Salsas . . .

My two favorite Salsas are no more.  We first bought Desert Rose Salsa out of the back of car at the Pantago Swap meet in Tucson.  Later it became more commercialized and we acquired it at upscale places in Tucson.  Then we could also get it on the Internet.  Later the brand and recipe were sold and we continued to be able to get it.  Its quality had remained excellent.

Desert Rose won all kinds of awards and was widely acclaimed.  But alas it fell by the way side.  It went out of business.  Now it is but history.

The next great salsa was from LaLuz, New Mexico.  A small town close by Alamogordo, New Mexico and was sold in the local specialty shops.  I was  able to get a few bottles via the Internet there too.  LaLuz was truly off the beaten track.  I even was able to find the place where it was put up in LaLuz, a town of maybe 20 or 25 houses. 

On our way back from Tucson, we stopped at the Pistachio shop and found out the elderly woman who put up the LaLuz Salsa had retired.  She could not get any of her family to help and she just could no longer do all the work.  So she retired and the salsa retired with her.

So yet another outstanding salsa has disappeared from the economy.  Times have changed.

We Are Back . . .

Got back yesterday about 6 PM or so.  Dumped of the Interstate to eat at Panda on Main Street in Weatherford, chugged over to the Walmart so Judie could get her some bananas for the next couple of days.  Got home about 7 PM, got the mail and newspapers from the neighbors and we settled in to wash the clothes.  That was Monday.

We had been to Tucson for a wedding of a dear old friend.  The wedding was marvelous and we stayed at the Westin LaPolma, a five star hotel and golf course with many homes located around it.  Nice place.  The wedding was in the golf club house, it is set up for that sort of thing.  So all we had to do was walk over to that affair.  It came with a catered lunch.

Later about 6:30 or so, we trucked over to one of the sons of the groom.  He has a beautiful million dollar plus home in the foothills not far from the LaPolma.  Short drive, valet parking and another nice meal and party. 

It was good to see J.P. and Jermy again.  Grown young men and their wives and families.  Nice knowing they are both doing well and life is treating them well.

We left the LaPolma about 9 AM, and started our trek back to Weatherford via Ruidoso.  We stop there for the night, visited our old neighbors and stayed at their house in our old neighborhood.  Our place now sports a metal roof, a nice paint scheme but is otherwise about the same.

We brought the rain.  That was very welcome as Ruidoso was very dry.  While not a lot, it is still something to help the situation.  Driving out we saw the scares of the big fire that ranged from  Ruidoso to Alto.  Alto was a nice housing area North of the city but got burned to the ground.  So the forest lands are on the way to recovery and needed the water badly along with the general mountain community.

As we cross the state line, the car clock changed automatically.  We had lost an hour when we left Arizona (Mountain Time), entered another time zone in New Mexico and  yet another when we crossed into Texas.  The car figured out the time for New Mexico and Texas but was stumped by Arizona time (never goes on Day Light Savings).

It was good to see all the folks. It was impressive to see all the changes to Tucson and Ruidoso.  It seems like everybody is moving to the Southwest of the US of A.  True here too.  Getting away from the high taxes and cold weather.  It was a good but fast trip out West.

Good to be home again.

Bad Day . . .

Bad day for the world.  The crap has hit fan in Gaza and Ukraine.  The Israeli's are fed up and are currently invading Northern Gaza.   They are after the "tunnels" that house the missiles.  I suppose they are going to destroy the tunnels and anybody within along with any missiles lying around.

At least the Israeli's have warned the people of Gaza to get out of the way, to evacuate.  So they are being as human as possible but they are no longer taking much patience with the Hamas regime. 

Ukraine is another disaster shooting down an airliner.  Quite possibly US citizens are on that flight.  All are dead.  At first the rebels claimed they did it and now they are denying it or just shut up.  Looks like NSA has intercepted their telephone calls.  A colossal screw up and a giant leap in a hot war. 

We had rain, and that is a good thing.  But it has delayed Judie's departure for Madison.  She has reported she is on an airplane and they are getting ready to depart.

The Heat Is On . . .

After complaining for days on end that the wind was driving us crazy, the wind has slowed and now the heat is on.  It is oppressive some what dry heat with a gentle breeze.  Gentle breeze means little or no cooling effect.

I guess if it is not one thing it is another that irks us.  Of course, the wonderful invention of air conditioning does make life more comfortable.  But almost like winter, we are trapped inside where it is reasonably pleasant.

No pool to dive into, no backyard on a lake, kind of down in a hole and so air sort of stagnates. 
The breeze sort of moves it around a bit and that is all.

Good for flying but the model engine is down at the moment.  I got the part today and replaced the part, now got to install the engine.  That is a bit more work.  Then I have to set up the throttle and nose wheel steering control rods.  Most of the reconstruction from the nose first crash is done.  The final step is reapplication of the MonoKote covering.  Not hard, just tedious job.

Once all is in place a quick check of balance and things are a go.

It was a great 4th of July.

All Quiet . . .

Closing in on the 4th of July and Obama has been quiet.  Too many disasters I guess.  Normally the gigantic ego and his towering arrogance require something of issue.  But all is quiet.

Maybe he is reading his polls.  Maybe he is off in the corner smoking a cigarette and eating potato chips, I suppose he can not do that in the Oval Office.  More and more is beginning to come out in the open.  He will not talk to people, he seems to make decisions in a vacuum.  He has few cabinet meetings.

Immigration issues are now overriding everything.  Iraq is in a turmoil. Putin is making him look like an idiot.  The IRS scandal continues to boil.  Thank God, the Federal Bank is run by sane people and the nation is having a mild recovery, the stock market hit 17,000 plus today without Obama's help.  Though I am sure he will claim all credit for it.

I note more and more negative cartoons are showing up.  A lot of them from overseas.  The world has turned on him.  I wonder if the Nobel people are trying to figure out how to get their Peace Prize back.

What a dufus.  Such great promise, such poor performance.  His policy self aggrandizement is being to haunt him.