Rarotonga of the Cook Islands

Pine Mountain News

It is the second week of July. The summer is quickly passing and the year is over half gone already. Here at the ranch John has been turning logs into wood chips with the big John Deere chipper. The local plant nursery and garden center buys them by the bag full for mulch. The chipper is noisy and you have to wear earplugs to keep from going deaf.

Back in the greenhouse the hydroponic garden is growing rapidly as are the fish in the fish tanks. The secret to hydroponic gardens is to keep the fish happy. If the fish are happy the plants are happy also.

Local news

There have been a series of wildfires along the grapevine in the last few weeks but they have been quickly contained.

In other news the north bound I-5 ramp from Frazier mountain park road is closed for repairs this month.

Well enough about Pine Mountain it is time now for our poem of the week.

Poem of the Week

Rainy Roadtrip

by emily d stine

Mist sprinkles my eyelashes as we careen

through the Mid...West. Minneapolis, a face.

less city littered with lakes and gray shutters

for sky. Neon green blankets of grass decorated

by black.white black.white moo.cow moo.cow

and a red.white farmhouse here or there,

send us cascading east into Madison,

ambling down State Street, I'll be a Badger

for a day. I'm smiling, taking pictures

with my eyes. eyelash.click.

eyelash click.

My thoughts, a slideshow I can't slow

but blue eyes return to raindrops.

Chicago brings cobalt skyscrapers, dim fog.

Trains rattling in the screeching cold.

Do I exist in that exquisite moment?

Smoke-lined mist, silky and bitter.

Fog stealing the skyline, I gaze upward

to white, and blue eyes return to raindrops.

Travel Story of the Week

Rarotonga of the Cook Islands

Out in the Pacific Ocean just before you arrive in Fiji is a group of islands called the Cook Islands. They were named after the great explorer captain Cook.

The largest island is Rarotonga. The capital Avarua is located on this island. The international airport is also on this island. There are small local airports on 8 of the other 15 islands of the group. Rarotonga is surounded by a lagoon and about 100 yards out there is a coral reef.

There are 2 roads that circle the island. One road follows the beach and the other road is a little ways inland. The interior of the island is mountainous.The tallest peak is Temanga at 2140 ft ( 658 meters). The islanders grow food on terraces on the sides of the mountains.

At Muri beach on the the southeast side of the island are four coral islands . These islands are about 200 meters from the beach. Also on the Southeast side o f the island is the Takitumu conservation area. This area protects the island native species especially the endangered ones like the Rarotonga flycatcher.

There are many white sandy beaches with swaying palm trees. Inland there is dense jungle vegetation and eroded volcanic peaks. There are many things to do on the island. You can take the cross island walk and go by Te Rua Manga the famous needle peak. You can also explore flat top mountain and Wigmore falls. You can go snorkeling, diving, and deep sea fishing. You can take boat tours of the islands, go biking and horseback riding. You can rent a moped or go hiking. You can watch native dancers and sample the many fine restaurants.

At night the natives gather on the seawall at the end of the runway at the international airport to watch planes fly over them and land on the runway. When you are tired of Rarotonga you can take a local flight on the island airlines. There are airports at 8 of the 15 islands. The television series Survivor was filmed on Aitutaki island.

Just when you get used to the leisurely island living, it is time to go home and you wish you had more time to spend on the island.

Pine Mountain Evening

It is evening once more and we have just finished dinner and are relaxing in the family room. it is summer and it is too hot for a fire in the fireplace so we settle down to watch TV. I am relaxing with this weeks coffee sample from http://www.coffeefool.com. Tonight I am enjoying Chocolate Mint. this American roast coffee tastes like coffee that a chocolate after dinner mint has been dissolved into. It is just right to go with a plate of warm fresh baked sugar cookies.

Well my TV show is over and my chocolate mint coffee and sugar cookies are finished as well.Now it is time to go to bed and get some sleep. Good night all see you next week.

Resources

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rarotonga

googlef90539838d7357c8.html

Catalina Island

Pine Mountain

Hello again from Pine Mountain. This week we coated the barn roof in preparation for winter. We coat the barn roof every 2 to 3 years to keep it from rusting. While I was coating it, several birds landed on a freshly painted section then made bird paint tracks on the on painted section. This week we took a relaxing visit to Catalina Island. First we have our usual sections of Alternative energy, Easy Cash, Nutrition, Traveling, and Adventure.


Alternative Energy


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.

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 http://deserthab.offgrid07.hop.clickbank.net/ and learn easy ways you can cut your electric bill.

The price of fuel keeps going up in price. Gasoline is now over $4.00 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.
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

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 tohttp://www.acaiplus.com/desertstarproducts. Check out Acaiplus, Feed My Brain, and White Lightning.


Travel for Less


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.
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 tohttp://deserthab.fly4free.hop.clickbank.net/ to find out. You will be glad you did.


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? 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

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.


Catalina Island

Catalina

Twenty two miles southwest of Los Angeles lies the island of Catalina. Life on the island moves at a slower pace than on the mainland. There are many activities and things to do on the island or if you prefer you can just relax and enjoy the scenery. The ferry ride is about 26 miles or you can fly in to Airport in the Sky which is about halfway between the two main towns of Avalon and Two Harbors. The island is 22 miles (35 KM) long and 8 miles (13 KM) wide. The highest point is Mt Orizaba at 2126 feet (648 meters) The permanent population is 3700 people with 3300 living around Avalon and 300 living at Two Harbors. The other 100 people are scattered across the island.

Two Harbors

Things to Do

There are many things to do on the island. You can scuba dive, snorkel, go fishing, go ocean kayaking, parasail, go mountain biking, horseback riding, or just wander through shops and galleries.

Two Harbors

History

The island was originally inhabited by the Tongva tribe of Indians. They called the island Pimu or Pimunga. They mined soapstone and traded with the Indians on the mainland. The first European to visit the island was Juan Cabrillo on October 7 1542. He named the island San Salvador. Sebastion Vizcaino rediscovered the island on November 24 1602 and named it Santa Catalina to honor the feast day of St Catherine of Alexandria.

Many different people visited the island between 1500 and 1860. There were Russian otter hunters smugglers and fishermen. There was a brief gold rush from 1860 to 1864 but very little gold was found. In 1864 all people on the island were ordered to leave by the Union Army. They were afraid privateers were using the island as a staging area to smuggle arms and supplies to the Confederate Army.

A small garrison of Union troops was stationed on the island and the barracks is now the Isthmus Yacht Club. After the civil war was over, the island was home to only a few cattle ranchers until 1887 when real estate developer George Shatto purchased the Island for $200,000. Shatto created the town of Avalon. Shatto’s sister in law named the town after the town of King Arthur in the Poem “Idylls of the King “ by Lord Alfred Tennyson. Shatto went broke and lost the island to James Lick.

Phineas Banning bought the island from the Lick estate in 1891. Banning built a house on the other side of the island and called it Two Harbors. In 1915 a fire burned down half of the town of Avalon. In 1919 Banning sold the island to William Wrigley.

The Chicago Cubs, another Wrigley possession used the island as a spring training camp from 1921 to 1951. In 1927, Wrigley sponsored the Wrigley Ocean Marathon and Canadian George Young swam the channel from the island to the mainland in 15 hours 44 minutes.

From 1942 to 1945 during the second world war, the island was used as a troop training ground. The airport, which was made by chopping the tops off of two mountains and filling in between them, opened in 1946. It was called Airport in the Sky. It is a 3250 ft (990 meter) runway at 1602 foot (488 meters) altitude.

Wrigley built a dance hall called the Casino in 1929. It was 12 stories tall and had a theater with world class acoustics and a large ballroom on top.

In 1975 Phillip Wrigley gave his share of the island to the Catalina Island Conservancy. This was the company he created to run the island.

In 2007 a fire burned 4000 acres and destroyed 6 businesses in Falls Canyon.

Plants and Animals

Catalina is home to over 400 species of plants. 6 plant species are indigenous to the island and found nowhere else in the world. Catalina has a buffalo herd that is kept at 200 animals. The rest are shipped to the Rosebud reservation in South Dakota.

Island foxes now number about 400 after being reduced from 1200 to 100 in 1999 by a disease called canine distemper.

There are many other species of animals on the island including Bald Eagles. 9 species of animals including 2 species of mice and a species of ground squirrel are only found on the island.

Visitors

Over a million people a year visit the island. Most go to Avalon. Golf carts and bicycles are the main transportation. There is a 10 year waiting list to bring a truck or a car to the island. There are 5 campgrounds and 9 boating campgrounds. Bicycles can be rented but you need a license which is $20 for 2 days or $60 for a year. If you want to get away from the crowds at Avalon, Two Harbors is the place.

Movies

Many movies and TV series have been filmed on the island. These include China Town and Airwolf. Ronald Reagan while at the island in 1936 took a screen test and became an actor and later he was a governor and later a US president.

Research

Catalina is home to 2 marine institutes. There is the Catalina Island Marine Institute and The USC Wrigley Institute.

Catalina is a great place to go and relax. It is close to most of southern California and the costs are reasonable.

Two Harbors

Two Harbors

Two Harbors

Catalina

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 Coconut Dreams. This coffee is a desert coffee for those of you that like coconut. All I can say is that it has a unique taste of coconuts and goes well with pie or cookies. Squeekers and I have been watching the latest episode of the Sci fi series Stargate Atlantis. The show is over and I have finished my coffee and cookies. I put Squeekers in his cage and turn off the gas fireplace. It is time to get some sleep. See you all next week.

Resources

http:// www.catalinachamber.com/videos

http://en.wikipedia.org/Santa_Catalina_Island,_California/

A Trip to Julian, California

Pine Mountain

Hello again from Pine Mountain. I just returned from working on irrigation pumps in the desert. It was hot out there. 43 C that is 109 F for those of you on the Fahrenheit scale. The hottest part of the day was from 1000 to 1400 or 10 AM to 2 PM. I put up my umbrella and drank my rehydration mix, a super Gatorade mix called H3O, by the gallon. At first I tried to wear a t shirt but in 5 minutes it looked like I had been swimming in it from the sweat so I put some sun tan lotion on and went shirtless. The umbrella helped too so that I did not get too sun burnt. I spent 4 days out there and finished my work. At night I tried to catch up on my internet work, but my internet connection would come and go so I did not get a lot done.

Sunrise was nice out there. But then as soon as the sun came up the temperature would start rising rapidly. I was glad when I was able to head home to Pine Mountain. Traveling back to Pine Mountain, I stopped in the small mountain town of Julian California. I had lunch and toured the town for a little while. My adventures are this week’s feature story.

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 http://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/. There have been more windy days than calm days this week. Even on a calm day we have been able to produce more energy with our wind turbines than we use.


Next we have our usual sections on Alternative Energy, Easy Cash, Nutrition, Traveling and Adventure and this weeks adventure A Visit to Julian , California.

Alternative Energy

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 http://deserthab.offgrid07.hop.clickbank.net/ and learn easy ways you can cut your electric bill.

The price of fuel keeps going up in price. Gasoline is now over $4.73 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.

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

Is the cost of living getting you down? Do you need to make some quick money to cover expenses? Go to http://www.pinemountainranch.ws/ 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

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 to
http://deserthab.airtravel.hop.clickbank.net/ and find out now while supplies last.

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.


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? 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

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.

A Trip to Julian, California.

When I left the desert, I took the scenic route instead of traveling the interstate. I drove through Ocotillo Wells and Shelter Valley. I turned West on state route 78 and went through Banner. I was at the 800 foot level or 244 meter level. I continued up the winding twisting mountain road until I reached the top at 4200 feet or 1280 meters.
Approaching Julian from the east, the first thing you see on the right side of the road is the new high school. Julian is an old mining town from the California gold rush days. The town was originally founded by 2 cousins from Georgia, Drue Bailey and Mike Julian right after the civil war. The first gold was found in 1869 by Fred Coleman. The town population was never more than about 600 people even in the gold rush days. Today the population is less than 500 full time residents.

Julian is considered to be Southern California’s Bed and Breakfast capital with many fine places to spend the night. All the buildings in town have been turned into shops and restaurants and are well kept up. Julian is the central location for all the activities in the area. It is a great place to bring the family and spend a day or two. There are over a dozen places to eat and many more gift and novelty shops.

There is never a lack of activities to do in and around Julian. The adventurous can tour the maize of tunnels in the Eagle and High Peak mine. Guides lead you through the tunnels and tell you about the history of the area. A few miles down State route 79 is Cuyamaca Lake. Here you can camp, boat, fish, picnic, and nature walk.

If you like fine wines, The Overland Back Country Wine Tour is a favorite. Explore the many fine wineries from the back of a converted army troop carrier. After exploring the many fine wineries the tour ends with a barbeque at the Menghini winery. Among the many fine wineries in the area are Eagles Nest, J. Jenkins, Menghini, Orfila, Pama Valley, Shadow Mountain, Twin Oaks, and Witch Creek.

Julian with its high 4200 foot elevation has 4 seasons. It is famous for the many apple orchards that surround the town. In September the town is always crowded with visitors arriving to sample the fresh apple pies and fresh pressed cider.
If you are looking for a taste of western living, there are three stables where you can experience mountain and back country trail riding. Integrity stables, Julian stables, and Kenner Horse Ranch, all provide riding adventures and lessons from beginner to expert.

Do you like watching the night sky? Then observer’s Inn is for you. You can view the planets, star clusters, and moon every night except Thursday through research grade telescopes weather permitting of course. An experienced astronomer leads you through an hour of interstellar exploration.

Food sampling is another fun thing to do in Julian. There are over a dozen places to eat in a two block area. If you go hungry in Julian it is your own fault. It is always a challenge to figure which place to try first.

One of my favorite places for lunch is the little restaurant called Soups & Such Café. Lani the owner also owns the local flower shop. The restaurant has two dining rooms.

The first dining room has a beautiful brightly colored hand painted flower garden wall that always makes lunch a cheery event.

The second dining room has nice wooden tables and a window view of the main town street. The food is great and low priced too. You can have soup, salad, and bread for only $7. I highly recommend the farmer’s soup. The soup is filled with fresh vegetables and is cooked and seasoned just right. The soup combined with a house salad and slice of bread is just the ticket for a nice lunch before exploring the rest of Julian. For those of you that like a little kick in your food, Lani also serves a spicy authentic Thai soup.

Another delight in Julian is touring the gift and souvenir shops. Whether you are looking for handcrafted gold and silver jewelry, leather goods, minerals and gems, Indian handicrafts, or just that one of a kind souvenir, you are sure to find it in Julian.

The biggest problem with Julian is there is never enough time to explore everything that you want to see. I spent the afternoon in Julian, the sun was warm but the temperature was only in the mid 70’s F a definite improvement from the 109 F in the desert the day before. I enjoyed the scenic drive through the back country of San Diego county. Every turn in the road was another enjoyable view. I arrived home at Pine Mountain just before dark. My sister and brother in law and the animals were all glad to see me. Roxana is still touring Norway, so next week we will see what interesting things she has found there.

Pine Mountain Evening

It is evening once more. I am relaxing in my easy chair. Squeekers my African grey parrot is sitting on his perch eating peanuts. Tonight our sample coffee from http://www.coffeefool.com/ is Columbian Supremo. This is a mild full bodied coffee just right for relaxing . My sister and her husband just left to return home. They took very good care of things while I was in the desert. Squeekers and I have just finished watching an episode of “ Lost”. It is an Australian sci fi series about a group of survivors of a plane crash that end up on this mysterious island that is able to move through time. Well it is getting late and I am ready to get some sleep. I put squeekers in his cage and head off upstairs to bed. Good night all see you next week.