See You, Solar Box and Rodeo.

Our Location today is Moore Haven, Florida.

Last night we battened down the hatches when the rain started coming down in order to keep some of the dampness out of the trailer. Even with no windows open it was a tad chilly when I got up at 7:00 with the outside temperature reading 50 F (10 C) but not uncomfortable. We had our coffees and English Muffins while watching the Weather report to see that it would turn into a great day for me to finish the Solar Connection box on the roof. 

Elaine, Carolyn, Kathy and Tucker keeping an eye on the photographer.

Rick and Elaine.

Joe and Carolyn.

First by 8:30 we were donning our jackets and walking over to Elaine and Rick’s to say see you later to Joe and Carolyn Segler as they were headed over to Orlando today. We all got together for coffee and cinnamon buns that Elaine baked fresh for a final gab fest. Elaine even twisted Joe’s arm to have a piece of Sour Orange Pie that she’d frozen when she bought it a few weeks ago. That was his downfall and he couldn’t resist. 

With the final handshakes and hugs we headed back to the trailer where I started to modifying the waterproof box that will house the Solar Connections on the roof. Since the resort finally delivered a picnic table to us the other day I set to work making certain everything would go together perfectly. By that time Kathy had already put together an early and healthy lunch for us trying to offset those times we do have to eat out. Our Chicken, Fruit Salad was delicious and filling topped off with a Mango for dessert.

Now I had to go up on the roof and install my creation. It did take a bit longer than I’d anticipated due to the fact that my tube of silicon sealer was starting to harden in the tube but with perseverance we made certain everything was solid and waterproof. 

Tonight we got together with Elaine, Rick, Debby and Karen and went over to Moore Haven to attend their yearly Rodeo. We left around 4:30 so we could shop around some of the vendors and enjoy carnival type food for supper. (Good thing we ate healthy earlier!)

We spent time wandering around the vendor’s area and some of us actually tried to bring back days from our youth. Around 6:00 we headed over to the Rodeo Arena to find comfortable seats for the main event. 

This rodeo was pitting teams from all the local ranches that competed for points in everything from relay races, to steer roping, to barrel racing, wild horse riding and finally the big event the Bull Riding competition. If you thought the steers had attitudes the bulls were even going after the riders horses. All in all it was an enjoyable evening and fun was had by all in attendance. 

Tomorrow temperatures are supposed to be back to normal so we don’t know what we might be doing. Thanks for following along and feel free to leave a comment. Be Safe and Enjoy!

It’s about time.

Krackers

You Might Be a Redneck If

You've worn a muumuu over spandex.

Karen Report and A Happy Camper.

Our Location today is Moore Haven, Florida.

Breathing the fresh air from the open windows and listening to the light rain that occasionally bounced on the roof of the trailer helped us both sleep fairly soundly last night. It helped us sleep so well that we both slept until after 8:00 this morning. With a change to a light breakfast this morning and a weather forecast showing rain for the better part of the day we quickly got ready to head out. 

Shortly after 9:00 Kathy called our daughter Karen to see how she is doing. Karen claims to be feeling about the same and she has a lot of doctor’s appointments but can’t remember everything they tell her and she’s always falling asleep but the family are all working together around the house so she can heal. (That is not good for someone working in Student Administration at the University of Windsor.)   

We were headed to Fort Myers shortly after our call to Karen in hopes that I could get the items that I’d need to finish the electrical projects that I’ve been working on. As we approached the town of LaBelle I told Kathy we should explore to learn more than just about a Swamp Cabbage Festival that we attended last weekend. 

Driving slowly down the route taken by the parade Kathy and I surveyed anything that looked to be commercialized activity down the side streets. As we were about to leave the town limits I looked to pull into a driveway to turn around and there it was. An electrical supply company that catered not only to contractors but anyone needing electrical supplies. I was able to get everything I needed for both my projects. When I asked about plumbing supplies I was told to go to the hardware. 

Hendry County Courthouse in LaBelle Florida.

The ACE Hardware store did have what I needed and we were then free to continue exploring this town. There was a lot of empty store fronts the result of the recent economic downturn as well as more businesses that we hadn’t seen before, showing a community getting back on its feet. We stopped at the Winn Dixie and found everything on our grocery list before heading back home to the trailer and we didn’t have to go to Fort Myers. 

We both love the palm trees that grow all over Florida.

After lunch Kathy sat outside reading because she doesn’t like to see me making holes or tearing things apart to do projects. While she was doing that I needed to adjust the size of the hole because I was now installing home grade supplies into our RV. They’ll last forever but did need adjustments as well to fit in the tighter space it was being located in. 

Once I’d finished with the plug now I had to pull the breaker box out and connect the wires into the new breaker I was about to install. That’s when I heard a slight gasp from the other side of the screen door as Kathy was looking at the disassembled mass of wires in my hands. Within an hour everything looked the same on the outside but Kathy was now smiling from ear to ear because now she can run three appliances on the kitchen counter at once without blowing the breaker because of the new split plug. She is really a Happy Cooking Camper now! 

This new plug has been split as two different circuits.

I grilled a delicious half-slab of ribs for supper on the Weber while Kathy prepped a tasty mixed bean salad with the leftover Spanish rice from last night. It was the perfect finish to a relaxing but productive day. 

The rain that was promised all day just started minutes ago which is still better that the -31 F (-35 C) Wind-chill that the kids are getting back home tonight. Thanks for following along and feel free to leave a comment. Be Safe and Enjoy!

It’s about time.

Krackers

What insect runs away from everything?

A flea.

Almost Finished.

Our Location today is Moore Haven, Florida.

Again I was up by 7:00 and within the half hour Kathy was right behind me. Since we have been shutting down the AC at night it was still surprisingly cool in the trailer this morning. When I opened the door to go outside this morning it was equally as cool and there was a very steady breeze blowing. Since I would again be working on my wiring projects we opened all the windows to keep the trailer cool and kept the shades low. 

Wires for new plug run behind the Microwave.

After I made a trip to get rid of the trash and get fresh water I immediately started getting things ready to work on the wiring. Just then Rick Cochrane arrived because I had asked him to give me advice on the best way to run the wire for a new kitchen plug. Unfortunately when our trailer was built they only put a single unsplit 120 volt plug so it was impossible to run both the toaster and the coffee maker at the same time. After some brainstorming it was decided the best way to bring the wire up was through the same floor opening I’d used to run the cable for the solar panels. We’d then bring it across through the microwave cabinet and then put the new split plug under the opposite end of the cabinet. 

Wires for the new split plug.

Even though I’d only asked Rick for advice he started helping me remove the microwave and then to fish the two new 120 volt wires. Once those were fed into the kitchen it was a matter of making holes in the back of the cabinets to bring the wires through. With that finished Rick suggested pulling the cables to the roof. 

Cables and wires coming through floor below oven and rising through Fridge Cabinet. 

It didn’t take long for the two of us to have the refrigerator roof vent out of the way to see our clearances to the roof. We both went down and got the cables out through the lower fridge vent. Back on the roof I clipped the factory mesh and fed the fish down until Rick was able to attach the cables to it. Within minutes the cable was at the roof and Rick said he had to go. Even though I kept saying I only needed his advice Rick gave me his time which made things go so much quicker. A very big Thank You Rick for your help and hopefully I’ll be able to return the favor. 

I used welding cables for feed lines to the roof.

By that time Kathy had somewhat recovered from the sight of her dismantled kitchen and put together lunch. Luckily the wind kept a fairly steady breeze blowing the rest of the day and I was able to seal and close up the roof and underbelly taking away any worries that might be caused by bad weather on its way. 

Cables mounted and sealed through the Fridge Roof Vent.

Kathy went to the Farmers Market held at the park every Wednesday and got some good deals including a large slice of watermelon we had for a snack. As I was cutting my last hole for the kitchen plug Rick came back to see how things were going. By supper time I’d cleaned the mess and tools out of the kitchen and remounted the basement walls. 

The extra cable temporarily bundled until i mount the Controller.

The best part of doing this myself is a sense of self-satisfaction knowing it is done right, it isn’t sloppy, it's less expensive for a stronger system and it’s also my way of passing time. This also opened an area under the stove that I plan to make more storage for Kathy. 

Supper was Spanish Rice with the Chicken we grilled yesterday.

Fresh Strawberries with Chocolate Sauce on Ice Cream.

Tomorrow we’ll hope the wet weather predicted for our area doesn’t happen and I can find a few supplies that will help me finish this project and enjoy some relaxing time. Thanks for following along and feel free to leave a comment. Be Safe and Enjoy!

It’s about time.

Krackers

You Might Be a Redneck If

Your weekend starts on Wednesday afternoon.

Pulling Wire and Pulled Pork.

Our Location today is Moore Haven, Florida.

After laying in bed wide awake for a couple of hours I finally got out of bed just before 7:00. I took the time to do my morning reading and by 8:00 Kathy was up and I started making breakfast. Watching the Weather Forecast we were surprised that they said we would feel cool air this morning before the sun would break through the clouds and warm things up. 

By 9:00 we were out riding our bicycles down the road in the resort but the forecast had been correct and Kathy was getting cold from the dampness in the air. I rode back to the trailer to retrieve her jacket which made quite a difference. Today when we reached the marina we continued into a different local part of the neighborhood which added a few hills and more distance to our ride. By the time we returned from riding back from the front entrance we stopped at the office in hopes that the new lid to our slow cooker had arrived. We’ll just have to make a habit of checking until it arrives before we leave next Monday. 

When we got back to the trailer Kathy suggested we check out the Boat Yard that Elaine and Rick had told us about. You could actually see the tops of the masts from our camp site but it was a five mile trip to drive over. They had described how sad it was to see all these boats that at one time had caused many heads to turn and take notice now sitting in a state of neglect and disrepair. 

These were the only two boats being worked on.

Since there were plenty of No Trespassing, Private Property signs we drove to just outside the fenced yard. There did seem to be a few people working on a couple of the vessels that were sitting far from the water’s edge. It was a sobering site that even those who thought there ship had come in lost that dream when the market collapsed a few years back. A car with the Federal Coast Guard license plates drove by and checked what we were doing. 

Those boats are as dirty as the picture appears.

Back at the trailer Kathy went in to get out of the high humidity while I started emptying the basement. With us pulling out next week there are few days left that I have to complete my projects. One project is to rewire a split plug in our trailer’s kitchen area because at present we cannot plug in the toaster and coffee maker at the same time. The second project is to run the wires up to the roof in preparation of adding Solar Panels in the future. 

Grilled covered low and slow with foil for 2 & 1/2 hours.

Kathy in the meantime prepped a chicken to cook on the Weber. Again listening to advice from George the Weber Man we cooked it low and slow for about two and a half hours. Kathy checked it with her thermometer and it was perfectly cooked but we didn’t even taste it today because it will make many different meals this coming week. 

More boats looking abandoned.

I needed to remove the rear basement walls so I could access the space between the frame rails to run the wires through. I also had to open the bottom skin in order to pull the wires through. I needed to keep going in and out of the trailer in order to set this up and run the electrical fish through the tight spaces. Finally I needed Kathy’s help and she pulled the wire through the opening while I fed it through the bottom of the trailer. Unfortunately time was running short and I needed to close up for the day so I’ll be back to it tomorrow. 

I really needed to take a shower and the water was not too clear (more black) to wash up before going to supper. Last week we bought tickets to a Pulled Pork dinner. Of course I forgot the camera but imagine a hamburger bun loaded with pulled pork with your choice of sauce plus potato salad, bean salad, macaroni salad, sauerkraut, Cole slaw and your choice of apple or blueberry cobbler. The plates were heaping and it only cost us $7.00 each. 

Tomorrow I asked Rick to stop by so he can advise me on the best plan for the kitchen plug and I plan on finish running the wires to the roof. Thanks for following along and feel free to leave a comment. Be Safe and Enjoy!

It’s about time.

Krackers

The World's Great Proverbs

Genius is an infinite capacity for taking pains.

Hot Chore Day and Thank You.

Our Location today is Moore Haven, Florida.

I could get used to this sleeping when I’m supposed to at night. Unfortunately Kathy has been having a back pain for the last few days and it is affecting her sleep. I was up at 7:00 an hour earlier than she was this morning busy reading the morning blogs. Once she was up we immediately had breakfast because today was a chore day, Laundry.

The first thing was to change the bed linens and flip the mattress in hopes that would relieve Kathy’s back pain. I had the bed nearly finished and was about to put the bed cover on when I noticed that I’d forgotten to put the mattress pad back on. After stripping the bed a second time I got it right with everything the way it’s supposed to be. Now it was my turn to turn on the Air Conditioner because the outside temperature had already reached the lower 80’s and the humidity was noticeable. 

Once everything was sorted and loaded in the truck we headed down the road to Clewiston where we had multiple stops planned. The first place was the laundromat that we had found the other day when we decided to explore the town much more closely. This place was fairly new with a variety of standard top load and commercial front load washing machines. They had two dozen commercial front load dryers that only needed thirty minutes to get everything dry. The best part was the clothes didn’t have the high Sulphur smell in it that we got using the laundry at the resort. 

Next we went to McDonald’s for our Chicken Nugget lunch topped off with an Ice Cream cone to help us cool down before we went over to the self-serve car wash to get the pollen off the truck. 

The last stop was at Walmart where we picked up the few food supplies that we were starting to get low on before we went back to the trailer where the AC had cooled it down nicely. 

Kathy and I would like to thank everyone for their prayers for our daughter Karen and the comments about texting while driving. Many states in the U.S. and provinces in Canada such as Ontario already have passed laws against such things but some people just don’t get it. Now with one such act that young man has taken away the normalcy of many other’s lives.   

Thanks for following along and feel free to leave a comment. Be Safe and Enjoy!

It’s about time.

Krackers

Office Jokes, Quotes, and Anecdotes

The cumulative time that office workers spent stuck in elevators in the last twelve months:

·       Denver………………...1.0 year 

·       Phoenix/Prescott……....0.8 year 

·       Tampa/St. Petersburg….0.6 year 

·       Minneapolis/St. Paul…..0.5 year

IBM Smarter Buildings Study, 2010