All Bolted, Kathy Climbs to A New Height, Solar Panels Fastened Down and Comfort Food.

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

After both of us having had a restless night’s sleep on Saturday Night when our heads hit the pillow last night the only thing we remembered was waking up this morning. I was up at 6:38 MST and had prewarned Kathy last night that I may not be inside the trailer when she’d wake up today. I had gotten my clothes ready before going to bed so that I wouldn’t disturb her. Since it was still dark outside I spent a little bit of time doing my morning reading on the computer. 

Working on Make-Shift workbench.

It was in the mid-fifties when the sun finally came up so wearing my sweater I headed outside by 7:30 to continue adding the brackets that I had made for the Solar Panels. I managed to complete two more Panels before Kathy opened the door to say she was up. 

Bracket clamped to Solar Panel for drilling with scrap wood
to prevent damage to the panel.
Panels leaned against trailer with foam bumpers to prevent
damage to the trailer.

It didn’t take long to make breakfast because I had set it all up before going outside. Kathy was feeling much better today and we discussed what our plans were for the day. Even though we have been invited to stop in to visit other RV Bloggers who are also staying in La Posa South we needed to concentrate on getting things on the trailer done today. I needed to finish assembling the Solar Panels and getting them Mounted on the roof. Kathy needed to do some Bookkeeping for the Christmas Gifts we purchased the last couple of days and to Safely Store them. 

With only an inch and a half clearance all 48 bolts had Nuts and
Lock-Washers to prevent any loosening due to road vibration.

It was warm enough that wearing a sweater was no longer necessary in fact my feet felt like they were on fire from the heat of the sun warming up the Black Socks that I was wearing, even though they were covered by my pants. I still had two more holes to drill when Kathy called me for lunch. It seemed as if I’d just gotten back out there from breakfast. Even though lunch was warm Soup and a Sandwich they helped refuel our energy levels. 

Lining up the Solar Panels on the roof.

Fortunately, I was keeping myself Hydrated today having a swallow of Gatorade between each bottle of water I was consuming. Once the drilling and assembly on the tailgate was completed it was time to clean up our patio before moving up to the roof. Folding up the cardboard boxes (there is no Recycling here) to bring to the trash Dave held the lid open for me since my hands were full. He and his wife have taken a year off to travel after having a couple of Harried Years recently. They are from Alaska and even though they are missing their kids they are enjoying the warmer temperatures.

Looking two sites over.

After setting up the Step-Ladder then getting the Smaller Hardware and Tools on the roof it was time to start hauling the Solar Panel Assemblies up one at a time. As I positioned the last Panel on the roof I was surprised to turn and see Kathy up there admiring the placement that I had chosen for the Panels, and she liked it. Since Kathy is not as stable on the trailer as I am I went ahead of her to help guide her down. 

All fastened flat.

It didn’t take too long to fasten most of the panels but there is always one that has to cause problems. Since I was using the drill to drive the screws into the roof it wasn’t a surprise when two screws that were only half way in decided to snap off. Needing to keep the Panel in the location it was at meant removing it temporarily and removing the broken fasteners before finishing the job. 

Adding the tilt feature.

Kathy came outside to see how things were going. She also used the Step-Ladder so she could clean the dusty road grime on a few of the back windows. Once all the Panels were in the tilted position I started measuring the Solar Panel Cables that I have. I might have to make a deal, and bartering a couple of slightly longer cables. Being on the roof attracted the attention of a few neighbours who just had to tell me of their experiences. I was only able to connect the one set of Panel Cables into the Junction Box on the roof before noticing a chill in the air, so looking over my shoulder I saw the Sun was already dipping below the horizon. 

Adding the tilt to the last Solar Panel.

After packing up outside we were both too tired to cook so I got washed up by 6:00 we were headed back to the Main Street Eatery in Quartzsite for supper. Their special today was Meatloaf with Mashed Potatoes smothered in Beef Gravy and Green Beans. It tasted so wonderful and because we didn’t have to cook it tasted that much better. We were so hungry that we inhaled our meals and were back Home by 7:00 MST. 

Comfort Food.

Tomorrow will be a combination work and visiting day so what exactly we’ll be up to is anyone’s guess. Thanks for following along and feel free to leave a comment. Be Safe and Enjoy! 

It’s about time.

Shared Pictures Tonight.

Krackers 

Words of Inspiration 

Power is not revealed by striking hard often, but by striking true.

Honore de Balzac, French Novelist