1906

I find this very interesting and very amazing. It was sent to me by a friend.

The Year 1906
The average life expectancy in the U.S. was 47 years.
Only 14 percent of the homes in the U.S. had a bathtub.
Only 8 percent of the homes had a telephone.
A three-minute call from Denver to New York City cost eleven dollars.
There were only 8,000 cars in the U.S., and only 144 miles of paved roads.
The maximum speed limit in most cities was 10 mph.
Alabama, Mississippi, Iowa, and Tennessee were each more heavily populated than California. With a mere 1.4 million people, California was only the 21st most populous state in the Union. The tallest structure in the world was the Eiffel Tower!
The average wage in the U.S. was 22 cents per hour.
The average U.S. worker made between $200 and $400 per year .
A competent accountant could expect to earn $2000 per year, a dentist $2,500 per year, a veterinarian between $1,500 and $4,000 per year, and a mechanical engineer about $5,000 per year.
More than 95 percent of all births in the U.S. took place at HOME.
Ninety percent of all U.S. doctors had NO COLLEGE EDUCATION! Instead, they attended so-called medical schools, many of which were condemned in the press AND the government as "substandard."
Sugar cost four cents a pound. Eggs were fourteen cents a dozen. Coffee was fifteen cents a pound.
Most women only washed their hair once a month, and used borax or egg yolks for shampoo. Canada passed a law that prohibited poor people from entering into their country for any reason.
Five leading causes of death in the U.S. were: 1. Pneumonia and influenza 2. Tuberculosis 3. Diarrhea 4. Heart disease 5. Stroke
The American flag had 45 stars. Arizona, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Hawaii, and Alaska hadn't been admitted to the Union yet.
The population of Las Vegas, Nevada, was only 30!!!!
Crossword puzzles, canned beer, and ice tea hadn't been invented yet.
There was no Mother's Day or Father's Day.
Two out of every 10 U.S. adults couldn't read or write. Only 6 percent of all Americans had graduated from high school.
Marijuana, heroin, and morphine were all available over the counter at the local corner drugstores. Back then pharmacists said, "Heroin clears the complexion, gives buoyancy to the mind, regulates the stomach and bowels, and is, in fact, a perfect guardian of health." ( Shocking?)
Eighteen percent of households in the U.S. had at least one full-time servant or domestic help. There were about 230 reported murders in the ENTIRE ! U.S.A. !
Now I forwarded this from someone else without typing it myself, sent it to you and others all over the United States, possibly the world, in a matter of seconds!
Try to imagine what it may be like in another 100 years. IT STAGGERS THE MIND, EH...?

Funny Signs

Go to this web site if you want to see some funny, crazy, and just wild road signs.

http://channels.isp.netscape.com/news/gallery.jsp?floc=g-wnew_road_signs1&id=wnew_road_signs&pi=10&grurl=http%3A%2F%2Fchannels.isp.netscape.com%2Fnews%2Fpackage.jsp%3Fname%3Dfte%2F10roadsigns%2F10roadsigns%26floc%3DNI-ntk3&photo=1&xad=true

Shorter Days

I have noticed that the days are getting shorter. I hate to see that but I sure do look forward to some cooler days. It is still hot - way to hot to do much during the day. It is still raining enough to have the tumbleweeds and other weeds growing like - well - growing like weeds. We have pulled and pulled them, and let horses eat and eat them, but it doesn't seem like we are even making a dent in them. The horses think they are kin to peperment candy, one of their favorite treats, and when we start pulling them they line up waiting for us to threw the weeds over the fence so they can eat them.
Of course the weeds are blooming which is playing havic with our allergies. Each time we do the weed pulling thing, which we can only handle for an hour or so, we head right into the house stripe and into the shower. The cloths go right into the washing machine. We have tried things like weed eaters, and lawn mower but the dang things are to tough for them. I don't have the money to invest into one of those fancy mowers that will take down sapplings.
And of course as much as I try to get rid of mine none of my neighbors seem to care.

Back to Work Again

I am trying to go back to work again after being off for another three days due to having to have a bad tooth pulled. The hole in my jaw is doing better but still sore, can't chew on that side of my mouth, and still taking what seems like way to many Advil. I am not sure they really beleived me at work, but I had a note from the dentist to verify that I had the tooth out. So what can they say. I would hate to fired for having a tooth out.

Tooth Problems

Well, I guess it's not back to work for me.
As every one who reads my blog may know I have a cat named Murphy after the Murphy's Law saying about if anything can go wrong it will, in triplicate.
And it is so very true. After being off for a month to have surgery, and last week having another minor in-office procudure I though I would be able to get back to work. Finally. Only no. I had to find another way to stay off for a little longer. And believe me I would rather have been working. Much rather have been working.
Over the weekend I had a tooth that had been giving me a few problems decide it would become a big problem. So it was off to the dentist this morning. Doesn anyone have any idea what it costs to have a root canel done? I couldn't believe the price when it was quoited to me. Then to top it off I was told I would need a cap on the tooth to keep it from chipping any more after the root canel. Apromoxitly $3,000 for my cost after the insurance paid most of it. All for one tooth. What about to have it pulled? I asked. $30 bucks is a big difference. So the tooth came out. Now I am sitting here writing my blog since I can't do much of anything else, other than take painkillers.
( Surely there has to be more to life than this. )

Back to Work

I haven't posted to my blog in a while and I'm not sure what to write. I went back to work last week after being off for a month for surgery. The computer system at work decided that since I had been gone so long it was going to delete all my password - a total of about 6 or so that are needed to get into some of the basic files in they system. Of course there was no one there that seemed to know how to get things reset so that I could get in and reset my passwords. Another words it was a mess. Finally a different supervise than mine managed to get me into the most basic program that would allow me to take calls - remember this is a call center - and let me pull up the caller's account. As far as doing anything more - I can just hope that someone will be there this afternoon that knows more than the supervisers that were on last week.

Wonderin' Words

A word to the wise. I am posting a lot of the fan fiction I have written over the years on my other blog http://wonderinwords.blogspot.com . Fan fiction is stories written by the fans of TV shows. Warning! It can become additive once you try it. But you might want to try reading one of my stories. The first one is a Bordertown story, and most of them are Westerns.

Do Nothing

Ever had days when there was no way you could get it together and do anything, either right or wrong. Well, today is one of those days for me. So I find myself writing absolute drivial nothings on my blog. If it offends you - go elsewhere.

Guest Collection

In the past three years that I have lived at the Tumbleweed Crossing I have had quite a few visitors, and guest. Many have spent several days here. And many of them have left me something - well - maybe it was ment as a thank you, or a little joke, or maybe it was just an accident. The other day I had two more guests for a week, and when they left I added their offerings to my Guest Collection Box.
As I think back and look at the objects in the box I decide it is quite a collection after all. Guest #1 left ragged tee shirt. Guest #2 left a box that became the collection box. Guest # 3 left a sock, #4 left a baby bottle, #5 left a large collection of plastic Easter eggs that had were well hid in verious places around my bedroom. Guest #6 left a book, #6 left underwear, #7 left a ball, #8 left toothpaste, #9 left anti-ich ointment, and #10 left a sock.
That is the ones that I remember and that will fit in the Guest Collection Box. I, also, remember a tube of sunscreen that I used. Some fencing to keep my horses in that I still use. And of course there were the dirty diapers that I through out, along with a large amount of used water bottles, and empty snack containers that were scattered through out the house instead of being left in the trash can.
Sometimes what is left makes me laugh and other times it is just disgusting.
And what do I plan to do with the Guest Collection? At this time I'm not sure. Ask me again later on.

Alternative Power

Thank you for the comments!

And yes we have considered a windmill, and solar. But the cost is to much for us right now. A windmill was about twice that much, and so was the solar. We have even considered investing in a small generator for these kinds of meltdowns. A few years ago when we lived in a different house (where we didn't have as much land and couldn't have horses) we did have solar panels for heating in the winter, and they were a life saver. I really miss them here. Here we use mostly a wood stove for winter heating.

And I do recomend and push as much alternative power as possible. Windmills and solar are wonderful things. I would think that solar panels for heating, and water heaters should be mandatory with all new home construction. Also gray water usage for watering lawns and landscape. It wouldn't be that difficult to add those on as a house is built. Maybe the goverment should consider giving rebates out, again, for those adding on solar usage, gray water usage, and windmills. Then maybe more of use could afford to do it.

Electric

Did you ever stop to think about how our everyday life rotates around electricity.

Our electricity was off today for about four hours. Never figured out why. Probably to many people using air conditioning on a Sunday afternoon. And it was hot. I know it wasn't that long but I thought it would never come back on. And of course electric company wouldn't even answer the phone, and the automated system to tell you where and why power outages were said there wasn't one here. But we knew there was as all the neighbors were talking to everyone about it.

It seems we now use electricity for eveything. Computer, air conditioner, TV, and radio, sterio, to wash dished, and cloths, and even our telephone. (even cell phones have to charge on electricity). And even worse for us it envoles our use of water. Most of the time if you are on city water when the electricity goes out you still have water. But here at the Tumbleweed Crossing there is a small well for every three homes. When the electricity is of there goes the water as each well is run by an electric pump. And if you have a neighbor like I do - well they haven't the since to concerve water even when the electricity is on let alone when it goes out.

So for about four hours today I did nothing but sit and try to keep as relaxed and comfortable as I could in sweltering 100 degree weather with out any modern convenences and no running water. Not fun.

Rain in my yard.

Sorry

I am sorry if I offended anyone with the posts about people not understanding what flashfloods can do. I have watched the news and see that many small towns, as well as El Paso, Texas have had flooding in areas that have never flooded before. This is especailly true of Lagana Pueblo, Acoma Pueblo, Belen, and several small housing develepments that really don't have names. (or none that I know of). I do feel for you.

Think before you Do

I have a neighbor who is out watering trees that are standing in water after all of our rain. Some people need to learn to think before they do.

Flashfloods?

We have been getting rain for a couple of weeks now. It is so wonderful. After years and years of being in a drought our New Mexico land, as well as several other states, are getting the rain it so desperately has needed. So why do I hear so many complaints about it? I have heard of so many home owners who have bought homes way out from the city, on dirt roads and then they are surprised when the sudden downpours and flash floods rip out the dirt roads, tear out their yards and flood their homes that are in an area that doesn't require flood insurance. I agree that I would be upset, too. But it really seems to be a problem of the construction companies that do not look at the history and geography of a land before slapping a house down and selling it to unsuspecting owners. Don't they know that every few years these sudden flash floods have always happened out here on the desert. And after the 10 years, or so, of drought that New Mexico has had it is only worse when the rains do come. Not only which, the home owner may not even get rain, but they sure do get the water from the area where the rain did occur and all that water had to go somewhere, and your new home just happened to be in the way.
I, too, bought a new home on a dirt road a few years ago. But I took a look at the surrounding landscape to make sure that it wouldn't be quite so much of a surprise to me when the rains did come. Yes, we had a flooded field that the horses had to stand in for a few days, and no we han't realized that our driveway would direct water into the garage. But we didn't go complaining to our insurace company, the county, or the construction company that built our home. We just cleaned up the mess. And we have plans to fix the driveway.
Granted we didn't have as big a mess as so many had in our area, and I do feel for them, but I bet that now a lot of people know what can happen when the rains come.

Please Remember

Please, Please Remember that in all this heat you should not leave children, elderly, pets or anyone or anything in a closed up car. I heard on the news this morning that there have already been 14 children that have died because they were left alone in a hot, closed vehicle. That is 14 to many.

Never, Never leave children, elderly, or pets in an unattended vehicle. It is just asking for the child, person, or pet to be stolen, or kidnapped by those that want to harm them. With the number of sex offenders on our streets how can any parent think of leaving a child all alone. It is just encouraging someone to take them.

I do not think I ever left my son, or a child alone in a car for even just a few minutes to run an errand. It is just to dangerous.

So please, don't forgot this warning.

2 inches

Yesterday evening a rain storm sneaked up on us. In an about an hour it dumped an inch and a half or so of rain on us and most of Albuquerque and continued south to flood out several of the small towns along the Rio Grande River. We needed the rain, but slower would have been better. I didn't have time to get the horses out of the field and into their smaller pens with the shelter, not that they got hurt by standing in the rain. In fact they all needed a bath but of course they decided to roll in the mud instead. Finally, when it didn't look like the rain was going to let up Lee and I went for it, put on rain coats, and moved horses into shelters. Good thing we did as we found that there was a lake in our driveway with water coming into the garage because the ditch that was around the side of the garage to divert water had, in the past 2 years since we had got this kind of a down pour, filled in with sand. Lee grabbed a shovel and dug it out but we already had an inch of water in the garage. Nothing was really hurt, and all will dry. And what we had was minor compared to what some people experenced. Several hundred people in the small comunities south of us were evacuated when a couple of dranage ditches, and an irigation ditch broke their banks, as well as several dirt roads were washed out for the second or third time since our monsoon rains have hit.
You ask - is the drought over yet? No, of course not. A drought is never over in the desert. However much we get it is always to much at once, and most of it just runs off, causing flash floods in the arroyos, and dirt roads, and even some of the paved streets in the cities.
Has it helped? Yes, but we need more to get out of the drought that has made the water table so low in so many places in New Mexico, Arizona, Neveda, California, and other southwestern deserts.
But the high heat that the whole US is having doesn't help anyone.