March 10-17 2013

 

Sunday 10- a very nice sunny day outside with temps into the low 70s.
I did my stretches.
I spent a long spell out in my yard soaking up the Sun’s warmth and tending to my plants.
I called friends and family.
Linda H. called asking if I wanted to go on a hike and I quickly said yes. We drove to up towards Copper Mountain, hiked up winding trail to the side of a mountain and did a little rock climbing. What a wonderful time we had hiking and climbing around. We came upon some kinda burrow in a wash that could possibly belong to a tortoise or maybe a small fox den. There was lots of green plants growing here and there. We found two very large barrel cactuses hidden on the side of the wash and we wondered how they survived the off roaders who ride their vehicles over and through the desert tearing up the virgin soil. We picked up trash and put it in my backpack to take home to the trash.
I got home just before the sunset and fed the doves and sat outside with my binoculars looking for the comet, but it was a no show being too low on the western horizon. I think after the 13th of March it may be high enough, 10 degrees, in the western sky to see.
I watch season 2 episode 3 of “Sherlock: The Reichenbach Fall”: Sherlock dies. It looks like the series will continue late next fall with season 3.

Monday 11- nice bright sunny day.
I did my stretches, lifted weights, yoga, ran a mile and a half with 1.5lbs around each wrists, core trainer, and punched the heavybag for five minutes.

I did my stretches, lifted 10lb dumbbells and went for my evening walk with my backpack.
Neighborhood Watch meeting; Linda Sebio called the meeting to order and passed around maps of our community so folks could voluntarily locate and mark their home’s location on the map. This would be used in case of an emergency so that fire department or ambulance services could find their house. The diaper dumper has apparently been tipped off we are looking for them and hasn’t dumped any diapers for the past month. The training for the CERT emergency response was tabled because Vern didn’t show, but we got a sheet passed around for people who wants to get involved. The neighborhood cleanup was tabled until we get more info for donation of dumpster, but we set a tentative date for sometime near the end of April. It was decided that I was to purchase 3 to 4 12x18 signs with the collected money we been saving.
ORV watch; a group of us will go out Thursday at 10am to find and map routes that Off Road Vehicles are supposed to take. We will take pictures to evaluate how well the trail and markers are maintained so ORV riders will know which routes to take.
The Board meeting: discussed the firehouse and who to rent it to, also legal and liability of those who want to occupy it. The Board thanked me for writing a request for funds letter to the County Supervisor. I mentioned the Neighborhood watch is trying to get things together for a neighborhood cleanup and that the event committee could help; the members of the committee agreed and will help. Vern showed up and told us that he can request the CERT emergency training to begin in April and we all figured that Thursday night at 7pm would fit in everyone’s schedule for the 6 week course. We will have a CERT signup sheet at Potluck and the First Saturday Breakfast.
90 year old longtime resident Earl Wilbert got up to tell us his history here in Copper Mountain Mesa going all the way back before the beginnings of the Association. Earl made an emotional plea of the board to stop talking amongst themselves and setup microphones so folks can hear. With heartfelt voice and tears, Earl said to a now silent audience that he doesn’t have long for this world and deeply loves our little community, and for the rest of us not lose our way and let the Community center go defunct. I told him that the community loves him too, and as long as I, the board members, and the folks in the audience were alive we wouldn’t let that happen. I had to yell this out loud so Earl, who is hard of hearing, could hear me; probably making a fool of myself in the process, but everyone clapped as I quickly sat down.
I did my stretches, lifted 20lb dumbbells, and went for a night run.
I did my studies; a lesson in Beginning Latin book, and another in “1100 words you need to know workbook”, and I drew something: two birds on a tree.
I finished chapter 13 of “Molecular and Cell Biology for Dummies”: Cell cycle and division.
I practiced my guitar.
I watched season 2 episode 3 of “Numb3rs: Assassin”.

Tuesday 12- a very nice day with temps in the high 70s.
I did my stretches, lifted weights, yoga, ran up and down the hill with 5lbs dumbbells, core trainer, and punched the heavybag for five minutes.
I was about to step out the door to ride the scooter to Twentynine Palms, when the phone rang; it was Linda H. asking my help getting a chair she bought out of her truck. I rode over and stayed for about an hour yakking with her. The chair was real leather and looks in good condition for the $25 she paid for it at a thrift shop.
I drove my scooter to Autozone and purchased a new fuel filter for the Cougar. I want to make damn sure it’s the fuel pump that has gone bad and not something simple. I then went to McDonalds to get me a few of them dollar cheeseburgers to take home. I stopped at the 99 cent store to pick up two bags to hold groceries and a few other items before I went to Stater Brothers to do my shopping. I would have taken the Harley, but the scooter can hold more and I had it packed to the max when I left to go home!
I did my stretches, lifted 10lb dumbbells and went for my evening walk with my backpack.
I was really tired from all the days doings and just chilled out. I did manage to watch season 2 episode 4 of “NUMB3RS: Obsession”: about a break-in at a pop star's mansion.

Wednesday 13- I believe it got up past 85 degrees today.
I did my stretches, lifted weights, yoga, ran a mile and a half with 1.5lbs around each wrists, core trainer, and punched the heavybag for five minutes.
I worked on the Cougar putting the new fuel filter in, but found that the guy at Autozone gave me the wrong one, dang. Since I had the fuel lines disconnected I decided to turn the car over to see if the fuel pump pumped any gas into a bucket I placed underneath; it didn’t. So now I know for sure it is a bad fuel pump.
I did my stretches, lifted 10lb dumbbells and went for my evening walk with my backpack. I am listening to the first lecture of a UC Berkeley class called Geography 130: Food and the Environment. It actually sounds interesting. My brother Kevin is also listening to it and we plan on doing other courses together.
I finally found Comet PanSTARRS 45min after local sunset! I first sighted it through my 15x70 binoculars and then through a 4.5 inch reflector telescope. I tried to take a picture of it but it turned out poorly... Roger Smith was driving by and I enticed him with my telescope and binoculars to come look at it. Roger never seen a comet and I was more than happy to show him one. After he left, and since the telescope was all setup and I had the star charts out, I stayed out for a long spell looking at the night sky. I found three open clusters; M67 and M44 the Beehive cluster in Cancer, and M48 near the head of Hydra. M67 was very faint while M48 fell in between M67 and M44. M44 lies some 500 light years away and the other two about 1500 or so.
I did my studies; a lesson in Beginning Latin book, and another in “1100 words you need to know workbook”, and I drew something: me looking through a telescope at a comet.
I did my stretches, lifted 20lb dumbbells, and went for a night run.
I practiced my guitar.
I started chapter 14 of “Molecular and Cell Biology for Dummies”: Genetics.
I watched season 2 episode 5 of “NUMB3RS: Calculated Risk”:

Thursday 14- getting hotter!
I did my stretches, lifted weights, yoga, ran up and down my hill carrying 5lbs in each hand, core trainer, and punched the heavybag for two minutes.
A group from the Copper Mountain Mesa ORV Watch rendezvous on Poleline Road and Bourland Pass to go out amongst the wildflowers and other wonders of of our desert community to document how well the BLM is maintaining ORV markers and paths so ORVs will know where it is legal for them to ride responsibly without destroying the desert’s beauty. We also went to monitor destruction of the desert habitats, and garbage dumping; we took many pictures of this.
Linda H. and I went to Yucca Valley to get a few things at Home Depot and WalMart.
I did my stretches, lifted 10lb dumbbells and went for my evening walk with my backpack. I listening to lecture 2 of Geography 130: Food and the Environment.
I did my studies; a lesson in Beginning Latin book, and another in “1100 words you need to know workbook”, and I drew something: a woman standing.
I did my stretches, lifted 20lb dumbbells, and went for a night run.
I practiced my guitar.
I finished chapter 14 of “Molecular and Cell Biology for Dummies”: Meiosis.

Friday 15- it almost hit 90 degrees!
I did my stretches, lifted weights, yoga, ran a mile and a half with 1.5lbs around each wrists, core trainer, and punched the heavybag for five minutes.
I updated the Copper Mountain Mesa Website and sent out the Newsletter.
I watered the plants, especially the cactus and agave I recently planted.
I finally got around to building the bird houses. I built 8 under the eave on the west facing end of the roof.
I did my stretches, lifted 10lb dumbbells and went for my evening walk with my backpack, listening to lecture 3 of Geography 130: Food and the Environment.
I did my studies; a lesson in Beginning Latin book, and another in “1100 words you need to know workbook”, and I drew something: a band member carrying a horn of some kind.
I did my stretches, lifted 20lb dumbbells, and went for a night run.
I started chapter 15 of “Molecular and Cell Biology for Dummies”: Mendelian Genetics.
I practiced my guitar.
I started feeling a little bit of a sore throat and hope it goes away by morning.

Saturday 16- and Sunday 17- beautiful day outside but I am inside sick with the flu or some other evil pathogenic microorganism type infection. Mostly I just watched a few of my favorite programs: Numb3rs and Elementary... and called to talked to family and friends. It hurts to type right now :’(