2018 Summer – Boomerang

PT Boat Ride in Portland

BDK — Wed, 27 Jun 2018 03:12:24 +0000

Roberta at the Helm!

1945 vs. 2018 (Select Photo to Enlarge)

PT Boat Ride Portland

Select Photo to Enlarge:

Ely, Nevada

BDK — Mon, 25 Jun 2018 03:08:13 +0000

I spend a few nights in Ely, Nevada. It allowed me access to Great Basin National Park.

I made the hotel reservation online and when prompted for any “Special Requests” I usually ask for a quiet, non-adjoining room. This time I added, “A bag of cash under the bed.” The hotel is owned and operated by a very nice young couple and they liked my request so much they left this note and bag:

When I left, I left a note thanking housekeeping as well a $20 tip, taken from the above bag of cash.

Bristlecone Pines

BDK — Sun, 27 May 2018 12:05:41 +0000

The oldest living things on earth.

Craters of the Moon National Park

BDK — Sun, 27 May 2018 01:45:47 +0000

Lava, lava, lava…

The “trick” to visiting arid places is to do so in the Springtime. Temps are moderate and the wildflowers bloom.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

“We’d cut ’em in half with a machine gun and give ’em a band-aid.”

BDK — Sun, 27 May 2018 01:25:51 +0000

Among the many examples of massacres committed by the USA is a little known one called, “The Battle of the Big Hole.” The Nez Perce tribe had reached an agreement for reservation land with the USA; one of those, “as long as the grass grows and water flows” pieces of BS that constantly flowed from the US Government. It was fine until a few years later gold was found on the reservation. At which point the grass no longer grew and the water ceased to flow and the US government redrew the reservation to a size 90% less than the original.

Not surprisingly a number of the Nez Perce didn’t think this a fair deal. So, for 3 months the US Army chased the Nez Perce around. At the Big Hole River they caught up with them. The soldiers attacked in the early morning. They were ordered to fire low into the teepees as most of the Nez Perce were still asleep. After the initial volleys, the soldiers charged into camp and set fire to the teepees.

The Nez Perce counter attacked, driving the soldiers back into a defensive position on the hill above the camp and capturing a howitzer. About 30 combatants from each side were killed. Another 60 some women and children were killed.

Big Hole National Battlefield:

Hiding Hyder

BDK — Sun, 27 May 2018 01:04:06 +0000

Came down the Cassiar Highway rather than the ALCAN. First time. Compared to the ALCAN the Cassiar Highway is far less scenic. Also, far less traffic; at least in the middle of May. Nonetheless, a nice drive. I’ll probably head back this way too.

Swing into Hyder, Alaska. An odd place. There is no US Customs going into the USA here, as there isn’t anywhere to go from here. There is, however, Canada Customs when re-entering Oh! Canada!

The road to Hyder and Hyder: