Professional Grade Shade Trees

Here is a photo looking down the bay of the Mobile Maintenance truck shop. These guys are really no different than maintenance guys all over, they just need bigger wrenches :)

Idled Assets

Here is what happens in the mining world when the price drops on a commodity, in this case copper. The copper market dropped badly with the general economy and the equipment in the picture, roughly 2-3 times as many as where I work, were idled. I'm glad I work in a gold mine!!!!

Tire shop

The ol' tire shop here has just a bit more testosterone than your normal shop. Here is the modified yard forklift that is used to move the tires for the mining equipment in the shop holding some fresh rubber for a Cat 793C.

Busy Bee(s)

Lots of different insects and birds visit he backyard which I have let grow up with wildflowers. Here is the humble bumblebee. Honey bees, butterflies, small birds also can be seen---especially after and while the sprinklers are going.

One set of Michelins please....

Pulled weekend duty this week for the mine so I meandered around some and took some pictures. This one shows a Ford F-250 Crew Cab in front of a few stacks of haul truck tires. These tires were made by Michelin and cost $30,000 per tire. We are stockpiling a few extra because the mine had no spares this time last year and no one---Goodyear, Michelin, or anyone else had any tires to sell and the lead time was weeks and months.

Hot Weather Bloomers

These plants, I believe their name is Indian Blanket, started producing flowers when the sun was really starting to get intense here in the high desert. We had a few back east in Tennessee and they did the same thing---kind of hang back until the heat of the summer kicked in.

One little bird home....

Oldest of the little birds came home today from soaking up the sights and sounds in Florida....more to follow soon.

SAG Mill Rotating

I've mentioned the SAG Mill in a previous post but I took a short video of it in operation today. Not a great shot but I'll improve on this in the days to come. The drum of the mill is nearly 30 feet in diameter and crushes/grinds ~500 tons of ore an hour.

Not a clue, but its a flower

This plant started popping up once the water started flowing. Lot of small orange blooms on a stalk that appears to be somewhat drought resistant.

Coolest Dad Award

Here's dad holding me just after I was born. Looks like he's on leave from the army with his head buzzed though he has his trademark pompadour coming back. While my brother and I were growing up, our dad wasn't the biggest dad, or the strongest dad but he was, by far, the coolest dad----and still holds that distinction to this today. He was the dad who remembered what it was like to be a boy growing up and let us all be boys. Here's a Happy Father's Day to you dad, though that hairstyle couldn't come back even if you wanted it too :)

Long Time Favorite

I've always been a somewhat picky eater and that extended to waffles---pretty much plain, but during my teenage years I fell in love after tasting my first Belgium and that variety has always had a special place in my heart. I've been experimenting with a Belgium waffle maker trying to create a recipe that is healthy---I can't seem to get rid of everything that is bad for me :) C'est la vie, here is my latest creation.....

Decking Material

Part of the housing agreement is that the company will supply the materials for an 8'x12' deck. After many weeks of waiting, the materials are here!! I guess the deck will be a low one because no railing material was provided. Hard to beat the price though. Pressure treated is not required here in the high country because of the dry climate with fir being the material of choice.

Purple Peeper

With all the rain, flowers are doing well this year. Actually, I think this one would do well anyway because of its indigenous nature.

Tea of the Greek Gods

I've tried green tea a few times straight and it's flavor reminded me of the taste of the lake waters during the summer time of my youth. I have been drinking some of the tea for a while with cranberry juice---not half bad actually though still with a bit of the green pond weed aftertaste. I'm mixing up a batch with pomegranate juice and will give it a shot. With luck I won't end up like Persephone, a part time guest of the Greek god Hades......

Another Rainy Night

Coming back from the morning mine meeting I snapped this picture with my new Titanium Voyager cellphone. The weather lately has been unseasonably wet and cool but not record setting. You can see the standing water, the clouds floating in the valley in front of the mountains and the new snow that has been deposited on the highest peaks.

Petite Morning Glory

Kind of looks like a small morning glory but opens by noon, closes at night. A few vines of these work their way through what passes it self off as dead grass in the backyard.

Desert Hail Storm

While I was installing my satellite dish yesterday when I got chased inside by a few bolts of lightning followed by pea sized hail. Had another few storms today along with the taller mountains on either side of the valley getting a new coat of snow on their tops.

Some things are universal......

While non-franchise Toronto restaurants are in the majority, some franchises have some unknown universal appeal. One such restaurant could be seen from my hotel window just off King Street in Toronto's financial district.

They're heeeeere.....

Took the long way back from the airport to see if the stories of space aliens were true. 150 miles of desolate countryside is a great place to land the mothership in preparation for the inevitable invasion. The alien scouts are crafty and blend into the countryside but I spotted one of the little green guys under deep cover who was paying just a little too much attention to my passing by......

Big Fat Yeast Rolls (Healthy Version 2.0)

Substituted the butter with olive oil, but still working out the Splenda/sugar ratio. Not as smooth looking but still tasted good. Might have to up the olive oil just a bit more and take more sugar out.  

Spent most of last week watching the oldest graduate and now spending the week in Toronto so the blogging will be limited :(

Desert Sun

Here is a flowered version of the alien dandelion that was on a previous post.  Actually a pretty nice flower all things considered.