We took Phaeton Place in to Holt CAT on the Monday after Thanksgiving and they had her till Friday afternoon. The mechanic came out and talked with us and showed us the parts he replaced. It seems the injector cups have seals on them and the seals were worn and crumbly on at least one of them. He replaced all six of them and then they had to backflush the radiator and filled it with new antifreeze. The seals being worn allowed diesel fuel to flow into the radiator. When the radiator got too full, it would shoot fluid, which was diesel fuel mixed with antifreeze, out the overflow, which is exactly what Terry said was happening. We knew the fluid was coming from there, but we didn't know what it was, since it didn't appear to be fuel nor antifreeze. And we didn't know why it was happening. In reality, it was a mixture of both. In addition to those repairs, Terry had them do an oil change since it had been 8,000 miles since our last one. Also, we still have been having some fuel leakage somewhere and Terry found the fuel inlet tubes to be the problem. Those had to be ordered from Freightliner and then were installed. We are certainly hoping our problems of late are behind us now. We actually have had several things that were causing us headaches, but they can all be traced back to the problems that have now been fixed or repaired. The CAT RV service center (Holt CAT in Edinburg, Texas), were very nice to work with, efficient, and worked with our extended warranty, which was great for us. The repairs were not as expensive as we had thought they would be.
We picked up Phaeton Place on Friday and drove north on 281 to give her a bit of a test. All went well and we turned around and headed home so we could get there before dark. We were towing the car in the event we had any trouble. We did fine and got backed in without any trouble. We didn't set her up because we intended to go for a longer drive on Saturday.
Saturday morning we pulled out once again, hitched up the truck and took off down the expressway. We drove all the way to Harlingen and stopped at the new Bass Pro store where we walked around and bought nothing. LOL Once back in the motorhome, we fired up the generator and microwaved our lunch before heading for home. By the time we got back, we had put about 130 miles on the coach since the repair. Everything seems to be working very well and we are pleased with the performance. If you are in the valley and need any service on your CAT engine, we can recommend Holt CAT in Edinburg.
We have spent several days moving back into the coach. We had so much stuff we had taken out and over to the Texas Room. Other stuff we stored temporarily in Mom and Dad's trailer because there was no room for it in the Texas Room since we were having to live there too. Now that we've gotten stuff moved out, I have started decorating for Christmas. I usually start with the trees and I got the outside one put up. When I opened the indoor tree box, I could see that the white tree was now dark brown. Last year there was a limb or two that was discolored, but this year the entire tree was ugly brown. I thought at first I might put it up, but I decided that would not do. It just did not look very good. I got out the little motorhome tree and put it up in the corner on a stand. It looks quite nice there. We did go looking for another tree, but I haven't found one that I like. I will probably wait until after Christmas and find one on sale. I did find a little "table" tree at Target. I put some lights on it and some teeny tiny ornaments that really set it off. So we do have three trees up!
This morning our activities director, Sharon, had a workshop on making wreaths with that wide mesh. I had already bought a roll of it and all the accessories because I had planned on learning how to make one this year. So I was ready when the opportunity came! It didn't take long, but I took my time and I think it turned out really well.
This evening we went over to Pleasant Valley, the park next door, for their hamburger night. Terry had a hamburger and I had a chicken breast sandwich. It was good and for $5 you got a sandwich, chips, cole slaw, drink and dessert. We will probably go back.
We still are walking every morning and ride bikes every afternoon. Today it was really foggy. Walking down the street it was almost too foggy to see the doorsteps on the trailers! It started clearing up quickly, but still lingered for quite some time. We are having warm weather now. It starts out cool in the morning, then hot in the late afternoon, then cool again in the evenings.
Tomorrow I am planning on going over to Pleasant Valley in the afternoon. They have Spanish classes for those who want to learn the language. I hope it is worthwhile because I would like to learn.
Till next time. . .
Dale
Wednesday, December 09, 2015
Saturday, November 28, 2015
Been A'While. . .
We have enjoyed very good weather since we arrived here in the Valley. We have been in shorts most days except for like . . . today. We had a cold front come through last night and things really cooled down.
Mom and Dad are not here. Dad does not want to spend three days riding in the car to get here. I can't blame him. Mom doesn't want to fly, but they have considered it. Time will tell. It is much colder up there already, but I don't think it's a bad place for them. Their grandkids visit occasionally and they are just a few steps from Nita's place. They spent Thanksgiving there and they had a lot more people around them there than they do here. Daddy even says that he knows so few people here anymore and that's probably true because as people get older, they either don't come down anymore or they die. Unfortunately the average age of the residents in this park is "old," and that is happening more and more. We plan to spend our winters here with them, so if they do decide to come down we will be here.
They were able to attend a Veteran's Day program at one of their great grandson's school in Lafayette, Indiana. Dad got to stand and be recognized and he really enjoyed accepting the accolades from the crowd. He is very proud of his service in the South Pacific during World War II and we are very proud of him. There aren't that many WWII vets left anymore and Daddy is 91.
We have been working on getting things cleaned up and I must say, we haven't taxed ourselves doing that. We walk every morning and ride bikes every afternoon, so we have been getting some exercise. We already visited with friends that we somehow missed all last year, so that is good. We went out to eat with them at the Riverside, for tenderloins of course, and it was very good.
The park is not very full. We probably only have enough people on our street to fill up one side. More will come in after Thanksgiving and then more even after Christmas.
Thanksgiving was good. We had a great meal down at the hall. This year I helped get the turkeys in the roasters and then went back a few hours later to carve them and get that mess cleaned up. It's not a bad job and both times, it was just about 1 to 1 1/2 hours of work. A lot of workers makes for a short session.
This week will be busy. We have been unloading the motorhome as it is going into the shop on Monday. We are having an engine problem and we need to get it fixed. In fact, we can't leave until we do. We talked with the CAT service center and they seem very knowledgeable about what was happening and the potential cause, so that was encouraging. And they will work with our extended warranty company, so that's a plus. They think they will just have it a week tops, so we are hoping that is the case. In the meantime, we will be living in the Texas Room. It will be cramped but comfortable with all the necessities. We have been hauling stuff out of the closet as they may have to get into the hatches to access the engine. That is a real job and the reason they charge motorhomes $140/hour labor. But it has to be fixed. We cannot run far until it is done.
While the motorhome is out from under the canopy, we are having it birdproofed. There was so much bird crap on the pad and around the Texas room that is is actually a health hazard, so we are having the purlins wrapped. It is expensive because they are using steel to do it and it's rather labor intensive, setting up scaffolding, etc. But when it's done the pigeons will have to find someplace else to roost. We are also adding some spikey strips on the shed and the Texas room. We are hoping that takes care of the problem.
Till next time. . .
Dale
Mom and Dad are not here. Dad does not want to spend three days riding in the car to get here. I can't blame him. Mom doesn't want to fly, but they have considered it. Time will tell. It is much colder up there already, but I don't think it's a bad place for them. Their grandkids visit occasionally and they are just a few steps from Nita's place. They spent Thanksgiving there and they had a lot more people around them there than they do here. Daddy even says that he knows so few people here anymore and that's probably true because as people get older, they either don't come down anymore or they die. Unfortunately the average age of the residents in this park is "old," and that is happening more and more. We plan to spend our winters here with them, so if they do decide to come down we will be here.
They were able to attend a Veteran's Day program at one of their great grandson's school in Lafayette, Indiana. Dad got to stand and be recognized and he really enjoyed accepting the accolades from the crowd. He is very proud of his service in the South Pacific during World War II and we are very proud of him. There aren't that many WWII vets left anymore and Daddy is 91.
We have been working on getting things cleaned up and I must say, we haven't taxed ourselves doing that. We walk every morning and ride bikes every afternoon, so we have been getting some exercise. We already visited with friends that we somehow missed all last year, so that is good. We went out to eat with them at the Riverside, for tenderloins of course, and it was very good.
The park is not very full. We probably only have enough people on our street to fill up one side. More will come in after Thanksgiving and then more even after Christmas.
Thanksgiving was good. We had a great meal down at the hall. This year I helped get the turkeys in the roasters and then went back a few hours later to carve them and get that mess cleaned up. It's not a bad job and both times, it was just about 1 to 1 1/2 hours of work. A lot of workers makes for a short session.
This week will be busy. We have been unloading the motorhome as it is going into the shop on Monday. We are having an engine problem and we need to get it fixed. In fact, we can't leave until we do. We talked with the CAT service center and they seem very knowledgeable about what was happening and the potential cause, so that was encouraging. And they will work with our extended warranty company, so that's a plus. They think they will just have it a week tops, so we are hoping that is the case. In the meantime, we will be living in the Texas Room. It will be cramped but comfortable with all the necessities. We have been hauling stuff out of the closet as they may have to get into the hatches to access the engine. That is a real job and the reason they charge motorhomes $140/hour labor. But it has to be fixed. We cannot run far until it is done.
While the motorhome is out from under the canopy, we are having it birdproofed. There was so much bird crap on the pad and around the Texas room that is is actually a health hazard, so we are having the purlins wrapped. It is expensive because they are using steel to do it and it's rather labor intensive, setting up scaffolding, etc. But when it's done the pigeons will have to find someplace else to roost. We are also adding some spikey strips on the shed and the Texas room. We are hoping that takes care of the problem.
Till next time. . .
Dale
Labels:
canopy,
Mom and Dad,
motorhome,
Texas,
Thanksgiving,
Veteran's Day
Friday, November 06, 2015
Rio Grande Valley!
We made it down to our lot in the Rio Grande Valley on Wednesday. We spent the night in Edinburg, Texas, at a park that is good for an overnight. That way, we only had 39 miles to drive in the morning, would arrived before noon, and be able to clean up the pad a bit before backing in. The pigeons love crapping all over the concrete. Not as much this year as in years before, but they hit the Texas Room worse this time. We are settled in and working a little bit each day to brighten up the place.
We had to start by whacking back our cacti. I love cactus, but I am continually reminded that they are actually a weed and thereby don't play by all the rules. My aloe plants are taking over and threaten to pierce the other cactus on the front, so I think I will be removing one of those. The prickly pear type we planted is growing so fast. They had to be trimmed before we could back in. I will have to start picking up the leaves. I bought new leather gloves just to do that with, so hopefully I can save my hands. It is a fact that cactus grow the most during the hottest, driest parts of the the summer. They don't grow or bloom much in the winter. That is curious.
This morning we went to Quinta Mazatlan, an adobe home that is one of the largest adobe homes in Texas. It is run by the city of McAllen as a historical site. It was a single family dwelling owned by two different families until it was taken over by the city. The gardens around it attract a lot of native birds and insects. It is a lovely place and very well kept now.
Tomorrow is Pulga day, which is the Mexican flea market. We like to go there. It's just across the street and there are always lots of fruits and vegetables to buy.
We have all winter to get our work done. :-)
Till next time. . .
Dale
We had to start by whacking back our cacti. I love cactus, but I am continually reminded that they are actually a weed and thereby don't play by all the rules. My aloe plants are taking over and threaten to pierce the other cactus on the front, so I think I will be removing one of those. The prickly pear type we planted is growing so fast. They had to be trimmed before we could back in. I will have to start picking up the leaves. I bought new leather gloves just to do that with, so hopefully I can save my hands. It is a fact that cactus grow the most during the hottest, driest parts of the the summer. They don't grow or bloom much in the winter. That is curious.
This morning we went to Quinta Mazatlan, an adobe home that is one of the largest adobe homes in Texas. It is run by the city of McAllen as a historical site. It was a single family dwelling owned by two different families until it was taken over by the city. The gardens around it attract a lot of native birds and insects. It is a lovely place and very well kept now.
Tomorrow is Pulga day, which is the Mexican flea market. We like to go there. It's just across the street and there are always lots of fruits and vegetables to buy.
We have all winter to get our work done. :-)
Till next time. . .
Dale
Monday, November 02, 2015
Houston!
We finally made it to Houston. We arrived on Sunday in time to watch the Nascar race. It was raining pretty hard, however, and we weren't able to get the satellite to work. Once the rain slacked off, the picture came in and we were able to watch it.
Today we went to Terry's cardiology appointment. We were seeing the doctor who did the implantation of his new ICD last year. He is a really nice doctor and we really like him. We had to wait a bit to see him, but there had been a death in his family and he apparently had to take some time off, so they were squeezing everybody in. No problem for us.
When we got done there, we drove over to my cousin Jim's house. He was waiting for us. We had a lunch of grilled cheese and tomato soup and it was really yummy. Jim is doing well and it was great to be able to visit with him this afternoon. We always enjoy touching base with him. His sister Pat will be arriving in a couple weeks and then they will both go back to Oregon for Christmas.
We are staying in a different campground this time. This is Advanced RV Resort in Pearland. We could not get a campsite at our regular haunt here in Houston. But this was a very nice camp. A bit further away from where we needed to be, but certainly do-able. I was able to do laundry here and got all caught up. With all the rain, I had lots of towels to wash from drying the dogs off, etc. I used my washer as well, but took two loads to the laundry here in the park. It was close by and cheap.
Tomorrow we head to the valley but will likely stop short of going in. We like a short drive the last day so we can get in and take our time setting up. It is dry there right now, so we want to get in before it starts raining again.
Till next time. . .
Dale
Today we went to Terry's cardiology appointment. We were seeing the doctor who did the implantation of his new ICD last year. He is a really nice doctor and we really like him. We had to wait a bit to see him, but there had been a death in his family and he apparently had to take some time off, so they were squeezing everybody in. No problem for us.
When we got done there, we drove over to my cousin Jim's house. He was waiting for us. We had a lunch of grilled cheese and tomato soup and it was really yummy. Jim is doing well and it was great to be able to visit with him this afternoon. We always enjoy touching base with him. His sister Pat will be arriving in a couple weeks and then they will both go back to Oregon for Christmas.
We are staying in a different campground this time. This is Advanced RV Resort in Pearland. We could not get a campsite at our regular haunt here in Houston. But this was a very nice camp. A bit further away from where we needed to be, but certainly do-able. I was able to do laundry here and got all caught up. With all the rain, I had lots of towels to wash from drying the dogs off, etc. I used my washer as well, but took two loads to the laundry here in the park. It was close by and cheap.
Tomorrow we head to the valley but will likely stop short of going in. We like a short drive the last day so we can get in and take our time setting up. It is dry there right now, so we want to get in before it starts raining again.
Till next time. . .
Dale
Sunday, November 01, 2015
New Camp
When we left Gary and Jo's, we traveled across Louisiana and to the town of Vinton, just 4 miles from the Texas line. We stayed in a county park called Niblett's Bluff County Park. They had 50 amp with water and a dump station. We stayed there two nights.
It started raining when we got there and continued to rain all the rest of that day and the next. There were flood warnings and we were sitting on the Sabine River. Across the river was Texas. We didn't think too much about it because we were sitting back a ways in the camp and we should have plenty of warning if the river should rise. And the river did rise. I'm not sure how much rain they got, but there was a pretty heavy rain for a day and a half. But also, the areas to the north got heavy rain, so that would all eventually drain into the river.
The day we got there, we went out and walked on the piers which were built in a "U" shape from the shore. They were not floating docks, however, so when the river came up, the piers went under. The boat ramp was the first area to flood, then eventually the piers and it was odd to see the pier benches seemingly floating on top of the water. The were actually affixed to the piers themselves. The fish cleaning stations were under water and the road to the boat ramp was impassable. But we were high enough it didn't bother us and we were able to get out and continue our journey to Houston.
BUT. . . not without stopping first at the Delta Downs casino. We were there less than an hour and walked out with just over $35 to the good. If we had had more time, we might have stayed longer, but we wanted to get on in to Houston.
Till next time. . .
Dale
It started raining when we got there and continued to rain all the rest of that day and the next. There were flood warnings and we were sitting on the Sabine River. Across the river was Texas. We didn't think too much about it because we were sitting back a ways in the camp and we should have plenty of warning if the river should rise. And the river did rise. I'm not sure how much rain they got, but there was a pretty heavy rain for a day and a half. But also, the areas to the north got heavy rain, so that would all eventually drain into the river.
The day we got there, we went out and walked on the piers which were built in a "U" shape from the shore. They were not floating docks, however, so when the river came up, the piers went under. The boat ramp was the first area to flood, then eventually the piers and it was odd to see the pier benches seemingly floating on top of the water. The were actually affixed to the piers themselves. The fish cleaning stations were under water and the road to the boat ramp was impassable. But we were high enough it didn't bother us and we were able to get out and continue our journey to Houston.
BUT. . . not without stopping first at the Delta Downs casino. We were there less than an hour and walked out with just over $35 to the good. If we had had more time, we might have stayed longer, but we wanted to get on in to Houston.
Till next time. . .
Dale
Labels:
Delta Downs,
flood,
Niblett's Park,
Sabine River,
Vinton
Thursday, October 29, 2015
Gary and Jo's!
We left Plantation in Alabama, and drove all the way to cousin Gary's. We had clear skies this day, but it had rained as hard at Gary's as it did in Alabama. They received eight inches of rain! We were afraid we were not going to be able to set Phaeton Place in his yard, but did get that accomplished. There were areas that were a little mushy and still little ponds of water, but we dodged most of that and were able to find a spot where we didn't sink in.
We spent three days here and we had a really enjoyable time. The first night we were there, Jo announced that she was having a pizza party for some cousins that were in town and many family members were invited. I thought that sounded like fun and I wasn't disappointed. Most of them live close by except for the one and they all were happy to see each other. Other relatives popped in and we got to visit with the extended family a bit. That is always fun.
The next day we all went down to Baton Rouge and to the Cabela's store. We all like going there and it was a lot of fun. Afterwards, we had lunch at the Quaker Steak and Lube, which is right next to the Cabela's store. Gary and Jo had never been to one, so we got to introduce them to it! On the way home we did some other shopping too.
Jo had a couple of commitments this week as it was a festival week for her church, so she baked a couple cakes. While she was busy with that, we hung around with Gary. One day, Jo took me to her crochet class at the Pride library and we had a blast there. There were some very interesting ladies crocheting some very beautiful work. Wish I was that talented. One lady, upon hearing I was from Goshen, Indiana, originally, was all excited. She has traced her family genealogy back to there and there are some Amish in her family. Imagine that. So we talked a bit.
Gary, Terry, and I made our annual pilgrimage to the farm ponds in search of Wally Gator. He didn't disappoint, although he was in a different pond that we had ever seen him in. Gary says he travels from one pond to the other, but they have never seen him when he was moving. . . he is already moved by the time they find out. He is an interesting animal. Gary drives the golf cart over to the pond and calls "Wally Gator!" He need only call once or twice and you can usually hear a splash. . . then here he comes. . . moving across the top of the water to where Gary is, cutting a wake and he moves. This day he came right up out of the water on the bank and patiently waited while Gary tossed him some chicken scraps. He looks to be about 7 feet long now. He is definitely a juvenile, but I certainly wouldn't want to tangle with him and neither would Gary. We stay in the golf cart and Gary stands back far enough to be able to jump in the cart and to safety.
Gary and Jo have added to their animal menagerie. They have eight chickens, including two roosters, a little goat, and a miniature burro named Duncan. He is quite the clown and when he "brays" it is loud. I watched him do it and he makes the sound from deep in his gut and his sides expand as he makes his noise. It is comical, but he was such a dear. We loved scratching his ears, and he loved it too.
Before long it was time to leave Gary and Jo's and head for Houston where Terry had a doctor's appointment scheduled for November 2. Hoping to catch up with cousin Jim as well.
Till next time. . .
Dale
We spent three days here and we had a really enjoyable time. The first night we were there, Jo announced that she was having a pizza party for some cousins that were in town and many family members were invited. I thought that sounded like fun and I wasn't disappointed. Most of them live close by except for the one and they all were happy to see each other. Other relatives popped in and we got to visit with the extended family a bit. That is always fun.
The next day we all went down to Baton Rouge and to the Cabela's store. We all like going there and it was a lot of fun. Afterwards, we had lunch at the Quaker Steak and Lube, which is right next to the Cabela's store. Gary and Jo had never been to one, so we got to introduce them to it! On the way home we did some other shopping too.
Jo had a couple of commitments this week as it was a festival week for her church, so she baked a couple cakes. While she was busy with that, we hung around with Gary. One day, Jo took me to her crochet class at the Pride library and we had a blast there. There were some very interesting ladies crocheting some very beautiful work. Wish I was that talented. One lady, upon hearing I was from Goshen, Indiana, originally, was all excited. She has traced her family genealogy back to there and there are some Amish in her family. Imagine that. So we talked a bit.
Gary, Terry, and I made our annual pilgrimage to the farm ponds in search of Wally Gator. He didn't disappoint, although he was in a different pond that we had ever seen him in. Gary says he travels from one pond to the other, but they have never seen him when he was moving. . . he is already moved by the time they find out. He is an interesting animal. Gary drives the golf cart over to the pond and calls "Wally Gator!" He need only call once or twice and you can usually hear a splash. . . then here he comes. . . moving across the top of the water to where Gary is, cutting a wake and he moves. This day he came right up out of the water on the bank and patiently waited while Gary tossed him some chicken scraps. He looks to be about 7 feet long now. He is definitely a juvenile, but I certainly wouldn't want to tangle with him and neither would Gary. We stay in the golf cart and Gary stands back far enough to be able to jump in the cart and to safety.
Gary and Jo have added to their animal menagerie. They have eight chickens, including two roosters, a little goat, and a miniature burro named Duncan. He is quite the clown and when he "brays" it is loud. I watched him do it and he makes the sound from deep in his gut and his sides expand as he makes his noise. It is comical, but he was such a dear. We loved scratching his ears, and he loved it too.
Before long it was time to leave Gary and Jo's and head for Houston where Terry had a doctor's appointment scheduled for November 2. Hoping to catch up with cousin Jim as well.
Till next time. . .
Dale
Labels:
burro,
Cabela's,
Duncan,
Gary,
Jo,
Quaker Steak and Lube,
Wally Gator
Monday, October 26, 2015
Traveling from Florida to Louisiana
We left Brandon's on Friday, October 23, and drove to just east of Tallahassee. We spent the night in a little camp that was . . . adequate. We had to drive down a dirt road for about a quarter mile and we got the truck and the back of the motorhome, including the bicycles, covered in very fine dust. It was really just like talcum powder and we sure did hate to have that mess.
I took a little walk around looking at the different amenities. There were a few, they were old and not very well kept, but we were only spending the night, so no matter. But as I was walking back to our rig, I was looking down and spotted a snake. . . A SNAKE! Oops. He was about four feet long and at first I thought it must be dead, because it was all stretched out and didn't move. But his head was up off the ground, so I guess that means he's alive, eh? The neighbor was out, so I walked over and told him. I knew the snake wasn't poisonous, and I don't want to kill them. . . I just don't want them near me. The guy came over and looked at it and told me it was an oak snake. I had never heard that, but when I looked it up, I found out he was right. This snake looked just like the picture. They get their name from the camouflage they have. They climb up oak trees and lay on the branches and are barely detectable. The neighbor did try grabbing its tail in an effort to toss it away from his camp, but he only succeeded in making it mad. He didn't try anything else because he didn't want to get bitten. He said even though they aren't poisonous, they can still bite (no fangs) and the wounds can easily get infected from the bacteria in the snake's mouth. So the snake slithered off and we all went back to our camps. Whew, what excitement!
The next day we drove across the panhandle and stopped at Summerdale, Alabama, at the Escapees Camp, Rainbow Plantation. This has always been a favorite stop of ours, but that ended with this stay. They have changed their policy on transient campers and they no longer honor a first in/first out plan which always guaranteed travelers could find a safe haven for the night. They are taking reservations now and the office staff does not really want to delve too far into the computer pages to find a 50 amp hookup. We were told there were none left, but I got on their site, which had just been updated and found several sites we would take. We finally scored a site we wanted and were able to stay for three days. There was a lot more that happened with this process I won't go into here, but suffice to say, I think we have stayed our last at Rainbow Plantation. I don't like staying in "trailer parks" where people are allowed to add decks and platforms and yard barns to a campsite. If people want to do that, why not just buy a place? We spent a day and a half looking at other campgrounds in the area and found several that will work for us and at about the same price.
While we were there, Hurricane Patricia hit the Pacific coast of Mexico and remnants of it blew through the gulf and over to the panhandle and the area where we were. We got about six inches of rain in a day and a half. We spent most of that time hunkered down in the motorhome with the girls. It rained so hard but we wanted to be ready to take the dogs out if there was a lull. It was a soggy mess, though.
We were ready to leave when the time came and headed out toward Louisiana and Gary and Jo's.
Till next time. . .
Dale
I took a little walk around looking at the different amenities. There were a few, they were old and not very well kept, but we were only spending the night, so no matter. But as I was walking back to our rig, I was looking down and spotted a snake. . . A SNAKE! Oops. He was about four feet long and at first I thought it must be dead, because it was all stretched out and didn't move. But his head was up off the ground, so I guess that means he's alive, eh? The neighbor was out, so I walked over and told him. I knew the snake wasn't poisonous, and I don't want to kill them. . . I just don't want them near me. The guy came over and looked at it and told me it was an oak snake. I had never heard that, but when I looked it up, I found out he was right. This snake looked just like the picture. They get their name from the camouflage they have. They climb up oak trees and lay on the branches and are barely detectable. The neighbor did try grabbing its tail in an effort to toss it away from his camp, but he only succeeded in making it mad. He didn't try anything else because he didn't want to get bitten. He said even though they aren't poisonous, they can still bite (no fangs) and the wounds can easily get infected from the bacteria in the snake's mouth. So the snake slithered off and we all went back to our camps. Whew, what excitement!
The next day we drove across the panhandle and stopped at Summerdale, Alabama, at the Escapees Camp, Rainbow Plantation. This has always been a favorite stop of ours, but that ended with this stay. They have changed their policy on transient campers and they no longer honor a first in/first out plan which always guaranteed travelers could find a safe haven for the night. They are taking reservations now and the office staff does not really want to delve too far into the computer pages to find a 50 amp hookup. We were told there were none left, but I got on their site, which had just been updated and found several sites we would take. We finally scored a site we wanted and were able to stay for three days. There was a lot more that happened with this process I won't go into here, but suffice to say, I think we have stayed our last at Rainbow Plantation. I don't like staying in "trailer parks" where people are allowed to add decks and platforms and yard barns to a campsite. If people want to do that, why not just buy a place? We spent a day and a half looking at other campgrounds in the area and found several that will work for us and at about the same price.
While we were there, Hurricane Patricia hit the Pacific coast of Mexico and remnants of it blew through the gulf and over to the panhandle and the area where we were. We got about six inches of rain in a day and a half. We spent most of that time hunkered down in the motorhome with the girls. It rained so hard but we wanted to be ready to take the dogs out if there was a lull. It was a soggy mess, though.
We were ready to leave when the time came and headed out toward Louisiana and Gary and Jo's.
Till next time. . .
Dale
Friday, October 23, 2015
Florida Time!
We drove for three days, some longer days than normal for us, but we wanted to get to Florida and spend some time with Brandon. He had a couple days off while Megan was gone to a Plexus seminar, so we got to spend some rare time with him on a weekday. He wanted to attend an event on Saturday, so we got to babysit. That was soooo easy. They don't even have to sneak out of the house. They just tell Brynlee bye and that Grandma and Grandpa are staying with her while Daddy goes away for a bit and she's fine with that. I find that pretty remarkable for a two-year old!
I got to go to a swim lesson for Brynlee, but they wouldn't let me take pictures. She enjoyed the water and got to play with Megan in the pool. She's certainly not afraid of the water. I know Megan and Brandon want her to learn enough to save herself at this stage if she were to fall in the pool.
We had really good weather while we were there. It was sunny and temperatures were mild. But there was some wind for several days. No hurricanes or anything, but we went out to the beach one day to look at the surf and it was really wild. It was a little hard to even stand up. There were small craft warnings and, of course, no swimming or surfing. The waves were really big.
We camped at Wickham Park again. They have really made improvements in this park and we have come back to it after several years' hiatus. There were gypsies living in it years ago and they just took over the comfort stations and had derelict rigs and hardly ever followed the rules. It's been cleaned up a lot since then and we are enjoying camping there once again. The sites are so spacious it makes for a comfortable stay. This time they were in the process of putting up the Christmas lights and just about every night when we arrived back after dark, another section would be lit. They do that at night and then go around changing and adding bulbs. It's a lot easier to see them at night.
An extra special treat was seeing two eagles in the park. They were on light poles and were quite a ways from me, but I was able to snap a couple decent pix with my Sony. They were beautiful birds and I got to see one take off and soar around.
We babysat again for Brynlee while Brandon and Megan went out to eat. It was so much fun to be able to play with her and listen to her. She talks a lot and I was able to understand a lot of what she says, but not everything. But if I tell her I don't understand her, she doesn't get mad. She just goes on to something else. LOL
As usual, our time there ended way too soon and we found ourselves headed out of Florida toward cousin Gary and Jo's in Zachary, Louisiana.
Till next time. . .
Dale
I got to go to a swim lesson for Brynlee, but they wouldn't let me take pictures. She enjoyed the water and got to play with Megan in the pool. She's certainly not afraid of the water. I know Megan and Brandon want her to learn enough to save herself at this stage if she were to fall in the pool.
We had really good weather while we were there. It was sunny and temperatures were mild. But there was some wind for several days. No hurricanes or anything, but we went out to the beach one day to look at the surf and it was really wild. It was a little hard to even stand up. There were small craft warnings and, of course, no swimming or surfing. The waves were really big.
We camped at Wickham Park again. They have really made improvements in this park and we have come back to it after several years' hiatus. There were gypsies living in it years ago and they just took over the comfort stations and had derelict rigs and hardly ever followed the rules. It's been cleaned up a lot since then and we are enjoying camping there once again. The sites are so spacious it makes for a comfortable stay. This time they were in the process of putting up the Christmas lights and just about every night when we arrived back after dark, another section would be lit. They do that at night and then go around changing and adding bulbs. It's a lot easier to see them at night.
An extra special treat was seeing two eagles in the park. They were on light poles and were quite a ways from me, but I was able to snap a couple decent pix with my Sony. They were beautiful birds and I got to see one take off and soar around.
We babysat again for Brynlee while Brandon and Megan went out to eat. It was so much fun to be able to play with her and listen to her. She talks a lot and I was able to understand a lot of what she says, but not everything. But if I tell her I don't understand her, she doesn't get mad. She just goes on to something else. LOL
As usual, our time there ended way too soon and we found ourselves headed out of Florida toward cousin Gary and Jo's in Zachary, Louisiana.
Till next time. . .
Dale
Thursday, October 15, 2015
More Pix
I found a couple more pictures from our visit to Virginia.
Aenea is enrolled in dance class and she is such a special little angel. Here she is in her dance clothes.
One day we went with Aenea and Jocelyn and visited a couple orchards to get apples. We were able to snap a picture of us with Aenea.
Till next time. . .
Dale
Aenea is enrolled in dance class and she is such a special little angel. Here she is in her dance clothes.
One day we went with Aenea and Jocelyn and visited a couple orchards to get apples. We were able to snap a picture of us with Aenea.
Till next time. . .
Dale
Wednesday, October 14, 2015
Kids, kids, and more kids!
It's hard to find time to blog when we are visiting the kids and grandkids in Charlottesville.
We are so busy with them during the day and then come evening, we tend to crash. Plus we do have the dogs as well, so they must be attended to and walked. I always try to spend time with them if we have left them alone for a bit. But they do very well and never get into anything. They are very patient with us and we love them dearly.
We spent the week taking in the grandkids routine. They each are in gymnastics and swimming classes and Aenea is also in a dance class. Both of them concentrate very hard and listen to the instructors. I had to laugh at Ronan's gymnastics class because he was about the only one listening intently to the teacher. The other kids were bouncing off the walls, doing what the teacher said NOT to do and running all over the room instead of listening. My grandkids are the best!
Aenea really likes her dance class. She didn't talk at all during her class, but she tried everything the
teacher taught her and when she got home, she was repeating things the teacher said and did little movements she had been taught. She is such a sweetie. I am thankful they are both such good listeners.
She is quite the artist. She loves to paint, so Jocelyn and Tom encourage her by keeping an easel up all the time. It sits in the kitchen and Aenea paints whenever she wants. She paints a lot. She is a creative little gal and I love to watch her intently concentrating on selected her next color.
Ronan likes to play on the PlayStation3. I think he and his friend Jack mostly play MineCraft. I never have found the interest in video games. I play some solitaire and sudoku. To each his own. While they are busy playing videogames, Pepper McPoodlepants is checking out the front yard. I think Jocelyn had gone out to the car and she is looking for her.
Terry and Tom worked on finishing up the door on Ronan's cabinet in his room. They have rearranged his room and added some storage items from IKEA. It looks very nice and there appears to be space for everything.
Two nights they all came out to the motorhome and sat around the campfire. One night Ronan brought his friend Jack. I was surprised we didn't have mosquitoes. It was a bit nippy, though, and we all had to put on jackets. We had nice fires and had fun roasting marshmallows. These are special times for sure.
We even went to the park a couple times. There was one birthday party and the kids got to whack a pinata. Fortunately they had filled it mostly with little trinkets and not too much candy, so that was good.
We met two men at the campground who were touring the U.S. on motorcycles. They were from Germany and both spoke very good English. This was not their first trip here and they were enjoying the territory they were seeing this time.
I hate leaving the family, but it was time to move on to Florida. Since we had been broken down for 5 days, we had to drive straight to Brandon's, so we had one very long day of driving and two shorter ones. It wasn't bad, and I'm glad we had the extra time built into the schedule to do this.
Till next time. . .
Dale
We spent the week taking in the grandkids routine. They each are in gymnastics and swimming classes and Aenea is also in a dance class. Both of them concentrate very hard and listen to the instructors. I had to laugh at Ronan's gymnastics class because he was about the only one listening intently to the teacher. The other kids were bouncing off the walls, doing what the teacher said NOT to do and running all over the room instead of listening. My grandkids are the best!
Aenea really likes her dance class. She didn't talk at all during her class, but she tried everything the
teacher taught her and when she got home, she was repeating things the teacher said and did little movements she had been taught. She is such a sweetie. I am thankful they are both such good listeners.
She is quite the artist. She loves to paint, so Jocelyn and Tom encourage her by keeping an easel up all the time. It sits in the kitchen and Aenea paints whenever she wants. She paints a lot. She is a creative little gal and I love to watch her intently concentrating on selected her next color.
Ronan likes to play on the PlayStation3. I think he and his friend Jack mostly play MineCraft. I never have found the interest in video games. I play some solitaire and sudoku. To each his own. While they are busy playing videogames, Pepper McPoodlepants is checking out the front yard. I think Jocelyn had gone out to the car and she is looking for her.
Terry and Tom worked on finishing up the door on Ronan's cabinet in his room. They have rearranged his room and added some storage items from IKEA. It looks very nice and there appears to be space for everything.
Two nights they all came out to the motorhome and sat around the campfire. One night Ronan brought his friend Jack. I was surprised we didn't have mosquitoes. It was a bit nippy, though, and we all had to put on jackets. We had nice fires and had fun roasting marshmallows. These are special times for sure.
We even went to the park a couple times. There was one birthday party and the kids got to whack a pinata. Fortunately they had filled it mostly with little trinkets and not too much candy, so that was good.
We met two men at the campground who were touring the U.S. on motorcycles. They were from Germany and both spoke very good English. This was not their first trip here and they were enjoying the territory they were seeing this time.
I hate leaving the family, but it was time to move on to Florida. Since we had been broken down for 5 days, we had to drive straight to Brandon's, so we had one very long day of driving and two shorter ones. It wasn't bad, and I'm glad we had the extra time built into the schedule to do this.
Till next time. . .
Dale
Tuesday, October 06, 2015
On down the road. . .
Can't believe we finally made it out of Gallipolis, Ohio. That's not a bad stop, so if you are ever traveling up 35 through Ohio, the camp is located at the fairgrounds. It is $20 for full hookup. The sites technically are not pull through, but if there aren't many in camp, you can drive through the back site into yours. We were also able to keep our toad behind us the entire time. There are over 100 campsites and there were just six of us there. All are FHU sites. There is a bathhouse which would be acceptable if it were ever cleaned. There used to always be a dozen campers when we would stop here, but not anymore. They did say that when the Bob Evans festival starts next week, just down the road, that they will be busy.
Now a word about the Campground Manager. There is and there isn't. Depends on what you expect in a campground manager. One would think they would take your money and give you a site. In an ideal world, that's what happens. The last time we were here, there were no cars at the manager's run down trailer and nothing to indicate it was open. We left. I later emailed the fairgrounds and they were mortified that we and another camper who had pulled in left because no manager was on site and NO rigs were in the camp. He assured me they were open all year and he would look into it.
So "Edna" was there when we arrived. We paid for one night, then parked. If you read my Facebook you know that we experienced a breakdown and could not move for several days. Each time I went to renew, there was a sign on the door to pick a site and someone would come to collect. I know that person would not be "Edna" because she can't really get around very well. One time when I went to renew, a young man whom I had seen there before went up to the door with what looked to be some food and he knocked on the door. Edna yelled from inside, "Go away, leave me alone." The young man talked with her and she opened the door, invited me in and wrote me a receipt, very cordially.
So, if you are ever there, my advice is to park and try later to pay or wait for someone to come around. If she's there and accepting visitors, no problem. And she was always very nice, never nasty. I'm not sure what her story is, but she is dealing with what appears to be an invalid family member as well.
I am glad to report that we have finally left the camp there and Phaeton Place is up and running. Very well in fact. There is so much that conspired to keep us there and to get us running. Too much to talk about. But we did get a mobile mechanic out who checked all the wiring front to back. He tested the voltage and for grounds. Tightened stuff down, etc. When he got to the front, he found a bad end on the main cable running power from the back to the front. It was on the firewall. He removed the wire and put a new end on it and crimped it good. Still, she wouldn't start, so he recommended a tow. A bit tricky because the jacks were down. Terry continued to ponder the dilemma. We stayed the weekend and Monday morning he started calling Tiffin again and waiting on call backs. He spent time on the phone with Chris Morrow at Bay Diesel going over the fuse block with him. Finally in the afternoon a chassis tech called back. He confirmed what Terry now concluded. The main problem we had was with the bad connection on the main power source coming from the back and terminating on the firewall. That's fixed. The second item was a fuse missing from the fuse block. If there was never a fuse there, why did it need one now? Turns out in digging around in the area under the dash, Terry found "the" green 30 amp fuse about 12 inches away from where it was supposed to be plugged in. How does a fuse that requires pliers to pull out jump out of it's socket? Strange but true. We're thinking that with all the service we have had this summer, perhaps someone in checking the fuses didn't get it plugged back in completely and when Terry popped off the cover, it got caught "just right" and flipped out. So we didn't know that there had ever been one there when in reality it had been there all the time. Fuse was still good, put it back in and all is well.
Tiffin, in reviewing everything Terry told them, felt confident that the major problem was the connection on the firewall stud and then secondary to that, the fuse missing which controls all the ignition, etc.
So we took off this morning, altered our route to not run down Sandstone Mountain, my arch nemesis, a 5 mile 7% grade with two 90 degree curves. Instead we drove south down I-77 into Virginia. There are some grades there almost as steep as on 64, but there are breaks in them and the drive was very nice with no scary moments on the descents. We arrived at our campground about 12:30, set up and had lunch. We had a great drive, beautiful scenery and Phaeton Place had nary a hiccup on the drive. She performed like the champ she is and we believe all those problems we had are behind us.
Our campground has hills all around it and there are cattle and sheep grazing on the hillside. The weather was warm this afternoon and has now cooled down. Beautiful weather. The campground was less than 50% filled when we got here, but has nearly filled up now with rigs continuing to come in after dark.
Tomorrow we get into Charlottesville and get to spend a week with the kids and grandkids. Can't wait!
Whoo hoo!
Till next time. . .
Dale
Now a word about the Campground Manager. There is and there isn't. Depends on what you expect in a campground manager. One would think they would take your money and give you a site. In an ideal world, that's what happens. The last time we were here, there were no cars at the manager's run down trailer and nothing to indicate it was open. We left. I later emailed the fairgrounds and they were mortified that we and another camper who had pulled in left because no manager was on site and NO rigs were in the camp. He assured me they were open all year and he would look into it.
So "Edna" was there when we arrived. We paid for one night, then parked. If you read my Facebook you know that we experienced a breakdown and could not move for several days. Each time I went to renew, there was a sign on the door to pick a site and someone would come to collect. I know that person would not be "Edna" because she can't really get around very well. One time when I went to renew, a young man whom I had seen there before went up to the door with what looked to be some food and he knocked on the door. Edna yelled from inside, "Go away, leave me alone." The young man talked with her and she opened the door, invited me in and wrote me a receipt, very cordially.
So, if you are ever there, my advice is to park and try later to pay or wait for someone to come around. If she's there and accepting visitors, no problem. And she was always very nice, never nasty. I'm not sure what her story is, but she is dealing with what appears to be an invalid family member as well.
I am glad to report that we have finally left the camp there and Phaeton Place is up and running. Very well in fact. There is so much that conspired to keep us there and to get us running. Too much to talk about. But we did get a mobile mechanic out who checked all the wiring front to back. He tested the voltage and for grounds. Tightened stuff down, etc. When he got to the front, he found a bad end on the main cable running power from the back to the front. It was on the firewall. He removed the wire and put a new end on it and crimped it good. Still, she wouldn't start, so he recommended a tow. A bit tricky because the jacks were down. Terry continued to ponder the dilemma. We stayed the weekend and Monday morning he started calling Tiffin again and waiting on call backs. He spent time on the phone with Chris Morrow at Bay Diesel going over the fuse block with him. Finally in the afternoon a chassis tech called back. He confirmed what Terry now concluded. The main problem we had was with the bad connection on the main power source coming from the back and terminating on the firewall. That's fixed. The second item was a fuse missing from the fuse block. If there was never a fuse there, why did it need one now? Turns out in digging around in the area under the dash, Terry found "the" green 30 amp fuse about 12 inches away from where it was supposed to be plugged in. How does a fuse that requires pliers to pull out jump out of it's socket? Strange but true. We're thinking that with all the service we have had this summer, perhaps someone in checking the fuses didn't get it plugged back in completely and when Terry popped off the cover, it got caught "just right" and flipped out. So we didn't know that there had ever been one there when in reality it had been there all the time. Fuse was still good, put it back in and all is well.
Tiffin, in reviewing everything Terry told them, felt confident that the major problem was the connection on the firewall stud and then secondary to that, the fuse missing which controls all the ignition, etc.
So we took off this morning, altered our route to not run down Sandstone Mountain, my arch nemesis, a 5 mile 7% grade with two 90 degree curves. Instead we drove south down I-77 into Virginia. There are some grades there almost as steep as on 64, but there are breaks in them and the drive was very nice with no scary moments on the descents. We arrived at our campground about 12:30, set up and had lunch. We had a great drive, beautiful scenery and Phaeton Place had nary a hiccup on the drive. She performed like the champ she is and we believe all those problems we had are behind us.
Our campground has hills all around it and there are cattle and sheep grazing on the hillside. The weather was warm this afternoon and has now cooled down. Beautiful weather. The campground was less than 50% filled when we got here, but has nearly filled up now with rigs continuing to come in after dark.
Tomorrow we get into Charlottesville and get to spend a week with the kids and grandkids. Can't wait!
Whoo hoo!
Till next time. . .
Dale
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