USMB Coffee Shop IV

[Foxfyre]

Good morning all. Was up into the wee hours this morning catching up on mandatory chores and slept in a looooong time this morning. And it was wonderful. Now regrouping in advance of taking my aunt on a medical taxi run, and then expect the routine to settle in to something akin to normal for awhile. I need some normal routine.

As a kid I was pretty adventuresome on those high narrow mountain roads--some you had to send a passenger walking ahead to peek around the corner to make sure nothing was coming before making the turn--absolutely no way for two vehicles to pass each other at some points so as somebody said earlier, you have to be creative. I can't say I enjoy them. It's pretty white knuckle for me.

Hope everybody is having a good Thursday.

 

[Foxfyre]

On this day in history, July 10, 1821, the United States took possession of its newly bought territory of Florida from Spain.

July 10, 1890, Wyoming is admitted as the 44th U.S. state.

July 10, 1962, Telstar, the world's first communications satellite, is launched into orbit--seems like we've had them forever doesn't it?

And July 10, 1965, the Rolling Stones launched their first #1 album: "I can't Get no Satisfaction" and the rest, as they say, is history. In the same year a recording, along with many other items, was sent into space to introduce us Earth people to an alien civilization who might intercept Voyager.

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QpZ3dVpE_pY]I Can't Get No Satisfaction by The Rolling Stones - YouTube[/ame]

 

[Againsheila]

Going to the doctor again this afternoon. Any bets on what color the new cast is? Or maybe (pray pray pray) he'll just take this one off and not put a new one on?

 

[Ringel05]

Anyone up for some mountain camping?

 

[Hossfly]

i think he may need to do a little touch up on the right quarter panels and doors. probably even some clean up on the drivers seat

The picture looks too old to be photoshoped. The Jeep looks like about a 68-70, somewhere in there, WHO would have been dumb enough to do that? It looks to me to be inches from falling off... absolutely insane.

how did someone get out of the car to take the picture. more than likely, while it isn't photoshopped, it probablly was staged. more than likely that is a very intense section of an otherwisw more managable trail. where i grew up there was a fire road to the top of this mountain called high mountain. most of the road was pretty easy driving, but there was one section that was washed out. there was about a 30' section that had a straight drop off of about 150'. going down the hill your left tire was right on the edge of the drop off and you right was slightly on the uphill embankment. So you were tilted maybe 10- 15 degrees to the left. sitting in the driver seat you were looking directly over the edge. we used to always take picture there because it looked really intense. once you got past that section it was a regular dirt road through the woods.

Ask Bloodrock about some ordinary roads in northern West Virginia. We call them WV Turnpikes and they're so scary you want to drive with your eyes closed.

 

[Againsheila]

Anyone up for some mountain camping?

short answer: no.

long answer: hell no.

 

[BluesMistress]

The picture looks too old to be photoshoped. The Jeep looks like about a 68-70, somewhere in there, WHO would have been dumb enough to do that? It looks to me to be inches from falling off... absolutely insane.

how did someone get out of the car to take the picture. more than likely, while it isn't photoshopped, it probablly was staged. more than likely that is a very intense section of an otherwisw more managable trail. where i grew up there was a fire road to the top of this mountain called high mountain. most of the road was pretty easy driving, but there was one section that was washed out. there was about a 30' section that had a straight drop off of about 150'. going down the hill your left tire was right on the edge of the drop off and you right was slightly on the uphill embankment. So you were tilted maybe 10- 15 degrees to the left. sitting in the driver seat you were looking directly over the edge. we used to always take picture there because it looked really intense. once you got past that section it was a regular dirt road through the woods.

I'm not ashamed in the slightest to admit it... I'd need a clean change of drawers...

I've done my share of 4-wheelin' too. Drove in some pretty insane spots out in Montana with my old '64 GMC, 4x4. Up streams, on steep hill sides hanging out the door with the throttle pulled out... OH, one time after doing that the engine was losing power, and I noticed the middle of the hood was starting to discolor. Opened to the hood to find the engine on fire. It had an old oil bathe air cleaner on it, and I'd driven it at such a steep angle that oil ran out of the air cleaner on top of the engine. The engine was a 305 ci, GMC, V6, looked like a 348/409 with the rams horn valve covers, except the spark plugs when in the top of the heads. The oil hit the spark plugs, caused a spark and caught the engine on fire. Had to give up my shirt to put the fire out.

I'm just not real fond of sheer drop offs.

I've been on a road much like this. It was the GPS Bitch that took me there. It's called Bear Mountain. Several have died on it including James Kim of Microsoft in 06'. It took over 7 hours for a 21 mile shortcut to the Oregon Coast. It was CrAzY

 

[Big Black Dog]

Here is the perfect vehicle for 007. It's got four-wheel drive, doesn't use a lot of gas, and can be driven year round.

In conversation with an Amish fellow I met in Shipshewana named Ezrah, the horse would cost you about $2,000.00. The buggy would cost you about $5,000.00. The buggy has lights powered by battery so it can be used at night and it also has a LP gas tank that stores under the driver's seat so it can be heated in the winter. Some Amish communities allow for rubber rimmed wheels but some Amish communities insist on steel rimmed wheels. Women drive the buggies as well as men. You also have to get a license tag from the state that is displayed on the back of the buggy. The tag cost $60.00 a year. Most places where the Amish shop have a hitching post outside so the horses can be tied when they are inside shopping. This particular buggy is in the rear parking lot of a bank and it's adjacent to the RV parking lot across the street from the Blue Gate Theater where I was parked when I took this photo. I was surprised to see so many Amish folks going into and out of the bank. The Amish also ride bicycles a lot too. One other thing of interest I found out is that the Amish obtain a lot of the horses they use to pull the buggies from race tracks when they are retired from racing or if the horse turns out to not be fast enough for racing. They almost always use Standard bred horses to pull their buggies but now and then you will see a draft horse of some breed being used.

 

[Derideo_Te]

how did someone get out of the car to take the picture. more than likely, while it isn't photoshopped, it probablly was staged. more than likely that is a very intense section of an otherwisw more managable trail. where i grew up there was a fire road to the top of this mountain called high mountain. most of the road was pretty easy driving, but there was one section that was washed out. there was about a 30' section that had a straight drop off of about 150'. going down the hill your left tire was right on the edge of the drop off and you right was slightly on the uphill embankment. So you were tilted maybe 10- 15 degrees to the left. sitting in the driver seat you were looking directly over the edge. we used to always take picture there because it looked really intense. once you got past that section it was a regular dirt road through the woods.

I'm not ashamed in the slightest to admit it... I'd need a clean change of drawers...

I've done my share of 4-wheelin' too. Drove in some pretty insane spots out in Montana with my old '64 GMC, 4x4. Up streams, on steep hill sides hanging out the door with the throttle pulled out... OH, one time after doing that the engine was losing power, and I noticed the middle of the hood was starting to discolor. Opened to the hood to find the engine on fire. It had an old oil bathe air cleaner on it, and I'd driven it at such a steep angle that oil ran out of the air cleaner on top of the engine. The engine was a 305 ci, GMC, V6, looked like a 348/409 with the rams horn valve covers, except the spark plugs when in the top of the heads. The oil hit the spark plugs, caused a spark and caught the engine on fire. Had to give up my shirt to put the fire out.

I'm just not real fond of sheer drop offs.

I've been on a road much like this. It was the GPS Bitch that took me there. It's called Bear Mountain. Several have died on it including James Kim of Microsoft in 06'. It took over 7 hours for a 21 mile shortcut to the Oregon Coast. It was CrAzY

Worst thing that ever happened to me was on what was a normal 2 lane mountain pass with a sheer wall of rock on one side and a steep drop off on the other. Now this properly paved with one of those 1' high steel barriers on the outside so you would imagine that it was relatively safe.

It was broad daylight and I was actually enjoying the drive and the view and we were on the downhill part having passed the summit. I came around a corner and there right in front of me were two massive dump trucks side by side coming uphill. One of them had obviously decided to overtake the other on the uphill but hadn't completed the pass yet and was in my lane heading right at me. I slammed on the brakes and I knew I wasn't going to be able to stop in time.

The driver of the truck being passed must have either have been going really slowly or actually stopped when he saw me because the gap opened on his side so I swerved into his lane (more stopping distance equals slower impact speed) and then I realized that there was an opening appearing behind the overtaking truck and I swerved back into that.

It all took a fraction of a second and I was reacting rather than thinking about what I was doing. My adrenaline was off the charts and I was literally shaking. I pulled over into the next rest stop. I never want to go through that again. Once was more than enough, thank you.

 

[Jughead]

There is a road that leads out of a small town called "Ouray", and that road winds around a steep mountain pass for about 10 miles until you hit the Million Dollar Highway (well, actually, that deadly road is part of the Million Dollar Highway) - the scariest moment of my life driving that stretch of road.

I've been on some mountain side roads in a foreign country where there is no railing, and the road has two way traffic. The problem occurs when you hit a blind curve, where at times the road is reduced to only one lane, even with the two way traffic. I was unable to see oncoming traffic, but was told to honk before I hit the curve, and was told that all would be ok. That is not too reassuring if the other driver coming around the turn forgets to honk. Apparently there are fatalities there every year.

Went on a road like that last pic in Ireland -- not with that kind of mountain range but a cliff with a steeper drop, steep enough we could see the last car way down there that didn't quite stay on the road. We saw that and both took our seatbelts off. What a great drive. One-lane dirt roads were pretty common; you didn't build up a lot of speed but when something came the other way it was time to get creative. Love those roads.

If by getting creative you mean ditching the car and high tailing it on foot, then yeah ... sounds like a plan ...

 

[Ringel05]

Yup, even girls can have fun in Colorado........

 

[Jughead]

There is a road that leads out of a small town called "Ouray", and that road winds around a steep mountain pass for about 10 miles until you hit the Million Dollar Highway (well, actually, that deadly road is part of the Million Dollar Highway) - the scariest moment of my life driving that stretch of road.

I've been on some mountain side roads in a foreign country where there is no railing, and the road has two way traffic. The problem occurs when you hit a blind curve, where at times the road is reduced to only one lane, even with the two way traffic. I was unable to see oncoming traffic, but was told to honk before I hit the curve, and was told that all would be ok. That is not too reassuring if the other driver coming around the turn forgets to honk. Apparently there are fatalities there every year.

Been there, done that, too. ONE LANE dirt road for 12 miles in mountainous terrain and in a Corvette, with huge trucks on the road coming our way. Yes, honking before curves is mandatory, if you want to survive the thrill of it all, which it was.

Nothing like having your life flash before your eyes for a thrill ...

 

[Sarah G]

Anyone up for some mountain camping?

They're crazy.

 

[Sarah G]

on coming traffic is a bitch

That makes me CRINGE just to look at the PICTURE...

i think he may need to do a little touch up on the right quarter panels and doors. probably even some clean up on the drivers seat

That has to be a photoshop.

 

[Spoonman]

Anyone up for some mountain camping?

i've done that. actually it was more in a hammock type sleeper, not so much a tent. on a plus side, while camping, you don't have to worry about a bear getting your food.

 

[saveliberty]

Going to the doctor again this afternoon. Any bets on what color the new cast is? Or maybe (pray pray pray) he'll just take this one off and not put a new one on?

Maybe split the difference and go with velcro removable cast?

 

[saveliberty]

Anyone up for some mountain camping?

i've done that. actually it was more in a hammock type sleeper, not so much a tent. on a plus side, while camping, you don't have to worry about a bear getting your food.

No, the bears just wait at the bottom for food to fall out of the wrappers...

 

[Dajjal]

I don't bloody believe it. I have been offline for three hours and I thought my new computer had gone wrong. Then I tried the old computer and that did not go online either. So I figured it must be my modem. But then I calmed down and thought it might be the server. Well I waited half an hour then tried again and now it is working.

After all that I tried to install Wolfenstein the new order, only to discover that I do not have the activation code. There is a blank space in the accompanying booklet where the code is supposed to be.

 

[peach174]

Here is our Train Depot in Benson, AZ.
Main street.

Here is our City's Welcome Sign

And this is our Elementary/High School
Those are tennis courts in the background where I play tennis in the winter. It's too hot in the summer for me.

And the outside of our VFW Post.

 

[Ringel05]

I don't bloody believe it. I have been offline for three hours and I thought my new computer had gone wrong. Then I tried the old computer and that did not go online either. So I figured it must be my modem. But then I calmed down and thought it might be the server. Well I waited half an hour then tried again and now it is working.

After all that I tried to install Wolfenstein the new order, only to discover that I do not have the activation code. There is a blank space in the accompanying booklet where the code is supposed to be.

I went with Steam, some of my old favorites won't work on win 7. Yeah I had to repurchase them but at a discounted price and they stay updated on steam.