Diamond Valley Lake 5/19
Jan 09 I was cruising up the freeway near the house here in Temescal Valley when a loud screeching sound emanated from under the hood along with a cloud of smoke. Panicked, I swerved quickly over to the right shoulder before realizing what the issue was. It's hot today, I have the A/C on. I turned it off; screeching gone, compressor seized.
Four months later I bolted on a new compressor I picked up on eBay for $165, then took it to Toyota for a shot of R12 Freon. They said the compressor works fine but we can't get it to blow cold. We believe when the compressor burned up it sent junk into the lines. It will cost another $1500 to have us take it all apart, clean out the system and install new parts. I said, sounds like it's going to be a long hot summer.
Every day last year I reported to the new job I had a sweat stain on my shirt from where the shoulder strap crossed my boobies. Someone axed, why is your shirt wet? I responded, that's how you can tell my A/C is out.
My new stuporvisor at work says he takes all his rides over to Diversified Auto in Murrieta. He and the proprietor are church buddies. Without reservation he proclaimed they can fix anything.
I took him up on the tip. Last Tuesday I dropped Li'l Miracle off at Diversified and showed them the compressor comes on when you push the button but no cold. Enterprise is a few blocks away, I rented a Pontiac G5 (crappy car).
They called me two days later saying your truck is ready. I said I'll be in Friday morning.
I show up, the boss says, oh boy it's really cold. Mechanic says, hell yeah it's cold! I feel the air, I said ok maybe. I'll have to get on the freeway so the compressor is working it, then we'll see.
I take back the rental, Enterprise drops me off at Diversified, I get in the truck and drive home... with no cold air.
I'm thinking, how could these so-called auto A/C experts say it is blowing cold when the compressor doesn't even turn on when I push the button, which I discovered after I arrived home.
I call them saying it ain't working, I will be busy the next four days, see ya next Tuesday morning.
So yesterday I put my motorcycle in the back of the truck so I wouldn't have to rent a car and headed on down to Murrieta in the perfect drizzly overcast for bass fishing at the lake. About half way it started raining really good. I didn't want to ride the bike the 35 miles home in the rain so I went back and put the two-wheeler away.
By the time I got back on the freeway, the drizzle cleared up. So much for the no-rental-car plan. I'll go ahead and get one anyway so I can take advantage of our perfect bass weather tomorrow and go fishing at Diamond Valley Lake. I dropped off the truck with the mechanics, then called Enterprise to pick me up. After 30 minutes they didn't show so I just walked over to their office about a quarter-mile away. They have a clipboard at the counter with a column on the paper saying pick-ups with Diversified scratched in there. I said see here? This is me. They said oh we're sorry neither of us two heard about the pickup and our pickup guy is in French Valley right now. I said I should get a Cadillac at the eco price. They giggled.
I ended up renting a Chevy HHR (not so crappy) and for using Diversified I receive a 20% discount. This morning I put the rear seats down and loaded the rear of the HHR with fishing junk. I peeked through the back door to see that the hoped-for May gray would not be with us today. Dam, I never catch anything at Diamond Valley when it's sunny.
I drove down to Temecula to pick up my ol' pal Breakwall Dan I at the prearranged 4:45 for a fun day on the water. Breakwall Dan... what? One? This is different from the Breakwall Dan y'all have been reading about for the past 10 years. Breakwall Dan One and I used to fish local breakwalls back in the early '80s. Twenty-something years ago he moved out of state, I never thought I'd see him again. The next Dan to go fishing with me at a breakwall I crowned Breakwall Dan, who is now Breakwall Dan II. Former EDSG employees might remember Dan I from our underground data center in the apex.
We were third in line at the gate at 5:15. It appears lake management has implemented a new policy of boat inspection before the morning opening. At least two trailer boaters were denied access as evidenced by them making U-turns and speeding off.
Exactly at 5:45 the gates opened and we were walking the trail by six. Along with $3 each for fishing permits and $7 for parking, they now charge $2 each for walking on the trail. Sheesh.
The usual plan is to walk 20 minutes to the farthest point past Third Cove then work the shoreline back to the parking lot. The water level has risen within the past month or so. There were a lot of year-old weeds like mule fat and salt cedar now forming stickups within casting distance, coated with brown algae but not enough of the slime to put the kibosh on your day.
I cast my standard Carolina-rigged 4" purple curly-tail Power Worm with a 1/8th-ounce egg sinker with no bites in an hour. Dan caught up with me, we went through the gap in the point to fish Fourth Cove, where the shore is steeper and deeper. At least we saw our 1st bass lurking ten feet below the crystal clear surface, a one-pounder and a two-and-a-half pounder.
Using a 4" straight-tail purple worm rigged Texas style, Big Dan was the day's tournament winner by landing and releasing the one-pounder. The two-pounder was very shy. I spent an hour trying to bop it in the head with my worm, it would only lip my offering five times but not enough for the hook to set. Last year at this time every bass Wook and I saw inhaled our worms as they crawled underneath their bellies.
I got to thinking maybe I should try other kinds of lures. If I can find something to make her bite, maybe other bass will respond it too. I tried a lead head minnow and a Kastmaster but the only other thing that turned her head was the AC Plug I had tied onto my 8' baitcasting rig. The fish had the expression on its face, like, what the hell is that gawd-awful looking thing squirming by me?
We walked some more shoreline with no other bites nor any more bass sighted, we were back at Dan's house a little before one.
I went over the gas station across the street to use a payphone to pick up my messages. Two minutes prior Diversified phoned me to let me know my truck is ready. Great timing, this will save me a trip. I drive the 4 miles over, I tested it out, the compressor turned on and the air was less than ambient temp, which was promising.
I did the Chinese fire drill with the fish gear, turned in the HHR, Enterprise dropped me off at my truck, I drove away. After about 2 miles it really started to blow cold and everything is great with the A/C now.
The problem was, they bought new parts from some supplier or other and the expansion valve was faulty. Funny thing is it's the hardest part to install in that they had to rip out the dash again and recharge the system with 2 lbs of R12, which by the way cost $100 per pound. They didn't bill me anything extra for the screw-up.
Conclusion: for $700 they fixed my AC by flushing the system, putting in the expansion valve, new evaporator and R12. At the second fan setting it was feeling real comfortable in the bright sunshine. Time to go exploring some more desert until fishing improves.
*****
Spring Mojave Desert run 4/28, photos
Spring Mojave Desert run 4/21, photos
Spring Mojave Desert run 4/14, photos
Spring Mojave Desert run 4/7, photos.
I built a Windows 7 machine: New Puter
I built a Home Theatre PC: HTPC
*****
After my checking out my bass fishing report at Lake Amador, a very well-respected friend of mine suggested I hit up Diamond Valley Lake (that's you DG).
I've been to this lake twice; once on a rented boat and the other while hoofing it along the shoreline. The constants at this lake are very clear--gin clear--water; super hot weather in the afternoon; and largemouth bass that fight harder than any other I've caught (they actually dig straight down to the depths like a smallmouth). Fortunately, we didn't experience the blistery hot afternoon.
I was very lucky to be able to join up an aspiring Elite Tour bass pro as he pre-fished for an upcoming tournament. Maybe some of you will recall him from the "good ole Nextel days" as the TeleNav guy: James Smiley. Similar to his knowledge of GPS dispatching, James is a very seasoned, skilled bass pro. It was pretty cool to be riding in a "sponsor wrapped" Nitro boat with all the top-end equipment aboard. From $350 rods to the 225hp motor, everything was top-knotch. Beyond that, James was very helpful and treated me as one of his guided guest (think he said he normally charges $300/person).
Since there was a tournament going on at the lake, we launched around 8:30am and fished till about noon. James is an ultra competitve, careful guy. Being one of the 16 nationally sponsored Bass Pro Shops pro, he's very careful in regards to all the "eyes" watching him and will not only position his boat a certain way to hide underwater structure fishing, but will dutifully retrieve all plastic worms that gets dislodged while fighting the fish (secrets = tournament wins and $$). I thought it was kind of funny that he prepped me--if people asked--to say that we caught a few "on worms and jigs" as we headed for the boat docks at the end of the morning. I've always been liberal about sharing my success and. . .really. . .I don't usually get approached too often regarding how I did. Well, James knows the world he lives as while I was moored up in his boat waiting for him to bring his truck down to load the boat, I got slammed with so many folks wanting to know how I did; what lures I used; what colors; what depths; what locations; etc.
I was one short of my limit in the brief time we fished; however, I learned a ton. I'm usually a rip bait/senko guy, but James was very informative on when to use what and how. I have no confidence in drop-shotting, but now I feel I can add that technique to my approach. I thought I was a light-line bass fisherman as I use 10lb test. . .James went with 5lb test flouro. Attached are a few photos. . .James will give you the shirt off his back, but don't ask him for any of the pads of Buffalo Wild Wings coupons. . .that one's non-negotiable. ;)
Hope I can join him for another trip before I start work again. 
*****
Finally got a chance to get out to my favorite largemouth bass lake: Lake Amador (NorCal motherlode).
Was hoping for some sight-fishing, but the weather was a bit chilly and the bass were sluggish. Only saw one decent female that my buddy caught and then "screwed up" the release; all else were 2-2.5 lb males about to stage. Had to really work the bait s-l-o-w and use a variety of baits to get them to finally/reluctantly take the bait. All were released with the exception of one that was--altruistically--given to my buddy as he wanted to have a fish dinner with his wife. Used 4" Rapala X-raps, Rapala Trigger Lizards, Brush Hogs, football head jigs, and always reliable senkos.
Looking forward to the next trip. 
*****
From Preston:
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News:
Angels Gate Lighthouse Restoration
Orange stumps for bass structure
Bowfishing now allowed at Elsinore
Dude spears 66lb white seabass
Scientists agree with delta smelt protections
Laguna beachcombers trapped by incoming tide
Mt. Whitney hatchery re-opens after disasters
Santa Ana suckers rescued from Big Tujunga Creek
1932 largemouth bass record tied
Florida cold snap hot for fish poachers
So. Cal. piers close as storms hit
New Missouri state record brown trout
Diamond Valley Lake to open to private boaters 12/20
Compromise over Rocky Point reached
L.A. County Supervisors attempt to keep Rocky Point open to fishing
San Diego kelp beds will close
Record largemouth made in Japan
Brown pelican removed from endangered list
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From Jim L.:
*****
Comedy From Chuck L.:
A man calls home to his wife and says, "Honey, I have been asked to fly to Canada with my boss and several of his friends for fishing.. We'll be gone for a long weekend. This is a good opportunity for me to get that promotion I've been wanting so could you please pack enough clothes for a 3 day weekend".....
And also would you get out my rod and tackle box from the attic ?
We're leaving at 4:30 pm from the office and I will swing by the house to pick my things up..
'Oh! And please pack my new navy blue silk pajamas..'
The wife thinks this sounds a bit odd, but, being the good wife,
She does exactly what her husband asked.
Following the long weekend he came home a little tired, but, otherwise, looking good. The wife welcomes him home and asks if he caught many fish?
He says, 'Yes! Lots of Walleyes, some Bass, and a few Pike.
He said but why didn't you pack my new blue silk pajamas like I asked you to d
The wife replies, "I did, they're in your tackle box".