Worrisome Call, Freezing Morning, Wet Weather and Warming Overnight.

Our Location today is McGregor, Ontario, Canada.

We were more then tired when we went to bed last night so along with the cold temperatures we easily fell asleep. Just after 2:00 in the morning our house phone started ringing so naturally I got up to answer. The outside temperature was 41 F (5 C) but with the cold North Wind blowing it felt colder. I could see my breath as I answered the phone. Our grandchildren have our phone number and know that if they need help to call us at any time. On the phone line I could hear a young woman screaming hysterically to someone else that her nose was broken and she needed help. There was traffic noise in the background along with another person speaking to her before the line was disconnected.

Our Home phone is a Turbo Hub which is the equivalent of a Cell Phone on Steroids. We can be anywhere in Canada and if someone calls our Home Phone we’ll get the call. The only problem with this system is that there is no Caller-ID so we couldn’t tell who had called. It was probably a wrong number but the fact that we have a couple of granddaughters in that age group that could have been out with friends left us both unable to fall back to sleep for a couple of hours.

Also the fact that I felt frozen while answering the phone didn’t help. To top it off we suddenly started having Rain pounding on our roof with such an intensity it sounded like we were in a drum. It was worse than the Wind we had the other night. We would just about to fall back to sleep when the rain would once again start coming down hard causing us to partially wake up. At breakfast we recounted what I had heard on the phone.

Every year there is a Happy New Year celebration here at Wildwood Golf and RV Park in the month of May for people who are registered for the season. No outside guests allowed for this event. (We attended last year and had great time.) The only thing it costs us is $12.50 each for our meal which is catered by the 19^th Hole Restaurant to the Clubhouse and the costs of entertainment and door prizes are paid for by the Park. With them going on sale at 11:00 I bundled up and went to the Clubhouse early. Thinking I would look overdressed when I walked in the Clubhouse I was glad to see most of the people there dressed the same way. When they started selling the tickets it only took twenty minutes for them to be sold out but we have ours. 

All day Rain.

With the continually falling rain and cold temperature soup with cheese and crackers was a good option for lunch. 

Cheese on Cracker with Soup and Apple sauce for dessert.

While Kathy busied herself with chores inside I sorted the laundry and headed off to the Park Laundry Room. With the increase of all new Washers and Dryers it makes it so much easier doing this chore. Once I had transferred everything to the dryers I walked back to the trailer with the delicates that have to be hung to dry. Kathy and I spoke briefly while I dried the dishes she was washing. Before going back to fold the clothes I drained our waste tanks.

We again kept it light for supper I grilled a couple of Johnsonville Brats while Kathy made a Chopped Kale Salad to go with them. 

Chopped Kale Salad with a Johnsonville Brat on a bun and
Apple sauce for dessert..

The rain is continuing to fall making certain everything is well watered for its springtime growth. The Temperatures are supposed to rise overnight even with more rain falling. Tomorrow will be comfortable before we head back into the freeze on Tuesday. Thanks for following along and feel free to leave a comment. Be Safe and Enjoy!

It’s about time.

Krackers

Joke of the Day

You know you're getting old when the gleam in your eye

is from the sun hitting your bifocals.

Last Night’s Blog Update, Kathy’s Birthday, Supporting A Good Cause and Weather Cooldown.

Our Location today is McGregor, Ontario, Canada.

Getting caught up on Yesterday’s Blog turned out to be a bigger challenge then I expected it to be. Something about being retired with nothing to do. Yeah Right!

Most of Friday was spent at the trailer trying to fix minor little things and checking to see that everything was still solid on our roof. With the high Winds that we were being battered with on Thursday there was enough noise coming from the roof that either someone was walking around up there or things were becoming air-borne.

We both enjoy eating Fish & Chips but we thought we’d do it on the light side last night. What I mean is that we’ve been watching our intake since getting back from the southwest that we went to McDonalds in Amherstburg and had their Filet of Fish Combo. That meant we had a smaller portion of fish then usual, on a bun and it cost us less to boot.

From there we headed to Canadian Tire to walk around and wear off some of our supper as well as hoping that we’d find the smaller Pizza Stone that nobody seems to be carrying any longer. When that search also failed we drove over to the Walmart to try again.

It was nearly 7:00 when we realized we were out of luck and headed over to our son Kevin and daughter-in-law Melissa’s house for our scheduled visit. It has been some time since we have really had a chance to visit and we had more than the usual things to talk about. Kevin and Melissa had just returned from a week in Mexico so they were just as excited to tell us about their trip as they were to ask about our’s.

Melissa was also raised to be a Gracious Host and she had the table filled with all kinds of snacks. They also wanted to wish us both Happy Birthday so they even got us small tokens of their appreciation. The conversation never stopped the entire time we were there and unfortunately with all those snacks within reach we all kept snacking. Thank You Kevin and Melissa we truly appreciated everything but especially the visit with you both.

We weren’t eating heavy but that snacking caught up to us after we got Home and with the short time to post before midnight I mentioned that I would update the post later. Because of snacking late at night we both tossed around not being able to sleep immediately. I should have just gotten up and wrote the Post Update at that moment because I kept doing it in my head instead of sleeping.

First thing this morning I wished Kathy a Happy Birthday. After we had finished our breakfast and talked about our restless night we both sat at our computers to get caught up on what everyone else is up to. When Kathy opened her Facebook account she found a notification from Sandy that there was a Garage Sale for the Air Cadets taking place at Windsor Airport. We attended last year and Kathy was able to get quite a few books to read and it helped support the Air Cadets in the area.

We didn’t get out the door until 10:30 so we didn’t waste any time getting there. Straight up Walker Road until we reached Airport Road and we were there. With the forecasted threat of rain we had worn our Rain Jackets over our Denim Jackets as wind breakers. The temperature at the time was 52 F (11 C) but with the 30 MPH Wind Gusts it felt much colder. Everyone inside the Hangar was complaining about the cold and some were wearing Winter Coats.

We talked with Sandy and Kevin for a short while as their son Ethan is in the Air Cadets. We then looked at what we didn’t need before making our way to the Book Table. They couldn’t believe that we had stayed in the desert near Quartzsite “Off the Grid” and what we paid to stay there. They were wishing they were retired and able to do the same. After paying for the books we purchased and heading back to the truck it felt colder. Looking at the temperature gauge on the dash it showed the temperature had dropped down to 46 F (8 C) in less then an hour.

We were going to drive up Walker Road but traffic was at a standstill. Turning around we drove down Airport Road until we came out on County Road 42. Traffic heading towards Walker Road was also at a standstill but someone let me pass through their line to head in the opposite direction. Knowing a shortcut to take I turned at the next intersection and going through the back way we were at Wendy’s in five minutes. As we enjoyed our Salads we watched the traffic heading up Walker Road barely moving. There was probably an accident blocking the main intersection at Walker and County Road 42.

We had an appointment at Fantastic Sam’s with Jenna to get our hair cut for 1:00. She was happy to see us with all kinds of questions about our trip. We were happy to see her because we knew that we would be getting our hair cut the way we wanted it to be. Kathy had a wash and trim so it took a few minutes extra but we were out of there by 11:45 and we have our next appointment already booked.

Heading east on the E. C. Rowe Expressway we stopped at Guardian Storage where we got our Mail and went back to our Climate Controlled Storage Unit. We had forgotten to drop off something the other day and Kathy was looking for a receipt that she couldn’t find back at the trailer. Since we are forecasted for more of this wet and cold weather for the next month she also got a couple of her vests to bring Home. 

Inside Colasanti's

We drove over to our daughter Karen’s house to drop off some receipts Kathy found that they had left behind in our car. Luckily we have a key to their house from the days when we used to rescue the kids when they were sick at school. The only one home was Sanford and he was more then happy with the treats he got from Kathy. 

Being so close we stopped at Leisure Trailer Sales in Lakeshore. We spoke with Stephanie about our lack of space because of the slide. We also got other information about service we wanted done. 

From there we headed towards Leamington with plans to stop at Colasanti’s. The reason for going there was to get another Citronella Plant like we had last year. When we arrived the Parking Lot was quite full. Considering this was Saturday many parents bring their children here. Colasanti’s is not just a Greenhouse but a Petting Zoo with exotic animals, a Carnival that includes rides like a small Ferris Wheel, Roller Coaster, Bumper Cars, an Arcade and Mini Golf Course all inside away from the elements. We looked and looked until we finally had to ask about the Citronella Plants. We were told that they won’t be in until the middle of May when the Mosquitos start. 

When we left I asked Kathy if she wanted me to just drive through Leamington and she suggested eating out in celebration of Our Birthdays. For years we have seen a restaurant advertised on the Local News Channel called Paula’s Fish Place Restaurant out near Point Pelee National Park in Leamington. We soon saw some signs and followed them out towards the most Southerly point of Canada. We finally found it and really liked the atmosphere and the service but especially the way the food was prepared. 

Perch, Fries and Cole Slaw.

It was after 8:30 by the time we got Home. We had to cycle our furnace to warm the inside of our trailer which was a chilly 45 F (7 C). We’ve got things to do tomorrow but we’ll wait and see what happens. 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

Employee Evaluation

"Some drink from the fountain of knowledge; he only gargled."

Late night Visit.

Our Location today is McGregor, Ontario, Canada.

After spending the day doing odd chores around the trailer and some very important research today we had a visit with our son Kevin and daughter-in-law Melissa this evening. Our short visit was much longer then normal even though we all enjoyed one another’s company Kathy and I felt like we overstayed our visit. Just getting in and feeling too tired to write so we’ll fill in the blanks tomorrow.

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

It’s about time.

Krackers

Joke of the Day

God must love stupid people

He made so many of them.

Errands Galore, Caught in Heavy Rain and Late Day Winds.

Our Location today is McGregor, Ontario, Canada.

When the alarm clock went off at 7:30 this morning we had no choice but to get out of bed. This is not the way to wake up when you are retired but there are times you have to make exceptions. We simply had time to get dressed, take our morning medications and head out the door minutes after 8:00. The early departure time did work to our advantage because we didn’t have to stop for a single School Bus for the entire trip into Windsor.

Our destination was Kathy’s Family Doctor in Windsor for one of her tri-yearly physicals. We managed to arrive twenty minutes early but Kathy only waited ten before being called in to see her doctor. Her doctor was impressed with her Lower Blood Pressure and Low Sugar readings but all she could do was shake her head in disbelief when Kathy told her about our hikes and about climbing the Dome Rock Mountain Ridge. In the end all she could do was tell Kathy not to overdo it, rest when she needed and she’d see her again in July.

As soon as we had scheduled her next appointment we were off to have breakfast at A&W. As customary when Kathy has to fast I will wait to have breakfast at the same time that she does. What we enjoy about having breakfast at A&W is that for a Fast-Food outlet when you eat in they serve the food on real dishes with real silverware, it is cooked the way you order it and it costs less then most restaurants.

After our appetites were sated we drove over to Fantastic Sam’s in hopes of getting Jenna to cut our hair. Her co-worker said she only stayed a few minutes saying she wasn’t feeling well so we booked an appointment for haircuts for this Saturday.

We headed up Howard Avenue to Benson Tires where we had purchased all new tires for the trailer the day before we crossed the border back in November. When we showed Adam the tire that blew on I-44 in Missouri he couldn’t believe that it only had 6455 Miles on it. He unfortunately could not fix things up for us. As he said he is only the salesman. He gave us the phone number to Goodyear’s Customer Service Department telling us we might have to lose our cool to get this resolved.

From there we drove over to Windsor Gas and Diesel on Grand Marais to speak with Jim about the car. He might not have it done by the weekend which is fine by us because we still have the truck to use at this time. As we were about to leave we noticed a Heavy Cloud Covering filling the western sky.

Guardian Storage was our next stop where after getting our mail we drove to our Climate Controlled Storage Unit. We had to return our File Cabinet and Document Shredder as well as finding some personal things we needed to bring to the trailer. With the building our Storage Unit is located in being so well insulated we didn’t hear the Heavy Rain that was coming down until we approached the door to leave. Let’s just say we were a little damp by the time we got in the truck where our Raincoats were located. 

Our next stop was Dollarama where we had a list of things we needed to pick up. Since the rain was still coming down quite heavy we took our time walking around inside. We actually changed our minds about some of the things on our lists and got others instead. 

Having been unable to find everything we needed there we drove over to Dollar Tree where we struck out again.

With our Kitchen Slide being out of commission and being told not to open it until it gets repaired has caused a number of problems. The techs just closed it up without allowing us to get things we might need from the cupboards. Picking up a new Sauce Pan or Frying Pan was just an inconvenience but try replacing something like a 12 inch Pizza Stone has proved futile. We stopped at Canadian Tire because that was where we had purchased ours a few years back. Now they only carry the 14 inch size.

We drove back to Walmart hoping to find the Pizza Stone there but they didn’t even know what we were talking about. We ended up walking out with only groceries.

It was nearly 3:00 and five hours past our late breakfast so we stopped at Taco Bell where we enjoyed a satisfying late lunch. We knew we were hungry when we were feeling dizzy. After eating we had more energy and the room stopped spinning.

The Home Hardware Building Center in Tecumseh was our next stop where we struck out on the Pizza Stone again but managed to get the two Stepping Stones we want for our site here at Wildwood Golf and RV Park.

One last stop at another Dollarama and Kathy was able to find an accent piece she wanted for our Outdoor Bistro Table.

We finally made our 15^th stop at Home by 5:00. The rain had finally stopped so while Kathy put the groceries away I added the extra Solar Lights we’d picked up to our outside display. When the 6 o’clock News started so did the 30 MPH Wind Gusts. Tomorrow we get to sleep in. Thanks for following along and feel free to leave a comment. Be Safe and Enjoy!

It’s about time.

Krackers

Words of Inspiration

Work like you don't need the money,

love like you've never been hurt

and dance like nobody's watching.

Picnic On The Patio.

Our Location today is McGregor, Ontario, Canada.

Even though we went to bed at our normal time last night we both managed to sleep late this morning. Since our return to McGregor before Easter we have slept soundly managing to get up at a fairly decent time but neither of us have felt rested. The last few days we have been working outside getting our site organized. Combine all that fresh air with a comfortable bed to sleep in you have the makings for someone to sleep so soundly we actually felt rested this morning when we got up.

Once we had finished breakfast, our morning reading and our chores we both had our own things we needed to accomplish. Kathy had Online Banking to do so after I set up our printer I went Online to book my next Blood Donor Appointment in Windsor. Their site had changed since the last time I was there but eventually I got it set up.

I then headed outside to give our newly planted trees a good drink of a fertilizer specially formulated for evergreen trees. This is like a super vitamin that will help them develop strong roots even in Clay.

 

Vegetable Soup with Cottage Cheese topped with diced Peaches.

I knew it was past noon hour and Kathy was still working Online when I went inside to I start making our lunch. With the knowledge that Kathy has a physical and bloodwork to be done on Thursday I kept it light and healthy. Since we will have to empty our fridge along with everything on our defective kitchen slide when the trailer goes in for repair as soon as we finished eating Kathy took some Pork Chops out of the freezer for super.

After lunch I started digging further into our shed where I located our Solar Lights to put around the outside of the patio. Before we headed south last fall we packed them all away for safe keeping. By the time all the lamps were assembled, in position and I had cleaned up the patio Kathy came outside to join me. 

Acorn Squash, done on the Weber.

When we looked at the time it was 4:00 so I announced it was Happy Hour. It was sunny with a light cool breeze. We had a chance to talk about what we had to do tomorrow and what else we would have for supper. Kathy found an Acorn Squash that had to be cooked but everything we normally used to season it was behind the closed slide. The solution was to change the seasoning and to grill it on the Weber. Once I’d cut it in half I went outside to start the grill while Kathy worked her magic seasoning the squash as well as prepping some Asparagus as another side. 

Asparagus on the grill.

The end result was that we ate our supper out on our patio in courses the first being our Acorn Squash, then our Asparagus followed by our Pork Chops and we even had a cup of Apple Sauce for dessert. It was all cooked perfectly and tasted great even though we didn’t have access to the proper spices we needed. 

One Course at a time makes a meal look small

Besides Kathy’s doctor’s appointment we’ll be running a bunch of errands before heading back Home. 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 have custody of a Camaro every other weekend.

Problem Of Commenting Solved, Clean Up Finished and Gasoline Leak Fixed.

Our Location today is McGregor, Ontario, Canada.

It was an entire 10 Degrees F warmer this morning then when we went to bed last night. That could have partly been due to our sleeping in until nearly 8:30 as well. The Higher Humidity level makes the cold just as intense as the Low Humidity that we were feeling while in the desert around Quartzsite this past winter. Not having too much planned for the day we took our time enjoying breakfast and getting caught up on our reading. 

Cloudy Arizona Skies were always different.

For quite some time I have been unable to post comments on a lot of the Blogs on our Sidebar. Not knowing what the problem was I had to e-mail many but still experienced the same problem. When Dillon at SX Video did the recovery on my Laptop he also upgraded my Web-Browser to Google Chrome. I had thought that by having Google Chrome people would not be able to comment on our Blog. Instead it was the old Internet Explorer that was making it impossible for me to comment on all those Blogs. This morning I had no trouble whatsoever leaving comments on the Blogs that I couldn’t comment on for months.

After finishing my inside chores, I drove up to the Park Maintenance Building where they have a large Compost Bin. This is where the yard waste that we had gathered around our site was destined to go. You are allowed to leave waste in the paper yard waste bags but not in plastic bags. Looking around while I was there, I could see no Grounds Workers around nor could I see anywhere for disposing of the Clay that we dug up while we planted our trees yesterday. A quick stop at the Park Office and Darlene was able to direct me to a pile of Clay on the far side of the parking lot that was soon destined for removal. 

Kathy had busied herself going through last year’s expense files so that they could be put into the File Cabinet and returned to our Storage Unit later this week. She knows which ones to keep for two and seven years and with time that File Cabinet should get a lot lighter. When she was finished cleaning it up and locking it I was called upon to load it back in the truck. 

We had a late lunch but didn’t waste any time afterwards. Kathy still had more data entries to make on our Expenditure Spreadsheet while I went outside and started hauling the clay to the back of the truck using a pail. There was no wheelbarrow available so you use what is available. Having laid another plastic tarp in the back of the truck it was easy when it came to dumping it at the disposal site and to clean the truck. 

We both worked for a while longer before we actually had a chance to just sit down and relax outside. That was when Jim from Windsor Gas and Diesel called to talk about the car. Somehow a clip holding the Number 1 Injector had come off causing gasoline to spray past the “O” Rings. It was an easy fix but then he found another leak and since this involves metal lines that are rusting from the front of the car to the back they have to be replaced. We trust Jim’s decision totally because he will not try to sell you something you don’t need. It could be a few more days before we get the car back. 

We had grilled Hamburgers on the Weber and heated a can of Bushes Baked Beans next to them for our supper. Watching the 6 o’clock News showed that the springtime temperatures we have been getting for the past two days will be leaving by the weekend as we get another cold spell heading our way. Thanks for following along and feel free to leave a comment. Be Safe and Enjoy!

It’s about time.

Pictures from Our 2017

Winter Travels in Arizona.

Krackers

The World's Great Proverbs

If ifs and ands were pots and pans, there'd be no work for tinker’s hands.

Laptop Back, Car Sent Away, Curious Neighbours and Trees Planted.

Our Location today is McGregor, Ontario, Canada.

Even with the near freezing night in our area we only ran our Electric Fireplace for a short while this morning because the outside temps were improving early. As soon as breakfast was over while Kathy did her morning reading I started making phone calls. The first was to our friend Jim at Windsor Gas and Diesel in Windsor. When I told him about the heavy gasoline smell his first words were “Don’t Drive it. If by chance the leak was over the hot manifold the car could catch on fire.” When asked if I could send it his way “He said he’d squeeze it in.”

The next call I kept getting the person’s voice mail. After getting my morning chores finished I sat at the computer for the short time it took Kathy to get ready to head out the door.

Our destination was SX Video in Essex to pick up my laptop. On Thursday evening I received a call from someone identifying themselves as from Norton Antivirus. That would never happen in real life. They stated there was a problem with my computer and I needed to give them some personal financial information. I wasn’t born yesterday and when I said that his response was “Well say goodbye to all your files.” He wasn’t even on my computer but as he said that my computer started going blank. Try as much as I could I could not bring it back to life that night. 

Fairy Garden

Dillon at SX Video told me this morning that what had happen is somehow while surfing the Web a Cookie had been planted which could scramble my passwords. Even though I regularly clean those out it had buried itself. Now another cookie gets planted and buried sending a message to these Scumbags that it was ready to be used. Now they just call you on the phone and disable your computer all because of those Cookies.

I’d dropped Kathy at the nearby Shoppers Drug Mart where she looked for some shampoo. We both met at the truck at the same time. 

Back at Home we had a lite lunch of Tomato Soup, English Muffins with two Oreo Cookies and a Clementine Orange for desert. As soon as we were finished eating I called CAA roadside service to have a Flatbed Tow Truck bring our car to Windsor Gas and Diesel. They were busy so it would take about an hour for the truck to arrive.

We wanted to start getting our site spruced up the way we did last year so we started getting things out from the shed. Kathy had wrapped some of the figures in Bubble Wrap in order protect them. They looked just the day they were purchased. That was when Nichol came over and started talking to us about our trip. That was also the same time the Flatbed Tow Truck showed up to pick up the car. While Kathy spoke to Nichol I took care of the car issue. 

Our car being sent for service.

Once the truck was gone Kathy and I started talking about removing our Golden Cedar Trees from the decorative pots we had them in and actually planting them in the ground. Unlike other Residents we have seen digging on their sites we laid a plastic tarp down to gather all the Clay that was being removed from the hole that I was digging. Kathy busied herself by recreating her Fairy Garden. It took close to two hours digging that trench in the Clay and cutting through numerous tree Roots that were running close to the surface of the ground.

Fairy Garden.

We stopped long enough to have supper then we went right back to work. With all the trees in the trench we made certain they had a slight stone base with Peat Moss around their bases and Potting Soil packed in around the top. Now they will grow to make us a privacy barrier and we won’t have to worry about them surviving the winters. 

The tarp keeps the Clay from mixing in the grass.

We stopped to take a breather when I spotted our new Miniature Alberta Pines sitting by the shed. Since we were already dirty we took the time to plant them into the larger planters by the shed doors. Now we’ll have to find one of the many other things that needs to be done to use our time. 

By planting our trees takes them off our patio.
Busy adding Peat Moss around the trees.

We have officially been Fulltimers for one year we are starting to feel more confident in advising people when they ask us about what to do. Not everyone does it the same way or with the same kind of RV but that’s what makes us human. Some have Base Parks that keeps them close to Family and Doctors while other continually move around. Most of our answers are the same such as wishing that we had done it sooner but we also say that it is not for everyone. 

One of our newly planted Alberta Miniature Pines

Our Neighbours Larry and Nichol were filled with questions about our Solar Panels and Boondocking “Off the Grid”. Would they ever be Fulltimers? Probably not! With the rising costs of Electricity, they are extremely interested in the Solar. Would they boondock in the desert? It’s temping to them but only time will tell.

The other Alberta Miniature Pine.

We’re expecting the weather to start improving soon and we hope to get our Home repaired so we can start enjoying this Fulltime Lifestyle the way it was meant to be. 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 woken up wedged in your doggie door more than once.

Cold Nights, Moderate Days, Replaced Our Car’s Brakes and Now another Problem.

Our Location today is McGregor, Ontario, Canada. 

Last night the temperature hung just above the freeze mark for our area of Ontario. Lots of people wonder, How can it be so cold in our area while they are getting warmer temperatures? The reason is because Southern Ontario especially Essex County is at the end of a peninsula that is completely surrounded by water. In the summer time we are often times called the Florida of Canada. We tend to be the last spot in Canada to get cold because of warmth retained from all that water. In the same respect we tend to be the last spot in Canada to get warm because of the cold retained from all that water. 

When we got up this morning before 8:00 it was only 41 F (5 C) inside the trailer. We could see our breathes when we exhaled from all the moisture in the air. This was not only an Electric Fireplace Day but we needed to turn the Furnace on for a single cycle just so we could stop shivering uncontrollably long enough to have our breakfast. 

As the Sun started warming everything up slowly we started seeing many of the residents heading to the Links. This is a Golf and RV Park where many of the residents are Golfers. We did our usual reading and chores along with adding a few more for good measure. 

Having emptied our holding tanks last Sunday I took the time to repeat that today. Wearing just my work sweater with the bright sunlight I was more than comfortable. 

Finding where to locare the Jack and support blocks
was the hardest part of the job.

By 1:00 we were on our way to our son Kevin and daughter-in-law Melissa’s home in Amherstburg. When we got there I didn’t waste too much time to start working on our car. Since the winter of 2012/13 we have been leaving our car with them for security and so Kevin can use it for minor errands to keep it exercised. That’s right exercising our car. There is nothing worse than just leaving a vehicle sit through the winter. When we spoke to them from Arizona this winter, Kevin mentioned that it sounded like the rear brakes needed replacing and he knows what he’s talking about. We keep our vehicles in good shape but I had planned on checking the brakes when we got home even before we left the south west. 

Kneeling on Cement was the second hardest part of the job.

In today’s automobiles there is no turning of rotors which is good because the worn pads had definitely left their mark on them. The hardest part of the job was finding my tools to do the job because many newer cars have half Standard and half Metric fasteners. I learned to do brakes at a very young age when all the brakes were Drum Brakes. With most vehicles having Disc Brakes today it is even easier to do. What appeared to be the problem was corrosion build up on the Caliper Ways which causes the calipers not to retract when the Brake Pedal is released. It took nearly an hour and a half to do the first side but only forty-five minutes for the second side.  

Our son Ken playing with the dogs at his brother's home.

Once everything was cleaned up Kathy and I took the car for a Road Test and were very happy with the results. While we were out we stopped at McDonalds for a Sweet Chili Wrap and drinks for our supper. 

On the way back Home Kathy detected the smell of gasoline in the car. We looked under the hood but couldn’t see anything. Chances are we are going to have to bring it someplace with a hoist to get that fixed. The temperatures are taking another dive tonight hopefully for the last time this spring. 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 lips are moving as you're reading this.

Cleaning Up Our Site, Talking With Neighbours and Special Campfire.

Our Location today is McGregor, Ontario, Canada. 

While we were still in Quartzsite, Arizona we had put our Summer Bedsheets on because it started warming up. Then as we started making our way northeast we soon realized we had been premature in our decision. After checking the weather pattern and temperatures while we were in Amarillo, Texas we replaced our Summer Bedsheets with our Winter ones. Some people might think that is strange but when you are living in an RV you don’t have the protection from the elements that you would in a house or an apartment. After being out in the desert and learning to conserve you learn to leave the heat turned off overnight and get comfortable by using Bedding to suit the temperatures.  

Neighbourhood Rabbit eating from our site.

Last night our temperature dipped to 37 F (3 C) so we definitely appreciated our Winter Bedsheets. There is only one thing wrong with them. You feel so cozy under those covers that you don’t want to wake up. When I looked at the clock this morning and read 8:38 I was in shock because I wanted to get things accomplished today. After leaving that warm Cocoon the 45 F (7 C) temperature inside the trailer was not comfortable so it was back to turning on our Electric Fireplace. 

Breakfast was a chore between eating our cereal and hugging our Coffee/Tea Mugs in an attempt to warm our hands but things started to improve. After our morning chores Kathy had sorted the recycle and trash so I decided to walk it over to the Park Trash Recycle area. Having only put my working sweater on I was comfortable outside our trailer but that all changed when I started walking up Wildwood Drive. I was facing a very cold north wind that made me think of turning around to add another layer. By the time I got back to our site I had to go inside to warm up for a few minutes.  But that was perfect timing because Kathy had just finished making our lunch. We shared a Sandwich, had a Salad and Blackberries on Yogurt for dessert but healthy enough to fight some of the weight gained while we were away. 

What our plan was to clean up all the leaves and branches that had found their way to our site while we were away for the winter. Kathy started to unwrap our potted trees while I started trimming the broken branches hanging in our tree. Then we worked together bagging the leaves from around our Firewood Rack that we’ll bring over to the Park Composting Area. 

Around 2:00 we started hearing familiar voices from behind our trailer. Looking over I waved to Nichol who was there to help start opening their trailer for the season. She was quick to wave back and asked about our trip. With a quick reply I headed back to the other side of our shed where Kathy was raking the leaves from along our neighbour Ted and Eileen’s trailer. It was better to remove them rather than have the wind blowing them back where we had just cleaned. Just as we were finishing up Nichol’s husband Larry came over to welcome us back and to ask about our trip. He was amazed at what we were telling him about being “Off the Grid” and our issues with the Slide and our Blow-out. 

Even though we had bagged all the leaves we had collected the branches and twigs and placed them in our Firepit. When we brought the File Cabinet and Document Shredder home the other day the forecast had been for continual rain. After Kathy had gone through our old files there was quite a pile that needed to be shredded but that takes Electricity and we pay for it here. Since the day had turned sunny and the wind had calmed even though it was 57 F (14 C) we decided to have a Campfire.  

Due to the dampness in the Firepit it took a little coaxing to get the fire going but it served multiple purposes. The first was it helped us to relax and warm up by the fire while we sat outside rather than being cooped up inside. The second reason was that bit by bit that pile of documents with our personal information that needed to be destroyed slowly disappeared in the Fire. We had gotten well over half completed when we used the fire for the third purpose, I grill some Hotdogs over the fire to go with the Salad that Kathy was making inside. 

Grilling things on our Weber is good but over a wood burning Fire is even better because it leaves that natural smoky flavor in the meat. We went back outside after eating and enjoyed the Campfire until all the documents had been disposed of. With the temperature starting to drop and the fire dying down it was an easy decision to head inside. 

We heard from SX Video just as he was closing for the weekend. Dillon was able to restore my Laptop to its full operating capacity and my files are all intact. 

We’re expecting another near freezing night before temperatures slowly start to warm up. Tomorrow we are going to see about doing repairs to our car that is still at our son’s. 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 

You never know what you can do till you try.