of course being so brave, she immediately hid behind Ruthi.

Ruthi didn’t have anything to shake at the goose to distract or scare it. So, the goose is coming at her and Karma is cowering behind her. Ruthi started talking to the goose while the goose honked and honked at her. It sounded like maybe the goose had something caught in the throat. The goose did not get to them but had a boundary that Ruthi understood not to cross.

Ruthi talked to the office and they said that the goose had been in the park a few days. Ruthi and Karma did see the goose a couple more times with no confrontations. Usually the goose hung out by the rear tires of vehicles in various sites.

Pile of Wood – Santee, CA

When campers leave their sites after a wonderful week-end at Santee Lakes, they leave behind items, some more useful than others. We had been out late and fed Karma after sunset. While Ruthi and Karma were walking, Karma suddenly went into aggression mode. She saw something ahead on the roadway that needed to be attended to.

Ruthi couldn’t see whatever it was. She swept her light left and right and it did not reflect off the eyes of any animal. Coyotes and raccoons roam the park night and day. Ruthi was concerned that Karma’s reaction was warranted and she couldn’t determine what it might be. They continued slowly towards the grass area for Karma to do her “business” and they could return home.

As they approached a particular site, Karma became more frantic and then Ruthi saw what was setting Karma off. There at the end of the site was a pile of fire wood that in the dark had a shadow similar to a large raccoon. Karma carefully approached the wood and eventually sniffed around and around. Finally, she determined it was safe to pass and no longer was frightened.

Karma’s Surgery – Santee, CA

We had discovered bumps on Karma’s body. Some were the normal fatty masses that dogs get as they age. With Karma at 10 years old that is not unusual. But a couple of the spots were hard and kind of crusty. So, while she was getting her teeth cleaned and was already under anesthesia, we had the vet remove them and send them off to a lab for analysis.

The results indicated that while one of the spots was benign the other was a low level of cancer that did not appear to have metastasized anywhere. The vet felt they has gotten all of the “spot.” She suggested that at Karma’s next teeth cleaning in the fall, we might want to have her chest x-rayed as a follow up.

So her is Karma with her air bag instead of an Elizabethan collar to keep her from attacking stitches on her right shoulder and just below her left eye.

Home Depot Parking Lot – El Cajon, CA

Boots went out to get the truck from its parking place and pick up Ruthi at Home Depot’s exit. When she pulled out of the space she heard loud clanging on her right (passenger side). She stopped the truck and got out to see what had happened. The front bumper and grill on the car next to the truck had fallen off and crashed to the ground. Initially, Boots assumed that she must have hit the car getting out of the parking space.

She called Ruthi to let her know that there was a delay and she would need to walk out to the truck. Meanwhile, Boots asked people approaching the area if the car was theirs. She even went into Home Depot and had them do a PA announcement. When Ruthi got there they began to seriously examine the car and related damage. Since the truck was blocking traffic in the lane, Boots moved the truck to another slot.

We waited and waited for the owner to show up and no one did. We took numerous photos (for evidence, you know). Upon further examination of all the parts and pieces of the car; it became apparent that the truck did not cause the damage. It clearly showed that the damage was old and the pieces had debris where there used to be connectors between the pieces.

So, now the dilemma – what do we do: 1) leave a note or 2) just drive off. Luckily, a Home Depot security guard arrived on the scene and helped us make the decision to just leave. He agreed with us that the damage was old and not caused by anything our truck did today. He even suggested that sometimes these cars are set up to fall apart as a scam for money. PHEW!

Ants Redux Again - Santee, CA

AND, THE ANTS ARE BACK!

This time they are gathering in the bathroom shower enclosure track. They seem to be coming from the ceiling on both sides and passing through the track to the other side. Lots and lots of them on some kind of mission. Seemingly, just passing through our rig from one side to the other or from the other side to this one. Anyway, we decided to try another approach. We placed drops of Terro in the track. Within hours each drop was mobbed with ants. They each take a big drink and return to infect their nests. Swarms and swarms of ants were there to take the places of the departing ants. Eventually, the drops disappeared and had to be replenished. It took about 4 sets of drops before there wasn’t an ant to be seen.