FOUND: A HERO DENTIST IN ALGODONES MEXICO

THIS DENTIST SAID NO!  "I WILL NOT PULL THAT TOOTH.  I KNOW IT CAN BE SAVED"

Meet Dr Edgar Rabago DDS surgery and implants, A member of the Rubio Dental group.  I had just asked him to pull one of my teeth that I had given up on--- unremittingly painful after a root canal done in the USA had gone wrong.  After 2 weeks of pain, I was desperate for relief.  Dr Rabago

recommended we save the tooth.

To persuade me, he called in the biggest gun--that's the  famous Dr Carlos Rubio, here suited up for implant surgery, but he took the time to look at the  tooth and agreed that the tooth could and should be saved.

Bright and early next day I'm in the care of Dr. Domingez,  the Rubio team member who specializes in root canals.

He goes to work on the problem explaining that he will do his utmost to save the tooth.

In short order he finds the problem.  Cn you see that light line at the lower part of the tooth.  It's an 

anomalous extra canal that occurs occasionally and does not show unless you x-ray the tooth from several angles.  That canal harbors germs and was the reason for the infection and pain.  Dr Dominguez fixed it and Bingo---the pain was gone--THE TOOTH WAS SAVED.

That was 8 months ago.  I went back recently to thank the entire Rubio team for their good work.

This is Dr. Dominguez and crew who kindly posed for this pict.  Need a root canal? this is the guy to see in Algodones Mexico. (across the border from Yuma, AZ.

For appointments call 928-362-0530

And I went across the street to thank the origional hero --Dr Rabago who said NO--"I won't pull that tooth".

For appointments with him call 928-723-0015

This is Dr Dominguez's office.

RANDY PHILOSOPHIZES:  I saved a lot of money by saving that tooth.  An implant to fill the gap could have cost thousands.  I've been a patient of the Rubio team for many years and have them to thank for the fact that at my advanced age, I have decent teeth.  (including 4 solid implants from Dr Rubio---who has done more than 10, 000 of them)

GOING DOWN TO THE MEAN STREETS OF PHOENIX

I GO WITH SOME RELUCTANCE

 Because I'm very happy on this hilltop outside Sedona, Az.  

 Looking south, I see the fascinating/ghost town of Jerome perched on the side of Mingus Mountain.

And almost every day I have visitors from the sky.

Sometimes they land only yards from my camp.

And here, I am in easy reach of friends who drop by.  This is Joseph Smyth, an important architect whose imaginative design work you may have seen in the childrens hospital of Washington, DC.

 I am so thankful for my friends--That's Kat on the left and her visiting sister Bronwen.

who come this day bringing dinner.

 So I leave my cozy campsite and go down toward Phoenix, spending the night here at a side road north of  town.

Then settle in here in the parking lot of the American Legion next to this law office.

The prices alone should tell you the kind of neighborhood I'm in.  I'm within a fenced area so I'm secure enough. 

A walk around the block shows I'm living near the homeless. This carefully constructed "den".....

was torn apart the next day by vandals.  

Parked near me is this fellow RVer , bold enough to live on the street.

On the back of his rig is this bit of profundity:  "You are the universe experiencing itself" --which I regard as truth.  I wanted to ask him:  and therefore---what?

Here's an interesting work of art right behind me.  A Jackson Pollock piece?

And nearby is this patriotic work of art.

And down the block this noble Indian.

And this classic work on a flower pot.

Here's an appealing coffee shop/ tattoo parlor

next door to a philosophy shop.  I meant to come experience this place but didn't get around to it--

because I had to take care of this little hospital chore--a colonoscopy.
Meet one of my oldest travel friends---Brenda Harris---who drove across town to shephard me through the process.  Some years ago, Brenda took a week out of her life to teach me how to operate a computer.  There are two poems about her in my book.

Next day--while walking the mean streets , I came across this lump of stuff on the sidewalk,

laid back a flap and discovered a body--it was totally unresponsive to voice or touch.  Eventually I saw that it was breathing.  I have a friend who'se an expert in these matters, so I called him for advice on what I should do.  His very surprising answer was:  NOTHING.   "As tempting as it is to rescue or get cops involved, or even buy him a meal---ANYTHING you do to ease his situation is ENABLEMENT and you become part of his problem."

I returned later in the afternoon--and he was still totally unresponsive.  I took my friend's advice and did nothing.  The story of the good samaritan crossed my mind---can it possibly be that alcoholics are a special class of (self?) victimized people that (when the whole picture is considered) should be left alone to die on the street.
That may be my best option but I believe society has a better option:  If I had my way, we would gently, humanely, educationally restrain him in some lovely place ---for years if necessary--until we could be aabsolutely sure he was over his alcohol addiction.  (how could you ever be sure?--easy--put small amounts of alcohol within easy reach.  When he could resist for months on end--we could release him)

RANDY PHILOSOPHIZES:  I'm not done with the streets of Phoenix---I want to show you the glitzy side of things in my next post.

RANDY RANTS ABOUT SEXUAL AGRESSION---AN ESSAY FOR THE LADIES

YES, I CAN SEE, YOU ARE ENRAGED AT SEXUAL AGRESSION AND YOU HAVE FOUND YOUR VOICE---AND UNITED---AND HAVE OUTED A FEW DOZEN OFFENDORS---AND ARE DRAGGING THEM TOWARD THE GALLOWS.

BEFORE YOU PULL THAT LEVER SENDING THEM TO THEIR VARIOUS DOOMS: PLEASE, ASK YOURSELVES THREE QUESTIONS:

1. WHAT IS THE REAL CAUSE OF THIS PROBLEM?
     It goes back a million years when our monkey-like ansestors were morphing into humans.
     Female sexual organs changed from OBVIOUS ESTRUS (sexual readiness--swollen rumps,smells and such)
     to HIDDEN ESTRUS---a big big difference--with this consequence:  HUMAN MALES CANNOT     
     EASILY SEE WHEN SEXUAL ADVANCES ARE WELCOME. we are left guessing.
     AND WE ARE (almost) EVER READY for sex.
     Remind yourselves that sexual advances---yes even agression was necessary for evolution to
     proceed.  Gentle lions have no offspring--nor gentle humans-to-be. We inherited this drive   
     naturally from the most agressive of our species.  If you cannot learn to appreciate this fact--
     at least acknowledge it.
     The sexual urges we males carry around with us ALWAYS, are ten times as powerful (I daresay) as
     those you occasionally feel.  It takes some effort to constrain ourselves.

     During the million year transition to human we forcibly took the sex we wanted.  It was the quickest, easiest, ( understandable ?) solution to our driving need.  We gave your feelings little thought.

     When agriculture, culture and civilization came along, we evolved some (moderating?) traditions
     but men still had the driving genes and so continued to agress against women in new ways.  5000
     years of this brings us to now.  We men still have our drive but you are ready to stop the agression.

2.  So I now ask a question that furious ladies seem not to ask:  WHAT IS A REASONABLE
     PUNISHMENT FOR SEXUAL AGRESSION?  Do you want to kill Harvey Weinstein?
     Remember that all us males carry his (type) of genes.   For perspective, consider cases of out-of-
     control anger--another evolutionary heritage.  We usually give agressors second chances--sentence
     them to anger management classes or porportional jail sentences.  I'm always stunned to see rapist
     sentenced to longer jail terms than murderers.

3.  SO WHAT IS THE FIX FOR THESE
     NATURALLY OCCURING DRIVES.  Can we have a reasonable discussion?

     Norwegian countries are well on the way to fixing the problem.  For example:
     Girls are given special classes in understanding, deflecting, dodging male sexual agression.
     They are clearly apprised of the strength of male lust.  I heard one such class where the girls are
     bluntly told the evolutionary truth about the huge disparity of lust and agression between men and       women.  Men, they said, will lie, cheat, promise, deceive, manipulate, badger you for sex.  They are wired
     that way.  Your task is to intelligently deal with this huge disparity of desire and only have sex when you feel you are ready.  Then they show
     them lots of ways to do this.

     I think the boys are given classes too---approximately saying to them:  Gentlemen, we have
     inherited some powerful feelings.  We must learn to control them.  It is the right thing to do---and--if we don't--- society will put us in jail.
     Here are some suggestions: Upgrade your charm, learn patience, learn to win a lady's favors, masterbate etc. (sounds
     reasonable to me)

FINAL PHILOSOPHICAL WORD:  In reviewing my last 40 years of sexual activity  I have developed some sympathy for the Weinsteins, Clintons, Kennedys and others who've gotten their hands caught in the cookie jar.  I'm happily, not in jail-- and determined not to cross the line of unwelcome advances.

HORSEPUZZLES AND OTHER ROAD MOMENTS

I'M PARKED ATOP A HILL MIDWAY BETWEEN COTTONWOOD AND SEDONA, AZ.

Here's my view.  One of my "neighbors," about two miles to the right is Senator John McCain.

Here's a week-long experience that I've not reported on:  This 20,000 plus acre piece of land is a gift to you the American Public and to all the animals that call it home.  It was purchased and protected by the smartest of all environmental organizations: The NATURE CONSERVANCY.  Thats my rig down there, parking free and hiking the trails.  Check them out and be persuaded , as I am, that they are our best hope for saving the planet:  The Nature Conservancy

Meet Curt and Hillary---A match made in heaven, I think:  He is a Jet Blue Captain and she is a horse trainer.  Both love horses.  They stopped here for a few days to ride the trails.  That gigantic rig carries three horses, all their gear and feed as well as comfortable housing for the two of them.

This day they are off for an all day ride.  They offered me the third horse.  I declined.

That facial mask protects the horse's eyes from insects.

And there , dear readers is a HORSEPUZZLE.  a puzzle for a horse---a hay bag made of a net--with tantalizing stems of the good stuff sticking out here and there.  When the horse pulls on a stem, a fair size bite come out of the bag.  They love it!  Will nibble at it for hours.  The puzzle comes in three degrees ---easy---(wide holes) medium--(smaller holes) and hard--(small holes).

I  watched for long minutes and am ready to declare that horsepuzzles are MEANING GENERATORS  for horses. (an equine rubics cube)

A wonderful invention!

Hillary, dressed to ride

Then I dropped in to visit an old friend.

Regular readers will recognize Paul Namkung, a friend  who lives in Tierra Amarillo, NM---owns the three ravens coffee shop and builds  these wonderful drums.  Check out their terrific sound here.

Then off I went to EL Paso, TX headed for Louisiana---but first, I need a root canal--desperately.  So I screwed up my courage, walked into Juarez, Mexico and eventually found this 77 year old dentist who specializes in root canals.  Yes, I laid down in that ancient chair and let him go to work.  Guess what---he did a fine job--problem solved in an hour.  Cost: $180.

Memorabilia from my Louisiana trip--That's me 40 years ago

My daughter Christine at her grandmother's grave.

They never met, but I know they would have loved each other.

Back in Santa Fe--a triumphal moment--persuading this mechanic to refund me $200 for an overcharge. He did so with reasonable good will.

Then back to Cottonwood, Az---a beautiful place for fall.  Balloons overhead almost every morning.

Kat nd I dancing at a Jazz contest.

There you are folks, a real live Arizona Ranger.

Hopefully an historic moment.  That's Kathy Reese on the left, founder of  a new organization:

BOONDOCKERS UNITED  whose mission is to give us boondockers a focused voice in dealing with the Forestry Service and the BLM. Check it out here. That pile of trash is our first project--we pitched in and made it disappear.

Here's the bumper sticker Kathy designed and that members will display.

RANDY PHILOSOPHIZES:  Life comes to us in moments.  I've selected the 17 above because I have picts to illustrate them,    I planned to think about them and come up with some unifying theme or principle to philosophize about. Truthfully, however, my life seems a hodge podge of disjointed events.  I don't seem to be headed anywhere,

THEN I HAD AN IDEA:  I asked my daughter about the hodge podge of moments that make up our lives.  How can we think positively about them?  Here's what she said: Maybe the moments of our life are like a patchwork quilt--separately they seem ragged and insignificant, but perhaps over time we are piecing together a warming blanket of character.   

I almost wept for joy!  My daughter---my lovely daughter--IS A PHILOSOPHER! 

LONG LOST DAUGHTER MEETS HER FAMILY

SHE'S 26---THEY DIDN'T KNOW SHE EXISTED--THEY WANT TO MEET HER---SHE WANTS TO MEET THEM.

There she is sweet people---A wild oat sown 26 years ago returning to the sower.  She's come to get me and together we will drive to Louisiana where she will meet for the first time half of her biological family: two aunts, oodles of cousins and second cousins.

We drive a thousand miles in two days--having lots of fun.  Here i'm feeding her a chunk of pineapple.

Here is the moment of happy union.  They love her as I do.

That's Darlene to my left--by far the most adventurous member of our family and Bobbie Jean to her left--the lynchpin of a successful and happy clan (as you will see)---and my beautiful daughter Christine to her left.

Our first outing is to this house to meet her cousin Donna.

And our timing is good--she meets two of her cousins-- Donna on the left and Alana on the right. (sisters) One of them is a medical doctor and the other once owned and operated a small airline (for real).  Is now director of the visitors bureau for  Monroe and West Monroe-(think Duck Dynasty)-which do you think is which?  Cam you spot a pilot?

Outside we meet another 2 generations

Then we take a break down by the family pond.

So far--so good--she is at ease with her new-found relatives.

Then meets more relatives

Back for a great dinner, we meet still more relatives.

On another day my sister takes the whole family to dinner and I introduce her to a famous in-law:  That's Dr. Clark Cooper who made national news when he spearheaded the successful cloning of a dog.  Read about it here. (interesting story:  Man loves his dog--pays big bucks to have him "back")

Then on to more relatives.  John Edward and Vicky live here in eastern Louisiana very near the Mississippi river. (no that's not the river--it's their duck pond)

e

Their log home is a marvel of coziness they designed themselves.

She meets two more cousins! We catch up to Vicky (Asst. DA for the parish) down in the cotton patch with her brother Charles who explains cotton to Christine.   Charles is a super farmer raising cotton and rice.  He has the wit and will to build an empire if he so chose.

And then he shows her the new machine he just bought--- a six row cotton picker.  Here he details how this ingenious mechanism manages to do the once-thought-impossible task of separating the stubborn cotton fiber from its boll.  

Sweet people you are looking at a miracle machine--for what it does and for the effect it has had.

Partly invented only 13 miles from this spot it does the work of 500 field hands cleanly picking the cotton, rolling it into huge 2000 pound cyllinders neatly wrapped in plastic and dropping them off its rear end.

This machine cost a cool million dollars and I can feel his pride as he watches it smoothly lumber away at brisk walking speed guided perfectly by sattellite.

The effect it has had is to reshape the entire south,putting millions out of work. (and I think that is a good thing---machines should work---people should think: Buckminster Fuller)  

Next we went toCharles' storage bins---giant containers to hold his rice harvest.  Here's a truck just unloading.  You may well buy some of that rice because it has been bought by Uncle Ben's.

Finally we visited the gator industry owned by another cousin of Christine's.   There are about 40,000 gators being raised there and another 40,000 in a second place.  Taking pictures is strictly forbidden here and elaborate security measures are enforced.  We visited the security room which monitors about everything.  I took her to a single room of gators and carefully opened the door. ...she was strikingly impressed.

In this barn she inspected his  helicoptor

and one of several air boats.

The boss of this giant operation is her first cousin--Jeff--she met him briefly before he was off to Johanisberg, South Africa for an international trade conference. The purpose of which is to find ways to persuade the world that commercializing endangered animals is the most efficient way to save them. (Rhinos for example can--and are--being commercially raised)

So we enjoyed his private camp and picnic cabins with pool

and one of his employees took us for a ride on the lovely Ouachita river.

Her cousin Alana invited us over for a photographic walk down memory lane.  Here's my mother and grandmother and myself about 40 years ago.  Christine laughed when she saw this and said she understands why her mother slept with me.

RANDY PHILOSOPHIZES: HERE'S A POEM FROM MY BOOK THAT IS SO TOTALLY APPROPRIATE FOR NOW:

WILD OATS

He never knew he'd sired a daughter

 till she was fully grown,

When she sought and found her mysterious father

and claimed him as her own.

Wild oats often return to the sower.

Mostly they bite and stress us.

But now and then, fate, with a grin

returns our oats to bless us.

AND SO I DO---FEEL BLESSED.  This was a mission fraught with some risk;  not least of which is that my glitteringly successful family would make me seem, by comparison, an utter failure.  It didn't seem to happen ---she still seems to love and respect me. I spoke with her a few minutes ago asking for her reaction to the whole trip. She said she feels a sense of completeness that has removed a long-time unrest in her.  She feels  peaceful regarding the gene pool she came from--- that she had finally been "home"--- that loose ends had been tied up.