Sunday, December 30, 2007

Change of plans

Location, At home, Ca

Change of plans. Yesterday morning we decided that both Clyda and I need to come home after New Years to take care of some things before we go to Quartzsite. So, we called our friends Budd and Brenda and told them we would not be bringing the trailer but would be bringing the car instead. That meant repacking everything from the trailer to the car, loading the refrigerator into the ice chest, and hoping we didn’t forget anything.

It was an easy trip in two cars with Clyda and Cindy driving in Clyda’s car and Gary and I driving his Highlander Hybrid. With a stop in Ventura for a Mexican food lunch, we arrived in Tehachapi about 4:15 PM yesterday.

Last night was home made pizza and the Patriot/Giant football game on TV.

It was cold last night and very foggy this morning. The sun is trying to come out but it is still very overcast.

Budd made omelets this morning for everyone. Outstanding! Just like the the good old days when he owned the Eggception restaurant.

Friday, December 28, 2007

Indecision

Location, At home, Ca

The Christmas decorations are all packed away for until next year except for the outside lights which I will take down today. The reason for the short season is we will be away for New Years.

I have most of the trailer packed except for the refrigerator. I still need to pack the truck which I will do later today unless it rains. There is a 30% chance of that for today.

Our friends Cindy and Gary are spending a few days with us and we will all travel to Tehachapi tomorrow for New Years at our mutual friends Budd and Brenda's house.

Indecision

Location, At home, Ca

The Christmas decorations are all packed away for until next year except for the outside lights which I will take down today. The reason for the short season is we will be away for New Years.

I have most of the trailer packed except for the refrigerator. I still need to pack the truck which I will do later today unless it rains. There is a 30% chance of that for today.

Tuesday, December 25, 2007

Merry Christmas

Location, At home, Ca

A Merry Christmas to all. May your day be joyous with family and friends.

Saturday, December 22, 2007

Asparagus ready for the rain

Location, At home, Ca

Yesterday I finally spent some time in the backyard. I cut back all of the asparagus and fertilized it with a mixture of compost and steer manure. I do this routine every year at this time so the winter rains will soak through the fertilizer and help the new asparagus to grow in early February. Below are before and after photos.





I think all of the Christmas shopping is done. We have parties or visits from friends and visits to friends for the next 3 days. There was a real nice party last night with the old Mothers Club group. We didn’t really belong to the group as our kids were just a little older but we have always been invited to events which we appreciate. It is interesting to see the grandkids generation now. There were so many little kids last night who got to see Santa Claus and eat and sing Christmas Carols. It was a great and fun party.

Today I worked on the trailer bedroom slide to see if I could fix the leak problem. I have tried something and I guess only time will tell if it works. I cut back on a piece of trim and then made the rubber gasket bigger to see if that will cure the problem.

It was sunny but cold again today. Cold by California standards anyway

Tuesday, December 18, 2007

It's Raining!

Location, At home, Ca

It’s raining and has been since early last evening. Overnight we didn’t get much although I did hear it running in the rain gutters whenever I woke up. I rained off and on all day and right now it’s a fairly steady rain. We can sure use it as last year was a rain deficit year here on the South Coast of California. Further North already had as much as 4 inches today.

I tried to do some Christmas shopping today but I finely gave up as all I accomplished was to get wet.

Over the last few days I have been doing more work in the trailer. This summer all of the glass panels in the cabinet doors over our dining/living room slide out started to rattle. They were put in with glue and it had dried out. I did a temporary fix in Houston using glazing points but that was temporary at best as they can still rattle. Yesterday I removed all the doors and the bathroom mirror and hot glued the glass at each corner. Hopefully that will fix them permanently.

Last night we attended the local Universities Women’s basketball game. They were losing slowly until the last few minutes when they caught fire and beat Pepperdine by 2 points with 4 seconds on the clock. It was a good win right before the Christmas break. The men play 2 games on the road before Christmas. The first game is at Ball State and the second at North Carolina. A win at Ball State is a possibility while a win at North Carolina would be a miracle. They are 9-1 so far and rank high in the Mid-Majors right now.

We have lots of parties this week. It usually happens this way just before Christmas. It does allow us to see some people we ordinarily don’t see often during the year.

Friday, December 14, 2007

The Oak Ridge Boys

Location, At home, Ca

Yesterday evening we went to the Chumash Casino in Santa Ynes at the invitation of our friends Don and Bev. They had tickets to see the Oakridge Boys Christmas show. We went in time to have dinner at the buffet before the show. The buffet was quite good for $14.95 each.

The show started at 8 PM with traditional Oak Ridge Boys music which ended with Elvira and a rousing ovation. They then went into the Christmas portion of the show which featured traditional Christmas songs as well as many from their seasonal albums. The stage was decorated with white flocked Christmas trees which changed colors from overhead light cans. The addition of falling snow for a few songs was very realistic. The show lasted 2 full hours and was well received by the audience.

I asked Clyda if she wanted to talk to the Oaks after the show as we worked with them as stage hands at the 1984 Boy Scout Jamboree in Fredericksburg, VA. She didn’t think they would remember us. Oh well, she is probably right.

Today I drained and replace the oil in the Gear Venders Over/Under drive. The oil needs to be replaced every 10,000 miles with special GM synthetic manual transmission oil which costs $24 a quart. The unit uses about 1 ½ quarts per oil change. Draining the used oil is easy as the plug is located on the bottom of the unit. Putting in new oils is another matter. The fill hole is on the side of the unit so the best way is to pump it in or as I do, put the oil in a sprayer, pressurize it and slowly add the oil until it overflows the hole. A messy job at best but now I am good to go for another 10,000 miles.

Wednesday, December 12, 2007

Truck recall

Location, At home, Ca

Yesterday I did a job I have been putting off for some time. Two and a half years ago when we remodeled our kitchen I removed the ceiling drywall. Of course the insulation started to come down also. That wouldn’t have been so bad except that loose fiber insulation had been added on top of the fiberglass bats. To keep from making a real mess I used a leaf rake and pulled the loose insulation back out of the way in the attic with the intent of putting it back after the remodel was done.

Best intentions and all that, it didn’t get done. So yesterday, donning my respirator mask (bought for the job 2 ½ years ago) I dragged the leaf rake, a basket, and a light up into the attic and spread the insulation back where it belonged. It is a dirty job and I should have called Mike Rowe of TV fame on “Dirty Jobs” to help me. Unfortunately, I didn’t think about it until I was all done.

Today I took the truck into the Ford garage to have the Cam Position Sensor replaced. There has been a recall notice on this so I called for an appointment yesterday. It took them about three hours to do the job. I stayed in town while they did the work as I had an appointment right around the corner later in the morning.

It is cold again tonight. We have had frost most mornings usually on the roof tops. Yesterday even the low ground plants were covered with frost. Not good as some plants won’t survive that.

Monday, December 10, 2007

Truck recall

Location, At home, Ca

It is cold here at night but not as cold as the Midwest with all of the ice storms.

It did warm up nicely during the day today so I washed both Clyda’s car and my truck. I think the last time the truck was washed was in Houston, TX in September.

Speaking of the truck, my neighbor Paul mentioned that there is a recall to replace the camshaft position sensor. I checked the Ford website and yup, mine is on recall. So, I will call the local Ford agency tomorrow and see what they say.

Saturday, my friend Budd came by and we tried to find out how water was getting through the bedroom slide in the RV. A water hose soon found the problem with the seal at the bottom of the slide on the front edge. When driving in the rain, the water is forced in from the forward movement. We think the bottom seal to the slide is poorly designed. I will remove part of the trim along the bottom of the slide so the main rubber seal can fit better.

Another leak I have had for some time is in the garage. Even a small rain storm has water running down a rafter near the back door. It has to be coming from the solar water heat bracket on the roof so I removed the long lag screw which goes through the bracket and into the rafter and filled the hole with Marine 5200 caulk. After running the screw back in and tested the result with lots of water on the roof, no leak!! Maybe it is fixed.

I spent lots of time on the computers again today. I am moving photos to their permanent locations and doing backups also. I carry a 60G hard drive with us while traveling as a backup for the laptop. I also have an 80G drive to which I copy all the backups as a safety device. That way every file should be stored in at least three locations.

Thursday, December 6, 2007

Doctors appointments & truck service

Location, At home, Ca

Where or where have the days gone? I knew I hadn’t posted for a few days but didn’t realize how many had gone by.

I finished putting all of the screws back in the trailer panel and caulked every seam that needed caulk.

I picked up the truck Monday afternoon from the shop. It was a hefty bill to pay but considering the things that had been done, I can accept it. They did a lube, oil, and filter service, transmission service, replaced the water pump, and replaced the front brake pads, resurfaced the front rotors, and packed the wheel bearings. There were a few other minor items done also.

I had a blood test on Tuesday in preparation for my annual physical today. Everything is normal and even my cholesterol is in an acceptable range. That should do it for doctor visits for a while. I do need to see the dentist for a checkup and also the eye doctor. All of these are done on a semi or annual basis and it is something I have been doing for years. Consequently, there are few surprises.

A comment here is in order I think. For those of us who travel several months out of the year, scheduling and keeping medical appointments, ordering meds, and keeping it all straight becomes a problem. We usually schedule all of this for late November or December as that is when we are home. Others I have talked with do much the same by heading to their home base or last permanent living base to take care of necessary medical checkups.

Sunday, December 2, 2007

More Trailer repair

Location, At home, Ca

Several days have passed since I put anything in the blog again. It’s beginning to be a habit. Frankly, I don’t know why the time passes so fast.

Yesterday I put the side trim pieces back on the trailer. They hold the edges of the big panel on and provide a water tight seal on the sides. I ran out of stainless steel self taping screws for the front trim so that will wait until I pick up more.

I installed a Maxxair vent cover over the bathroom vent on the trailer. I had left this off as I thought it made the trailer to tall. During our trip this summer I wished several times that the vent had a cover to keep rain out but let air in.

Last night we went to a Manicotti/white elephant Christmas party at a friend’s house. This is an annual thing with basically the same people invited each year. There were few “white elephant” gifts last night and too many good gifts which people wanted to keep rather than trade. It was fun though.

Thursday, November 29, 2007

Progrees on the Trailer

Location, At home, Ca

I got out of my normal routine today as the truck needed to be in the shop at 8 AM for several maintenance items. Usually I do my walk at 7 AM or so and walk for an hour, but today I had to forgo that.

So, after the truck was delivered, I worked on the trailer panel. When the panel was initially removed I noticed that a hydraulic line to the bedroom slide was routed in the wrong place. The route forced the panel to bulge down where it crossed a frame member so I disconnected the hose end at the pump and re-routed it in the same channel as the return line. It is a much better placement and will make it easier to install the panel. I can’t help but think that the original hose placement was in error.

I cleaned all of the caulked edges of the panel with acetone and shortly after lunch, with help from my son and a friend, we put the panel in place. The panel is held up in the middle with 3/16 inch pop rivets which go through the box frame in several places. I had pre-painted the rivets to match the panel color (white).The edges of the panel are held in place with self tapping screws. I will put those on tomorrow along with the trim.

I was supposed to have a treadmill test tomorrow but the Doctors office called yesterday and asked me to come in this afternoon. The test has become routine for me as I have had one each year for the last several years. After the test, which went very well, the Doctor suggested that every two years would be ok. Exercise, diet, and drugs of course appear to be doing the trick. I see my regular Doctor next week.

As I was returning from the Doctors office I received a call from the shop working on the truck. They found that the front brakes were down to less than 5% of the pads remaining. Sooo, they need to be replaced.

Wednesday, November 28, 2007

Basketball and trailer repair

Location, At home, Ca

The basketball game last night was like old times. The crowd was one of the biggest in years. Not as big as in the old days of the UNLV vs UCSB rivalry, but close enough. The student section especially was well represented. It should be as they get in for free.

UCSB played poorly in the first half but made up for it in the second half. The score was tied with 4.2 seconds remaining when UCSB in-bounded the ball and one of the guards hit a 3 pointer while falling down. UNLV was in shock. UCSB beat them in Las Vegas last year and the last two games at UCSB. Unbelievable win!

Progress is being made on the trailer. I buffed all of the rust off the screws and welds and primed them this morning. I painted all of the pop rivet heads white so they match the panel. Tomorrow I hope to clean the panel with acetone so the new caulking will stick better. I may even get the panel put back in place. We are supposed to have rain on Friday so it would be nice to get it buttoned up against weather.

I would post photos but there really isn’t much to see. I am storing the panel in the garage to make sure nothing happens to it. It is large and unwieldy and somewhat fragile so I treat it gently.

Tomorrow morning the truck goes in for much need maintenance. My list is long and I suspect it will be expensive. The biggest item is the water pump which appears to be leaking. The tranny needs servicing and the usual lube, oil, and filter needs to be done.

I can hope for the best.

Tuesday, November 27, 2007

Happy Birthday, Clyda

Location, At home, Ca

I am still working on the RV front panel. Just removing the old caulk has taken me 2 days with a putty knife. I have most of it removed but now need to clean everything with lacquer thinner so the new caulk will stick to the metal. I bought stainless steel screws to replace the old screws as they had started to rust. In fact some of them broke off when I tried to remove them. I will just drill new pilot holes when I reinstall the panel.

Today is Clyda’s birthday but we are not doing anything special. Craig will make waffles for dinner (her request) and then we will go to a basketball game. The Running Rebels from the University of Las Vegas are in town. It is the first time since the 1990’s that they have returned here. This used to be a big rivalry back then. We will see how many fans show up and just how much of a contest it will be.

It was a nice sunny day today but it sure cools off early in the afternoon. I think we may get rain later in the week.

Sunday, November 25, 2007

Trailer problem

Location, At home, CA

I missed a few days of blogging this week so will try to catch up.

We had a good Thanksgiving with family and neighbors for dinner. Everyone contributed something. I BBQ’ed the turkey with a lot of rosemary and caught the drippings in a pan which were strained and used to flavor the dressing and gravy. Outstanding dressing and gravy! The turkey had a nice smoky flavor.



Before and after pictures.

We have been going to the local college basketball games which accounts for 3 evenings. We saw the men’s team twice and the women’s team once. The men won both games and the women lost to third ranked Maryland by only 4 points which was a big improvement over last years loss at Maryland by 66 points.

I have a problem to solve on the RV. There is a crack in the exterior sidewall by the bedroom slide. The crack extends diagonally from the bottom left corner of the slide opening in the sidewall for about 8 inches. It is barely noticeable when the trailer is parked and unloaded. When it is hooked to the truck the crack opens about the width of a pencil lead.

The obvious problem would seem to be a broken weld in the frame. I removed the panel under the fifth wheel overhang to look at the frame. Other than some slight water damage to the under layment from a poor caulking job at the factory, there is no evidence of a frame problem. All welds look good. Putting the trailer back on the truck to see if the frame flexes shows little if any deforming of the frame.

The conclusion is that normal flexing of the frame while traveling and weight in the front closet and under the bed is causing the problem. The crack will be stopped by drilling a small hole at the end and then filled with RTV while hooked to the truck. After the RTV is dried, (24 hours) the trailer can be removed from the truck. Slight puckering can be expected along the crack because of the RTV.

The rust areas, which are mainly screw heads, will be sanded and primed and the panel will be reinstalled. Stay tuned for a progress report.

Wednesday, November 21, 2007

Equinox pictures

Location, At home, CA

I should have mentioned in last night’s trip synopsis that Clyda traveled for 4 months and then came home while I continued and was 5 days short of 5 months when I returned home.

I also said I would post some pictures of the new Equinox so here they are. It had just returned from the dealer after a complete inside and outside detailing so it looks really sharp.


I may have mentioned in an earlier post that I was reading a large book called "Post War". I finally finished the book last night. I started it when we left on our trip in June. I am not a slow reader but I only read this at night as my bedtime reading. It is all about the European recovery after WW II ended. I bought this book because I wanted to know more about the lives of German people after the fall of Berlin. There was some of that subject in the book but not the detail I was looking for. A better book on this is "German Boy" which I read while in Death Valley. This book is written by Wolfgang W. E. Samuel covering the period from just before the fall of Berlin to 5 years later. He lived it as a boy from his 10th birthday until he was 15 years old. It is a much better account of the everyday life of a boy in Russian occupied Germany

Tuesday, November 20, 2007

New automobile

Location, At home, CA

We did go to the local Chevy dealer on Saturday to just look. Yeah, right. We did look at some used cars but they either had high mileage or the warranty was about to run out. Eventually we dickered on a 2007 Chevy Equinox which was new. We hated the color so used that as a bargaining chip. Clyda did all the bargaining as she gave them a firm price to work from.

Eventually we came to terms and drove home with a new black amethyst metallic Equinox. The car goes back tomorrow for detailing as the service department wasn’t open Saturday to do the job. Maybe pictures tomorrow.

I am still working on the trailer. Today I cleaned the sinks and shower and dumped the tanks. I also vacuumed the whole rig from top to bottom inside. The carpets need cleaning and I may do that tomorrow if the weather cooperates. It has been really foggy and cold and I want a day when it is a little warmer so the carpets will dry.

I did get the data entered in spread sheets from our trip for miles and camping.
We traveled 11,006 total miles with 7912 miles pulling the trailer. Our average camping cost per day was $17.40. We averaged 11.8 MPG throughout the trip.
The highest price for fuel was in Canada at $4.04 per gallon while the lowest was $2.70 per gallon in Texas. The highest in the states was at Mohave, CA, my last fill up at $3.65 per gallon. Diesel fuel locally now is $3.75 per gallon.

I also am watching a lot of college basketball. This is my time of year. So many games in a few days. I love it. We went to one local college game last week and will go again tonight. Both games are the men’s team. We have yet to see the ladies play as they have been on the road.

Friday, November 16, 2007

More of the same!

Location, At home, CA

More of the same today. Working on things in the trailer, stowing things I don’t need right now, and cleaning up computer files.

I also had 3 requests for books from Paperback Swap. I had put my account on hold while we were gone and I guess it became active again today. It is very unusual to receive 3 requests in one day but it makes the trip to the post office worth while. I need to mail all of them tomorrow.

The major item is the car. We may go to our local Chevy dealer tomorrow and see what they have on the lot. It’s a start anyway.

Wednesday, November 14, 2007

Unloading the trailer

Location, At home, CA

Just a short note tonight as I am beat from working on all of the items on my to-do list. I made an appointment for my annual physical, started the process to buy a car (called a lady at the local Chevrolet dealer and told her what I was looking for), checked on some real estate investments, and of course continued to unload the trailer. My-oh-my, we sure had a lot of stuff in there.

The amount of books alone was unbelievable. I had bought, borrowed, and traded books as we traveled. I had also bought several jars of pickles and beets in Wisconsin and unloaded those. We had a box of jams and jellies given to us by family and friends along the way as well as too much canned goods which all adds to the weight.

I still have mail to go through but I think I have looked at all the critical items. I have completed some of the filing of important papers but there is another whole box that needs looking at.

Craig said the WiFi router wasn’t working so he by-passed it and went directly to the computer with the DSL cable. I put everything back as it should be and the WiFi came up just fine. I think what happened is that the router had sat unused while we were gone and just needed to be rebooted by disconnecting the power and restarting it.

Enough for today.

Tuesday, November 13, 2007

Home, after 5 months on the road

Location, At home, CA

I am home after 5 months on the road. Actually it is 5 days short of 5 months, but who is counting. Dick and I did stay for the 49er business meeting on Sunday which lasted 2 hours. That put us leaving Death Valley at 3:40 in the afternoon. It sprinkled on us on the way to Death Valley Junction and actually rained on us between Shoshone and Tecopa. By the time we got to a spot in the BLM area it was dark, rainy, and windy. We didn’t put down any jacks so with the wind we rocked and rolled all night. I said it was like “sleeping in a hammock”.

Monday morning we took Dick’s truck as it has 4 wheel drive and drove to Tecopa to look for remains of the Tecopa Rail Road. We did find the right-of-way where it crossed the Old Spanish Trail east of Tecopa. We then drove south on a dirt road which I figured should cross the right of way as it headed east to the mines. We did find the elevated roadbed with a washed out trestle. We walked quit a bit of the right-of-way in both directions. There were still many old ties which had never been removed.



As the road bed turned south away from our road we picked it up later with binoculars as it climbed to the mines. Later we moved south and east on the paved road with more mines. In this area we again found the roadbed. This may be a future area to explore.

After a date shake at China Ranch we picked up the trailers and drove to Baker, CA and parked behind the Mad Greek restaurant in the large truck parking area. There were several other RV’s already there. We ate dinner at the Mad Greek and went to bed early. I didn’t even put out the slides.

I was awakened about 4:30 AM by a truck parked near us with a refrigeration unit running. Dick left a 6 AM and I left shortly there after. I stopped at the rest stop in Boron on Hwy 58 to shave, eat breakfast, and add 10 gallons of diesel to my tanks.

I stopped in Mohave and topped of the tank at $3.65 per gallon. Ouch!!!!

I arrived home about 12:45 PM.

Saturday, November 10, 2007

Western Invitational Art Show

Location, Death Valley, CA

Where has the week gone? We have been busy everyday with the 49er activities so I guess that accounts for most of our time. One of the activities is an invitational western art show. This brings in some really talented artists and show pieces their art. As part of this event, there is a judging contest for the different Medias, a composite painting, where the public can paint under the direction of the artist, two Quick Draw contests, and an Artists breakfast...

The art from the quick draw, the composites, and other donated art are auctioned off and ½ of the proceeds go to a scholarship fund for college students from Death Valley and the surrounding area. This year the prices for some of the artwork was quite high and the scholar ship fund did very well.

I usually attend the quick draw contests and this year also attended the auction after the Artists Breakfast. I did bid on several items but they usually pass well beyond my range as far as prices I am willing to pay. In particular, I have been coveting a painting by Gilbert Jumbo, a Navajo Indian who has been coming for several years. Unfortunately, his paintings command big money. I keep hoping however. I told the auctioneer, Steve Orcutt that I hope to, “steal a painting” one of these days with a low bid.

Tonight is the Fiddle Contest finals which we will attend. Tomorrow, Dick and I will stay here for the business meeting and then move to the BLM area outside of Tecopa, CA for one night. On Monday we will explore some mines near Tecopa and then move to Baker, CA for the night. I will return home on Tuesday after nearly 5 months on the road. Five months is a long tome but actually, I am not really ready to go home. Quartzsite, AZ is calling.

Sunday, November 4, 2007

Groceries, etc

Location, Death Valley, CA

Yesterday was grocery day. Actually it was more than just grocery day, it was pancake breakfast day, Shoshone Days, Tecopa Hot Springs day, date shake day, propane day, fuel day, Burger King day, and then grocery day. We pack a full day into the first Saturday in November.

We started out with a pancake breakfast in the date grove at Furnace Creek Ranch put on by the local high school. For $6 we get pancakes, bacon, juice and coffee. By 8:30 AM we are on the road to Shoshone about an hours drive out of Death Valley. Shoshone is a wide spot in the road but each fall while the 49 er’s are in Death Valley, they take advantage of the people coming in to hold their fall festival. There are arts and crafts, a BBQ, music, and the museum is open. We spend about 45 minutes looking at everything. It is the same each year so we know what to expect.

Then it is off to Tecopa to the hot springs for a soak. The baths were open to the public with no charge for years but the county took it over a few years ago and now charge $5 admission. They are in the process of upgrading the bathrooms and showers so the charge is justified. The pools are segregated by sexes with the men in one building and the ladies in another. A shower before entering the pool is mandatory and no clothing is allowed. A twenty minute soak is adequate as the temperature can approach 104 degrees. It feels so good!!!! I meant to post a picture of the Hot Springs but forgot to take the picture while we were there.

After the soak we drove south to China Ranch for a date shake. China Ranch is off the Old Spanish Trail and down in a canyon reached by a steep dirt one-way road. Date trees were planted here by a Chinese man many years ago. The dates are processed locally and sold locally or by orders. The little store sells several kinds of dates, date nut bread, cookies, and of course date shakes. They also have southwest arts and crafts.

From China Ranch we back tracked to Shoshone and drove East to Pahrump, NV where we purchased propane, fuel for the truck, stopped at Burger King (it is handy to the grocery store) and bought groceries. We returned to Death Valley via the Pahrump Road which put us back in camp about 4 PM. The weather in Pahrump was nice but it was really hot in Death Valley when we returned.

I cooked a chicken casserole for dinner and Deanna supplied a very nice cabbage salad. Dessert was pound cake covered with banana cream pudding, bananas and blue berries with a dollop of whipped cream. The blue berries were from Washington and had been in my freezer since July. Very tasty!!

Nobby and Deanna left early this morning. With day light saving time going in to effect last night, many people were up early so the camp was too noisy to sleep in this morning.

We have over cast skies this morning so I tilted my solar panels to get more amps into the batteries. Normally I just leave them flat as the 175 watts from the panels keeps the batteries charged.

Thursday, November 1, 2007

Beautiful Death Valley

Location, Death Valley, CA

It is a glorious day here in the valley. Sunny, no clouds with a light breeze. The temperature may get into the low 90’s today. Just beautiful.

Nobby and Deanna arrived late Monday evening. I had made dinner with enough for them also but the rest of us had eaten earlier. I reheated the casserole and had salad and brownies with mint patties and ice cream for dessert.

Nobby also brought more wood so we have enough to last us for a month at least. Someone came by last night and wanted to know if we are selling wood. We gave them a bundle.

There is still lots of room in all campgrounds. I am afraid it may be a lean year for the 49’ers. The Death Valley 49’ers is an organization started in 1949 to promote Death Valley. Each year in the first weekend of November, members gather for music, horse shoes, gold panning, a horse ride from Ridgecrest, CA, a wagon train, and much more to commemorate the first white people to traverse Death Valley in 1849.

The music has been going on for some time now. Each evening from 6-9 PM a group of musicians gather in Sunset campground for an impromptu music session. It is open to all who can play an instrument or think they can play.

I have added pictures to Sundays blog.

Monday, October 29, 2007

Kickin Back in Death Valley

Location, Death Valley, CA

Sometime during the night we had a few drops of rain and a small gust of wind. It cleared up by morning and was very warm by 9 AM. It may get to 95 today. It is really nice in the shade.

About 9:30 AM we got ready to move to Furnace Creek Campground for the next 2 weeks. Our favorite person, Sharon is on the gate so check in is a breeze. We all have sites near each other and as we planned before making the reservations, we “control” a shade tree as our sites surround it. Shade is important if it remains warm. It also helps if it gets windy.


This is our position for the next 2 weeks.

By noon we had everything set up and the wood stacked ready for campfires each night. We have lots of wood this year. Everyone brought some.


Wood pile at camp.

There are changes to Sunset campground this year. All spaces are now angled and made wider to accommodate larger rigs. This means the total number of campsites was reduced from 445 to 245. Also, the overflow areas have angled sites and are larger. They have started striping the overflow lots but are not finished yet. These lots will also hold less rigs.

However, Sharon at the gate said that this is the fewest number of reservations for Furnace Creek Campground that she has ever seen for this time of year. I know some of my friends planning to come later would like more information but not much is available yet. I will call if things change.

For some reason Blogger won't upload pictures this morning. I will try to add them later. Sorry!

Saturday, October 27, 2007

Death Valley

Location, Death Valley, CA

Wonder of wonders! There is WiFi in Death Valley at the Furnace Creek Visitors Center. I will try to briefly recap what has happened during the last week. The “gap” in the blog is due mainly to the lack of an internet connection.

Clyda flew home on Wednesday the 17th and my friend Dick arrived while I was at the airport. We ran errands on Thursday and Friday, picking up maps, visiting Harbor Freight, buying groceries, getting fuel, and eating. On Friday night we ate at the Bay City Diner in the Golden Gate Casino and had the prime rib special for $6.95. It really was good. This little diner has excellent food and good service.

On Saturday morning we checked out of the RV Park and drove to Tonopah, NV where we camped at Joy-Land RV Park. This is a so-so park but suited us just fine as we were able to park 6 rigs together. We had camped here years ago on one of our fall desert trips. The temperature was quit a change from Las Vegas as it dropped down to 27 degrees Saturday night. It did however warm up during the day and never got below freezing at night for the rest of our stay.

For the next several days we drove back country roads using 2 4x4 vehicles and GPS maps to locate old railroads, mines, and old town sites. We also visited 2 local mining museums. The biggest find was a large railroad turntable and engine bays of a roundhouse located West of Tonopah.

A loading tipple.

Looking down a shaft.
Yesterday, Friday, Oct 26th, we drove to Death Valley via Beatty, NV where the temperature was around 90 degrees late in the afternoon. We are camped at Texas Springs and will stay here 2 days until our reservations start on Sunday. Last night we had a nice campfire and didn’t go in until 10 PM. This morning it is hazy and over caste from the Southern California fires.

There are several changes here at Furnace Creek but I will talk about them in a later blog.

Wednesday, October 17, 2007

Cruisin Las Vegas

Location, Las Vegas, NV

We picked up cousins Bob and Marlene and drove to South Point Casino at the south end of the Las Vegas strip. This is a fairly new casino with and equestrian theme. They have a big horse arena connected to the casino which is evident as soon as you walk in by the barnyard smell, as in horses. They were running a calf cutting event so we watched for a while.

The remainder of the casino was nicely laid out and fairly large. We tried a few slots but with little luck.

We drove back to MGM Grand and parked in the parking garage at the back of the property. We just walked through to the Las Vegas strip and stopped at a food court for a quick lunch. We visited the M&M store, all four floors but didn’t buy anything.

We crossed the strip to New York-New York and tried a few slots but again no luck. Marlene called her friends who were part of the tour they came out on and found out everyone was at the Monte Carlo so we returned to the parking garage and I drove them to the Monte Carlo. Construction at the new MGM City Center on property next to the Monte Carlo presented quit a challenge to exit the property to Industrial road. City center is HUGE.

We returned downtown in late afternoon and walked to Fremont Street to pick up 2 for 1 coupons for casinos on Fremont Street.

Tuesday, October 16, 2007

Cousins in town

Location, Las Vegas, NV

Cousins Bob and Marlene arrived from Milwaukee late last night. We picked them up at their hotel in the afternoon and drove out to Summerlin on the far west side of Las Vegas to visit a fellow classmate Dave, from High School. Dave and Adele moved to Las Vegas years ago and live on the last street on the west side of Summerlin. We had a great visit and thank them for their hospitality.

We drove to Red Rock Casino for dinner and then played the slots until 10 PM. On the way back I decided we should go to the Rio for Masquerade in the Sky show. Unfortunately, the last show is at 9:30 PM. Bummer! We dropped them at their hotel about 11PM.

Sunday, October 14, 2007

Love Mesa Grill

Location, Las Vegas, NV

The local WiFi at Main Street Station works so well that I go over each morning to check the emails and even update the blog.

Yesterday morning we went to Main Street Station for a 2 for 1 brunch. That sufficed for most of the day. We did go to the Bay City Diner at the Golden Gate Club on Fremont Street for hamburgers last night.

I went looking for more 2 for 1 coupons, but all the books with those coupons had been pulled. I did manage to find 3 books this morning but don’t know if they will honor them. I will try tonight when we go to Fremont Street.

After church this morning, we drove to Caesars Palace and had lunch at Mesa Grill, Bobby Flay’s place, to celebrate our 45th wedding anniversary. Bobby is on the food channel and has restaurants in several cities. I had been wanting to eat there for some time so yesterday I made a reservation. The food is southwest in flavor and style except on weekends they only offer a brunch. I had Spicy Chicken w/Sweet Potato Hash topped by a poached egg and drizzled with a spicy sauce. Clyda had a southwest combination of blue tortillas with egg and cheese. This was accompanied by a basket of delicious small rolls and scones. I really want to go for a regular lunch during the week sometime.

After lunch we drove west on Charleston to check on one of our apartment complexes we are invested in as they had been repainting the exterior. I looked very nice. The area has really grown in the last few years.

We stopped at Costco for a few items and then returned to the RV. I have cousins arriving in Las Vegas late tonight so we will be busy with them for the next few days. I will update when I can.

Saturday, October 13, 2007

Back on the air

Location, Las Vegas, NV

For all who are wondering what happened to us since Oct 5th, never fear, we are still here but have been busy and have had computer problems. My WiFi card needed a new driver installed. I found a computer shop yesterday and lighter in the pocket book, I hope all is OK now. WiFi in downtown Las Vegas is everywhere but at a steep price.

We have been seeing the sights of Las Vegas and dropping a few coins in the slots at many of the high end casinos along with my sister Judy, brother-in-law Art, and brother, Ray. We have had a great time but put in some really long days. As anyone who has been here can attest to, walking is all you do, and walk we did. My feet were so sore by Thursday morning when they left that we did nothing all day.

We saw Las Vegas from the bottom of Hoover Dam to the top of the Stratosphere Tower and all places in between. The weather was nice with temps in the 80’s most days and warm evenings. We saw the light show on Fremont Street several times, in fact some nights it was several times.


We have been lazy the last few days, but I did get new tires for the truck, ouch! That really busts the budget. I have been working on my food lists for the desert part of my trip. I will buy groceries on Thursday or Friday so everything is fresh.

I will be here until Sat morning Oct 20th when I leave for Tonopah, NV. Once I leave, I will not have internet service until I return home about Oct 12th. I will update this blog when I get home. Hang in there.

Friday, October 5, 2007

Windy Day

Location, Williams, AZ

We had another thunder storm overnight. No hail but the temperature was only 52 this morning. I carried the laptop over to the laundry room so I could use the WiFi and post the blog.

We left about 9 AM with lots of wind. We had sustained winds of 25-35 MPH all the way to Williams. Needless to say, the fuel mileage suffered. The first RV park we checked with didn’t have room for a 5th wheel of our length but they called another park at the east end of town which has a new campground connected to an old hotel. The sites are large and pull thru so we are set. They do predict the possibility of freezing tonight so I will disconnect the water hose before I go to bed.

We drove through town and noticed many new buildings and upgrades since we were here 3 years ago. Also, new RV parks. In fact there are 2 new parks with a 3rd being built. All of the activity is because of the Grand Canyon Rail Road. Lots of people come here to ride the train. We did it 3 years ago. It is an all day trip but well worth it.

My computer is still giving me problems. When I plug in the WiFi card, I get the “Blue Screen of Death”. I guess I need to take it to someone in Las Vegas. Bummer.

Update late evening: I deleted lots of old emails, cleaned out some other files and eventually picked a restore point from July and did a system restore. I will need to reload some software but so far I seem to have gotten away from the problem. Time will tell.

Thursday, October 4, 2007

Tire Problems

Location, Gallup, NM

We left Fort Sumner shortly after 8 AM as we had about 300 miles to drive today. We stopped in Santa Rosa on Interstate 40 for fuel. I couldn’t get to the pumps at Shell so went across the road to Love’s. Again, the RV diesel pumps are poorly located. They were on the car islands facing the station. I made 2 passes around the islands to get to the pump. Sheesh!! Why can’t they figure that out? RV’s need more room to maneuver.

We drove west on I-40 to somewhere near Grants and stopped at an Indian Casino truck stop for lunch. The amount of trucks on I-40 is unbelievable. Mile after mile of them. We also had wind from the southwest all day which didn’t help the fuel mileage or the speed. After lunch as we were getting in the truck, I noticed a round bulge on the truck driver side rear tire. I call it my bad luck tire as I have replaced the valve stem, repaired a nail puncture and now the bulge. The only recourse is to put the spare on which I don’t really trust as it is old. It looks like the original spare that came with the truck but has really good tread. I unhooked the trailer so I didn’t need to lift all that weight with the jack. I had the tire changed within a few minutes and we were ready to go.

We encountered a few rain showers east of Gallup but the sky to the west of Gallup was black. We pulled into USA RV Park west of Gallup and just pulled into our site when the rain started. We waited in the truck for the shower to pass and then hooked up the utilities. I no sooner got that done and it really rained hard along with pea size hail. After our problems a few years ago in Texas, I hate hail. It sounds like the skylights are going to come in.

When we opened up the rig Clyda discovered the sink had dropped on one side in the kitchen. Investigation showed the metal clips had bent from the weight of the thinks we carry in the sink while traveling. I will remove the clips and re-bend them for now but long term, they need to be replaced. Again, another place where the manufacturer skimps.

The park has WiFi but it doesn’t reach our trailer so I drove to the park office and used the laptop in the truck to download email. I will send the replies in the morning. This campground is full, in fact the guy in the office said he had 125 rigs in here last night. For all the people here it is very quit. I think all those old people go to bed early. Ha-ha.

Wednesday, October 3, 2007

Just Driving

Location, Fort Sumner, NM

The coolest morning we have had in quit some time with the temperature at 59 degrees. We got the rig ready to go then went to the park office where we were served free pancakes and coffee. Eggs and bacon cost $1 each. We still managed to leave around 9 AM.

Our route today continued north on Hwy 87 Lamesa, then north on 137 to Brownfield where we switched to Hwy 385 to by-pass Lubbek. From there we took Hwy 84 to Clovis and Fort Sumner, New Mexico.

The temperature remained at 74 degrees for most of the drive but eventually climbed to 84 later in the day.

Valley View RV Park in Fort Sumner had once been a mobile home park and still had mobiles in part of it. The sites were all pull thrus and long so we didn’t un-hitch for the night. There was good cable TV which helped pass the time.

My laptop quit while Clyda was using it. After trying several things, it seems it may be over heating. I tried it later with it raised higher off the table and that seemed to help. I don’t need PC problems right now. No WiFi so the blog didn’t get posted.

Monday, October 1, 2007

On the road and headed west

Location, Houston, TX

I drained what little water we had in the grey tanks and used my new air compressor to top off the air bags on the truck. After breakfast and all the outside connections stowed I started to back the truck under the hitch when Diane and the grandkids drove up. I guess Ivy made Diane promise last night that they would come see us before we left. It is really hard to leave them.

Eventually we got on the road about 9:20 and drove west on Hwy 290 toward Austin and arrived in Fredericksburg about 2:15. We are staying at Fredericksburg RV Park. We have free WiFi here so I can continue the blog.

We went out to dinner as we usually do while here mostly because of the German restaurants and beirgatens. Tonight we were looking for Texas BBQ but all the BBQ places are closed for dinner. Wonder why? So, when in Fredericksburg go for German. We ate outdoors at Alderdorf on Hwy 290. We have never eaten here before but the schnitzel was excellent. The town is getting ready for Octoberfest this coming weekend. The tents and sun shades are going up and I am sure there will be plenty of oompah music and beer.

A stop for some groceries and then for fuel and we are back at the trailer. I must say, I am tired tonight. I can’t imagine why? Could it be the grandchildren? No, must be old age. Ha-ha.

Birthday party

Location, Houston, TX

Today, at 2:30 PM is Matthew’s birthday party for his friends. But first, there was church in the morning. I also went to 8:30 Mass then drove several miles west of Houston to a Kroger Grocery store which had much cheaper diesel fuel than the local stations. With my 3 cent discount card I only paid $2.70 per gallon while every other gas station wanted $2.99 per gallon. What gives with that?

Back at the RV I started putting things in order so we can leave on Monday. I dumped the holding tanks, and the big thing was to pump up the tires as I let air out when I am not pulling the trailer to help soften the ride. While putting air into one of the tires, my air compressor quit. Well, not exactly quit, more like a scream. Obviously, the pump broke. What to do now?

I finished all the other chores and we decided to go over to Tim’s house a little early so I could stop at Sears Hardware and see if I could talk them into a trade for my broken air compressor. They actually had the same compressor on the shelf like mine. I took one to the counter but the computer wouldn’t let them make the trade. Sorry!!!

I next stopped at a gas station to use their compressor but it would shut off before I could get much air into the tire. My experience has been that I can’t get the required 80 PSI out of most air pumps at service stations.

We drove to Tim’s house where all the party decorations were done, the games all set out, the ice chests full of drinks, and chairs ready for parents to sit on. I was explaining to Tim my dilemma about the tires and he suggested we go to his local fast lube place where he has lots of work done, as they had a larger air compressor. It sounded good so off we went about 1 hour before the party started. Tim explained our problem to the “boss” and pulled up to the bay as the air compressor was inside. I said I wanted 80 lbs in the rear tires. When I looked around, one of the techs was putting air in the front tires. I told him to stop and let air out until I had 50 lbs. The rear tires were now pumped up when we heard someone under the truck in the pit ask a question. I looked under the truck and this guy had drained my oil and replaced the filter while we were pumping up the rear tires. I went ballistic!!!!!!!!! I had just had an oil change less than 100 miles ago. Not only that, I use DELO 400, and they had just drained it all into their sump. Here we sit, close to party time, no oil in the truck, and it is a Sunday. Where am I going to get oil????

It turns out they stock DELO 400, so 5 minutes later, I have had a complete oil change at no charge. As we left, Tim and I just looked at each other like, “What the heck just happened”?

I now have air in the tires but still have no way of putting air in on the road so we decided to stop at good ol Sears Hardware again and look at some higher priced compressors. They had a larger model which actually was on sale for $119. After looking around, we found a stack of them in an isle with a $95 price tag on them. GREAT! A bargain to boot! Tim carry’s it up to the register where it rings up at $119. We both say, “It’s on sale for $95”. The lady says, “Bring me the sales tag”. Tim’s gets the tag which the lady looks at and says “It’s out of date”. We both say, “Well, not our fault the tag didn’t get removed”. They sold it to me at the sale price and discounted the extra one year warranty to boot. I paid $117 for the compressor. It has separate meters for tank pressure and hose pressure, as well as 2 quick disconnect outlets for hoses, a water drain, and a complete accessory kit with all the fittings, etc. What a deal. I put oil in the compressor and tested it before I left Tim’s house.

Now it was party time as Matthew’s friends, 12 of them, showed up. They played on the trampoline, the cable slide, croquet, and polish golf. Inside there was a sign up list for the Wii. Kids love the Wii!!!

Dessert was homemade sundaes and cupcakes. Each kid got a dish of ice cream and then added whatever toppings they wanted. I think a lot of it went into the trash as their eyes were bigger than their stomachs. Diane had some science experiments for the kids. They made “flubber, silly putty, and gak”. The flubber was a big hit. Each kid got to take a baggy home. There was a piñata which had to be taped up a few times as the first swing took the body off. Eventually, all the kids got to swing at it.


The party was a big hit and didn’t end until after 5 PM. We, the adults took a break after everyone left and then I grilled New York steaks, served with a salad and sourdough bread for dinner.

We played a few hands of “Impulse” before saying our goodbyes and going back to the trailer. It was really hard to say goodbye after 3 intense weeks with the grandkids.

Sorry about the length of this entry.

Saturday, September 29, 2007

Happy Birthday Grandson!!!

Location, Houston, TX

Today is Matthew’s birthday. Ivy spent the night with us and wanted to go back to her house as soon as she woke up as Matthew had asked for doughnuts for his birthday breakfast. We drove over and watched Matthew open his presents and then Tim fixed a quick breakfast. Matthew got clothes and a Wii which for the uninitiated is an interactive computer device connected to a TV. One or two people can play games such a baseball, boxing, tennis, etc with it. Kids love it.

Matthew had a soccer game at 1 PM so we all drove to George Bush Park south west of Houston. We set up a shade canopy as it was hot in the sun. Matthew’s team is in second place in his league and they were playing the first place team. It was a close played game but Matthew’s team scored two goals and shut out the other team. They now hold first place and are 4 and 0. A great birthday present.

The kids spent the remainder of the day playing with the Wii and another computer game. The day ended with birthday cake and a few rounds of a card game called “Impulse”.

Friday, September 28, 2007

Busy day

Location, Houston, TX

Last minute shopping this morning for things we need and things we don’t really need but would be nice. I’ve mentioned it before, how nice the shopping is here in Copperfield, actually, Northwest Houston.

I have been working on the food assignments for our upcoming desert trip in late October. I have it down to a science by now but there usually is a wrench in the works at the last minute. Today was no exception. I no more than sent out the preliminary assignments than someone had a change of schedule. I will need to take a longer look at the changes that causes before I resend the information.

Tonight was soccer practice for Matthew and Brownies for Ivy so the ladies went to the Brownie meeting and the guys went to soccer practice. After practice, we stopped to eat. Matthew decided to order a large piece of chocolate cake for dessert which was too large for him to finish so he brought most of it home. Of course, Grandpa had to have a few bites.


Tomorrow is the big 9th birthday for Matthew. He also has a soccer game in the afternoon. It will be a busy day I am sure. We will celebrate his birthday on Sunday afternoon.

Thursday, September 27, 2007

Chance encounter

Location, Houston, TX

The other day, one of those chance encounters happened which I only read about on someone else’s blog. I had been scanning the “Hitchitch” website and happened to read “the Odyssey” travelogue. I saw that “Odyssey” was located in Traders Village so at 9:30 at night I told Clyda I was going for a walk to see if I could find it. “It” was parked 2 rows behind us. Because we were busy the next day, I finally decided to email Sean and Louise to see if we could meet before we left on Monday. Louise answered and we got together at 3 this afternoon for an hours conversation. Thank you Sean and Louise. We hope our paths cross again.

Check out their website on Hitchitch.com for a really unique motor home.

As I write this we are getting our first rain in 2 1/2 weeks and I forgot to roll the windows all the way up on the truck. If I go out now I will get drowned. What a bummer.

We spent the morning getting haircuts, shopping for short pants for me, picking up supplies at Costco, and buying a few groceries.

Tuesday, September 25, 2007

A Chamber of Commerce promo

Location, Houston, TX

I have mentioned in past blogs that we are at Traders Village in Houston. This a very large commercial “swap meet” area which is only open on weekends. Next to it is the RV Park with lots of sites with grass between each site. The sites are somewhat close together but the area we are in, the transit area, is fine.

I really like this part of Houston. We are located in the far northwest along the Hwy 6 beltway and Hwy 290 junction on Eldridge Road. When we first started coming here several years ago there was still a lot of open property designated for commercial development. Much of that open space has been and is being developed now. Of course, that means more traffic. There has been a very noticeable increase in traffic since we were here 2 years ago.

Even with the increased traffic, I still really like the area. All of the residential areas have parkways in the center of main routes with trees and plants which are maintained by home owner’s fees. It gives a very nice clean look to the developments. Home Owner’s Associations help maintain clipped lawns and trimmed plants by “dunning” the home owner if the property is not taken care of.

The major traffic routes are also the main commercial areas. There are lots of stores, services, and eating establishments within a few minutes drive, in any direction. The grocery stores are plentiful and for the most part, large and new. Our choice of shopping is unlimited.

So much for the Chamber of Commerce tour.

Yesterday we dropped by a local used book store to browse. We have shopped this store before but found the books to be rather “pricey” this time. We did find a few “bargain books” which made the trip worthwhile. After grocery shopping in a nice big, fairly new Kroger’s, Clyda got dinner items ready to take over to Tim and Diane’s house around 4:30. We BBQ’d chicken breasts and had salads with mint brownies for dessert. We all watched a movie before we came back to the RV.

Today, Sept 25th, I bought oil and will get the oil changed tomorrow. I also bought new windshield wipers as the old ones were coming apart.

We took Ivy to her ballet lesson after lunch and Clyda stayed to help with reading school work while I came back to the RV to back up the data from the laptop to my portable hard drive.

Sunday, September 23, 2007

Soccer

Location, Houston, TX

Yesterday was the weekend sale day at Traders Village. It was very warm and less than a capacity crowd showed up. I wanted to see the used book lady but apparently she has quit the business as her space was occupied by someone else. I took a quick look around but did not find any used books. Bummer.

Clyda meanwhile had taken the grandkids to the pool. There were other kids there so they enjoyed that.

This morning I delivered Clyda to son Tim’s house at 8:30 while on my way to church at 8:45. After church I came back to the trailer and washed the dishes and loaded stuff in the truck for Matthew’s soccer game at 1:45 Pm. Tim and family and Clyda came directly from church services to the soccer field. The game was held in Bear Creek Park which is soccer fields as far as you can see. Matthew was invited to play in a traveling league a while back and this was the third game for the team. So far they have won all three games. For 8 and 9 year olds they did very well. What was impressive was the team play moving the ball down the field which they had practiced on Friday. It worked to perfection.

Matthew (in white) moving the ball.

After dinner tonight, Diane made ice cream in one of those plastic balls you roll around to make it freeze. The ice cream mix is in the center while the ice and salt crystals surround it. The kids rolled the ball around on the trampoline which keeps the ball clean and works very well. Tonight we had cinnamon flavor. Tasty!!

Good looking grandkids!

Friday, September 21, 2007

Computer time

Location, Houston, TX

I hate to say it but I spent most of the day on the computer again. I have been working on the desert trip menus and schedules. I called Main Street Station in Las Vegas and have a reservation for 12 nights in their RV Park thanks to www.casionocamper.com. This will be really convenient while my sister and brother are at The Four Queens. I had planned to move to the KOA at Circus-Circus on the 18th but may just stay a Main Street Station. It certainly is cheaper.

I did go out in the afternoon and wash one side of the trailer with the brush. It does an ok job but not as good as an old fashioned scrub mitt. I will work my way around the rig next week.

We went to the grandkids house around 3 PM and played math games with them. They really are smart kids and I am always amazed at their math skills.

Tim BBQ’d marinated sliced pork loin and zucchini strips with oak wood and rosemary to provide a smoky flavor. Wonderful flavor!!!

We had a fire in the chimenea on the patio until the mosquitoes drove us inside.

Matthew is spending the night with us and we will take him to soccer practice tomorrow morning.

Thursday, September 20, 2007

Layed back day

Location, Houston, TX

The day started slow and with a lot less humidity than yesterday. I finally pumped up the tire on the truck and we drove it to Discount tire where they repaired it for free. What a deal!!!

We had some other shopping to do so finished up those chores and came back to the RV for lunch. I fixed a few more things around the trailer. We have glass fronts in some of our upper cabinets which are glued in. This glue is drying out and the glass is loose. I used glazing points to secure the glass. Later, we drove over to have an early dinner with the grandkids and then attended Matthews Cub Scout Pack meeting. After the meeting we completed a rousing game of “Life”. Matthew won the game.

Wednesday, September 19, 2007

Work, work, work!!!!!

Location, Houston, TX

This was a work day. I started by emptying part of the front storage bay again to complete the drying out process. I put the small fan on to dry out the area that got wet from the shower drain.

I noticed the driver’s side rear tire on the truck was low on air again. It had been fine since the valve stem was replaced in Canada. A quick check didn’t show anything obvious so I pumped it back up. I washed the truck and vacuumed the inside. It looks almost normal again.

The next project was the vent cover in the kitchen area. I removed the Maxxair cover and the vent cover fell apart when I touched it. Several minutes of work and it was removed. I decided to wait until after lunch to buy a replacement.

The temperature was climbing by this time along with the humidity so I took lots of breaks to cool off inside and check emails, etc.

The nearest RV parts store is only a few miles from here so in a mater of minutes I had a new vent cover. A half hours work and it was installed. The parts salesman said to wax the cover with a good UV protectorant, which I just happen to have, to prolong the life of the cover.

Next I tackled the shower drain leak. I removed the u-trap completely and put a coating of pipe dope on the threads before I re-installed it. I hope that does the trick.

A recheck of the truck tire showed it loosing air. This time the culprit, a nail, was obvious. So tomorrow, I will pump it up and find a tire shop.

Tim came by this evening and showed us some of his power-point presentations he uses for work. Great stuff!!!

Tuesday, September 18, 2007

A weeks worth of blog

Location, Houston, TX

To back up a few days or I should say, several days to catch up with the blog.

We left Texarkana, TX on Sunday, Sept 9th and drove to Greenville, TX in time for lunch with Bill and Marilyn, our daughter-in-law Diane’s parents. Shortly after we arrived the sky let loose and we had 3.5 inches of rain in an hour and a half. We watched as the water level rose towards the front door step and the streets flowed from curb to curb. It was quite exciting and ultimately caused us a lot of wet carpet in the bedroom as the slide seal on one side wasn’t working as it should. I turned on the AC and put a small fan on the wet area. Because of the humidity, the carpet smelled after 2 days so we spread a liberal coating of baking soda over it all. The AC, fan, and baking soda did the trick. What also helped was no rain for the last week.

On Monday Sept, 10th we drove to Dallas after lunch and visited the Kennedy museum at the Texas School Book Depository at Deally Plaza. I had been here shortly after the assassination but there was no memorial then. It was quite interesting to look back at that time.



The "X" marks the spot where Kennedy was shot.

We left Greenville on Tuesday and drove to New Braunfels, TX and camping on the Guadalupe River with son Tim, wife Diane and grandkids, Matthew 8 and Ivy 6. The river was way up because of the amount of water being released from Canyon Lake. Most campgrounds had some flooding and campsites were much smaller because of the high water. I had concerns about backing my trailer up to the water because of the soft ground. I did get stuck but managed to unhook the trailer and Tim poured gravel in my tracks and we did get the trailer parked.


Flooded campsites with raging river in the background.

On Thursday and Friday Tim’s family floated down the Comal River on inner tubes and Clyda and I acted as pickup drivers at the take out place. The Comal is a short river which goes through New Braunfels. It is also cold water as it comes from underground springs. On Thursday everyone was quite chilled when they reached the take out point after two and one half hours.

On Friday, Tim and Clyda floated the river while everyone else played in the water. Matthew and Ivy swim like fish.

On Saturday, Sept 15th we all went to Schlitterbahn which is a very large water park built in three sections. One admission price covers all the properties. We carried in our drinks and lunch and stashed them in a convenient place. After a liberal coating of sun screen, we floated the man made river which also has waves much like the ocean. It is only 3 feet deep so lots of people walk/swim the loop. It really is quit nice. There are three tall rides which drop from a large platform. The Black Knight is a 2 person tube ride inside a black pipe which Matthew and I did. We had a good ride. The Master Blaster is a 2 person tube ride which blasts you uphill with water jets. Hang on to your swim suit on this one as the water jets tend to “de-pants” you! The Wolf Pack slide is a raft slide with up to 4 persons in the raft. The more weight, the better the ride. Tim, Matthew and I had a great ride. We almost tipped the raft over while in a turn. The raft folded like a taco with Matthew on the high side. His eyes got real big for a few seconds.

On Sunday Sept 16th, the last day Schlitterbahn was open for this season, we did lots of rides in the older section of the park. Of course, there were much fewer people because traditionally the park sells this day to large groups. Most people don’t know the park is even open on Sunday. The kids spent most of the day in the water and swam the rivers like fish. It is a great family water park.

On Monday, Sept 17th we had a big breakfast of French Toast and packed up to leave. It is about 180 miles back to Houston and we arrived about 5:20 PM. For most of our previous stays at Traders Village we have a lousy campsite because our trailer was small and could be put anywhere. There are lots of live-in people here and at times the place could use a good cleaning out. This time however because of the larger rig, we got a premo site and for $14.95 a week, good Wi-Fi internet.

Today, Tues Sept 18th, we spent the morning cleaning the river sand and yuck out of the trailer. I removed stuff from the storage bay to dry it out. We have a leak from the shower when we fill the shower holding tank too full. This has only happened once before and that was last year in Texas also while camped for a week. I usually empty the tanks oftener but didn’t want to move it on Sunday just to dump the tank. I guess I will try to fix the problem for good this time.

We need a new vent cover for the roof vent in the kitchen and I need to replace the roof caulk around all the skylights. The one over the shower leaked during the last rains. Oh, the joys of owning an RV.

Monday, September 17, 2007

Live in Houston!!!!

Location, Houston, TX

Contrary to rumors, we have not fallen off the face of the Earth, but have been out of internet and cell phone access for a week. Thanks to all of you who called and wondered what had happened to us.

The truth is we spent a week with our grandkids camping on the Guadalupe River near New Braunfels, TX. The grandkids really do come before the blog anytime.

We are now at Traders Village in Houston for 12 days. More on our adventures tomorrow.

Saturday, September 8, 2007

Barges on the Mississippi River

Location, Texarkana, TX


We watched tugs pushing barges both up and down the Mississippi River from the camper last night and this morning before we left Tom Sawyer RV Park in West Memphis. Pretty neat!


We drove I-40 to Texarkana today. It is a boring drive but you really need to be on your toes all the time because of the trucks passing. I-40 is truck heaven. We probably saw 5,000 trucks today, no kidding. The road is mostly in good condition but there are parts that try your soul. The old concrete is warped and buckled and really bounces the trailer around.

We are stopped for the night at a KOA. After arriving we drove downtown to see the post office/courthouse building which sits half in Arkansas and half in Texas. The crepe myrtle in front of the building was in bloom and looked really nice.


A story from 2 days ago: some people may remember the song “Convoy” by C. W. McCall from years ago. In the song the truck convoy picks up a truck load of pigs going to market. The smell is so bad; they tell the driver to get way back in the convoy. Well, I can vouch for the smell. We followed a truck as it entered the Interstate in Illinois loaded with large hogs. The smell was so bad that I dropped back until I was at least a mile behind and we could still smell the pigs.

Friday, September 7, 2007

Tom Sawyer in Memphis

Location, West Memphis, AR

We left St Louis early this morning to beat a rainstorm which hit as we left the campground. It continued to rain hard as we crossed the Mississippi River into Missouri and traveled south on I-55. This is a very good road which is concrete that has been shaved by machine for a nice smooth ride. Of course, as soon as we hit the Arkansas state line the road went to heck so I dropped our speed way down.

We planned to stay at Tom Sawyer Campground on the Mississippi River but the maps and Trailer Life were wrong. We ended up crossing the river into Memphis before we could turn around. We did find the campground and yes it is on the river and it is very nice. They have a new area set aside for 5th wheel trailers. The concrete pads are so level that the water doesn’t drain from them. We got set up just as the sky let loose and it really rained. They also have free WI-FI which works. Yahoo!!!!


We saw tugs pushing barges past our window.

Thursday, September 6, 2007

Gateway

Location, East St Louis, IL

We had a change of plans this morning. Originally, I had planned to go south from Davenport, IA on Hwy 61 and 67 to St Louis. However, after looking at the time involved too travel this route; I decided we should go via the interstate system. We drove south from Davenport on I-74 then I-55 to St Louis. This is a faster and fuel saving route.

It rained shortly after we started and intermittently through out the trip. We camped at Cahokia RV Parque in East St Louis which is in an industrial area but an OK park. They did have WI-FI for $4.25 a day but I elected not to use it.

I thought there was a casino next to the park but got it mixed up with another campground near by which is at a casino. We did drive through some of the worst areas of East St Louis to get to the casino that I have ever seen. A lot of it was dilapidated industrial area and some was being rebuilt but my goodness, what a mess. There was a new Ethanol plant going up along the river, a part of the big Ethanol push. Passing under an overpass we had to cross a large pool of water which was about 10 inches deep. The drain must have been plugged.

The Casino Queen has a new building and was very busy last night. The slots were full of people but I didn’t here of many winners. We ate at the buffet which featured filet mignon for tonight. Mine was not very tasty but Clyda’s was very good. The Cardinals baseball team played yesterday and the game had a long rain delay so many of the people came to the casino after the game. We did get a nice picture of the Gateway Arch from the casino parking lot.

Wednesday, September 5, 2007

Commentary

Location, Davenport, IA

I want to add some comments that really belong in yesterday’s blog. When we drove south from Dorchester we drove 2 lane country roads to Mauston, WI and then to Cazenovia. South of Necedah they are building a huge ethanol plant. This is one of a possible three new plants for this area.

Anyone who drove through farm country this summer is certainly aware of how much corn was planted this spring. Corn is the pre-dominate crop his year. A radio program we heard earlier in our trip reported that US farmers planted 14 million more acres of corn this year than last year. All are trying to get on the government dole for the new ethanol push which is supposed to help with our oil imports.

Environmentalists are all ready complaining about the effects of planting more corn on the pollution problems with our rivers. All that extra fertilizer flows into streams which eventually flow to the ocean. It is a real not an imagined problem which no one else appears to be addressing. As usual, people will jump on the latest hot money making scheme even if it hurts the country as a whole.

End of political statement.

We had a little problem this morning while trying to dump our holding tanks. The kitchen sink grey water dump valve wouldn’t open. Of course the tank is full. I cut a hole in the belly covering under the trailer to see if I could get to the valve. I can see the valve but I think the slide part disconnected from the handle so it won’t open. I tried to get the trailer into an RV dealer when we arrived in Davenport but all are booked for weeks to come. I did buy a new valve this afternoon and hope to install it while in Greenville, TX in a few days. In the meantime, we will do the dishes in a dishpan and dump the water into the bathroom sink. More on this later in the week.

It is amazing how much the trees have changed in the last 2 weeks. We thought the early fall colors were due to the lack of rain in northern Wisconsin but found that trees are changing colors all the way south. This tree was in Lime Ridge in southern Wisconsin



We drove through southern Wisconsin to Dubuque, IA then south on Hwy 61 to Davenport. It was only about 132 miles total. We are staying at Interstate RV Park north of Davenport off of I-80. The country is all farming with rolling hills. Tomorrow we will travel the interstate as we have almost 300 miles to do.

Tuesday, September 4, 2007

Here We Go Again!!!!

Location, Spring Green, WI

On Monday we grilled hamburgers for my folks and then said our goodbyes. I know they wish we were staying around here if nothing else, for the meals we prepare each day. But, we need to move on. We then drove to Marshfield to see my cousin Jim and his wife Sharon. It was good to see them both even if only for a few hours. We need to keep in better contact by email. After supper, we went to our friends Sharon and Kenny’s in Dorchester house to play “Catch Phrase” along with Lawrence and Joanne. We had a great time and played until near midnight. It made it hard to get up this morning.


We left Dorchester this morning and drove to the Carr Valley Cheese Company out side of La Valle, WI. We stopped here last year and watched them make cheese. Today they were all through making cheese but the finished cheese was still in the press. We bought a few items but mainly cheese curds to take with us.

We drove back to Cazanovia, WI and stopped at my Cousin Shirley’s house. She and her husband Ed live next to a small lake which flooded their basement in the recent heavy rains in this area. We haven’t seen each other since the last family reunion in Dorchester several years ago. They are very busy with some remodeling but were kind enough to spend a few hours catching up on family affairs.

From Cazanovia, we drove to Bob’s Riverside RV Resort along the Wisconsin River in Spring Green, WI. Wonder of wonders, they have WI-FI and it works in our trailer! I have really missed having a constant connection to the internet. I downloaded 197 emails.

There are several things to do in this area so we may get a late start tomorrow and check out a few.