Great Day For Charging Batteries, Loving Leftovers and Wiring That Won’t Work.

Our Location today is at the La Posa South, LTVA, Quartzsite, Arizona.

Click on the pictures to Enlarge

While kneeling inside the Basement last evening I started experiencing some severe pain in my Right Knee. Knowing that I hadn’t bumped it I simply finished what needed to be done and closed up for the night. While sitting at the Computer to write our Blog the Knee started aching like a Tooth Ache so Extra Strength Tylenol helped me to sleep quite comfortably.

When I got up before 7:00 the Knee seemed to have improved but there was still a slight ache. After having breakfast it was time to get things moving. While changing from Pajamas to Denim Pants I was surprise at how swollen the Knee actually was. When someone injures a joint a build up of fluid occurs as the body attempts to protect itself from further injury.

Looking outside not only had the morning Clouds cleared allowing the Sun to charge our Batteries but Ken’s Flags were all waving from the moderate 7 MPH Wind we were getting. Checking out the Back Window we could see the Shadow of our Wind Generator spinning along quite nicely. Some days nothing will charge your Batteries then other days there is a competition.

When the Meters that I installed yesterday were shipped there were no Wiring Diagrams in the Packages. After my normal morning reading on the Computers this morning I found two different versions of Diagrams for that particular Meter. Strangely I could not Download or Copy them since their titles were printed in a Foreign Language that I didn’t understand I had to hand draw one on a Notepad as reference.

After emptying the opposite side of the Basement from yesterday I finished tying the Wiring Harness along the Ceiling so that nothing could hook on to them. After using my Multi Meter to test the Blocking Diode as to the direction of flow I started the process connecting the Wires to the Shunt according to the Diagram.

It was around that time that Kathy called me for lunch. She said we were having Leftovers. Leftover Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup, Leftover Bread with melted Leftover Cheese and some Leftover Mixed Berries that she made into a dessert. With leftovers like that I might never leave the kitchen. YUM!

Before I headed back outside she asked if it was okay to run the Vacuum Cleaner. These were the perfect conditions and time of day to use that or any other Electric Appliance because the Batteries would have plenty of time to recharge.

Having had Back Injuries during my career and now working in a half twisted position was not helping but causing me Confusion brought on by the Pain. I actually had to take a short break while taking another Extra Strength Tylenol. Even with that I struggled to finish what should have been an easy task. When all the Wires were connected to the Meter it would only displayed the Voltage??? According to the Wiring Diagram that I copied On-Line everything was the way it should be. Kathy suggested since I was in so much Pain to worry about it tomorrow.

For supper I grilled some very meaty Spare Ribs while Kathy cooked some Perogies and Peas as sides. After doing the dishes we both enjoyed a nice Hot Shower which helped soothe some but not all the aches.

I just went back On-Line and sketched the other Wiring Diagram that I ignored this Morning. Using the Colours of the lines instead of words I’ll have to change Half of the Wires around and hope it works. Thank you for following along and feel free to leave a comment.

Be Safe and Enjoy!

It’s about time.

Krackers

Witty Words of Wisdom

When the chips are down, the buffalo is empty.

Running Wires, Kathy’s Cooking and Mounting The Meters.

Our Location today is at the La Posa South, LTVA, Quartzsite, Arizona.

Click on the pictures to Enlarge

With a more seasonal overnight temperature we both managed to sleep quite soundly. The Sun had already slid behind a blanket of Clouds which made me think that we weren’t going to have a good day. I shouldn’t have worried because as we sat having breakfast the Sky started clearing from the west and before long there wasn’t a Cloud to be seen.

What the Sky looked like first thing this morning.

While Kathy went to check what was happening On-Line I busied myself doing my inside chores while my Coffee cooled some. I managed to finish drinking it while in the process getting ready to go outside. 

As mentioned yesterday after picking up the Meters to monitor the Wind Generator and Batteries we also got the necessary Coloured Wires so they could be hooked up. The first thing I did was to create a 20 Foot Harness of all those Wires that were needed. I’d barely finished that when Kathy called me for lunch.

She had created Chicken Salad Sandwiches along with some Low Sodium Potato Chips for lunch also with some Chocolate Chip Cookies and a Yogurt Cup for dessert. She was planning a cooking day while I worked on the Meters.

Back outside I emptied the back half of the Basement before removing its rear Wall. Inside I then removed our Solar Panel Charge Controller Monitor from the wall. The plan is to mount the Two New Meters very close and bring the Wires up through the same opening. After dropping a string down I was able to have Kathy pull them up while I guided them through the Basement.

Because a Vent Pipe shares the Cavity that the Wires were brought up through and both the Charge Controller Monitor along with the Meter that will monitor the Wind Generator are deep I needed to make a new Spacer Plate.

My finger is there for size comparison.
The Grey Meter is only 2 inches long.
That is a Blocking Diode above the meter on the right.

Using the Tailgate as a workbench I used a piece of Material to create the new Spacer Plate for both Meters. Since the Sun had already topped off our Batteries I used our Main Inverter to power the Electric Drill and Jig Saw. After a few adjustments it was time to move inside.

By mounting the Meters on the same wall as the Charge Control Monitor that meant cutting more Holes. After carefully marking them out I used the Oscillating Tool to cut them because it is much easier to control the depth of the cut. Again there was a little adjusting to do but in the end it went together fine.

Without realizing how late it was we were both starting to get disoriented but considering that it was over Seven Hours since lunch we needed to eat. Kathy had been busy making Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup this afternoon for supper and she also made some Baked Apples for dessert. We felt much better after eating and still have more Soup for another day.

I still needed to fasten the Wires along the Ceiling in the Basement so the Wall could be reinstalled plus putting everything away all while in the dark. With the use of our LED Work Lights it was easy the only bad thing was being bent over inside the Basement while working overhead will definitely make it a Tylenol night.

The White Monitor is for the Solar Charge Controller.
The Black Monitor will show the Wind Generator.
The little Grey Monitor will show our Battery Power.

Now that the hard part is finished it shouldn’t take too long to finish connecting the Meters to the Batteries and Wind Generator. Finally we’ll be able to get some Output Numbers. Saturday is looking like a Windy Day. Thank you 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 call the small rust holes in your truck "the vents"

and the big one "the sun roof".

Reorganizing, Collecting Materials, Double Shower Day and Double Anniversary.

Our Location today is at the La Posa South, LTVA, Quartzsite, Arizona.

Click on the pictures to Enlarge

Had another restless night and I was so wide awake even after taking an Extra Strength Tylenol to relax that I still spent over an Hour reading on the Computer trying to relax. Back to sleep by 5:00 I was surprised when I woke feeling refreshed by 8:00 this morning.

Looking outside I was happy to see that the Sun was busy charging our Batteries through our Solar Panels. Looking over at Ken’s Flags they were struggling to even move their tips. Again I needed to turn on our Blue Flame Heater just to take the chill out of the air. By the time Kathy got up I had finished my morning reading, finished putting away the last of the Canned Goods from our grocery shopping and had everything ready for breakfast.

When Kathy settled in at her Computer I was busy getting my inside chores completed and getting ready to go outside to get the Folded Laundry that we had been too tired to bring in last night. It didn’t take long to sort out and get it all put away.

Now it was time to load the Truck. Since we have been getting so many cold nights we have needed to use our Blue Flame Heater on low first thing in the mornings to warm things up. Going outside I found another Propane Tank that needed to be replaced with our Full Spare Tank. After loading that in the Truck it was time to add our Drinking Water Containers.

By that time Kathy figured that we would need a little extra energy for this afternoon so she had been busy making Belgium Waffles for lunch. They were delicious and no extras were needed.

We arrived at Quiet Times just after noon and it was packed. It took a little time but before we knew it we had both our packages that contained the Meters for our Wind Generator and Batteries.

Lots of different Greens in the desert.

Next we headed to RV Pit Stop to fill our Drinking Water Containers. Their Purified Drinking Water Stations have long Hoses unlike the Reverse Osmosis Machines in town which you have to put the Container inside the Machine. The long Hose allows you to fill your Containers right in your vehicle without lifting it. That means you only have to lift them once to bring inside your RV. By the time we finished doing that we simply drove right up to the Propane Fill Station to refill our Tank. Two Birds One Stop.

Having reviewed the Wiring Diagrams for these Meters while on the Computer this morning I had checked my supplies and found that there were different Coloured Wires that I was in need of. Normally I carry a selection of different Wires but to lighten the load this year left most of it was left in our Garden Shed back in McGregor. Having seen small rolls of Wire at reasonable prices offered at K&B Tools in the past that’s where we went. After coming up Empty-Handed because they decided not to carry Wire this year they suggested I go to Herb’s.

At Herb’s Hardware it took only a Couple of Minutes and I had what I’ll need to connect the Meters to the Batteries and the Wind Generator.

Protecting a nearby nest.

Lunch was no longer holding us over and we have been behaving ourselves by watching what we eat. Besides the Temperature actually reached 77 F (25 C) this afternoon. We went over to Dorothy and Toto’s Ice Cream Shop where a single cone of their delicious Ice Cream helped cool us down and fill our voids.

With the forecasted increase in Temperatures and the decrease in High Winds we’ll finally be able to enjoy more Campfires. After our Ice Creams we stopped to get more Firewood at D.J.’s. Because our grandson has the same Initials we hit it off with this hardworking young man Two Years ago and have continued buying our Firewood from him. He finally made enough profit to invest in a Log-Splitter to make his work easier. We added a few more boxes of Juniper to the back of our Truck to take Home.

When we got Home the Drinking Water as well as our Purchases were brought inside the Trailer. It was then time for another chore. After locking our Spare Propane Tank up it was time to get Fresh Water for the Trailer. It was over a week since I last filled our Tank so it was time.

Kathy joined me for the ride and the chance to get out in the Fresh Air. There was only One other Truck there filling up on Water. We were talking while I was filling our Fresh Water Barrel but my hand lost its grip on the Hose. We had planned on taking Showers this evening but we both had an early one as well. 

Back Home after letting Kathy in the Trailer I filled our Fresh Water Tank but not to the point of overflowing. With more Water still in the Barrel I’ll be able to top off our Tank tomorrow to replace the Water we’ll use tonight.

Wanting something different for supper Kathy had me grill a Store Bought Pizza on our Weber. It only took a Half Hour to have a Toasty but not Burnt Crust and it tasted delicious.

After having missed the Sunrise this morning I wasn’t happy when the Sun set behind a wall of Clouds. We truly enjoyed our Showers and are sitting here listening to the Coyotes howling outside.

Today was a Double Anniversary Date for me. It was Forty-Six Years ago today that I first started working for Ford Motor Company in Windsor. It was also Ten Years ago today that I walked out of the Plant for the last time signalling the start of my Retirement.

We’ve got lots to do tomorrow because the Winds will be back on the Weekend and I want to be able to monitor our Wind Generator. Thank you for following along and feel free to leave a comment.

Be Safe and Enjoy!

It’s about time.

Krackers

Words of Inspiration

How far that little candle throws its beams!

So shines a good deed in a naughty world.

William Shakespeare

We Were All Sick, Funny Sighting and Our Packages Arrived.

Our Location today is at the La Posa South, LTVA, Quartzsite, Arizona.

Click on the pictures to Enlarge

After another restful night I managed to be up and about by 7:30 this morning. It was surprising to see a Heavy Cloud Cover trying to block out the Sun since the forecast had mentioned having clear skies but with little Wind. Kathy is still fighting whatever it was that got to us the other day so she spent an extra Half Hour in the warmth of our Winter Sheets. When she got up she had me turn on our Blue Flame Heater on low for a short while just to warm the inside of the Trailer above the 45 F (7 C) temperatures.

I managed to finish my morning Computer reading about the time that I finished my first cup of Coffee. Since we had planned what we were doing with our day it was time to get moving. Kathy had already taken out a fresh set of Bed Sheets so my first chore was to remake the Bed then to haul the remaining Laundry downstairs and start sorting.

By the time I had repacked the Laundry Baskets Kathy had already made a wonderful Chicken and Fruit Salad for our lunch along with a Yogurt Cups and Shortbread Cookies for dessert.

Beautiful Blue Skies and Green Desert.

When we opened the Door we were surprised how mild it was considering the cold bitey breezes we had been getting since arriving here in Quartzsite back in December. Seeing Wayne and Sue outside we went to say Hello and found out that we were not the only ones that had not been feeling up to par for the last couple of days. Their symptoms seemed to match the way we felt so we all caught something by just having gone to town.

See the Green on the hills.

After checking out the Quartzsite Laundromats and finding them overcrowded again we headed up I-10 towards Blythe. We were only part way there when Kathy thought that she was going to be sick so we stopped at the new Union 76 Station along the way. While I parked she quickly found the Ladies Room but the feeling slowly passed.

Seconds before its Paws were on the Steering Wheel.

I saw an interesting sight in the Mini-Van next to us. A Yellow Labrador Retriever was sitting with his Paws on the Steering Wheel but just as I was about to take his picture he lowered them. Guess I shouldn’t really complain because he did have his License.

A Blooming Desert.

Even though she was feeling a bit better Kathy’s stomach still seemed to be bothering her. When she decides to cut back on our intake she does it too quickly not giving our bodies time to adjust which means our stomachs have over produced the amount of Acid they need. Seeing some Donuts in their Deli Section we each had one and minutes later she was feeling much better.

Our first stop in Blythe was the Ace Hardware to get some Plumbing Supplies so I can slightly modify our Macerator Discharge Hose. If they would not have had what I needed there I would simply have gotten them at Herb’s tomorrow.

When arrived at the Laundromat someone else was using the row of Washers that I normally use so we simply went to the next row. With it being some time since our last wash plus our Sheets we needed Five Washers. Once everything was going we had a chance to sit and relax. After Twenty Minutes I went to check how the Washers were doing and found the one had taken the money but hadn’t even put a drop of water in the machine. Transferring everything to another Washer we had most of our clothes folded from the Dryers before it was finished.

In order to keep our Data Usage down on our MiFi Jetpack we have our Computers set that they will not do Automatic Updates. Instead we went to McDonald’s for supper and set them to Update using their Free WiFi before ordering our Meals. Our Computers are now working faster but have been reset for Limited Data.

We arrived at Albertsons around 6:00 where Kathy managed to get everything on her Shopping List. By the time we walked out it was quite dark.

The Truck finally did its Regeneration while we were actually on the Interstate on our way back to Quartzsite which is better then when we are just pulling in to the LTVA. We took care of the Groceries this evening and will bring in the Laundry in the morning as we are both worn out.

Checking the Delivery Status of our packages that were supposed to arrive later this week we were happy to see that they were all Delivered today. With other errands to run it looks like tomorrow will be another busy one. Thank you for following along and feel free to leave a comment.

Be Safe and Enjoy!

It’s about time.

Krackers

Joke of the Day

Acupuncture is a jab well done.