VICKI & DON FROM JOYCE & MAX RANCH SKYLINE TRUCK TRAIL JAMUL, CA 91935 DAILY DATA REPORT (VOLUME 2016, EDITION - MAY) DATA FOR: END OF MONTH Friday, MAY 27, 2016 through Tuesday, MAY 31, 2016 FRIDAY 27TH DAY 8 JOYCE & MAX RANCH SKYLINE TRUCK TRAIL JAMUL, CA 88888888888888 THIS WAS A VERY LAZY DAY. WE HAD GONE TO BED EARLY AND GOT UP LATE. WE SLEPT 9 TO 10 HOURS.. ALL IS WELL I MADE A GREAT BRUNCH OF THE DON ALLEN WORLD FAY-MOS PORK CHOP, MUSHROOMS & VEG EGG OMELET GOODNESS! AS IN DOUBLE GOODNESS! I COMPLETED AN EPISTLE AND SENT IT OUT. SSSS, DRESSED AND READY FOR A BALANCE OF THE DAY...WE THINK WE WILL DRIVE DOWN TO LOVELY DOWNTOWN EL CAJON TO SEE WHAT WE CAN SEE. IT HAS BEEN MANY YEARS SINCE I HAVE BEEN THERE. 999999999999999999999 FOR SOME REASON THE BIRDS ARE STAYING HIDDEN.. THERE MUST BE HAWKS IN THE AREA.??? EVEN THE TOWHEE, “THAT RUN LKE A TURKEY ON THE GROUND,” USUALLY ALL OVER THE HILL: ARE NOT IN SIGHT. ???? IT IS VERY STRANGE! 888888888888888888888 FOR RECORD: MY LETTER TO THE VA AUDIO DEPARTMENT HAS CAUSED A CALL TO BE MADE TO ME SAYING THAT IT SOUNDS AS THOUGH MY AIDS NEED AN ADJUSTMENT.??? PERHAPS THEY DO.. HOWEVER, I’LL HAVE TO HAVE IT DONE IN SOME OTHER FACILITY ON THE ROAD.. I’LL WAIT UNTIL THEY JUST DONT WORK.. ALL IS WELL.. 88888888888888888 EL CAJON WE WENT TO SHOP AND SEE THE PLACE. WE GOT HOME FOR THE BACK OF THE NEWS. WOW, HAS THIS PLACE GROWN.. WE GOT GAS AT A STATION THAT IS THE SAME PRICE AS COSCO: $2.43 PER GALLON. NOT BAD FOR THE SAN DIEGO AREA. 88888888888888888 YEA, WE GOT OUR SHAKLEE SUPPLEMENT ORDER TODAY.. ALL IS WELL.. 88888888888888888 NEWS IN SAN DIEGO WOW! WE’RE SURE GLAD WE WERE NOT DOWNTOWN TODAY. RIGHT WHERE WE WERE ON WEDNESDAY, JUST IN FRONT ON THE CONVENTION CENTER, IS WHERE THE BIG RIOT OF THE PEOPLE TO SEE TRUMP HAPPENED. ALL OVER THE NEWS HERE AND NOW! PEOPLE ARE CRAZY.. SURE HOPE TRUMP IS NOT GOING TO BE HERE TOMORROW.... WOW! WHAT A LIGHTNING ROD! 888888888888888888 FOR DINNER WE HAD THE VICKI ALLEN WORLD FAY-MOS DEAD FISH WITH STIR-FRIED SQUASH AND TOMATO / CUCUMBER SALAD MY! MY! MY! WAS IT EVER GOOD!.. WE CELEBRATED BY HAVING A JUG OF “KENDALL-JACKSON 2011 GRAND RESERVE CHARDONNAY” WHICH HAD BEEN SITTING AT HOME FOR SEVERAL YEARS. IT IS DINNERS LIKE THIS THAT TRULY DESCRIBE WHY LIFE IS GOOD AND LOVE IS BETTER! YES! I AM FLAUNTING THE EMPTY BOTTLE! DIRTY WORDS! I DID NOT GET A PHOTO OF VICKI’S GREAT DINNER.. DUMMY ME! 88888888888 WE WERE IN BED EARLY.. THIS HAS BEEN A GOOD KICK BACK DAY ALL IS WELL! WE ARE READY FOR SATURDAY.. 888888888888888888 SATURDAY 28TH DAY 9 JOYCE & MAX RANCH SKYLINE TRUCK TRAIL JAMUL, CA 88888888888888 I UP AT 07:00.. A FEW BIRDS ARE ON THE PATIO. THE PURPLE FINCH EAT LIKE TURKEYS AT THE FEEDER AND SPREAD THE FOOD EVERYWHERE. GRAIN IS ALL OVER THE PATIO. SO COTTONTAIL RABBITS, SPARROWS , MORNING DOVE, AND TOWHEE ARE EATING OFF THE PATIO.

LIFE IS GOOD FOR THEM! GREAT BREAKFAST OF THE DON ALLEN WORLD FAY-MOS FRIED EGGS & TURKEY BACON, TOAST, FRESH TOMATOES AND FRESH SQUEEZED LEMON JUICE GOODNESS! AS IN TRIPLE GOODNESS! 888888888888888 Max brought us an electric citrus juicer.. It is a real fancy thing.. wow look out oranges.. 8888888888888888 We made lunch of THE VICKI ALLEN WORLD FAY-MOS FISH PATTY BURGERS, WITH BAKED BEANS & CHIPS WOW! AS IN TRIPLE WOW! 888888888888888 WE CHANGED INTO BETTER CLOTHES AND LEFT FOR SPRING STREET TROLLEY STATION TO CATCH TROLLEY TO THE GASLAMP DISTRICT. THIS IS THE NIGHT FOR DINNER AT THE LONGEST RUNNING DINNER SHOW IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA. (YES, I COPIED FROM THEIR WEB PAGE.) 8888888888888888 Flamenco IT IS WRITTEN BY THE ANCIENTS: “If I could tell you what it meant, there would be no point in dancing it.”

Flamenco dancing is a thunderous, soulful, sometimes melancholy dance that originated in Andalusia, Southern Spain. Watching these dancers expose their emotion and passion through their strong and precise motions is not only beautiful, but extremely moving. Flamenco combines pride, strength, pain, and passion through aggressive but purposeful movements with the dancers’ feet.

Café Sevilla is home to the longest running Flamenco Dinner show in Southern California. Every Saturday night at our San Diego, Long Beach and Riverside locations, we offer a three-course dinner menu featuring a salad, the famous Spanish dish Paella Valenciana or short rib/salmon duet, and for dessert, Crema Catalana, the restaurant’s award-winning chocolate espresso creme brulee. A tapas menu, full bar, eclectic wine list and other menu upgrades are also available for à la carte purchase.

This Spanish dinner is combined with a breathtaking two-part Flamenco Dance performance. Our dancers are at the top of their field, having been trained in Spain and teaching their own Flamenco classes. These shows are a sensory indulgence of sight, sound, and taste, leaving our guests with a piece of truly Spanish culture. FICTION AND FACT FROM DON ALLEN’S ALMANAC: FLAMENCO IN JUAREZ, MEXICO IN THE EARLY 50’S I WAS KIND OF RAISED IN NORTHERN MEXICO. I WENT TO NIGHT- CLUBS ALMOST SINCE I CAN REMEMBER. THERE WERE TWO CLUBS IN JUAREZ THAT HAD FLAMENCO DANCE PROGRAMS. SO I WAS ABLE TO HEAR AND SEE THE SPANISH GUITAR MUSIC AT ITS FINEST. THERE WAS ONE GUY WHO PLAYED HIS ACOUSTIC GUITAR LIKE I HAVE NEVER HEARD TO THIS DAY. THE HAUNTING SOUND OF FLAMENCO MUSIC IS PROFOUND.

I HAVE NEVER SEEN A DANCER SMILE. THEY ARE ALWAYS SO VERY SERIOUS IN THEIR MOVEMENTS AND THEIR EXPRESSIONS. THE STOMPING AND FOOT MOTION HAVE VERY STRONG MEANINGS. I WAS NOT SMART ENOUGH THEN OR NOW, EVEN AFTER SEEING WHAT WE SAW LAST NIGHT. I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT IT MEANS. AND LIKE MANY THINGS THAT I DONT UNDERSTAND I GIVE THEM A NAME .

I HAD DECIDED MANY YEARS AGO THAT FLAMENCO DANCERS WOULD MAKE “GREAT COCKROACH KILLERS”.. SO THIS WAS THE FIRST THING I TOLD VICKI WHAN WE DECIDED TO GO TO THIS DINNER..

WE WOULD SEE “COCKROACH KILLERS” AND EAT SEAFOOD PAELLA..

LIFE COULD NOT BE ANY BETTER.

OH! YOU NEVER SEE COCKROACHES IN A FLAMENCO DANCE JOINT. SO IT IS CLEAR: THE DANCERS DO A GREAT JOB.

SO LET IT BE WRITTEN... SO LET IT BE DONE! WE GOT IN LINE VERY EARLY. WE WERE GIVEN A WOODEN TOKEN THAT WE HAD TO PRESENT WHEN WE GOT TO THE PERSON WHO SEATED US.

WE GOT THE FRONT TABLE FOR TWO. RIGHT NEXT TO THE STAGE! WE COULD NOT ASK FOR A BETTER SEAT. THIS IS VERY GOOD... AND TYPICAL OF A GUY HAVING A GOOD TIME IN A NIGHT DINNER CLUB. THIS IS REALLY A NEAT PLACE TO COME.. AND JUST SEE AND ENJOY LIFE..

JUST LOOK AT THE NEXT PHOTO.. GREAT TAPAS AS THESE GUYS CALL THEM.. LAMB, PORK, SEAFOOD & VEGETABLES... THEY LOVE IT ALL! .

ABOVE THE CAST IS GETTING PREPARED.. THEY ARE DISCUSSING WHAT THEY WILL DO.. THEY WILL BE OFF AND RUNNING SOON! 888888888888888 THE SALAD WAS PRESENTED. IT HAS SOME TYPE OF BIG LEAF RED WEEDS IN IT. WITH SOME TYPE OF ‘SLICK-EM”.. THEY WERE GOOD.. THEY SLID RIGHT DOWN. MY GOSH! THEY ARE OFF AND RUNNING.. “RUN LITTLE COCKROACH: RUN!” THEY ARE AFTER YOU! THIS LADY HERE WAS REALLY GOOD.. THE SCARF MEANT SOMETHING?? SHE DANCED WITH IT AND HER FOOT MOVEMENT WAS PROFOUND! NO, I DON’T UNDERSTAND IT.. BUT I KNOW I CAN’T DO IT. SO THEREFORE IT MUST BE GOOD! BLESS HER HEART.. SHE WORKED UP A HEAVY SWEAT. YOU WOULD NOT NOTICE IT IF WE WEREN’T UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL.

NOTE IN THE NEXT PHOTO WHEN SHE WAS DONE, SHE TOOK OUT HER “MENOPAUSE FAN” AND REALLY GAVE IT A WORKING OUT. SHE WAS HOT, HOT, HOT!

THE OTHER LADY: PLENTY GOOD IN HER OWN RIGHT.. GREAT EXPRESSIONS. GREAT HEEL MOVEMENT. 8888888888888 THEN IT IS THE GUY’S TURN. LOOK OUT! CHECK HIS SCARF. IT LOOKS COOL ON HIM. I MAY NEED TO TAKE ONE OF MINE AND SEE IF I CAN KILL COCKROACHES LIKE HIM.. GREAT FUN..

REALLY HE WAS VERY GOOD. I NOTICE THAT HE IS LEARNING THE SINGING PART ALSO. VERY IMPORTANT TO SING THE CHANT!

PAELLA VALENCIANA Paella is a VALENCIANA rice dish with ancient roots that originated in its modern form in the mid-19th century near Albufera lagoon on the east coast of Spain adjacent to the city of Valencia. THIS IS WHAT IS IN THE PHOTO THAT WE HAD SERVED.. WE EACH EVEN HAD A SMALL SCALLOP WHICH MAKE IT AS ORIGINAL AS IT CAN BE.. SEE THE SHELL? VERY EXCITING! 88888888888888888 THOUGHTS & REMEMBRANCE BY DON ALLEN PAELLA CUBANA MY GOOD FRIEND, EVELIO DOMINGUEZ IS FROM CUBA. HE TAKES GREAT PRIDE IN HIS PAELLA CUBANA.. IN THE PAST HE HAS PREPARED IT MANY TIMES FOR OUR FAMILIES.. HE PUT CHICKEN AND SHRIMP IN HIS. I THINK WHAT ENDS UP IN THE DISH IS ALWAYS UP TO THE GUY COOKING IT. BEFORE HE AND I ARE BOTH DEAD AND GONE: WE NEED TO GET TOGETHER FOR ANOTHER GOOD PAELLA.

AT THE SECOND HALF, NOTE THEY CHANGED CLOTHES AND HAD PEOPLE FROM THE AUDIENCE COME AND DO THE DANCE... THIS WAS THIS YOUNG MAN’S BIRTHDAY AND THIS WAS HIS FIRST TME. FRANKLY, HE WAS AS GOOD AS THE DANCERS WERE. NEAT TO SEE.. 888888888888888 THE THREE OF THEM HAD A VERY GOOD “FINISHING STOMP.” THIS WAS A REALLY FUN NIGHT AND GREAT FOOD! THIS IS A GOOD PLACE TO COME AND YOU WILL REMEMBER IT. WE STRONGLY RECOMMEND IT. THESE GUYS ARE UPSTAIRS IN THE MAIN STREET BAR AREA.. PLAYING TO A FULL HOUSE. THEY PLAY SPANISH, RUMBA STYLE MUSIC. BOY, DID THEY PACK THEM IN. WHAT A NEAT PLACE.. IT WAS 10PM AND WE WERE FAR AWAY FROM HOME .. OFF WE GO.. TO HOME! NIGHT TIME AT THE GASLAMP IS WORTH SEEING.. IT WAS 10PM WHEN WE CAUGHT THE TROLLEY BACK TO LA MESA. IN BED AT 11:30PM..THE NIGHTS ARE LONG IN SAN DIEGO. WE DROVE HOME IN HEAVY DRIZZLE OF FOG & RAIN. SUNDAY 29TH DAY 10 JOYCE & MAX RANCH SKYLINE TRUCK TRAIL JAMUL, CA 88888888888888 WE GOT UP AT 08:00. THE NIGHTS ARE LONG IN SAN DIEGO.. WE HAD A HEAVY DRIZZLE LAST NIGHT. EVERYTHING WAS WET AND KIND OF COLD. IT BROUGHT OUT ALL OF THE SLUGS. THEY ARE EVERYWHERE ON THE PATIO AND ON THE OUTSIDE WALLS OF THE HOUSE. THE WILDLIFE HERE IS VERY DIFFERENT,. IT IS “RAVEN HAVEN” THE RAVENS HAVE DIED AND GONE TO HEAVEN. FRESH SLUGS ARE EVERYWHERE AND ARE EASY PICKING FOR THEM TO EAT! 88888888888888 STEEL CUT OATS ONE OF THE NEAT THINGS ABOUT BEING MARRIED TO A SMART LITTLE GIRL IS THAT SHE READS CONSTANTLY. SHE READ ABOUT THE ENHANCEMENT TO HEALTH BY MEANS OF EATING “STEEL CUT OATS”.. SO SHE GOT SOME.. SHE ASKED ME IF I HAD EVER HAD THEM.. YES: I EVEN COOKED THEM AND HAD THEM.... I TOLD HER IT WAS LIKE “COOKING BB’S AND EATING BARLEY.” SHE HAD NEVER HAD THEM... WE HAD A LONG DISCUSSION ABOUT MY ATTITUDE. I TOLD HER THEY WERE A PAIN TO COOK BECAUSE IT TAKES 30 TO 45 MINUTES OF SIMMERING AND STIRRING. THEN WHEN THEY WERE COOKED, THEY DID NOT LOOK LIKE OATS. THEY LOOKED LIKE SMASHED BARLEY. NEVERTHELESS WE COOKED A DOUBLE ORDER AND WE ADDED DRIED CHOPPED DATES TO THE COOKING. THESE DATES MADE THE MIXTURE BROWN LOOKING.. BUT MY, MY, MY WERE THEY EVER GOOD! (DON’T TELL THE SMART LITTLE GIRL I SAID THIS!)

NOW I DON’T CARE WHO YOU ARE... YOU DO NOT GET A CHANCE TO SEE THIS SIDE OF A SNAIL SLUG THIS OFTEN. JUST LOOK AT HIM AND SAY GOLLY GEE WHIZ..

THEN JUST THINK THAT THIS IS ONE OF GOD’S CREATURES...

RAVENS AND OTHER BIRDS:LOVE THEM. THANKS TO VICKI FOR THESE GREAT PHOTOS. THIS GUY CLIMBED UP THE GLASS PATIO DOOR AND WE WERE ABLE TO SEE THIS SIDE OF HIM.. WOW! AS IN DOUBLE WOW! WHAT A SHOT!

88888888888888888 WE ARE GETING DRESSED TO GO AND SEE HANNAH , MATT, SAWYER AND BABY FINNLEY. (YES, AS IN TOM SAWYER AND HUCK FINN) IT IS AN 1 1/2 HOUR DRIVE NORTH. WE ARE LOOKING FORWARD WITH GREAT GLEE. I AM SO VERY BLESSED! 88888888888 AS WE LEFT, I AT LAST GOT A SHOT OF THE BLACK CAT. THIS WAS THE SECOND TIME I HAVE SEEN HIM AND THE ONLY PHOTO I HAVE OF HIM. HE IS ABOUT TO BE ONE YEAR OLD. HE HAS SUCH GREAT EXPRESSIONS.

WHAT IS THAT UGLY THING ON THIS GUYS FACE? LET’S TAKE IT OFF!

SAWYER AND FINNLEY PLAYING .. NOTE THAT FINNLEY IS STANDING AND IS FIGHTING FOR THE BALL..

LOOK AT SAWYER AND HID DADDY. SAWYER GOT A MEDAL FOR HIS SOCCER PLAYING. WE ALL WENT TO EAT DINNER AT “TRESINO’S FRESH ITALIAN,” A FAMILY OWNED THIRD GENERATION FACILITY THAT HAD JUST RECENTLY OPENED IN WILDOMAR..

I HAD A GREAT CLAM LINGUINI AND EVERYBODY ELSE HAD OTHER STUFF.. I FINISHED WITH SPUMONE ICE CREAM & MINT LEAVES. WOW, WHAT A GREAT MEAL.

WE LEFT AT 8 PM AND WERE HOME AT 9:35. NOT BAD..

WE HAVE HAD A GREAT TIME. IN BED AT 11:30.. 888888888888888888888888888888888888888888 MONDAY 30TH DAY 11 JOYCE & MAX RANCH SKYLINE TRUCK TRAIL JAMUL, CA 88888888888888 MEMORIAL DAY, A DAY OF REMEMBRANCE. 88888888888888 I up at 0745, I MADE BREAKFAST AND SQUEEZED ORANGE JUICE IN MAX’S FANCY MACHINE.. IT TOOK 30 MINUTES TO CLEAN IT UP. BUT BOY, DID IT WORK GOOD.. BREAKFAST WAS THE DON ALLEN WORLD FAY-MOS FRIED EGGS AND TURKEY BACON WITH TOAST & TOMATOES AND OF COURSE WITH FRESH SQUEEZED ORANGE JUICE XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX WE STAYED AT THE HOUSE ALL DAY.. WE DID TAKE A SHORT WALK.. I WATCHED THE BIRDS AND THOUGHT ABOUT MANY THINGS.. I HAVE BEEN TO ROSECRANS NATIONAL CEMETERY STARTING IN 1955 ON MY FIRST LIBERTY FROM BOOT CAMP. THROUGH THE YEARS I HAVE BEEN THERE AT LEAST 20 TIMES. EVERY TIME OUR SHIP ENTERED OR LEFT SAN DIEGO, WE RENDERED HONORS TO THAT GREAT CEMETERY... AT LAST THESE GUYS MADE AN APPEARANCE: THE CALIFORNIA TOWHEW THE WESTERN SCRUB-JAY THE CALIFORNIA THRASHER THE AMERICAN CROW THE RAVEN THE MORNING DOVE THE LESSER GOLDFINCH THE PURPLE FINCH THE HOUSE FINCH MANY NEW WORLD SPARROWS 888888 YES, I USED APP PHOTO. I WAS ABLE TO SEE THE “CA THRASHER” TWICE AND DID INDEED VERIFY HIM .. I KNOW THIS BIRD ON SIGHT. I HAVE SEEN HIM MANY TIMES IN HIGH DESERT. WESTERN SCRUB-JAY ON LEFT... THOUGHTS & REFLECTIONS BY DON ALLEN COLONEL PAUL COOK MY CONGRESSMAN TO “THE HOUSE” REPRESENTING CALIFORNIA'S 8TH DISTRICT IS COL PAUL COOK. HE IS A “BATTLE TESTED” RETIRED COLONEL OF THE UNITED STATES MARINES. I HAVE HAD THE CHANCE TO SIT AND TALK WITH HIM AND WE TOLD EACH OTHER HOW VERY SMART WE ARE.

HE, OF COURSE, IS UP FOR REELECTION THIS TIME AND I HAVE ALREADY VOTED FOR HIM BY ABSENTEE BALLOT IN THE PRIMARY FOR THIS JUNE 7... HE IS A VERY GOOD AND DEDICATED MAN. I HOPE HE GETS GREATER THAN 5O% VOTE AND GETS ELECTED TO ANOTHER FULL TERM WITHOUT A RUN OFF.

HE IS A VERY EXCELLENT WRITER AND IS NOT AFRAID TO SAY WHAT IS ON HIS MIND. I JUST RECEIVED HIS CONGRESSIONAL EMAIL.

THIS STORY HE WROTE ABOUT HIS MEMORIAL DAY VISITING SECTION 60 OF ARLINGTON CEMETERY IS PROFOUND. I HAVE BEEN THERE AND SHARED MANY OF THE FEELINGS THAT HE ALUDES TO IN THIS REPORT.

TAKE THE TIME TO READ THIS AND THEN THINK. IT IS SO VERY GOOD TO HAVE A MAN LIKE HIM IN CONGRESS. OH! I URGE YOU TO VOTE FOR HIM IN THE PRIMARY. 88888888888888888 (I COPIED IT AS WRITTEN... READ IT! DON)

I observed Memorial Day this week with a visit to Arlington National Cemetery to lay a wreath honoring our fallen heroes. Laying this wreath has become an annual tradition for me and, each year, I’m joined by other members of Congress who are veterans of America’s wars. I particularly value the company of these other veterans on Memorial Day who, like I, know firsthand the horrific costs we’ve paid for freedom.

In years past, we’ve laid this wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in one of the most solemn and honorable ceremonies I know. This year, however, we went somewhere else. Instead of laying a wreath at the Tomb, we laid a wreath in the area of Arlington National Cemetery known as Section 60. I found this especially poignant because Section 60 is where we lay to rest the men and women killed in Iraq and Afghanistan.

One visit to Section 60 is all it takes to realize the human cost of our long struggle against terrorists and extremism around the globe. Across most of Arlington, row upon row of near- identical headstones dominate much of the landscape. Arranged neatly, like troops in formation, the honored dead lie beneath verdant green grass, shaded by looming oaks and dogwood trees. The grounds are immaculate, a testament to the honor and attention paid to this hallowed ground by those who tend to it. Yet, Section 60 looks just a little different than the rest of the cemetery. While the headstones are still aligned in their precise, orderly formation, Section 60 is very much a living cemetery. The fallen buried here were taken, not as aged veterans of past wars, but struck down in the prime of their lives, defending our freedom. Flowers and mementos cover many of the grave sites, fresh from visits by the family members they left behind. Cases of beer appear beside gravesites as former squad mates visit and pay off old debts. Survivors from the deceased’s unit leave behind tokens of their service together as the living try to reconnect with the dead. It’s an old tradition, one that I’ve experienced myself in trips to the Wall, the memorial for my war in Vietnam. Section 60 has been described as the saddest acre in America. Here, we can mark the true cost of war not just by rows of marble headstones, but by graveside picnics with lost family members. Children nap beneath headstones of their lost parents, clinging to the memory of a last embrace.

Every generation makes its sacrifices to preserve our liberty. This one is no different and Section 60 is testament to their sacrifice. Memorial day is for the fallen, a day of remembrance for the sons and daughters lost so that Americans can live free. Yet, it is not just enough to remember their names and honor their sacrifice. Parades and speeches mean little unless we remember what they sacrificed for. Our nation is an unfinished work, a fragile beacon of liberty and promise beset by tyrants and fanatics bent on its destruction. It falls to us, the living, to preserve that liberty and, in doing so, we remember the honored dead who purchased it with their last full measure of devotion.

Decades ago, I first put on the uniform of the United States Marines and swore an oath to support and defend the Constitution of the United States. It’s an oath I continue to take now as a member of Congress. Abraham Lincoln, standing on the battlefield at Gettysburg, implored America to fully resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain. Now, when I look out at the rows of headstones here in Arlington National Cemetery, I can think of no better way to honor the dead and answer Lincoln’s call than to keep my oath and defend the freedoms they died to preserve. 888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888

THE ICE PLANT IS BLOOMING.. AS FAR AS YOU CAN SEE: ALL YOU SEE ARE LARGE HOMES AND ESTATES.. FLAT BEAUTIFUL COUNTRY. A LOT OF “PRIVATE” PEOPLE ARE HIDDEN BEHIND THESE WALLS AND FENCES AND LARGE ACREAGE. IT WOULD BE HARD TO KNOW YOUR NEIGHBOR. SUCH IS LIFE IN THIS LARGE COUNTY. TUESDAY 31ST DAY 12 JOYCE & MAX RANCH SKYLINE TRUCK TRAIL JAMUL, CA 88888888888888 END OF MONTH REPORT 88888888888888 WE UP AT 06:30, SSSS, DRESSED AND READY FOR A FULL DAY AT THE SAN DIEGO BOTANICAL GARDENS IN ENCINITAS. WE WILL MEET GRANDDAUGHTER HANNAH & GREAT GRANDSON FINNLEY THERE. GREAT FUN I AM SURE. 88888888888888

IN THE PARKING LOT IS THE LARGEST AND TALLEST CENTURY PLANT I HAVE EVER SEEN. MORE THAN 60 FOOT TALL AND A FOOT IN DIAMETER... YES, IT IS MASSIVE. WELL WORTH SEEING AND SAYING: GOLLY GEE WHIZ! THE SAN DIEGO BOTANIC GARDEN OF ENCINITAS, CA. The San Diego Botanic Garden, formerly Quail Botanical Gardens, At 37 acres, the garden includes rare groves (said to be the largest bamboo collection in the United States), desert gardens, a tropical RAINFOREST, California native plants, Mediterranean climate landscapes, and a subtropical FRUIT garden. The gardens are open to the public daily. The name of the facility was changed in 2009 to better reflect the garden's status as a regional attraction.. (THAT IS CALLED: MARKETING) LOOK AT THIS: IT BLOOMS FROM THE BOTTOM.. NOT THE TOP???

WHATEVER “OLE FINNLEY” IS LOOKING AT (?), IT IS OF GREAT INTEREST TO HIM..

“THE BIG GUY” AND GREAT GRANDMOTHER... HOW VERY BLESSED WE ARE!

THIS IS THE LARGEST BAMBOO GROVE I HAVE EVER BEEN IN..

WE ARE SO VERY BLESSED TO HAVE HANNAH AND FINNLEY HERE WITH US.. IT IS HARD TO TELL THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THEM AND PRETTY FLOWERS. “BOTH ARE GOD GIVEN!”

THE LOOK OUT THIS WAS BUILT TO OVERSEE ONE OF THE FEW SPOTS IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA AND ONE OF TWO SPOTS IN SAN DIEGO COUNTY THAT HAVE NOT BEEN HURT BY DEVELOPMENT, EXCEPT FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF THIS RAMP AND TOWER... ALL AROUND IT: IS GOD’S RESPONSIBILITY. IT IS PURE SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA DESERT AT ITS FINEST. IT IS WELL WORTH SEEING... A LITTLE ABOUT THIS GREAT BOTANIC GARDEN! It is old. 55 years old + AND WELL MATURED! Located 30 minutes north of San Diego in Encinitas, California, San Diego Botanic Garden features numerous exhibits, including rare bamboo groves, desert gardens, a tropical rainforest, California native plants, Mediterranean climate landscapes, succulent gardens, an herb garden, firesafe landscaping, a subtropical fruit garden, and native coastal sage natural areas. The Hamilton Children's Garden was opened in June 2011, the largest interactive children's garden on the West Coast. Until 1957 the gardens were the private estate of Ruth Baird Larabee, at which time she donated her house and grounds to the County. The Quail Botanical Gardens Foundation was established in 1961. Today the gardens include nearly 3,000 varieties of tropical, subtropical, and native plants. Collections include the climate-based gardens for the New World and Old World Desert, Sub-Tropical Fruit, a Palm Canyon, as well as geographically organized gardens for , , Arid Garden, Arid , the , Cape , , the , the Mediterranean, the , New Zealand, the Pan-Tropical Rainforest with a 60-foot waterfall, and the Pacific. Plant varieties include fuchsias, hibiscus, ,proteas,cacti and succulents, as well as other drought-resistant plants including Australian shrubs. Herbs, water plants, wildflowers, perennials, brugmansias, cork oaks, and palms are also featured.

Of particular interest is the maturing Cork Oak (Quercus suber) forest. Paths wind through a cluster of twisted and majestic trees whose bark has been used for making corks for thousands of years. 888888888888888 THE CORK TREES ARE WELL WORTH SEEING. THEY ARE VIRGIN IN THAT THEY HAVE NEVER BEEN HARVESTED. THEY ARE A SIGHT TO SEE. THE ONLY OTHER ONES I KNOW OF ARE IN MONROVIA, CA . GO SEE THEM! COME SEE THESE! 888888888888888 THOUGHTS BY DON ALLEN THIS IS AN HIDDEN JEWEL IN SAN DIEGO AREA. NOT EVEN BALBOA PARK CAN TOP THIS. I HAVE BEEN COMING AS A TOURIST TO SAN DIEGO STARTING IN 1947.. I NEVER KNEW THIS PLACE EVEN EXISTED.. DON’T MISS IT.. WELL WORTH COMING BACK TO ON A REGULAR BASIS. THE HAMPTON KIDS GARDEN ALONE IS WORTH THE PRICE OF ADMISSION. I CAN’T SHOW IT ALL. THERE IS JUST TOO MUCH TO SEE.. COME AND SEE “GOD’S HANDIWORK” AT ITS FINEST! END OF MAY REPORT! LIFE IS GOOD! LOVE IS BETTER!