Sorry, I missed October. Was not a good month for us. Both my wife and I had the dreaded swine flu. She was sick for 9 days, while I still have some lingering issues. It wasn't serious, just annoying.

Yesterday while shopping for Thanksgiving dinner this lady on a cellphone almost ran into me with her shopping cart. If people can't walk and talk how can anyone seriously argue for drive and talk?

Anyways back to turkey day. Last year we put together kind of a mini neighborhood Thanksgiving. Our neighbors were having financial issues so we decided to provide Thanksgiving dinner. Also, down the street lives a single mother military person so she and her daughter were also our guest. This year the neighbors are all doing better so we are going to do it again. We have 6 honored military guest this year for our Thanksgiving feast. We are looking forward to Turkey, Smoked Goose and Duck as our main feast with all the trimmings. It will be a blast!

I've been out a couple more times on the 4x4 wheelchair and it is great. I think being able to just get out and explore does way more than those happy pills the Doctor has me on. Seems like we end up popping pills for the wrong reasons.

I'll keep it short for now, had a bunch to say earlier but forgot it all.

Happy Thanksgiving!!

Years back in the high mountains of northern Utah I was sitting in an open field on a hill overlooking a small valley with an even smaller stream feeding a pond. Several Elk had passed by stopping to have a drink as they crossed from one protected forest edge to another. It was cold. I was suffering from a bit to much fun the night before and secretly hoped no deer would go looking for a drink because I don't think my head could of withstood the concussion from my rifle's blast. So there I sat, back to the wheel on the cold late October ground. I had been there since 4:30 in the morning. Waiting patiently dozing off now and than.

Opening weekend. There were 20 of us this year. 19 walkers and me. I had not gotten into the concept of wheelchairs back than. I walked/poll vaulted on my arm and butt. Pretty much went anywhere I needed to go. And that morning I didn't need to go further than the rear tire of my truck. Its amusing how loud walkers can be when they think they are being quiet. Sitting in the dark watching the cold morning fog lift from the meadow and listening to a bunch of suffering great white hunters stumble thru the forest. That was the life back than.

Than I heard the Hmmph! and another. My head hurt to much to look. Besides it was one of the walkers trying to scare me. Hmmph again and again. Each Hmmph sounded closer. I sat there waiting for some clown to jump out. Hmmph Hmmph, louder and louder. Finally as the last Hmmph came from the front of my truck I took my splitting head " walked " to the front and found myself face to face with the biggest bull Moose I'd ever seen. There were over 700 Moose in our neck of the woods. ( A good hunter knows this stuff ) and I had seen lots. I knew by the clock where I could take visiting friends to go see Moose. At 2 they would be up at he old ranch on that dead end road. 5 oclock over by the treatment pond for the park. It was a regular schedule. In preparing for the annual hunts I would spend my summers meandering thru the national and state lands behind our home. All summer just driving the roads looking and watching the wildlife. Never stopping. It was my secret weapon. Every year I'd go out opening weekend and come home with nothing but a major hangover Sunday night. Than Monday I'd go back behind the house and shoot our winters meat. But I had never stood head to head, well to be honest it was my head to his knee 3 ft from a full grown bull Moose. That mssive rack on his head was as wide as my truck. And I knew as I stood frozen staring at this beast he could hurt me. Than I heard Hmmph! Don't really remember much after that, but I do remmember the next hour I spent laying under my truck! Until the smell of fresh sizzling bacon over-powered my fear of the giant that I knew was just waiting to toss me like a rag doll with those giant antlers on his head.

Remind me to tell you how I shot an elk using breakfast for bait some time.

Would someone tell the Whitehouse I'm still waiting for that change that was promised. They are not taking my calls these days.

Took the 4x4 out to the flea market Sunday. Really enjoyed it. Next weekend my tilt/recline/elevate seat should be here. ( another $500 I really don't have ) Without the legs to help keep me in going down hills I feel like one of those weebles. Except this weeble will fall down. With the new seat I'll be able to adust for the slope staying upright. $500 was a steal when you consider these types of seats sell for $10,000 dollars.

Anyone see that ad on the Go Army website for internment camp guards?

Got to wonder whats up with that?

So my $25 dollar cell phone conked out on me. :( One of the disadvantages of no contract cell service. When the phone dies it can get pretty pricey replacing it. Well the new one, another snazzy $500 pocket pc/ Cell phone ended up costing me $75. 3 times the cost of the old phone.

And they said the recessions over?

Oh, the fish are no more. The last 2 were donated to the neighbors tank. It was strange. For an entire year we maintained the ecology of he tank without swapping out water. The fish seemed happy. The cats seemed happy batting at the fish with their paws. The ferrets were happy ( With those litle brain cases thats all the emotion room they have ) pouncing on the cats while the cats batted at the fish. Yes its a circus at times around here. Anyways back to the fish. All was going great till the algae moved in. Algae is like bad neighbors. Once they move in, there goes the neighborhood. We have fought the algae for over a year dumping the water cleaning the tank, new rock and trinkets. But it would always come back. The only thing that wasn't changed were the fish.

I think they were the carriers!

Have not been out much since the camping trip. Temps are still in the triple digit range. I think about getting out early sometime and doing some target shooting. But for some reason I can't shoot a gun unless I'm a mile away from houses. What foolishness is that all about? Heck when we lived in Virginia we could sit on the porch and shoot all day long.

I want to know, if the whlesale price thing is down why is the retail price up? Whats up with that?

Still waiting for my bailout here...................

Sorry, its been way to hot to sit in front of the computer and try to think of things to say. Not that there wasn't stuff to talk about. The Government is a never ending source of stupidity.

We went camping! It was the first time we had gone since before 1994. Yea, we had RV'd after 94, but this was tent camping in the wilderness. No running hot and cold water. No electricity and no satellite TV. Just us and nature. We saw: 3 raccoons, 1 deer, 1 elk and a bobcat. Oh and a half dozen free roaming cows. My 4x4 chair worked very well in the woods. It was a little unnerving as I ran over the gopher/mole hills and every once in a while they would collapse under the wheel. I need to work on increasing my comfort zone when it comes to angles of the chair.

I did not stray to far from camp. After all it was bear country and I wasn't into having yogie and booboo for company. I remember years ago I was camping in the wilderness of the Wasatch front. It was a great 4 day trip. However upon returning home I learned on the news that a bear had broken into a camper and pulled some child out the window. The child had some pretty good lacerations but the family had been able to scare off the bear. This had happened close to were I had camped. Me and the Jeep. No one else with me. I developed a heightened sense of respect for wandering bears after that.

What is the deal with Obama's birth certificate? Geez the non belivers just want to see the long form that gives all the info not on the short form. Is it that hard to just whip out the long form and silence most of them? One must wonder why the administration has spent so much not to pull out the long form. Makes you feel like they are hiding something does'nt it?

As one who has been a minority, heck I only got 4 fingers. I can kinda understand the " he is picking on me " syndrome. When we lived in Mexico we were Gringos in Mexico. Nothing like voluntarily choosing to be a minority. And we knew it. At the local market the Gringo price was always higher than the Mexican price. Try arguing. Once the seller heard you complain their English disapeared. After returning to the US we are still a minority. Our area is 70% Hispanic. I catch myself blaming my problems on them even tho I've not had any problems. Its what happens when you are the minority. So even tho I do not agree with Professor Gates and actually think he was not the victim of racial profilling but in this case Mr. Gates himself racially profiled the officer and responded inappropriately. Than Obama stood by his friend and indeed acted as a racist himself.

While sitting in a Social Security office waiting for my number to be called, I overheard a young black woman speaking loudly on her phone how the white girl behind the window was'nt going to deny her rights to aid or she be all over her white butt. Actually, the language was a lot stronger but my mother dissaproves of me using that language. Anyways, before this young black woman had even dealt with the folks on the other side of the window had already created an atmosphere of confrontation.

Anyways, I'm ready for another camping trip.

Lets take a break from the wheelchair thing. A guy came up to me the other day and said " I really know what you are going through " I thought, hmm, I'm trying to decide on beef and bean or beef frozen burritos. Did not think I was really going through anything nor did I think my indecision was that apparent. Than he hits me with the fact that he spent 4 months in a wheelchair while his broken leg healed. And I thought he was going to help me pick out burritos. I get this stuff all the time. We can be sitting somewhere eating lunch and someone will come up and say, " do you know so and so, the guy in the wheelchair "? Like because I'm in a chair means I know everyone else in a chair? I guess it just goes with the territory loke all blondes know each other. Something like that.

Anyways, Immigration reform is back. I wonder, if a person breaks into the local 7-11 to steal a case of Bud and while there decides to knock over the lottery machine and steal a bunch of tickets. Than while sucking down his bud he starts scratching off those lottery tickets and finds a big winner. Should that person be allowed to keep the winnings that he earned from an illegal act?

One of the big arguments with Immigration Reform is that folks illegally entered the United States for a better life. Was not the guy riping off the 7-11 looking for a better life? How about those Illegal Immigrants who have children born in the United States? The children are now US Citizens we should not split up families should we? Mr. 7-11 and his winning stolen lottery ticket. Should he have to give up the winning ticket because he got it by doing something illegal?

So its not as black and white as I think it is. Everytime I see some crying child on the news who has to have a translator to tell us his mom or dad has been taken away by the mean government it makes me wonder. Were these people that errogant that they really thought they were not going to get caught? So many have not even tried to learn English or blend in. How long was the government supposed to look the other way?

OK here is my reform plan. First streamline how the visa system allows folks into the US. Make it easier. We had a friend who wanted to visit from Mexico but he could not get his papers because the embassy folks ( US ) did not feel he would have any reason to return to Mexico. Forget that his family was in Mexico and his business. We lived in Mexico for 3 years. It was common conversations among the natives how they planned to sneak into the US. Only for a couple years than back to Mexico. We met several looking to improve their English skills before the trip. I knew one man who would come up to the US establish a small yard service business hire other illegals and after 3-5 years he would leave the business for someone to run and return to Mexico. 5-7 years and his routine would start again. So its easier to sneak into the country than follow the rules. That is why we need to streamline the process.

In Mexico there are 3 types of visas besides the simple tourist one you fill out on the plane. FM3, FM2 and Fm1. FM3 allows a visitor to stay in Mexico for a year. Cost anywhere from $300 on up depending on how corrupt the officals your dealing with are. FM1 allows you to vote. You basically have purchased your citizenship at this point. My first 2 years in Mexico I had my FM3. My final year in Mexico I was denied the renewal. My " attorney " had already paid $700 in non refundable " renewal " fees but it wasn't renewed. Basically you have to have an attorney to handle everything for you. There are no duplicate documents in English nor does the Immigration office provide translators for those who do not speak the language. So these " attorneys " are a pretty good cottage industry down there. My " attorney " said that the folks at the immigration office wanted me to come in so that they could " explain " to me why my FM3 was not being renewed. Like I was going to go there!! During the whole process that had covered a span of a year I knew all to well that I was illegally living in Mexico, and could be deported at any time. Translation, you get picked up tossed into an immigration holding cell until you or someone ( not the Mexican government ) can come up with a plane ticket out of there.

OK so the illegals. Lets face it those with children born here is a big problem. No one wants to see families split up. So instant deportation is out of the question. However, folks like me don't think amnisty is right either. I propose that a period of one year be opened for all those who have illegally entered the United States to " voluntarily turn themselves in ". At this point they can be given identification indicating their illegal status but working to correct that. Those who do not take advantage of the one year amnisty program face immediate deportation. With ID in hand the illegal immigrant can then be given 1 year to complete the required steps to gain a legal immigrant status. The immigrant must fill out all visa requirements including any applical fees. They must also be working. Also, although English is not the national language ( I believe it should be ) they should be able to pass an English competincy test of at least middle school level. If the requirements are met than they can be here as legal immigrants renewable every 5 years. Someone who entered the United States illegally should not be allowed to gain citizen status.

We need to fix the Constitution and Bill of Rights. Simply crossing the border and popping out babies should not automatically qualify the child as a US Citizen. Especially if the parent/parents are here illegally. We've seen many border states that face the problem of immigrants crossing into the US just to give birth in an American hospital.

Those who come to the US illegally after this should be deported immediately.

I suppose a lot of folks will find flaws in all that. Perhaps I should stick with begging for wheelchairs?

No, that is not snow. For those of you who have never been there, this is White Sands National Monument. Ian and I had just got off the boardwalk and decided to roll on over into some deep sand. Never would of come close with the old chair. In fact, I'd probably be sitting in the car watching. The boardwalk was cool. Goes out over the sand a couple hundred feet allowing those with impaired mobility a sense of what it is like out on the dunes. Gotta warn you, if you go out on the boardwalk in a chair be prepared for static shock. The " boards " are actually a hard reinforced plastic that appear to be in 10 foot assembled sections. Where to sections attach a metal strip covers the joint and prevents folks from tripping. My wheelchair built up static charges rolling on the boards and than would discharge them when I crossed the metal strip. Every 10 feet I got zapped by a slight static charge. I did not notice, but it does warn about the shocking experience on the sign at the start of the boardwalk.

I did drive up partially on one of the Dunes but the angle was steep enough that I was concerned about tipping backwards. I've got it on video, I'll try to post it here as soon as I figure it out. Ian had a blast sledding on the sand.

From the hot hot hot White Sands we moved up the mountain side to Cloudcroft. We are seriously considering a move up here mainly because of the cooler temperatures being high desert. And I do mean cooler! While it was well over 90 degrees at White Sands, Cloudcroft had barely broken 70 in the shade. We really enjoy Cloudcroft. It is very green, with lots of trees. Having lived in places like Vermont and Oregon than moving to the desert, we sure missed the green landscape.

This trail was supposed to lead to the old Trestle Railroad bridge. Unfortunately, it wasn't the correct trail. I guess following the signs wasn't the best plan. :) We got into the woods about a mile and a half when we came across a big old tree root that ran across the trail. in the uphill side of the root it was an easy roll over. However directly behind the root on the downhill side was an 8" drop off. The chair is rated for 6" although I probably could of handled it. We thought of using some of the numerous rocks in the area to build up a " step " behind the root. But my wife checked down the trail and found that the forest service folks had blocked it off. So we turned around and headed back up the trail.

At the top we found the correct trail, got about 1/2 way down before it started raining. We had to turn back and shelter at the rangers station for a little whle. We met a couple of guys from Germany stationed at Hollowman Air Base with the German airforce. They were taking pictures of these 4 fun loving humming birds that were going to town at the humming bird feeders someone had setup. By the time the rains had stopped it was late so we opted to do the Trestle trail on another trip.

Our day ended at the ice cream store. Than it was back to the hot brown desert.

Well we still need to pay for the chair, but I've been very impressed with my new extended range..........................

Thats me and my grandson in the back yard. OK, I know it doesn't look like much and your probably thinking " what's all the fuss about "? Well this was the first time I have actually been able to get into my back yard since I moved in 3 years ago. Before yesterday, if my grandson wanted to show me something I'd just look out the door. The soft sand/dirt would never allow my other chair to go out there.

Now before you start thinking, no I still have not gotten the chair. The chair I am in is the chair I am trying to buy however as of today it is not paid for. The company has allowed me to take the chair and try it out. And we have. Yesterday I ran it through the rocks in the front yard and all over the back yard. Only time I had issues was while on our way home from the dealer we stopped for lunch at a local restaurant. Driving indoors was a chore. Felt like I was driving a big old truck downtown.

Sunday, if all goes well and the weather cooperates we will be doing the trail my scouts did while I had to sit it out in the parking lot. That was 4 years ago. Wow, I've been trying to get this for 4 years. That is ridiculous.

Spoke with my sister last night and let her know I had picked up the chair. She referred to it as my " toy ". No Susan, the scooter/motorbike/Vespa look a like your partner bought is a toy. A wheelchair is a mode of mobility allowing those who need it independence. You would think after all those years as a nurse she would have been more sensitive. Although you spend enough time with disabled folks and I guess they become less disabled as you get to know them.

Well perhaps that is the reason my fund raising is not doing so well. All these folks I keep asking for help think I'm wanting to buy a toy. Life be a lot easier if I could simply go out and buy a $20 pair of sneakers to go hang out with my grandson........................