Starting with A Clean Slate and A Happy New Year.

Our Location today is Quartzsite, Arizona, U.S.A. 

It wasn’t until this morning at breakfast that I learned that Kathy had a difficult time falling asleep last night. It was also the same time that I found out we had more rain through the early morning hours. I hadn’t opened the blinds as much as I normally do every morning otherwise I would have seen the Makeshift Lake out on the Tonneau Cover on the truck. That surprised me that I hadn’t heard a thing. The inside temperature of the trailer was comfortable enough at 63 F (17 C) that we didn’t even need to turn the Fireplace on. 

We enjoyed our coffees at the computers making certain we were caught up on all our morning reading. Even though there are still a few adjustments I want to do to our Inverter System I’d noticed something else that I felt was more pressing. After taking a quick walk over to the Laundry Room to be certain that it wasn’t packed I returned to the trailer and sorted through the laundry separating and treating it accordingly. 

Since it was close enough we chose to have an early lunch so we wouldn’t have to stop later. Kathy put together Grilled Cheese on English Muffins and added the remaining Blueberries from the fridge to some Yogurt for a dessert while I heated up some Chicken and Wild Rice Soup. It was all Delicious, Healthy and Filling. 

Because of the limited number of machines in the Laundry Room, I didn’t start our washing before lunch and tie up the machines. By the time that I got over there only three washers remained. I had no sooner got our wash going when our neighbour Pam came in to do her cleaning. We talked about her plans for future RVing until it was time to move our wash to the dryers. 

There are things that should be hung to dry in order to lengthen their lifespan so I brought them back to the trailer where I hung them in the Shower to finish drying. Kathy had been busy having Vacuumed and Dusted the Entire Trailer while I had been gone. She had left the Vacuum for me to empty because of her Allergies to Dust. The truck’s tailgate has really gotten a workout this month.  

Having been a Bookkeeper/Accountant for a Multi-Company Business throughout her career, she was busy making certain that our accounts were all balancing and making certain that someone else wasn’t using them. She was also making certain she had a receipt that went with each of the charges listed.

Back at the Laundry Room it didn’t take too long for everything to dry and for me to have it folded which was good because other people were coming in to do their washing. 

Love the way the Sun reflects off the Mountains as it sets.

According to the Assistant Manager this afternoon over Thirty RVs pulled into the Park that will be staying through the month of January. For that month the park will be Full. I wonder if the Big Tent has anything to do with that. 

Home in the trailer I put most of the Laundry away but Kathy was still making her final entries on our books. The last few years that we were Home for the Holidays we would have Chinese Take-out for our last meal of the year so we thought that maybe we could find some here in Quartzsite. Not finding what we wanted Online we just drove over to the Main Street Eatery. We didn’t wait too late just in case the restaurant would fill up. Their style of cooking should be called Home Style Comfort Food quite similar to Cracker Barrel. Kathy had Alaskan Salmon while I had the Chicken Fried Steak and they were both really good. We were just leaving when the place started to fill up. 

1968  VW Beetle Convertible in mint shape.

Since the Weather Forecast for this Evening and Night has a One Hundred Percent chance for Rain we thought that we'd just stay Home.

Kathy and I would like to wish all our Family, Friends, Followers and Readers a Very Safe and Happy New Year. Thanks for following along and feel free to leave a comment. Be Safe and Enjoy! See you next year! 

It’s about time.

Krackers 

You Might Be a Redneck If 

There are raccoons living in your chimney, and you don't care.

Grilling Bacon, Getting Some Deals, More Wet Weather and A Copyrighted Face.

Our Location today is Quartzsite, Arizona, U.S.A. 

We are finally starting to get more into a routine of what time we get to bed and approximately what time we wake up in the morning and it’s only taken two months to get here. With the cold nights that we’ve been having lately even Kathy has been keeping herself under the blankets at night which means it must be cold. When I got up this morning around 7:30 MST the inside of the trailer was already at 50 F (10 C) but I still turned the Electric Fireplace on to take the chill out of the air. Since Kathy has Diabetic Neuropathy when her shoulders are cold she is in pain. The main reason we came out to Arizona was the Warm Dry Air that seems to help everyone’s Arthritis. So where is that warmth when you need it? 

Looked like this guy was going to drop in for some Bacon.

After finishing our morning reading and indoor chores I had another chore to do. Kathy likes to precook Bacon so that she can freeze it to use in Salads, Sandwiches and even for Breakfast. What she doesn’t like is the splatter it causes in the kitchen. After being introduced to the Grill Mat by George from the blog Our AwesomeTravels we now cook our bacon on our Weber Q. Today’s temperature was perfect for cooking two pounds of the delectable treat in less than thirty minutes. There was however one problem doing this outside, everyone that was walking by was asking when breakfast was being served. Once it is well cooked and the grease absorbed Kathy then lays it between sheets of foil and puts it in the freezer. When she needs some Bacon for whatever she is making she simply heats it up and is serving it in minutes. 

After we ate lunch we headed off to Blythe, California to do some shopping. The first place we stopped at was the Ace Hardware Store where I looked for some brackets that weren’t available here in Quartzsite. If you can’t find exactly what you need the bigger store gives you more options to improvise what you need. 

Our next stop was the Kmart store across the street where Kathy found a Sweater she needed and she found me some Cargo Shorts that were all reduced by fifty percent. It works for us because we couldn’t find these clothes back in Windsor when we were looking for them. We also got another Food Storage Container that we were in need of. 

Cloudy Skies.

As we were leaving Kmart we noticed a Radio Shack across the parking lot. We both have found that when we are on the phone for long periods of time we lose circulation in our arms and that becomes painful. We both picked up a set of ear buds with a built-in microphone.

This is supposed to be a dry climate.

Kathy is working on a small project while we are away so we had also looked for some Bristol Board while in Kmart but they were limited to Black and White at nearly Four Dollars a sheet we passed. Instead we stopped at Dollar Tree where along with a few other purchases we got four assorted colors combined for only Two Dollars. That is a big savings. 

Kathy keeping dry, wearing her raincoat.

Heading back towards Quartzsite we were getting a gentle rain all the way back. Once we got our purchases inside and started putting things away the rain intensified to the point that we needed to raise our voices to be heard. After listening to that for nearly an hour we decided to dawn our raincoats and go out for supper. 

Since this is Friday we both had a taste for Fish and Chips even though we’d had it for lunch just this past Wednesday. That was also the best Fish and Chips we’ve had since coming to Quartzsite so we went back to the Quartzsite Yacht Club. As you can imagine the place was booming but we lucked out getting first a Parking Spot then a Table. In no time our orders were taken and we were being served in under five minutes. 

Someone with a beard didn't like his picture being taken.
You can see my elbow.

Many Bloggers just take random pictures to set the mood we are trying to describe. In the few minutes after we ordered our food I snapped a picture, over my shoulder, across the room and as I did so someone walked into the picture. A minute later a woman is standing by our table telling me I’m not allowed to take a picture of her friend because his face is Copyrighted. First off, I wasn’t taking a picture of him but the room, he stepped into the picture and nobody’s face is Copyrighted. The picture is blurred but with the heavy beard growth the guy is probably on the run from the law and doesn’t want to be recognized. Sounds Suspicious to us! 

Check next Friday's forecast.

Back Home the rain once again intensified so I checked The Weather Network to see what was heading our way. Tomorrow looks decent but we aren’t liking the later part of next week. 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 

Learning is better than house and land.

Still Cool, Manual And Automatic Switches Wired and Coyotes Calling.

Our Location today is Quartzsite, Arizona, U.S.A. 

After another great night sleep, I was up and starting my morning routine by 7:30 MST. Having already looked at The Weather Network and seeing that outside temperature was still only 41 F (5 C) I had started the Electric Fireplace to take the chill out of the air but Kathy still felt cold when she came downstairs less than a half hour later. I only had half my Blog reading complete when Kathy joined me for breakfast. Our conversation was about what I was wanting to do today which included that nasty four letter word “Work”. 

Mostly tools still in the basement.

Keeping an eye on the slowly climbing temperature I didn’t hesitate to finish my morning reading and chores before heading outside shortly after 10:00. Today the basement would need to be nearly totally emptied in comparison to the other day. The Manual Safety Switch that I had wired up yesterday had to be installed on one side of the basement and connected to the Automatic Switching Device behind the Rear Basement Wall on the other side of the basement. Since I had removed the Hanging Storage Basket from near the Inverter it allowed me to repair a grounding manifold that the connector had failed. When I had installed this back in Deming, New Mexico all the lights I’d installed on the rear of the trailer had worked the way they were supposed to. The day we were leaving the signals decided not to work.  We had made it all the way to Deming without them so we headed to Quartzsite the same way. The next day I found the ground wire from the manifold hanging uselessly in the basement. Now all the relays are properly grounded and all the lights working. 

Rear wall and Automatic Switching Device open again.

It was past 12:00 when Kathy called me in for lunch. She had been preforming her magic recreating leftovers into a very Delicious Soup. Since the outside temperature had barely reached 50 F (10 C) at this point the Hot Soup was well appreciated. Kathy even found a single piece of Fruit Cake that she had me finish off rather then throwing it out. 

Just finished wiring our Inverter on the tailgate.

Reinstalling the lower Inverter.

Back outside I started to weave the heavy number 6 AGW Cable up along the ceiling and behind the Rear Basement Wall Cavity. I then needed to fasten the Breaker Box and start fastening the wire in place. That’s when I realized I didn’t have any Wire Clips to hold the Cable. With the contents from the basement spread outside I needed Kathy to watch over them while I drove back to Herb’s Hardware Store in Quartzsite to remedy the situation. Kathy sat reading outside in the sunshine which helped to keep her slightly comfortable. That saved me from having to pack everything away and starting over when I got Home. I also looked to see if they had any Robertson Screws to make my job easier but they didn’t. In Canada Robertson Screws are a Standard and are much easier to work with in tight places than the Phillips. 

Inverter wired into Manual Breaker Box.
Extra Cable deliberately looped below box.

All closed up.

When I got back Home Kathy went inside to be out of the breeze while I started fastening the Cable out of the way along the Basement Ceiling. Anyone that has worked with such heavy Cable knows that it is not very flexible so when it sprung back striking me a few times, words I avoid using especially around the grandchildren spilled out. I keep saying I need to Exercise but just doing that today was a Workout in itself. 

White cable on left from Generator Prep.

Black cable on left, now from Inverter.

After apologizing to Kathy about the language and taking a short break it was time to connect the Cable to the Inverter. After cutting the Cable to a suitable length I dismounted the Inverter from the Basement Wall and brought it over to the Tailgate. It would have been impossible to connect on the Wall so this would make connecting the Cable much easier. When I opened the connection cover I found something I didn’t plan on. This is only a Single-Phase Inverter not the Double Phase that I had thought that I was getting. (It is only wired for 120 Volt Output not 240 Volt.) 

I brought Kathy out to explain the situation which means she’ll just have to be cautious for now on how many appliances she uses at one time. When we get back to Canada I’ll see what kind of deal we can come up with to correct the problem. I simply cut the one conductor back at the Inverter and folded it back from it’s connection point in the Breaker Box.  

Having already prepared the end of the Cable that was to go in the Automatic Switching Device the power to the trailer was only shut down for Twenty Minutes today. This afternoon the temperature did reach 57 F (14 C) but with the cold North Breeze it never felt like it. By the time I had everything put back in the basement it was getting colder. 

Kathy spent a few minutes talking to Pam our Neighbour about the cold temperatures we’ve been getting which is not what any of us had expected. Many times their conversation was interrupted by the distant cry of the Coyotes. 

For supper while I grilled a couple of nice sized Hamburgers on the Weber Q, Kathy was Sautéing some nice Asparagus we recently got at the Road Runner Grocery Store. You could hear the Coyotes not too far away and the fact I was outside grilling had me keeping an eye over my shoulder since I was outside by myself in the dark. Supper tasted great! 

After a few more minor adjustments we’ll be all set to go “Off the Grid”. The temperature is supposed to be comfortable for the next couple of days but we won’t talk about next week. 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 

There's fishing tackle in your glove box.

Holding A Dinosaur’s Tooth, Quartzsite Yacht Club, Movie Night and Choose a Profile.

Our Location today is Quartzsite, Arizona, U.S.A. 

Even though it was a cold we kept ourselves covered throughout the night and I still managed to be up shortly after 7:30 MST this morning. As soon as I’d gone through my routine of opening the window shades in the living area and getting things ready for breakfast I turned on our computers. As is also part of my routine The Weather Network was the first program that was opened. The outside temperature was a warm 43 F (6 C) at 7:45 MST. I know that everyone back home wouldn’t mind this warmth that we are experiencing compared to the freezing temperatures and snow that they are getting but they didn’t travel all this distance for the warm temperatures. 

I’d barely started reading the morning Blogs that we follow when Kathy came downstairs at 8:05 for breakfast. We discussed what else I needed to do to get our large inverter hooked up and running before we leave here on January 3^rd when we’ll be heading out to La Posa LTVA to be Off the Grid. After finishing our morning reading and chores we had some errands to run. 

It was shortly after 10:30 when we drove to Herb’s Hardware in Quartzsite. To safely transfer the electrical power from our 3,000 Watt Pure Sine Wave Inverter to the trailer’s Electrical Panel we needed a heavier gauge Cable. As soon as the associates at the door heard what I wanted they brought me to what they had left. As luck would have it, there was just the right length of 8 AGW Cable that we needed.  

After spending yesterday working on the trailer we needed to do some walking so we headed down to the Vendors Area to see what other vendors had arrived. Instead of going to the vendors under the tents first we wandered over to some of the Gem and Rock Vendors to see what everyone makes such a big fuss about. When these rocks are mined, they don’t look like much but after some cleaning and polishing they are beautiful. Kathy even got to hold a Dinosaur Tooth that was millions of years old.  

Wandering over to another rock vendor he was saying that in the six years he’s been coming here it has never been this cold. He said normally it would be cold for two or three days and then be in the low to mid seventies the rest of the time. At K & B Tools we purchase some metal stakes that we’ll be able to use to tie down our Gazebo with. The last time we used it the wind nearly took it to OZ and we didn’t want that happening again. 

It was 12:30 when we left there so we thought that we’d try a different restaurant for lunch. We ended up at the Quartzsite Yacht Club where we chose to try their Fish and Chips for our meal. We’ll definitely be back. 

The remaining Cable still coiled on the ground behind me.

Back Home Kathy went to the Park Clubhouse to exchange some books while I started wiring the Disconnect Breaker Box for the Large Inverter. When she got back Kathy sat outside in the heat of the sun but out of the breeze reading while I continued to work. Jack another park resident stopped by inquiring about the Solar Panels today and what is necessary to set them up.  Even though I showed him the Inverters, Batteries and Charge Controller he just couldn’t stop looking at the Solar Panels and the way they were mounted. I only managed to wire the one Cable into the Disconnect Box when I closed up for the day. 

Around 5:00 it was really cooling down so we went in where Kathy cooked Bacon and Eggs for our supper topped with a Hot Cup of Apple Cider. 

Just before 7:00 we headed to the Clubhouse for a Movie Night. Neither of us caught the name of the movie that was based on an actual Coast Guard rescue in the early thirties. We believe this move was just released in the last year. It shows what people’s determination can accomplish and we would have given it Two Thumbs Up. 

I try to comment on as many of the Blogs on our Sidebar as I can. However, there is some kind of new sign-in that keeps asking me after I’ve written a comment to choose a Profile. There is an Empty Box that as soon as you click on it you can’t fill it in. I’ve asked Google for help and it doesn’t have a clue as to what I’m referring to. In order to post a Blog, you have to be Signed-in on your Personal or Blog’s Profile but that is not what it means. There are at least a dozen such Blogs that I can no longer leave comments on. It could be something that was change to prevent Spam but it is keeping legitimate commenters from leaving messages.  

Tomorrow we’ll see what we can do. Thanks for following along and feel free to leave a comment. Be Safe and Enjoy! 

It’s about time.

Krackers 

Words of Inspiration 

For a crowd is not company; and faces are but a gallery of pictures; and talk but a tinkling cymbal, where there is no love.

 

Francis Bacon, English Philosopher

Sister’s Christmas Call, Getting Connected, Factory Cut Insulation and Supper Out.

Our Location today is Quartzsite, Arizona, U.S.A. 

Managing to have a good night’s sleep I stayed in bed until after 7:30 this morning. I had barely opened the window shades and gotten ready for breakfast when Kathy came down to join me. Looking outside you could tell we’d had a cold night by the morning dew that was dripping from the Wind Deflector on the truck. Hard to believe but even in the desert that does happen. 



Center Top the EMS Monitor and below is
the Remote Charge Controller Monitor.

The plan was to get some wiring done in the basement today but since we were feeling cold inside the trailer I thought that I’d check the Online Forecast. According to The Weather Network the temperature outside was a balmy 39 F (4 C) but at least we were warmer than our kids were this morning.  

Yellow Communication Cable. Now the Charge
Controller is talking to the Remote Monitor.

I was just about to try calling my sister Anna that lives in London since she wasn’t there yesterday, when my phone suddenly started ringing. Great minds think alike as she has a few more busy days planned with the Grandchildren and thought she’d call before they arrived. Since she reads our blog regularly she was asking how the Solar Panels worked. I had to explain the mechanics of the system to her. Then she spoke with Kathy for a bit saying “We make a good team. I am the Technologist and Kathy is the Practicalist making certain that I don’t get carried away”. 

Trying to warm up with lunch.

By 10:30 MST the temp had only risen to 43 F (6 C) but if this project is going to get finished I had to get out there. My first job was to empty the curbside of the Basement because the next thing I had to do was remove the rear Basement Wall. Now I had to go back inside to feed the Electrical Fish through the opening above the Kitchen Countertop. Back in the Basement I then attached the two Communication Cables to the Fish. Again inside the trailer the Cables were connected to the appropriate monitors and the Remote Charge Control Monitor was finally mounted. 

Connecting EMS wires.

Kathy hadn’t been idle while I was bouncing back and forth. She’d been busy putting our Christmas Decorations away for another year. Unlike when we weren’t traveling the decorations could remain as late as New Years Day, but now it’s easier to put them away earlier. 

You are looking into the Automatic Switching Device.
Three wires removed from the lower right terminals
are now connected in the EMS. Wires from
 the EMS output were connected to those terminals.

Now that the Communication Cables were connected up top it was time to make them do their job. I finished routing the Communication Cable to the Charge Controller in the basement. Even though it has been functioning for nearly a week now, we had no idea of how well it was working. It took longer to take the cover off and feed the Cable through the Clamp then it did to hook it up.  

The White Cable on left was originally connected in the Automatic
Switching Device and they had a cut in the insulation. The Black Cable
on the right is now connected to the Automatic Switching Device (Above).

I was almost finished when Kathy called me for lunch. We’d both gotten so engrossed in what we were doing that it was nearly 1:00 MST. Kathy combined a nice Spinach Salad with a Macaroni and Cheese to give us a Nutritious and Filling meal. 

Black Box on Bottom left is the EMS.
Gray Box upper right is the Automatic Switching Device.

I headed back outside to close up the Charge Controller then to work on the Electrical Management System (EMS). The other day I had wired it thinking that I would connect it after the Automatic Switching Device. When using a Generator or Invertor you don’t need to run that through the EMS so I had to remove the wire from the Feed Side and connect it to the Output Side. Once the work was finished on the Tailgate now I needed to make the rest of the connections in the basement. Working with a 6 AGW is hard enough but inside a tight Electrical Box it is worse. 

With the wall back in place it doesn't look any different.

After disconnecting the Shore Power, I stared by opening the Automatic Transfer Switch so I could make the connections.  Kathy came to see how I was doing but took one look at all the wires and said that was enough for her before heading back inside. Just as I was connecting the last wire in the EMS I noticed a cut in the wire insulation that had been done at the Factory. A closer look showed two wires next to one another with the same cut in the Insulation. That could have caused an Arcing Short and a possible Fire if it hadn’t been discovered. I had to disconnect those last four wires and cut them shorter so there was no break in the insulation. Luckily most manufactures leave plenty of extra wire.  

Setting Sun reflecting off distant Mountains.

It took nearly two hours to connect the EMS into the Electrical System but it will now protect our Electronics in the trailer. It was nearly 5:30 by the time everything was closed up. I was really feeling chilled when I went inside. We were both too tired to cook so we went to the Main Street Diner in Quartzsite for supper.

All Systems Go.

With all the fresh air that I breathed today it’s hard to see the keys on the computer as I write the blog. Tomorrow is another day and there are still things to get accomplished but who knows what we’ll get done. Thanks for following along and feel free to leave a comment. Be Safe and Enjoy! 

It’s about time.

Krackers 

Joke of the Day 

Classic bumper sticker # 618 

The more you complain the longer God makes you live.