RV & Motorcycle Videos, Mountain Flowers... and Bein' seduced by the BLM!

Don't know if it's 'cause I'm gettin' lazy'er, or 'cause I seem to be gettin' some of my work done... or just 'cause this Mackay, Idaho country is such a pleasant spot to just set up for a while... but, we've decided to Cheat for a lil' bit, and just set right here in the Joe Fallini Campground a couple more days...

What can I say... the BLM, of all the Fed agencies, is pretty much the best at settin' up camps. Here we are on the banks of Mackay Reservoir... and in all this area, there's only, I think, 23 sites... Those are spaced out, oh, a 100'... there's water, outhouses, room to walk... and... with all the clouds lately :) ... shhhhh don't tell no one... power to keep the batteries juiced... at a price, cheaper then I can buy gas for the generator...

Not only do they seem to build the best camps... at $10 bucks a night... regular price... $14 if you plug in the juice... they're also generally the most reasonable... (just $9 bucks for us with the access card!)

Now... compare that with what the "RV" parks are gonna hit you for... and this right hyar is a freakin' bargain!... even for a Boondocker. :)

I talked to a gal the other day, she told me that a KOA out in Oregon tried to charge her $85 bucks... Huh? for a KOA?  I can rent a motel... with color TV, wifi, and an ice machine, for less then that! :)

So... anyhoo... sometime this weekend we'll start movin' again toward Hamilton... and a fresh tire on the Raider... I just can't provoke myself to hurry any... but that was the goal weren't it? :)

Now... a buddy of mine from the wilds of British Columbia was worryin' 'bout me... Said all the Flower Pictures was settin' him to fret a mite... :) I told him not to worry... the Raider still gets rolled... it's just that with the weather and the back rubber gettin' awful thin... I been holdin' back a lil'.

I did finally get over the obstacles to my videography effort in the last couple of days... another nice thing 'bout havin' the power here, while it was cloudy... let me really focus on fightin' through the technology... without havin' to worry 'bout battery power... Told you I was gettin' lazy'er!

Here's one of the Video Samples I got loaded yesterday... Still kinda rough... I've got a lot to learn, and some more equipment 'bugs' to work out... but... they're comin' along!

Now... after sittin' there... punchin' buttons for too long we went and took another looksee around the area... You know... if you really are offended by paying any camp fees... just back, twixt here at the Reservoir... and the Town of Mackay... is a couple of spots.

One just below the dam, "Mackay Dam"... and the other, "Big Lost River" another mile or so toward town... where you can pull, a fairly decent sized rig, if you take your time...

*Big Lost River, sportsmen's access*

 ...and set up for ten days, right along the river. "Big Lost River" even has a Forest service type outhouse set up... I'll be adding those to my camp list in the next couple days... leastways, I plan to! :) ... only drawback for me is... they're kinda shady. :)

Check with the forest svc. office in Mackay... she'll set you straight.

Just to keep things disjointed and a little rambling :) on another Looksee, back in Flaming Gorge... I remember thinkin'; maybe a guy shouldn't crawl so close to the edge... on windy days? :)

*First step is a BIG ONE... along Deep creek road in Flaming Gorge*

Now... back to yesterdays wanderings... what can I say... the flowers are just really startin' to pop around here... Sorry Kerry. :)

*Australian Shepherds don't know nuthin' 'bout the sound of music!*

 I should go get some more work done... or not...

Maybe... I should just go take a Walk in the Park!... or unload the scooter... and see if I can make another ride on that bald tire... without her blowin'! :) hmmmm.... where's that Murphy feller?.........


Settin' up for a bit... Courtesy of the BLM! :)
Brian

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It's a Day for Pickin' Flowers, photographically speakin'... and Maybe a bit More...

The thing about all this rain is... If...

If... the rivers don't flood out here... too bad...

and... IF ... the sun ever does come out long enough to do some work...

The flowers should be pretty fine! :)

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This most recent storm started breakin' up a mite 'bout mid day... allowing a walk down along the lake... What with all the heavy storm waters flowin' it's kind of remarkable how clear Mackay Reservoir still is...

Guess you won't see it from my photo's ... but trust me... it's Not the muddy brown of every river we've seen from here to Laramie... and those rivers? whoooooweee... them pups is full. Top O' the banks and the bottom of the bridges full... and a whole lot of snow left to come down...

... not to mention the rain that just won't seem to quit... well... farmers/ranchers... and ... soldiers... are gonna complain about the weather no matter what it is... it's too wet... or it's too dry... I can't remember hardly any of 'em ever sayin'; "It's juuuuuuust right!" :)

I've seen piles of sandbags sittin' by river banks, all along the way... though... I'm not real sure what folks thought they were gonna do with a couple hundred sandbags... against a river... couple million, maybe.... but three or four pallets full? I don't think so...

*Joe Fallini BLM Campground near Mackay, Idaho*

*Lots of snowmelt left to come*

 Just in the last few days the Indian Paintbrush has started really poppin'... and a host of other little pretties I can't put a name to... well... I could... I've had the habit in the past of just callin' 'em somthing... but then... those lil' gals always called me on that... so... I'll just provide the pictures... Ya'll can name 'em! :)

*This is a tiny lil' thing... smaller then a pencil eraser...*

*Multiple Shades of paintbrush*

This is a pretty spot. High Mountains all around... long views and, I likely shouldn't say anything, for fear of jinxin' things... but... those Mountains sure sparkle in the sunshine!

*Like I said... No idea what that lil' white spike is called!*

 

These tiny lil' purple things were growin' in small little clumps... Old guys gotta just 'bout lay on the ground to capture the picture... pretty though, ain't they?

Not too bad for just what amounts to a short walk down along the lake is it? and there were other small ones I just couldn't figure out how to get a decent picture of, in the wind...

The smell of the sage, the fresh breeze (ok, wind!)... and even with the highway only a couple hundred yards away... this Idaho range is some nice country...

We're likely to stay in BLM or National Forest Camps for a while... unless I can find some solid ground I trust to pull back in to... this wet weather call for using a bit of discretion... shhhh... but let's keep that quiet! :)

Might be moving today... haven't really decided. I mean, outside of a tire waiting up in Hamilton... it's not like I really have to be somewhere, is it? :) ... and... I'm actually making good progress on my video schoolin'.

Finally, managed to figure out a workaround for my 'software' glitch late yesterday (or I should say the guy I bought the camera from showed me!)... and spent much of last night, fiddling with my first Motorcycle Video... it's not much more then a Sound and Video test, no threat for an Oscar... but it does show me some of what I might be able to do... now that I have some of the mechanics figured out... I can start leaning the "Videography" side of things...

Whew! Didn't expect the schoolin' to be so athletic. :) so... guess I'll go fiddle some more...

Keep your powder dry... and watch the rivers, where ever you're at... this looks to be a summer to be careful, whatever your location.

Sippin' a hot cup, and lookin' out at the High Peaks in Idaho
Brian

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Today Will Be One of Those Days of a Whole Lot of Small Chores...

Been parked up here in the bush for a few days now... Been in this area for coming up on two weeks... 'bout time to roll on... Likely we'll be packin' up and movin' on down the trail Sunday or Monday...

You'll know... When I know. :)

The sun has finally returned for two mornings in a row! HooYa! ... We took a nice walk up past a place called Elk Meadow yesterday... and sure enough, though herself is the only one who got a flash of their white butts racing off through a break in the willows... their tracks showed them to be in residence...

I made a couple of small video clips on the 'Hike'... as I continue my studyin' of the craft... didn't have signal enough last night to do much with 'em... I'll see what I can do today... get something uploaded... and see ifn I can't get some feedback on it...

Such as... Do you see any potential there for something ya'll like?... or... forget it cowboy... you've stepped waaaaay too far out of your 'envelope'! :)

Making a post office, laundry, grocery, hardware, craft shop, propane and diesel run... to Vernal this morning...

Then back to camp to continue the unending labor of RV Boondocking full time. :) It's a tough job... but somebody's got to do it... right? :)

One thing 'bout that recent poor weather that kept us mostly inside for what, four days? I added several thousand words to the coming along, next new novel. It's proving a more difficult story for me to write... There are so many more "groups" in it to keep track of... coming and going so many more different directions... a feeble mind like mine has some difficulty keepin' track of it all! :)

Now... my usual way of writing a story is to just go to writing... my fingers tap out the words as fast as they can, trying to keep up with the movie reel, running in my head... which turned into a real problem on this story... considering that there's like... 5 reels running! ... hmmmmm... I wonder if that's the evidence of a schizoid? disjointed thoughts goin' ever' which-a-way... spinning around at nine oh like a kaleidoscope! :)

... so anyway... in an effort to add a little organization to the cowboy chaos in my head... yesterday evening, after our hike... I took a couple hours and actually mapped it all out. Sort of a Timeline... 'bout the only way a senile, grumpy ol' pussgut like me can keep track so he can follow that many trails at one time!

... I'm hopin' the old saying that you can't teach an old dog new tricks... ain't a thing, cast in concrete...

The good part, I see in all this is... considering that I've not yet gotten a bad review of A Matter of Honor, I consider this story, the way it's coming along, to be head and shoulders above that first effort... and being a contemporary and not totally western tale... I'm kind of excited about its potential in the 'Action/Suspense' genre. I might just be gettin' all inflated with grandiose visions... but... I do really think it's a lot better story... Time will tell...

So... If I'm to get today's chores done, and get back in time to do some video work... I better get my lazy butt rollin' ...

Just Rollin' Along... in the High Country
Brian

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The 29th of May...

... and it's SNOWING!!!

Be careful what you ask for... if you're mean enough... you just may get it. :) The other day... all grumpy 'cause of all the ATV's, dirt bikes, dogs and people... disrupting MY solitude... they are my woods you know :) ... I quipped; "Maybe the weather will be really bad... and it'll keep 'em quiet!" ...

... yeah well...

*29 May 2011 Morning Snow in the Utah Mountains*

Sometimes... what you ask for... you get... and uh... not REALLY want it! :) So... how come, Summer don't come along? I ... and juuuuuuust a few other folks... REEEEEALLY want that! :)

I've been struggling with the new Video camera... got all cranked up and grumpy yesterday... and fired off an email to the outfit that sold me the camera... Chewing them out along with the manufacturer for promoting all the virtues of a camera... and NOT warning that it was not compatible with a great portion of the video software that a lot of it's potential customers would be using...

Didn't expect to receive any word back until Tuesday at the earliest... Holiday weekend and all...

Uh... Wrong again! I got an email back in a Very short time... :) I gotta tell you... the guys at SportHitech have a solid and shiny understanding of Customer Service...

Andy, the guy I "spoke" with... through several emails back and forth on the Saturday of the Memorial Day weekend... Took good care of a grumpy, short tempered, frustrated... bad weather "Trailer Bound" old biker cowboy... fighting his way through the psychotic gyrations of dealing with High Technology! :)

In amongst all that confusion and frustration, we thought it would be a good idea to just get out of the rig... and take a drive to clear out the cobwebs...

*Doesn't look cold and windy does it? :) *

*Near the Red Canyon Visitor Center*

We pulled into the only place nearby to grab a sandwich... and uh... it was edible... but I won't brag about it :) Seemed like some others were looking for lunch too...

That Ol' Heron tried for the fish in the pond... for a little while... but it finally decided it couldn't tolerate all the people close around... and went to look for a less crowded smorgasbord.

Feeling better, from just getting out and around... We rolled back to camp... still "frustrated" with my Technology struggle...

When we got back to the rig is when I accidentally discovered the solution to my Video woes... is a relatively simple thing... and that the good service from SportHiTech is actually... Excellent care...

I discovered, mostly by accident, that my "secondary" laptop...a lil' 10" Acer I use on motorcycle trips... Will Load and edit video clips from the Drift Camera... The difference? the version of Windows Movie Maker that is loaded into windows 7 and Windows XP...

So... I fire off another email to Andy... and... in short order, get a reply with a link...

In fact... though I've not been able to get it downloaded due to the poor signal I've got in this camp... (I'm going to have to look into one of the "directional" antennas Jack mentioned)  Andy, took the time, during our email back and forth, on his holiday weekend, to hunt up and send me an email link to a version of the Microsoft program I need to make my main Dell Laptop (an XP) model able to handle the video clips...

One day... I'll learn to NOT get so frustrated and fired up over the lack of reliability in modern technology...Yep... on the very same day that the wind stops blowing in Wyoming...

Still... Waiting on Spring
Brian

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Late Storms, RV Furniture and RV Vlogging!

Ha! Ol' Murph' tried to sucker me into moving early, with a few days bumpin' up on hot! Ha! Gonna take more than that you wee Irishman! Thought he'd get me to roll up North some more... or back west up into the mountains... and get socked with a late winter storm... Not this time! :)

This Ol' Buster ain't that gullible...

OK... I am... just not this time! :) But... it is wet! The truck is sittin' in a puddle nigh on to a lake... with the Raider right beside it... Started raining early last night, and hasn't yet quit... Weather folks claiming snow... Yuck... Poor Ol' Mark and Bobbie are sweatin' an Open House of the New Cabin for Sale in Ouray... Ever'body cross your fingers for 'em! ... and say a lil' prayer!

Around here, there won't be no ridin' today! Unless I wanted to go rekindle memories of Alaska! ... hmmmm... I think I'll just set inside, warm, dry, and a cup of coffee... and look at pictures of that ride!

Is that gettin' old? or... just finally gettin' some sense?

I mentioned it the other day... been experimenting a bit with a small camp table in place of the desk I'd put in... It's working out OK... just can't find the ready built table/storage benches I want... everything is TOO big, too this, too that... I'm pretty picky for a poor boy huh? :)

I'm gonna be goin' back to almost what was there originally... a dinette and storage benches... only with the bench lids actually usable... so the storage is accessible... not like the awkward stuff the factory put in.

What is likely to happen is I'm gonna have to build 'em myself I suppose... unless I get lucky and stumble on to what I want... and this build is likely to happen in camp somewhere... with minimal tools... now... that could get interesting...

We're still planning on a Monday pull out... but... the weather might obstruct that a day or two... stuff I need to button up outside... that I just can't find the ambition to do in the rain... and... to tell the truth? My hunger to haul up into the wet and snowy as been satiated a long, LONG time ago :)

... and one last thing... I took the plunge yesterday... and ordered a camera with money I don't really have :)
I've got what they call a Helmet Camera on the way... It's kind of a risk I suppose... but that's the only way you grow and improve... stretch the envelope a mite... just hope I don't tear the sucker!

Soon... as soon as I figure how to run the thing in some sort of a tolerable way, I'm gonna be adding videos to the blog/site. Seems like a good way to improve the sites... or ... humiliate myself in living color!

Now... I don't wear a helmet when I'm Boondocking ... so I'll have to mount it somewhere else, but I have a few ideas for having some fun with that... so we'll see what happens... It's main use of course is gonna be over on my Motorcycle Touring site...

But... wouldn't it have been outstanding to have it mounted on a head strap when I was quivering myself up onto Angels Landing? :)

OK ... maybe not...

All that whimpering, Uh Oh's and Moooooommmmieeeeeee's likely would have had to been edited out... to avoid heavy damage to my rep!

One thing I promise not to do is utter those infamous last words of a Redneck; "Hey Guys! Watch This!" 

Stay tuned! You may have something to make your life and common sense realllly shine by comparison! :)

Just a Guy Who Never Knows When to Stop Digging the Hole...
Brian

“Let the night overtake you everywhere at home.”
                          -Thoreau

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