Building a Saw Horse the Harbor Freight Way

Okay, I thought I was getting a screaming deal by buying a pair of saw horses at Harbor Freight that I used my 20% off coupon for. Well, the adventure took place to day when I pulled them out of the box and spread out the directions and all those screws, bolts, washers etc on the garage floor. It seems in typical Harbor Freight fashion that the Chinese manufacturer didn't include the proper pieces to actually attach the the stability bars with. The concept was a good one, except for the fact that I couldn't do it the way they intended. Someone got the bright idea to model it after a kids easel with a triangular plastic nut that is supposed to have a larger recessed plastic piece. But no go. Anyways, after putting one of these saw horses together I also came up short on bolts with good threads and couldn't finish making it totally sturdy. And alas, I had none of this particular length and width in any of those jars of extra "stuff" most of us keep around just in case we find a use for it after 5 or 10 years. The saw horses are finished, but I still need 4 more bolts and nuts to add the cross pieces that make them totally stable. Tomorrow. I was too irritated to drive to get 4 bolts and nuts. I'll do it on the way home from work.

Guess Who's Coming to Chicken Dinner?

Okay, the title isn't really fair,because these two little cuties will be laying eggs, not coming to dinner. I picked up two Auracanas this past week for a screaming deal--$1.43 each. I think the cashier messed up. I think they were supposed to be $3.99 each as "exotics" though they aren't really very exotic except for the fact that they lay blue/green eggs. They've already started to get some actual wing feathers and are hopping around and trying to use them to fly in their galvanized tub where they live on the sun porch with a heat lamp. In about 3 weeks they'll start looking like real chickens, just small versions.

I've yet to tackle building chicken coop II yet, but will get to it soon enough. These girls will go into a portable wire dog kennel for a while. Once Coop II is finished I'll move the Rhodey and Plymouth Rock into it and give these girls the old Coop I until they are big enough to fend for themselves and get to know the other two chickens.

Alcohol Consumption and April Fools or "The Value of a Drink"

The Value of a Drink



'Sometimes when I reflect back on all the wine I drink I feel shame. Then I look into the glass and think about the workers in the vineyards and all of their hopes and dreams. If I didn't drink this wine, they might be out of work and their dreams would be shattered.
Then I say to myself, 'It is better that I drink this wine and let their dreams come true than be selfish and worry about my liver.'
~ Jack Handy
WARNING: The consumption of alcohol may leave you wondering what the hell happened to your bra and panties.
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'I feel sorry for people who don't drink. When they wake up in the morning, that's as good as they're going to feel all day. '
~Frank Sinatra
WARNING: The consumption of alcohol may create the illusion that you are tougher, smarter, faster and better looking than most people.
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'When I read about the evils of drinking, I gave up reading.'
~ Henny Youngman
WARNING: The consumption of alcohol may lead you to think people are laughing WITH you.
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'24 hours in a day, 24 beers in a case. Coincidence? I think not.'
~ Stephen Wright
WARNING: The consumption of alcohol may cause you to think you can sing.
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'When we drink, we get drunk. When we get drunk, we fall asleep. When we fall asleep, we commit no sin.
When we commit no sin, we go to heaven. So, let's all get drunk and go to heaven!'
~ Brian O'Rourke
WARNING: The consumption of alcohol may cause pregnancy.
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'Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy.'
~ Benjamin Franklin
WARNING: The consumption of alcohol is a major factor in dancing like a retard.
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'Without question, the greatest invention in the history of mankind is beer. Oh, I grant you that the wheel was also a fine invention, but the wheel does not go nearly as well with pizza.'
~ Dave Barry
WARNING: The consumption of alcohol may cause you to tell your friends over and over again that you love them.
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To some it's a six-pack, to me it's a Support Group. Salvation in a can!
~ Dave Howell
WARNING: The consumption of alcohol may make you think you can logically converse with members of the opposite sex without spitting.
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And saving the best for last, as explained by Cliff Clavin, of Cheers.
One afternoon at Cheers, Cliff Clavin was explaining the 'Buffalo Theory' to his buddy Norm.

Here's how it went:
'Well ya see, Norm, it's like this... A herd of buffalo can only move as fast as the slowest buffalo. And when the herd is hunted, it is the slowest and weakest ones at the back that are killed first. This natural selection is good for the herd as a whole, because the general speed and health of the whole group keeps improving by the regular killing of the weakest members. In much the same way, the human brain can only operate as fast as the slowest brain cells. Excessive intake of alcohol, as we know, kills brain cells. But naturally, it attacks the slowest and weakest brain cells first. In this way, regular consumption of beer eliminates the weaker brain cells, making the brain a faster and more efficient machine. That's why you always feel smarter after a few beers.'
WARNING: The consumption of alcohol may make you think you are whispering when you are not.

Wet Beaver Creek, AZ

On my ramblings with John and Susun we did the Gilligan's Island style "three hour tour" out in the Verde Valley/Montezuma Well area. It was another blue bird day in Arizona so we headed out in our trusty steed to climb up to Sacred Mountain, a pueblo ruin of significance that once likely housed several hundred people. The views of the entire Valley and the San Francisco peaks were wonderful. Susun and I could actually see where we'd hiked the previous day in Red Rock Wilderness. Along the way that day we also stopped and hiked at the V Bar V to visit some outstanding petroglyphs, then it was on to Wet Beaver Creek, a lovely creek that most folks don't bother hiking along unless they are camped in the USFS Campground nearby. Their loss was our gain as we had the place mostly to ourselves, though upon arriving we disturbed a couple sun bathing. Wet Beaver definitely looks boatable in a creek kayak at the right flows with some possible undercuts and nasty spots you wouldn't want to get sieved in. Still, it could be a class III and IV depending on where you were, though I didn't hike the entire thing to check. But Johnny says it is run by some. So, that's really all there is to say. Enjoy the photos and the sounds of Wet Beaver Creek.

Coffee, please?

Coffee, please? are two magic words that have proven to be "text" worthy. Every morning while I visited 2nd Chance Ranch, I would wake up as the sun started to stream in from the Mogollon Rim into the Skamper pop-up trailer. Next on the agenda was texting those two magic words to Johnny Montezuma and the reply text "Two minutes". Voila! A thermal carafe of coffee with a small pitcher of cream and a coffee cup would appear at my door and a cheerful "morning, Spudboater, how'd you sleep?" from Johnny. Wow, if only I could clone this behavior to occur at my house. Alas, I only have a snarky 14 year old or my wild Welsh Terrier to carry out such a fete. Guess I'll have to wait until my next visit with Mr. Montezuma and company.

Red Rock Wilderness Hiking

Susun and I spent Sunday hiking in the Red Rock Wilderness outside Sedona. It was a beautiful with lovely light and shadows, blue bird skies, and calm breezes. Locoweed and rock cress were blooming and plenty of lizards were scurrying amongst the rocks. After our 2 1/2 hour jaunt we stopped by this new place called "JohnofGod" or something like that to see what it was. Some Brazillian guy who has a big following in the kind of way that always reminds me of Jonestown and kool-aid. This guy probably isn't evil, but it was annoying to see someone like that get a stronghold into Sedona. But then, there are a virtual plethora of New Age wannabees lining up on the block to capture the essence of Sedona and Red Rock country and sell its spirituality to the needy and unwary. Susan and I had good laugh about the place. We don't need a building to get our "religion" or find it. I find mine in the solace of the red rocks and the whitewater.

Verde River Canoe Challenge-The Kayak Version

Some of you may be aware that I decided to enter the Verde River Canoe Challenge at the urging of my friend Johnny Montezuma, seen here in front of his Nissan pickup with the outstanding 4 meter vessel we borrowed. This is a canoe and kayak race organized each March with a new maximum of 200 participants. More on that at Mr. Montezuma's blog. Just click.
Suffice to say that this turn of events was haphazard karma that involved perceived registration, no registration, obtaining a kayak for me to paddle, getting accepted into the race late after much whining and phone calling to the organizers, having a spray skirt that would better be used as a coffee filter it let in so much water into my boat, and deciding I should run in the competitive class because folks would be pissed off if I'd beaten them by 30 minutes or more, which I did.
For this old gal in her borrowed 1980 Phoenix Cascade fiberglass, mint condition boat, courtesy of our friend Gary (seen above with me celebrating the win), this race chickie would not have been able to revel or share in the glory of being the 2nd oldest gal in the race, and placing second in the competitive kayak class. So to all my helpers and support crew who made it possible, I am grateful and glad that the 1 hour 42 minutes paddle of 10 miles is over with for this year. But it sure was and will be a good story to tell. And here's to Gary for keeping that boat hanging in his garage/shed for all these years out of the harmful rays of the sun. What a sweet little boat, though it really was tough on my butt!