Shark Diving at Guadalupe Island

Hello again from Pine Mountain. Glad you could join us. It is the third week of October already. The days are still warm but the nights are getting colder.

Some friends just returned from an eco diving charter on board the ship Horizon. They spent 5 days on board and 3 days watching great white sharks from a diving cage. This weeks story is about their adventure.

Here on the ranch I spent the week rebuilding the flooring in a desert toy trailer for a friend. It will soon be desert season again and in this part of the world that means ATV’s, dirt bikes, and sand rails running over the sand dunes at places like Glamis. This toy trailer had a ramp that went down at the back and the back half was the storage for the desert toys and the front half was a travel trailer with shower, stove, sink, and dining and sleeping area. The roof had leaked and the back floor section had rotted out. I replaced the floor and soon my friend had his trailer ready for the desert.

If you are new to this site, here is how things are arranged. First we have this section where we tell you about things on the ranch and the surrounding area. Next we have sections on Alternative energy, Easy cash, Nutrition and Health, Travel for less, and Adventure and Treasure hunting. Then we have a weekly travel adventure with pictures from somewhere in the world. Each one of the sections has links to websites and products. Finally we have coffee by the roaring fire in the fireplace and wish you a good night and a good week ahead. I hope you enjoy our newsletter and return at least once a week for a new adventure and new products and programs to improve your life.

Alternative Energy Store

Looking for ways to save money on alternative energy? Go to the Alternative Energy Store at
Visit the Alternative Energy Store for great prices on solar and wind energy equipment!
They have thousands of useful products at reasonable prices. They have solar panels, wind turbines, water turbines, and all the control circuits that are needed to hook everything up. Not sure what you need or how to hook it up? They have books and video courses that take you through everything in easy to understand steps.

Wind and Water turbine companies

First for those of you that have just joined us, here at the ranch, power is supplied by 2 wind turbines and a water turbine. We also have a few solar panels that charge up a battery bank. Our horizontal turbine looks like a small wingless airplane on top of it’s 80 foot tower. We purchased that one from www.bergey.com. Our vertical turbine we purchased from http://www.pacwind.net/, it spins away on a 30 foot or 10 meter pole out by the barn. Our water turbine in the dam of our pond came from an Alaskan alternative energy company http://www.absak.com/. The wind has been normal for this time of year. Every day there is an almost constant 7 or 8 mph wind. In the late afternoon and early evening the wind picks up to about 10 to 15 mph.

Alternative Energy Handbook

Is your electric bill going through the roof? Are you paying $200 or even more per month for electricity? Do you want to cut costs or even learn how you can sell electricity back to the power company so they pay you instead of you paying them? Learn how you can supplement you electricity and reduce your electric bill for only a small investment of less than $200 in alternative energy. Go to Alternative energy and learn easy ways you can cut your electric bill.

Hydrogen Fuel

The price of fuel keeps going up in price. Gasoline is now over $3.00 a gallon. Everyone is looking for anything that will increase fuel economy even a little. Most Alternative energy fuels are still years away but there is a way to improve your mileage, increase your horsepower, and reduce your emissions all at the same time. You will be able to turn your vehicle into a fuel efficient one with only a few readily available items from your local hardware. The instructions are easy to follow and there are many diagrams so you can see how to do it too. It does not matter if you have a gasoline or diesel engine vehicle it will work with either one. Go to http://deserthab.water4gas.hop.clickbank.net/ to learn more while supplies last.

Ethos Fuel Additive

Do you want to increase your fuel economy and create 30% less pollution? How about increase your gas mileage and increase your power too. An environmentally safe non toxic product called Ethos will do just that. It improves gas economy by reformulating your gasoline to allow more air to be mixed with the fuel vapor. This causes cleaner combustion and increases power. Your fuel burns more completely and thus produces less emissions. All you have to do is add a couple ounces per tank of gasoline or diesel. Go to http://www.thegassecret.net/ and learn more about this alternative energy supplement.

Easy Cash

Easy Program

Are you looking for a way to earn extra money in these hard economic times? Have you tried other programs that are all hype and in the end you are just poorer for the experience? Are you looking for a down to earth way to make money on the internet? I have found a program that will teach you step by step in simple easy to understand videos how you can prosper on the internet. Once you set things up the program runs almost on autopilot. All you do is monitor things answer a few emails from paying customers and collect and cash your checks. You spend less than 2 hours a day working the business. Go to http://deserthab.sixfigprog.hop.clickbank.net/ to find out more.

Web Domains with Residual Commissions

Is the cost of living getting you down? Do you need to make some quick money to cover expenses? Go to http://www.freedom.ws/ , put in the access code mountain1, watch a free short movie and start making the money that you have dreamed about.

Nutrition and Health

These days everyone is concerned about nutrition and health. Most of our food is over processed and has very little nutrient value. Our food looks great but not much more. If we want to stay healthy in today’s world we are forced to take supplements. The question is: What supplements will provide what you need for the least amount of time and money? I believe one of the best supplements out there is called acaiplus. It is a blend of vitamins and minerals plus acai to promote health and long life. They also have vitamins to help improve your long term and short term memory. They also have an energy drink that gives you steady long term energy. To learn more about these products go to http://www.acaiplus.com/desertstarproducts. Check out Acaiplus, Feed My Brain, and White Lightning.

Travel for Less

Discounts, Incentives, Rebates, and Promotions

Are you tired of paying high airfares only to be crammed into a tight seat when you travel? Find out how you can save hundreds of dollars on your next flight. You may even be able to fly first class for the cost of coach if you know the secret. Learn how you can save enough money to take that once in a lifetime vacation. Go tohttp://deserthab.airtravel.hop.clickbank.net/ and find out now while supplies last.

Travel Secrets

Discover how you can fly around the world on a shoestring budget. There are ways to travel for free. These ways are easy to learn if you know the secrets.. Go to http://deserthab.fly4free.hop.clickbank.net/ to find out. You will be glad you did.

Travel Writing

Have you ever wished that you could travel for a living. Does the call of far off places thrill you? Would you like to travel the world on your own schedule and see the places that you want to see? Would you like to enjoy your vacation and get paid for it too? Long to travel on your own schedule and enjoy your vacation? Would you like to travel for a living and see new and interesting places every day? Would you like to be pampered like a VIP and enjoy life all for just writing about your travel adventures? Do you like to write letters to your relatives telling them about your recent vacation? Then you have what it takes to become a travel writer. All you need is a little instruction and you can have a dream job too. Go to http://deserthab.wp3033773.hop.clickbank.net/ and learn how you to can become a travel writer.

Adventure and Treasure Hunting

Proper Research is the Key

Do you watch movies like Indiana Jones and wish you could do that in real life? Do you like a good mystery and a good adventure? Would you like to use modern methods and tools to find long lost treasure? All this is possible if you learn from the best. Stan Grist, world renown adventurer and treasure hunter has written a course complete with step by step instruction on how to become successful. Go to http://deserthab.infoshare2.hop.clickbank.net/ And check out his course “Creating Wealth Through Adventure”

And now our feature story.


Shark Diving at Guadalupe Island


It was October 12. The sights and sounds of San Diego Harbor receded behind us as we headed into open ocean after leaving the Point Loma harbor entrance. We were onboard the Horizon a 65 foot former fishing vessel that had been converted to a live aboard dive charter boat.

The Horizon

Horizon Charters started in 1971 as a fishing charter with the 46 foot fishing boat Alicia. Our Captain Greg, grew up on the Alicia that his parents Lou and Sandy owned. In 1981 Horizon Charters purchased the 65 foot Horizon. Greg earned his captain’s license and took over as captain of the Horizon in 1991. In 1995 Horizon Charters bought a second boat the 85 foot Ocean Odessy.

The years have been good to Horizon Charters. They have not only had dive charters but have hosted various scientific expeditions over the years including the Guadalupe Island expedition of 2001. On this expedition scientists from Mexico, Australia, and the United States collected samples from endangered plant species. The Island goat population which had over 150 year period eaten just about everything on the island was removed and the plants are now making a slow comeback.

We arrived at Guadalupe island. The island is the remains of 2 shield volcanoes and is about 150 miles (250 Kilometers) off the coast of Ensenada Mexico. The Mexican Navy has a weather station on the southern end of the island. There are several small fishing villages and about 15 people call the island home. There is even a 1200 foot airport runway. Just about every morning a pea soup fog rolls of the island cliffs into the ocean. The fog is so thick that it looks like it is almost a liquid.

Fog on Guadalupe island

Seal pups on Guadalupe island

We spent 3 days in a shark cage watching the 14 to 18 foot great white sharks as they swam around and fed. You definitely did not want to leave the shark cage or you would be eaten by the sharks. Even with the cage there were several scary close shark encounters.

A great white circling the shark cage

We were well fed on the ship Horizon and made several new friends. Day 5 we spent the day on a leisurely return to San Diego. We went through the Point Loma Harbor entrance and the San Diego skyline filled our view. We docked loaded up our gear said goodbye to our fellow travelers and crew and headed home. That was our diving adventure of 2008.


Pine Mountain Evening

It is evening and I am relaxing in my easy chair in front of the fireplace. A cheery gas fire takes the chill off the mountain evening. Squeekers my African Grey parrot is sitting on his perch munching peanuts. I am relaxing with my coffee from http://www.coffeefool.com/. Tonight I am trying French Vanilla. This coffee has a distinct taste of French roast coffee that is soaked in vanilla. It goes well with almost everything. Squeekers and I have been watching the latest episode of the Sci fi series Stargate Atlantis. Both my coffee and my TV show are over now. It has been a long day. I put Squeekers in his cage, turn off the gas fireplace, and head upstairs to bed. Good night all. See you next week.