2011 Reading List

Third Degree - James Patterson
Where Good Ideas Come From - Steven Johnson
Until I Find You - John Irving
Marx in 90 Minuit's -
The Big 3 in Economics - Mark Scousen
The Hunted - Elmore Leonard
The Killing Floor - Lee Child
Lion in the Whitehouse: Teddy Roosevelt - Aida Donald
Why We Get Fat - Gary Taubes
World Made by Hand - James Kunstler

Road 8.0 - Lake Mead

[Las Vegas, NV]

Lake Mead lunch stop.

Lake Mead panorama.

2011 Reading List

3rd Degree, James Patterson - James Patterson
Where Good Ideas Come From - Steven Johnson
Until I Find You - John Irving
Marx in 90 Minutes -
The Big 3 in Economics - Mark Scousen
The Hunted - Elmore Leonard
The Killing Floor - Lee Child
Lion in the Whitehouse: Life of Theodore Roosevelt - Aida Donald
Why We Get Fat - Gary Taubes
World Mad By Hand - James Kunstler

Anniversary Narrows

Today Wayne and I hiked to Anniversary Narrows out near Lake Mead.  On the way to the Narrows  we passed Anniversary Mine.  The mine was established in 1921 and produced colmanite until 1928.  The mine is currently being leased until the summer of 2012 but doesn't seem to be running at this point.

It appears that the stream bed just ends at the upstream end of this wash but in reality the stream bed narrows down to about a 6 ft wide narrows between the two mountain sides-- see the following pictures.

The mine is located in a wash and Anniversary Narrows is upstream from the mine and was nearly a mile long.

This shot is taken upstream of the narrows which are located in the "V" you see in the distance.

Hike to Keystone Thrust and Calico Rocks at Red Rock

Attempted Boxing Day Robbery in Las Vegas

So, I was walking home from returning a DVD to the Las Vegas Clark County Library yesterday a couple of blocks from the hotel I'm staying at (10am, busy street, warm and sunny, picture below)  and a guy, while giving me the stink-eye, asks me for a dollar while I'm waiting for the light at a cross walk.  I declined.  More stink-eye... then he asks me, "So, what's you life worth?"  While giving him a little return stink-eye I don't answer him but reply with the same question, "What's YOUR life worth?"  He says, "Not a damn thing".  I responded with a little blah, blah, blah pep-talk, the light turned green and I was off.

It looked like I was in the clear for a few seconds when he started following me saying "there aren't any cameras here" and demanding money.  When he was about 15 feet away from me he pulled out a knife and again demands money.

I WISH I could report that I told him, "Look junior, you don't understand who your dealing with so unless you want to leave here wearing your asshole for a necklace I need to see you running that way like a girl pronto" (pointing with my flattend hand). What I really have to report is that I ran like a girl pronto through the front door of the hotel... with all of my money... and no knife holes. I think even if I'd given him the $1 he asked for at first it wasn't going to end there. Who would have thought this could happen at 10am on a street full of people on a bright sunny day. I was pretty lucky...  Las Vegas is an armpit...  I'm moving on to Lake Havasu a week from Friday.

Christmas Day Hike to Ice Box Canyon

And... even though is was over 60 degrees and sunny it ended up being a white Christmas after all!

Today's hike out at Lake Mead

A few pics from today's hike out near Lake Mead...

Looking east from the top.

I don't know what this is yet but it's my favorite kind of cactus.  They're usually about the size of a baseball so this one is
kind of a lunker.  [12/26/11 note: Now I think it's a Pygmy Barrel Cactus.]

One of the nicer pieces of petrified wood I've seen here.

I see the light!

Home Sweet Home - Extended Stay Deluxe - Las Vegas

This is home sweet home until at least early February at the Extended Stay Deluxe hotel in south Las Vegas.  Just the basics: 280 sqft with housekeeping service once a week, cable TV, and wi-fi.  If your familiar with LV it's near East Flamingo and Maryland Ave.

Liberty Bell Arch - Nevada

On the trail to Liberty Bell Arch.

The first view of the arch while on the trail.

Wayne inspecting some abandoned mining equipment along the trail.
(see map #26)
Part of the trail we hiked in on was the old access road for this mining operation.

Liberty Bell Arch viewpoint.

Liberty Bell Arch close up.

A narrow water sculpted side canyon.

More info about this hike can be found at: http://www.birdandhike.com/Hike/LAME/Liberty_Bell/_Liberty.htm

Red Rock Canyon - Calico Butte

A few pictures from today's hike at Red Rock Canyon west of Las Vegas;

Old Timey / Blue Grass Jam in Henderson, Nevada

Tonight I grabbed my mandolin and went to a music jam at the rec center in Henderson, south of Las Vegas.  It was pretty fun but unfortunately they won't be meeting again until after the first of the year.