All posts by Gary

We are full time travelers. We live in a 34 foot motor home. We travel from place to place towing a white Sprinter Van full of my tools and two Cattrikes. I like to play bluegrass music and you may find me at Bluegrass Festivals in Arizona during the winter months and in Washington and Oregon during the summer. We will also visit our daughter, Renee and her family in the Austen Texas area.
Maintenance, Travels, Uncategorized

20201026 A Difficult Blog to Write:

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Moving Day:

Yesterday, (Sunday,) we changed campgrounds in the same area of the Lake Mead National Recreation Area. We were needing to dump tanks and take on water. Dry camping at Las Vegas Bay National Campground wouldn’t do. We had a lakefront spot reserved at the Lake Mead RV Village with full hook-ups. The sure recipe for roughing it smoothly. Besides it was only 9 miles away. I talked Judy into driving the coach and van separately.

Fighting a demon:

Yes, I blame Ole Parkey. More specifically a common debilitating effect of Parkinson’s Disease. It is dementia, and I am having to compensate for its effects daily. The good news is it is not the same as Alzheimer’s disease. It doesn’t wipe your slate clean. I have the most problems with short term memory. It’s best described by my all too common complaint that by the time I get “Google” up and running, I can’t remember what I was going to Google. I can bring up detailed instructions on how to wire up an alternator, but I have to have them printed out and pictures to keep me on track. I recently replaced the alternator on Arcturus, our 2001 Alpine Coach. There are two signal wires, the Key signal and the DuVac wire that goes directly to the battery. Then there are the two big wires, the Positive Lead and the Ground. I had photos of the back side of the alternator, where we could feel but not see. The as-is photos were taken with the front side camera of my cell phone. The reference photos were taken with the rear camera, (The selfie side).

Be honest with me. How many of you knew that selfie pictures are mirror images by default?

I wired the alternator back-words. Here is the photo:

Backside of New Alternator
Using the “Selfie” camera to document and rewire the new alternator.

Notice the clue, the words are mirror image and back-words for us to read. But I read the words just fine. A cultured skill developed over the years. It comes in handy when you are trying to read the paper on your boss’s or your customer’s desk, as you try to figure out what the bottom line is.

Returning to my story, Parkey, affected my alternator project five ways.

  1. I had to keep detailed notes of the alternator as I disassembled it so I could be sure and put it back together.
  2. I took many photos to document each wire.
  3. I had a wiring diagram from Western Recreation, and traced out most of the circuits.
  4. I assembled the backside wires before turning the alternator around to it’s final position. This compensated for my lack of dexterity and my reduced ability to touch an exact spot with a finger tip.
  5. The final brick was the mirror image error. My friend Dave, and I finally got it right and it is now working just fine.

Parkey takes me for a ride:

Yesterday’s ride had just started when my cell phone lost contact with Judy. Knowing I cannot drive and attend to the cell phone at the same time. I slid the phone out of the dash cubby-hole just far enough to call​ out “O.K. Google, call Judy.” I must have touched the screen for shortly the lady from WAZE announced that I was to find a place to turn around. I failed to recognize that Parkey was jerking my chain. The insistence of the spokes-person finally eroded my confidence, and I spotted a viewpoint exit that promised an easy “U” turn.

I was expecting to be directed to make a left turn just before we passed the park we had just exited from. We passed that exit and started up the hill to the park entrance. Judy was in full panic mode, 500 feet behind me, because neither of us could get a cell phone connection. I am starting to panic when WAZE directed me to turn right, which i did. I immediately regretted this for I recognized the “Private Road, No Trespassing” that we had traversed a few days ago coming south from Ely NV. We were headed for US 83 North out of town. We got both rigs turned around and I hooked the Sprinter behind the Motor-home and the map program reset.

It’s a One Way Street:

I then bowed to the inevitable. Parky has won this round. I can no longer drive. The skills are still there. I can keep up with traffic, I can negotiate the curves and stay within the lines. I can no longer handle the mental traffic of keeping track of where I am, which way is north, where should the next turn be and which direction will I turn. I am also easily distracted and easy to confuse.

Now What?

We are daily making decisions about what our rig is going to look like in the future as we set up for our new “Snow Birds” life style. After 16 years and 5 months of what I call the Wandering life style we will be looking for a much smaller rig. Arcturus, our Western Recreation, Alpine will either get traded or reside at a semi-permanent address in Washington State. The Super “B” Van, should we get one, will make the 6000 mile annual migration trip to Texas and back each year. It can also make short week long sorties to regional Bluegrass or Dixieland festivals.

Gary’s Parkinson’s Song

You’re [I]fight_- ing a battle_ you know you can-not [V7]win__

But you have to keep on fight- ing_, you can’t let your- self give [I] in__

Why God gave you_ this battle_, you may not e- ver [IV]know__

Just keep your faith in [I]Je- sus_, hang [V7] on and don’t let [I]go___+__

Par- kin- son’s an ill- ness that keeps try- ing to knock you [V7]down__

You-must come-up off the can- vas_ to fight a- no- ther [I]round__

What- ever old Par- ki Throws at you_, you have to find a [IV] way__

To dodge the punch he throws [I]to you_, then [V7]get on with your [I] day__

It started as a tremor that con- tin- ued to get [V7]worse__

Things that once came easy__, now you had to [I]force__

What hurt the worst was music_, a big part of my [IV]life__

There’s times it’s hard to play or [I]sing,__ and it [V7]cuts me like a [I]knife__

Please [I]_help us with this bat-tle_ we pray one day to [V7]win__

We will keep on fight- ing_, we won’t let our- selves give [I] in__

God would have us join_ this battle_,that one day we might [IV]find__

The mir- acle that will [I]win this fight… and leave [V7]Park-in- son’s be- [I]hind…

Tag:

Pray, [I]help us with this battle.. that one day we might [V7]find__

The miracle that will win this fight… and leave Park- in- son’s be- [I]hind…

Pray, help us with this battle.. that one day we might [IV]find__

The miracle that will [I]win this fight… and leave [V7]Park- in- son’s- be- hind…_

I am working to get the song finished with a new backing track perhaps even a new melody. Credit to Joe Maggie for the lyrics.

Sailing, Travels

20200818 Catching Up

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Our last blog was on May 15th about 3 months ago. Yes I admit it, I have been neglecting you. So here is what has happened since then.

The Migration North Begins:

On the sixth of June, we started on our northward migration with our good friends, Dave and Lynda Campbell traveling with us. The first night we made it to Camp Verde on Interstate 17 headed for Utah.

The second night we were still in Arizona and we laid over one extra day. We drove into Utah at Paige Arizona, on the shores of Lake Powell. June 5th found us in Hurricane Utah, near St. George. We stayed four days. It was a nice park; expensive, but nice. What kept us there was high winds. Each day we would check the winds and each day we would pay for an additional day.

Cathedral Gorge NV
These slot canyons are formed in mud stone

We toured some miniature canyons at the Cathedral Canyon State Park near Panaca Nevada.

This is the uniform if you wear shorts

We arrived in Ely Nevada on June 11th and booked a ride for Dave and I in the cab of Steam Locomotive, 63 of the Nevada and Northern railroad. We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves and we have a half done video to prove it. I am looking for a “Round-Tuit” for that project.

The next day we made the trip through Wells and Winnemucca Nevada. We continued over the Steen’s Mountain region of South Western Oregon. A road construction crew was spreading fresh oil and chip seal on a four mile stretch of highway. The Sprinter and rear of the coach were covered with black tar specks. Judy was very annoyed when she started cleaning it! We soon arrived at Dave and Lynda’s place in Bend, Oregon.

Judy and I had doctor and dentist appointments lined up for the next week, so we crossed the Cascades and arrived in St. Helens. We also have been cleaning out our storage unit that we have paid for the last sixteen years! Our goal is to clean it out by the end of September.

This is not the longest route North we have taken, but most certainly the latest start for the PNW due to the Covid pandemic. The longest was our trip to Oshkosh for the EAA fly-in, August 2011. That year we left Arizona on May 12th and arrived at my sister Holly’s place on Newman Lake on August 22 and Portland area on August 30, 2011.

We have been in the Western Washington area called the Kitsap Peninsula since July 4th. (Better recognized as the Olympic Peninsula). Visits to Judy’s sister in Sequim and our son’s family in Seabeck. A short trip back to Portland and then a sailing week on Glen’s 38 ft sailboat.

Grand Adventure 2020:

Sunset on Hood Canal at Pleasent Harbor
Sunset on the Hood Canal at Pleasant Harbor
Buffering the anchor chain
This is the snubber we designed for Audrey ii’s chain anchor rode. Worked nice .

On Saturday, August 15, 2020 We joined yet another “Grand Adventure” with Glen, Barb and Bryce. Because of the pandemic, the Canada portion of the trip was canceled and we have been cruising Hood Canal, almost literally in Barb and Glen’s own back yard. We started in Brownsville where Aurey II is moored. We went North to Port Ludlow for our first day trip. Second day out we passed through the Hood Canal bridge. If you’re not aware, Hood Canal is a floating bridge, so getting a 65 foot tall sailboat through requires a little bit of finesse. The cars on the bridge got to watch us motor through. It was a busy Sunday morning, and we probably made a few enemies. If you happened to be in the traffic jam, we apologize. We dropped the hook in Seabeck Harbor, which is just a couple of miles from Barb and Glen’s home.

Audrey ii at Blake Island

The Grand Adventure continues, so we will update you on this in a few days.

It has taken a few days to get this far. Here is Audrey ii in the state park on Blake Island.

Guest Blog by Glen Dinsmore

Glen’s quote: “Sometimes I even in impress myself! I was able to schedule a nuclear submarine encounter on our second morning out. That may have been even better than the time I scheduled humpback whales on the ferry for our anniversary

Maintenance

20200422 Sigh…

What can I say? This is two days after finishing the Folding Desk Project. We were off riding our Trikes around North Ranches Streets with names like Meandering and Wandering and Running Bare, or is it Running Bear. Before we can get to our campsite neighboring RV’ers are gathering around us chattering about a flying tent. The story that we ferreted out includes a miniature tornado called a Dust Devil.
Our tent sailed over our rig and two others before coming to rest between two rigs. People in that area of the campground worked together to gather the crumpled tent and walk the pile around the campground and over behind our campsite, no 73.

When we got back this is what we saw.

It was a bran-new shade tent. It had stood up to the blustery winds for two days. I had staked it to the ground on all four corners. When it departed it pulled up one 16” spike driven into hard packed gravel. It tore off two tie-down straps on the canopy itself. The fourth bent up the frame big time and apparently broke free of the stake. All of this without disturbing anything on the picnic table or in the bicycle trailer.

Tiedown straps failed on two legs
These tie-down straps were holding the canopy at two of the corners.

Go Figure

Gary

Maintenance

20200419 Folding the computer desk:

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I had another of those “I feel a blog coming on,” days this week and I just Yesterday finished rebuilding my closet door from a smack-down with the potty room door. Potty room door won that match and the Wardrobe got its inner rail seams broken. A little glue, a couple clamps, one night on the rack and the door is as good as new. I am all caught up with repairs.

That very evening just a week ago I lost my balance and sat down suddenly on the edge of the folding desk, (just behind the passenger seat.)

It gracefully slid the computer and me onto the floor leaving splintered wood behind. Thankfully I slid to a stop before I took out my Guitar hanging on a rack nearby. Let me show you the aftermath in photos:

Looks bad, but it is not as bad as it looks. We do need a stronger joint.
It’s not as bad as it looks. We do need a stronger joint.

Surveying the Damage
Measuring the ripped out puzzle piece with the mating hole.

This is the stack of parts. There is just the one broken end of the Computer desk. The broken piece is intact and in one piece, like a giant jig-saw-puzzle piece. I laced the fangs into the respected hollows with glue, strong backs and lots off clamps. I set it aside to dry over night.

The fangs
in this photo. I am disconnecting the gas struts and the piano hinge.

This is the hinged top/outside corner of the desk when stowed, When the desk is deployed it is the end of the desk the part that is hinged to the wall mounted stationary part of the desk.

This is where the failure occurred. In the photo below is the answer, “bolts”. The desk had 5 Kreg screws and glue to hold the load. The replacement bolts are called barrel cabinet fasteners . I bought the longest ones, about 2 3/4″ x 1/4″. I used six of them to replace 5 screws. I should be able to tap dance on the desk now. (As if Judy would let me.)

The barrel is seated in a blind, square bottomed hole. Total cost was about $40 including a set of Forestner bits, to drill the flat bottomed holes.

Stronger Joint Required
These 1/4 inch barrel cabinet fasteners will step beyond the denominated plywood and spread the stress into undamaged wood.
back-side of hinged piece
The exposed head of the fasteners are quite decorative. they remind me of the buttons put on park benches to keep the skateboarders at bay
Rebuilt Desk
Rebuilt Desk, Note Testing the idea of a temporary leg under the back corner.

I finished the project 2 days ago. It has taken me longer to write the blog than it took to repair the damage.

Meanwhile we are hunkered down in Camp site 73 in the North Ranch Escapee Park in Congress, AZ. They are predicting our first 100 degree day this week. We are exercizing morning and evenings, two mile walk in the morning and a 3 of 4 mile Trike Criterium around the paved streets of the park, just before dark each evening.

We will stay put here until it is safe to be out in pubic.

Gary and Judy