Sunday  April 12

I made it through the fishing stories and we have moved on to other things as no more fishing till next week as the park and river has been taken over by holiday weekend campers. Even with the crummy weather they have showed up in mass. Guess it must have been a long winter around here. 

On Saturday we decided we needed to go for a ride and took off for Durango taking the scenic route through Ignacio, CO. 

By the time we go to Durango we ran into a snow squall so we just couldn't stop and go walking in tourist trap heaven. Oh break my heart.  We drove the main street up and back. Stopped at a Durango Food Coop for some ten grain cereal and cream of wheat. We do eat some good stuff. 

We have been to Durango and taken the Durango and Silverton Train several times (do check out the pictures on their site) so it was not like a new destination to explore in detail, so off we went to where else Wal Mart. I found a nice set of mini speakers for the my new Mini netbook computer. 

They are about 3 X 5 and only $12. 
It was a nice drive and the snow showers subsided to partly cloudy with just a little sun breaking through so the weekenders could have some campfires and try to stay warm. 

Looking back from high up on HW 550 toward Durango and the Animas river. 

We being wimps and not used to such conditions (AZ winter weather was not this uncertain) retreated to the comfort of the 5er and settled in for a night of HD TV with a batch of ham hocks and been soup. As they say it was yummy and I ate too much and felt a  little bloated. That will relieve itself a little later me thinks. No open flames allowed.

I worked on setting up Pure Networks Magic so I can get remote access to our main desktop files and programs.
This blog entry was done remotely on my mini unit. Some may say so... but to me WOW. Sure I could get up and walk a few feet and do the blog on the main PC  but this is more fun. And besides Terry is on that unit right now. 

Back to the weekend campers... I remember well the years when we were in that situation and when leaving on Sunday seeing the fulltimers smiling as they knew in short order they would have the campground to themselves soon. Now we are on that side of things. Monday looks to be sunny and warmer. Terry will be fly fishing as in lunker hunting me thinks. Anyway have a good Easter if that is your thing. 
 
 

The weather here at Navajo Dam NM has not been particularly conducive to fly fishing the last few days, with lots of wind and a couple of cold, snowy days.  I however have persevered,  getting a bit of fishing in when I can,  picking up the hints and tips needed to master the art of fly fishing the San Juan River. 

Tuesday at Abe's I was able to pick up a few fishing tips for the flats above the Texas hole, and I immediately began to follow the friendly advice that they gave me.  Tuesday night found me tying a few more super secret bound to work flies in a size 26 hook, (think in terms of very tiny, very hard to see,  lots of light and magnification.  Needless to say the flies were not a joy to tie, but after the first couple I got the hang of it and turned out a half dz. of the needed midges and nymphs.  I also had to tie a couple of yarn float indicators.

Wednesday we had an all day vigil waiting for the notebook to arrive from Amazon, but I was able to go fish for a while in the morning while the wind was still calm.  With my new flies and armed with the new fishing tips I was ready to tackle the upper flats, above the Texas Hole, but ended up in the Kiddie pool just above the Texas Hole,  It was relatively sheltered from the wind,  many of the other areas were directly in the line of the wind, and not very fishable.  After rigging up I was able to hook but not land a number of nice fish before the wind made it impossible to fish, after the third wind knot I called it a day and went back to the trailer for lunch. 

The rest of Wednesday afternoon was spent checking the web to see if UPS had delivered the Notebook to Abe's.  All day the status remained arrival scan in Farmington.  We finally went to Abe's at Five PM and the notebook had been delivered and Ron was like a kid at Christmas... New Toys!!! OH Boy - Oh Boy!!!!!

(Ron here) Terry wanted to break into the box on the way back from Abe's. I said you can take the bow off, but not the Christmas wrapping...

Today was supposed to be very windy and not conducive to fishing, but after getting up late and a bit of breakfast I was able to get to the river about 10:30AM and the wind was not to terrible.  I again found my self in the Kiddie Pool as it was the most sheltered area to fish, and I was almost immediately able to catch a 12" rainbow trout, then a 10" shortly after that, along with a number of missed strikes and thrown hooks.  (this is getting to be too easy) 

I was able to spy the final fish of the day when the sun briefly came out and the fish moved to take a nymph.  I then was able to cast a few feet above the fish and watch my strike indicator float past the fish as the fish moved to take my nymph,  a slight twitch to the strike indicator and set the hook.  We were off to the races,  the fish took off down stream then came back at me.  I held the fly rod high and began to strip in line  after accumulating 8 to 10 ft of line I began to try and get the fish on the reel,  Holding the fly rod high and locking the fly line under my index finger I began to reel in the excess line. 

With most of the line on the reel a all of the sudden felt and oddness to the reel's action and discovered that the fly reel had come out of the reel seat.  Now I am holding the fly rod high fighting a struggling fish, trying to get the reel seated and the wind is starting to howl up through the canyon, what else can go wrong?  Finally with the fish tiring and coming to me I was able to reach behind for my net,  then scoop up the fish while the wind at the same time took of my hat and blew it upstream.  When the Hat blew off the chin strap snagged my sunglasses and drug them off also, depositing the sunglasses in the water at my feet. 

Now with my hat up stream and drifting back towards me and my sunglasses sinking to the bottom of the river I had to get the fly rod and net handle in one hand,  reach elbow deep into the river to retrieve my sunglasses that were rapidly sinking to the bottom of the river and floating downstream before they got out of reach then snag on to my hat as it floated past, while trying to keep the net and fly rod balanced in my other hand.  I do not think I was presenting a very pretty picture to the world. 

With all of my equipment secured I was able to turn my attention to my fish, which while thrashing around in the net had dislodged the hook and tangled my leader and fly into the webbing of the net.  A quick release of the fish and a very tedious untangling in a very high wind and I was starting to think that It might be time to call it a morning and go home for lunch,  no use tempting the river spirits,  they might have more punishment to inflect, so I very very carefully waded to Terra Firma and drove very slowly and carefully up the dam and back to the trailer. 

OK Terry did a nice discription of his fishing adventures BUT as you can see no pictures...

I just had to insert one so you could see what I have been doing all day.  I'm in my zone setting up my new Mini. When I go back the the desktop to retrive files or look at settings I can't believe how large the monitor is and the mouse fills my hand. I love my little precise machine. 

I got the wireless router to share files between my mini and the desktop so I can see the desktop C drive and can also print to the printer connected to the desktop. This is fun stuff...  Oh...  the red drink is cranberry juice and vodka. (A Dennis Rodman drink special as seen on the Celebrity Apprentice TV show. 
 
 

 (04/08/09)  AM) Called the hospital and they said the account is now shown paid in full after talking with my insurance company late yesterday.  WOW after 9 months this is resolved. And we wonder why our health care system is so screwed up. Now to get my issues with the state of SD solved. UPS showes my new computer arrived in Farmington at 8 AM. 

We were watching American Idol via DirecTV DVR last night and just as Adam Lambert was to start to perform the damn machine sez do you want to keep or delete this show. The one hour was up and the show ran over and it didn't record. So we missed his best yet, one that Simon Cowel even did a standing ovation for I hear.. And we missed it. Looked on YouTube but didn't find it. If it is online somewhere let me know.

Later went for a reide to Abe's  and UPS had dropped off my new computer.   So now you know what I'm dong for day and days...
 

On Monday we went for a ride to Farmington to check out toys for big boys.  I have been thinking of gtting a second computer of some sort. A IPod Touch, Mini Netbook, or fullfledged laptop so we went looking. I have found this out in years past Farmington has all the big box stores burt nothing in them.  The standard reply is we are just a small big box store, we don't carry those. 
If they don't want the sales so be it.... I came home and ordered a new Mini Netbook from Amazon.com and will get it Wednesday.

Do check out the specs. 
ASUS Eee PC 1000HE 10-Inch Netbook (1.66 GHz Intel Atom N280 Processor, 1 GB RAM, 160 GB Hard Drive, 10 GB Eee Storage, Bluetooth, XP Home, 9.5 Hour Battery Life) Black
Also ordered 2 Gig Ram upgrade for it for $19 

Abe's the  local motel and fly shop will accept the FedEx package for me.

I had MyHomeAddressInc. send my fail forwarding to me here in Navajo Dam. Now today am doing the normal after the fact responding to snail mail.  I try to have all things done online but I have a few lingering items that needed to be taken care of. 

I have sent to the SD Motor Vehicle Dept twice all the paper trail they requested for a refund on the error on paying taxes on the new 5er. They keep saying they never receive my mail. Again today they are looking for the Priority mail signature required mail they signed for on receipt.  Going to call me back. If they say they can't find it again, I scanned all seven pages I sent them and made a web page so they can just go and look at them. Wonder what response I will get with the forward thinking idea. 

Next still struggling with a small hospital  ($313) bill from last July if you can believe that. The insurance company sez I don't owe anything and they are talking to the hospital to get them not to bill me. That has been going on for 9 months.  The last was they sent a letter to me and the hospital and we both each didn't receive it. Now today they faxed it to me and the hospital. Guess what, they say they got a confermation it was received, but I still didn't get it. Need to call them again tomorrow.

Next item I had to deal with today is a  Or new 5er has a Nor Cold large double door stainless steel 4 door refrigerator.   A small section of door seal came loose. Called Nor Cold and got a case number and was told the seals are not replaceable.  The whole door has to be replaced. (how do these companies stay in business). AND since they have changed vender and design all four doors will need to be replaced. All for a two inch section of seal that failed. Can't make money on that deal. Who designed that. 
Called the NuWa factory and they were right on top of it and called me back saying the doors are being shipped to them and will be replaced when I get other work done at their service center on our way back to Iowa at the end of May. 
 

Anyway Terry went fishing as it is one of those rare nice days we have seen so far. Upper 60s.  He is excited as he caught a lunker the other day. 

But for now going outside and sit in the sun while overlooking the lake, and contemplate life while thinking of someone who sent us a very nice email who remembers fondly their special stay in this campground years ago. 
 
 
 

Woke up to the white stuff.  This is the first we have seen snow in several years. And yes I do remember what it is like. 
Spent many a winter back in Iowa battling those conditions. No more thank you.

Navajo Dam, NM

So we are sitting tight and hanging out in our new 5er. Might head in to Farmington on Sunday to get a Sunday paper. Might need propane and look at Wal*Mart and Best Buy for some new toys. Since Tioga George went off and got an iPod Touch I started looking at them. I've already downloaded  iTunes checking out the Apps. Bob from www.because-we-can.net got a tiny mini notebook computer so he could continue to blog while on their summer European trip. I have been looking at them also and my pick on that would be a HP Mini Notebook.  But for just a little more money can get a decent Compaq Presario laptop. So don't know if I want or even need anything, but sitting here thinking about a new FRED (you do know what a Fred is don't you? (A F*^king RidiculousElectronic Device). 

Found this picture when I loaded the snow picture from the camera. 

That was potato rolls and sugar free carrot cake from a few days ago. 
Terry is making a chicken stew dumplings pot pie something or other for supper. 
We have also broke down and are watching the Final Four from Detroit. 

Michican State just won their game. What you think I'm twittering  in real time or something.
 
 

There are times, like today, when I am proud to have been born and raised in the Great State of Iowa.  A rural state in the heartland of this country, we have many times lead the nation in thoughts and deeds. We have done just that again with a Unanimous Iowa Supreme Court ruling that upheld a Polk County judge's 2007 ruling that marriage should not be limited to one man and one woman.

 This is the same state that brought Barack Obama to the forefront, as we told the rest of the country, here is a leader we should pay attention to. Being a state of few minorities, (97% white) we listened and studied what leadership was needed in the coming years and in our wisdom held up Barack Obama as that person.. 

Now we are in the forefront again on civil rights, as we were way back in 1839. Today Supreme Court Justice Mark Cady, who wrote the unanimous decision, at one point invoked the courts first ever decision, in 1839, which struck down slavery laws 17 years before the U.S. Supreme Court upheld the right of a slave owner to treat a person as property.

The ruling:
Iowa's gay marriage ban “is unconstitutional, because the county has been unable to identify a constitutionally adequate justification for excluding plaintiffs from the institution of civil marriage,” Cady wrote in the 69 page opinion that seemed to dismiss the concept of civil unions as an option for gay couples.
“A new distinction based on sexual orientation would be equally suspect and difficult to square with the fundamental principles of equal protection embodied in our constitution,” Cady wrote.
The ruling, however, also addressed what it called the “religious undercurrent propelling the same-sex marriage debate,” and said judges must remain outside the fray. 
Some Iowa religions are strongly opposed to same-sex marriages, the justices noted, while some support the notion.
“Our constitution does not permit any branch of government to resolve these types of religious debates and entrusts to courts the task of ensuring that government avoids them,” the opinion says.
The ruling explicitly does not affect “the freedom of a religious organization to define marriage it solemnizes as unions between a man and a woman,” the justices stressed. 
Iowa justices rejected all arguments and concluded that none of the stated objectives of the law “are furthered in a substantial way by the exclusion of same-sex couples from civil marriage. 
The case, Varnum vs. Brien, involved couples who sued Polk County Recorder Timothy Brien in 2005 after his office denied them marriage licenses. Hanson sided with the couples last year but then suspended his decision pending a high court ruling.
“The court’s ruling shows Iowa is a place that celebrates fairness and equality for all Iowans,” said Connie Ryan Terrell, executive director of the Interfaith Alliance of Iowa. “It upholds the spirit of Iowa’s constitution, which clearly states each of us has the right to equal protection and recognition under the law.”
The ruling, viewed nationally and at home as a victory for the gay rights movement, and means Iowa’s 5,800 gay couples can legally marry in Iowa beginning April 24. There are no residency rules for marriage in Iowa, so the rule would apply to any couple who wanted to travel to Iowa.

I am not here to debate the issues except to say... In this land, (unlike what happened in California) any so called majority should not have the right to abridge the civil rights of any class of people. Once in while we as a country get it right and today is one of those days. We only have one planet, one life, we should all get along.

Now go out and have a nice campfire or something, and enjoy life as we know it. 

Terry is off fly fishing as it is in the lower 60s at 2 PM, untill the wind shuts him down. Dropping temps tonight with highs in the 30s on Saturday. A nice beef roast for supper. 

Update: This statement from an Iowa State Senator.

State Senator Matt McCoy of Iowa, the first openly gay member of the Iowa Legislature, explains why the Iowa Supreme Court decision to legalize gay marriage is unlikely to be reversed.
   1) Iowa's history of civil rights leadership
   2) Iowans familiarity with and rejection of extreme social conservatism
   3) Lengthy process for constitutional amendments

The statement is available as text below and in a five minute YouTube video.

Hello.  I’m Matt McCoy.  I represent the south side of Des Moines, Senate District 31 in the Iowa Senate.  I’m a lifelong Iowan, an former Eagle Scout, community development director, a father, and the first openly gay member of the Iowa Legislature.
Today is a red letter day for the state of Iowa.  All of Iowa’s citizens now have equal protection under the law. 
Thousands of Iowans who have worked hard, raised families, and paid taxes will now be afforded the opportunity to marry.  Fair minded people throughout our state support equality for all. 
I have never been more proud of all the Iowans who have worked continuously for the advancement of human rights for all.
Today we in Iowa are sending a message to all Americans, gay and straight.  If you are looking for a great place to live, a place where people treat their neighbors with respect, please consider coming to Iowa to work, to invest and to raise a family.
Unlike the fight in California, I believe that this issue is settled. Iowans will move on to fixing our economy, providing health care to our citizens and making our state a better place to live.
Here’s why I believe Iowa will not go backwards when it comes to civil rights.
One, Iowa has a long history of civil rights leadership. 
In 1839, the Iowa Supreme Court rejected slavery in a decision that found that a slave named Ralph became free when he stepped on Iowa soil, 26 years before the end of the Civil War decided the issue.
In 1868, the Iowa Supreme Court ruled that racially segregated "separate but equal" schools had no place in Iowa, 85 years before the U.S. Supreme Court reached the same decision.
In 1873, the Iowa Supreme Court ruled against racial discrimination in public accommodations, 91 years before the U.S. Supreme Court reached the same decision.
In 1869, Iowa became the first state in the union to admit women to the practice of law.
Two, social conservatives have made their case to Iowans and been rejected.
The Iowa Republican Party is one of the most conservative in the country.  For example, the Republican winners of the Iowa Presidential Caucuses include Pat Robertson, Pat Buchanan, and Mike Huckleebe.
Here in Iowa, the Republican Party has focused on fringe issues for some time.  And Iowans have responded by electing Democrats. 
In less than a decade, legislative debate has moved from considering laws banning gay Iowans from adopting children or being foster parents to passage of legislation protecting children from bullying in schools, expanding Iowa’s civil rights protections to include sexual orientation and transgender, a vote AGAINST amending the Constitution to ban gay marriage, and, now, a court decision providing full marriage equality.
Third, the Iowa Constitution can’t be changed quickly.  As I said, we’ve already had one vote in the Iowa Senate on amending the constitution to ban gay marriage, and that failed..  That was when Republicans had the majority.  Every Democrat voted no and enough Republicans joined us to defeat the idea.
Now Democrats control the Iowa House and Senate, and legislative leaders say the issue won’t come up for vote.
Even if it does, Constitutional Amendments must be approved by two different two-year General Assemblies before they go to the people for a vote.
In short, there is no way a flood of out-of-state money can be used to quickly scare Iowans into going backwards on civil rights. 
I believe marriage equality is here to stay.  And Iowans will quickly realize that it is no big deal.
Today Iowa is sending a message to young people, both gay and straight.  If you are looking for a great place to live, a place where people treat their neighbors with respect, come to Iowa to work, to invest and to raise a family.
I’m so proud to be an Iowan today. Thanks for celebrating with us.  And whether you’re gay or straight, think about coming to Iowa to get married.

This is getting a little long, so I step down off the soap box. 
 

We made it through the April 1st. Conficker Internet alert.  Microsoft issued a software update, called a "patch," to protect PCs from vulnerability back in October so I wasn't worried as as you can bet I keep my machine up to date. The story went if you can serf to the microsoft site you don't have the worm. 

Our campground site was due for renewal on the 1st. The host never stopped by so a today we went to the main ranger station an re-upped for another week. Cost a big $28. After that (it was getting to be a big day for us) stopped at the Navajo Dam post office and got my meds sent to general delivery and Terry mailed his taxes. Then can you believe we went all the way to Aztec and did laundry and had lunch at Wendy's. 

I had been watching the Wendy's ads on TV pushing their new fillet of fish sandwich. Well don't bother it was very small (even on a small bun). Looked more like an aptpetizer.. Also pricy. Felt they had been cooked and sat for a time till they dumped them on us. It was about 2:30. Sure didn't look like the picture.

Should have stuck with their good stuff we know and love.

Could have gone to a sit down cafe (there was a Chinese place that we went right by) and got a better late lunch for sure. Now that we had our fast food fix out of the way, went to the Safeway and stocked up again. In their ad was boneless chuck roast for $2.99. Couldn't find it in the meat section. After much fuss they couldn't either. They went in the back and cut us a 2 1/2 lb one for $2.49 a lb. to make us happy. I worked. We tried to do better and not buy out the store as we had just eaten and were full of junk food. Fries heavy with salt and med. diet Coke with caffeine. Ouch I should not have that.  Live and learn I guess.  Or are we getting too senile to figure this out? 

It was clear and got up to the mid 50s today WOW...  heat wave. Our blood must be starting to get thicker as Terry said after we came out of Safeway "Not a bad day".  I just gave him a stare and got in the truck and headed straight to the diesel pump so he could get out and fill it up. 

Having a small ham steak (more salt) with baked sweet potato and small lettuce salad for late supper as we watch the final ER series on TV tonight.

Checked the weather for Friday as Terry wanted to know if he could go fishing... 

He thinks I like to inform him of the shitty conditions.  I'm not... Just because I snicker a little is no reason... 
Guess he gets to make chicken soup or something...

Next week does look better...
 
 
 
 
 
 

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