Mea Culpa

friday, october 22nd, 2010

okay, it's all my fault; I admit it. And it always happens going into a weekend. Last Summer, I had R.E. Sanders Plumbing (York, PA) install a $2,700 Rheem® Co. ATG-53 Tankless Water Heater in my condo, and I've had nothing but problems with it, ever since. I should have just had them install another standing 50gal water heater, like the original one they removed. I was trying to cut down on both electricity and water bills, and "go a little green" at the same time. Plus, I got a nice $1,500 Income Tax credit.

First the burner unit went bad and it switched back to *cold water* within 7-8 minutes during the shower. I had to throw on my Turkish Towel and clogs, and go down 2 flights of stairs to re-set the unit, so I could finish my shower. Randy replaced the burner unit, and even with a 3-year warranty on parts and labor, I got billed several hundred dollars, as R.E. Sanders had to eat most of it. The Rheem® Company seems to not stand behind their products at all.

Now, the motherboard's chips are failing and the unit is *shutting-down* after 5-6 minutes into the shower. Randy called Rheem and gave the "error code of C-4", and they promised to Fed-Ex a new panel overnight, for installation on Friday morning. Nothing happened, so I still don't have any hot water for the weekend. Luckily, I'd taken a "short shower" on Thursday, my day off, so I'm okay until Monday. But I can't wash dishes or silverware in cold water.

I have a tankless water heater, about the size of a cigar box (remember them?) in my powder room at the GC&N Complex, installed in 1990, and it's worked flawlessly since the first day. I don't remember the name, but there's never been a problem with it. I wish I had it here. It's electric, not gas, vented inside, and didn't require $1,500 in fabrication to install it. I saw it on the old TV Show in the 70s & 80s: "This Old House", and had my plumbing contractor, R.E Sanders, since I was the GC (General Contractor) get one and install it. Like I said, it works flawlessly.

R.E. Sanders does all my plumbing and well work at the GC&N Complex, so it's not their fault; it's Rheem®'s fault. "Made In China". R.E. Sanders is always there when I need them, but this parts supplier is very lazy and makes promises they don't keep, IMO. I'm thinking of scrapping the whole system and going back to a standing 50gal water heater.

But at least I can go to The Virtual Cabin for a virtual shower, or over to Mom & Dad's to shower until next week, if the fricking parts ever come in from the lackies at Rheem® Co.

I truly recommend that you stay away from all Rheem® products. There are better ones out there on the market, and I've had nothing but problems since day one with Rheem®'s product.

Around The Garden Center

Coming in on Friday at 7am, after my Thursday day-off, I had a desk full of messages and problems to solve. Trees broken being unloaded from one of our trucks, which had to be replaced for the customer, 7 calls to return, myriad calls coming-in as to our Fall hours and prices on various plant material, landscape crew issues, 3pm Key Staff Meeting to revise the 3 upcoming weeks' Fall & Spring jobs and installations, landscape jobs to book, and much, much more. I was glad when Friday was over.

Friday & Saturday were so windy, that 45% of the standing nursery stock had blown down, which meant we'd have to stand them back up, and hand-water the pots on both Saturday and Sunday; a real, time-consuming, pain-in-the-ass. It was a busy day, as was Sunday, with the 50% Off Fall Sale. We're moving a lot of merchandise, but making less money compared to the 25% Off Fall Sales in previous years, but that's the way it is in today's economy. At least we're moving-out Large Specimen Plants, as well as lots of small plant material, so we'll be able to overwinter all the nursery stock in GHs 2-4, instead of GHs 2-7. A lot less work for my remaining employees, at year's end.

I was glad when work on Sunday came to an end at 4pm; only 2 more to go and we're closed again on Sundays. We have 3 landscape jobs and 23 tree installations to do, due to the Fall Sale, but I can't do this Fall Sale. I was tired when I got home on Sunday, after only 5hrs of sales and tree loading. Charlie dug 3 massive 6-7" Cedrus Atlantica "Fastigiata" (Upright Blue Atlas Cedars) out of the ground, and re-wrapped them in daisy metal baskets and burlap. All 23 trees to be installed have dug, Bio-Plexed and irrigated, and are ready for either delivery or installation, with the 3 weeks. I see no signs of snow the The Rockies or Great Plains, so it looks as though we'll be okay in installing the ones we have above ground. For 2011, I'm ordering-in only 15gal contain trees, which customer can plant themselves, or we can do at minimal cost for them, without machinery and 3 men. With the Øbummer Economy as bad as it is, customers want the trees, but don't want to pay for the high cost of a professional installation and a 5-year Warranty. I can't blame them; money is so tight right now, and the "worst financial news" comes on Jan 1st, 20111.

On Monday, Gary from R.E. Sanders showed-up at 10:15am, with a new motherboard for the tankless water heater, and replaced the old one. After he programmed the temp up to 120°, I finally had hot water again. The LSCP Foreman had moved-up several tree installations in East York (PA) and Monkton (MD) to fill-in Monday. On Tuesday, we'll be going to Harrisburg to install 3 "Princeton" American Elms and a Treeform Hydrangea. On Wednesday, they'll use the other truck and trailer plus JD 317 SkidLoader to install 3 massive (6-7" caliper) Blue Atlas Cedars in East York. I got into work about 11:15am and it was a fairly busy day.

We've sold a lot of B&B (balled & burlapped) trees, containerized shrubs and perennials during this 50% Off Fall Sale, and I'm very pleased to see the Retail Yards and GHs empty-out, for all the new, fresh Spring plants to be delivered. Dad took Monday off to mow the lawn at home, before the Tuesday rains came, and we had a few customers through, looking for bargains. Lee & I closed down about 4:45pm and left. As I said, "the shower after work felt great!" I watched DVR'd "Alien vs Predator: Requiem". Awesome!

I was getting anxious for Wednesday & Thursday's planting days, so as to finally get the 30 15gal "Princeton" American Elms into the ground, so they could grow-up and provide shade for my virtual property. Tim and I could easily handle 15 15 gal trees per day. I called Tim to confirm the days and dates, and he was okay with them, despite what had happened. I told him that I'm arm him with a either a Colt Trooper Nk III .357Magnum Pistol w/ 6" barrel, a and Henry Repeater chambered in .357, just for "good luck", and that I'd spend 1-2hts training him to use them, effectively, should some "shit come down upon us', during those two days of planting. I didn't expect anything to happen, but "Be Prepared" is my BSA motto. He understood.

It rained hard Monday night and into Tuesday morning; woke me up at 2am with the rain pounding on my 4 skylights. I worked a several estimates; one multi-phase from Rich and two other which walked through the front door yesterday with property damage from drunks in cars. I kept falling asleep in my office's plush leather chair, so I decided to close-down at 3:30pm, and go home. I just couldn't get anymore work done, and with only one customer through, we were losing money.

As I was coming down the condo stairs at 5:45am on Wednesday morning, I was carrying a pile of shirts to go to the cleaners, and didn't have hold of either of the two bannister railings, and slipped on the carpeted steps. I fell down 4-5 steps, on my bad back, and immediately got the 14" x 19" cold-pak from the freezer, laid down on the LR couch, called Lee from my cellphone, and asked him to go into work for me today. I later took some aspirin and went back upstairs to bed with the another cold-pak (I have two), wrapped in a towel, and went back to sleep for a long nap to assuage the pain. Funny how you don't feel pain when you're asleep. Dad and Kim took care of the Complex on Wednesday.

I also took Thursday off, to let my back heal. I went to the Wellspan Wound Center on Queen St, in York, to get a gash on my left buttock fixed, from the fall on Wednesday morning. I slept most of the day with a cold-pak, wrapped in a towel, on my back, exchanging it for a frozen one from the freezer, and putting it back in the freezer to re-freeze.

I'll be back in the office Friday morning at 95%, and have work for my LSCPers for the day and next two to three weeks. Two more Sundays to work until The Fall Sale is over, and I can then have my Sundays back, to sleep-in and have lunch with Mom & Dad, on Sundays. Life will become good again, soon enough,

I've decided to close on both Saturdys and Sundays this year; no sense in wasting LPG, electric and man-hours on two days which we don;t sell anything and just incur utiltiy expenses, especially ine the "caps" are coming-off all of the utilities, after a 10-year moratorium.

The “Virtual Cabin” – A Novella

On Saturday, I called Tim Swanson, to see if he could take Wednesday & Thursday off, to help me plant the 30 "Princeton" American Elms, and he said he could. The two of us could do 15 a day, easily. I arranged the use of my largest 10-ton Ford 450 Super-Duty Dump truck for those two days, and Tim would drive-up from his home in Maryland and meet me at the GC&N Complex at 7am. We'd be there in a short while, get unpacked, drop-off the trees at their respective holes, go to Nell's Kitchen for a hearty breakfast, come back to The Cabin and begin planting, watering-in, staking and mulching.

My LSCP Foreman would have a roll of Cobra Tree Rope, 60 6ft x 2" x 2" oak stakes, the stake driver and the 30 15gal trees loaded and tarped for me, on Tuesday afternoon. I could get the mulch locally at Midland's Garden Center in Adam's Junction. I had already bought 3 100ft rolls of garden hose at Bev & Tony's General Store, the week before, but might need another 100-200ft. I was on a well at The Cabin, but it was putting out an easy 8-9 GPM (gallons per minute), so watering wouldn't drain the well down. The plan was in motion and the time was right: the Elms had lost most of the "butter yellow" Fall leaves and their water requirements would be minimal until Spring.

I drove up to The Cabin after work on Saturday to check things out, feed Jenny and go to Nell's Kitchen for dinner. When I stopped at a gas station on I-81, above Harrisburg, I noticed a low left rear tire on the Jeep. I filled-up, and went for the free tire air pump and refilled it to 40psi. I called ahead to Roy's Shell Garage & Service Station and his son and my snowplower, Randy, answered the phone. He was closing-up in 25-30 minutes, but would wait for me and repair the leaking tire. I made it to the service station in 15 minutes, and Randy patched the tire and put a tube in it, just for good measure. I paid the bill, and offered him dinner at Nell's, which he gratefully accepted. We ate filet mignon, baked potato, 2 vegetables, and drank homemade iced tea. I dropped him off back at the service station, and he drove home in his souped-up '57 Chevy. Then I headed for The Cabin.

As I pulled up my 1,000ft crushed bluestone driveway, I noticed lights to my right, inside the trailer where the two M&MC Corp (Minerals & Mining Corp) guards had been murdered, and which had been taped-off as a crime scene. I called Sheriff Bunce's Office and got Sgt Clay Atler, who said he'd be right there, and that I shouldn't go near the scene. Instead, I disarmed The Cabin, got a big slurpy kiss from Jenny, brought my AR-10 .308cal 7.62 x 51mm NATO w/Leupold Glass CQT Mk IV Scope 3x out onto the deck with bipod on the massive picnic bench and sighted it in to 325yds. I only lit the kitchen light, not wanting to silhouette myself again The Cabin. Within 5-6 minutes, two Deputies' Cars pulled into the drive, lights out, and headed to the trailer across the meadow. I was still on the phone with Sgt Clay, and told him of my set-up to cover him, I could read the fine print on his badge, and he OK'd that position, but told me to stay there. I did. I checked my Kimber 1911 "Eclipse Target II" .45cal ACP, and retrieved two more 8-round mags from the Jeep in my Galco ammo carry holster, along with two more 50-round boxes of FMJ 160gr ammo. I had 3 25-round mags for the AR-10; figured that would be overkill, but brought out a 100-round "battle pack", just in case.

As the police cars drove through the meadow towards the roped-off and sealed tailer, the lights went out and I knew "something bad was going to happen". My Special Forces training and 3 tours in Nam told me to work my way down the left-side perimeter toward the cars and tailer, but I sat still, as ordered. I sighted-in all the trailer windows and doors and saw movement, which I relayed to Sgt Clay. He was appreciative of my background and as a Sniper School Graduate, and the Leupold Glass 3x made it easy. I could "reach out and touch someone" to 900yds — taking into account spin drift and drop of the bullet, "Kentucky windage", earth rotation, and direction/ speed at which the target was moving etc — with ease; this would be like shooting fish in a barrel, compared to what I'd been through in the jungles of Nam, in the early 70s with a crappy M-16, which fouled-up with 1 grain of sand. Then I heard 4 shots, and 2 Deputies dropped. I shot two perps in the trailer through the windows, which they'd broken, to get rounds outside to the Police. I scanned the other two windows and door by the wooden steps and saw a man duck down below the window. At 900yds, an AR-10s .308cal round has more kinetic energy than a .357 Magnum fired at point-blank range. I shot 12" below the window, and then put another round 24" down below the window. I heard the scream. Not knowing how many were in there, I decided to just scan windows and doors, and let the two remaining Deputies take it from there. They got behind their patrol car's engine blocks for some protection, until reinforcements arrived. I called the Memorial Hospital and told them to get some ambulances over here, but Sgt Clay had already notified them and Sheriff Bunce, who was on the way to my 43-acre property, took charge immediately. I went inside and got a cold Rolling Rock, and came back outside to assume my "position" on the deck, as spotter and sniper.

Soon, the meadow filled-up with 4 ambulances and 3 more Police Cars, with 2-3 Deputies each inside car. They had some serious hardware, this time, and a nearby SWAT Team had been called-in from Harrisburg, along with FBI Agents. It was already dusk, and I was having trouble making out anything other than silhouettes running around the meadow, so I put the AR-10 down, and sipped my beer. CSI was just pulling into the driveway, when the SWAT Van arrived, and ordered everyone else to leave and go to The Cabin deck and sit with me. One the FBI Agents stood behind us, AR-15 (a toy compared to my AR-10) at-the-ready. He marvelled at my hardware, but he a used night-vision scope ($5,000) to keep track of what was happening, and directed the operation on his radio. There was one perp still inside the trailer, and soon the front door opened, and he came out with his AK-47 blazing. He was shot dead in less than 4 seconds. Then it was quiet, except for Jenny barking and howling. I went back inside to comfort her, and the FBI Agent followed me inside. He asked for ID, business card and my CCW for his report. I readily complied.

Sheriff Bunce and Sgt Clay walked toward The Cabin, since their patrol cars had been shot to hell. The two wounded Deputies were rushed to Memorial Hospital, with Trauma Teams waiting to treat them for some superficial wounds, luckily. I had shot three of the four perps who'd had AK-47s, and who had riddled the patrol cars and wounded the two Deputies. The Deputies would live to fight another day, I was told; their wounds were superficial, compared to the 4 dead perps. The Sheriff called Roy's Shell Garage & Service Station and told him and Randy to get all the tow trucks in town out to my place to tow back the 4, shot-to-pieces, disabled patrol cars. They had a lot of body work, and broken windows to fix, plus engine and tire damage from those nasty, full-auto AK-47s, all of which were illegal in the perps' hands.

The SWAT Team cleared the trailer, and medics brought-out 3 body bags and loaded 4 of them, including the perp on the steps of the trailer, into the Coroner's Van, for a trip to the morgue. Now, the police reports and paperwork began. I began with my day's story of working from 8am - 4:30pm, driving to The Cabin to check on things, feed Jenny, getting a flat fixed, and taking Randy to Nell's Kitchen, which was all backed-up. I also told them of noticing lights in the crime scene trailer, and calling Sgt Clay, which he backed-up, their arrival on the property and subsequent attack from the perps in the sealed trailer. I recounted my background, my use of the AR-10 and Leupold Glass Scope, and the shooting of the 3 perps through the windows and 20" below the 3rd window. All backed-up. I asked what they found, and they said that was still classified, until a DA could convene a Grand Jury to determine culpability. I asked if I was free to close-down The Cabin, and go back to York, as I had to be at work at 11am. I signed some papers, after reading them carefully, and went back inside The Cabin.

Sgt Clay followed me inside, and told me that 4 IDs had been made — all Holzapple cousins and relatives — Tristan, Charlie, Seth, James — apparently looking for any gold still left in the vein shaft or in the trailer's safe, which had been thoroughly-cleaned out by The Mining Company, when they pulled-off the site, after the vein played-out. The trailer was to be relocated on Tuesday, and its site was to be "naturalized", according to MM&Company plans, so no one would return. The trailer would be destroyed, after the two guards were murdered in their beds, with blood-splattered walls and ceiling. I was relieved.

After everyone had left, I armed The Cabin, refilled Jenny's 3 bowls and headed back to York. It was almost midnight, and I had to work 11am - 4pm at the GC& Complex, for the next 3 Sundays, while the 50% Off Fall Sale continued. I thought about calling Tim Swanson and letting him know what had just happened, since he has a family, and isn't that good with a rifle or pistol. It could possibly get "ugly" while we were installing the Elms on Wednesday & Thursday, if the Holtzapples or Groves decided to pay a "revenge visit, and I didn't want him to get hurt of shot. I can take care of myself, but apprehensive of Tim. I decided to call him from my cellphone on the way back and let him know what had transpired this evening.

After talking with Tim for 15 minutes, he was pretty nonchalant about the whole thing. He'd had a "Daisy BB Gun" as a kid, and shot some NRA targets at Summer Boy Scout Camp, in the 60s, but I assured him this evening was not to be compared to those things. This was nearly a full-fledged firefight, but that I would ask Sgt Atler "look in on us" periodically on the two days, plus I'd be well-armed and observant. I'd also bring along the Remy 11-97 12ga AutoLoader Shotgun for him, with 10 boxes of .00 buck and slugs, and teach him how to use it. I was also planning to bring my Beowulf .50cal along with 3 11-round mags. He still agreed to come along and help me, anyway. I jokingly told him to make sure his life insurance premium was paid-up before Tuesday. He said it was paid in full for the year. So, we're still on for installing the Elms.

On Monday, I had a meeting with Alan, my LSCP Foreman, and laid-out the plan for Wednesday & Thursday, and he said he and the crew would have everything (on my list) loaded onto the White Ford 450 Super-Duty Stake Body Dump truck and Pequa Trailer, and tarped, by Tuesday at 4pm, before they left work. He'd have the twin 22gal tanks gassed-up and all we'd have to do is drive to The Cabin and get the job done. He offered some additional muscle by offering to come along or send Arthur or Charlie, but I said that Tim and I could easily handle 15 15gal Elms per day, with backfilling, staking, watering-in and mulching. The holes had already been dug by a local contractor. He was stunned at my story of what happened Saturday afternoon and evening, mouth agape. And believe me, after know Alan for 16 years, it takes a lot to surprise him.

I asked my Dad's advice on what to do with the $101,273,600.00, minus 10% mining fees and federal taxes, plus told him I had several hundred pounds of golfball-sized pure nuggets stashed away; I had turned-in all the gold ore I'd found to MM&Company to assay to put into the final, taxed total. I would keep the pure nuggets for my own use: a 2006 Ford GT and cozy retirement after 21yrs in the business. And a new 1-floor condo with a 2-car garage. Now I needed to get the gold nuggets I had, assayed. I took them to the reputable assayer in York, and he did the job: $1,753,251.00 and that would be enough for me to comfortably live upon for the rest of my days. I would convert half of the pure nuggets to cash and invest it when gold hit $1,500/ oz; the rest I would convert to cash when gold hit $2,000/ oz, and keep it in my dbl door Cannon Gun Safe, at work. Bank accounts are too traceable and accessible to the corrupt IRS and I wasn't about to give this corrupt, liberal demokkkRAT government anymore of my earnings.

After the rain stopped at work, Alan, Arthur & Charlie began loading the 30 15gal "Princeton" American Elms on the trailer and tarping them, while loading the dump truck with 60 stakes, Cobra Rope, stake driver, shovels, pitchforks and 5 CuYds of Premium, Dbl-Shredded hardwood bark mulch. Luckily, it's a "club cab" and Tim and I would have plenty of room for our gear. They they left for the day since it was too wet to install large trees with a 3.5 ton JD 317 Skidloader on peoples' properties; too much lawn damage. We'd postponed that job until Wednesday, when we'd use 1" sheets of plywood to drive the machine on. I emailed Tim and told him that everything was ready, and to be here by 7:00am. I wanted to leave Wednesday after work, but Tim had a PTA meeting wth his lovely wife, at one of his child's schools, and had to attend. So, Wednesday morning it is.

Tim was at the Complex by 6:45am on Wednesday, and we loaded his gear into the truck, and started-off for Adam's Junction. The ride was short, even through the rush-hour traffic and we arrive at The Cabin by 7:30am. I disarmed the building, fed Jenny who took to Tim right away, and we stowed our gear in BR's 1 & 2, and went back out to the truck & trailer. We dropped off a 15gal Elm and 2 stakes at each of the 30 pre-dug holes, unloaded the equipment — Cobra Rope, stake driver, extra hoses — but kept the mulch on the dump truck, re-armed the building and drove to Nell's Kitchen for some breakfast.

We each had a hearty breakfast of steak, two easy-over eggs, bacon, sausage, buttered toast and coffee. I paid the bill and tipped 25%, as usual, and left to go back to The Cabin to get started. By 12:00noon, We had 7 of the 15 Elms in and backfilled, watered-in and staked. By 3:00pm, we had the first 15 of 30 trees in place, backfilled, watered-in and staked. Next, we spread a small circle of mulch around the 15, and decided to call it a day. It was hard work for two guys at our age. We'd only used 2.5 CuYds of mulch, a ¼ of the Cobra Rope, and were in good shape and on schedule to finish the other 15 on Thursday.

Tim unpacked in BR #2, and I in the Master BR. I fed Jenny, lit a roaring fire to take the chill off The Cabin, and turned-up the furnace to 75°F, to make sure the BRs, bath and kitchen all got warmed-up.

I'd planned a simple 3 course meal for tonite: Bruschetta with a tomoato-spices-mixture spread, a local Fall Salad and Angel Hair Pasta (Cappellini) smothered in Vodka Sauce and Shitake Mushtooms, with crusty Italian bread. The 50 year-old Brandy would cap-off the dinner, with a bottle of 1986 Lafitte Rothschild Bordeaux Wine gpong with the first 3 courses. By now, I had built-up a nice 63 bottle wine cellar in the pantry, and had collected some very choice wines.

My guests always get the shower, first. Tim was finished in less than 15mins, and I took 20mins. A change of new, fresh clothes felt great and the day's sweat, dirt and grime came off easily.

After dinner, I put the dishes and glasses in the dishwasher and we retired to the fireplace, which I'd restocked with a 3ft log and it was roaring nicely. I turned-on the local police scanner to hear what was happening. Jenny had curled-up on her Kodiak Bearskin. I thanked Tim for his help, and poured a ¼ snifter of Brandy for each of us, for starters. We talked about the nursery industy and business, and how it'd "changed" over the past 2-3 seasons, and what impact it was having on each of out small businesses. We talked about his family, my family and politics in general. He noticed all the stacks of books I had piled around the massive LR, many of which I'd read once, twice or thrice, and others I'd not gotten around to reading, yet. I was saving those for the Winter months.

I brought out the weapons, magazines and ammo abd laid them out on the massive oak dining room table. He'd seen my "collection" at the GC& Complex, but was still amazed. I explained how each worked, and for what use: targets, man or beast. I explained his first: my Colt Trooper MK III .357Magnum w/ 6" barrel and the Henry "Golden Boy" Repeater, also chanbered in .357Magnum. I showed him how to load, re-load, aim, and dry-fire. The I showed him my cadre: my daily carry piece, Kimber 1911 "Eclipse Target II" 5" .45cal ACP with 160gr HPs, Remy 11-87 12ga Auto-Loader (semi-automatic) with .00 buckshot and alternating slugs, 7 in the tube and 1 in the chamber, and finally my "sniper rifle, the AR-10 .308cal NATO 7.62 x 51mm, 25-round mags, with Leupold Glass, which I'd used to great effect last Saturday on 3 perps in the now-gone mining trailer. The two wounded Deputies were recuperating and would be back at-duty with 1-2 weeks. Their patrol cars were another matter.

I called Sheriff Bunce's Office on my cellphone, got Sgt Atler, and told him that we'd had an uneventful day installing 15 of the 30 "Prince" American Elms. He rememberd me telling him of this project, but also reminded me that Black Bears are on the prowl right now, looking for "one final large meal" before they go into hibernation, as are the Mountain Lions. I told him we were well-armed, and he said he didn't doubt it. I asked about the 2 wounded Deputies, and he said that they'd both be back at work with 5-7 days, thanks to me and my sniper training in SF. He'd drop by tomorrow a couple of time to see how were were doing. I was standing by the very large front window, talking to Sgt Clay, heard Jenny bark and howl after she ran to the window, when I saw a very large, furry, bipedal "thing" start to stride across my 4-acre meadow. I mentioned it to Clay and he said there'd been "Bigfoot" sightings in the area, for the past 2-3 years, in addition to Black Bears and Mountain Lions. I told him to hold on, grabbed the AR-10. I "doped the scope" to 400yds, loaded a 25-round mag of .308cal (7.62 x 51mm), and stepped out onto the front porch and sat down at the picnic table. I sighted it in and fired twice. Tim followed with the cellphone, mouth agape. I shot the creature twice, heard both howls and it hobbled at the 2nd shot in the neck. There would be a serious trail of blood to follow in the morning. Sgt Atler said he'd be out at 6:00am with a couple of Deputies to track and find it.

We retired at 8:30pm, as the fire was still burning. I armed the building. I closed the damper ½ of the way, to preserve heat. Tim kept the loaded Colt Trooper MK III .357Magnum and Henry "Golden Boy' Repeater, also in .357Magnum, in BR 2, while I kept the Kimber 1911 .45cal ACP, Remy 12ga 11-87 Auto-Loader (semi-automatic) and AR-10 .308cal NATO 7.62 x 51mm in Master BR 1. Jenny came in a curled-up with me.

I was up and dressed at 5:00am on Thursday, making gourmet Kona coffee, in my favorite Chemex Coffeemaker, fresh-squeezed OJ, pancakes and bacon for Tim and I. Sgt Atler would be here at 6:00am and he and his guys would like some coffee, as they tracked "Bigfoot's" trail(s) of blood through the woods to look for a carcass, or whatever. Tim was up and dressed, partook of breakfast, and I made another pot of Kona coffee for the officers, who'd come to be good friends of mine over the past months, due to what we'd all been through. They arrived at 5:50am, had the pot of coffee, and set-out on foot at 50ft intervals, to look for "Bigfoot". The had some "serious hardware" with them, just in case.

Meanwhile, Tim and I started installing the remaining 15 Elms, backfilling, watering-in, staking and mulching and were finished by 2:45pm, since we had "the routine" down from the day before. I folded-up the tarps, coiled the hoses and put them into the back of the dump truck. The Pequa Trailer was finally empty, and my 4-acre meadow had 27 new Elms, plus 3 Elms for shade on the deck were all in-ground, and ready for Spring growth of 4-6ft. I was excited that the project was over and the Elms had a good home and would do The Cabin a good service with all the shade that they'll provide in the coming years.

Still, no callback on my cellphone from Sgt Atler and his two Deputies. I could hear their patched-up patrol cars' radios crackling with chatter, but no sign of them. I grabbed the AR-10, a "battle pack" (100 rounds) and set-out to track them. Tim went inside to shower and change clothes.

I tracked the blood trail and them for about 11 miles, through my 43-acre property, off the property into a series of mountainside caves. I found chunks of "fur" on branches of shrubs, and stuffed them into my satchel bag, inside a large ZipLoc Baggie. The blood trail played-out, but the 3 Police Oficers' footprints and semi-clumbsy tracking methods were quite apparent, despite all the leaf litter from Fall tree droppings. I came upon a lower cave, where I found huge 18" footprints and 3 sets of much small human bootprints. I used my quartz-halogen flashlight to enter the cave about 50ft and smelled something real bad: rotting flesh, an olfactory "memory smell from Nam", and decided to go only another 50ft, and then get out and go back for help from Sheriff Bunce & Co. What I saw turned my stomach: carcasses of 2 humans and other various animals, eaten raw and thrown on to a pile to rot. I got out of there ASAP, and jogged back to the Deputies' patrol cars, calling the Sheriff for additional help.

Sheriff Roy checked the day's duty log, and saw that Sgt Clay had indeed taken 2 Deputies to investigate my "Bigfoot" sighting and shooting, and dispatched 6 more Deputies, plus the Harrisburg SWAT Team, to further investigate. The Sgt and 2 Deputies were now officially listed as "hostages-MIA" and SWAT was instantly involved, and in-charge. I was glad; they could handle it from here-on. I was tired from an 11-mile jog with the AR-10 rifle, heavy ammo and satchel, but agreed to guide them all to the cave site. I told Tim to stay at The Cabin with Jenny, and protect it, in case "Bigfoot's" family/friends/relatives came back for retribution of any kind. If they showed-up, he was to call my cellphone, so I could get back there ASAP and handle things. He loaded the Colt .357Magnum and Henry "Big Boy" Repeater .357Magnum, and had extra ammo boxes, at-the-ready. Meanwhile, I took the lead in guiding Sheriff Bunce, 6 Deputies and the 5-man SWAT Team to the caves' site to look for the missing Sgt Atler and his 2 Deputies.

Tim had his cellphone, and I asked him to check in with me every 15mins, as to what was happening back at The Cabin. I could have stirred-up a hornets' nest by shooting/wounding/killing the supposed "Bigfoot"; who knew? I needed Tim to to defend himself and Jenny, and I'd get back ASAP to help.

By the time we reached the complex of caves, Sgt Atler and his 2 Deputies were waiting outside of the entrance(s), and were quite bloodied and cut-up. I had a small first-aid kit in my satchel and tended to their wounds as best I could, with what limited resources I had in that kit. The real big first-aid kit was back in the Ford Dump Truck, but that was 11 miles away, and I hadn't thought to lug that along on an 11 mile jaunt.

Sheriff Bunce called for a PA-NG Medevac Chopper to get them to a hospital in Adam's Junction, where they could be treated for their wounds. Clay told us that there was an elaborate labryinth of interconnected caves, housing "Bigfoots" of all sizes and shapes; dozens of "families". The one I'd shot died just 125ft inside the lower cave, past the pile of rotting carcasses. I hadn't gone in that far, so I didn't see "it". I had the bloody fur samples from the shrubs, from when I'd shot it twice the provious night, which I turned-over to the Sheriff for analysis, in the ZipLoc baggie. SWAT wanted some of it too, from the carcass I'd created of the one who fatally strode through my meadow, last evening. They took their "evidence", fur and DNA samples, plus hundreds of pics. We didn't see anyother "Bigfoots", as they are supposedly very shy, until cornered with their young, and well-hidden in the massive caves. Only the one 9-10ft carcass, probably weighing 1,000-1,500lbs or so, was visible. Other than bring in a US ARMY Sikorsky, there'd be no way we could get the carcaass out of there for examination and evaluation. If we left, the others would remove it for burial or ritual fire, and we'd have no concrete evidence for the scientific community. I really wanted the "evidence", dammit.

Tim called and said everything was okay, but that Jenny had been growling and barking intermittently; no howling yet. I told Sheriff Bunce and the SWAT Team that I had to get back to The Cabin, and that something was about to happen there. I jogged-off with my AR-10, ammo and satchel for the 11 miles. They sent one Deputy with me and he kept-up like a champ. It was me who was getting tired from running these three 11-mile jaunts, as a 2-pack-a-day Marlboro smoker, I was getting winded pretty quickly by the end of these jaunts. Tim called again and said Jenny was howling, and that he could now see 3 "Bigfoots" at the front deck, ripping-out out some newly-planted Elms. I said that we'd be there in a few minutes; just hold on, and if you have to, shoot through the large front window. He said the "Bigfoos" were very hesitant about coming onto the deck structure and were jumping around the meadow, screeching and howling, just in front of the deck. We made it to The Cabin in about 20mins, and noticed that there were 3 "Bigfoots" near the front deck, and an unknown number around the sides and back of the building. I "doped the scope" for 300yds, and took out 3 of the creatures with headshots in front of the deck. We'd have our "evidence", now. Then, we carefully circled around the right side, back and left side, shooting 4 more of the creatures. Several of the newly-planted Elms had been ripped out of the ground and thrown on the deck. Tim was inside with Jenny, crouched at the window, and when he saw me, with the Deputy, shooting the creatures, he came outside with the Colt Trooper MK III .357MMagnum, blazing; finishing them off with headshots, as I'd instructed him to do. He got splattered with their blood and looked like he'd been through a firefight. I told him it was "customary" to rub two finger-streaks of the blood on each of his cheeks, and three finger-streaks across his forehead, which he did. (I saw that done in an old John Wayne movie, and had a great laugh on him, as did the Deputy. Tim looked like a Indian Warrior!) Jenny was struggling to get out the from door, but Tim kept her confined in The Cabin, for her own safety. She may think she's "guardian of the property", but a full-grown "Bigfoot" would squash her like a bug, just as a Black Bear or Mountain Lion would tear her to shreds. She needed protection from them. I was amazed that Tim took the chance by going out into all that carnage and doing what he did, but I was proud of him.

When we reached The Cabin, Tim was sweating profusely and shaking; he'd never been in a true firefight or anything like this, and I couldn't blame him for his trepidation. But he did well. Headshooting the "Bigfoots" assured that they wouldn't harm or kill anyone else, despite their rage at me killing their so-called "tribal elder", last evening. He and I replanted the 3 Elms by the deck, watered them in, re-staked them and re-mulched them. Our scent was fresh upon the new trees, and the "Bigfoots" took out their anger on them, and not The Cabin and it two occupants, fortunately.

I could hear and see Medevac Choppers flying to the caves, airlifting the Deputies to medical attention, as well as bringing some dead carcasses to the scientific community for examination. I had 6 dead creatures around The Cabin, and called the SWAT Team Leader to dispatch another Sikorsky to pick these up and remove them. I didn't want them within 3,000yds of The Cabin, for safety purposes. He agreed and a PA-NG Chopper landed 35 minutes later. I called the local excavator who dug the Elm holes to get here ASAP with a forklift, to load the bodies. He was here within 10 mins, and was speechless the whole time. I told Tim to put Jenny on a leash and tie her to the deck railing, so she could see what's going on. I then took her leash and led her to each dead "Bigfoot", so she could sniff death and see the size of the creatures. That would imprint "memory" on her brain as to why she wasn't allowed outside during the shooting of these creatures. She'd already had "imprinted memory on the 300lb Black bear which almost shredded her once, and which I killed with my .50cal Beowulf, but none with a Mountain Lion or "Bigfoot", yet.

Tim and I took Jenny back into The Cabin, lit a roaring fire, and I showed Tim how to butterfly and stuff boneless chicken breasts, with ham and cheese, and make Chicken Cordon Blue, baby brussel sprouts, steamed carrots, crusty Italian bread & Keller Butter, and vino, chased by 50-yr-old Cognac (whih I need to replenish, soon) along with my last few Cuban Cigars (don't ask). I refilled Jenny's 3 bowls and she curled-up uppn her Kodiak Bearskin Rug, in front of the massive hearth, which I opened 100%, and turned-up the furnace to 78°F to warm-up the other rooms.

Tim took the first shower while I cleaned-up and did the dishes in the dishwasher, and I had the second shower and put-on clean clothes, after all the "Bigfoot" chases and killings, today. We were truly ready to go "home" early Friday morning at 5:00am, and get back to "real work in the real world", on Friday.

We were sitting, satiated after dinner and during drink, in front of th massive hearth fire, when the 5-man SWAT Team showed-up, telling me that the 3 bloodied Deputies had had been PA-NG Medevac'd to Adam's Junction Trauma Units, for treatment. The SWAT Team had killed an additional 8 "Bigfoots" of all sizes and shapes in the caves, and had taken DNA samples from each, for scientific anaylsis, plus hundreds of pics. The 6 "specimens", which I had killed on my property, would be airlifted to scientific labs around the country and world, for full-autopsy, classification (if possible), analysis and possible admission to The Smithsoniam Institution and American History Museums, with my name as "hunter". This would be a first. I didn't really want that "scientific written distinction"; I'd rather have the credit go to the 2 wounded Adam's County Deputies and Sgt Atler or to the SWAT Team, who freed the Deputies and killed more of the creatures. I'd rather be left out of it all, publicily. The SWAT Team Sgt agreed to do so.

It was approaching 10:00pm and Tim and I decided to crash, and get ready to drive back to York, on Friday morning. I armed the building, ramped-up-the 3ft log fire, turned-up the furance to 78°F, since we were going to have 30°F frost tonite, and we needed to keep warm, until we left at 6:00am on Thursday morning, for York and Maryland. We stopped at Nell's Kitchen, orderd a lighter breakfast for the trip back to reality, and left by 6:00am, again mising most of the Harrisburg rush-hour.

Tim Swanson is a long-time, good friend, excellent nursery stock broker and was a great big help in getting the 30 15gal "Princeton" American" Elms installed, but neither of us had any foreboding of what would happen over the past two days, with "Bigfoots" etc. Oh, well, "shit happens". I'd like to be a "fly on his wall" when he explains all of what happened in these past two days, to his lovely wife and kids. Betcha they won't let him come back to my virtual world and The Cabin, ever again.

Fonts For You™

Many Journal entries are best viewed in the Charrington Roughened and the Orlando typefaces. You may already have Century Gothic on your Windows-XP machine, and that's almost always used for the body copy or subheads, so grab it, if you don't already have it; you're reading it now. They're free from my website. Grab 'em! Save them to your HD, and install to C:/Windows/Fonts (folder), thru your WIN XP Control Panel > Fonts > File > Install New Font. Simple stuff; just takes a few minutes.

Here are a few others, which have been used in my Journal: Papyrus and Acoustic Bass, and Caesar Regular and Carleton and Charrington Strewn and Catherine. If you get and install them, you'll see how much nicer these pages are to view and read. Plus, they add to your repertoire of available fonts in MS-Word, as WIN-XP System Fonts, so you can use them for your daily documents.

Here's a new one, for your Windows/Fonts folder: Sketchy.

The Global Warming Money Pit

Have you seen this video: "BBC: The Great Global Warming Swindle"? It was outright-banned from leftist, hate-filled, dirtbag, lowlife scumbags, Google.com's and YouTube.com's websites, by the mentally-ill, left-wing, global warming idiot wackos, but I've preserved it, for posterity, aka you, me and *ours*. Watch, be informed and download it for others to see. It's on my corporate server, and will stay there, BTW.

Here's what the Global Warming Scam is all about. Sweet, huh? They're so transparent, aren't they?

Here's everything you need to know about the Global Warming Fraud, and why it's a good thing. It's a l-o-n-g article, so get a sandwich, iced tea and settle-in, for a very informative read. I'm right there with you, BTW.

The "Greenhouse Effect" is a natural and valuable phenomenon, without which, the planet would be uninhabitable. Global Warming, at least in recent times, is real. CO₂ is not a significant greenhouse gas; 95% of the contribution is due to Water Vapor. Man's contribution to Greenhouse Gasses is relatively insignificant. We didn't cause the recent Global Warming and we cannot stop it. Solar Activity appears to be the principal driver for Climate Change. CO₂ is a useful trace gas in the atmosphere, and the planet would actually benefit by having more, not less of it, because it is not a driver for Global Warming and would enrich our vegetation, yielding better crops to feed the expanding population. CO₂ is not causing global warming, in fact, CO₂ is lagging temperature change in all reliable datasets. The cart is not pulling the donkey. Wake-up, folks.

Here's a listing of The Best Global Warming Videos on the Internet.

Hey, fat, shit-for-brains, bloated, liar, huckster, fraud, criminal, charlatan, scumbag, loser, disgraced ex-VP AlGoreBore (LIAR-TN), is back using $300 million of OPM (Other Peoples' Money) to promote his Global Warming Bullshit, after the worst Winter in over 100 years. Welcome back, fatso huckster asswipe, AlGoreBore!

CO₂ bad? No; CO₂ is good, and we need more of it, or we're in for a very cold period, very soon. Here are the facts about CO₂.

Roger Revelle of Scripps Institution of Oceanography, Harvard University and University of California San Diego, spits on the lying scumbag, AlGoreBore. My, my, oh my. (((snicker))) No, there's no consensus on Glo-bullshit Warming, other than it's a LIE! Just ask Alfred P. Sloan Professor of Atmospheric Science at MIT, Richard S. Lindzen; he's eminently-qualified to call AlGoreBoreAsshole, a LIAR! As I am.

There's another "ice age" coming, not the AlGoreBoreLiar 'Glo-bull warming' crap.

Larsen B Ice Shelf in Antarctica collapses in 2002 = Glo-bullshit Warming? Doubt it.

Read this Glo-bullshit Warming idiocy. Go ahead; I'll wait.

AlGoreBore's "hypocrisy"? See it right here!

You need to watch this 30 minute film; it's an eye-opener if you think that we're running out of crude oil, and that America has no reserves. We have more oil and natural gas in Alaska alone, than all the rest of the world's known reserves, COMBINED! Grab an adult beverage, and watch it.

Better get out your Winter coats, 'snuggies', wool socks and snow shovels, as it seems we've got an 80-year "Little Ice Age", on the way. Yawn; no biggie.

AlGoreBore's "Glo-bull Warming Bullshit" has spawned so-called 'cottage industries' around the world, worth hundreds of millions and probably billions of dollars, for green corporation validation, carbon credits, foundation & university climate studies, grants and a host of other BS-related crap to his lies and garbage. Global warming competes with cancer and competes with AIDS for a finite amount of money. This year's natural resurgence will surely see the global warmists, led by celebrity warmist, Gore, compete viscously for those US Taxpayers' hard-earned dollars. And I'm betting that the really important disease, cancer, loses to Glo-bullshit Warming and AIDS. Dammit.

F*ck all the "Glo-bullshit Warming Alarmists"! I say, FUCK-THEM-UP, and cleanse the planet, if they try to physically-intimidate and hurt anyone! I will; count on it! "Get in my face", assholes, and that'll be your last day on this Earth! If there are any "dissenting scientists" out there, who need protection, just get in-touch with me, and I'll guard you & yours. You can count upon that, folks!

Have you taken "The Global Warming Test"? If you have a sentient, functioning brain, and a simple knowledge of "the facts", you'll easily get a 10-of-10, as I did. Go ahead, and give it a try!

Read this article and pick-out "The WWF's Big Lie". If you chose this paragraph — "Summer sea ice is now forecasted to completely disappear in the summer months sometime between 2013 and 2040 — something which hasn't happened for over a million years." — you'd be right. There isn't, and never has been and ice on the earth dated at a million years old, and who the hell was around back then to begin recording it? The lying sacks-of-shit at the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) are typical lowlife, left-wing wacko scumbags, in-bed with the "Glo-Bull Warming" Crap, of asshole AlGoreBore and his phony, money-making scam. The oldest, and not reliably-dated ice cores are >160,000 years, and those are shaky in fact, at best. So where did the lying WWF pull the million year crap from? Their asses, of course!

Shit-for-brains, mentally-ill, fat, bloated liar, AlGoreBore's (LOWLIFE-TN) "ally", in NASA's Goddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS), which is run by AlGoreBore's chief scientific ally/"asshole/butt-buddy"— Dr James "Moron-Cretin-Asshole" Hansen (DIRTBAG-NASA) — and is one of four bodies responsible for monitoring global temperatures, announced that "last month was the hottest October on record". Total, factual bullshit and lies. This was startling. Across the world there were reports of unseasonal snow and plummeting temperatures last month, from the American Great Plains to China, and from the Alps to New Zealand. China's official news agency reported that Tibet had suffered its "worst snowstorm ever". In the US, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration registered 63 local snowfall records and 115 lowest-ever temperatures for the month, and ranked it as only the 70th-warmest October in 114 years. So what explained the anomaly? GISS's computerized temperature maps seemed to show readings across a large part of Russia had been up to 10 degrees higher than normal. But when expert readers of the two leading warming-skeptic blogs, Watts Up With That and Climate Audit, began detailed analysis of the GISS data they made an astonishing discovery. The reason for the freak figures was that scores of temperature records from Russia and elsewhere were not based on October readings at all. Figures from the previous month had simply been carried over and repeated two months running. Read this article, and find out why both lying, corrupt, criminal, subhuman idiots, GoreBore & Hansen, should be stood against a wall, and shot, IMO. In fact, the pathetically-socialist, left-wing UK, has just begun to awaken to what the "Climate Change Bill" will do to destroy their nation, or what's left of it. IMO, it's probably too late now to save the UK, but at least some of the more Conservative people over there, will at least get the chance to flee to America (or elsewhere), before we also "go down the proverbial dumper", as they've done. Heh.

On Friday, January 2nd, I ran a fully-attributed story in my weekly "Journal", which had links to other stories and facts, thoroughly-debunking AlGoreBore's trillion dollar scam and fraud, Global Warming". The Daily Telegraph UK's columnist, Christopher Booker, was the erudite author, and here is the link to that story. Nice job, Mr Booker!

Now, lowlife shit-for-brains dirtbag, Arkansas Gov Mike "DumbAss Turd-Boy" Beebe (ASSHOLE-AR), said that global warming is serious problem, not a "hoax," and requires more than a state response. "I think it's a threat, and I think global warming is occurring," Beebe-The-Shithead said in response to a caller to his statewide radio program who said he believed the climate change crisis was a "hoax." Idiot. Stupid idiot. Global warming is bullshit, you two-bit asshole! Crawl back inside of AlGoreBore's rectum, dumbfuck!

And global cooling goes merrily along, without any help from us mere humans, as it has for millions and millions of years.

Another "lie/error" in the favor of Glo-BULL Warming's false bullshit and lies? Got duct tape?

Here's the truth: Lord Monckton of Brenchley's Science & Public Policy Institute.

The commie/fascist/socialist liberal-demokkkRAT filth in the US Congress, have refused to allow Lord Monckton to testify the truth, against con-man, liar, scumbag AlGoreBore's LIES! This is Commie Russia, NOT Free America!

Things Which Make Your Head Explode

More lies from Øbummer & Co. Well, what did you expect? The truth? Nah. He's incapable of telling the truth about anything, as are 99% of his so-called administration. Liberal filth are born-and-bred liars.

"Wolfgang Puck's Dallas restaurant turns away WWII vets." Huh? That's one eatery I'd avoid at all costs, now.

The Clinton budget "surpluses"? There were NONE at all; it was a "numbers game", played only on paper and so transparent anyone with a functioning brain could see right through it.

Shit-for-brains demokkkRAT Congressman Henry Waxman of California's 30th Congressional district has drafted legislation that would impose a federal tax on sunlight: The National Sunlight Reclamation Act.

It's a “dirty dozen” of stimulus projects — efforts so wacky and wasteful they call into question the sanity of last year's $787 billion federal stimulus effort. In all, this “dirty dozen” account for a whopping $23,084,512 in taxpayer money — and create a total of, at most, 71 jobs, according to grant applications. That's $325,133.97 per job. Newsmax has taken a close look at a 12 stimulus schemes that leave us scratching our heads, and asking, “What were they thinking?”

Some People Just Need Killing

An off-duty police detective in Baltimore, Maryland, died after being struck in the head with a piece of concrete during a parking space dispute, authorities said Sunday. Brian Stevenson, an 18-year police veteran, was out celebrating his 38th birthday with a friend late Saturday night when an argument ensued over a parking spot outside a restaurant, police said. Find the lowlife, subhuman scumbag who did this, and KILL HIM! No prison; DEATH!

Eric Bellucci needs to die for stabbing his parents to death.