It's off through West Texas tomorrow. I'm aiming for Corpus Christie, but it will take me a few days to get there. This is always the least favorite trip for me.

Normally when we hear about a reform to public policy it's because the existing system is older, the world has changed in a significant way, or public attitudes have changed. California's legal cannabis program is only 2 years old, and not completely implemented yet, but it appears reforms are already being contemplated. The California program is a disappointment to almost all the players. The regulatory burden (still growing) is extreme, the...

I left Yuma the other day after completing all my tasks there and headed Eastward, planning on taking a few days stopping at favorite spots. In Gila Bend last night I realized that my goal was to see alligators and Yellow-headed herons on the Gulf Coast, and by messing around in Arizona I was risking "weather events". I will be idling here for a week, though. I'm not in the mood for another long haul through West Texas right now. A bit of...

My preferred route back to the Peninsula is US-101, and it's a preferred place to hang out in the Spring. After watching the winds and fires for a week I'm waiting for the media to turn their attention to the impacts. Two Sonoma wineries were destroyed, half of the others had no damage, the other half only minor losses. Vines don't usually burn easily, so it's the man-made stuff that gets hit. It is harvest season, though. It's also harvest for...

I spend a lot of time on US101 and in the communities that are burning now in Northern California. Following this disaster is very, very disturbing because I know the highways and roads and the terrain so well. I watched all night when the Kincade fire started and was shocked, but that was nothing compared to the last several hours. Seeing what 70mph winds do to a fire is downright scary. For 24-hour live coverage, try . Now, overlaid on the...

I'm in Yuma now, at the VFW/BLM spot. I intend to get a few errands done, and find someone to do some RV work. It remains to be seen whether I can succeed at everything I want. But I figure I'll be here about a week before deciding on my next step.

Not in Quartzsite, but in Blythe, California. I've been waiting since CA legalized to see where the nearest store to Q would be, as it would get a lot of business in December and January. The Prime Leaf opened 2 months ago, just behind the Albertson's on 7th. It's the first fully-legal shop on I-10 when traveling eastbound, and has easy on and off freeway access, plus adequate parking. Arizona is a medical state, a very weak medical state, but...

How many thousands of sunsets have I seen at Q? A few. I miss these a lot when I'm on the coast, but I get a good one tonight which I'll interpret as "Welcome Back".

Columbus Day, the holiday, has always baffled me. At one time I got the day off from work. Now I see that according to Google maps Interstate 10 is the Christopher Columbus Transcontinental Highway. It completely escapes me how Columbus has anything to do with that road.

I'm tired of desert-driving and will hole up in Quartzsite (at Hi Jolly) for several days. Clear and warm.

Baker is along I-15, halfway between Las Vegas and Barstow. It's a great entrance to the Mojave National Preserve, a large piece of desert. I've never set foot on this preserve, and don't know much about what a preserve even is. Presumably any protection or conservation of the area is at risk in favor of oil and gas extraction, so I'm looking forward to seeing it now.

At this point we don't know what is causing the illnesses "associated" with vaping. We don't know if it's e-juice for nicotine devices, nicotine cartridges or pods, marijuana cartridges or pods, or whether it's the oils or flavorings. It's not very comforting to see our elected leaders jump on banning vaping or flavors or anything without knowing one iota about the facts. Worse is those leaders completely neglected the ramifications and...