What I am Thankful for...

An ode to the 2011 Jeep Wrangler that was a big part of our lives, but is now gone. We bought this Jeep in December 2010, just weeks before I moved to California. In the 30 months we had it out here, we trashed it. But I guess it was for a good cause; a great time off-roading. Here it is as a Brand New Jeep in Columbus, Ohio.

Here it is in the Coyote Mountains, its first week in California, after Graham and Martin brought it on a cross country trip of a lifetime. 

This is our Jeep in Arizona. 

This is the Jeep getting banged up in Split Mountain pass. 

This is our Jeep for sale in the used car lot. 

I get very sad when I look at these photos. I wish we could have held on to this little workhorse, with its several small modifications and the new off-road tires I had to buy after Deneen drove over a large piece of metal near the high school. 

But it was time for a 36,000 mile service, and somehow I convinced myself that it was cheaper to just buy a new Wrangler. I hope we make as many memories in the 2014. And I hope we can buy a second Jeep Wrangler next year when the new turbo diesel engine is released in the United States.     

What I want for Christmas

What do I want for Christmas...

Umm...a new Jeep.

I loved my Jeep Wrangler in the Turks and Caicos. The gas gauge did not work, when you filled it gas ran out from under tank, and it backfired. But you could take it anywhere and you never worried about a scratch.

The 2011 Jeep Wrangler that we bought to move to the Imperial Valley turned out to be the little Jeep that could. It has been in and out of a lot of places. This image is my Jeep coming through Split Mountain in an area where we had to build up a rock ramp in order to transverse through the wash. I did not appreciate this Jeep until it was gone, but at the beginning of November it was at its height in trade in value. For three years and 37,000 miles this Wrangler took us on countless adventures throughout the Yuha Desert and the Anza-Borrego State Park.

Jeeps seem to hold their value. I bought this Jeep for $24,000, traded it in for $17,000, and you could buy it today at Rogers ad Rogers for $22,000.

Our new Jeep is a 2014 Wrangler with an automatic transmission and a hard top. It is new, and clean, and not a scratch on it. Well, not so fast, on Sunday I had it in the desert for the first time and got into a tight spot on BLM road 094. We came too close to a creosote bush and now its has a few scratches down the passenger's side. Let the dance begin.

My Work Here is Done

 Has it been a year? I don't believe it. The last blog I wrote was after our annual meeting in 2012. The 2013 annual meeting is next week.

Ah, so what have I been doing, you ask?

"Working. Working. Working." say I.

What happened to the adventure, you ask?

"Working. Working. Working." say I.


I have included the Opinion piece that was heart breaking and awful and 30 months ago. It followed the first public interview I had given to the paper after arriving in the Imperial Valley in 2011. The Opinion piece that came out today says it all.

Click on them to read them. The comparison of the two articles could not be more telling about what this year has been like. It has been a lot of work.

But my work here is done. This is what we came to do. Open a museum that would make an impact, that would be community focused, and that would reach for the highest standards and maximum fun.

I am ready for the next adventure. Please let me know if you hear of any museums with a major crises that needs fixing - that might also be in the Caribbean, South America, South Pacific, or Alaska. I would also really be interested in developing something for Carnival or Holland America Cruise Lines.

So please, keep your ears open...