Sirens and Diesels

Today I want to get back to the "Wonderings".

First one, I got an Email wondering what a siren was. I had posted about my swamp that, "It is full of life. Everything from large bass, turtles, snakes, frogs of all kinds, and sirens to nutria, coons, possums, wading birds, ducks, Ferrel hogs, deer, and all kinds of thirsty animals."

Before I get a line of guys wanting to see all those naked winged mythical women in my swamp, I want to explain what they are. No they are not the noise that fire engines make. It is a very large two legged salamander. The ones we have in our swamp are the Greater Siren and they get up to 3 feet long. They only have two small legs just below the head. I gave a one to my daughter-in-law when my grandson was little and she raised it in a large aquarium for a few years. Don't know what happened to it. She did tell me that they like cheese.

Google "greater siren" and see what you get. There is also a Lesser Siren and a Midget Siren. They are all in the Salamander family. Here is one link to try http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wV8bdOH_m5E It shows one in an aquarium.

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Second, I was wondering about diesel engines. This is a two part "wondering". The first part is about "runaway diesel engines". One of the reasons I am wondering about it is that a survivor of the BP Off-Shore Rig explosion heard a diesel generator motor speeding up before it happened. This was on the local news.

The news show went on to show past events of runaway diesel engines. One was a diesel pick up truck that had pulled into an open door of a factory. It caused an explosion and fire. You see, a diesel does not need spark plugs to fire and, therefore, can not be turned off by shutting off the ignition. The fuel system has to be turned off.

In the case of the pick-up truck at the factory, the engine sucked in gas from a source in the building and that mixed with the diesel fuel accelerated the engine to explosive speeds. So, what I am wondering, did some methane escape from the well and get into that diesel generator on the drilling rig and cause a runaway engine and the explosion and the leak, or was the leak first causing the excess methane gas that caused the runaway engine. Maybe we will never know.

The second diesel wondering is whether they are better for motorhomes than a gasoline engine. I have heard so much negative things about the diesel (upkeep, maintenance,cost), that it over-shadows the longevity of the engine. I am beginning to think that the gasoline engine is the best choice, unless you are going to put hundreds of thousands of miles on it every year. What do you think?

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Advice of the day. To you cooks out there. Avoid cutting yourself when you are slicing vegetables by getting someone else to hold them while you chop. . .

And remember that everyone seems normal until you get to know them. . .

My Swamp

Good morning, it is Tuesday already and we are out of groceries. Guess I will be heading out for supplies this morning. Thought I would show some pictures of my "swamp". It is not quite a desert. At least most of the time.

I live on about 12 acres in East Texas. This "swamp", as I call it, when full covers almost half of it.

It is full of life. Everything from large bass, turtles, snakes, frogs of all kinds, and sirens to nutria, coons, possums, wading birds, ducks, Ferrel hogs, deer, and all kinds of thirsty animals. It is what made me purchase this property to begin with. I loved it.

Here are some rare winter pictures. Rare you say. Yep, we do have a winter here in this part of Texas, as I tell people. Last year it came on a Thursday (grin).

Maybe in another blog I will show you some pictures of the wildlife.

Some benefits of growing old: The summer reruns are new to me. . . .

Prospecting

Did you ever think about going out in the desert and prospecting for gold? Well I sure dreamed of it, especially since I had never been to the desert. Just saw it on old cowboy shows. I thought about it for years and finally in 2003 I did something about it. The first thing I did was join the GPAA (Gold Prospectors of America Association). Found out about them by watching the Massie Brothers show, Gold Fever, on the Outdoor channel on TV. (got on that show in 2008) The group holds "group outings" at LDMA (Lost Dutchman Mining Association) sites located from Georgia to California, to Oregon. The one held the end of the year at Stanton, AZ was the closest for me and in the desert. Here is picture of me driving west.

I had flown to California on business, but other than that, had never been much further in the south west than just a little past San Antonio, TX. So this was going to be an adventure for me and it did not disappoint. We had three dogs with us, and one (Chang Le) was just a puppy. Here is a picture of Muffin helping the driver.

And here is a picture of all three taking a little nap next to some of my ham radio gear.

And on the couch in the travel trailer.

We finally arrived at Stanton, set up camp, and participated for two days in the common dig. The third day everything was divided up. Have you ever seen a pan of good like this one?

When you see a view like this, you know you are in Arizona:

Just down the road (if you can call it that) from the camp a few miles is the Lucky Linda claim. Had to go try my luck on my own. Well, didn't find any luck or gold but the peacefulness of walking in the desert swinging a metal detector was great. Except for the time I walked right up on a big old rattle snake. Story for some other time.

Between the claim and Stanton there is this big mountain that looks like some giant dumped these huge boulders in a mountain high pile. What was more impressive to me, was that the Saguaro could grow there.

The three day event ended New Year's Eve night with a play about Stanton and it's history. The cast included the Massie brothers, camp help, and volunteers. A great ending to a great weekend. We were allowed to stay on for another day and did so.

That was my first trip and between my wife and I, we took over 300 pictures. The above is just a sampling. Have them all on my web-site. Went back in March of 2008 and had just as great a time. But of course, the first one will always be special. If you are interested in either the G.P.A.A. or the L.D.M.A., here is a link to their site: http://www.goldprospectors.org/

May all your pans show yellow.

Weather Records

Good morning. I was just a think'n about the weather. You hear all the time about records being broken, well, I was just a wondering how many of you have witnessed a record being broken in person. Well, I bet almost everyone. You know, that day when it was the hottest for that date, the most rain, the deepest snow, highest wind, highest tides, etc.


I witnessed a weather record that I believe was really unusual, especially for the day it occurred. Couldn't have happened at a better time if it had been planned. It all took place on Christmas morning 2004.


Let me start by saying that we had taken our travel trailer that we had at that time and went to Galveston State Park. At that time they had special monthly winter rates and since I am self employed and do most of my work on a computer, it doesn't matter where that computer is located. So we liked going to Galveston Island for a month at Christmas time. This particular year, it seemed to be getting cooler than usual. Late Christmas eve, it started raining, a cold rain. After my wife and I had retired for the night, I thought I heard it sleeting. Didn't think much of it so went of to sleep.













Next morning we awoke to a winter's wonderland. Unbelievable, over 4 inches of snow. Snowing in Galveston is enough to break a record, but over 4 inches and on CHRISTMAS day. We were sure glad to have witnessed that record being set. No one would have believed that to be possible, and it couldn't have happened at a more appropriate time.





My wife, Ruth, out walking one of the dogs. First time the dog was ever in snow.

And one of the surprised dogs looking out the window. Wow, we really had white sands on the beach that day.



Let me hear about any unusual weather records that you have experienced. In the mean time, have a good day, without any weather records except the nicest day ever.

Just one last comment. On that trip, my wife kept singing "I'm dreaming of a white Christmas" and I kept telling her it would never happen here on Galveston Island. So, what do I know???

My secretary and others

I am not doing very well trying to insert pictures throughout the text. Hit the "SAVE NOW" button but can't find the ones I was working on. Hope they don't get posted.


Anyway, this picture is of Buttons, my secretary. She is 18 years old and is always by my side or on my lap when I sit down to work on my computer. How many guys can say that their wife doesn't mind his secretary sitting on his lap at work? Guess I have an understanding wife. . .








This got published before I was through. Having trouble with the pictures going where I want them. OK, let me try again to insert another picture.



I can not get the picture to go where I want it to go. Guess I will have to go back and do it in html. I will try to update this page later. That is, if I can figure it out. Guess I will have to ask my secretary for some help. . .


Ok, thanks Ben, this seems to work. The picture to the left is Ginger Muffin, the next oldest. After we got back from Terlinqua, she was such a mess that she had to be shaved. Now she looks like a Chihuahua with long hair ears and tail. Does not look like the same dog. Will take years to get back to normal.







She wants to be the alpha female, but still respects the old one, Buttons. Buttons is still the boss around this place.





The next picture is Chang Le. He is our male and the largest of the four. He and Muffin tried to breed but with no success.









After a few years it was decided (Chang disageed loudly) that they all should be neutered.





He is the protector of the family, especially my wife. No one can get near her without his objections. All of these three dogs just love to travel. Buttons has thousands of miles under her belt and Muffin is the first at the door when I pick up my keys.



The last of the clan is Gizzy. A few years ago while on our way to Pennsylvania, we had some trouble and stopped at a Texarkana KOA. While out walking one of the dogs, a woman and little girl came up to my wife and handed her a sick little puppy, stuck an envelope under her arm, and told her the dog's name was Gizzy. The little girl waved and said "goodbye Gizzy" and they walked away before my wife could say or do anything. Later, another woman told my wife that the puppy was left tied outside a camper for a week. Only ate what someone threw to here.

Boy was she sick. Threw up peppers and junk that no dog should eat. Of course my wife decided to take here to Pennsylvania and give her to her cousin. On the rest of the trip, my wife Ruth, held Gizzy and hand fed her soft food. By the time we reached Pennsylvania, Ruth was attached to the dog. Figured that would happen. All we needed was more dogs. Had a Vet check her out and give her shots. That is how Gizzy came to be. Should have named her "Tramp" or "Road Kill" or "Truck Stop Cutie", or . . . you pick some more.


How about a doctor joke to end this with: A man comes into the ER and yells, "My wife is going to have a baby in the cab. The doc grabbed his stuff and rushed out the cab, lifted the lady's dress, and began to take off her underwear. Suddenly he noticed that there were several cabs and he was in the wrong one.

First Blog

Ok, let's give this a try. This is my first blog, so maybe I should just tell you a little more about me and why I am starting a blog. The title tells most of it. The "Wanderings" part is related to my travels and adventures and the "Wonderings" part is things I question or want more information about. Maybe this blog can answer some of your questions and you can answer mine. But mostly, it will be trivia, trips, and thoughts, the three T's, and I hope it makes you smile.

How about some trivia? I just read in my new Astronomy magazine an article about some of the crazy ideas people had in the past. One of the ten listed was about Haley's Comet when it arrived in 1910. The earth passed through its tail that May. By then science was advanced enough to analize the tail spectroscopically and found traces of cyanogen which is a cyanide byproduct. Well the newspapers got hold of it and blew it out of proportion (see, nothing has changed), saying that everyone on earth would be poisoned and die. . . and of course someone came up with a money making scheme to take advantage of the histeria. Gas masks sells boomed, but an Ohio man marketed a bottle of 75 "Comet Pills" for complete protection. Gee, a sugar coated sugar pill just saved the world (grin).

Sometime truth is stranger than fiction.

Hope to see you all down the road when I am off RVing.