Back to the NW

The job only lasted 12 days for me so somewhat of a disappointment dollars wise but I did update my security clearance so that was a good move. I am good for another year! I drove the 2400 miles in 3 days and was my sciatica acting up!

The desert is interesting especially in Arizona. Driving along and flat as , then all of a sudden these huge mounds of boulders plopped in the middle of nowhere. Drive another mile or two then flat again.


The desert was still in bloom and snow line reduced so I chose to go to Las Vegas and stay with friends there then north to Reno then Susanville, CA. From Susanville follow highway 36 to 44 then to 89 which goes all the way to Mt Shasta. The trip on 89 over the Sierras is not to be missed.

Just before arriving at Las Vegas is Hoover Dam. A wonder. They are building a new bridge there and very close to putting in the tie in girder.

Workin in Texas

I am now back in Darrington, WA. getting boat parts together and prepping for the trip back to the Virgins. Thought I would include some pictures of the project I worked at the South Texas Nuclear Project.


I was working for Bigge Crane and Rigging removing the old reactor head and doing the install on the new one. The head weighs 70 tons so it was a interesting rigging job.Radiation levels were a high in the center of the head at 140 mrem/hour. I picked up 10 mrem for time spent there. Not bad.

The crane we used was a 300 ton Leibehrr. The device used to pull the head out of containment consisted of two very large girders mounted on a triple set of rolling wheels similar to train trucks. We used the crane to move the head from a vertical position to a horizontal position when outside the building. While in containment we used a 5oo ton overhead polar crane to change the configuration so we could get it out the hole in the side of the building.

In Texas

I arrived in Texas a week ago and have spent the last 4 days waiting to get my security clearance for the Plant. Cannot work overtime or enter the PA (protected area) until the clearance is approved.

On the way one of my many stops was in Phoenix, Arizona. I stopped to spend the night with the "Kelly's". They kinda swallowed the anchor a year ago after their circumnavigation aboard Moorea, a DuFour 35. They purchased a brick home in Phoenix at rock bottom prices. As I was leaving town after my visit I heard a house advertised on the radio for $29000. I imagine the neighborhood would be a little dodgy but you cannot purchase materials for that sum.

Shortly after I arrived the Kellys and I went for a well needed jog. Felt great to jog/run after driving 1200 miles. The picture is of us in front of a sugaro cactus. I was told they do not develop the arms until thay are 75 years old. As you can see from the picture, a lot of holes in the cactus for the birds.

Road Trip Interstate 10

After leaving Los Angeles the desert stretches on through 3.5 states. Lucky for me the desert has received 4 inches more rain than normal so it was in full bloom! There were 3-4 shades of green, purples,yellow and pink flowers everywhere. If you have ever lived in the desert you know how beautiful and fragrant  it can be for the very short time in the Spring.

Road Trip-California

On my quest to get the almighty dollar I am driving to Texas. The route is down Interstate 5 until the 10 then east to San Antonio, Texas. Since I left Washington it has been mostly rain all the way to the CA. border. As I was passing Mount Shasta the clouds cleared from the summit and I was able to get this shot.

Work

Back in the States. I am on my way to the South Texas Project to do a 4-5 week stint in a nuclear plant. Will try to get a few pictures from the road if I can. Driving the old Taurus(1991) from Portland, Oregon to Wadsworth ,Texas. A trip of about 2300 miles!

Hassel Island, USVI

The island across the channel from Water Isand is Hassel. During WWII the island was used to store munitions. Both explosive and chemical were stored here. The munitions were supposedly removed after the war but there may still be undiscovered ordinance about so most of the island is not accessible to the public.

Click on the picture to enlarge and it is obvious how the jungle has taken over. The above picture reminds me of Vanuatu in the sense the Morning Glory vines had taken over the landscape there as well. The Army discovered how quickly Morning Glory covers, so they planted it near installations to provide cover from airplanes. Morning Glory quickly over powers the host plant and becomes dominant in the jungle. Another introduced pest!