Hoover Dam & Vegas

Hoover Dam






Hoover Dam






Fremont Street-Las Vegas



I hadn't realized how long it had been since I posted to the blog...a whole month.

We have been, I guess I could say, in Las Vegas almost that entire time. Of course, we stopped in Arizona to visit our daughter in November. It was great seeing her! She loves living in Arizona, loves her job, loves her life....what more could we ask for!

The Hoover Dam is pretty awesome! I wish we would have taken the tour because it is amazing.

Las Vegas turned out to be a much longer stay than we originally anticipated, but was fun none the less. We visited Fremont Street which I always love! So much excitement. The show is always the best! We visited the casinos, won some, then lost it. (Okay, what 'happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas').

So, today we finally left Vegas and are headed east. Temperatures are a bit cooler (actually a lot cooler), but it is December after all.

White Sands in New Mexico

Out of Cloudcroft, NM...what a ride!

We left New Mexico two days ago through Alamogordo and Cloudcroft. Our first stop was in Deming, New Mexico, second stop in Benson, Arizona. We love Arizona!....and felt like we were home as we crossed the border. Hey, ya can't beat Arizona, for the weather, scenery, desert...need I go on? Tomorrow we head in to Phoenix.

A Great Day in San Antonio

Another great day! Lunch on the River Walk...two tamales, two margaritas....then a little shopping for a couple postcards, a couple cigars and on to the local Bath and Body Works store for some more lotion.

Unfortunately, we left the camera at home, so didn't take any pictures today. San Antonio is one of our favorite places, and we do have pictures from our visit two years ago, so it's all good.

Indiana, Illinois, Missouri and Oklahoma

After leaving Michigan, we've been through the above states with a two day stop in Missouri. We've been trying to stick to the 'rules of two'....two days on the road, stop by 2:00 p.m. and stay for two days.

The weather has been warmer the further south we travel. Today it is 82 degrees and feels wonderful. Diesel prices are even cheaper further south. When we started 14 days ago we paid almost $4.00 a gallon, and are now paying $3.21 a gallon, so ya gotta love that!

We always have an idea of our next destination, but don't often stick to the plan. It's so easy to pick an alternate destination for a couple days. There is so much of our country we want to see and feel we've seen so little, despite traveling through so many states.

Where to now? Hmmmm...wherever the sun takes us I guess.

Greenfield Village

Thomas Edison's chair in his laboratory

Thomas Edison laboratory....WOW!


Thomas Edison was a genius...shelves lined
with bottles of every imaginable chemical,
powder, mineral, etc. He hired people to hand
deliver the materials to him so he could keep with
his work.




An original used for transporting farm equipment



The weaving room...fascinating!



Potters at work in the Pottery Barn

Lunch time for this little guy



Inside the Daggett farmhouse. Herbs drying,
apple slices drying...it was so cool!

These women were having a feast of whole
chicken, apple dumplings, cooked cabbage,
apple pie and fresh vegetables all prepared
on an open hearth!

Another view of the kitchen


Noah Webster's Home

Henry Ford's childhood home

Orville Wright's Bicycle Shop

An early Settler's home..walls lined with
newspaper for insulation (click to enlarge)

Daggett Family House

Windmill

Greenfield Village was just as amazing as the Henry Ford Museum. Our favorite was any and all places related to Thomas Edison. I learned so much about him that I didn't know. He was a brilliant man before his time.

We visited Orville Wright's shop and his home. We saw Noah Webster's retirement home which was huge for its day. Did you know Webster wrote the first dictionary entirely by himself??!!
We saw the cabin that George Washington Carver lived in and a boarding house run by a widow named Sarah Long. The entire experience was like stepping back in time, but most impressive is the fact that the machinery invented and built by these people are still working today.

If you ever make it back to Michigan, the Henry Ford Museum and Greenfield Village are a 'must see'.....but allow at least two days to see it all.

Henry Ford Museum

We loved the colors in this one of a kind cars

The chair Abe Lincoln sat in when he was
assassinated.

A 1917 Willies Overland


We were impressed with the building itself,
built in 1927.


Holiday Inn Sign IN the Museum!


Here we go...over 7 acres to tour!



An awesome VW Bus from 1959


Wow! (click on photo to enlarge)


The very car JFK was in when he was shot

We spent several hours touring the Henry Ford Museum. What an amazing tour of our country's history. From the pioneer days to the future, a collection of cars, wagons, farm equipment, household appliances, clocks, sewing machines......it is really unbelievable. We took tons of pictures and obviously won't be able to post all of them, so I will post what we felt was really cool...which is hard, because this museum covers over 7 acres of land and houses spectacular original pieces. We traveled back in time and loved it!

Fall Colors In Michigan

View of Lake from our coach

Campground

Pretty fall colors


The weather has been beautiful here during our stay. Temperatures in the high 70's to low 80's, but the leaves are dropping off the trees. A perfect autumn in the Great Lakes.

We have been here 3 days visiting my brother in law. It's been good to see him. He looks well and as always, he has a great attitude.

I will post pictures later of our visit to the Henry Ford Museum and Greenfield Village. We decided after traveling over 2,000 miles to come here we may as well take in some sights.

This Is Really Happening

A little short history for those that keep asking why?
Any mortgage company or bank that participated in Subprime lending and what's called Alt-A loans are feeling the pain. Those loans were made so long as you could fog a mirror. And they beat the hell out of the appraisers to push value. So you ended up with a borrower that could not repay the loan in a over valued home. Perfect set up for a financial storm. So how did this start?

You might say ground zero was with Countywide Mortgage. The CEO Angelo Mozilo (The Don) created the first subprimes loans in 2002 to 2003. They caught on like wild fire. Soon all the mortgage companies and banks wanted in on the action. Even though they knew the loans were dangerous. That's called GREED! To avoid the Feds and Congress from shutting them down, they spread the money over both parties; R & D.. so everyone that supported them got re-elected. Some politicans even got sweethart low cost loans....i.e. Christopher Dodd, Barack Obama.

The biggest problem with these loans is what's called the teaser rate. The loan started out during the first two years with a 2% rate then at year two jumped up to the market rate which would be 6% today. So their mortgage payments easily doubled. You might say these loans became time bombs. As soon as the rate increase hit (Called a reset) they went bad (foreclosure). The first batch that went bad was late 2006 and the biggest batch to reset will be 9/2008. Then comes the next very big batch called Alt-A which is even worse than the Subprime. Those should die out around summer 2010.

The foreclosure fallout from these loans is bringing all the US finincial institutions to their knees. Many will not survie. Only the biggest banks, that the Fed will not let die will survive. It's basically a 1929 all over again.

So why are people pulling their money out of the banks? Mostly panic and fear. You are insured to $100k for an individual account and $200k for a joint account. Many people, especially the Sr Citizens still fear a 1929 depression. Back then the banks closed and never opened again. Our grandparents lost everything. No wonder they do not trust the banks or the Government.

But you must ask yourself...would our Government ever lie to us? Would a bank ever lie to us? Well my answer is.. have you ever heard of WMD (Iraq)? Did you know Indymac Bank said one week before they were taken over they had double the reserves and would not be taken over by the Feds. Did you know Uncle Ben our Federal Reserve Chairman said no banks would fail or be forced to close just last April 2008. I hope this helps.

Fannie, Freddie & IndyMac

Click on the Title...will take you to the list of failing banks.


The Fed has taken over IndyMac and now they are bailing out Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

We, as a country, are already in debt up to our eyeballs, so where is the money going to come from to bail out these lenders? Hmmm....the taxpayers. FDIC, Paulson, and Bernanke assure us our money is safe. After all, FDIC insures your money UP TO $100,000.00. But will they really have the funds to cover you and me?

If you believe the mainstream media, then the answer is 'yes'. If you believe your politicians, and the Federal Reserve, again, 'yes'. But, what if they are not telling you the whole story? What if the financial stability of our country is far worse than they lead you to believe?

Due Diligence! Start with the link above, go from there. The warning signs have been staring us in the face for a long time. Unfortunately, the masses have continued with their head in the clouds. Time to wake up?

Down She Goes...The Economy, That Is

Click on the title to read the latest warning


Barclay's warns of a financial storm. Fortis warns of a market crash. Royal Bank of Scotland has made the same warning. And what is the Fed doing? Nothing. Oh yes, and congress went on vacation to enjoy the 4th of July...without doing a thing. They failed to act on the housing package. They failed to act on the energy crisis. C'mon guys....the stock market continues to fall. We are in for a long haul as the world economy teeters. Since the beginning of this year, the Dow is down 14%. The Nasdaq is down 13%. S&P 500 down 13% as well. Guess it's every man for himself, for what it's worth.

People are losing their jobs. Small businesses are closing their doors. Even big stores are closing their doors all across the country...Home Depot, Lane Bryant, Foot Locker, Gap, to name a few. Thousands of people in the midwest have lost their homes and their crops...so we can expect food prices to continue to rise, along with the price of oil.

How 'bout those airlines? Holy cow! They are now charging for your checked bags, soda, window seats, aisle seats, and I just read they are going to be charging frequent flyers a surcharge! Plus, some airlines are not only laying employees off, but they are also cutting flights.

Las Vegas. Wow! Some of the casinos are closing their buffets, because they can't justify the cost anymore.

Latest gas price as of today: Average price per gallon: $4.10. California paying $4.57 per gallon.

Yet, the talking heads continue to keep us in LaLa land with their words of optimism. Do not believe that everything is going to be okay....things are about to get a lot worse.

Hang on....it's going to be a rough ride.

Awesome Day!

We spotted this guy just standing oh so still....

the highlight of the day. A gorgeous fawn on the road!

She was adorable...big ears....little white spots....


BlackJack and Dad checkin' out the jeep

Putting the windshield down

BlackJack



6800' elevation. But what a sight!

Lots of snow runoff everywhere...

And our jeep found some mud!


When we left this morning it was 82 degrees in town. We were headed to the mountains for a little cooler weather and hopefully see some wildlife, run through some mud and maybe even climb a rock or two. When we arrived back in town, several hours later, it was 96 degrees! She's a hot one baby!

The little blue jeep is ready to rock and roll. It's now got a roll cage! We packed a lunch, several bottles of water and BlackJack. He was harnessed and hooked, the jeep locked and loaded, and we were ready for some fun. One quick stop to fill our tank ($4.13/gallon) and grab a bag of ice, and we were heading out of town towards Tampico. The higher in altitude we got, the cooler the temperature, but surprisingly, it was still very warm. I love just getting out on some dirt roads where there is actually scenery to look at, and always the hope of spotting a deer or elk.....or maybe a mountain lion!

Because our jeep is fully open, we get to take in all the wonderful scents of the outdoors! I absolutely love it! Incredibly tall pine trees are everywhere here, so the scent of pine is all around us as we drive. Then we notice a carpet of gorgeous purple low lying flowers mixed in with a cute yellow bloom. But the scent is what I love! I think it's plumeria or gardenia. My husband thinks it's honeysuckle. We both know it is not the purple or the yellow flowers we are seeing, but yet we are not seeing anything else.....only smelling it.... .and it is fantastic!!

Maybe I just haven't been out much lately, and that's why I loved today, but I know that's not it. I have always loved a drive in to the woods, or to the ocean...the smells...the sights....

And the wildlife! Oh my gosh! Like my husband said, the exclamation point of our day was the little baby fawn we spotted right in front of us on the road as we were heading down the mountain. I don't where its mom was, we never saw her....but I am sure she was nearby. That little baby was adorable! Wish I could have gotten better pictures to do it justice.

That was our day today!! BlackJack had a good time, too, but I think we wore him out, because right now he is out like a light.

Knee Injury Update

Okay, it has been 3 1/2 months since that lady fell off the horse and I cushioned her fall. Why didn't I just step away and let HER hit the ground??

The doctor had a second MRI done, which according to him, everything looks fine. So, as of a week ago, he has me walking without the crutches. He has also referred me to a Psyiatrist. I had to look it up, because have never heard of a psyiatrist. Anyway, they are a rehabilitation and pain management doctor. They specialize in teaching people with disabilities to learn to live with their disability. So, does that mean my doctor is ruling me 'disabled'? This is my life now? This is as good as it gets....so learn to live with it?

I am not really sure and won't jump to any hasty conclusions until I see the psyiatrist....which as I found out today will not be until August 7th! Reason being: the original psyiatrist cannot see me because she is not contracted with the insurance company, so I will be seeing someone else...but not till Aug. 7th.

Still going to physical therapy 3 days a week. What a slow process that is. To give you an idea. When I started therapy well over 6 weeks ago, my leg extension was measured at -10 degrees, and my 'bending' measured at 90 degrees. Today, leg extension is -8 degrees, and 'bending' at 100 degrees. (My good leg bends at 155 degrees - good leg extension should be zero degrees).

It's a little hard to walk when the bad leg is basically shorter than the good leg, considering it is 'bent'. But, walk I'm trying to do.

This has got to be the most frustrating thing ever. I know, it could be worse. But like I said, I should have stepped away from the horse and let that chick hit the ground! Word of advice to everyone: ALWAYS listen to your instincts. Everything that day told me to NOT GO to that horse farm. I didn't want to go, had no desire to go, but 'go' I did. And here I am today.

It has cost us money....we have spent more than the insurance company so far. Between lost wages for my husband, medical expenses denied by the insurance company and taxi fares to and from therapy.....not to mention the money I could have been earning, because I would have been working for the past 3 1/2 months.

Anyway, that is the long and short of it.

Drill ANWR

This is what ANWR really looks like!

Bears playing on the Alaska Pipeline

Plenty of Caribou - No impact whatsover!


My daughter is fed up with the high price of fuel and supports drilling in ANWR. Her determination has her taking action and she is working on setting up her own website to support the drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.

The Democrats today are saying it will take 10 years if we start drilling in ANWR now. Two things on this statement that I would like to remind them of:

1. If Bill Clinton had NOT vetoed drilling in ANWR in 1995, oil would be flowing today, thereby reducing our dependence on foreign oil.
2. With today's technology, it will not take 10 years. Some say within 2 years.

I heard on the news yesterday that 67% of Americans are now in favor of offshore drilling. Even John McCain has changed his position and is calling for the ban to be lifted on offshore drilling. Funny, isn't it? 67% of Americans are okay with it now....could it be because it's hitting them a little hard in the pocketbook? I think so!

Unfortunately, the Democrats are also talking about nationalizing the oil refineries. Bad idea! Sounds like more Government control to me...and we all know what greed does...especially to our Government. Can you imagine what the price of gas would be if our Government gets their hands on it?

I blame the environmentalists for not drilling in ANWR. As you can see from the pictures above, the caribou and bear are surviving and thriving well with the pipeline as their playground. And, for them to say that ANWR is pristine land and should remain untouched is such a crock of crap. Obviously, none of them (McCain included) have never been there.

For all the 'greenies' out there that feel you are doing your part, look at this SHORT list of some of the products we use every day that are byproducts of oil:

Fertilizers (farms/food supply), medicines, plastics, insulation, computers, asphalt, inks & toners, paints, glues, solvents, antiseptics, golf balls, CDs trash bags, nail polish, detergents, chewing gum, etc.

So, unless you're willing to go back to the horse and buggy, take a hard look at what it is you're really saying. Take Al Gore for example. Mr. 'I'm going green'...'save the earth' himself. He invested a lot of money on his house in Tennessee by installing solar panels and whatever else to reduce his dependence on energy. Interestingly enough, this past year he used 12% MORE electricity than he did last year. ???!!!

Drill ANWR and do it now.

Stock Market Crash

Click on the title to read another alarming article...this one by Morgan Stanley warning of a 'catastrophic event'



The Dow is down -129 today. The S & P off by -11. It's not looking good. Each day the Dow is down a bit....a gradual decline...for today, again. I honestly believe the market is manipulated by speculators anyway. If we were to see the 'real' picture, we'd probably be looking at 6,000, not 12,000.

They can't just keep the printing presses running, can they? It is not my intention to sound an alarm of doom and gloom, but come on folks! We all know that CNN and FOX News convince us it's not all really that bad. Yet, we've got soaring gas prices, soaring food prices, an ongoing war in Iraq.....and now major flooding in the midwest. Corn crops destroyed translate to higher food prices.

Airlines are in trouble. Trucking companies in trouble. FedEx is in trouble. Homeowners are in trouble. No need to worry? I, for one, am definitely concerned. But, as many will have you believe: "America is the strongest country, we will bounce back." Oops! Have they forgotten that we, as a country, have already sold out to foreign countries. We get our oil from other countries. We get our products from overseas. (isn't everything 'made in china'?) We have shipped our jobs to foreign countries. Hell, we even get some of our food from overseas. Oh yes, we also have sent our corn to third world countries, (humanitarium) thereby reducing our reserves drastically. If it wasn't all so ludicrous, it would almost be funny. Not!

Global Stock And Credit Crash Alert

Click on the title to read article by the Royal Bank of Scotland

I know, I know, you can't take to heart and believe everything you read. BUT.....if you really stop and think about it......A crash of the stock market is not too far fetched.

So, I post this article as a 'heads up', 'be alert', 'pay attention' kind of warning.

Another Celebrity Walks Away A Free Man

Click on Title for the news article

Whether this guy is actually guilty or innocent is obviously a moot issue considering he was just acquitted and walked away a free man.

The prosecution put 22 witnesses on the stand. The defense put 12 witnesses on the stand. The trial took 7 days and the jury decided in less than 2 days.....the defendant was acquitted on all 14 counts.

Let's suppose for a minute that this rapper celebrity was not a celebrity at all, and was just an ordinary joe who was accused of child pornography. Let's suppose this ordinary joe could only scrape up enough money for a mediocre attorney....and of course, we know the case would not attract media attention. I'd bet that a jury would send the 'ordinary joe' to prison in a heartbeat.

What it all really comes down to with our judicial system is this: If you have the money to buy your way out of a crime, you have no worries. However, if you are an 'ordinary joe', you might as well start walking to the prison, cuz the door's going to close behind you....for a long time.

Michael Jackson, Kobe Bryant, O.J. Simpson and now this rapper guy...to name a few celebrities that walked away from crimes we all know they committed. How did it happen? Money, power.

I happen to know someone that has been sitting in prison for almost 4 years now and is serving a 15 year sentence for a crime he did NOT commit. He had an expensive, experienced criminal defense attorney who sold this man 'down the river' in favor of another client. The attorney failed to call any witnesses, not even the defendant himself. The prosecutor called a witness...the alleged victim whose testimony had more holes in it than swiss cheese. The jury deliberated in less than one day, and delivered a guilty verdict.

Innocent until proven guilty? Not with our judicial system. It's all about money. If the guy I know had half a million dollars he could fight the appeal and most likely win his freedom. (this information came from someone willing to take his case) But, he doesn't have that kind of money, nor does he have celebrity status. He's just an ordinary guy that was railroaded by our so called 'just' judicial system. There is nothing 'just' about any of it.

Food Lines In Tennessee

Click on title for an interesting short video


Don't believe for a minute that all is well with our economy. Families standing in line for food right here in our country...these are not lazy leaches...they are average Americans who have lost their jobs and/or can no longer afford to buy milk AND gas for their families. Please look at the video.

When the price of oil goes up, prices at the pump go up. When the price of oil goes down....prices at the pump still go up. Does it make sense to you?

The stock market goes down 400 in one day, up 100 the next...another 70 the following day.
And the media continues to paint a somewhat rosy picture.

I believe the real truth is being kept from us. There's nothing rosy at all about our economy. 1 in 43 houses across our nation are in foreclosure. Gas is over $4.00/gallon with no relief in sight. Now, with the awful flooding in the midwest, expect food prices to rise even more. And, if we see one major hurricaine this year, everything skyrockets.

Everyone is watching the Presidential election...Obama or McCain? The young charismatic inexperienced guy, or the old, boring experienced one? No good choices in my opinion. Yet the more important issues such as our collapsing economy are being overshadowed because the buzz is all about Obama and McCain.

Paper Or Plastic? Remember When....

A-typical water bottle
plastic Coke bottle
Roll of plastic bags


Remember when, 'paper or plastic' used to be the question at the checkout stand? Back then, the 'tree huggers', environmentalists, crunchy granolas....whatever you care to call them, were pushing the plastic on us. Why? Because, they told us we were killing a tree every time we used a paper bag. It was all about saving the planet.
So, we eventually succumbed, and have been hauling our groceries to our cars in plastic bags for the past 20 years. Everything comes in a plastic bag today. From our groceries to the bag of macaroni to doggy poop bags. But NOW, guess what???

Now, they say, the plastic bags are ruining our environment. What!? Yup. Our highways are littered with these pesky plastic bags. I don't know all the reasons why the liberal whackos have flip flopped on this....I do, however, know that plastic bags are a byproduct of crude oil...for what it's worth.

Then we have the plastic water bottles. You know. We all drink our bottled water from these cute little plastic bottles. Hey, we didn't decide to put the water in plastic bottles. It's what's on the shelf and we buy it. Period. Soda used to be in glass bottles. Remember the cool Coca-Cola bottles? Then, somewhere through the years, someone, probably another liberal whacko, decided the glass bottles were polluting our environment. So, they started putting soda in plastic. But, those darn plastic bottles (like the plastic bags) are not good for our health, not good for our planet, just plain not good! Well, that's what the 'experts' are telling us....today.

Frankly, I'm about fed up with it all. Which reminds me, drilling in ANWR. Remember Bill Clinton? In 1995 , Clinton vetoed drilling in ANWR. Had he not, oil would be flowing through pipes today, thereby reducing our dependence on foreign oil. Today, the Democrats are saying....'there would be no point in drilling ANWR now, because it would take too long.' Idiots!!

Flooding in Iowa, Indiana and Wisconsin....expect even higher food prices.
Gas Prices: National average as of today: $4.05/gallon. No need to worry though. The Energy Department says gas should stay around $4.00/gallon through 2009. Whew. Thanks guys. Do they really think we are so stupid as to believe anything at all that comes out of Washington?
Barack Obama: What a scary guy. Even scarier thought....the american people LOVE him.

Our country has been in the toilet for a long time, but I think someone has their hand on the handle... and they're getting ready to flush.

Dow Tanks, Oil up to $138.54

It's getting downright scary.

Dow's down -407.75 as I post this.
Oil up to $138.54 - up $10.75 in just one day!
Gas is over $4.00 a gallon in most cities
An attack on Iran is most likely to happen THIS YEAR

Control=Power
Power=Money
Money=Control

Oil predictions are: $150 by the 4th of July....we're looking at $5.00/gallon without a doubt.
Jobs drop 5%.
Foreclosures up 60%.
Global gas riots.
Global food riots.

Now wait a minute! Haven't the talking heads and politicians and the Fed been telling us we are NOT in a recession, the economy is growing....?? Yeah, okay guys.

Oh Hell, let's just all go and hug a tree!!

The Knee Injury Saga Continues

"Let's do another MRI! And...then, we will see if there's any damage to the bones. And, we will see how large that Baker's cyst is. And, we will confirm there are no torn ligaments. And, then, we may have to go in the operating room and see what's going on. Because, I was expecting to see much more improvement by this time."

'Wise' words that came from the doctor today.

Is this whole thing a joke? Or maybe just a really bad dream? THREE MONTHS of walking on these damn crutches. Three months of not being able to bend or straighten my leg. Three months of no answers from doctors. If there are no torn ligaments, no BROKEN bones, then why in the hell am I not able to walk?

Oh, by the way, Insurance companies suck! You can't get through to them....they don't return phone calls or emails....you can't get the same information twice....you can't get reliable information because they have idiots working for them.....AND....you will grow old and die before they even review your claim. You will be buried 6 feet under with dying carnations at the foot of your headstone before they write the checks.

One more by the way. I am so sick and tired of not being able to do simple every day things. Can't stand on the chair to dust the wood valances or ceiling fan. Can't vacuum. Can't walk the garbage to the dumpster. Can't drive. Can't work. Can't go to the grocery store alone. Can't sleep through the night. Can't run and play with my dog. Can't wear shorts because my upper leg has lost all muscle tone and it looks disgusting. Can't carry 6 bottles of water to the refrigerator...(it takes 3 trips one way). Can't make a trip to Oregon to see my granddaughter. Can't take a flight to Anch. to see my grandson and newest granddaughter. Can't go hiking. Can't go geocaching. Can't go jeeping. Can't get in our truck.

On the bright side...I am able to clean the shower now..it takes only 2 hours. And, I can change the sheets on the bed....takes about 45 minutes. So, I guess I'm adapting.....the bummer is.....IF I was enduring all of this hell as a result of my own stupidity....like skiing, for example. OR bungi jumping, or whitewater rafting, then OKAY. I'd probably be in a cast for a couple months, then I'd be on the road to recovery. Hmmm.....as I ponder this....I'd be in better shape if I had injured myself as a result of my own stupidity.