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Sandy and Eilly Bowers began construction of a mansion in Washoe Valley in 1861, while at the same time preparing to tour Europe. They were Nevada’s first millionaires and they spent enough money to prove it.

The Bowers were advised they should give a banquet at International Hotel before they departed on their journey. For this, they ordered every luxury anyone could think of.

In a speech to his guests during the party, Sandy announced, “I’ve got money to throw at the birds.”

Sandy and Eilly had started in poverty. In 1857 they weren’t far ahead of living hand-to-mouth.

However, their destiny was to have adjacent mining claims that had tons of gold ore in them. Four years later, they did have enough “to throw at the birds.”

These days most people think they have that much money when they come across the state line. Remember to thank them.

Could another shooting-war be coming to the mid-east? It appears to be a strong possibility.

Much of this is speculation on my part — but drawn from various news sources throughout the world. So take it for what it’s worth.

On Tuesday, November 28, 2011, Iranian protesters stormed the U.K. embassy compounds in Tehran. The assault prompted Italy, France  and Germany to recall their ambassadors from Iran.

Yet, after following several strings of information, terms like “false flag” has been put into play. This string includes The Washington Post reporting the attack had the blessing of Iran’s government — something Tehran disputes — which is not surprising.

A false flag operation is the setting up of an event to provide cover for another more  important event. In this case, it’s being proffered this event was so the Brits would have a “legitimate reason,” to withdraw its staff without tipping it’s hand to further action.

What is surprising  — is so far — no proof has been offered up by British government that Tehran had knowledge of or had a part in the planning of this raid. It’s either non-existent or MI-6 is completely blind in regard to the usual chatter that precedes such events.

This situation has been further exacerbated by the U.S. Senate, which plans to target the Iranian central bank in an effort to choke off oil exports. The Associated Press reports the senate bill gives the president the power to bar foreign financial institutions that do business with Iran’s central bank from having correspondent bank accounts in the U.S.

If enacted, it could be much harder for foreign companies to pay for oil imports from Iran, the world’s third-largest crude exporter. It could also be seen as an act of war in itself by Iran.

The Obama administration, which is against sanctions, says they threatens the U.N. Security Council’s work at pressuring Iran over its nuclear program, and could send oil prices upward.  And though the EU remains divided over calls to halt purchases of Iranian oil,180 Iranian officials and companies have been added to their sanctions list.

Also Russia opposes new sanctions against Iran, believing negotiations with Tehran can be resumed. Russia’s also critical of the November 8th report by the U.N. nuclear agency detailing Iran’s alleged secret weapons work.

But oil isn’t the only thing fueling the possibility of a shooting-war. An Iranian general claims Tehran will target a NATO antimissile early warning system in Turkey if the U.S. or Israel attacks the Islamic Republic.

Turkey agreed to the defense system in September, which is designed to countering threats from its neighbors. NATO insists the system doesn’t target a specific country, but Tehran claims it’s meant to protect Israel from Iranian missile attacks if a war breaks out.

None of this sounds like a path to peace to me — and I hope — no, I pray — I’m mistaken.

The four-dollars-a-day miners who worked at the Ophir Mine in August 1859,  dug up ore that had four or five times as much silver in it as gold — quantity, not value. Since there were no local mills capable of extracting silver from the ore, the mine owners had to send it to San Francisco to be reduced to bullion.

The shipping cost for the forty tons they sent was $20,000. Since only five-percent of the ore was gold and silver, they spent $19,000 in shipping worthless rock. This is why building mills capable of reducing the Galena (raw silver ore) was important.

If the ore could be reduced to bullion at the Washoe mines or on the nearby Carson River, then shipping costs would be greatly reduced. If the local milling costs were about the same as they were in San Francisco, then the mine owners would see increased profits of $500 or more, per ton.

Marcy was having a hard time finishing up her third plate of spaghetti As a six-year old, it was obvious that her eye’s were bigger than her stomach.

She was on the verge of giving up when she asked Dad to bounce her up and down in order to make more room. Marcy believed what she had been told — she “had a hollow leg.”

He picked her up at the waist and lifted her off the ground several times in rapid succession. She laughed as he did this and we kids and Mom joined in.

Then without warning Marcy’s laughter became three-dimensional as she tossed up most of her dinner. It hit Dad in the chest and fell in his lap.

We were all about to get sick at the sight ourselves, but Marcy saved the day by exclaiming with a big smile, “So that’s why I couldn’t eat anymore!”

Everyone but Dad practically busted a gut laughing — he was too busy trying not to be sick himself, at the moment.

Isaac Roop was elected Governor of the provisional ‘Nevada Territory,’  in October 1859. J.J. Musser certified that Roop had won by a large majority, but never revealed the actual count of the ballots.

This result is at odds with a letter written to the San Francisco Herald, soon thereafter. Richard N. Allen claimed that in an honest election, Roop would have lost to Captain Jim, chief of the Washoe Tribe — who couldn’t run, of course.

The residents of Nevada showed a remarkable flair for freedom and democracy from the very beginning.

They ignored federal law and told Congress where Nevada was before Congress located and defined the dimensions of the territory.They also elected a Governor, even though it was a requirement of law that the President appoint that person.

No wonder the U.S. Government has kept a heavy boot on Nevada ever since.

My friend Anne Combs Swanson asked me to do a bit of research into the question regarding President Obama signing a law legalizing the slaughter of horses for human consumption. After hearing numerous news reports about how he had done this — on no less than Thanksgiving Day — I’m happy to report that he signed H.R. 2112 on November 18th — nearly a week before.

While looking into this, I spoke with several people who told me that no where in H.R. 2112, does it specifically use the wording, “horse slaughter,” or “human consumption.” I must admit — they got me on that one too.

However, after reading through the entirety of H.R. 2112, this is what I found on page 77, Line 8 through 17 as it pertains to horse slaughter. The section is struck out line-by-line and now legalizes the inspection of horses under the Federal Meat Inspection Act.

SEC. 739. None of the funds made available in this Act may be used to pay the salaries or expenses of personnel to— (1) inspect horses under section 3 of the Federal Meat Inspection Act (21 U.S.C. 603); (2) inspect horses under section 903 of the Federal Agriculture Improvement and Reform Act of 1996 (7 U.S.C. 1901 note; Public Law 104–127); or (3) implement or enforce section 352.19 of title 9, Code of Federal Regulations.

In essence, this is what some might call “an end round run” in changing the law. It doesn’t specifically say “horse slaughter for human consumption,” but this can be inferred by the very fact it’s being inspected solely on the basis of meat.

You be the judge.

The Copperheads, (now known as the Democrats) of Washoe Valley planned a barbecue in September 1864 for General George B. ‘Little Mac’ McClellan. He was their candidate to defeat the bid for reelection by Abe Lincoln.

There would be a general feast and then political speeches for the soon-to-be Nevada voters. It was to be a grand political rally.

Local farmers would supply cattle, hogs, and sheep. Saloonkeepers offered kegs of beer and barrels of lemonade. Subscription money would pay for cakes, pies, and stuffing for the roasts.

When the great day came, a cannon was fired at dawn. A dozen men started the roasting pits.

Tables were set up and evergreen boughs were arranged for shade. There was only one problem, not many people showed up.

There was food for thousands and not two hundred people to feed. After awhile, the party leaders sent word to local Republicans that they were invited to come and partake. Even then, there were several baskets of leftovers for the needy.

Washoe County voted Republican that year.

While I’m not certain where this comes from, I thought I’d share it anyway.

For me, making time to write has always be something of a struggle. It takes determination to make a writing schedule and stick to it.

My time is limited. While my writing time isn’t the most important thing in my life, it gives way only for the most important things in my life.

And while it’s not very exciting to stick to a schedule, but it does help. If you work full-time, it may actually be easier to establish a regular time each day in which to write.

I prefer to write between the hours of midnight and 3 in the morning.

Maybe you like to get up early — then establish your writing time then. Take time to write before you leave the house, take a notepad with you to lunch, or stop off at a coffee shop on your way home.

Stay-at-home moms and dads often rely on nap time. The schedule may evolve as your life changes, but most people get more done if they have a regular writing time.

Make that time golden, as you would any important appointment. You’ll feel better if you know you’re making time to write.

If you’re the kind of person who tends to throw yourself into a new project only to burn out after a week or two, consider giving yourself stop times for writing. Don’t let yourself become obsessed in the beginning.

I’ve fallen victim to this a number of times.

For me, I write for fifteen minutes to a couple of hours a day, then continue with my daily routine. I also try to schedule time for fun, even if it’s taking a walk or reading a book.

Remember that you’re in it for the long haul, and that your mind needs time to replenish itself.

Decide what you’re willing to sacrifice for a few minutes everyday to dedicate to writing time. Most of us have obligations we can’t avoid, but if you’re determined, you can manage both.

At the same time, be content with whatever you can realistically give to your writing. Even a few minutes a day adds up over time.

What you’re trying to do isn’t easy. So support yourself in as many ways as possible.

Books on writing can help, as does having space dedicated to writing.  Also live with a thesaurus and dictionary link on my computer.

The most important thing I can offer though, is this — jus’ pick up a pen, pencil or sit down at the computer and write!

Baron Ferdinand Richthofen (uncle of World War I German fighter ace, the ‘Red Baron’) visited  in 1866 to examine the Comstock Lode for himself. He wrote a report of his trip that claimed the lode was a ‘true fissure vein.’

This meant the silver went down into the earth for thousands of feet. The quantity of it was unknowable, but surely the mines were worth hundreds of millions of dollars.

The baron was one of Germany’s leading authorities on silver mining, so his report was well received.

In 1869, when the Comstock was in borrasca and miners were leaving for other places to find work, mine owners and superintendents used the baron’s report to remind themselves of why they were still spending money in the search for silver. They were rewarded with the ‘Big Bonanza.’

In 1872, Adolph Sutro preached the ‘true fissure vein’ gospel to the McCalmont Brothers in London, England. His reward was financing for the ‘Sutro Tunnel.’

In my experience, there are many places some folks would consider as haunted. One of those places is the Mizpah Hotel in Tonopah.

According to legend, Wyatt Earp kept the saloon, Jack Dempsey was a bouncer, and Howard Hughes married Jean Peters at the Mizpah. But Wyatt Earp left Tonopah before the Mizpah was built, Hughes was married in Tonopah — but not at the Mizpah, and Dempsey was never a bouncer.

The five-story Mizpah was the tallest building in the state until 1929 and is named after the Mizpah Mine. The hotel was financed by George Wingfield, George Nixon, Cal Brougher and Bob Govan and designed by George E. Holesworth — or maybe architect Morrill J. Curtis.

The hotel is faced with stone on the front and brick on the sides and rear. Steam heat was provided, which was first, along with the first elevator in Tonopah.

The neighboring three-story building with rooms on the upper floors, now known as the Brougher-Govan Block, served as the first Mizpah and remains connected to the new portion. The  buildings are joined by a wood stairway crowned with a skylight.

It’s also part of my experience that when an old building is refurbished, nails pounding and saws bracing wood, even stranger events take shape. And now would be a great time for those who like to chase the unknown, to visit the old hotel.

The Mizpah, after being shuttered since 1999, was purchased earlier this year, and the new owners are transforming the place. They’re renovating the old building with new carpet, plumbing and electrical fixtures.

If you ask nice, and promise not to open any portals to the underworld, I’m sure they’d would love to have you investigate. I say this tongue-in-cheek of course.

If not rent a room and enjoy your stay. I’m sure it’ll be well worth the price of admission.

And while you’re there, say hi to my friend Valeri Ferrari McEwen. She’s a member of the 2000 Nevada Broadcast Hall of Fame, but now manages the bar and restaurant.

She saved my life one early morning – but that’s a story for another time.