If you said, "I Believe In Music, by Mac Davis, 1970," you get 100 bonus points, and you are possibly as old as I am. Contrary to popular belief, I do not sit around making music all day long... my fingers wouldn't hold up to that. But, I do enjoy making some music for my big furry boy...
And sometimes, he likes to sing along...
The boy has quite a set of pipes. ;-)
Rufus has settled in. Life is good when you're in your big chair...
While Joan was out running errands yesterday, a thunderstorm rolled through. Ruf and I were outside when we heard the first rumble of thunder... he looked up at me and said, "I think we should go back inside. You can give me a treat."
"I think that's a good idea, buddy."
Not long after that: thunder, lightning, and a pounding rain. Rufus wasn't in panic-mode, but he said, "I think I'll hop up in your lap so this noise won't bother you as much." He's very thoughtful that way. The rain came down in buckets, and I was hoping Joan was inside one of the stores on her list when the rain was at its heaviest. (She was.) I was keeping an eye on the driveway, and gave her a hand carrying things in when she got home.
Of course, all that rain added to the humidity. After 3 glorious months of low humidity, it is taking a while to acclimate to the humidity here again. It looks like a good chance of thunderstorms for the next 5 days... our timing was good for getting the coach back home and into its storage unit... it's as close to "a big chair" that the motorhome has. ;-)
Making progress on the whole moving back in situation. The deck (overlooking the dock) is set up; if it ever cools down, we'll get to spend some time out there. It was 82º when I got up this morning; 88º as I'm writing this, but "feels like" 100º thanks to a warm, humid SSE wind (currently blowing 21mph). I got a bicycle ride in before the wind came up.
Rufus has re-discovered the comfort of his "big chair." He still comes around for lap time, though.
My music room is coming back together...
A selection of guitars have come out of their undisclosed storage location to get back on the wall. One I haven't spent time with in a while is the second from the left in that image above - it's my Taylor 814ce with a tobacco burst finish. It is a lovely instrument; I am particularly fond of the curly maple used on the binding - it almost looks 3D. Yes, it sounds as good as it looks (needs a fresh set of strings)... but my ear is really tuned into the Emerald X20 that spent the summer with us in the motorhome. That's a couple other Emeralds flanking the Taylor on either side; the X20 isn't in this photo. The X20 is close in size to the 814, but feels smaller because of the curves and bevels in the design. It is a delight to have some playing options again.
--------
During a break in other activities, I got strings changed on the 814 and the X20...
Both of them sound better. The strings on the 814 had little wear, but were "aged out"; the strings on the X20 were Martin Lifespans (not my usual brand, but people were talking about them, so I thought I'd give 'em a try), and my favorite Elixir Nanowebs definitely sound better on this guitar.
I'm not talking about buying guitars or riding scoots. No, this "moderation" is the action taken by the moderators on a forum where I participate. Also no, it wasn't directed at me... but I did participate on a thread that was deleted. In my opinion, the deletion of a thread and zapping posts on another thread was a bit heavy-handed. In fact, the guy who was central in those threads said he won't be participating anymore.
If you've spent time on internet forums, you see that action and response frequently. If you don't spend time on internet forums, this probably sounds like Junior High playground arguing... and, you'd be close.
As Americans, we are all used to being able to say whatever we want. Pretty much. The thing about internet forums: they are almost all privately owned... so, the owner and the moderators get to make and enforce the rules. If they don't like something, one click and it's gone. It's their yard and their ball... most of the forums have a "No Questioning A Moderator Decision" rule, and doing so may get you tossed out.
The best forums don't require much moderation. Some are like the owners' "kingdom" and you don't question or raise the ire of "the king." Don't like it - start your own forum.
The one in question happens to be a guitar forum... I won't mention any names, but if you play an acoustic guitar, you might be able to find it without much work. It has a sub-forum for carbon fiber guitars, and that is pretty much where I participate. The guy whose thread got zapped spends even more time there than I do. And I totally understand his frustration with the moderators' decision. And, if you even mention that decision, that post gets deleted. It's the way it works.
Years ago, I was a moderator on a sailing forum. Definitely more work than pleasure, and you have to sometimes make decisions that you don't personally agree with, because of the rules of the forum. I used to participate on the Unofficial Taylor Guitar Forum. They had a rule of "No Price Discussion." That rule was put in place to protect advertising dealers, so you didn't have someone posting: "You can get that $10 cheaper from so-and-so." A new guy got on there and asked for recommendations "for an amp that costs less than $500." The moderators edited that to "for an amp that costs less than xxx." Essentially, eliminating any suggestions the guy might have received. I wrote that I thought that edit was not what the rules were made for and signed it with "and that's my 2¢ worth." Yep, the edited that to "and that's my xx worth." Really stupid. With no "I'm outta here" post, I simply never went back. A few people noticed my absence (guess I posted there frequently) and wrote me, asking what was up. They understood the problem. But, I figured it was no big deal - I just didn't want to participate where the moderation could be petty.
I wrote to the guy on the carbon fiber sub-forum, letting him know that if he wanted to start another thread about the specific guitar, AND made no mention of the deleted posts, I would come up with all kinds of questions on that thread to keep it going... and going. And that's really what that guy wants. We just need to understand the rules, and play within the rules, and still get what he wants. No idea if he'll go for it.
Freedom of Speech is something most Americans think they understand. And a lot of them may also understand what your parents told you: "My house, my rules." ;-)
We made a trip out to the motorhome this morning, getting the rest of our stuff out of it and filling up the cargo area of the CR-V... it is amazing how much stuff the motorhome holds.
Hauling the stuff is easy enough - the real work comes when we have to find a place for all that stuff in the house. Clothes and shoes are all put away, I even got started on my music room. Electronic stuff is set up, I just need to get guitars unpacked, tuned, re-strung (where necessary), and up on the wall again.
Rufus has rediscovered his big chair. Plenty of work to do outside, but all in due time.
That's a thing? Oh, sure, when do we get a Father's Day? What? There IS a Father's Day? Third Sunday in June? Every year? Well, nevermind.
I adore our daughter every day of the year.
As in: home again, home again.
I have to admit, this trip home from the Black Hills wasn't relaxing - I was on high alert with every noise, anticipating that it would mean another trip up on the roof to make more repairs. That didn't happen today.
Rufus is an intuitive boy; he can sense when something's not right... he did some extra lap-sitting today, for both his Mom and Dad.
Mother Nature gifted us with sunshine and not much wind today; I was grateful. It was pretty much a straight run from the RV park where we spent the night last night to the turn off that takes us to the road to our storage unit. As we get close, we are reminded that we are heading into the Tropical Tip by the palm trees along the Expressway and the blue on the GPS screen showing us that we aren't far from the waters of the Laguna Madre and the Gulf of Mexico...
Five miles before getting to the storage unit, we disconnect the Honda and cargo trailer from the motorhome, making it easier for us to get through the gate to the storage unit (our length would put the two tows out on the highway while we open the gate). I really notice how "lively" the coach is without having to haul two more units behind it.
We put the coach in the storage unit and pulled the Honda and cargo trailer close by the door...
There is a lot of stuff that needs to be transferred from the coach to the car or trailer...
That is a very small portion of what needs to come home. The car and the trailer were full, so there will be another trip of "non-essentials."
Rufus was visibly upset as we took the last of the things to the car... I don't know if he thought we were going to leave him behind, or what. I got to repay the "calming" with him sitting on my lap as I drove the Honda home. He calmed down right away.
Once back onto our island, we parked the car and cargo trailer in the driveway and started the unloading and moving back in process. A walk-through in the house showed that it did fine while we were away. Rufus got to walk around, exclaiming "I love our big house! I love my big chair!" I like being in the motorhome, but I have to admit it feels good to be home. Well, it will when all the work of moving back in is done. We made a good dent in it this afternoon.
Joan worked on the inside stuff while I got water turned on, hurricane shutters opened, then went to work on getting the e-bike and e-scooter out of the Honda and into our storage under the house. Then, getting the Vespa and Xmax unstrapped, chocks put away, and the scoots settled into their respective places in their "portable garage."
Whew!
Buc-ee's. Gas in the area was $2.75 most places, Buc-ee's had it for $2.53... it was still morning, so after fueling up, we picked up some BBQ (for later) and a scone for Joan, a kolache for me. Yes, Rufus got a treat, too.
Another uneventful day, other than the excitement of getting 8.3mpg on the above fill-up (our best this trip). We had a tailwind yesterday and this morning, turning to a crosswind (but lighter) as we drove further south. Also getting warmer as we approach the Tropical Tip.
We will start the unloading process, moving stuff from the motorhome into the cargo trailer. That way, when we get to the storage unit, we can put the coach inside, close it up, and head for home with the cargo trailer behind the Honda.
That's the plan... we'll see how the execution plays out.
Buc-ee. We are rolling south again, and one of our first stops today was to top off the fuel tank and fill up our bellies. Gas was $2.65 at Buc-ee's in Denton, T... that's right, we are officially back in the Lone Star State. I find it hard to drive by a Buc-ee's without stopping.
Breakfast sandwiches, coffee, yogurt, and chocolate covered peanuts - the breakfast of champions.
It was a relatively easy day today. Well, if not easy, it was mostly uneventful: everything on the roof stayed intact. We ran into bumper-to-bumper traffic in Ft Worth, Waco, Georgetown, and Austin; having traveled this corridor many times, we knew what to expect...
The alternative is getting of the Interstate, by-passing those cities. We have done that in the past, and when we're just looking to make miles, I'd rather stay on the Interstate. The "back roads" in Texas are mostly 70 or 75 mph speed limits, even on the two-lanes, and I don't travel that fast with this circus train... and I don't want to be a hindrance to drivers running 10+ mph over the speed limit (which is pretty much everyone).
Also, there are some big rest areas along this route, making necessary stops easy and fast. Here we are, mixing it up in the parking with the big dogs...
We were off the road shortly after 3:00 pm - plenty of time to kick back before getting up tomorrow and doing it all again. We have an even shorter day planned for tomorrow, with San Antonio the only big city to traverse, then home on Friday. Well, that's the plan.
And, what about Rufus? Thanks for asking. I did take him for a nice walk this morning before we shoved off. The boy really likes that RV park at WinStar. We are parked on gravel tonight; not his favorite. As always, he was a good traveler today. He takes it all in stride, even one rather abrupt stop (yes, traffic related)... as long as his meals and treats are on-time. ;-) Because... he is a good boy!
"Aren't you in the middle of a road trip to get back home?" you ask.
Yes, thanks for asking. Today, we are sitting in one place, taking our time to do this last stretch for home. I am talking about the next likely trip for the Aspect: the trip back to the Winnebago factory in December for the needed repairs. I have complete faith that they will make this rig right again.
In the meantime, there are logistics: I have to get the coach back to Iowa, in the winter, and be there on a schedule. Oh, we often set "schedules" for ourselves, but the factory has a block of time booked for this repair, making this arrival date more "set in stone." Getting there is less of a problem - I'll drive the coach. Then, what to do with the next couple weeks while they are working on it?
Joan is the consummate planner; it's why she was so good in her job with San Juan Safaris: she did more than book whale watch trips, she helped people plan and schedule their time in the San Juan Islands. She said to me, "I can get you on a plane out of Mason City, Iowa, to Chicago, Houston, then home... for less money than you can rent a car and drive back."
I have avoided traveling by air for over a decade, but this makes the most sense. We had already decided that I would take the coach solo, while she stayed home with Rufus. The three of us can then drive back to Iowa to get the coach when it is ready. Really, this whole thing involves a lot of logistics.
I think some people are concerned about me making this trip solo. Talking with my music partner Mark a couple days ago, he said, "I can meet you in San Antonio and we can make it a 'guy's trip'." I told him I wouldn't wish that trip on anybody - I sure wouldn't be doing it if it wasn't a necessity. And, thanked him for the offer.
Last night while we were at the casino, I got a phone call from Steph. I stepped outside to visit with her, and she said, "I think you need someone along on that trip - in case you need a second set of hands. Someone to hold the ladder if you need to get on the roof to make more repairs. I have plenty of time off accrued - we can make it a dad-daughter trip." Like my discussion with Mark, I told her there would be nothing fun about this haul. She was rather insistent - I don't know where she gets that from. When she and I finished our conversation, I went back in the casino and found Joan. Good timing: she was ready to call it an evening.
When we got back to the coach, Joan and Steph started texting back and forth. Then, a phone call. In a few short minutes, they had all the flight connections and timing for this trip worked out. Joan handed me the phone and said, "Steph wants to do this with you." Time and expense aside, I explained to Steph (more earnestly this time) why this would not be a pleasure cruise.
She came back with: "Remember when Grandma Nellie had the stroke and you told me not to come because it wasn't going to be pleasant? And then when I got there you told me you were grateful to have me there? Well, I think you need to have me along with you on this."
She has always known how to work me emotionally. I don't know where she gets that from, either. Even though she has often been told: "You are just like your Father."
She and Joan worked out the flights. This will be sort of in place of getting together at Christmas... which we had previously agreed wasn't going to work out this year. Only thing left to figure is how to get from Forest City, Iowa, to the Mason City Airport (24 miles). Uber? Airport Shuttle? We have plenty of time to work that out. Steph will fly to us, she and I will make that drive together, we'll fly out of Mason City together, then part ways in Chicago.
Man makes plans, Mother Nature laughs. Just the thought of this whole trip wears me out. And, tomorrow, we point this rig south again.
If you said, "Down through the chimney with good Saint Nick," you get 10 bonus points for remembering your Christmas kid songs. The "click, click, click," this morning, was the achy joints of an old guy up on our roof. Again. One of the reasons for taking an extra day off the road was our plan to spray FlexSeal on all the tape ends around Mt Tapemore up on our roof... and give it a day to dry.
We are back in the land of humidity, so the rooftop was slippery with dew. I took a couple rags up with me to dry off the areas where I'd be working... and needed a couple more to get it all dry. I also inspected the tape job over the bathroom skylite, and all seems plenty solid there. There was more structure left with that one compared to the larger skylite up front. Just to be sure, I sprayed those tape ends, too.
About 622 miles to go to get home. We're developing our plan for how best to break up those miles.
We did clean up and go to the casino. My meager betting won't change their P&L statements; I can't say about Joan's - we have a "don't ask, don't tell policy."
Usually a good thing... you know: it's always darkest before the dawn. "Day-O; daylight come and me wanna go home"... "You are my sunshine, my only sunshine"... well, you get the gist. Daylight is not good when your skylite is covered solid with Gorilla Tape and FlexTape: it should be solid dark and no wind noise. So, when we saw daylight through that big opening and heard the wind whooshing - well, that's a problem.
We were about 700 miles into the trip when, in the words of the cast of the Broadway musical Hair: "Let the sunshine..." To add to the fun, we had just passed a rest area. On I-135 in Kansas. I slowed us down, concerned it would all come loose and go crashing off the roof and into the pretty new windshield on the Honda. I turned off at the first exit we came to, and a mile in we found a graveled area by an intersection big enough for our length.
We got out the ladder and I climbed on top to see what had happened. The "weakest link" of the repair was an area where there was no structure left from what had been the frame around the skylite. Joan handed me up supplies and I went to work on it; doing a small bit of surgery and making a "bridge" out of Gorilla Tape to get some structure on that side. I was pretty confident it would hold, when Joan popped her head up on the ladder and suggested I add some tape to the side that held. Being the dutiful husband I am, I did as she requested... pretty sure that this addition would be the new "weakest link."
I used almost all the tape of each kind we had, and we pressed on. Another hour and we heard something rattling at the skylite... the "enclosure" held fine, but that tape on the side couldn't withstand the wind. Fortunately, we got slowed down before it pulled the rest of Mt Tapemore off the roof. We were close by an exit - I pulled off while Joan checked: "This small town has a Walmart! We can get more tape."
Two miles off the Interstate, I pulled into the parking lot of the very small Walmart. Joan went in to get both kinds of tape (and they had 'em), while I went back up on the roof for more surgery, then more tape. Of course, we were still heading into a headwind, so I kept our speed to 55 to test out this new application. It seemed to be holding. We were now an hour and a half behind what the GPS said would be our arrival time when we first shoved off this morning.
We were now in "making miles" mode. Joan got us a bite to eat while we were rolling. I pulled into a rest area to get Rufus his lunch and a potty break for me. Back on the road. 30 miles or so of heavy traffic as we went through the Oklahoma City area. And then: a 5 mile traffic jam caused by the need to merge two lanes into one. Absolute stop and go. Mostly stop. That pushed back our arrival time at tonight's stop another half hour or so.
But the really fun part: another 5 mile backup for another construction merge. Really, what is so hard about merging that you can't keep going, albeit a bit slower?? Why the need to stop... miles before the actual merge??
Temperatures were in the mid-90s, so Joan turned on the generator when we were about 20 miles out from our stop for the night... and that second traffic jam happened about 9 miles out from our stop. At least we could run the coach air conditioning so it would be cool throughout when we got there.
We will spend two nights at this stop. Because we need to. I proposed we bust up the last part of our trip home with two stops instead of one. We aren't on a schedule, and these 8 to 9 hour days of driving are wearing on all of us. Yes, we want to get home and get the coach in our storage unit, but a day or two difference isn't a big deal. Instead of two 300 to 350 mile days, we'll do three 200 mile days. And a good portion of that will be city traffic through Ft Worth, Austin, and San Antonio.
Nine hours on the road today. Yeah, I need a day off.
On the bright side, the last repair held for the remainder of today's trek. Well, for full disclosure, a good portion of that time was at 5 miles per hour in the traffic jams. At that rate, we should get home just in time to take the coach to Winnebago in December.
Yeah, that's a joke. I hope.
You wanna see tired? This was a new way of laying for Rufus today...
The boy was tuckered out. I know how he feels.
--------
After we all had a chance to kick back, Ruf wanted to go for a walk. Joan put his harness on him, I hooked up his leash, and he and I headed out. This RV park has nice grass between the over-size sites, and Rufus loves being in the grass. We walked around for a bit...
And then Rufus asked, "What is that?"
Look under the speed limit sign... I said, "That is a rooster."
"Cool! What's a rooster?"
I explained that a rooster is a male chicken. He said, "Chicken? Like what I eat?"
"Well, that is the animal, but we're not going to eat that. He is probably someone's pet." He wasn't so sure about that, but we continued our walk. Yep, I think this may have been this guy's pet...
As we walked around, Rufus and I visited... "Can we get a chicken? Or a rooster?"
I told him, "No, they are messy and they like to get up early and make a lot of noise."
"Oh, we wouldn't like that."
He watched a lady get into the swimming pool. On her way into the pool area, she commented about Rufus walking on a leash. He likes that. I told him, "Let's give this lady some privacy while she swims." We walked over to the next block; the boy walked like a champ. We came across a couple people walking dogs, and I steered Rufus wide around them; both of them commented about "that cat on a leash." That would make a good book title. ;-)
When we got back from our walk, Joan had supper ready. She had taken the photos of Ruf and I walking, and the rooster. Joan even commented about how good Rufus was walking; then she said, "Maybe we should spend an extra day here so Rufus can have some more walking time?" I'm sure it wasn't so she could have more time at the casino that this RV park is a part of. When I was done eating, I walked to the office and got us another day here (3 nights total)... we can all use some kick-back time... and checking weather for home, this should put us in after a couple days of rain there. Timing. We aren't on a schedule, I'm just looking to avoid any potentially nasty weather on this motorhome.
We drove for 12,000 miles on Interstate 80 across Nebraska today. We were going east, the wind was out of the south at about 90 miles per hour, with higher gusts. It kinda sucked. But, to make up for that, the road surface for much of those 12,000 went: thump, thump, thump, thump, thump, thump, thump, thump... I could go on, but you get the idea. It was a bit like driving over an endless ribbon of speed bumps. The approximately 8 1/2 miles of decent road had loads of truck traffic - it is a major E/W thoroughfare for big trucks.
The gas prices along this route are between 40 and 50¢ cheaper than in the Black Hills. That is because... well, I can't think of any good reason why the gas prices are always so much higher in the Black Hills. After just over 12,000 miles, we turned south... into a direct head wind. I slowed down a few miles per hour, hoping everything on the roof would hold together. So far, so good. I am amazed and a bit impressed with the holding power of Gorilla Tape and FlexTape.
We did stop for fuel at a Flying J in North Platte, Nebraska. I intentionally pick this as a gas stop because they have RV lanes. There was an RV in one lane with no one around it (probably inside shopping), and a car in the other lane with a woman wanting to put air in her tires. Yes, you can get that same air on the other side so you wouldn't be parked in an RV lane. It is not Flying J's fault that they are frequented with stupid people. There are just so many stupid people. I pulled to the car lanes at a slight diagonal so I'd be able to get our circus train out... it was the only pump at the car lanes that could accommodate our length (at a diagonal). It was also the slowest fuel pump I've ever seen: it took 22 minutes to put 25 gallons in the motorhome. And, we were on a bit of a time crunch, since I had made reservations for an RV site at a place in Kansas. This will be our longest travel day on the trip home, so it was fun to waste some of that time in a Flying J. With stupid people.
Joan tells me I have to look on the bright side. And, to not exaggerate. Today, she told me a million times. Easy for her, since she is not piloting this circus train down 12,000 miles of crap road. She handles navigation duties, telling me where I might find fuel and how far it is to the next rest area. Even though we are in our motorhome, I still need a rest area for a parking place big enough so I can stop and walk back to our bathroom to pee. And there's a bright side: I didn't have to come face-to-face with anyone except Joan and Rufus.
Rufus is a great comfort and a stress reliever. While he spends more time on Joan's lap than mine, I did get a turn today...
I used to put a foam cushion on my lap where he could sit, but he is too big for that these days. Laying down, he just clears under the steering wheel. Plus, he's a good boy.
Ruf really enjoyed last night's RV park - he sniffed the grass and walked all around. Not sure how he'll feel about this one tonight, where it is large, loose gravel. We put our jacks down, and by the time I had done water and electric, the passenger side had settled. We have stayed in this one before, so we had some idea what to expect, but the pickin's are a bit thin in this part of Kansas. It is hot and windy here (pulled in around 5:00), so I'll wait until dusk to see if Rufus wants to go for a walk. I wouldn't blame him if he looks out and says, "I don't think so, Pops." Even so, he is a good boy.
The a/c is on, there are some TV channels to be had over the air, and my back gets to rest for a bit. We'll get up tomorrow and do more of the same... but hopefully stop for two nights.
Until I get my way? No, I've tried that; it doesn't work. First time moving the motorhome at highway speed - I was more than a bit concerned about how the repairs/patches on top of the coach would hold up. Short version: no problem.
It was a cold start to the day: 45º. We had done most of the work to get us ready to roll yesterday, so it was just a matter of undoing utilities, hooking the Honda to the cargo trailer, pulling to the RV parking by the Lodge, then hooking the Honda and trailer to the motorhome... check lights (all good), and we are ready to roll.
Rufus took on the roll of travel-cat, spending time on Joan's lap, his tower, the dinette seat, and the floor...
Out of South Dakota and into Nebraska...
The wind was forecast to be northwest at 15. Nope. It was 15, but out of the south southeast, putting it pretty much on the nose, occasionally a quartering headwind. I kept our speed to around 60mph, out of concern for all that FlexTape and Gorilla Tape on our skylites lifting up. It held. We planned today to be a relatively short day (about 6 hours on the road) to give us all a chance to get accustomed to travel mode.
We stopped for lunch at the Walmart in Chadron, Nebraska; nice big parking lot, and Joan wanted to pick up a few things. It's where I shot that first photo in this post. The slope of the parking lot allowed me to take a look at the stuff on the roof; from a distance.
I have to honest that I won't relax about those "patches" until we have the coach home and in the storage unit. But, for now, I'm breathing easier. We pulled into a familiar RV park around 4:00. Good thing we made reservations, as the RVs are coming in. The lady at the front desk told me they were completely full last night, almost there for tonight.
No reservations for tomorrow night - we plan to go as far as we can and stay flexible. In the words of the philosophers Simon and Garfunkle: Homeward Bound.
-------
The boys are back in town...
If you said, "Thin Lizzy, 1976," you get 40 bonus points.
After I had a chance to cool my heels for a bit, Rufus wanted to go for a walk. He has been a bit tentative in his walking at Hart Ranch, after the two big dogs went for him. Apparently, the chance of location made him feel more comfortable - he walked all over the RV park we are in for the night. Now, to be fair, this park is way smaller than Hart Ranch, so "walking all over" is less than it would be at Hart Ranch. But, he got to smell a bunch of different grass and trees, and walked in the gravel like a champ. I had to steer him back towards the coach, since I knew Joan would have supper ready.
And speaking of supper, I am generally not big on posting photos of my food, but Joan made us a delicious supper, since we were off the road relatively early...
Fettuccine Alfredo with chicken stuffed with apple and cheese. This was "photo worthy," and especially tasty.
No, I didn't get a photo of Rufus out walking - I left my phone in the coach. But, he was walking tall and proud. And, yes, he did see a couple dogs while we were out, but I kept him steered away. In case I didn't mention it: he's a good boy!
:-)
Though my back is cracking.
Load up all that stuff,
Let's roll.
Don't try to understand it,
Just fold, bag, and pack it.
Soon we'll be rolling, long and wide.
(sung to the tune of Rawhide)
The site is looking pretty naked. The CR-V is full; my e-bike and the e-scoot are packed away in there. The cargo trailer is full; bikes are strapped down, other stuff filled in around them. Motors/fluids on both conveyances have been checked. All 12 tires have been checked, air added where necessary. The fresh water tank has been sanitized and filled. All the patio stuff has been bagged and stowed away in the motorhome's "trunk." Double checked the roof "patching" - all good so far.
Plenty of interior stuff to do in the motorhome before we can start relaxing.
While I was getting the scoots out, an old guy walking by stopped to watch... "So, you just ride them back in there when you're done?"
"No, I use the motor and walk them in - easier to control."
He said, "Those look like fun. Are those special pants you're wearing?"
Special pants? It took an amazing amount of self-control to NOT say, "Any pants I put my junk in are special pants." Instead, I said, "Yes, these are made for motorcycle riding - they have armor in the knees and hips, and Kevlar lining to keep me from getting scraped up if I go down." He had to ponder that for a while.
I was busy getting the scoots ready, but I visited with him while I did. When he could see that I was ready to gear up, he said, "Well, thanks for visiting with me - you have a safe ride."
I said, "Thanks - you have a good day," but I was thinking: "Well, me and my special pants plan to go fast and take lots of chances"... but, I didn't say it out loud. ;-)
Getting ready to roll...
Short story: the ride was a delight. Back to Hart Ranch; rotated the cargo trailer and got the scoots loaded in...
Yep, that makes today's ride officially our last one here this year. We gathered up patio stuff. Time off for a late lunch - Qdoba for Joan, Taco John's for me. A stop at the DQ. Off to Wally World for groceries. Gas up the Honda. A stop at Rushmore Candy Company for popcorn for Joan and a couple chocolate covered Twinkies for me... we are set for food needs for the trip south. Then, back to Hart Ranch. Joan worked on stuff that will go in the trailer tomorrow while I sanitized the fresh water tank.
Tomorrow will be a packing up day.
I'll work on the video from today when I get a chance. Good riding memories for this summer.
---------
Here's the video...
Mother Nature. Not hail, but a strong pounding thunderstorm that lasted a couple hours, starting just after midnight. Rufus went back and forth between us during that time, looking for assurance that we were OK. Well, for full disclosure, I did check the wall/roof joint to make sure we didn't have a leak. And, Joan got up 3 times to look over the whole interior, including inside the upper cabinets. All good.
Needless to say, it wasn't the most restful night. More precip forecast for today, and then it is supposed to be dry until after we leave to head for home.
Plenty to do to get ready for the road before we go, but most of it needs to be done closer to departure. I'm hoping we'll get one more ride in tomorrow, then the scoots will get strapped down... and other stuff packed around them for the trip. As usual, we have accumulated a few things this trip out; fortunately, Joan is a real pro at packing for the road.
One task that takes a while: checking and airing up all the tires in our circus train. The small air compressor we have takes a while to get the motorhome tires up to 80 pounds (the 4 rear tires, the two front ones are 75 psi). Right before we go, I'll bring up the pressure on the air bags on the rear axle.
All our patio stuff is wet from the rain overnight; but it will dry before it gets packed away.
We are "into the process."
--------
Hurricane Nicholas (yes, it ramped up to a Cat 1 hurricane) has moved on from our home area, not much of an impact for us. Further north, that isn't the case. It made landfall in the Matagorda County area as a hurricane and is now back down to a Tropical Storm; dumping rain as much as 18" in eastern Texas and Louisiana.
This puts us about 2/3 of the way through hurricane season.
Gunfire? No. I woke up this morning at 5:55 to the sound of what I thought was hail on the roof. I got out of bed, opened the shade on the door, and turned on the porch light... nope, not hail, just large, pounding rain drops. Claps of nearby thunder. I didn't see that on last night's weather forecasts. Now, it looks like we will see off and on precip today and tomorrow.
Rufus was stuck to me like glue; the boy gets concerned when it pounds like that. Yeah, me, too. We looked all around the coach - no leaks. I went ahead with my morning routine.
Joan checked our security cameras at home: wet, but not currently raining. Enough wind that we can see the palm tree branches swaying, but it doesn't look strong. So far, so good. Wind is currently 30mph gusting to 50, out of the north - a sign that the center of the tropical storm is now northeast of our home.
The movement is generally north northwest, meaning we will see more effects as it wraps around. Not good news for the northern Gulf Coast, as this is going to bring more rain to the areas that were impacted by Hurricane Ida.
And, back to my furry boy: prior to the ugly hail event, he hasn't been too concerned about the weather; he pays more attention when he hears the rain on the roof, and tends to stay close by one of us. When we do our walks, if he sees a dog anywhere, he stays right by my leg. Molly used to do the same thing, standing between my legs or right behind them when she perceived a possible threat; she was a bit more worldly than our other cats, but Rufus is learning. He is less bold about marching right up to a large dog... actually, a good thing. But, he is not a "fraidy-cat"... he still wants to see what's going on, doesn't cower or run, just wants to keep an eye on the situation.
I keep an eye on the situations, too.
A photo of getting a kitty-hug from Rufus this morning...
--------
Following up on dealings with Winnebago and Progressive to get all our ducks lined up for repairs to the coach. It won't be happening until December, but I'm just making sure all parties involved have all the necessary information. I made calls to Winnebago Factory Service to make sure they know what else besides the roof needs to be replaced. Referenced that work order and appointment with Progressive so they will be expecting a supplement to the insurance claim. Spent a good portion of my morning on the phone. More photos e-mailed to Winnebago, showing the damage to the cab portion of the coach. I'm feeling like we have a good handle on all this, including what we need to empty out of the coach and the delivery to Winnebago.
Even though we won't be leaving until Friday, the planning process has started. I have a list of things to do before we roll; top of that list is a call to Winnebago and the insurance company (Progressive) to nail down the needed repairs. We are also planning our stops along the way, so we can get as far as we can each day without being maniacs... and assuming everything on the roof holds together. Much of that will have to be a "wait and see" situation as we roll at highway speed.
Another wrinkle: Tropical Storm Nicholas is forming in the southern Gulf, with the predicted path to impact our home area...
I don't trust any storm with a name.
Impact in our area will likely be from early AM Monday and through the day and night; faster movement is better for us.
There is a general clockwise rotation of Gulf waters, and this storm looks to be following that path. Nothing we can do from here. The house was prepped before we left, nothing left outside. Hopefully, the neighbors have secured their patio furniture, outdoor plants, boats, etc. In the meantime, we'll be keeping an eye on it, both with TV coverage and the security cameras we have outside the house.
Another beautiful day in the Black Hills, with a chance of rain later this afternoon. There was some discussion about "what to do"... Joan wanted to kick back and read, I was thinking a scooter ride would be a better way for me to relax. Fortunately, we are not joined at the hip, and we can each do what we want.
Joan made us a tasty late breakfast and put some ice water in my container so I could head out with a full belly and some water to keep me hydrated along the way. I geared up, put some camera gear on the Vespa, mounted the Instamic in my Schuberth helmet, synced it all up, and hit the road. I wasn't looking for a destination - the ride is the destination.
A couple hours on the scoot, blasting through some fun curves, is invigorating. This would also give me the opportunity to test out the Instamic in my new helmet. Unfortunately, I completely forgot to put the dead-cat (wind screen) on the mic. So, you may hear some crackling noise on the audio... no fault of the helmet or the mic, but user error. It's been a while since I used the Instamic, so I don't quite have the routine down.
Nothing about the ride is new, so this video is more observations from an old guy... thinking about the 20th anniversary of the events of 9/11, opinions about Covid, and then some stuff about riding. It may take a while to get this downloaded, so not sure when I'll get it posted here.
The riding was outstanding! I expected a lot of traffic with today being such a lovely day; I was pleasantly surprised at how light the traffic turned out to be. And one truck that was ahead of me on Iron Mountain Road pulled aside at the first opportunity. I had no one in front of me as I rode through the splits. Just a fun afternoon of riding.
I stopped to top off my gas tank on the way home... 93.7 miles per gallon. This is truly inexpensive entertainment! The Vespa runs like a champ - and so light and easy to push through the curves. I find myself with a big ol' smile on my face, behind that sunshield on the helmet, while I'm riding. No, you can't see through that sunshield from the outside, so you'll just have to take my word for it.
Six days before we head for home, so I have to make each ride count. There is a lot we have to do to get ready to roll, so there may not be many more opportunities to get out on the scoot. Today was a fine day!
Some stills from the video...
And, the video...
This is a long one, with yours truly talking his way through it. How long? Thanks for asking - about 34 minutes. For me, this was about the ride - you can mute the sound if you just want to enjoy the riding on some of the outstanding roads here in the Black Hills. Knowing I won't be seeing riding like this for a long while, this video will bring me some "scooter solace" when the riding isn't happening.
I think I'm generally a "glass half full" kinda guy. Some days, I feel fortunate to just have a glass.
Since the Covid situation (and no, this will not be pro mask/anti mask or pro/anti vaccination discussion), the world is a different place. I don't remember shelves frequently being empty before. In our "land of plenty," we have always had abundant choice in the products we choose. In the past. Joan is the shopper in this relationship, but I sometimes go along to push the cart and offer unsolicited opinions. It doesn't matter what grocery store we go into, there are always some empty (or at least sparse) shelves. Doesn't seem right.
This morning, we went to PetSmart to get some more "tummy gentle" food for Rufus. Yes, he's doing fine, thanks for asking; just want things to go easy for my big boy. Food we bought two days ago is now an empty shelf. Oh, they had the larger size cans of the same thing, so that will work, but the smaller cans work better with his eating schedule.
Every place we go has "Now Hiring" signs out. Some people say that they are no jobs since Covid decimated some industries, but I have never seen so may "Now Hiring" signs. We tend to stay out of most restaurants these days, but we still do drive-up. Service at all these places is slower than it used to be... may be because they are short-staffed or staff is under-trained. We had a good breakfast at Wendy's (well, from Wendy's, but in the car), but had to drive to a second location after waiting for 20 minutes in the drive-up, and no one was taking orders. We were 4th in line, and the people ahead of us were getting angry. I get that, but better to move on than scream at the guy in front of you, who is also waiting to get an order taken.
We are seeing fast food places that had their inside seating available a few weeks ago are now drive-up only. One place had a sign out that stated they will be closed on Sundays because they don't have enough staff to man the place. The service at Jimmy John's is not "freaky fast," because the person taking the orders is also the person making the sandwich, and also the person delivering the order. The quality of the help seems to have diminished at some of these places... I used to expect "service with a smile," but that is the exception these days.
While eating breakfast in the car this morning, our view was of a closed Shopko. Yes, I know that all Shopko outlets (except their optical business) closed in 2019; but this location looked abandoned and run down. Apparently no one to keep the weeds pulled and pick up trash in the empty parking lot. Retail businesses seem to be closing left and right.
Some of you know about the hail that beat the snot out of our conveyances two weeks ago. (Seems longer ago than that.) While we haven't heard the results from Progressive (insurance), yet, there is no question that our CR-V is totaled. With a new windshield in it, it is fine to drive, just looks awful. Have you tried to find a vehicle, new or used, to buy right now? Supplies are significantly down, prices are up. Yes, I understand "supply and demand." Much of it is blamed on "the chip shortage." That would be the computer chip that controls the function of engine. China has a lock on that industry (along with many other industries). Auto manufactures cannot get enough chips to keep up with production... meaning that some of the manufacturers are stopping production, hopefully just temporarily, and others (like Ford) are continuing to build, but stockpiling cars and trucks that are "98% completed" on huge lots and fields. Dealers that would normally have a 90 to 120 day supply of vehicles to sell are operating on an 8 to 20 day supply (from internet sources). That means they have way less selection than they've had in the past, and many are marking up vehicles $5,000 or more over the MSRP. And people are still buying.
I am pig-headed enough that I will wait until the supply/demand situation gets back to more normal (and it will get back when more computer chips are being produced again). In the meantime, I am not one to name my vehicles (except for calling our previous red Sierra diesel pickup Big Red), but I am thinking of calling the CR-V "Rutherford." If you said, "The nickname of the character Clarence Rutherford in the sit-com Leave It To Beaver (1957 to 1963, was 'Lumpy'," you get 200 bonus points. "Lumpy" - get it? There isn't one body panel on what used to be a lovely CR-V that isn't... lumpy.
Finding a vehicle that is about the same weight and dimensions as the CR-V and is towable 4 wheels down is tough. Dealer lots everywhere are bleak. Adding those requirements to it makes the pickings even more slim.
Yesterday, I mentioned we stopped at a candy store on the way home (well, home right now being Hart Ranch). Every place we go here in the Black Hills seems to have a candy store... apparently, it's a thing. And when we've gone by them, there seems to be no shortage of customers. While considering all the above frustrations, there is something that sets me at ease...
That, my friends, is one of those fancy chocolate-dipped and drizzled Twinkies from the candy store. A twin-pack of regular Twinkies is about $1.29. These are $1.89 each. And, SO worth it. A bit of comfort food in this uncomfortable time.
For the record, petting my big furry boy is also very comforting.
It isn't. It's about the eating.
We had no plan for the day. It is warm, windy, and hazy (smoke). Joan said, "I am in the mood for a really good hamburger."
I asked, "Are you thinking Black Hills Burger and Bun?"
"Yes, but I'd rather take the car."
I said, "I'm in. Picnic or dining in the Honda?"
She replied, "I'm reserving that answer until I see if it is windy in Custer."
"Deal."
Rufus got his lunch just a bit early (he seems to be over his poop issues - TMI, but I thought you'd want to know), and we put picnic gear in the car, just to be prepared.
Yep, it is warm, windy, and smoky out there. Joan ordered our meals on-line, timing it so our food would be ready when we got there; this is not our first rodeo. The flags were standing out when we got to Custer; I found a close parking spot, Joan went to pick up our food, and we drove to the parking by the County Court House, where we generally get a picnic table... we're eating in Chez Honda, with a view of the picnic tables and grassy area in front of the court house. No, we're still not going into small, tight places to eat, but we will get food to take out.
The burgers were outstanding (as always), and the cheese curds were a true delight. You don't get a body like this without maintaining it. After lunch, we were enjoying the drive back, when Joan requested one more stop... "The candy store?" I asked. Yes, I am psychic... or psychotic... it's one of those psych things. She wanted to get some of their fancy popcorn, I was looking forward to one (or two) of their fancy chocolate-dipped Twinkies.
With school back in session, the place wasn't over-run with kids. I mentioned that we haven't gotten taffy in Keystone in a couple years... yes, this place has a huge variety of taffy. And popcorn...
And, some Rufus-Dad time at home...
That's his relaxed face. :-)
If you said, "Yogi Bear, from the Hanna-Barbera cartoons," you get 20 bonus points.
After getting our furry boy settled in after lunch, we went out on the scoots. Joan packed us a picnic lunch, and we headed south for Custer State Park. Nothing we haven't seen in the park, but the riding is good and we know we can find a picnic table.
Along the way, we stopped at the Iron Mountain Road Store for one last t-shirt each to enhance our wardrobe... we wound up picking the same shirt. Joan said, "I'll let you know when I'm going to wear mine so you can pick out something else." Good idea.
Leaving the store (above), we continued south on Iron Mountain Road...
Using the 360 camera for stills, I figured I'd toss in one of those "tiny planet" shots (above). Insta360 changed their firmware on their One R camera: the still photos are now rendered in HDR which takes a contrasty scene and makes multiple exposures to try for detail in the highs and lows... in the process, they eliminated the different fields of view on stills... so, what you get is pretty much a very wide angle view. You can crop in Photoshop or something similar after the fact, but it isn't the same. To me, this "upgrade" eliminated one of the things I liked about using the camera for stills. Progress.
Back to the ride...
I like images of the road view (above); probably why I enjoy shooting video. Coming into the east gate at Custer State Park...
We talked about stopping for our picnic near the State Game Lodge, then Joan saw a couple picnic tables at the entrance to the campground there - nice, a picnic spot with a view...
Lunch was nice. Wanting to get back to check on Rufus, we knew this wouldn't be a lengthy ride. After we ate, we decided to retrace some of our route...
Not long, and we got stopped behind some traffic...
If you look to the left of the motorhome, there are several mountain goats.
Rolling again...
Oh, and that motorhome I mentioned above - they turned off the main road... onto Iron Mountain Road. Yes, there are signs telling about narrow and low tunnels ahead. Shouldn't be a surprise. We did get stuck behind them while they tried to keep their rig between the yellow and white lines on this twisty road. They went right on by several pull-outs, even though traffic was building up behind them. I flashed my lights to get their attention, so maybe they'd look behind them to see what was stacking up...
Only took about 3 more pull-out passes when they finally got the hint. We were first in line behind them, so we had some pretty decent, uncrowded road ahead of us; finally.
I shot some video beyond that point, so maybe I'll do something with that another time.
The only other "wildlife" we encountered on the way back was a herd of cattle on both sides, and in the middle, of the road...
Easy cruising the rest of the way back...
Since you may want to know: Rufus seems to be better; good apatite and no sign of the drippity shits (medical terminology).
