Picto Diary - 21, 22, 23 November 2020 - Freddie
Above: Freddie at four months. 21 November 2020 (image captured by breeders Wilbon Kennels, Cabot, AR, circa February 2018).
Seeing a Man About a Dog Tour
Out and About in the Sprinter
The land is the appointed remedy for all that is false and fantastic in our culture. Ralph Waldo Emerson
Above: Conoco. Oklahoma City, OK. 21 November 2020
Seeing a Man About a Dog Tour
Out and about in the Sprinter
AM dog walk.
I haven't seen gas this cheap since the 1980's!
Dog is also amazed
The land is the appointed remedy for whatever is false and fantastic in our culture. Ralph Waldo Emerson
Above: I-40 between Oklahoma City, OK and Amarillo, TX. 21 November 2020.
Seeing a Man About a Dog Tour
Out and about in the Sprinter.
Listened to The Joe Rogan Experience.
Interviewee: Frank A. Von Hippel.
A professor at Northern Arizona University, Von Hippel is the author of The Chemical Age: How Chemists Fought Famine and Disease, Killed Millions, and Changed Our Relationship with the Earth, and the host of The Science History Podcast. Play on Spotify. Featured on The Joe Rogan Experience.
Quick and dirty takeaways...
There is no magic, genetic reason why fish school. Its just that the fish on the outside of the school don't want to get eaten by a predator. So, they try to work their way to the inside of the school.
Worker bees who discover a special pollen cache return to the hive to tell fellow worker bees where the special flowers are located. They do this via a "waggle dance." With the sun as a reference point they do a special dance. The angle of the dancing worker bee, aligning with the sun, tells the other bees where the pollen cache is. How does this happen? No one has figured it out yet. The point made by Rogan here, responding to Von Hipple, is that mankind has hardly scratched the surface when it comes to fully understanding the natural world.
Because of a distillation effect, there is more pollution at the poles than at intermediate latitudes where the pollution is actually created. Inuits and Eskimos have more chemical pollutants in their bloodstream than people at intermediate latitudes. An Ontario Canada research group wanted to measure industrial pollutants in the blood stream of Ontario workers. For a control comparison, they ventured north to measure pollutants in the blood stream of Inuits. They expected to find little or no pollutants in the blood of the Inuits and were shocked to find out that Inuits carried far higher amounts of industrial pollutants in their blood stream than did the workers at the industrial plants.
Rogan muses. What's our responsibility to "civilize" Amazon tribes who have never had contact with "civilization." Rogan cites all the problems these tribes experience... short life spans, poor nutrition, etc. but, wonders if civilization gives them a better deal. Shouldn't we just let them live the way they do... enjoy their millennia old traditions? Or should we?
Above: Atavistic green beans. Texas Road House, Amarillo, TX 21 November 2020
Seeing a Man About a Dog Tour
Out and about in the Sprinter
So good to find atavistic, canned/preserved green beans...like I used to eat as a kid. I'm so sick of fru fru crunchy green beans. Don't eat 'em any more. I substitute frozen peas, beets, and hominy.
Go to the woods to lose sight and memory of the crimes of your contemporaries. Jean-Jacques Rousseau
Above: Freddie on the watch in the Sprinter. Albuquerque, NM. 22 November 2020.
Seeing a Man About a Dog Tour
Out and about in the Sprinter
Sprinter dog.
How's he doing on the trip? Pretty good. Wants a lot of water. Not eating much. Likes the security if the van. Gets in the van, lies down and snoozes the entire ride. Sometimes after a long drive he doesn't want to to get out. I've had to manhandle him out of the van a couple of times. He resists, but in the end, seems fine with it. Always happy to hop back in. He rode in former owners' Sprinter van to dog shows. Didn't bm for first two days and then got back in cycle for early AM bm's. Always happy to walk on leash with me. We went two miles yesterday. When six foot leash is extended, he walks in front if me, and if I'm not looking, I'll run over him. May have something to do with his past training as a show dog. In the mean time, I hold him on a short leash. He seems anxious walking out on the street. He'll walk on a noise steel plate covering a sidewalk hole and seem excessively startled. I guess...I mean...who wouldn't? Putting myself in his head, this must be a confusing time for him, having left his home at the breeding kennel with a dozen other happy, barking newfies which had free reign over an indoor kennel and open connected half acre open area. He's a good dog. We both like him a lot.
Go to the woods to lose sight and memory of the crimes of your contemporaries. Jean-Jacques Rousseau
Above: San Felipe de Neri Church. Old Town. Albuquerque, NM. 22 November 2020.
Seeing a Man About a Dog Tour
Out and About in the sprinter.
Attended nine o'clock mass, in Spanish. About one hundred participants socially distanced by ushers in a chapel that might have had four hundred seats.
The homilies and liturgy read by the priest and the lay participants were shown on a video screen. I could pick up little of the spoken language, but, was able understand enough so as to find my place on the video screen. Some of the scriptures, viewed in that way, were familiar to me.
As I stood with the congregation when the homilies were read, I thought back to those days when, in LDS Sacrament Meeting, half or more of the old geezers present were snoozing away when the talks were given. The LDS might get people to pay more attention to advice from the pulpit by following the practice of the Catholics, asking congregants to stand during the talks.
The interlude and accompanying music was provided by a solo Spanish guitar and a female vocalist. I didn't understand the words, but the musical mood was poignant, sad, aspirational, even haunting. The music reverberating through the rafters in the high ceiling of the church (I wouldn't call San Felipe de Neri a cathedral) was truly beautiful, and evocative an intense spiritual connection with God.
The socially separated parishioners were all masked as were the two priests and lay speakers.
When travelling, I enjoy attending mass on Sunday. Within the last year or so I've attended mass in Dublin, Ireland, Lake Carirb, County Mayo, Ireland, and Helper, UT. It seems fantastic that the rituals performed in the Catholic mass date back almost two thousand years. Even more incredible is the fact that these rituals still attract large numbers of adherents despite an intense, secular, cultural pressure in the West to abandon faith.
Science tells us that we are genetically programed to believe in a creator... and that we are genetically predisposed to be tribal... to seek the presence of people who believe as we do. Social science aims to break down these tribal predispositions, which are reflected in thousands of year old belief systems, even as science affirms them. The clash between pure science and social science is evidence in so-called culture wars that have been fought in one form or another since the Enlightenment.
The struggle between those who believe in God given, "inalienable" rights... rights to be protected by government, and those who believe that government is the source of all rights, is especially acute in the United States today. The American people seem equally divided as to the source of human rights. God or man.
The battle between science and social science continues apace.
Go to the woods to lose sight and memory of the crimes of your contemporaries. Jeanne-Jacques Rousseau
Above: US 491 NB, south of Cortez, CO. 22 November 2020
Seeing a Man About a Dog Tour
Out and about in the Sprinter
Driving (or motorcycling) in the west is one unfolding painting scene after another.
The land is the appointed remedy for whatever is false and fantastic in our culture. Ralph Waldo Emerson
Above: Sunset. US 191. Twenty miles north of Moab, UT. 22 November 2020.
Seeing a Man About a Dog Tour
Out and about in the Sprinter
Sprinter going well. Only one system has malfunctioned... the propane powered hot water system. We could get hot water if we hooked up with electricity, but we aren't doing... primarily because we are arriving at RV parks after dark. Hot water is available at RV park restroom/showers. Not to say that we don't want the hot water system to work... just saying for our purposes, on this trip, we can work around it easily.
Sprinter electrical systems can last for up to five days sans recharging, sans A/C (which we don't need on this trip. Between the roof top solar panels and driving every day, the batteries are fully charged at the end of each driving day.
The water system works fine. The water pump makes a bit of a noise when pumping from the rear thirty six gallon water tank to the tap.
The internal heating system works great. It is powered by diesel fuel drawn directly from the fuel tank. Right now it is set for only 45 minutes running. I haven't taken the time to learn how to extend the duration time, but 45 minutes is more than sufficient to keep the van warm as we prepare for bed. Once in bed, after the heat turns off, we are toasty under the covers, even when the external temperature is 25 degrees, as it was in Green River, at the ICamp RV Park on 22 November 2020. Taking Freddie out for a 3 AM pee at 25 degrees was a brisk experience, but, it didn't take long.
We haven't had time to watch TV via Apple TV and TIMDT's iPhone. But, we're fully set up for Netflix, Amazon Prime etc.
For power beyond what is built in... lights, fridge, USB ports, we have an inverter. Turn on to plug in my computer or to use the microwave. Works fine.
I use my computer with wifi provided by my Galaxy 9 hotspot. Works fine.
No problems driving the van. We've learned a lot via unwitting mistakes. Don't drive the van under low hanging branches. Latch the cupboards in the fan before starting off to drive. Replace the diesel cap after filling the tank. Make sure the auxiliary box attached to the back of the van is secured before driving. Insure that the side sliding door is fully secure before driving.
I haven't taken the time to look for a way to disable the beep beep beep when I cross over into another lane. I consider this system to be hazardous as it forces concentration to stay in lane and away from the necessary situational awareness to maintain maximum safe control of the vehicle.
I confess that I am a surprised and pleased user of the vehicles... I forget what Mercedes calls it... automatic braking linked to the cruise control. But, like the point I made above about the lane change warnings, I find myself loosing situation awareness when the Sprinter slows automatically as it comes upon a car ahead. Paying more attention, driving on freeways, I probably would have initiated a lane change long before the braking system kicked in, thereby maintaining a more consistent speed.
Our entertainment is via TIMDT's IPhone blue toothed into the Apple system. We listen to podcasts, music, and take phone calls all through the whatever you call it system. TIMDT did a great job figuring this application out, though, she complained tonight that she was spending too much time messing with her phone and not enough time witnessing the landscapes rolling by.
In sum... good progress on all fronts. We'll take the van back to Jason, at Van Life Designs, in Ogden, UT in a week or two. Jason can figure out what's wrong with the hot water, install the light bar, awning and cell booster. While we had good cell coverage most of the time, there were periods where we could have used the cell booster.... from Albuquerque, NM to Farmington, NM for example... where cell coverage was zero to one bar for long distances.
Go to the woods to lose sight and memory of the crimes of your contemporaries. Jean-Jacques Rousseau
Above: Ray's Tavern. Green River, UT. 22 November 2020.
Seeing a Man About a Dog Tour
Out and about in the Sprinter.
Pork Chops and IPA. Utah icon. Must stop.
The land is the appointed remedy to all that is false and fantastic in our culture. Ralph Waldo Emerson.
Above: Bishop in Sprinter. ICamp Campground. Green River Utah. 22 November 2020.
Seeing a Man About a Dog Tour
Out and about in the Sprinter
Getting ready to call it a night. It will get down to 25 degrees outside tonight. Bishop sensed the cool temps first hand when he took Freddie out for a 3:00 AM pee break.
Above: Freddie at home in Park City. 23 November 2020
Seeing a Man About a Dog Tour (Come to and end)
Out and About in the Sprinter.
TIMDT narrative on Freddie:
We arrived home this morning and Freddie is exploring the house. He was a great traveler and slept on the drives. Absolutely the best behaved dog except he’s still not eating. Maybe he will eat this eve. He’s had three milk bones and one plate of food in 3 days. Guzzles water. When Steve dropped his glasses in the Sprinter earlier today, Freddie picked them up and looked at Steve as if to say, here you go. Here he is looking out front door.
Go the woods to lose sight and memory of the crimes of your contemporaries. Jean-Jacques Rousseau
Above: Mynduveroan and Freddie. 23 November 2020.
New best friends. Mynduveroan here massages Freddie's jowls. When she stops, Freddie pushes his head forward towards her face, saying in dog speak, "Hey, keep doing that. I like it!"
The land is the appointed remedy to whatever is false and fantastic in our culture. Ralph Waldo Emerson.
Addendum
…and many of us were with you on those Enfield Bullets. I had one of 500cc single cylinder Bullets several years that I rode around the Midwest. I ultimately replaced it with the more stylish Continental with fuel injection 635cc engine & disc brakes. Got really busy and only rode it about 800 miles around town and on the twisties in Wisconsin. Great looking machine.
Isetta,
Chicago, IL
A lotta neat bikes coming out. I'm intrigued with the new BMW R18 cruiser. Owned a couple of beemer C Class cruisers that came out in the late 90's. The R18 has a more classic look.
Congratulations to both Margaret and Steve on your new owner, Freddie.
Ahn Rhee
Larkspur, CA
These posts are so cool, and the way you guys are using it the same way I like to tour, similar to the motorcycle (but more comfortable) - esp b/c I grew up in Louisiana and lived in Austin for years, its nice seeing all of the places you visited in that part of the country. Marfa, Alpine, random Arkansas spots.
I see the new pup - he's a big boy!
Jason,
Ogden, UT
You lead a life rich in variety and experiences Steve. Moreover, there is great wisdom in your perspectives!
DrummerJ
Lehi, UT
Steve,
Looks like you got the “Sprinter” nicely kitted out for travel. But I see a Ford badge on the front. I thought Sprinters were Mercedes?
Manila Pal,
Aspen, CO
All Sprinter platforms are made by Mercedes Benz in Dusseldorf. Platforms are sold to Mercedes, Ram, and Freightliner who brand and market them. Ours is a Freightliner branded Sprinter... very non elitist!
Thank you,
Miss you two great people!
Zib,
Park City, UT