Friday, October 16, 2009

NOT ALL DAYS ON THE ROAD ARE GOOD DAYS:((

DSC_0009(Click on photos to enlarge them)

Took the big wheels to Goderich this morning & filled it with gas.  $194.00!!  That will get us down into Indiana just north of Indianapolis before having to fill up again.  The rest of the fill ups won't be as expensive because I generally stop for gas somewhere between the half & quarter marks on the gage.  Right now the on-board computer is telling us we have 458 miles before the next fill up.  That varies of course depending on speed, wind, hills, etc.  It re-calculates itself every mile.  There is another gas gauge configuration which shows miles per gallon as your driving but I have learned not to watch that one.  It can kind of put you into a 'not so swell mood' after awhile:((

DSC_0003-1SHADOW PATTERNS ON THE MOTORHOME

There has been quite a 'flag storm' going on over at the RV NET FORUM this past week.   A Canadian fellow by the name of Sea Dog asked about the proper protocol  for flying a Canadian flag while on American soil.  Well, that set off a debate that is still going on so if you have wondered about that yourself just put your hard hat on & slip over there to the forum for a look see.  Remember, keep your head down cause some folks are getting a little heated over there!!

DSC_0002BOONDOCKING WITH OUR FLAG CONFIGURATION A FEW MILES WEST OF TOMBSTONE, ARIZONA.....JANUARY 09

I have noticed some blog talk lately regarding problems with people trying to leave comments on blogs.  Seems it's kind of a hit & miss thing sometimes.  I left a comment on  WANDERING WILLY'S blog this morning but it never showed up.  In Rick's comment on Willy's blog he offers a possible explanation for the problem.  VERAGIRL has been having trouble leaving comments for people as well.  I've noticed there seems to be several different types of comment formats.  Confusing for sure.  Remember to scroll all the way down in the comment box after leaving the comment to make sure you've got everything ticked & checked.  And, even then you are not guaranteed your comment will make it.  Friends of ours tried countless times to leave comments for us & it wasn't until I actually changed from Hotmail to Gmail that they were actually able to do so.  Their comments were not reaching my Hotmail account so I never did see them to approve them.  I have a feeling that was a different kind of glitch from the comment box issue though.....but maybe not.

DSC_0002KELLY'S WATCHING THE SUN GO DOWN OVER THE SAN ANDRES MOUNTAINS NEAR ALAMOGORDO NEW MEXICO....NOVEMBER 08

Some RVing days just aren't quite as good as others & occasionally things happen.  Last year on our way west we stopped for a night in Oliver Lee State Park near Alamogordo New Mexico.  Couldn't find a level spot in the whole place so ended up on a campsite having to put a couple of the leveling jacks down.  The rear passenger side jack jammed in the down position & wouldn't retract.  Tried everything I knew (which wasn't much) & could not get that jack to re-tract.  Luckily we were not parked on a cement slab & the next day I was able to dig a hole behind the downed leveler deep enough to get my scissors jack down into.  Backed the coach up about 8 inches until the leveler was directly over the jack & proceeded to jack the leveler back up into place & luckily it stayed.   We had that little problem looked at in Las Cruces a couple days later & everything was fine.  Leveler has worked fine ever since.DSC_0007

DSC_0008DIGGING A HOLE BEHIND THE LEVELER WITH THE JACK HANDLE,  A HAMMER, & A SCREWDRIVER!!

In October of 07 we were heading west on I-70  west of Salina Kansas fighting a vicious cross wind hitting us from the north.  We heard a popping sound & when Kelly looked back out her side window she saw our awning billowing in the wind.  It had popped out like a parachute.  Luckily I got the rig pulled over before the awning arms were torn off.  The  photos below show me on the roof with a knife cutting the awning off.  It was freezing cold with huge wind gusts trying their best to flip me off the roof into the path of heavy truck traffic roaring by only a few feet away on the far side of the rig.  Not one of our better days on the road!!!!

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DSC_0014-1ON I-70 WEST OF SALINA, KANSAS....OCT. 07

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Photo above shows us off the road in Lindsay Ontario with the dual wheels down in a ditch & the rear end of the coach sitting on the road .  You can read about the mistake I made RIGHT HERE

Copy of DSC_0011OK KIDS, STAY CLOSE TO MOM

In October of 2008 we seemed to have a bumper crop of mushrooms in our yard but this year not a single one.  The album below is last years mushrooms & I don't have a clue what kinds they are.

 

Had a question in our comment box this morning from Wayne & Roberta about the kind of camera I use.   The short answer is Nikon.   If you have time W & R, click on MY NIKONS for a post I did about my cameras a year ago.  And for anyone interested..... here is a seemingly silly & simple little camera tip.  If you want to get some depth in your color just hold your sunglasses in front of your lens.  Notice how when you put your sunglasses on colors look richer.  Well, same thing will work for your point & shoot camera as well.  Try it, you might like the results.  Works great for colorful autumn leaves against a clear blue sky.  The sunglasses act like a polarizing filter.  Oh, & the photo program I use is called Picasa 3.5 & it is a free download program from Google.  Very easy to use.........that's why I have it.

DSC_0005 GROANER'S CORNER:((  Why does "fat chance" and "slim chance" mean the same thing?

OUR PHOTO ALBUMS  http://picasaweb.google.com/stargeezerguy/

The only thing better than right now will someday be the memories of right now...AL.

8 comments:

  1. That was a pretty good "on the fly" fix for that stubborn leveling jack! I would probably have taken a hacksaw to it!! The awning thing looked like no fun at all - yuk!

    On the comments problem, I talked to Vera today and we resolved her problem. I'm posting the fix on my blog tomorrow as maybe it will help a few others with the same issue.

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  2. You are one heckuva fixer, that's for sure. Did we miss something? We clicked back to learn why your wheels were in the ditch and found a problem with your satellite hookup instead. You DO have your problems, we have to agree!

    Loved that shot of the mama mushroom and her pups!

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  3. Over at RV.net old Sea Dog has always liked to stir the pot.He used to do it a lot when the "Around the Campfire" threads were more political.

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  4. Al, you are clever at fixing problems such as you describe in this post, and when you aren't then Kelly is. I would have to call Roadside Assistance if it happened to me!

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  5. Al, you know I have had trouble posting comments I have received from you on my blog. No matter what I do they don't show up. Strange situation..

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  6. I comment on everyones blog so I sure hope they are all showing up! You had some reall horror stories on the road but did a great job resolving them. Have a fantastic day Al...

    Travel Safe
    Donna

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  7. The flying awning must have been frustrating. We helped a couple once with theirs in a windstorm. It was hair raising.

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  8. hope thers no problemms this trip ol buddy!

    the hermit

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