The Primitive Mind

We now live in the modern age of communication.  However, some of us do not understand the basics of communication.  If you want to use a mailbox to send a message you need a stamp and a letter.  In the last couple of years someone has chosen to run my mailbox over late at night.  I am not sure what message they want to send me. Do they want to tell me they are incapable of using the phone, walking up to me and having a conversation, or that they disagree with my philosophy.  Primitive cultures wrote pictures on stones, used smoke signals, and even developed sign language.  

Recently a Republican at a townhall meeting got up spontaneously and started to choke me as I asked the congressman a question.  The message seemed relatively clear.  Apparently he wanted to send me the message I was not to speak. 

How do you get a message to someone?  The new gun culture suggest that if nothing else works shoot at the person.  Raising your voice and speaking loudly might work.  Kadizzle has been guilty of that.  The big danger with any message is that it will be misinterpreted. This can have disastrous results.  The only safe way to greet another person in the modern age is a handshake.  Hugging people has become very popular, but Kadizzle can see how this can quickly go bad.  Once while acting as a substitute teacher Kadizzle walked to his classroom early in the day.  Some young girl who apparently like Kadizzle as a teacher was so excited to see him she ran down the hall jumped up into his arms and gave him a big hug.  Kadizzle was thrilled at the enthusiasm, but also embarrassed.

We have now become a society that quickly sees evil where there is none.  We have become prone to misjudge things and put a value on things.  Too quickly we assign a value to an incident.  Years ago Kadizzle learned a good lesson.  Kadizzle was sitting in the car in the winter waiting for Mrs Kadizzle to come out of Sears in Bismarck.  As Kadizzle sat a man pulled up beside him into a handicap parking space.  The man jumped out of the van and ran towards Sears like an Olympic sprinter.

Kadizzle was enraged that someone would be so abusive of the handicap parking system and was going to confront the man when he returned.  As Kadizzle's anger started to increase he could see the man coming back out of the doors at Sears.  The man was pushing someone in a wheelchair.  His actions were perfectly legitimate.  Only by seeing the whole incident from beginning to end could one get an accurate picture of what took place.   Had Kadizzle driven away he never would have known what really happened.  The lesson is not to assign cause or effect too soon.  What you think you are seeing may not be what you are seeing.

Kadizzle got into a kerfuffle with Congressman Cramer recently.  The whole incident revolved around a distressed women who asked the congressman for help at a town meeting.  The Congressman wants to destroy Obamacare and enable the rich to have massive tax breaks.  This upset Kadizzle and the issue of taxing people became the topic at the meeting.  Kadizzle told the Congressman he did not mind paying taxes to help someone like the woman with the child who needed so much care.  To demonstrate that we could take money from the rich and give it to those in need Kadizzle approached the congressman with his wallet open.  Kadizzle took all his money from his wallet and attempted to give the money to the congressman. Kadizzle told the congressman to take the money and give it to the woman.  The congressman refused to take the money. Kadizzle tried to put the money  in the pocket of the congressman.  In a failed attempt that did not work.  Kadizzle put the money down the shirt collar of the congressman.   Now this is where perception and reality diverge. Kadizzle never shoved the congressman, but that makes a good story.  So those inclined to agree with the congressman chose to see that as what happened.  However, the video shows it did not happen.  This is how magic works.  The magician wants you to perceive something that is not true.  He wants you to chose to believe something that is not true.  The lady did not get sawed in half. It looked as though she did, but nope it did not happen.  There was no magic, you deceived yourself.  In the end it is up to each of us to police our own mind.  Don't let that one part of your mind take over.  Keep the rational part of your mind awake.

Pay Attention

One of my nephews from Virginia spoke with Kadizzle at length last night.  Politics was the topic.  My nephew expressed concern about our country and what is happening.  He explained his awakening.  Democracy is under a huge threat.  The days of sitting home watching sports and getting lost in nonsense need to end. Pay attention.  Our basic rights and the basis of our country are under attack.  The gun nuts for years have been scared they are going to lose their guns.  You have to give them credit.  At least they got off their ass and fought back.  The country is being divided.  There are the have a whole lots, the have something, and the half nothings.  We have become a country dominated by the interest of those at the very top. The top few percent own and run the country.  Those in the middle and those on the bottom are there to be exploited.

Right before our eyes Trump and his gang are taking.  They are taking a bigger piece of the pie for themselves with massive tax cuts for themselves.  They are setting up the rules to steal public resources and lands.  So much can be learned from Hitler and what he did.  The German people Hitler set up were some of the most educated people in Europe.  If you pay attention to how dictators work you will see they all use the same tactics.  Put this in your notebook. Trump has admitted many times in the most public way he admires dictators.  Trump has told the American people he admires Putin, and the dictator of North Korea.  Trump has already invited several dictators to the White House.

So lets play golf, watch some football, and see what is on TV.  None of this is my problem.  I have gas in the car. I have a TV that works, I am not hungry or cold.  The simple reality is people do not get excited until they are in pain. Nobody cares unless they are somehow personally affected.  If the town ten miles west of us is bombed so what it did not destroy our cable and it looks like a good day to fish.  Americans just cannot understand that it works it's way up the food chain.   In Germany the most vulnerable were attacked first.  No one cared when the gypsies were rounded up.  No one cared when the severely disabled were rounded up.  What people could not see was that Hitler was working his way up the food chain.  So now we have Donald Trump destroying health care.  Doesn't matter to me, it has not affected me yet.  That is the American way.  Kadizzle always thinks of Germany and when the German cities were fire bombed. It was a hell like no other.  Read about it.  When the cities burned what did the Germans who did nothing think.  To them Hitler was the answer.  In the inferno did it occur to them what they had done.  Did they realize that by doing nothing they had brought on the flames that were roasting them.  How many of those people who were burnt alive realized that they had been enablers of Hitler and done nothing?  Today we have Donald Trump. People see him as an amusement and harmless.  Hitler was once seen that way.  History is no longer taught in our schools.  People have no concept of history, even recent history.  Teaching history has a purpose.  You learn about the mistakes of those before you so you do not repeat them.  Trump and his gang know the old tricks.  They know how the McCarthys of the past lied and manipulated idiots. They know how to use fear, and the classic tactics to fool the masses.  Car dealers remember what works.  When they find and sell a car to the first sucker they use their knowledge on the second sucker.  That is how history works for them. Look back to the depression and learn some history.   See what happened the last time the rich took it all. No forget about it load the boat and go fishing, watch some golf on TV.  Who cares I am warm, and not hungry, it just is not my problem.

A good story is better than the Truth.

A good story is better than the truth.  In the last two days Kadizzle has spoken to news media people and told them his story.  These people know Kadizzle never shoved Congressman Kevin Cramer.  There are video tapes that recorded the entire incident. The tapes very Cramer was never shoved. Kadizzle put money down the collar of Cramer's shirt, this is true.  The shoving makes a much better story.  Some man attempted to choke Kadizzle as he spoke to Cramer. The man was thrown out of the meeting by the police.  The man was not present when Kadizzle attempted to give the money to Cramer. The video verifies this. This was told to the Bismarck Tribune, The Washington Post, and Rob Port.  All of these outlets report it incorrectly. It make a good story.

A Big learning experience, or perhaps a refresher.

A few times in my life I have seen an event take place and then saw the results as they appeared in the media. My first experience with this was many years ago when there was a strike at the coal mine where I worked.

Today I got a good refresher course in how things happen, and how they get reported.  I had a kerfuffle with Congressman Cramer. The dustup was covered by the news media. Rob Port who is a right wing blowhard and would love to be Rush Limbaugh had his say.  As usual he distorted the whole thing with his typical right wing slant.  Port did not have the decency to call me and ask for my accounting of what happened. The Bismarck Tribune did call and do the correct journalistic thing by letting me tell in my words what took place. Once I read the Bismarck Tribune account I found a glaring inaccuracy. I asked them to correct it. Since Nick Smith of the Tribune taped the whole thing he can go back and see that he is wrong.

Nick Smith wrote that a man constrained me by choking me. According to Nick Smith this was done in order to keep me from acousting Cramer.  That is not what happened. The man came to me and started to choke me while I was asking Cramer a question. The police grabbed the man and ejected him from the room. The video will show that.  When I tried to give Cramer money for the women with medical bill after the man had been ejected the police asked me to leave, and I did. Why Nick Smith would distort the incident I do not know.  I asked Port to call me so I can tell him what actually took place I have not heard from him. TV presentations were so short and so little context was explained or shown that it was really scary. So hopefully I am smarter than when I woke up this morning.

Confront the Congressman Day

Kadizzle has long been disgusted with North Dakota Congressman Kevin Cramer. Cramer was an early supporter of Trump. This morning Kadizzle got up and decided to attend Kevin Cramer's coffee meeting in Mandan. Kadizzle prepared seven questions to hand out to people attending the meeting. The seven questions were things people could ask Kevin Cramer.

Kadizzle got to the meeting early and handed out the question list to 35 people. Prior to the meeting Kadizzle had a chance to personally speak with Cramer on several subjects. Cramer was polite and listened, but gave all the pet answers. On the border wall Cramer said spending 21 billion was fine with him.  Kadizzle asked him if the money could be better spent to help the states with schools and other problems. Cramer said that is a state problem.

Kadiizzle spoke with Cramer about the need to raise the Social Security Cap.  Cramer said it could be raised a little and that would solve the problem. Kadizzle suggested it be taken off low income people and adjusted so the wealthy would pay more.  Cramer had no  comment to that suggestion.  Cramer gave the pat answers and made it clear he was very much in favor of protecting the rich.

So the meeting began and some poor young woman about 25 crying told her story about the birth of her child with severe health problems.  The woman managed through her tears to explain the financial predicament they were in.  She indicated that she followed the Republican rule to carry the baby to term.  Of course Cramer gave a wishy washy non answer.

Cramer refused to admit that the repeal of Obamacare would result in a massive tax break for the wealthy.  At this point Kadizzle got infuriated and asked Cramer why the wealthy could not be taxed to pay for the predicament of the poor woman who spoke earlier.  Someone in the audience said "Tax me" .   Kadizzle got up and told Cramer something to the effect that he would be willing to pay taxes to help the people with no health care.  Cramer would not answer yes or no if repealing healthcare was a break for the rich.  Kadizzle got carried away and walked up to give Cramer money to help the woman.  Cramer would not take the money so Kadizzle tried to shove it in his pocket.  Prior to all this some guy who supported Cramer came up and tried to choke Kadizzle as he asked a different question.  That man was escorted out by the police.  After Kadizzle tried to place the money in Cramer's pocket he was escorted out by the police. The police did the right thing and Kadizzle probably did the wrong thing.  In the end Kadizzle hopes Cramer learned that snowballing the simple minded is no longer going to be as easy as it used to be.  All is well that ends well. Of course the Kadizzle family thinks Kadizzle had a crazy spell again, but Kadizzle feels if we can have a mentally ill president, the Kadizzle family can afford it's own mental case.

Summer is crashing down.

The seasons roll by.  Summer seems to be coming. Sometimes it seems like a freight train rolling toward Kadizzle, and other times a snail.  The good ship Sovereign sits at it's slip like a horse in a stall.  Rodger and Kadizzle took the boat out for sea trials and miraculously everything worked.  Mrs. Kadizzle dutifully placed the bedding on the bunks.  If God is willing and the wind blows this weekend may be our first trip west.  Sleeping on the boat in the quarter berth is usually a pleasure.  The quiet and darkness in a cove with a little cool air provide ideal sleeping.  Awaking in the morning to the sound of geese and looking out the hatch to see deer grazing is a pleasure.

So here we go summer is coming.  Kadizzle has accumulated too much chicken meat around his waist. One good way to deal with too much chicken meat is to peddle the old bicycle up to the boat. Now that is a 23 mile trip.  It is unlikely the motivation will come, but the exercise is needed.  The first obstacle on the trip is the hill by the cemetery immediately north of Hazen.  They cemetery was placed there to remind bike riders that if you do not get some exercise you will soon be in the cemetery.  You can also get to the cemetery by heart attack, the one you get from going up the hill beside the cemetery.

A bicycle is a wonderful device. You can turn it around and coast back to Hazen at any point going up the hill. Will power is in short supply so that is definitely a possibility.  If one just rode the bike around Hazen there would be no hills.  Hmmm that might be a solution.  Of course bike riding can make one hungry. So maybe Kadizzle should avoid it and just surf the internet. That is a sure way to lose some chicken meat.

Learning to Drink in Wheeling

Somehow we all got introduced to the ancient evil of alcohol.  In Wheeling most likely it was beer.  Way back in the old days, which would have been the late and mid 60's Wheeling had a great system for creating future drunks, and reasonable drinkers.  Most young teenagers probably started with a swig from the home supply, but soon a better supply was needed.

If my old mind serves me correctly the legal drinking age was 18 when I was a teen.  This could be justified because all you could legally get at 18 was 3.2 beer.  It was training beer. You would likely drown before you got too drunk.  Although the legal age was 18 it seemed to be the widely accepted standard that if you were tall enough to put a quarter on the bar you would be served.  Checking IDs was unheard of.

On Washington Avenue there was a bar where all the teenagers hung out.  I just cannot recall the name of the place. After consulting friends still in Wheeling the consensus is the bar was The Cardinal Inn. This is a picture of the place in more recent times.

 My first memory of that place and beer was an incident that involved a friend.  My friend Mike thought he had an ideal scheme to come by some beer as a pre-legal person.  Mike called the bar from a phone booth across the street.  Mike pretended to be his father.  As the fake father Mike called the bartender and said he was sending his son down to get a six pack.  Somehow the bartender sensed a rat or the scam had been tried before.  From the bar you could see across the street to the phone booth, so the bartender could see Mike making the call.  The bartender told Mike he could see his father in the booth across the street and recommended his father come get the beer.  Mike went dry that day, but it was not long that he realized like every teenager did when they got a little older sixteen seemed to be the age of passing and the same bar would serve you.

On the corner was another bar.  I think it was called Moxie's.  According to folklore kids would get off the school bus and go in to have a beer and a hotdog.  The amazing thing about the bar we hung out in was that more than likely no one in the place was of legal age at times.  Over on Edgington Lane was Tom's and the Alpha.

The police in the old days seemed more like chaperones.  If you got out of hand they told you to go home. Rarely did anyone have a run in with the police.  As you got older and braver you branched out to other bars, and there were plenty of them.

 The Wheeling College students were frequently at the Washington Avenue bars.   Somehow an alliance was formed with the college students and the high school students were allowed to attend the keg parties of the college crowd.  A wonderful place existed for these parties.  If you went to the end of Edgington Lane and up Boggs Hill Road there was a place you could get down to the creek.   The creek split and formed a peninsula.  On that flat little piece of ground someone had placed an old pickle barrel from The Burger Chef. That barrel could be filled with ice and a keg of beer placed in the barrel.

On warm evenings a fire would be built the kegs would appear and the party was on.  One of the best aspects of the remote location was crossing the creek to get to the celebration.  In no time someone was inebriated to the point they fell in the creek, but the best show was when you would hear the roar of a motorcycle about to cross the creek.  The engine would rev up,  and there would be the brief perception of movement, and then the splashing sound of a crash.  Down at the creek would be some idiot laying in the stream with his motorcycle.  Not sure if I was ever the idiot.

If all the drinking stories were retold it would be book length, but somehow most of use survived.  One fond memory that does come to mind is a sunny day with young guys sitting in front of the Cardinal Inn.  Down the street coming from The National Road was an old 30's or 40's car with some old geezer driving it.  The car was moving very slowly and as it got in front of the Cardinal Inn a bunch of the young guys ran out and jumped on the back bumper of the car.  From watching it seemed like they had done this before.  The weight of the people on the back bumper was enough to lift the front of the car off the ground.  The old guy driving just kept going down the street with the front wheels three feet in the air.  Although I was amazed it seemed like this was a well rehearsed circus act that had gone on before.  The old guy  cooperated.

Another strange memory of sitting outside the bar in the daytime was the passing of Lonnie Banks dump truck.  Lonnie Banks was a black preacher that had a combination church and house of ill repute on the top of Rock Point road.  My uncle once defended him on charges of prostitution.   Lonnie Banks had an old beat up pink dump truck.   As we sat in front of the bar the dump truck came down Washington Avenue with three trumpet players standing in the back.  After a blast on the trumpets in unison they would yell " Come to Lonnie Bank's Church".   No doubt if you did go to that church you would hear some wonderful music.

Growing up in Wheeling was like growing up in the Twilight Zone,  strange things seemed to happen all the time and no one seemed to think of anything as unusual.

The Good Ship sits in the water

After a lot of work the Sovereign sits in the lake.  So another summer begins.  Hanging around the boatyard shooting the breeze is always part of the process.  This year Kadizzle had a chance to chat up some of the people with sailboats you never see out on the water.  Some people are shy, and some people don't like to get too far away from the dock.  All the old sailors are getting older and shot up.  Age is taking it's toll on the old pirates.  All alone our boat sits waiting for the others to come out and play.  Every sailor likes to  buy some gadgets every year.  Kadizzle got a nifty little umbrella he can clamp to the rail.  It is cheap and will probably fall apart at the speed of lightening.

Always Kadizzle invites a lot of people to sail. Few ever show up, but you never know.  It turns out Shiny has a bad hankering to sail so that is one mission that needs to be completed.  Stoupini is nuts about riding Amtrak so again he is off towards Portland on the train.  Shanika made the last trip with him, but it did not suite him. Kadizzle has not take a train trip for forty years, and might like to try it again.  One thing you forget on American trains is they go through the junkyards of the country.  You get to see the absolute worst part of every city. You are not on the bad side of the tracks, you are on the tracks.  So the sun comes up and the sun goes down.  Perhaps we can put up a sail this week.

The Hoopleheads

The Hoopleheads get to have their guns, and of course some money to go to religious schools, and also some laws to harass women.  What the Hoopleheads just do not get is how they are manipulated so the wealthy can clean up.  A Hooplehead has no concept of what 53 billion dollars is.  Once you go over the number ten, numbers are meaningless to the Hoopleheads.  Then number six works, that is how many bullets you can put in your gun.  What could a state, a county, a city do with 53 billion dollars?   The Hoopleheads drive over bridges about to fall down.  The children of the Hoopleheads are taught by teachers almost on welfare. Yet the Hoopleheads just don't notice when they are robbed blind by the Republicans.  Now the Republicans are going to take health care away from the Hoopleheads so they can get their tax cuts.  Of course the Hooplehead have Rush Limbaugh blaring in the background and just don't notice.  It is hard to feel sorry for the Hoopleheads when they constantly insist on shooting their own foot off, but that is freedom. The freedom to dumb yourself down.  The freedom to elect Donald Trump.  The freedom to go broke buying lottery tickets.  It is all fine as long as you have something to eat and are not cold.  Only if you take away the flat screen, and the fishing boat will the the Hoopleheads rebel.  In the meantime steal every cent they have, they just don't get it.  Promise them lots of biggly things like Trump does.  Tell them for 19.95 they can take a pill that will give them an erection they can use for a fishing  pole.  The Hooples love to be robbed and lied to.  God bless the simple minded Hoopleheads.

Now this reminds Kadizzle of a story about an old Hooplehead woman in West Virginia.  Her husband had too much shine and his brain cells were not functioning normally.  So the husband liked to go out in the yard and act like a chicken and make chicken noises.  This sort of annoyed the neighbor.  One day the neighbor said to the old Hooplehad lady " Why don't you make your husband stop acting like a chicken out in your front yard?'.   The old lady replied " He don't hurt nobody, and besides we could use the eggs".   That is how you justify voting for Donald Trump.

Visit from Shanika

Shanika stopped for the crazy club meeting.  It was a good meeting but the special article involving sensitivity had to be invoked.  Shiny took great offense when Kadizzle called her skinny.  Shiny left the room.  When Shiny came back she said " What if I called you a fat slob?".  Kadizzle replied " I am".   That did not solve anything.  So the parliamentarian Stoupini was called in to figure out how to deal with the mess.  Stoupini pointed out that Article 17 prohibited talk that was insensitive. So all was put back in order and the meeting continued.

Now for the news this morning.  If you would read The New York Times it would be helpful.  This morning Gail Collins who is one of the best humorist wrote another good column about the multiple personalities of Trump.  Go to the NYT and read it for a good laugh.

Kadizzle and Stroupini will be doing boat work today.  First we have to fix the screens for the hatch.

The cable guys worked all day on Kadizzle Street putting in the new fiber optic cable.  Kadizzle decided to get som mule tape from the crew.  What in the hell is mule tape?  When the cable guys finally pull the actual cable through the conduit they hook it to the mule tape that is in the conduit.  Next they pull the mule tape out and the cable comes with it. This results in hundreds and hundreds of feet of brand new mule tape.  They only use it once.  Mule tape is handy.  Mule tape has a tensile strength of 1250 lbs.  It is about a half inch wide, made of nylon, and flat.  If you can get the bigger stuff it is good for up to 5,000 lbs.  Normally the crew just throws the stuff away.  So now Kadizzle has two life time supplies of the stuff.  If you need some mule tape just let Kadizzle know.  It is amazing what gets thrown out in the process of so many construction jobs.  Kadizzle is a scrounge.  If Kadizzle becomes a hoarder we are all in big trouble.

Call the meeting to order.

About 9:30 the meeting at the Crazy Club will be called to order.  Now that Stroupini has retired things seem to be more regular. Stroupini is having a hard time adjusting to the freedom of retirement, like so many he thinks his former work cannot go on without him.  Across the ally from the Crazy Club is the Pocket Park. Kadizzle helped Steve do some cleanup there yesterday.  The Pocket Park is slowly springing to life.  Sharbuak will soon do his magic and get the fountain running.  People will sit at the table and wifi.

Our street is abuzz with cable activity.  West River Telecommunications is putting fiber optic cable all over the country and it is coming down our street at the present moment.  A rare site, men digging ditches by hand.  Kadizzle managed to snag some pulling tape from the cable guys.  What in the hell is pulling tape? Pulling tape is what they use to get the actual cable through the conduit.  The stuff is handy.  It has a breaking strength of 1250 pounds.  It is only used once then they throw miles of it in the garbage.  In any other country someone would make something useful with it.  Kadizzle like to have hundreds of feet of the stuff to tie things in the truck to hoist things, or pull things.  The stuff is thin and only one half inch wide, but very strong.  The contractor cannot take a chance of the cable not making it through the conduit.  So if you want a bunch let old Kadizzle know.

Slowly the sun is creeping up over the horizon.  You know summer is almost here when light from the sun shines on the North side of the house.

You must get up every morning and read The New York Times as Kadizzle has told you many times.   Today there are a bunch of good articles.  Friedman speculates on the mental illness of Trump, a great article about how the Airbus is assembled in our country, and a nice historical piece about Thomas Jefferson's early life.   So here goes another day.  Mrs. Kadizzle is still in bed and may soon be demanding coffee.  The Earth will continue to spin.  Also one might read the article in the New York Times about shipping across the North Pole.  Global warming is here and the idiots that inhabit our positions of leadership have no clue.  So if your  house is on fire enjoy the warmth of the fire and perhaps you can cook something in the coals when the house is properly burnt down.  Trump is doing what he can to hasten the demise of the planet.  Have a nice day.

Living on spills.

Kadizzle took the first bicycle ride of spring yesterday. The journey went by the farm supply area south of town.  In an effort to have a chat with Berg Kadizzle ran into a young woman loading a truck with farm fertilizer.  Kadizzle noticed a bit of fertilizer being spilled.  Kadizzle is frugal, cheap, or you name it, he likes to give himself the illusion he saves money.  So Kadizzle asked the woman if he could have the spilled fertilizer for the price of cleaning it up.  She said Kadizzle just needed to bring a container like other had and they would fill it for free from the spilled material.  There must be other scrounges and cheap asses around.

The amount of waste in our country is astonishing.  A person with a little effort could live just by picking up spilled product.  In Hazen during the potato harvest one easily can get a winter supply of potatoes by simply gleaning the potato field.  If one were ambitious there is all the spilled grain one could want at the elevator.  You could grind it into flour or feed it to your chickens.

Being a scavenger is like a game.  Reusing something is not a disgrace.  Containers are a classic example.  Why would anyone go to Home Depot and pay for a bright orange new plastic bucket when you can get one almost anywhere.  Want a nice water container?  Buy one for $12 or you can get all sorts of excellent five gallon water containers safe to drink from just for asking.  Often in our crazy society the container cost more than the contents.  Every type of nice container and dispenser is available for free if you just know where to look.

When we camp we often want firewood.  You can buy a bundle of five pieces of nice firewood or you can go around the campground and pick it up free in the morning.  The people who bought the bundle did not burn it all and left it by the fire pit when they left.  People call Kadizzle cheap, he takes it as a compliment. Next time you go by the guy living under the bridge you might ask if he was frugal.  He may not have been during his working years, but now when he pushes his grocery cart he is a little frugal.

The New York Times

The morning update always involves the New York Times. Editorials in the NYT are always on spot and the best. The NYT hates Donald Trump, and Trump returns the favor.  Trump has been an amazing buffoon and now you know a lot more about people.  A lot can be known by finding out if a person was and still is a Trump supporter.  Almost every day Kadizzle drives up to the lake to work on the boat.  There is a nice little home beside the road.  At the home flies a Trump flag, no American flag.  It says so much about the person that lives there.  It is not our country that is important anymore, it is the Trump fantasy.  Each time Kadizzle sees the Trump flag flying proudly on that idiots flag pole Kadizzle wants to stop and say " Being an idiot is one thing, but waving a flag that says I am an idiot is special".

What is astounding about the Trump phenomenon is who turned out to support the man.  Imagine going to your doctor and finding out he voted for Trump.  What kind of minister could support Trump?  Wouldn't it be scary to have to go before a Judge that voted for Trump?  Once the truth went out the window, the game was on.  Every day there is a new low for Trump.  Trump has now invited the president of Philippines to visit the United States.  In case you have not been keeping up the Philippine president has arbitrarily been killing 7,000 people suspected of being involved with drugs.  Of course if you kill 7,000 people you are bound to get a few guilty ones, but a lot of people just got shot on the street by simple rumor or deliberate set up by people who did not like them.  Of course El Trumpo does not know a dictator and murderer when he meets one.  Trump thinks the guy is great.  Just cannot wait until Trump suggest we shoot anyone suspected of a crime in this country on the spot like they do in the Philippines.

Kadizzle is astonished.  A good long time friend of Kadizzle voted for El Trumpo.  The friend is very religious, and cannot explain why he voted for Trump.  Trump has violated every commandment more than once.  No person could be more pathetic or unChristian than Trump, now someone please tell me how the religious people could justify voting for him, especially now that he has supported three of the world's worst dictators.  When I think about Trump voters I want to think of the commercial that used to say  " A mind is a terrible thing to waste.

Wedding in Fargo.

After living in North Dakota since 1976 Kadizzle walked through downtown Fargo today.  Fargo is strange.  It is a city on a pancake.  What do people do here? There are no mountains,  valleys, and no real natural wonders, but good soil.  So here we sit about to go to a wedding of an old neighbor's daughter.  Natalie Jean the  dancing queen used to play with our girls when they were all little.  Natilie used to go on our sailing adventures occasionally.

Last night we spent with the Barns.  Their house is full of wonderful art objects.  Sandy and Taylor have a bizarre relationship. Taylor is as liberal as Kadizzle, and Sandy worships at Trump's feet.  Now this could cause a nuclear explosion except Sandy has a little shack outback he can escape to.  In the shack Sandy makes some of the finest fly rods money can buy.  Kadizzle would like to have a nice escape shack like Sandy with a wood stove, lots of tools, a TV, and peace an quiet when needed.

Kadizzle just returned from the train station in Fargo. A strange sight was there.  Right next to the tracks was a large sailboat.  Apparently it belongs to the owner of the bike shop that does business at the train station.  Kadizzle thought he would chat the fellow up about sailing, but the man could not be located.

Sylvie

Both your great grandmothers went to prestigious Ivy league art schools.  Your nanny was an artist and worked with you every day on coloring and drawing, Your mom is a pretty good artist, and your aunt Meg is a professional artist and fashion designer.  Does it get any better for Sylvie who likes to draw and is into fashion?  So when Sylvie made the pilgrimage to see her new cousin in Philadelphia as an added treat she got to go to the headquarters of Anthropology where megan is a designer.  Sylvie got to see her aunt in the real environment of an artist surrounded by all the tools of the trade.  Back at Meg's house the two of them worked on designs together.  Needless to say Sylvie has become very talented for a girl that just turned eight.  As the old grandpa I think back on my childhood days.  We got to do a lot of things, but when I put my childhood resume next to Sylvie's it pales in comparison.  As an only child Sylvie has live a very enriched life.  So far she seems to be under control for not being too spoiled. I think she understands the concept of work for reward.  Grandpa admires her ability with reading, math, and of course art.

Sailors

Kadizzle has a good jump on the sailing season. The boat is polished, the engine has been started and checked, so the ship is about three quarters ready to go.  Somehow a fellow found Kadizzle on the Google. The fellow wants to sail in each of the states.  North Dakota needs to be crossed off his list, so in June Kadizzle will help him complete his mission.

Up at the boat yard a few of the brave regulars have showed up and begun the process of reading the boats. With the power washer we managed to do in an hour what normally would have taken all day.  So a couple of the ships are in ship shape.  On the Sovereign the mainsail is on, and just a quick coat of VC17 should be all that is left before launch.

The weather has turned mean, and memories of T shirts in Arizona are haunting.  Looks like one day this week may be decent.

New member inducted into the Crazy Club.

What a great day at the Crazy Club.  Stroupini celebrated his 70th birthday, and Bev was inducted into the club.  A debate took place regarding the issue of if Bev was crazy enough to join.  After indicating a few crazy things she had done in her life the vote was unanimous and Bev became the latest to be acknowledged as a member in good standing. A discussion was held about Bev's initiation. It was determined that she should wear sacred underwear for a week. As those who have studied the mormons know sacred underwear is part of their cult.  During the discussion about the initiation Shiny brought up the matter that Mormon's had special sacred underwear for married women.  The details of this discussion cannot be revealed, but research must be done to determine if Shiny is correct.  Kadizzle suggested Bev wear his underwear for a week.  Do to health considerations this idea was rejected.  A prayer session was held and Kadizzle gave the evocation.

At this point the group decide to listen to the Youtube item below






None of the club members were aware of international trepidation contest, and this recording provided a great deal of laughter and entertainment.  If you take the time to listen to the presentation you will become aware that in international competition a farting post is used. After the audio entertainment was over a breakfast roll was served in place of cake for Stroupini's birthday.  Lord Kadizzle presented Stoupini with a farting post for his birthday.

Early Morning

Old Kadizzle is up at 5 A.M.,  Mrs Kadizzle is in Philadelphia visiting the new pumpkin C.heech brought into the clan.  The Crazy Club will meet today at 9:30.  The renter is asleep in the basement so Kadizzle must creep about quietly.  Jobs need to be done, but they don't seem very appealing.  Wallpaper needs to be stripped back in the engine room, and other household things need to get done, but the mind says none of that is any fun.  Slowly the batten boards are getting redone in the basement.  Summer is evolving very slowly. Flowers were popping out everywhere in Arizona, but North Dakota cannot seem to get the engine started for spring.  A few nice days then back to the old wind and cold.  The sun is not up yet, but the days are getting longer.  So here we go another day will bloom and be pissed away, but such is life.

Launch The Good Ship

The good ship sits on it's trailer.  There is a lot of surface area on the hull, and that means a lot of hand polishing and scrubbing. This morning Kadizzle did some homework and confirmed what he has always suspected. If you go by surface area, Lake Sakakawea is the largest man made lake in the country.  Lake Mead and Lake Powell hold more water, but are deep narrow lakes.

The amount of crap that has to be put on the boat is amazing.  Boat paraphernalia will easily fill up more than a pickup load.  The birds seem to think the boat is an outhouse.  This is the worst year ever for bird droppings. Something made them like it this winter as it was stored.

The first time out is always a thrill.  The peace and quiet of the lake is calming, and sleeping on the boat is always a pleasant thing.

Same old Same old

The summer routine is in full swing.  Kadizzle participated in the Remidigus yesterday and the day before. What is the Remidigus?  Well it works this way.  You get on your bike, your motorcycle, or even use the car if you have to, and then you go on a bullshit route.  On the route you run into people and shoot the breeze with them.  So yesterday Kadizzle went to the Crazy Club, a mandatory stop on the Remidigus.  Shiny's little dog jumped on Kadizzle's lap and sniffed his ear like it was full of prime rib.  Normally Shiny's little buddy is not so loving, but with Stoupini gone doggy needed a back rub.

As luck would have it Kadizzle returned home and forgot his cell phone at Shiney's.  On the way back to Shiny's who should Kadizzle run into but Mrs super crazy, who produced her son more crazy.  Mrs Super crazy and Kadizzle had quite the run in a few years ago.  Mrs Crazy claimed Kadizzle tried to run her over with his motorcycle.  The whole thing ended up in court and Mrs Crazy was ruled crazy by the judge.  Kadizzle has been friends with Mrs Crazy's son as part of his mission to help the insane.  So believe it or not Mrs Crazy and Kadizzle have become quasi good acquaintances.  In front of the crazy club we discussed the current status of her son and one of the other young mental cases we have tried to reform.  Mrs Crazy's son suffers from fetal alcohol syndrome, as does the other crazy client.

Talking to Mrs Crazy a lawyer friend happened by and another BS session got going. Then over to see the other guy who loves to agitate the Republicans.  In the course of the Remidigus Kadizzle finds out who is shot up and falling apart. Over the winter time has taken it's toll on Dave.  Dave is and always has been about as crazy as you can get.  Dave used to be an oiler on the shovel when Kadizzle worked at the mine. Dave apparently had a bad spell in the hospital then got out an wrecked his truck.  Dave is a tough old bird and is up an running, who knows for how long.  Stopped to see Archie at the garage and got the fill in from him on another old work place.  Archie is a premiere garage puttering person.  The only person Kadizzle has not caught up with of major  importance is Rita the sewing lady.  Rita also runs a crazy club as she does her sewing on mainstreet.  Rita has a collection of crazy people that rivals Shiny's crazy club. Some are members of both organizations, including Kadizzle.  Crazy Bill frequents Rita's club.  Crazy Bill sets the standard for nuttiness.  Old Dariell is barely chugging along with cancer.  Getting up to date on all the local nonsense is a big job.

Me, Myself, and I

Each of us are made up of several spirits.  The picture above is of me, myself, and I .  I am flanked by my two spirits. In our head we all have voices.  Rarely do the voices come out and let us see them, but mine did. Those voices fight with each other. Sometimes one wins, sometimes the other one does.  So the fight goes on every day.  One voice wants to eat ice cream. One voice wants to be skinny.  One voice wants to go up the mountain, and the other wants to sit in a chair with warm sunshine.

What is it like when the spirits in my head start to dance.  The ideas bump into each other, there is harmony, but there is confusion. So the spirits came out and danced.  I got to see them work. 

Here we sit

Here we sit back at the homestead. Checked the Sovereign and it came through the winter fine.  The lake is up for this time of year and it looks like the sailing will be great because we can get into our favorite bays. Mrs. Kadizzle as usual is going nuts on the yard. The yard has to be dethatched. That means Kadizzle drives the lawnmower over the yard so many times he is suching up the very soil the grass lives on. From the mountains of Arizona to the flat prairie of North Dakota is a big mental adjustment.  The difference in climate is astounding.  You don't get up in the morning in North Dakota and wander around in a T-shirt.  A major battle here might be boredom. Of course there are a million task to be done to maintain the mansion. So any minute the siren will go off and signal the start of summer.

Beside the Lake in South Dakota

After many years making the trip from North Dakota to Arizona we have found a system for travel. Two lakes are involved. On the way to Arizona we stay at Cochiti Lake, and on the way back we stay at Angostura State park by the lake.  So this morning we awaken to an excellent view from high above the lake with the sun streaming in the windows. Mrs. Kadizzle is stirring the eggs and soon we will be off through Rapid City and across the prairie.  From the incredible crowds of Denver and Phoenix we will go back to the deserted streets of Hazen.  To see a traffic light when you live in Hazen you have to drive 75 miles.

One nice thing about visiting parks in the off season is you have the whole place to yourself.  The wildlife wanders by and the birds visit.  Welcome back the cold.  Frost on the window every morning, and a jacket.

Earth Module blast off

Hopefully the Earth Module made it through the night in Denver without freezing up.  As the sun shines in the window at Sylvie's house the eggs get cooked and the Kadizzles prep to head North.  If all goes as planned the Earth Module will land above a lake in South Dakota tonight. Perhaps there will be TV reception.

Yesterday the Kadizzles made one more pilgrimage to REI to get more fribbles.  Fribbles are things you really don't need, but you feel compelled to buy something.   Some stores are nothing but fribbles.  Kadizzle bought some sort of neat cam device that might work on the outhaul for the sailboat.  Mrs. Kadizzle bought a new pair of hiking pants.

Our trip downtown the other day has Kadizzle thinking about the bum infestation in Denver.  Denver has a bad infestation of bums. Sadly the bums hang out in the nice area around the capital.  How do you spray for bums?  That might be the answer. If a sprinkler system were installed and it would come on every hour or so, the bums might not like getting wet.

A Truckload of bodies

The Kadizzles made a pilgrimage to the Denver History Museum.  On the way back to the train station we took the free bus.  In the course of the bus trip Kadizzle engaged a man in conversation. The man said he had been a truck driver.  Kadizzle asked the fellow what he hauled to which he replied cadavers. Kadizzle asked the man what the name of his company was.  Kadizzle suggested the name might be "Cadaver you want to go".  The fellow claimed that once he was stopped at a truck scale and they asked to check his cargo. According to him two bodies fell out and frightened the officer so badly he had to go to the hospital.  The fellow claimed he went cross country picking up bodies and took them to some medical school in California.  When Kadizzle inquired how many bodies he hauled he said up to 20,000.  He made it sound as if that was one truck load. Maybe he meant altogether.  If it was in one load they must have been ground up and dehydrated.

During the conversation Kadizzle asked why the truck driver quit driving. According to him it was because he had a heart attack while driving. Now, imagine a truck wreck that kills the driver hauling a trailer load of bodies.  The news report would have no idea how many were killed in the wreck. It might have set a record.  If he had two hundred bodies on board that would have been a lot of dead people found at the wreck site.

Earth Module successfully lands in Denver

The blasted Ticklepinch, A.K.A. Sylvie ran out to the Earth Module to greet Grandma, and Grandpa, even though she had a little bit of a fever.  Sylvie is growing like a weed.  A tall skinny weed. In no time Grandpa was in the basement watching the future Olympic gymnast on her gymnastic bar doing her routine.  From Grandma Sylvie inherited the unlimited energy gene.

So for a week we will be enjoying Denver, Sylvie and her parents.  Now we have to wait for a magic spell of weather to get the Earth Module back to it's summer home.

Back at Chochiti Lake

Here we sit in New Mexico.  Kadizzle is trying to shack roust Mrs. Kadizzle so we can get on the road. Kadizzle would not mind making Denver to day, but the big boss wants to stop at Wallsenberg.  So who knows.  The sun is up and it looks half decent, now we need to blast out of here.  Maybe we are crazy heading toward the cold and misery of spring in North Dakota, but at least now we can carry a concealed weapon no questions asked. Arguments will be much easier to settle and maybe duels will come back in popularity.  When it comes to a collection of knuckleheads North Dakota has the best in the legislature. These idiots always try to out do each other when it comes to cooking up some silly law.  Remember these dolts were going to outlaw windpower.  Next it will be solar power.  Jesus controls the Republican party in North Dakota and the Republican Jesus sure doesn't care much about pollution.

The Signal

God said he would send a sign when the Kadizzles should head home. Last night the sign came. This moring the Earth Module will head North towards Chochiti Lake.  As weath permits the crew will work its way North.

The Gold

Yesterday Kadizzle served out his sentence as the machine gunner on the outhouse crew.  Kadizzle ran the pressure washer wand and blasted away at the vault toilets for the Forest Service.  After the morning battles Kadizzle found out the crap used in the water tank was not actually a disinfectant.  For the afternoon attack Kadizzle got a full face shield, and put the Clorox to the water.   Now America is safe again.

On the crew we have old Carl.  Carl is an old miner and a part time gold miner, so on the rides between the long drops we talk about mining.  Yesterday Carl had a revelation.  Carl said the famous Lost Dutchman used to stop by his parents house.  Now if you know anything about gold you know about the Lost Dutchman mine that people have been searching for many years.  People have died looking for the gold.  Carl who is 80 said the Lost Dutchman used to stop at his parents house and have a meal on the way to his gold mine.  According to Carl the Lost Dutchman mine was not in the Superstition Mountains.  The Lost Dutchman went into the Superstition mountains to throw off people following him.  He emerged on this side and went up Pinto Creek.  So the treasure must be up in the Pinto Creek area.  People have died looking for the Lost Dutchman treasure, and more will.

Later Carl told the story about a Mexican miner that left 14 quart jars full of gold in his mine.  Again, according to Carl the Mexican had so much gold he could not carry it all.  The Mexican was a seasonal miner that came to the Globe area to mine gold.  Carl's father knew the old Mexican miner. The Mexican miner wrote a letter to Carl's father and told him about the 14 quarts of gold.  The Mexican said Carl's father could have the gold if he would buy and send him a metal detector.  Carl's father did.  The miner said the gold was hidden a short way in the entrance of the mine.  So Carl and his father set out to get the gold, but when they got to the mine they found the entrance had caved in.  If the gold is in there, it still is.  At some point Kadizzle would sure like to see the letter. Carl said he had it and would show it to Kadizzle.

Poverty Supreme

Yesterday Cliff, and the Kadizzles drove back from Cliff's mountain retreat in the White Moutains.  We drove through some absolutely spectacular scenery.  Cliff  realized he forgot his camper keys about fifty miles into the trip.  Mrs. Kadizzle and Cliff had to drive the extra 100 miles back to get the keys.  Meanwhile Kadizzle was dropped off at the Indian Casino.  Kadizzle has learned that every casino will give you ten or twenty dollars of free play to get you hooked.  Kadizzle can usually just take the money.  It did not work this time Kadizzle lost $1.50.   Nothing is as insane as a casino. You are going to lose, but the only issue is how long it takes to get your money.  The saddest thing about Indian casinos is they produce nothing, but more poverty.

So as we drove down the road we finally came to the town where Fort Apache is located.  The town is the major reservation center.  The poverty and slums were mind boggling.  What the hell went wrong.  The poverty blight covered miles in every direction.  Right in the middle of some wonderful country was this mess that somehow emerged from our solution for Native Americans.  Is it a failure? Hell yes, beyond belief.

Reservations never should have existed.  The failure to assimilate has been exacerbated by the reservation system.  Everyone suffers. The dogs don't do well and roam freely looking for scraps.  The horses look half starved. The effect of drugs and alcohol are everywhere.  While this mess and suffering goes on Donald Trump will do what he can to give more tax breaks to his rich buddies.  Trickle down has never trickled down to the reservations, and never will.  What little help these people get from the federal government will be even less.  On any Indian reservation you will generally see two things, new schools, and new medical facilities.  It is a great contribution from the white father, but seems to change nothing.  Of course there is plenty of corruption, and abuse of every sort.  Kadizzle laid in bed and puzzled about a solution.  He never came up with one, but it sure takes the shine of a wonderful drive in the wilderness when you hit a pocket of unimaginable poverty in the middle of nowhere.  Somehow giving more moeny to the rich does not seem like it will solve anything.

Things are heating up

All around us life is coming to life.  Everyone seems to be seeing rattlesnakes, Cliff almost stepped on one yesterday. It is time to get the hell out of here.  Mrs. Kadizzle may have to be blasted out of here, but so be it. The Army helicopters are practicing taking water from the lake for fire fighting.  It will be a bad fire season because all the rain has got the vegetation going.  Kadizzle helped Ted put up and take down signs today.  This park has so many signs one person does nothing but repair signs.

With the lake up the fishermen are in abundance.  Hopefully we will be farther north this time next week. First to Denver to see Ticklepinch, then on to the Dakotas.

Music at the Outhouse

In the picture above Carl is on the left.  Kadizzle worked with Carl on the outhouse crew a couple years ago.  Kadizzle is the chauffeur for the crew.  Yesterday Kadizzle took Carl, Mikie, and Bill on the outhouse tour to clean vault toilets and fire rings.  Kadizzle drives the one ton truck with a pressure washer and we blast the long drops with disinfectant.  It is a great job we get to drive through very scenic county.

Up at Oak Flat where the Native Americans have been protesting for three years we pulled in to refresh their toilet paper supply.  A couple of protesters were practicing music and singing.  So Kadizzle and Carl joined in and sang a few songs.  Somewhere in Oak Flat Carl came across a diary that was lost.  Some young woman wrote about her financial mess, and her sexual adventures with her new love.  The account of the woman's trip to vail indicated in some basic language that she made love with snow skis on while propped against an aspen tree.   Later in the day we found a cell phone and one of those cards casinos issue.

Degenerates are the people who throw trash and make the natural environment a mess.  Some degenerates go to extremes to show their insanity.  In one vault toilet we found a degenerat had defecated on the floor in the corner.  Apparently the degenerate did not understand how the hole with the toilet seat worked.

Carl is 80, and Mikie is an old woman who served 16 years in the Army as among other things a drill sergeant.  Bill like Carl was an old copper miner.  So the truck had three miners and an old soldier. Somehow Kadizzle ended up being the machine gunner.  That is the guy who shoots the pressure washer down the hole to clean the mess.  It is a dangerous job because stuff flies everywhere.  Kadizzle takes the wand and yells to Carl " Fire in the hole",   Carl fires up the pressure washer and the joint is sanitized.

Cliff Dwelling

The morning is chilly, but the heat will come.  Flowers are blooming in the desert and the Kadizzles have been dispensing trail information at the National Monument Cliff Dwellings above our camp site.  The time is nearing to head north.  Mrs. Kadizzle has been craving property in Payson for three years so the Kadizzles have invested in a one acre lot in Payson.  Oh what fun it will be to build a house.  The big anniversary, birthday combo is coming.  March 21 is the historic day when Kadizzle tied the knot and also the day he was born.

Starting to Cook

Hot even for Arizona this time of year.  After a long cycle ride through the desert which is lush with greenery Kadizzle barely made it back. Just as he turned home the front tire went flat.  Made it back, but changing the tire tube will be a bitch.  Kenny the Crazy and Rhonda just got back from their hike. They tried to do Browns Peak yesterday, but Kenny did not do the trail research as instructed. Flowers are going nuts, and it is about the time of day for a cold one.  The big going away party for the volunteers was this morning. They gave us a nice feed and a backpack.  Kadizzle suggested they also have an appreciation party for the prisoners and offered to buy the hamburgers.  The Department of Corrections workers as they are formerly known are critical to keeping this place going.  According to the big cheese the volunteers in our group contributed $500,000 worth of labor to The National Forest Service.   So people who think the government is cheating them need to get out and see how much free labor the tax payer is getting and quit bitching.  Time to go harass Kenny and Rhonda.  They are delux RV people with a TV on the side of their Hefalump 45 foot ring a ding.  Maybe they will turn on the News and we can see what lie Trump told today.

Kayak Apache Lake

The kayaks launched at the marina on Apache Lake.  Spectacular scenery surrounds the lake.  The Salt River flows throw a massive canyon and looks a lot like the Grand Canyon.  For hours we paddled and enjoyed the various coves.  Stopping for lunch we went to a hidden camp site and ate our sandwiches.  Like a lot of experience in this area we had ignored this one for two long.  The cliffs all over the lake looked like they would be so much fun if only the water was warmer.

Spring in the Southwest

Yesterday we hauled water to another trail crew.  In the course of finding them we encountered a man in his 80's.  Since 2000 he has spent 2000 days searching for Indian sites. He has found hundreds.  His knowledge is extensive.  The Kadizzles chatted him up for about an hour before we went on with the water mission. The number of people who were in this area 600 years ago was amazing.  Ruins are everywhere.

Today we are assembling a kayak trip on Apache Lake.  Perhaps later we can post some nice pictures.

The Booger

Kadizzle is not a fan of self mutilation. Every time Kadizzle meets a young person with a bone in their nose or a pierced tongue he wonders why would someone one do that? The only reasonable answer seems the person want to show they are different or perhaps they just want to shock people.  So yesterday Kadizzle found an artificial fishing worm in his truck.  Now it occurred to Kadizzle that he could use this worm to retaliate against the checkout girl at the grocery store with a ring in her nose.  Kadizzle invented the old man booger.  Simply put the worm up your nose and check out.  When the check out girl with the infected ring in her nose says " Gross" you just say "  I like your nose ring".

People are out there working

This morning people got up at 5 A. M.  Three native Americans got up after sleeping in tents.  Working for minimum wage they hiked down the Deer Creek trail with picks and shovels to make a better trail for the citizens of our country.  Our trail crew has been clearing the brush for three days.  Rita and Ken picked up garbage in Oregon for free.  Another crew of young people are working for a subsistence wage up on the Arizona Trail  They slept in tents.  A lot of good people are really working to make our country better.

Now you have a bunch of assholes like Donald Trump, and the Republicans trying to take health care away from those on the bottom while they shovel money to those on top.  Those on top woke up on their yachts, beach houses, and golf courses.  They never have enough.  They are entitled.  Dad died and made them rich.  They guy working at the counter handing you food is a welfare cheat, his dad forgot to give him a million like The Donald' s dad did.  According to Paul Ryan the poor, and those old people on social secrutiy are the problem.  The problem is not those eight people who have as much money as the bottom 3.6 billion in the world.  We do not need heath care, what we need is a 21.6 billion dollar wall to keep Mexicans from picking our vegetables.  We need 54 billion dollars for more nuclear bombs.  We need to protect the precious 1% so the 3.6 billion don't come get what they stole.

What is the  answer. Of course it is trickle down economics.  Give the rich more.  It will fall out of their pockets, the poor can pick up the change and prosper.  Everyone can go into business and make a fortuen, it is so easy.  Why bitch?  Trickle down was started by Ronald Reagan in 1978.  Since then all the money has trickled to the top.  That is what the data, the truth, the math says, but their is no longer truth, math, or data.  Now we have Donald Trump, a man who manufactures his own truth every day.  No one cares.  I have a flat screen, a fishing boat with fuel, and Bud Light, I just don't give a shit.  When the time comes I have my gun, and a basement full of food.   So let them welfare cheats bitch, and moan.  Fox News tells me everything is fine, and will only get better as El Trumpo gets the job done.

Just Breathe

Oh I am a lucky man to count on both hands all the ones I love.  Some Folks just have one, others have none.  Sitting here with the sun coming up and the day is going to be fine.  Listening to Willie Nelson with some good advice.  Wake up with the sun put on some good music.  Just breathe.  I wonder every day as I look on your face.  Everything you gave.  Did I say that I need you.  Did I say that I want you. If I didn't I am a fool.  No one knows this more than me as I come clean.  Just breath.

Well the trail season is coming to and end and it is a good thing. The bones of the old folks are hurting.  Getting old is like machinery that has had better days.  The knee is hurting.  Old Kadizzle did not get much done yesterday and the crew told him to stay home today.  Not a bad idea.  So here I sit in ecstasy just watching the sun climb in the sky.

When you go south for the winter you cheat.  You have two summers.  The winter summer is just about over and the time to go north for the summer summer is coming.  The pickup will back underneath the Earth Module and the Kadizzles will follow the geese north.   Spring should hit here like a bomb in the next week or two.  All the rain will make the flowers explode.  Humans have their spring, summer,  winter and fall.  Old age is fall. The leaves are turning yellow like it or not.  Just breathe.

The mule lady

Yesterday was a boring day.  That is not all bad, it was relaxing.  A couple times Kadizzle took off on the motorcycle to get some air.  On one trip Kadizzle went down to the horse camp.  At the camp he met a woman with a couple of mules.  The trail crew needs someone to pack our gear on mules so Kadizzle chatted up the mule lady.  She said she was doing the Arizona Trail with her mules and volunteered to help. so perhaps we can put something together.  If we can get our gear on the back of a mule instead of on the back of a lumpy Kadizzle that would be a victory.

Well it is Monday morning and Rita and Ken are gone, so that leaves three of us to work.  We may go up to the Deercreek trail and join a trailcrew of younger people.  So let the day unfold.

Volunteer Town

Slowly volunteer town has jelled as a community, and today we will have a nice barbecue turkey compliments of Kenny and Rhonda.  Who lives in volunteer town?  Way down on the end towards Globe is Johnny.  Johnny is in his late 80's.  Johnny was here when the place was built and he is a human blueprint. Johnny rides around and when someone wants to know where a pipe is buried or a valve is Johnny knows.  Johnny is a good strong liberal and fun to talk to.  Johnny always rides and goes everywhere with his little dog.  Faye is next. She lives by herself in her camper, and has a house in Payson. Faye does secretary work at the visitor center.  Dave lives down on that end in his truck camper and he does water research.  Down on our end we have Cliff, Kenny and Rhonda,  The Quinns, and the mean nasty unneighborly Eric.  Eric is a bald little round man who gets a salary.  Eric did not plan well for his retirement and resents those who did. Eric thinks volunteers are freeloaders,  so Eric stays away from everyone and lives his little life of misery.

So tonight our young boss Cory will bring his bride to be and her parents to our ring dang do.  There will be cheesecake, chocolate cake and of course the turkey.  Last night we had a nice campfire with Kenny and Rhonda. Cory stopped by.  Life is good here.  Every day after work we have a drink on the veranda overlooking the lake. We have fun joking and giving each other a hard time.  Everyone helps each other and life is good.

Today will be a rest and relax day. Maybe a motorcycle ride is in order.  The weather looks perfect for the party tonight.

Winter Home

Riding the Yamaha yesterday I got out on a little point on Lake Roosevelt. The picture above was the result. If you examine the picture, our Earth Module is on the lake right below the For Peaks. The Four peaks are the highest mountains in the background.  The lake has come up at an astonishing rate this year from the rain and snow.

The idea

Kadizzle has been plagued his entire life by laziness.  In the back of his mind an idea has been percolating for a long time.  North Dakota has been plagued by a Republican regime for a long time.  Trump has emboldened the dictatorship of the Republicans in North Dakota.  Republican attempts to wreck revenge on the Native Americans is a case in point. Kadizzle is not taking side in the oil dispute. However, the Republican proposal to open up casinos owned by the state to punish the Natives is a perfect example of Republican drunk on power.

How can sanity take back the state? Kadizzle's idea is to make use of a little known resource.  In every little town in North Dakota there is a community access channel. Hoeven, Cramer, and our local lickspittles are running scared of town hall meetings.  Town hall meetings could be held on the local public access channel.  Now the key is for a group to control the meeting that is not the Republican gang.  So now the lickspittles show up and cannot control  the flow of information.  Naturally they will refuse to show up.  So what you will end up with is a television set with chairs for the people to be interviewed. If the representative does not show up a dummy with Cramer's name or whomever it happens to be will be placed in the chair. The interview will go on.  The great thing is the public cannot be denied access to this channel.

Ken and Rita leave the crew

Ken and Rita had their last day on the trail crew yesterday.  Most people in their forties could not keep up with them hiking and clearing brush. For sure Kadizzle could not keep up with them.  When we clear trails we have lilly trimming, a five year cut and a ten year cut.  Ken and Rita did the ten year cut and left some wonderful trail work behind them.  More of us old goats need to get out and do some public service.  To do a little bragging Kadizzle would say the trail crew consisting of no one under the age of 67 has cut the brush off of more than a hundred miles of trails.  The Forest Service figures our work is worth $20 per hour.  We have been averaging four people.  That would be eighty dollars per hour, or about $2000 per week.  That is money that tax payers don't have to pay.  Republicans love to say starve the goverment and make is so small you can drown it in the bath tub.  Republicans love to say the government is wasteful and inefficient.  The Forest Service here has about 60 people working for free.  Do the math and it saves the Forest Service over one half million dollars per year. That is pretty damn efficient in my opinioin.  Now look at the real insane waste the Republican love. 21 billion for Trump's wall, 54 billion for new military toys and nukes.  Wow, what could we do with that kind of cheese?  We could pave every trail in the United States, or maybe just pay teachers or have health care. No, we want bombs and walls.

Day Three of a Three day week.

As usual the trail crew is up early.  Awake at five A.M. make the coffee, and get up to date.  The rain yesterday brought the streams to life and there are some great water features, but you cannot get to them. Today will be a brushing day.  Old Kadizzle's leg is too sore to hike up any trails. The rest of the crew may buzz up Frazier Trail and try to get it up to snuff.  Next week should be nice and it seems like the rattlers are out or will be soon.  Tomorrow will be the start of our long weekend.  Soon the Earth Module will move north.

Close call on the Apache Trail

This morning the trail crew needed an easy day so we set off to pick up garbage on the Apache Trail.  If you have been to Arizona you know the Apache Trail is where everyone in Phoenix takes their visitors to scare them and show them the splendor of AZ.  So down the trail we go. Kadizzle was driving and not paying close attention. Cliff said with emphasis " Stop a car went over back there".  When you go over on the Apache Trail you are usually dead.   Backing up there it was a care in the most precarious position down the side of a cliff.  Quickly we checked to see if anyone was hurt or inside.  The car was abandoned and locke.  How the person got out was a mystery. On the downhill side if you opened the door you would fall hundreds of feet.  All that kept the car on the edge of the cliff was a small tree.  Apparently the driver got out and someone drove for help with the driver.  Later we found this was the case.

So we spent the day picking up garbage that degenerates leave in the National Forest.  No doubt most degenerates are Trump voters.  They throw down their beer cans, cigarettes, and trash because this is their America. Of course we have to pick it up to make America Great again.  After a couple truckloads of garbage we were done for the day.  Part of our mission was picking up the televisions the degenerates shoot at.  Televisions are executed on a regular basis by the NRA loving degenerates.  If you live in Arizona and are a strong Republican that supports the NRA you must take your old TV out in the desert and shot it.  This will show you can defend yourself against programs you do not like.  NPR would be ideal to have on when you unload your glock on the TV.  Well we have to pick up the corpse of your old TV.  The brave gunmen are ready if a TV ever attacks them.

The itch starts

The end of the season is coming and soon it will be time to head back to the Dakota.  It is a transition we do every year.  Mrs. Kadizzle wants to stay here to the last moment.  Mr. Kadizzle thinks of all the stuff that needs to be done back at base to get the good ship ready to go in the water and so forth.  Had a great Jeep ride with John yesterday up the Two Bar Trail.  Moma Cheech is having a great time with Evie.  Now the professional worrier Mrs Kadizzle is going nuts because the water system may not be working for the Forest Service.  Mrs. Kadizzle always likes to panic way ahead of time. The picture above is from the hike up Sycamore Creek the other day.  Wonderful hike when the water is flowing.

The Adventure Club goes up the creek

Over the years the Kadizzles have made many friends as we travel the southwest.  Yesterday we got together with seven of our traveling friends and went up Sycamore Creek.  It was a great group adventure. Two four wheel drive trucks, and thankfully Cliff's jeep headed up the creek.  The road was terrible even by local standards. The trucks made it to the second creek crossing.  After assessing the crossing we made the right decision not to take the trucks.  Cliff blasted through with his jeep which he had stuck there in three or four feet of water a week earlier.   Cliff made it, but almost tipped over into the deep water.  Cliff's jeep will only seat two, so he had to have one in the passenger seat and two on the bumper as he ferried us up to the trail head.

Kadizzle did not think he would like the creek hike, but it turned out to be a very nice surprise.  The water falls were spectacular, and the hike along the creek was great.  The grade was nice and now our trail crew is thinking about going back and working on the trail.  The trail may be the ideal camp out project. Since there is water in the stream it will make it ideal.

Windy in the desert

All night the wind howled.  After a day of trail work some sleep was in order, but not always available.  Yesterday the crew worked up Cottonwood Canyon.  First we met two guys hiking the Arizona Trail . They told us to check them out on their blog The Dusty Camel.  Also they told us about a Japanese guy hiking behind them.  Soon as we drove the bulky Dodge up the terrible road we ran into the single Japanese man coming down the road.  He explained he spoke very poor English.  Kadizzle explained the shot cut to him that would take him more quickly to civilization.  It is great to see people using the trail we work so hard on.
We have some strong old geezers on our crew.  The two newest members Ken and Rita are both 69.  Kadizzle lags behind when Ken,Rita, Cliff, and Mrs. Kadizzle begin their blast off down the trail.  Kadizzle has been working on the tread of the trail removing boulders, stumbling rocks and fixing up the path.  The rest of the crew is doing brushing.  Not long into the day two horseback riders from the Two Bar ranch came up the trail looking for cattle.

Today is a day off and we may buzz into Globe and get some supplies.  The return of some good weather will be welcome.

Old Men

Three old guys, one already 70, and two pretty close blasted down the Salt River on the cycles and an ATV.  Some nice scenery resides along Lake Apache.   Chuck is new to these roads.  We decided to take a buzz up a side road and Chuck dug himself in deep with his cycle in the sand.  A minor problem, but a good lesson.

Today the plan is to do some more exploring. There are so many places to go and we always have the same problem.  If you come to this area, you have to plan to stay long enough to see everything.  This will be the problem with Stroupini. Like so many that have just retired Chuck cannot slow down and realize he has plenty of time.  People like the idea of schedules and commitments.  That is what you have to get over when you retire.

Entertain Stroupini

Later today Stroupini will show up from the Crazy Club.  The mission will be to host Stroupini.  One major problem the weather is going south.  Perhaps we can tour around in the truck. We could buzz up to four peaks, up into the Sierra Anka mountains, or if the rain is not actually falling we can do a level motorcycle buzz on the back jeep roads.

Housing Chuck will be a problem.  The Earth Module is really only suitable for sleeping two, but we can make the table into a bed for Stroupini.  Snoring is the devil.  Supposedly Chuck snores so Cliff wants no part of a snoring dog.  Kadizzles plan is to do a test snore on Chuck.  If Chuck sleeps in the Earth Module and snoring is not an issue, then maybe he can move in with Cliff.  If nothing else works Stroupini and sleep in his tent.  He does not seem to mind.

Finally they go the gate fixed to our gated community.  Now we have the status of pushing buttons to get in here.  The degenerates will have to work harder to rob us.

Cliff was a camp host so he knows everyone and their grandmother.  Yesterday we rode around with his Jeep and put the cackle on all his old buddies.  Cissie went on a hike up Barnhart Trail with Donna, so Kadizzle had a nice lazy day yesterday. Today Mrs. Kadizzle went to town with Cliff so more free time. Life is good a little sunshine would not hurt.

Little Men

Kadizzle has been obsessed with the fact that we now have an obviously insane man as president.  Trump lies, and lies, and lies.  The big irritation is the spineless Republicans who act like it is not happening.  Not a one of the spineless globs of jello will demand accountability.  So in about an hour Kadizzle will call the North Dakota offices of his representatives in Washington and ask why they ignore the continual lying inf the crazy man.  Yesterday the most amazing thing happened.  A Fox News commentator went nuts and spoke the truth.  This is absolutely amazing when Fox News attacks the lying president.

Stroupini Arrives

Chuck in his old pickup truck made it to our encampment yesterday from North Dakota.  Quickly we unloaded his cycle, and after Kadizzle retrieved the trail crew from up on the mountain Chuck and Kadizzle set out to test Stroupini's cycle skills.  We went up and down Mill's ridge with no problems and then tried the harder road over the mountain.  A little hesitant Stoupini made the first part OK.  Now it was time to see how he could handle the mean stuff.  Kadizzle figured he could try about 100 yards of the hard stuff.  Chuck immediately had a minor crash and it was evident we were not going over the mountain.  So now we know what roads we can go on.  Stoupini will return on Saturday and the fun will continue.

Today is a day off and the sun will be out and glorious. The rattlesnakes have made some appearances. Kenny picked up a dead one and saved the rattles.  So here we sit the lake is coming up and so is the sun.

Evie joins the Crew

The old Grandma is out on the trail with Cliff, Ken, and Rita.  Kadizzle and the crew tried to put up a sign, but the battery for the drill was dead, so Kadizzle hauled the crew up to Cottonwood Trail to hike back down. Kadizzle will pick them up around noon.  Stoupin should show up here any moment with his cycle in the back of his truck.  We will unload his Yamaha, and he will come back Saturday to begin some adventures. Stroupini will really love this area for hiking and riding.  

So up above is my new little buddy.  Cheech is so excited to have the little crum grinder. Grandpa cannot wait until she is old enough to play with Grandpa.  Two year olds are a bundle of fun. As a Granpa you have all the fun and no work.  Sam is getting the dad routine down.  Seeing little Evie looking around with those wonderful eyes is a buzz for Gramps.  Megan will have so much joy being a mom. 

Back in the Saddle

Yesterday we buzzed up past Peter Bigfoots and worked on the Revis Trail.  We have two new crew members Rita and Ken.  They are hard working and have spent many years doing trail work in Glacier Park.  Only Mrs. Kadizzle is younger than Kadizzle on the crew.  The older guys out work and out hike old Kadizzle.  Carrying Little Joey up and down the mountain is a job.  So it looks like we might go back up there an try to finish that trail today.  Too much soreness and Kadizzle is not looking forward to it.

Yesterday Darch rolled in. Darch is 72 and nuts about mountain biking. Darch and his friend intend to bike down the Arizona trail from Mills ridge.  This will be an amazing feat if he pulls it off.  That trail is mostly downhill, but steep and rocky.  The report at the end of the day will be interesting.

Darch and his gang are all Canadian. Canadians are amazed at the Trump insanity in this country.  So back to the morning update.

City Danger

Across the street is the little burrito place.  Forty steps to a fat boy burrito, or a few other Mexican treats.  Out the door, turn right 172 steps and you are at the self serve ice cream joint.  Pull the lever, have  them weigh it and gain weight.  Up the street turn left walk a block, excellent nice new eating place.  Go farther huge beer selection. Almost forgot, taco place has Mexican Coke in glass bottles.  Every direction mini bakeries, and little shops with goodies.  This is all about the danger of a fat man in a big city.

The Thai food went though Kadizzle like molten lave and three pounds were lost, but surely it is back by now.  Fresh bagels for breakfast, and it will be good pizza tonight.  Will the plane be able to lift Kadizzle off the ground and make Pennsylvania lighter, and Arizona heavier on Sunday?

Binging on TV

This has been the winter when the Kadizzles have been addicted to TV movies.  The series " The Americans", has consumed countless hours of our evening times.  In the Earth Module we watch it on CDs from Netflix.  At Megan's we can watch it on the streaming services.  The series is captivating.  The story is about two Russians that are slipped into the U.S. as spies. They play the role of a married couple and have children.  In the day time they run a travel agency.  At night they murder, spy, and do as the U.S.S. R demands.  Their children don't know they are spies, until the teenage daughter figures it out.  Now they may make her a spy.

At times we end up watching four or five episodes.  The series is set in the seventies and eighties.  Also we have partaken in "The Young Pope" another bizarre story on how the Catholic Church operates.

Snow is falling and CNN is blaring.  Trump has already told his daily lie.  Yesterday we did a brief tour of Philadelphia.  The household is revolving around the new grandchild.  Megan is so full of joy as a new mom.  Grandpa knew Megan would love the role of Mom.

Fighting to restore democracy

With my eagle named Trump vulture the Kadizzles walked about Philadelphia the birthplace of democracy.  A once proud nation is now ruled by a ego maniac, and we do what we can to fight the fight with words and deeds.  Trump Vulture is being trained to swoop down on orange wigs and reveal the brainless hole beneath.

Kadizzle Mansion.

This is an early photo of the mansion on Howard Hill where Kadizzle lived briefly in an apartment in his twenties.  The place has a very interesting history. The original owner had 5 million dollars back in the thirties. Imagine in today's dollars what that would be.

The picture above is the carriage house where the horses lived.  You can see the carriage house in the background in the picture above.

Make America Great

Walking the streets of Philadelphia it seems like making America great again is going to be a big job.  Sidewalks are a shambles. Trash is everywhere, and just about everyone has a weed hanging out their mouth. The dirt and disorganization seem like a virus.  The mass transit is outdated, and the buildings can hardly stand up straight.

What happens when you shovel all the money to a few and leave everyone else behind? Well the old "drain the swamp" Trumpster is going to fix all that.  He has one brilliant idea every day.  Yesterday he tweeted that any poll that disagrees with him is false news.  Wow, once more.  If only Kadizzle could have come home and told his parents the poor grades on his report card were false news.  Teachers are the enemy spreading false news.

Today old Kadizzle may go visit the battleship New Jersey.  Once Trump starts his war on terror it will surely be put back in service.

I wouuld rather be in Philadelphia

W.C. Fields was always a role model for Kadizzle.  "I lost the cork to my lunch" was one of his famous remarks. On his grave stone are the words " I would rather be in Philadelphia.  Well, that is where Kadizzle woke up.  Driving to Cheech's home seemed like an endless run through an America that is badly in need of some clean up and repair.  The East coast seems to be one industrialized mess from one end to the other. To make America great Donald Trump is going to need a big broom. The tranquil west looks pretty good after seeing so many people living in run down boxes here.

So now we have seen the new little Evie.  What an undertaking raising a child. It seems so long to get them to each more cumbersome and expensive stage, but what would we do without them?

Grandpa and Grandma will be servants in the house for a week or two.

Among the priviledged

Here the Kadizzles sit in the United Airlines lounge for people who cannot stand to be around the regular riffraff of the airport.  All the little goodies one can eat, TV watching, and that special feeling you get when you piss money away.  If all goes well we will be in the presence of Evie by days end.

The shock of cold reality hit when we stepped off the plane from Phoenix.  Lately we have been using Uber and the service is better than a cab.  The guy who picked us up last night from dinner said we were the second customers he has every had. The regular taxi guy who took us to the airport says Uber is illegal in Phoenix.  It sure would not be hard to catch them. You could just call and have them come to the police station.  Something is amiss in the kingdom.

Life is more fun now that the Trump circus is in full bloom. Lord Cheeto is doing his best to ruin the country as fast as he can, but after a week of destruction he needed a vacation.

Off To Philadelphia

Let the journey begin. The Kadizzles will start the process to meet the latest Kadizzlite. Cheech and her newborn are on the other side of the country.  From the peaceful tranquil mountains of Arizona we will first go through the insane urban sprawl of Phoenix.  The land were old people go to stay warm.  The land were people live in walled compounds for the elderly, concentration camps with shuffle boards and swimming pools. They concentrate on getting old. 

First to Denver, and then on to Philadelphia.  Never been there.  Kadizzle may take some fiberglass equipment to fix the crack in the liberty bell.