Denny's Desk
These articles are a sampling of what you will find in my book, “That’s My Story and I’m Stickin’ To It”
Things That Irritate Me
One of the only things about growing old, is that it gives me license to gripe about anything I deem fit. If this particular column offends you in anyway then you are too delicate a flower, and people need to stop ‘watering’ you! Taking prisoners is not one of my attributes!
In 1963 Uncle Sam sent me his ‘greetings’ and seven busloads of us left San Diego for our Army Physical in Los Angeles. Any, and every collection of mankind, was represented in that seven bus loads, including several missing links and a few species, I’m still not sure of their origin or planet. The old adage of ‘if your blind, and you’re seeing eye dog doesn’t have flat feet; you are going to be 1-A; came into focus on that day! I won’t bore you with my outcome, however, a ‘homeless’ Vet living on the street or that has been abandoned mentally, physically or in any other way should be an oxy-moron. Any Vet that has been wounded (or killed) should live tax free for the rest of his life. The same for surviving family members!
America is founded on people from all walks of life and nationalities. If you are here illegally, you should be arrested, and deported! Those that DO apply legally should be able to become citizens in 12 months or less, taking five years or more, needs to be changed. Medical and financial aid, driver’s licenses, and voting rights for illegals also need to stop.
Politicians should all have term limits, two 2 year terms is more than enough. Politicians and diapers need to be changed often for the same reasons! Social Security and Medicare would be solvent in 90 days or less if politicians had to participate in these entities. They should also have to live within the laws they pass, along with the rest of us. Equal justice under the law should apply to politicians, sports figures, actors, and any other entity that walks on two legs.
All of us that lived through the 60’s and the bull chit of that ‘ism’ era, is a contributing factor to the dysfunctional society we live in today. It has taken over 50 years of lack of respect of the law, religion, marriage, and family values to get us to where we are. Anything that ends in ‘ism’, has allowed this situation to exist and to materialize to what it is today. None of the ‘isms’ will accept responsibility for their actions in this paragraph.
I don’t claim to have all the answers by any stretch of imagination. One of my Dads favorite sayings was ‘I can’t lay an egg, but I can tell when one’s rotten! Is America perfect? No way! Is there room for improvement, Hell yes! Is there anything better that America? Nothing I have been able to find.
I am sure this column will sever some of my friendships and will endure me with new friendships. The later will be great and the former will be missed like a dose of the clap. This column does not represent the feelings of the Borrego Sun, the owner, or anyone else that works there.
This is MY story, and I am damn well stickin’ to it!—–Denny DuVall
LIVING OFF THE GRID
For most people this lifestyle is a choice you can choose to participate in. You can get lots of good information online to help you to decide. If you own your home you will have to invest twenty to thirty grand (or more) to become a ‘hippy.’
In my case, living in an RV trailer can be done on a much smaller scale. The principles are similar and will cost you a lot less money. I also have a limited income of just over $900 dollars a month.
So what I have to share is a bare-bones minimum that you can survive on quite successfully. I have done this for over five summers now. The first thing I had to let go of was my internet service. $50 dollars a month for 5 gigs is equal to $600 dollars a year. C’ya.
Your ‘smart phone’ costs you $1,200 dollars a year or more too. C’ya. I did find a phone system that works very well and costs $20 a month with unlimited minutes anywhere in the USA. I use Verizon’s ‘home phone connect’. This works in conjunction with a cordless phone system. I use a 75 watt inverter that plugs into a cigarette lighter. This is on 24 hours a day and doesn’t hurt my two batteries.
I can also take the phone system along with me in my car. I use a 75 watt inverter in my cigarette lighter to power the system. Works moving or stopped. Let’s just keep that between you and me.
I also made up what I call a portable power /generator trailer. This houses a 4KW Onan RV generator. On top of that is a single 135 watt solar panel that can be tipped to catch the sun. Mounted on the trailer is a twenty gallon fuel tank. I can average five months of usage on twenty gallons. Basically, I just use it to run my microwave oven at two to ten minutes several times a week, to charge up my two batteries on occasion during overcast or rain, and to run my vacuum cleaner or anything that requires 120 volts.
What I didn’t know when I started on this journey was there are two types of solar panels: 12 volt RV panels, and 18volt (or higher) for residential/commercial application. I could get more watts on a single residential panel for less than the cost of using multiple RV panels, when I started on this project. For motor home/RV trailers I would stick to the 12V panels and controller system.
Of course you have to use what they call a ‘controller’ (voltage regulator) to get the power from the panel to your batteries. A 12 volt system controller costs you ten to twenty dollars. A residential controller will run you around a hundred and eighty dollars. So what I saved on my panel, I had to make up on the controller. That’s life in the fast lane. There is no free lunch.
My RV trailer came with two 12 volt deep cycle batteries. When they wore out I replaced them with two 6volt deep cycle batteries hooked up in series to get 12 volts. This gives you over twice the amp hours. My batteries can drop down to 12.2 to 12.3 volts at the end of the day, and are back up to full charge by 9:30 in the morning. Any questions you can call me a 619-823-0701. ————That’s my story and I’m stickin’ to it!————- Denny DuVall
How to Drive and Survive In the Desert
Although this article is related to the Borego Desert area, these rules apply to any desert area.
Rule 1—Before venturing into out into the desert let someone know where you are going (area) and when you expect to return.
Rule 2—Be sure your vehicle is in good running condition (age is not a factor). Check your oil, water (coolant) and fluid levels, belts, hoses, and tires for tread and pressure.
Rule 3—Be sure to have a least one gallon of water for each passenger. Also some snacks or sandwiches, (fruit, etc.). Also have a cell phone and charger; have several blankets too, as it can get cold at night. Take a good flashlight, hand mirror, a short-handled shovel, tire pressure gauge, and a 12v tire compressor ($100 to $180).
Rule 4—If your vehicle gets stuck, breaks down or quits running for any reason STAY WITH YOUR VEHICLE until help arrives. This rule has no exceptions and must be followed or you will join the others that have died in the desert. This rule will save your stupid a_ _ even if you ignore any or all of the other rules!
For heading out into the desert a front wheel drive vehicle will do better than a rear wheel drive, especially if you aren’t very experienced in desert driving. Stupidity will supersede whatever drive your vehicle is, including four wheel drive!
Most washes that have been driven won’t give you any trouble. You will want to keep your vehicle moving at 15 to 25 mph. In a soft sandy area be at 25 or better. If your vehicle begins to bog down, roll into your foot feed and roll out (slowly) keeping your speed moving. This allows the wheels to get a better ‘bite’ and keep you moving. This is an acquired skill that will probably require getting stuck several times to learn.
Let’s say your vehicle’s tires are spinning, and you’re losing speed. What you do now will determine how the rest of your day is going to go. If it’s obvious you’re in trouble and aren’t going to make it, take your foot off the accelerator and let the vehicle stop. Get out of the vehicle and determine if you are on level ground, going (slightly) uphill or going (slightly) downhill.
Your type of direction will determine your ‘escape’ plan. So if you panicked and your drive wheels are really bogged down by the time you stopped, you will need that short-handled shovel that was in rule 3. If you ignored rule 3, then you will be using your hands or whatever you can find to dig out from around your drive wheels. Other wheels too, if dug in. If your direction is level or slightly down hill, your escape is straight ahead. If going uphill, your escape path is behind you. (Reverse gear).
Rock slightly back and forth (going a little more distance each time), then roll into the foot feed and drive out to solid ground. Load up your passengers and continue on your way.
If your tires just spin when you try to rock your car, stop, dig out again. Now you need to let some air out of the drive tires and drop to 12 pounds, but no lower than 10. Of course you ignored bringing the tire gauge in rule 3, so let the air out until you can push (slightly) in the tire sidewall.You can drive to civilization on your deflated tires if you stay down to 25mph or so.
So here’s to you getting back safely. ———————–That’s my story and I’m stickin’to it!———————-Denny DuVall (619-823-0701)
THE ELUSIVE BIGHORN SHEEP
As I look back over my life of seventy- seven years that I have somehow survived, I smile as I remember the things that have stayed, and some of the things that have left. Some I have squandered away, some I have lost and some are in a safe place that even I can’t remember. (This is sometimes referred to as C.R.S.)
I have learned that whether it’s human or material everything has brought joy into my life, some by coming and some by leaving. I have learned not to get too excited about anything that happens or doesn’t happen to me.
From my premature birth, being adopted, being raised in the desert with no adverse effects, surviving four years of being bussed to Julian to attend high school, getting married in 1961 and having two girls and two boys, having my youngest daughter surviving a sidewinder bite when she was just four years old, and being drafted in 1962, but not having to go to Vietnam.
I was able to earn a decent living with no college education, just a degree in the school of hard knocks. However, I would recommend a college education in today’s market. I was also fortunate to meet my birth Mother and enjoy thirty years with her. Experiencing bladder cancer has taught me the value of diet and what eating habits to avoid. I have learned how to be in control of any given situation, and not letting the situation be in control of me.
So what is the one thing that almost everyone else has experienced and I have not: I have never seen a Peninsular BighornSheep!Some tourist from Kansas who has never been to Borego before in his life finds himself in a herd of twenty or so Bighorn Sheep. I imagine them eating out of his hand, showing off their young ones, play butting him and all of them playing around him being his own personal circus. Even people I have known most of my life have seen them and have pictures to prove it! I have checked the pictures to see if there were any unicorns or other mythical animals, Greek Gods or flying saucers in the pictures. I didn’t see any!
Is there some special society I can join that has an easy secret handshake I can learn and doesn’t require the sacrifice of virgin maidens, goats or other animals, expensive dues or membership? I admit, as I listen to those that have seen Bighorn Sheep foaming at the mouth about their experience, I wonder if there was any alcohol or drugs involved in their experience.
Some things are just meant not to be. Perhaps after all these years I had best resign myself to the fact that there is no Bighorn sheep in my future and it is better I don’t see any, no sense in shocking my system into having an aneurism or some other calamity!
That’s my story and I’m stickin’ to it!——-Denny DuVall
SUMMER TIME
Is it just me and the fact I’m getting older, that each summer seams hotter than the last summer I’ve had to live through? I can remember as a young child that June, July, and August were hot with August being the humid month, and the one that usually had the rain storms and the floods.
Over the years the summers have spread out through May to October with the temperatures into the lower 100’s into the 118’s and higher and dragging on into some Novembers. This contributes to keeping me grumpy and I don’t get back to being ‘human’ until December or so. And even then, some would question that, as to my composure.
Even Julian, that would never see anything over 90, has abandoned me and will get into the lower 100’s now. This summer has started in late June making me looking into maybe going further north for next summer. I have a panel truck that makes 350 hp, 8 forward gears, and an RV trailer to hook up behind it, so don’t mess with me ‘mother nature’, or I’m ‘outta’ here!
I can hear Oregon, Washington state, and Utah calling my name—it’s just a matter of choosing a spot to enjoy. Now the other side of this particular coin, and one I find a little confusing, is how in the hell can Borego be such a mess in the summer, and such a paradise in the winter? I can remember back in the 50’s and 60’s the winters were a lot colder, wind storms, etc. that were a lot harsher than they are now. It would get down to 10 degrees at night at my Dad’s place, and wind storms that would last for four to five days with a two day break, and then more wind. Julian could see three feet and more snow with the water running below Banner Grade into June or so. Sentenac canyon had running water, stopping through June, July, and August.
There was a well at my Dad’s place that he put in the early 30’s. They struck water at 16’ and went down to 100’. The water stayed 8’ from the surface into the early 50’s. This well served us for many years. There were several artesian wells near us at the time. However, when DiGiorgio Fruit Corp. put in all their deep wells in the late 40’s and early 50’s, it was not unusual for us not have any water for several weeks during the summer when they were flooding their grapes with water. The artesian wells went away and have never come back.
My Dad and I knew years ago that Borego had a water problem long before it came into focus for the rest of you. If things continue as they are, agriculture will have to go away, and the luxury of having golf courses may have to be a distant memory. So get a grip! ‘Chit’ Happens! I would say that this column has shared enough ‘happiness’ for all of you to enjoy, and I’m going to slip over to the coast and kick back for a day or so, for an attitude adjustment so I can return to my joyful self that I so enjoy.
That’s my story, and I’m stickin’ to it!————–Denny DuVall
The Art of Being a Good Liar
he dictionary defines a liar as such——
1. someone who represents one set of facts, while knowing that a
different set of facts prevails.
2. (popular) someone who having led others to believe one thing, does a different thing; a promise-breaker.
When I was in my early teens, my Dad brought this phenomenon to my own personal attention. I should mention that my Dad was a very strict disciplinarian, and by today’s standards would probably fall into the ‘child-abuse’ category. However in those days, that was the way it was. I find it was better than today’s milk and honey BS. Boys were boys and girls were girls, and none of us were confused as to what gender we were.
As a child, if my Dad was talking to someone else, I raised my hand and waited for my Dad to ask what I wanted. Failure to do so was an immediate spanking in front of God and anyone else that was present. Needless to say I went through ‘several’ spankings in my early years from five to my early teens.
When I was around 15, my Dad asked me about a situation, and I gave him an answer. Several days later, he asked me again about the same situation. Several days later, he again asked me about the same situation. He let a few more days go by, and asked me to come over to the store for a talk.
I was told that he was still capable of warming up my behind, however in the interest of my future he was going to share an observation with me. I was informed that he had asked me about a certain situation I was involved in and I gave him an answer, and that he let several days go by and he asked me about it again, and I had given him a different answer, followed by another space in time, and asking me about it again, giving him yet another different answer.
For your information Denny, he told me, each of your three answers was all different. You need to understand that you don’t have a good enough memory to be a liar, let alone be a good liar.
Well my friends, over the next five decades I have learned that not only do I not have a good enough memory to be a good liar; I haven’t found anyone else that does either. Politicians however have made being a liar into and art form. You can still determine when a politician is lying, their lips are moving! This also contributes to the fact that politicians and diapers need to be changed often, for the same reason.
So if you know someone that has to hire someone else to call his dog, chances are he too is a liar. You can ask me a question today, and wait ten years and ask me the same question; you will get the same answer as the first time. I find it is easier to just tell the truth and let the chips fall where they may. Class dismissed!
That’s my story, and I’m stickin’ to it!——-Denny DuVall
Denny’s Desk
Every once in a while all I get is a dial tone when I want to come up with another column. You would think that for one that suffers from diarrhea of the vocal cords, would never run out of something to say or write about. I find at times like this is a good time to just start typing and see what happens. So bear with me and let’s see where we end up.
One good thing is that summer is finally coming to a long awaited end. Whether or weather (play on words) you were in Borego, or as I was in Julian, for the summer you would agree enough is enough already! I tell myself that I won’t bitch this winter, no matter how cold it gets. We both know that isn’t true, ‘cause I will bitch about it, in fact I may start now to avoid the rush later.
Winter does bring about one good thing; I get to spend it in Borego where I grew up as a kid. The fact that this will be 79 years of it and counting leaves me with mixed emotions that I won’t go into. If I would have known I was going to live this long, I would have made a plan of some kind. Why is hind-sight always 20-20? Hey, I could list all the things I wish I could have done, and or failed at, but why make you suffer through all of that crap. I have found that life’s experiences are fathered by bad decisions and leave it at that.
I could go into life, love, and family, but that ship sailed years ago and ran aground on a reef just off shore. I did meet some sharks and jelly fish on my way back to shore I still remember, and leave it at that. In reality nothing is really that bad, and if it doesn’t kill you, it will make you stronger, and hopefully a little wiser.
Even cancer made an appearance for me, I tried it, I didn’t like it, and I moved on. C’ya! I did learn a lot however on that ride. Seams that all of us are in a hurry to dig our own graves with a spoon; some, do it a little faster adding a fork and a knife with the spoon. Be sure to buy into the BS that all your food is safe and that pesticides, and fertilizers are there in your best interest. Goes along with the mortician that signs all his letters, ‘eventually yours’; I will at a later date, go into this subject on a more serious basis.
So let’s see, I get to move back to Borego soon, I’m going to put Henry (my panel truck) in the parade in October, Henry and I will be at the ‘open house’ on the 3rd Sunday of November at the Old Borego Store (think that’s the right date), and I get to kick around the desert this season in a (new to me) ’90 Chevy 4x pickup. Life is rough my friends, please send your donations to my PO Box in Julian—–That’s my story and I’m stickin’ to it!————Denny DuVall
End of an Era
I had missed several Fridays, five to be exact, of Henry and I going to Cruising Grand in Escondido. So I decided that I would show up this last Friday September 14. This meant leaving Julian around nine in the morning to secure a spot I and several of my friends like to park for the last ten or so years in the ‘200’ block of Grand Avenue.
Cruising Grand started in 2000, and I and Henry (my ’50 Ford Panel Truck) have gone faithfully for the last 18 years. For me it has been an eight hour or on occasion a longer day by the time I finally get home at eight or nine that evening. This particular Friday around 5:30 pm, I had enough and put my chairs in the back of Henry and headed home.
Several things that have been positive changes in my life began and came to life over the 18 years I attended Cruising Grand. Perhaps the greatest was my career in writing was fathered at that event. I learned at an early date of attendance that having a vintage car parked in front of me with a value of 80,000 dollars or so, and one behind me of the same or so value, no one paid much attention of a beet up old panel truck with over a million miles on it.
So I typed up several pages of history on my truck, and taped them on the right front fender. It mentioned the fact of the mileage I had driven, the fact that the truck had gone through ten used motors during the first 40 years of being driven by me and that it had been driven hard and put away wet many times over a million miles that would have killed off most other vehicles.
The information pulled in a few readers, and they would nod their heads and move on to the other cars on display on Grand. An older gentleman spent a little longer than most reading my pitter patter and came over to me and asked if that was my truck. ‘Guilty as charged’ I replied. And who wrote the stuff on the fender, he asked. Well, I am guilty of that also, but before you criticize me too much, you need to know I went to Julian Union High School, so if it’s off a little on spelling, or context, oh well!
Actually what you have written is very good and I think you should do more writing, he told me. Well, I have been thinking of writing some short stories on some of our adventures over the past 40 years or so. “Do it’’ he said and walked off. I went home that day all fired up and sat down to write up some stories, only I had never written anything and had no idea how to start or what to write about.
I ended up sharing some of my futile beginnings with a good friend that lives in Borego that had taken writing in college. So she gave me a 15 minute, four-year course in writing, and over several weeks, I was able to come up with my first story of 800 words or so. I wrote two more short stories with an hour or so invested in each. It would take me a couple of days to get them to flow right, and the rest is history. The Borrego Sun has been kind enough to give me a home for going on six years. Henry has his own column (Henry the Truck) and has published 72 columns counting this issue, I have published 33 columns of Denny’s Desk and right around 100 articles through this issue. Not bad for not starting writing until my ‘70s’ and being a JUHS graduate. My thanks and gratitude to the 10 or so that read everything I write. Could be up to 12, by now.
That’s my story and I’m stickin’ to it!————Denny DuVall
More New Chapters in My Life
Or ‘Beam me up Scotty’
I thought that when I retired back in 2012 or so, that I could just kick back and let the birds watch me inhale and exhale. Ohhhh no—I talk to Ellen (Fitzpatrick) who was Editor of the Borrego Sun at that time, about running Henry’s three short stories for several issues. That went well, and after that I started the column; Henry the Truck, about vintage cars.
Then several years later I start another column called ‘Denny’s Desk”, and then in my spare time I also did articles on Julian and the surrounding areas. So the current score is over 70 columns of Henry the Truck, 36 columns of Denny’s Desk, and just a little south of 100 articles covering Borrego and Julian, going into my sixth year at the Borrego Sun.
I have also over the last several years been working on my autobiography and another book on Ford Motor Company. Both books are being written from my Panel Trucks point of view, so that makes my story a real “auto “biography and the titles are ‘Through My Headlights’ and ‘Henry does Ford Motor Company.
On the 18th, of October I meet with the 5thgrade class in Borrego at Old Borego to go over the history of my Dad’s old place. This has moved from the 4thgrade to now being done by the 5thgrade. They will also give a presentation on November 11 when the old store and house will be open to the public sponsored by the Borrego Springs Civic Foundation. Henry and I will be there as we have since the beginning years ago.
Several days ago I got a phone call from the owner of the Old Borego property. His father bought my Dad’s old place in the early ‘80’s. I am going to meet him on the 18thof October to go over what all was inside the store, and the location of the different things that were inside of the old store. Such as the produce, canned goods, hardware, meat counters, refrigerators, counter, and cash register.
We will also go over the property around the store and the house, including the old reservoir behind the house and the grove of trees that are on the property, etc. This is a meeting I am looking forward to having.
And then there is the parade on the 20thand a car show on the 21stfor 4×4’s and off road vehicles that I am putting my ’90 Chevy and ’87 Samurai 4x’s in. So it looks like I will be staying in Borego for Thursday through Sunday and then back to Julian to move back to the valley in the first part of November.
In my spare (?) time I am meeting up with a publisher in the valley about getting my autobiography published and also another book on Ford Motor Company published during the 2019 year. It seems I have more to do in my retirement years than I did when I was working. I’m thinking of going back to work at a real job so I can have more time off.
That’s my story and I’m stickin’ to it!———Denny DuVall