Lulu Deleted

I made the decision to delete all my books from lulu.com as I've become quite unhappy with their responses to questions.

In addition, I'm in the middle of a major revision of Lost Wages in Las Vegas. It was written in 2005 and there have been too many changes since then. Should have the new on up in a few days.

Blood in the Meadows - Excerpt

Today's post in an excerpt of Blood in the Meadows, one of the novels I have on Amazon.com and Barnes & Nobel. {Check the page for direct links}

It is a thank you - and teaser - for all of you who have accepted my inviation to drop in here. Every time I look at the count, it warms my heart.

*     *     *

“Calmate, Roberto. The money makes it all worthwhile. She is young and will get over it.”
    The gunman looked at his friend and didn’t say a word. He knew it would do no good. Girls meant nothing in his society, only something to be used. Their age counted little.
    However, the abused girl was Roberto’s baby sister and he had looked after her from the time she lay in her crib. In addition, she looked up to him with total trust.
    I have betrayed her. She will never be the same and will remember this terrible time forever.
    The fact that she would have a huge amount of money for her future did not count.
    How can that arrogant pig desire a baby?  His wealth gives him any woman he wants. Why my little Magdalena?
    Roberto blamed himself. His Highness had ranted through the suite, demanding better food and wine. He quickly tired of the five call girls brought to him, finding them insufficient for his voracious appetite.
    And, to make matters worse, he used a great deal of the white powder, something no sane drug dealer did.
    Nobody dared complain or even suggest he acted wrongly. He was, unfortunately, the only son of The Don, the heir to the drug empire. He instantly killed anybody who dared confront him or even hint at anything out of the ordinary.
    Roberto had made the huge mistake of looking at Magdalena’s picture in the suite. Unaware of Olegario’s presence, he was startled when a hand appeared over his shoulder to take the picture from him.
    “Roberto, what a sweet little angel,” the Colombian’s voice cooed. “I would be honored to meet her. Perhaps we could play together?”
    Roberto struggled to contain his feeling of horror. He knew all too well what Olegario meant by the word play. Santa Maria, ayuda mi, por favor, he silently pled, pleading for Saint Mary to help him. “I am so sorry, Señor, but she is at school at the moment.”
    Once Olegario set his mind on something, he would not waver. He ordered Roberto to follow as he left the suite with his bodyguard and took the elevator to the basement garage where his big Mercedes waited. He demanded and Roberto told him the location of the school.
    Poor, sweet, innocent Magdalena could not see the evil in the man who smiled and invited her to enter the impressive vehicle with her big brother. She did not see the horrid lust in the man’s eyes as he undressed her with his eyes.
    Olegario order the driver to take them to Circus Circus where, with Roberto close behind, he gave the little girl anything she wanted. They spent several hours in the arcade and an equal amount of time on the rides.
    At Olegario’s order, Roberto called home to tell his mother that he had his sister with him and, biting his tongue under Ernesto’s glare, explained she was okay and perfectly safe.
    Roberto almost collapsed when they returned to the suite.
    As he took the little girl’s hand and led her into the master suite, Olegario softly said, “She will have enough money to live very well for many, many years.”
    That did not ease the pain and hate filling Roberto’s heart. It might cost him his life but, at the first opportunity, he would stop the terrible abuse of his sister. Forever.
    *     *     *
    The team formed up several blocks from the tower. Once again the damned Feds had stepped in to take the limelight - and glory. Another bragging right for their vaunted War on Drugs that produced results more like minor skirmishes.
    All the agents and cops wore flak vests, helmets with visors, and as much body armor that they could carry. They carried AR-16s, considered almost as good as the weapons Velez described the guards in the suite carrying. Each individual possessed the grainy photograph available for Ernesto Olegario, including explicit instructions not to hit him with a fatal shot.
    “I don’t care what it takes,” Caruso told them. “We want this guy alive. He knows a lot and we might be able to get something out of him before he gets all lawyered up.”
    “Not likely.” Chambers grumbled to himself. “He’ll be out of jail before we can finish booking him.”
    Uniformed officers secured the building guards, claiming that a wanted killer had been seen entering the building. Two of Olegario’s people stationed in the garage were quickly silenced, but only after a minor skirmish.
    The team raced up the ten flights of stairs, avoiding the elevators. The thought that a guard might see the numbers moving and would be alerted without a call from the security people down below. They silently slipped into the vestibule, one pair stationed in front of the door to the other luxury suite.
    One of the attackers slid a spy lens under the door, quickly scanning the interior of the suite. He raised five fingers twice, followed by two, counting twelve guards in various positions within the room. He then pointed in each direction to indicate how many were located where. The special team comprised all ex-military types who’d been through combat and knew full well how to enter hostile spaces. One of them prepared to ram open the doors while two others armed flash bang grenades.
    The entry went flawlessly.
    No sooner did the door go down than four blinding explosions filled the room with light and noise - completely disabling the guards.
    But . . .
    As the squad entered, two guards burst out of the room holding the coke, their automatic weapons blazing. Two agents went down, hurt but not wounded due to their Kevlar vests.
    “The master suite!” Caruso yelled, directing two of his men in that direction.
    At that instant, the door to the master suite burst open and a man came out. It was Ernesto Olegario, wearing nothing but boxer shorts.
    “I give up!” he screamed. “Do not shoot me!  I . . .”
    He was cut short as one of the stunned guards seemed to clear his mind, half-rose and, with a scream of pure hate, emptied nine rounds into Olegario.
    The receiver barely locked on empty when bullets from several agents spun Roberto around, driving him to the floor.
    Time seemed frozen until a little girl, naked, ran from the master suite to the dead guard. She dropped to her knees next to the dying man and screamed. “Roberto! ¡Madre de Dios! (Mother of God) Roberto, don‘t die.”
    Robert’s eyes brightened as he saw his sister’s tear-stained face. Slowly, a smile formed around the dribble of blood and he gurgled, “He will hurt you no longer, mi Hija.” The veil of death descended upon his eyes.
The child buried her face in her brother’s bloody chest and would not let go of him. 
    A female agent had been assigned specifically to deal with the child and quickly moved to the girl on the floor. She wrapped a blanket around her and tried to console her. It only took another three or four minutes until the emergency medical people arrived and took the girl into their care.
    “Ah shit!”
    The team’s sergeant looked at Caruso in surprise. He’d never heard the agent swear.
    After calming down a bit, the DEA man took out his cell phone and made a call. When someone at the other end answered, Caruso identified himself. “I’m sorry, Sir, but Olegario was terminated by one of his own people. He was surrendering when the guard shot him. We are certain he was the girl‘s brother.”
    The conversation after that was brief.
    The coroner had seven bodies to deal with. The other five severely wounded men were taken to the county hospital’s jail ward.
    The two agents who’d been shot suffered only severe bruises.
    They evacuated the child to the same hospital where an examination revealed she had been repeatedly violated and drugged. She would not stop crying and praying for her brother.

*     *     *

Next post will be an except from another.

Buffetting in Las Vegas

  

After more than 30 years in Sin City, I think I've had just about every level and quality of buffet there is. I even remember the cheapie one way back in the early 50s at what became the Hacienda Hotel, then Mandalay Bay.

So, I kind surprised myself when I suggested to my wife that, instead of going to The Egg and I for breakfast - a very nice place with good food and service - I suggested we try the buffet at Boulder Station Hotel and Casino out of Boulder Highway - a real local's place.

It wasn't bad at all. And, the price was certainly right. We paid $6 and change for the both of us! (Of course, we used the tips I give out about how to get the most for your money in Las Vegas in my book Lost Wages in Las Vegas.) The _normal_ price is $13.99 per person, or $27.98 plus tax.

As it turned out, the food wasn't all that bad. Of course, there are only so many ways you can cook eggs, bacon and sausage. Small waffles and pancakes and a variety of toasts and other breads. There was also a large selection of breakfast cereals, both hot and cold. But, it went beyond that. To the far right was the Dessert area with a wide variety of regular and no sugar added pastries. Next was Mexican food, although most of the food we think of as Mexican actually comes from places other than Mexico. My wife liked it because it had a dish called menudo with grits and cow innards that I've never liked. There was another with American, along with the usual carving station of turkey, ham and roast beef. Much to my surprise, it had homemade gravy to go on top of the scalloped potatoes.

As usual, there was the Italian section with lots of pizza. In case you didn't know, Pizza DOES NOT come from Italy. It started in a restaurant in New York City. There was another section with eggs to order, then another with several types of Chinese food.

Need I say that NONE of it was all that warm. The probem with steam tables and heat lamps is that it only keeps stuff tepid.

The next was the salad and fruit table - at least that was kept cold. Several types of lettuce, all sorts of stuff like tomatoes, onions, peppers, hard-boiled eggs and six different dressings. Also a pretty good choice of fruits to include lots of melons.

And the decor isn't all that bad. Lots of tables but booths to keep it from being a big, open barn. The attendants were efficient and it didn't take very long to get seated, even with lots of people in line.

Just a couple of asides. This multi-station buffet started out at the Rio and that particular place topped all the voting for many years. My personal favorite was the one at the Fiesta Casino out on Rancho when George Maloof owned it. He's now at the Palms but we haven't tried his yet. I have a feeling it's probably good.

Over the years, I've only tried one buffet downtown at Binions and a couple on The Strip. Didn't like any of them. I'm certain there are lots of people who have their own favorites both on and off The Strip.

What bothers me most is, what on earth do they do with all that food the pigs who grab up plate after plate then leave it to be taken away? I'd be willing to bet it could feed hundreds of family every day just from ONE casino. As there are FIFTY-SEVEN of them,  that means one heck of a lot of food!

A Day Away from The Strip

I was going to try to post this for FREE on Kindle and PubIt! but they want $$$$ for everything. So, here it goes -

A DAY AWAY FROM THE STRIP
(Red Rock Canyon, Spring Mountain Ranch State Park and Bonnie Springs Ranch and Old Nevada)
By, Dale Day

When you grow tired of artificial mountains and waterfalls or replicas of the Eifel Tower, Venice and The Land of Oz with its bronze lion, take a short drive to savor the real beauties of nature.

The Riviera Hotel

It’s just a brief drive from the bright lights of The Strip and Glitter Gulch to mountains and rock formations that reveal the geological history of the Southwest.

The area between the Rockies and the Sierra Nevada and south of present-day Canada was millions of years ago an inland sea. A rich abundance of marine life created deposits of their exoskeletons sometimes up to nine thousand feet thick. The water and then sand, when the water receded, compressed this matter into limestone.

It is estimated the water became shallower about 225 million years ago and streams and rivers created swamps where mud and sand turned into shale and sandstone. These deposits became exposed to the sun where they rusted, creating brilliant red colors.

The winds blew sand and piled it up more than a half-mile deep in spots. Old dunes were leveled and new ones created to leave a record of curving, angled lines in the sands. They were buried by other sediments and became the brilliant Aztec Sandstone.

Aztec Sandstone at Red Rock Canyon

It only took another 10 million years until the earth moved and the massive plates shifted, creating what is called The Keystone Thrust Fault that fashioned an awesome folding and shifting of the earth to reveal the millions of years of the area’s history. It also mixed things up a bit putting old layers atop new ones.

As you near the Red Rock area, glance to your right and you will view a spectacular upthrust revealing slanted layers of Earth’s history.

With towering manmade casinos and hotels behind, you enter Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area. Take a tour on the scenic drive, spend the day hiking and camping and stop at the Visitor’s Center to learn more about the area, all for a minimal fee.

Despite its barren looks, there’s plenty of life. Trees and shrubs range from Piñon Pine whose nuts provided a major food source for the Paiutes who lived in the area, to shrubs, bushes and grasses such as Curl-Leaf Mountain Mahogany, big Sagebrush and Black brush, Nevada Bluegrass and Cheat grass.

You’ll see Joshua Trees which are really members of the Yucca family. As you drive through the Southwest, you don’t have to guess your elevation as they only grow between 3,600 and 4,200 feet and receive between 8 and 10 inches of rain per year. This plant is also interesting in that Indians used the tough fibers for a variety of uses to include exceedingly durable footwear.

Black brush is plentiful as well as Creosote Bush which has a marvelous scent after brief rains. Another plant is Mormon Tea which was also known as Whorehouse Tea for its purported healing properties after cowboys had visited Bawdy Houses. One will also see Burro Brush which, for some reason, is also called Cheese Brush..

You will have to hike some distance to reach higher elevations where180 year old Ponderosa Pines live in harmony with Agave and Prickly Pear, two more plants of great value to the Paiutes. Agave leaves were woven for a variety of uses. Prickly pear fruit added sweetness to their diets and the leaves themselves were cooked and eaten with some medicinal benefits such as aiding in controlling diabetes. These are commercially available in present-day markets that specialize in Hispanic foods under the name Nopales.

There is an amazing plethora of birds and animals, although the vast majority are nocturnal to avoid the extreme day-time heat. Raptors may circle high overhead and one very unique bird is the Loggerhead Shrike which, though a predator, has weak feet and can’t hold struggling prey in its grasp. To immobilize prey, the shrike will often impale it on cactus spines where it takes its time to dine.

The most visible wildlife are the Wild Burros. They were left by the Spanish and miners. Don’t let them fool you. They will come up to you to beg for food. But, whatever you do, DON’T FEED THEM! They can get very mean and no few visitors have left with severe bites requiring immediate medical care.

Part of the Scenic Drive takes you to Willow Creek with picnic facilities.  It also provides a good starting point for a hike up one of the mountain canyons to view Riparian areas with different plants and wildlife. Icebox Canyon has a maintained trail which leads in for an 8-tenth of a mile; the end of Icebox Canyon is reached in another half-mile by "boulder hopping" in the canyon bottom.

Willow Creek Picnic Area

Wildlife ranges from Jackrabbits and Cottontails to Roadrunners and a wide variety of lizards. There are, of course, the feared rattlesnakes who’re actually very mild-mannered creature who’d rather run than have to bite you because they feel trapped. If they warn you with their rattle, freeze and they will go their own way leaving you with the view of an animal truly adapted to extreme conditions.

Coyotes can also be seen, especially in early evening when they seek out trash containers, a far easier source of food than quick Kangaroo Rats, Ground Squirrels, or Desert Gophers. I know an individual who hikes on the pristine backside of Red Rock who says he’s seen signs of but never an actual Puma. It is highly possible there’s one or two due to the Mule Deer who live there. The deer may show up on the NCA but it is an extremely rare event.

And, if one’s able to be there at night, it is highly possible to see a number of night-flying birds and, of course, Mexican Short-tailed Bats. (An aside: When it rains here in the desert, in a few days, insects emerge and millions of them are attracted to the huge laser light atop The Luxor. More than a few times, I’ve been awed to watch Nature’s Ballet as bats swarm to feast upon the flittering insects. In my opinion, it’s because of these marvelous animals of the night that we who live here in Las Vegas are not plagued by night-flying insects as those who live in other parts of the country.)

Park Visitor Center

So now, you done the tour and are about to leave the park. Where to next?

That’s easy -- Spring Mountain Ranch State Park just a short drive down the road from the NCA. Because of many springs in the Wilson Range, Paiutes lived in the area and 520 acres were developed into a combination working ranch and luxury retreat in the early 1900’s. Owners who’ve given the area a long and colorful history include, Chester Lauck of the comedy team "Lum & Abner," German actress Vera Krupp, and millionaire Howard Hughes. (Another aside: Hughes has a long history in Southern Nevada long before his famous taking over of the Desert Inn and buying binge of hotels up and down The Strip).

There is a modest entry fee that allows one to picnic, hike in the area behind the park and enjoy guided tours by The Spring Mountain Ranch Docents, a volunteer, non-profit group that also gives living history programs.

And in the Summer months is a well-accepted Super Summer Theater, a series of outdoor performances. The "Theater under the Stars" also features musicals and plays for the whole family.

But, that’s not all to your drive on Blue Diamond Road. Just a short distance from the State Park is the entrance to Bonnie Springs Ranch and Old Nevada.

It's a hangin'

There are more sumptuous and grand theme parks around the country. But, in my opinion, this is worth the stop on your tour. The parking lots are dirt and tucked in between Desert Willow, Salt Brush and Creosote Bushes. On weekends, you can ride a hokey little train to the entrance to the Old West Town.

You will enter a replica of an 1880’s mining town with boarded sidewalks that creak pleasantly under your feet, saloons, tumbleweeds, stagecoaches, and even a Boot Hill Cemetery.

There is a "posse" show where kids can help track down the 'bad guy". This little old mining town offers plenty of rousing, rough-and-tumble action; simulated gunfights in the streets, an 1830's melodrama complete with mustachioed villain in our authentically recreated Saloon (Which I thought was hilariously funny), and a public hanging, with an obliging Stuntman swaying in the wind. All shows are kids friendly and they encourage audience participation.

In addition, there's a wax museum with figures from our frontier history, They serve great homemade meals in their restaurant, have a beautiful and romantic 1800's style wedding chapel along with convention facilities and plenty of shopping for those looking for turquoise and silver and other western souvenirs.

And, when you leave Old Nevada, just a few steps away is the Petting Zoo where the kids can wander around and see animals that are native to our country.

I will never forget when my current family first came here and I took them to the above sites. The looks on their faces as the savored the magnificence of Nature and the fun of Old Nevada with its petting zoo will stay with me forever.

And I’m certain you and your kids will feel the same. So, take a day off from the lights and noise of The Strip and see something you’ll remember forever.

The End
[all pictures but the Vegas Sign where taken by yours truly]
Oops! Hastily added April 15th when somebody told me I forgot something - direction on how to get there!
There are two ways:
     - Take Charleston Blvd west from Downtown - or take the beltway around to Red Rock Casino and catch Charleston there.
     - go south on I-15 to the Silverton Casino exit - state road 160 and go west past the salt mine to see the road for Old Nevada/Red Rock Canyon.