Another Chapter of "Life in the Land of Entrapment"

 We are in Grants, New Mexico for the holiday weekend. Staying in our camper at a KOA Campground. The reason for choosing this exciting destination is that Leon is on assignment as a Ranger (filling in for someone on vacation) at El Malpais (Badlands) National Monument (the BLM section, not the National Park section).

Bird on Lava

Spending time in Grants, New Mexico is about as exciting as waiting for a bus. (Especially as I had a gout flare up just as we arrived - something that happens once or twice a year at most for no apparent reason except for glucosamine chondroitin (2x) and large quantity of shrimp (once) or possibly dehydration). I ventured out yesterday to the Ranger Station and to see some rocks. The outcroppings are kind of spectacular, or maybe just photogenic. But as with most of the scenery, after you've seen 100 different rock outcroppings, it kind of loses its thrill.

The Arch - La Ventana

The Last Cholla Flower

 

And as to why 114,276 acres of lava would be declared a National Monument, the only reason I can think of is "What else can you do with 114,276 acres of 3,900 year old lava?" (some is actually 700,000 years old).

Mount Taylor

The landscape can be interesting, if monotonous at times. You can drive for hours with only a few changes in the terrain which is vast and intimidating. I cannot imagine the Spanish explorers (plunderers?) arriving at the edge of a lava field that where mountain goat wouldn't go and which stretched as far as one could see.

Lava Bubble

Vegetation in the Crevasses of Dry Mud

It is also "monsoon" season here in New Mexico. We have seen more rain in the past few weeks than in the past six years, and that is not saying much. It is especially dangerous for areas around the "burn scars" of forest destroyed by recent wild fires. 

In summary, if I have to vacation in an area that is covered in lava flows, I really think Hawaii would be my first choice.

The SCOTUS Pandora's Box

So, what happens when a US President is so obsessed with winning votes that said president will nominate incompetent judges put forward by an evangelical, rapture-believing religious cult to the Supreme Court? And when a cult-driven congress confirms these incompetent, cult-minded, ideology laden individuals?

They begin to make decisions that will destroy the fabric of this country, that's what. And they justify these decisions based on what was reality in 1787.

Beware of the fallout from the recent SCOTUS decision banning abortion. It's tentacles can have far-reaching effects and may be responsible for new state legislation and subsequent litigation for years to come. This article about Alabama is the tip of the iceberg. It wont be long before they come after same-sex marriage, LGBT anti-discrimination laws, and who knows what else based on the fact that such laws "are not deeply rooted in our history or traditions" 

From The Advocate:

"Alabama’s attorney general’s office filed a brief Monday that made similar arguments found in the SCOUTS decision, according to the Associated Press. Namely, the state argues that gender-affirming care isn’t “deeply rooted in our history or traditions,” which is directly taken from the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization ruling on abortion rights.

Because it is not “rooted” in U.S. history, Alabama claims it can ban the treatments. In the brief, the state also argues for a ban not only on gender-affirming care to youth, but to transgender adults as well.

“No one — adult or child — has a right to transitioning treatments that is deeply rooted in our Nation’s history and tradition. The State can thus regulate or prohibit those interventions for children, even if an adult wants the drugs for his child,” the brief states. “The Constitution reserves to the State—not courts or medical interest groups—the authority to determine that these sterilizing interventions are too dangerous for minors.”

The brief also states, “Just as the parental relationship does not unlock a Due Process right allowing parents to obtain medical marijuana or abortions for their children, neither does it unlock a right to transitioning treatments. The Constitution reserves to the state — not courts of medical interest groups — the authority to determine that these sterilizing interventions are too dangerous for minors.”

Let's make a list of federal laws that are NOT DEEPLY ROOTED IN OUR HISTORY OR TRADITIONS, overturn all of them and leave everything to the States. It will become a hodge-podge of laws and regulations, a veritable nightmare of navigation, a chaotic mess of a country. It will turn the US into the Dis-United States of America, the Fragmented States of America, the Backward States of America.

We have become a joke of a nation.      

RANT - Verizon Sucks

 Where we live, Verizon is our only option. Otherwise I would change phone service immediately.

1) Checking our phone bill it seems we've been paying a $25 a month fee for "Device Protect" an insurance policy that we don't want or need (and which is probably worthless if one had a claim). How this ever got onto the bill I don't know but I can guess: Some Verizon salesperson snuck it into our plan because he/she/they got a nice commission for every "Device Protect" plan they could sneak into a customer's plan. Yes, it's our fault for not catching this sooner. I deleted it to save $25/mo. ...

Oh. but Verizon is adding a NEW FEE of $12 per month for increased costs!!!!!

2) My credit card informed me to update any vendor with whom I have automatic charges with the new expiration date. Piece of cake. NO. 

I called Verizon customer service. Verizon recognized my phone immediately. But I still had to go through several hoops but finally got a rep. She took the new information - SHE TOOK THE NEW INFORMATION - but then said I would have to verify it or verify something and I should check my text message to click on a "link" sent via text message to my phone.

I was already exasperated but did so. I clicked the link. The link then initiated a "Verification CODE" that was needed to complete the change to the credit card info...which was sent via text TO MY HUSBAND'S PHONE! He is currently at work, out in the wilderness somewhere checking trails and campsites.

Verizon SENT THE LINK TO MY PHONE ----- BUT THEN SENT THE VERIFICATION CODE TO MY HUSBANDS PHONE (because the primary account is in his name) ---- I cannot fathom how stupid  and criminal this phone company is.

THE WORLD HAS GONE MAD AND I'M ABOUT TO ALSO!

Netflix Pix Recommendation

 Just a quickie in the midst of all the political crap: we are several episodes into "Lincoln Lawyer" on Netflix. It is well written script, well acted, and has a very good looking leading man. We are glued to the screen and usually watch more  than one episode in an evening.

How to Reply to Comments

 If anyone on Blogger can point me to a setting or preference that would allow a blog author to reply directly to to a comment, I would appreciate know how to do that or if it is even possible. Seems to me it used to be a feature on Blogger. That is putting a reply to a comment as an indent under the comment you are replying to.

Also I am having a real hard time formatting (all crazy indentations and nothing lines up).

So I will offer some replies here:

Russ Manley said...

(exchanging glances with Mitchell, Debra, and Bob)
Hang in there, pardner. Things will get better soon.

BTW - what is this pye-row-jee you speak of?

Frank said...

It's peer-og-ee and they are basically Polish ravioli (stuffed with potato, or cabbage or farmers cheese and I think boiled...then you saute them with butter..yum). Our neighbor in New Britain, CT used to make them with the church ladies at the local Polish Catholic parish where they would sell them after Sunday Mass and she would always give us the ones "that weren't perfect" but they were perfect enough for us. CT "Yankees" are all kinds of ethnic ancestry and the food....

 

Russ Manley said...

Ditto, ditto, ditto.
All the wildfires are out now?

Frank said...

Russ, by no means are the wild fires in New Mexico out or contained.
I will post a separate post.

Moving with Mitchell said...

Glad you’re no currently at risk. I can’t imagine the air quality issues everywhere as a result.

Russ Manley said...

Thanks for the update, I had no idea. The fires have dropped out of the headlines on Google News.

I wonder what you and Leon think of the Park Service admitting they were responsible for starting this catastrophe? (At least, that's what the short summary I read seemed to indicate.)

Frank said...

Mitch, Fortunately the air where we live has been mostly tolerable except for some brief periods...either that or we've adapted to breathing smoke.

Russ, Leon works for Bureau of Land Management. Like many here in New Mexico we think the US Forest Service (not the Park Service) was totally foolish and irresponsible for doing "controlled burn" during the driest and during unprecedented winds, and in one case leaving a burn pile they thought was extinguished but which flared up again many days/weeks later. These fires have devastated hundreds of thousands of acre of forest.

 

And Debra and Bob: Always appreciate your comments as well. But I always have a problem commenting on your blog, Bob. Maybe it is me or my blogger settings or Firefox or Safari????

This is what I see, but cannot type into the space where it says Enter Comment:

Update on New Mexico Fires

  Russ had a question about the wildfires in New Mexico. 

As of today several fires are still burning throughout the state, though we are not in any danger where we live. The one nearest us is the Cerro Pelado Fire. Some have been burning since early April and they don't make the news once they are fairly well contained. They can burn for months. Thousands of firefighters are on the job throughout the state and in Arizona, Colorado and California and other states. Millions of dollars are being spent for firefighters salary (which is NOT ADEQUATE), protective gear, equipment, planes, helicopters, surveillance, heavy equipment like trucks and bulldozers, housing, food, transportation etc.

Hermits Peak and Calf Canyon are one combined - biggest fire in NM ever. 

Sorry about the formatting...copy and paste glitch More info and photos and videos here if you want to browse around :https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/

Black Fire	Wildfire	New Mexico, USA	324132 Acres	7 hrs. ago
Midnight Fire	Wildfire	New Mexico, USA	4896 Acres	8 hrs. ago
Hermits Peak Fire	Wildfire	New Mexico, USA	340980 Acres	9 hrs. ago
Calf Canyon	Wildfire	New Mexico, USA	340980 Acres	9 hrs. ago
Cerro Pelado	Wildfire	New Mexico, USA	45605 Acres	2 days ago
Cienegita Fire	Wildfire	New Mexico, USA	37 Acres	6/9/2022
Bear Trap Fire	Wildfire	New Mexico, USA	38225 Acres	6/9/2022

 

Contrasts

 On this evening's walk. It is very humid (for New Mexico) 27% we are used to like 5% or less. Monsoons are on the way. Or so they say. A bit of rainbow for pride month.

I guess they call this a "Bird of Paradise" but it's very different from the tropical version. This looks like a member of the pea family. Seems to thrive on little water.

Just a Non-professional Diagnosis of TFG

 Someone suggested that “DT always intended to lie about his loss and try to steal the election,”

I think that DT's ego is so inflated and his narcissism so pathological that he is constitutionally unable to accept or admit to a loss or defeat, ever; so much so that he must make up lies and ridiculous, crazy scenarios to support his delusions and will use any other's lie or made up story or conspiracy theory or video, no matter how repeatedly debunked, as evidence of the "truth" of his Big Lie.

Maybe I Shouldn't Have Quit Therapy

 Feeling down today. 

Ranger Leon had to fill in for staff shortage at Santa Cruz Lake recreation area, about an hour and a half from where we live, so we packed up the camper and stayed there from Wednesday evening June 8th for the duration of his assignment through early afternoon Sunday June 12th.

It was a decent campsite but had no hook-ups so we had to conserve water and electricity (had a generator to charge our batteries) but no air conditioning. It was HOT.

Also we were "Off The Grid" and spent the four days without cell service or internet. I'm not sure if that was a blessing or a curse. (I did drive into Española for a few groceries and propane so I did check email and texts).

 

I actually read about three quarters of a BOOK. A real hardcover book with paper pages. I had started "In Memory of Angel Clare" by Christopher Bram about a year or more ago but never could get past the first few chapters. And I've enjoyed other novels by Bram. This time I started from the beginning and had a better go of it. It was still a bit difficult getting through those first chapters, but now I want to finish it.

I tried reading for a couple of hours by the lakeshore with my feet in the water but as the sun got overhead and to the west I couldn't keep my beach chair in the shade and it was HOT. 

Unfortunately, even though the lake had pretty clear, clean water, swimming is not allowed in Santa Cruz Lake...there is really no decent body of water for swimming in most of New Mexico. 

Cochiti Lake is murky, silty, brown and usually gets toxic algae. Abiquiu Lake has very rocky shore and murky waters as well. I've swam in both. Elephant Butte is a thousand miles away (not really, but it may as well be) and that is unappealing for a variety of reasons. But, as they say, "I digress."

To get to the point of my foul mood today...the unrelenting sun is brutally HOT. It has worn me down. And we have had unrelenting WIND in New Mexico almost daily for more than a month. The wind makes me angry. Not to mention wild fires and smoke now and then. And the nasty prickly things like goat heads and all the weeds, not to mention cactus and the damn monotonous juniper trees and rocks and dirt, and dust, and did I mention WIND which is HOT and blows the deck carpet up and the furniture cushions and the sun shade and drives me batty. 

And something is snacking on my Swiss Chard and green beans and broccoli and gardening is all out war here. And I really find New Mexican "cuisine" boring and nasty. It's all the same no matter what they call it: beans, cheese, iceberg lettuce, chopped tomato, slimy guacamole, tortilla/buritto/taco, some shredded meat and SMOTHERED with GREEN CHILE and more cheese. Why SMOTHER anything with chili? Everything tastes the same. And there is no decent Italian market and you can't find a pastrami sandwich to save your life and no one has ever heard of pirogi. The Land of Entrapment. Six and a half years. The honeymoon has ended.

When we got home from the lake (to a power outage and no way to cool the house for several hours) we unloaded our trailer and parked it in a space across the street (there is room for four vehicles/trailers). The town had just resurfaced the roads last week and we had to move our camper out of the parking area which was also resurfaced. We were instucted to park temporarily at town hall but only overnight when the parking area had fresh blacktop (or whatever). We were instructed NOT to leave our trailer in the temporary lot for longer than necessary. Which we did.

So hooking up the camper and moving it is pain, but, well it goes with the territory. So yesterday (Sunday) we parked it in our spot in the parking area. That chore done. This afternoon, the "mayor" called to inform me that we had to move the trailer AGAIN because they are going to paint yellow lines in the parking area TOMORROW. (I Leon is convinced that they will divide the four spaces into five spaces just to make it difficult for everyone to squeeze in).

I went off on the "mayor" and sarcastically said "Oh, sure, we'll just move the camper, yeah, just like that, like it's just an easy deasy thing, sure, yeah right. I am so dam fed up with this crap." He insisted that this had been "mentioned" "repeatedly" but there were no instructions to that effect on the original notice. I told him I was fed up with "fricken heaven with a fricken zip code" that because of the Pueblo getting very restrictive we are no longer allowed to hike there or walk there or hike Tent Rocks National Monument, or probably even breath their precious air.

When Leon got home we went across the street to move the camper and found the NOTE:

Which set me off even more and I sent off an angry text to the "mayor". I should have said, "go ahead, tow it."

So today, in addition to having watched the Congressional hearings and seeing the country going to hell, and someone taking my shopping cart with my green bags, it was again HOT and WINDY and HOT. 

The feral horses were in the tribal land along the road as I drove home and they were "grazing" for whatever dead scraps of grass or weeds they could find. It almost made me cry that they were out there in the blazing SUN and HEAT, especially the black and brown ones. And I was thinking that it was cruel to have brought them here in the first place. 

Leon said that while he was out on patrol today he came across three dead horses and another group of horses seemed to be fighting or sparing. There is nothing for them to eat in this godforsaken desert. And I'm feeling like I'm suffocating. Enough.

I think maybe I should give my therapist a call.

Miscellaneous PRIDE Pics

 

Good Morning

 Let's keep this going