1) CMMA Breakfast on Saturday the 4th!
2) CMMA Board Meeting on Saturday the 11th!
3) USDA Food Distribution will be on Monday the 20th!.
3) Potluck this month is on Saturday 25th!
10/11/2008
Our little community: I hopped on my Trusty Scooter and rode over to Danna and Karen Van Noort’s home for a visit. Danna was watching a NASCAR race where the cars were tailgating really close to each other (kind of like the 405 Freeway at rush hour). Danna said that the speed limit of the track was reduced to something like 195 MPH and drivers had to use drafting to maneuver into position. Driving so close at that speed there was bound to be an accident and there was; we saw something like fourteen cars in a fantastic collision with racecars going every which way! Fortunately, nobody was injured.
They showed me a DVD, which had a PowerPoint presentation of their Grand Daughter Katrina’s graduation from high school. It was done very nicely and had my eyes watering up and I don’t even know her! It showed Katrina when she was a little baby all the way up to a young woman with a bright future ahead.
Before I left, I took a tour of their garden to get some ideas building and planting mine. It seems that okra, squash, and bell peppers are the way to go up here in the desert. I rode off with a bag of okra and bell peppers that they had given me.
Stopped off at Bob Stonebraker’s to give him some okra and sat and jawed for a bit. As I was leaving I noticed that my Angels baseball cap had fallen out of the scooter somewhere and had to drive back to Karen and Danna’s before I found it in the middle of the road. Lucky me!
Thought for the week: If you think that life is passing you by, it probably is! So put on yer old running shoes and go chase it down!
Early Friday morning of the Labor Day weekend, a small caravan consisting of one large truck, an RV, and an assortment of cars made its way down Winters Road in Copper Mountain Mesa, to its final destination on a five-acre parcel of desert land. Students from the Art institute of Los Angeles of Santa Monica College began unloading and setting up the equipment for a four-day shoot.
I stood around taking pictures and asking questions. I was quite impressed by the professionalism and effort put forth by these young future filmmakers. I watched a scene played by actor JW, “that’s what I go by,” as the sinister villain cowboy; dressed in a long black coat, wearing a silver mask, carrying a whip, with a six-shooter in his belt. The script called for JW to be shot, but it took a couple of takes because the small explosives on his chest failed to detonate.
The “Legend of the High Desert” is a short film directed by Andrew Wright about two brothers, one lives in a cubical, and one lives in a car. They are brought together in search for five acres in the High Desert that they had inherited, but unbeknownst to them they face an evil gunslinger from the past that haunts the area waiting to take his next victim, said Producer Marchette Stamps and Associate Producer Mica Rausch. I asked these students where did they get the financing for the production and was told it is their last year in college and that their families and friends had put up the money. I thought it nice that families and friends were so involved and these students are being helped out in such a way; that takes a lot of love and pride.
I sat down and chatted with Director Andrew Wright’s Mom and Dad, Mike and Lori, who provided most of the financial backing for the production. Mike said some of the equipment was borrowed from work and the rest was out of pocket. Just the insurance for the truck used to carry props and camera gear, he said, was eight-hundred dollars. Lori told me that Andrew, 20, was already interested in films since age five and she had walked in on Andrew and Ryan Elwell when they were both nine years old playing with the family video camera. Andrew also started playing golf at age three his dad said. “We want to help him live his dreams.”
Andrew has two short films on the internet: One called “Balls of Gold”, and “Coming Home” about his brother-in-law Glen Kelly coming back home from Iraq, both can be seen at MySpace TV. He also had an idea for an epic based on the Greek 300 who stood up against the Persians at Thermopylae in 480 BC, but was stunned when he saw the trailer for the movie “300” on television. That dashed his hopes for making that short film, but his mom was relieved saying that they wouldn’t have to go out to find three-hundred friends for the shoot; he even wanted to include the rain of arrows!
“Legend of the High Desert” will be in postproduction for four months, after three years of college this short film will be Andrew’s last thesis. They have hopes of having it played at film festivals. I wish them success!
Other members of the cast and crew, but not all, are; Actors Luc Bishop and Charley Heydt, Production Designer Tammie Childree, Director of Photography Ryan Elwell, Assistant Camera Melissa Ramirez and Noney Riddle, and Script Supervisor Mary Stasilli, who will be shooting a thesis in Big Bear next weekend based on the story “On the Rainy River” by Tim O’Brien.
By Monday evening, the students were busy putting all the props and equipment into the large truck for the long journey back home. They had completed what they had set out to do.
Got something to sell, trade, or give away and you live in our community? Write a brief description, include a picture if you want and email it to: CopperMountainMesa@hotmail.com I'll post it here free for 2 months or until you notify me it is sold.
LAST WEEK
10/04/2008
Our little community had a wonderful last Saturday potluck! I went on over to the community center on my Trusty Scooter carrying the pot of macaroni and cheese I made. I walked in the door a little after 4pm and everyone was already eating. Hey, you guys ain’t supposed to start eating until 4:30! Well we got hungry they said. There were some mighty exciting dishes on the table to choose from and I decided to sample them all! I couldn’t blame them one bit for starting early; there was Ruth Tuttle’s Konkydoodle, Dynn Carrol’s Okra Vegetable Salad, Pat Kant’s Potatoes Au Gratin, Marcie Hine’s Chile-Roni and hamburger dish, Dorothy Robinson’s Tortilla Casserole, and topped off by Donna Meyers delicious Homemade Cake and Bob Seeley’s Fruit Platter.
Some new folks showed up: Mike Kant and his wife Pat, who moved out our way last March from Arizona. They live over by Lear Avenue. Then there was Susan Atzei and her brother Tim who live just a ways behind the center. They came with their friend Daniel Gray; he lived in Alaska before coming out here to stay. They are all mighty nice folks! I asked them how they like the desert so far; they said it takes some getting used to. I agreed telling them that some folks see the desert as a barren wasteland were others see all the wonderful life that abounds and the gentle solitude and freedom that one can cherish if one can live in the moment and let it grow from within.
Well dang it I was stuffed to the max again! So when I got home I went on a longer walk than usual to work some of it off.
Birthdays for the month of October: Larry Catron, Colleen Schweitzer, and Scott Lane.
Thought for the week: You can be lonelier in a big city then out here in our Little Community. Because out here you will always find good friends who are here for the same reasons as you are.
FIVE YEARS AGO THIS WEEK The Year 2003 By Bob DeLoyd 10/11/2003
Our little community usually doesn’t have much in the way of emergencies going on unless you step outside on yer porch on a dark night as I did last Sunday and seen an old 69 Ford truck with its hood up and the engine on fire with someone franticly throwing dirt on it. The truck was just down the road apiece and it was no trouble for me to fill up a large bucket with water and walk on over and put the fire out. The owner Tim Lower, who lives over on Lear and Winters Road, thanked me as we pushed the old Ford off to the side of the road. I also thanked him for giving me something interesting to write about in my column. Thought for the week: Fanaticism is the practice of faulty logic and the corruption of the truth.
The Roadrunner Sega continues here at our cabin in the Copper Mountain Mesa Community.
The baby roadrunner, (Jr.) that was brought to us by her mama, back in March, has become an adult. As I last told you, she has a mate that I call Romeo. Dana likes to call him (Mr. Wiggles), because in his mating dance to Jr. he wiggles his tail-feathers around in a slow circular motion.
Together, they built a nest in a fruitless mulberry tree right outside the front door to our living quarters. There was a big ruckus for about 2 weeks with the Cactus Wren's pitching a fit. That tree had been their home, for at least the past 5 years that I know of.
The roadrunners have either won, -or- they had several feathery meals. I don't know which, and I don't want to know.
Dana gave me one of those things that you use on the motor of cars; to look into tight, hard to get to spaces. It's a small round mirror (2 inches across), on a metal antenna like, telescoping extension thingy.
While Jr. and Romeo were away from the nest, I extended the mirror and stuck it up above the nest and I could see a small egg!! I got all excited and told Dana about the egg. A week went by, and I was able to use my mirror again on the nest. This time there were 3 eggs in there! I couldn't believe it! I figured for a first time parent they would lay just one egg, not three!!
As it turned out, they must have laid 4 eggs, because I saw Romeo take one of the eggs out of their nest, walk across our yard and throw it against a rock! I thought; Oh my god, what is he doing? The only thing I can figure out is that the egg must have been a dud or something.
Yesterday, both parents were away from the nest, hunting I guess, so Dana and I stood there looking into the leaves trying to see where the nest was. When we located the nest, to our amazement, staring back at us was three (3) chicks!! I was amazed! I just figured if they were lucky, they would have had one chick make it, but they have 3 live chicks! Romeo, helps Jr. to get food and feed them, I think that is so cool. I don't have any pictures to show you, my camera is in the shop.
Does anyone out there have any knowledge about roadrunners? I'm trying to figure out if they mate for life, and if it's normal for the male to help the mother out in making a nest and feeding their chicks? Please let me know.
Subject: Opt Out Links For Snail Mail and DO Not Call List
National Do Not Call Registry "The National Do Not Call Registry gives you a choice about whether to receive telemarketing calls at home. Most telemarketers should not call your number once it has been on the registry for 31 days. If they do, you can file a complaint at this Website. You can register your home or mobile phone for free."
Opt Out Credit Card Prescreen "Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), the Consumer Credit Reporting Companies are permitted to include your name on lists used by creditors or insurers to make firm offers of credit or insurance that are not initiated by you ("Firm Offers"). The FCRA also provides you the right to "Opt-Out", which prevents Consumer Credit Reporting Companies from providing your credit file information for Firm Offers."
DMA’s Mail Preference Service "With DMA's MPS you can remove your name from DMA member prospect lists. Please note that signing up with MPS may prevent you from receiving mail you want, such as new catalogs, coupons, announcements about new businesses in your community, and notices of special offers.
Members of the DMA are required to use our name-removal service, and all marketers are encouraged to use it. Because some mailings are prepared far in advance, please allow 30-90 days for your registration with MPS to become fully effective." Note: At one time they charged a $1.00 fee for the service but now it's free. You will need to provide a credit card number if you do it online, or you can also mail in the form.
DTV converter box with the $40 coupon that the government sends out (1-888-DTV-2009 or online at WWW.DTV2009.GOV). I had earlier called the station (County Service Area 70 TV-5 at 367-1833), which sends our signal over UHF; a nice lady told me we wouldn’t be needing converters in our area. But I bought one anyways just in case I wanted to someday sell my old analog TV set. Well I connected it to my TV just to make sure it all functioned ok and wasn’t really expecting to receive anything. I turned the dang thing on; it did a scan, and found four channels! Unfortunately three were paid advertisements and one was a Spanish station. I tried it later that night and found that the three advertisement ones changed to Korean and Armenian languages, while the third played Spanish. I watched a little of a Korean soap opera, but had trouble keeping up with the subtitles. I’ll tell you one thing the picture I received was crystal clear just like satellite! Maybe someday we can get some American-speaking channels on it. That would be nice!
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ROGER SMITH'S
DESERT GARDEN By Roger Smith 10/04/2008
Well, it's early October and time for an update.
First, the honey harvest; After ten plus years, as noted in the previous letter, my bees stored enough honey this spring and summer that they could spare some for the landlord. Small problem folks; the honey is so thick I cannot harvest it. The combs are destroyed in the extractor, and the stuff is so thick it barely flows. Do you remember boiling sugar water down to a greatly viscous material and then upon it's cooling trying some out? Recall how much time you waited for the stuff to drip from the spoon? Then you could roll it around in your mouth for awhile before it dissolved it was so thick? That's desert honey. So now what? Hmmmmm.......so far I have come up with the idea of an earlier harvest but this likely will not work as the flowers' nectar is dependent on rainfall.[what fall?]. No rain equals thicker nectar and less of it. There's comb honey but most people prefer bottled honey.
So, on to a cover crop I tried this summer; buckwheat. Worked well and as the accompanying photo demonstrates, it is a visual treat. It also attracts numerous insects that are beneficial. As for building up the soil, there are better materials but do they grow in the desert in the summer? So here's a list of observations on buckwheat; #1 it prevents wind erosion, #2 it adds to soil organic matter though not greatly, #3 it can shelter other crops though it will, of course, compete with them for water. #4, Insect friendly, the bees loved it as do a number of wasps, butterflies, and others. #5 is that buckwheat is quite easy to incorporate into your soil or, as I'm currently trying, it can be left laying on the soil surface and moved aside for planting then moved back over the seeds for shelter from the elements. I did this on a row of carrots and one of beets alongside a row of carrots that were not covered by the now dried out buckwheat. After two plantings I decided that was enough. The rows sheltered by the dead buckwheat sprouted beautifully, the one not protected did not. So there's #5, seedling shelter.
Another idea I tried out was that of sheltering plants from predators. I used tomato plants planted into the buckwheat. I think the buckwheat attracts the large moths that lay the hornworm eggs on tomatoes, peppers, and eggplant. I say this because I have NEVER, EVER, seen SO MANY EGGS laid on a tomato plant. The norm is an egg or two per leaf. These leaves had a dozen or more on a leaf. I pulled the plants.
Now, if I leave the buckwheat on the soil surface, how do I plant in it? Simply push it aside, scratch in your row and plant, and then cover the newly planted row back again. And how do I work more organic matter into the ground? If you want to build up your soil then what I suggest is sprinkling manure or planter mix on the surface and watering it in well. And do this a number of times during the growing season. If the soil surface stays damp enough the material will decay over time and smother most weeds in the process. The wind will blow away little or none of the material due to the buckwheat or wheat still standing and that was one of two goals of this technique; soil enrichment and #2, erosion prevention.
So what's going on and in? Well, garlic, leeks, radishes, carrots, beets, and onions on the 15th of October. Arugula still grows wild in the garden now so it is a volunteer that I harvest. Last year's lettuce was bitter even when young and I think that was a result of my watering coupled with the wind. The soil was simply too dry. Notice there are no strawberries anymore.
Roger
Happy growing! Roger Smith
Letters From Kenya
Annelies Kuiper lives in our little community and is a professional writer: "Kenya Cowgirl" Uhuru International 1990. Also she is a board member of the Copper Mountain Mesa Association. Annelies has decided to return to her place of birth "Kenya" and wants to share her adventure with us. Kenya has been going through a period of unrest lately and we all hope for the safety and well being of our neighbor Annelies.
EMAILS SENT TO US: For Older Emails(click here) Only nice emails will be posted on this Website! All others will be forwarded to the CopperMountainMesa.com vault and stored for my future amusement.
FROM: brenda zimmer SENT: Thu 9/04/08 9:08 AM SUBJECT: appreciation letter
good morning bob
i was good to see u at our labor day bar b que. seems everyone enjoyed themselves. can u do me a BIG favor and put this on the web site.
thank you very much
brenda
here goes.........
THE MEMBERSHIP COMMITTEE WOULD LIKE TO THANK ALL THOSE THAT SHOWED UP FOR OUR LABOR DAY BAR B QUE . AND HOPE ALL HAD A GREAT TIME. LOOK FORWARD TO MORE UP COMING EVENTS AT THE COMMUNITY CENTER.
THANK YOU MEMBERSHIP COMMITTEE
BRENDA ZIMMER
ANNELIES KUIPER
KATHERINE QUINN FROM: Lennart Nyberg SENT: Wed 6/25/08 11:34 AM SUBJECT:Trailer Blocking Road
Hi Bob
Something interesting happened close to where we live on Mesa Rd. Perhaps something for your website. I am sending it to Hi Desert Star as well.
At about 9.00 pm on June 24 going about 3/4 of mile west on Mesa Rd from Border we discovered a 25ft trailer blocking the Rd completely. A white pick-up truck was hooked up to the trailer, but no sign of human beings.
We called Sheriffs department who referred us to CHP. The call was logged at CHP office around 9:30 pm. CHP promised to investigate.
In the morning I walked to the trailer. The truck was gone. I called CHP again. I was referred to Code Enforcement who referred me to the County traffic divison. I was informed that the Mesa Rd is County maintained from Border to Sunburst. The trailer is sitting on Mesa Rd between Sunburst and Sunset
Confused I called CHP again. Apparently no officer investigated the trailer June 24. However this morning June 25, Officer Moffit CHP showed up by the trailer. Le Fevre's Towing company is as far as we know in the process of removing the trailer today (11.00 Am).
I want to give credit to CHP and Le Fevre's Towing who responded and took some action quickly. Many of us are using Mesa Rd to get to Border and are just upset that some people don't have respect for the environment and just dump stuff in the desert causing headaces for us living here.
Attached are a pictures of Officer Moffit and the trailer as well as the trailer itself. (Used by permission of Officer Moffit)
Lennart Nyberg
FROM: Johnston A. Jacquelyn SENT: Fri 5/30/08 7:16 PM SUBJECT: Just to say Hi
Hi Bob
I don't really have to ask what's new with you all up there read your site every week to keep up! my daughter Anna does too. One of these days I'll just have to come up and see you all again and maybe have breakfast or play a little Bingo! We'll shall see, might just do that.
Just wanted to say hi to everyone and tell you all what is new with my family. My oldest Son Dave is in the Air Force stationed in Wyoming. He is married as all you know and he has two boys, Zane 3 and Owen 2 will enclose pictures later. But the real news is my Daughter Anna you all know she got married a few years ago cause we had her shower for that at the center. She now lives in Houston Texas and works for NASA. Anyway She is going to have her first in August and we know already it's going to be a boy. Then some of you remember my youngest BJ well he is all grown up now and owns 2 Fork Lift sales, repair and rental shops sown here in Santa Fe Springs. Then there is me well same stuff different day with me. Just getting older like the rest of you. So that is my life with my kids all in a nutshell.
Just really wanted to tell you hi and let you know I think about you all often. Please say hi to everyone for me! Hope to see you all soon,
Jackie Johnston
FROM: Brenda Zimmer SENT: Fri 4/04/08 SUBJECT: Community Center Break-in
hi bob
this is brenda and im sure you have heard that the center got broke in to again
sometime between 6 p.m friday the 29th and 11 a.m satuday the 30th
this really upsets me that there is a person or people somewhere in our community
that think they can get away with breaking in and vandalizing property that does not belong to them.
if u havent put it in the paper yet i would like for u to add my say so about the whole thing
WHOEVER the CULPRITS are that they will not get away with this behavior and will be caught and held responsible for there actions.
we work hard to keep what little we have in our community and no one has the right to do what this or these culprits have done
thank you very much
brenda zimmer
and yes you can put it that Brenda Zimmer said these words!
FROM: Susan Jordan SENT: 03/27/08 SUBJECT: Sahara Mustard plant Invasion
Bob:
Hello. We've got a little cabin up on the mesa, corner of Sunfair and Winters, near the community center. We've met once at a potluck and I called you one time a few months back about suspicious activity at the cabin involving a blue truck. Anyway, I'm writing because I just went over and pulled all the Sahara mustard at the cabin and there was a lot of it.
You've probably read about it in the newspaper: a non-native plant trying to take over the area. I talked to a ranger at the park center in Joshua Tree and he said this plant is the biggest threat to our area that we have right now. The biggest threat! He said it is reproductively aggressive, getting its seeds out before any of the local plants can. It is right now sucking up the moisture and nutrients that the native plants need to grow. He says it will wipe out the native wildflowers.
If you pick it and throw it on the ground, the seeds will continue to mature. Kill the plant and the seeds survive. You've got to pull it an bag it to keep it from spreading.
It's easy to identify once you get the hang of it. And sure enough, the stuff on our property is already loaded with seeds. If you need me to show you what it looks like, I'd be glad to. Seems like if everyone on the mesa pulled it out and bagged it from their property we might be able to stop its march of destruction.
Thought you'd be interested.
Susan Jordan
PS We live in Joshua Tree now. Had the cabin from back when we lived in Big Bear.
Here is a link to the Desert Museum: Sahara mustard (Brassica tournefortii) that describes that plant, has pictures, and the devastating effects it has on our desert! //bob
FROM: Mary SENT: Sat, Mar 8, 2008 at 8:02 PM SUBJECT: Saying thanks to all our friends in 29 Palms
There comes a time in everyone's life when we have to say goodbye. Chuck Sercu loved living and made sure he enjoyed everyday. Had many good friends, who all looked out for him as his cancer got the better of him. You: friends /angels know who you are. I can't thank you enough. Chuck had a chance to be with his grown children and grandchildren toward the end and he seized the opportunity.
His ex wife and 25 year companion offered and she took care of him in his final months of life with the help of his loving daughter Sheri and son Christopher and I am sure both of their family also helped. The Collins family where also their to make his final months where ones a family man could be proud of. My sisters Susan and Marian made sure our parents Marge and Joseph had a chance to say goodbye by driving them to Watertown, Tenn. to say goodbye. I know there are many more people who helped make his life more comfortable by doing things as he needed them done, again can't thank you enough.
May we all wrap up our lives with this many angels around us.....
FROM:karen gay mcburney SENT:Fri 9/21/07 3:59 PM SUBJECT: Hi Everyone
Hi bob,
Say hi to all and tell all them everyone up here is okay, i'm just having troubles with my meds as normal. Here it's wet and cold again. but it's warm in the late morning and afternoons. Have a wonderful day.
thanks for all the news! Everyone says hi back at you.
in friendshipness,
karen gay mcburney FROM: Frank Francis SENT: Wednesday, June 13, 2007 9:15 PM SUBJECT: UFO Sightings
HI Bob,
I was reading about ufo sightings in your column. Tere seeing and never said anything to
anyone hoping that it was something military. It's nice to know we
weren't the only ones. There is something to these reports.
Frank Francis
SPECIAL NOTICES:
Shati has been FOUND! Ok, I know this has been here for a long time Shati been home for many months now So dog dang it! give me something else to post!
The time has come to take a bold jump into the unknown and fight the beast with yer bare hands. To go the way of yer ancestors and build a fire for warmth, to slay a critter for food. To understand the meaning of hunger in a time of plenty. To spit in the eyes of yer antagonist! To howl at the moon... And enjoy life! LIVE!
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Karen's Corner
Well, it's early October and time for an update.
Something interesting happened close to where we live on Mesa Rd. Perhaps something for your website. I am sending it to Hi Desert Star as well.
