19,000 Pageviews or...

BUST!

On July 4th, 2014, I launched "A Wandering, Wondering Jew" on Google's Blogspot. 

I began the blog for a number of reasons.

One: I wanted my musings and photos to be independent of Facebook. Yes, I still use FB to advertise my site. You can't beat the price - FREE! 

Two: The blog keeps my creative nectars spilling out in case I decide to pen a second book. BTW have I ever mentioned I once wrote a book? A W, W Jew is my Practice, Practice, Practice writing venue. 

Three: I was curious about all this viral talk. (I don't think you catch it from a dirty toilet seat). I was wondering how many hits I would score in a year. 

So...here's where you readers come in. If you've enjoyed following  along as I wander through time and space, please take a moment to share, forward or the old fashioned way-speak to others about A W,W J. 

Hackers from the former Eastern Bloc Countries are invited to help too! 

Right now, I'm sitting at around 16.780 pageviews. Seeing 19,000 on Independence Day would be so swell. 

Thanks in advance and I'll still buy rounds whenever we meet,

Cheers

Jeff

PS. I still had time to take a walk in the woods.

For Years I've been...

driving past the "Gunnison Gorge National Conservation  Area" sign on Highway 50. (Also known as the Loneliest Highway in America on its Nevada stretch). 

I was always curious about what the heck's out there. Today I was able to work a look-see into my BUSY schedule by taking a 9 mile hike on the Ute Trail to the Mighty (if it weren't dammed up) Gunnison River. 

Lemme tell you, it's not often a trail is in better shape than the road to the trailhead, but that's what happened. 

The Peach Valley Road (sans orchards) was a bit wash-board-y, but it was the Autobahn compared to the 2.5 mile Ute Road. Barley the Van and its contents (me and my stuff) were jostled, juggled and shaken, not stirred around. 

It was so bad. How bad Jeff? 

My Baby Grand Piano flipped over in Barley the Van's Great Room. That's how bad it was.

I need to figure out a better way to secure those ivories down. My candelabra shattered too. Bad day for stuff, great day for a hike. Yin-Yang. 

From the United RV Park in Durango, CO 

It's raining and windy here! OY!

Good day!

Jeff

A Confession...

I don't always wake up with my gas pedal floored or possess multi-espresso energy. There are times, I open my eyes with nil to low potential activity levels. On these rare days, I push myself out of Barley's door and still do something. I know I'm well into the fourth quarter of my life; I won't waste days.

So...feeling kind of wimpy, a trail with two waterfalls caught my attention. It was also unknown territory to me. "No Thoroughfare Canyon," in Colorado National Monument sounded about right. 

WOW! Was I impressed! The waterfalls were really what the name implies, even for a water challenged state like Colorado. (Remember, our liquid flows away from our borders and doesn't stick around much.) 

If that weren't enough, I scored hiking companions. There was me and my shadow, a collared lizard, a yellow flittering butterfly and a pair of red-splotchy frogs. 

I'm so glad I extricated myself out of the driver's seat and wasn't a sloth.

PS. This was the first day in Colorado's month of May from Iceland that felt like impending summer. 

 I hope it continues.

From Welcome To Fruita or as the bumper stickers say "WTF"

Good morning,

Jeff

For more about Colorado National Monument please check out

http://jeffsambur.blogspot.com/2014/10/colorado-national-monument.html

Play Ball!

Junior College World Series...

At Grand Junction, Colorado is an All-American event. I would place it up their with Mom, apple pie and of course, baseball. There's even All-American families equipped with tykes running amok on candy/ice cream sugar highs. Take a seat where the old codgers (like me) do if you don't want to get distracted from the action on the field. 

It's  a well kept Grand Valley secret despite being an annual occurrence here since 1958. 

I've been attending JUCO WS since 2008. I owe a watershed of thanks to Jack and Judy Miller for opening my eyes to it. They've been incredibly generous about sharing their home and beer drinking companionship with me through the years. Thanks folks! 

Without a doubt, this is one of my favorite weeks of the year. I really look forward to it. 

I get to hike (and even bike) in the Colorado National Monument in the morning. Catch a baseball game in the afternoon and still have time for dinner and Happy Hour in the evening. 

Each day, I repeat the sequence. It sure beats working. 

This year's tournament featured fickle weather as dicey and unsettling as mayonnaise-laden egg salad left outside on a summer's day. At least the mornings were sunny and mild.

Check this event out before ESPN and the ticket scalpers discover it. 

Come on Summer!

Jeff

Photo One: Judy and me enjoying a game.

Photo Two: Independence Rock in the Monument.

Photo Three: A rare photo of me on a bicycle. It's hard to believe I used to be good at riding one. 

Photo Four: Action at the ballpark. 

Memories of a Vet...

and a friend. 

A few months ago, George Holloway left us. This 83 year old mensch was a veteran, a keen observer of human nature, and one wiseman who truly thought outside the box.

He was funny, entertaining and taught me to always look at a situation from another (sometimes odd) angle. He was a honcho in our Veterans Administration. I'm sure he performed his duties there with a watchful eye for doing the right thing for our retired military personnel. He was an all around good guy.

My fondest memory of George was bicycling the RAGBRAI with him. For those who do not know, the RAGBRAI is the two-wheeled fraternity/sorority party which crosses the state and the corn fields of Iowa. 

Every ten miles or so, the ride passes through another clean, All American town. It's not Utah so there's bars along the route. We would stop, pull out our folding camp chairs, sit down and watch the show roll by. Of course, we had a can of Bud in our paws while doing so. We wouldn't say a word, just nudge each other if there was something or somebody worth noticing. When the beers were drained, we regained our bikes and proceeded on.

We rode side by side. Whenever George started a sentence with, "Did you ever notice..." I would listen up and pay attention. There was something profound and truthful coming my way. When he finished explaining his observation to me, I would think two things.

One) That makes sense.

Two) Why haven't I ever thought of that?

George, thanks for all you taught me through the years. I still use many of your classic lines when I speak and write. (He's featured in chapter one of Destroying Demons on the Diagonal). 

You touched many people's lives in a positive way.

From cloudy Grand Junction this Memorial Day,

Jeff

My Good buddy Governor David...

Y. Ige finally got around to responding to my complaint of the squalid conditions at the Na Pail Coast Wilderness on Kauai, Hawaii. 

Here's Governor Ige's response.  (Well, probably not David but at least an underling.)

Dear Mr. Sambur:

Mahalo for contacting my office on 1/9/2015 about the condition of the Na Pali Coast State Wilderness Park.

In my experience, many of the best ideas for making positive change in State government and for the people of Hawaii come from collaboration with members of the community.  Similarly, when input is shared, it gives us the opportunity to assess the issue and take an appropriate course of action.  Be assured that your input will be thoughtfully considered as decisions are made.

Again, thank you for taking the time to convey your thoughts.  Together we can build a better home for your keiki, kupuna, and all the residents of Hawai'i.

Sincerely,

David Y. Ige
Governor of Hawai'i

In early January 2015, I sent the Governor this blog post with a few photos. 

http://jeffsambur.blogspot.ae/2014/12/occupy-na-pali.html

It's my most popular post to date. I didn't include a lot of the nastiness and trash which disappointed me so during my stay there.

Here's a few more photos to show I was making statements and not stories on my blog.                 Shame on those thoughtless few who trashed our wild areas.

Have a safe Memorial Day Weekend. Please take a moment to ponder the meaning behind the day off from work. It's more than just a barbecue.  

Thank You,

Jeff

The Rain Gods looked...

the other way for a brief moment in the month of May. I bribed them with pre-game beverages at the Breckenridge Brewery. I then left my credit card to keep them busy for the duration of the contest.

The Rockies won 7-3 against the Phillies. 

It was worth the inflated bar tab. 

Come on summer!

From rainy (again) Boulder, Colorado 

Off to the Western Slope and blue skies manana,