The downside

July 28-Aug. 3, 2013 Riverview RV Park, Forks, WA

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Worry never robs tomorrow of its sorrow, but only saps today of its strength.”

― A.J. Cronin
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RV LIFE:
Yes, there are some downsides to Full Time RV'ing, but overall, the overwhelming good makes the bad well worth "suffering" through.
Always moving. Most times I seem to get very stressed on moving day. Devin feels my stress and he tries to hide in the bedroom or under the RV while I pack. 1st, I usually don't want to go. 2nd, PIA to pack everyday use things away so they don't slide around while traveling. 3rd, opening the RV upon arrival, only to see I forgot to secure the wine cabinet and yes a bottle is broken all over the floor. Before we can open the slides, I need to clean up the mess and try to get the glass out from under the slides before letting them out. Or, thinking my ceramic pot with my shamrock plant is safely snuggled on the easy chair wrapped in a blanket. Nope, that bounced off the chair onto the floor and breaking the pot that I've had for 30 years from a vacation to Stone Mtn., GA. This is the second time I've lost this plant. The first time I could glue the pieces back together and added good potting soil. This time...in the garbage. One less thing to secure while we travel.

Every time we arrive at a new place we have to adjust our attitudes as to what is a good site. We have to make the best of any site we settle into. I also worry, will the slides come out? We've never had a problem, but I still worry. Scott feels my stress a lot. He points out that I need to relax, which makes me realize that I'm more stressed than I realized and need to adjust my attitude. How? My wonderful hubby offers me a shot of 100 proof Rumpleminze. Ahhhh. Just enough to take the edge off and I'll be fine.
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RV MOD:
Just a small mod that makes me happy. We saw someone else with this set up and thought it was a good idea.

We didn't want the stair treads. We wanted something that would cover the spaces behind the stairs. Our dogs do pretty good climbing up and down the stairs, but sometimes Lyla has a difficult time getting started. Now that we've put this 24" wide x 60" long carpet runner on the stairs, she goes up them much quicker. And for the humans, I like the way it feels on my feet going up and also it helps catch some dirt, so less dragged into the RV. When we move, we just unhook the bungees and shake out.
Anyone have suggestions for improvement?

Mom, I don't want to go back inside.

Sometimes she still will refuse to go inside, but that's not because of the stairs, it's just that she doesn't want to go back inside. Yes, she can be a stubborn B - - - -! (Please, no comments about just like her Mom)

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SIGHTS & SOUNDS:
We had the unique opportunity to hear the Indian drum songs from different tribes. The Makah Tribe is located in Neah Bay, and the Quileute Tribe is located in La Push. This past weekend was the Tribal Journeys 2013 Paddle to Quinault. There is not much info about it to the public. It's definitely a Native American celebration. There were about 100 of those long wooden canoes. I'm still not sure where from and to they traveled. I never actually saw them take off. Neah Bay, WA is on the Northern part of the peninsula and Quinault a lake inland and La Push, WA is on the opposite side of the peninsula.
What we did hear around town, is that this was a rare occurrence to have so many participants.

While staying both in Neah Bay and Forks, we could hear the drum songs while inside our RV. One night they lasted until after 1:00am. But, it wasn't annoying. It was quite soothing, interesting & reverent.
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COFFEE REVIEW:
Cape "D" Blend (Cape Disappointment), Dark Roast by Long Beach Coffee Roasters

My rating 4 out of 5
A nice bold flavor, but smooth.
From their website:
"Roasted and blended especially for the USCG Motor Lifeboat School at Cape Disappointment.
This coffee is smooth, sweet and dark: Lots of character!"
Only available through mail order or Long Beach, WA.

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BOOK REVIEW:

Against the Night by Kat Martin

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Definitely a mystery for the Ladies. Muscle toned, confident, independent male PI & petite, sweet schoolteacher with a sexy alter ego that she is learning about and exploring. Lots of romance and a very good mystery.

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Alien Autopsy

CRAFTS:

Biology 101

 Someone has too much time on their hands, or they are tired of making shawls! These patterns are created and knitted by Emily Stoneking. She sells these on the internet in her Etsy Shop. You can check out her other projects if you are a member of Ravelry.

Knitted brain, etc

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RV PARK REVIEW:
The Village RV Park, Neah Bay, WA
Our rating 1 out of 5
We didn't stay here but passed it many times during our Neah Bay travels. It is a dirty parking lot, with very close sites, and mainly very junky permanents there.

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FOOD/PRODUCT REVIEW:
Dave's Killer Bread, Blues bread
My rating 5 out of 5

"Just say no to bread on drugs"
My Mom introduced me to Arnold Oat Nut, in the Eastern US, which is Oroweat in the West. At the time it was Honey Oat Nut. Now it is just plain Oat Nut. The first couple of years it was wonderful. Oat flakes sprinkled on top, with chopped walnuts and hazelnuts throughout. It was sweet, hearty and good for you. Now it is just blah. I thought maybe the different brand name was the difference, but nooooo, when we came back to NJ last fall, Arnold brand was now just as bad. So my search for a hearty, sweet, good for me bread with a crunch was on.

Dave's Killer Bread

Arnold Oat Nut

Just no comparing. Since I eat a slice of bread toasted with PB&J almost every morning, my bread is important. Besides, Dave's hearty bread helps "The Go" as Charmin TP has coined this phrase.
There is an interesting back story to Dave's Killer Bread. Dave spent 15 years in prison. He made a change in his life and we benefit.
Take care...

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WHERE WE'RE GOING:
Aug. 4-10, 2013 Silver Cove RV Resort, Silver Lake, WA
Aug. 12-18, 2013 Coeur d'Alene RV Park, Post Falls, ID
Aug. 19-28, 2013 Jim & Mary's RV Park, Missoula, MT
Aug. 29-Sept. 1, 2013 Jennifer's Driveway Boondock, Bozeman, MT
Sept. 2-5, 2013 Mammoth Campground, Yellowstone, WY (Tentative)
Sept. 6-15, 2013 Horseshoe Bend Campground NFS, Lovell, WY (Tentative)
Sept. 16-30, 2013 Wheels West RV Park, Custer, SD

south for the Winter of 2013/214

Gin & Tonic

May 31 - Jun 13, 2013 (2 weeks) - Diamond Lake RV Park, Diamond Lake, OR

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RV LIFE:
I could stay here for a long time if only there was a grocery store nearby.

I've been reading Suzi's blog, Beluga's Excellent Adventure. She is currently in Eugene, OR where we are heading next. She's been posting about all the great restaurants they've been too. I think we'll be eating out a lot in Eugene.

While walking the dogs yesterday chilly morning (31°!), I passed the Boyinks 5th wheel.  Hmmm, are they following us in a roundabout way? I saw them visiting when we were in Dead Horse Ranch and here they are in OR in the same park. I'm so glad Scott recently bought a mini baseball club for protection. Yes, I'm kidding about needing protection. But Scott did pick up a fish basher (that's what it was called), that he keeps by the bed. It gives him some sense of being able to protect us.

Back to the Boyinks. The reason I noticed they are here is because they have a vinyl sign on the back of their RV with their name and blog address. I also have vinyl signs on our RV and truck. I think it not only encourages people to check out our blog, but also makes it easier to spot fellow bloggers. I would really encourage fellow bloggers to get a sign made and display it. It really makes it easier for folks to approach you.

We also have this same sign on our rear window of the truck.

This morning around 9:30, we hear Knock, Knock,Knock. Huh? Uh oh! Are we going to be told to not keep our dog out on the tether? Devin has been really good tied outside. I have been awake for 2 hours, but I'm still in my English Setter Flannel jammies. I open the door and lo and behold, it's Mike & Crissa Boyink! I came out so we could talk a while. No shame wearing jammies outside while in an RV park in the morning. Conversation was pretty easy and they are really nice folk. I'm so glad they stopped by. I can add another RV blogger I've met. Very cool!

Tomorrow (Friday), we head North 140 miles to Eugene where I expect a Gin & Tonic waiting for us at happy hour at the Big Beluga! 

Suz, I know you've been following my blog, so you KNOW, my pantry is low. So I will have to "suffer" and opt to have lemon in my gin & tonic instead of lime. I can supply the tonic and Tanqueray if needed.

While looking for a gin & tonic photo, I came across this version of Gin & Tonic. First, I'll have to try some Hendrick's Gin.  Then make this recipe.

Gin, Tonic, Cucumber, Rosemary

And here's an even better idea, since I love cucumber and dill!

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RV MODS: 

We are considering setting our RV up with solar panels. Scott has been on the internet for two days researching. He found a blogger, Handy Bob's Solar, who has been boondocking with solar for 10 years. I've been wanting them for a while, but never thought Scott would consider them. He won't stay in Walmart parking lots, truck stop parking lots, or even at Harvest Hosts wineries and farms, so why would he boondock without the safety of being in an RV park? Well, he probably wouldn't boondock alone. He is thinking of all the nice quiet, spacious campgrounds we miss out on because there are no hook ups.

All around Diamond Lake RV Park are even more beautiful and almost empty campgrounds. Sites are large enough for big rigs, but no hook ups.  So now Scott has the itch for solar energy. Yeah!

I've avoided reading blogs of RV'rs who boondock all the time, since I never thought we would. Now I will have to review them again. I'll also have to review past Wheeling It blog posts. I skipped over their reviews of boondocking sites. Some sounded sooooooo wonderful, but I never thought we would be able to hang out there.

What REALLY got me the itch was when we walked through City of Rocks RV Park in New Mexico. Some really cool sites even our 35' Fifth Wheel could fit into. With the rocks around as a natural awning, this would be wonderful place to boondock! City of Rocks does have a decent W&E area, but it is a typical couple of rows of sites along side each other. 

We saw an RV with those portable suitcase type solar panels. I thought maybe we could at least do that...Scott agreed...until...he started researching. If we're going solar, we should go all the way. This RV is our HOME, not just a vacation home. So we want to be as comfortable as possible, even when boondocking. We want to be able to use all of the RV, not just certain areas powered by portable solar panels. So now our plan is to solar energize the whole rig! Or, maybe not. Now Scott is thinking of going simple with the suitcase solars again.

We're heading to Eugene tomorrow where there is a company, AM Solar nearby that comes highly recommended for all things RV solar.

Because we are now seriously thinking, two or three solar panels on the roof, we will also need more batteries, an inverter, etc. The batteries and inverter are the REAL expense. Before committing to this I had to ask Scott if he planned on RV'ing for at least a couple of more years. He said yes! Good! We're both still thinking along the same lines. I don't want to spend all this money to just settle in a house in a year. I think Scott doesn't want to settle in a house because we may never travel again. Once we get a house, I will start fostering dogs again, maybe more than one at a time. I will probably foster little critters also, like guinea pigs or rabbits also. That will make it difficult to travel.

Feel free to comment or email me (njnomore at gmail dot com) with suggestions, tips, or resources about solar purchasing, installing, living.

Since that wasn't a real mod that we've done, here are just a few photos of some of the little things we'd modified to make our RV more efficient.

3M Command strips and museum/earthquake putty are an RV'rs friend!

Dog figurines never come off the molding on the slide. They stay put with museum putty. Photos stay put with 3M Command strips.

Our dogs that have passed are held up  with 3M strips. All the dog memorabilia stays there by quilting straight needles stuck into the fabric. We never take any of these down.

Kitchen utensils take up way too much room in what little drawer space we have. Picked up this sliding hook thingy at the Dollar store.

More kitchen gadgets are hung up with cup hooks.

 No space wasted. The pipes under the kitchen sink hold our colander which is light, but bulky.

A wire shelf is attached above where the pots and pans are, and holds odds & ends

Another dollar store item . This sticks to the inside of the cabinet door. It holds coffee pod packets, spice packets, dry salad dressing packets, etc.

Again, the inside cabinet doors. Silicone collapsible measuring cups and funnel, plus measuring spoons all hung up with hooks. You just have to make sure you space them so they do not hit the shelving and prevent the door from closing.

 Lucite wine glass holder from Camping World installed under cabinet. The black thing between shelf and glasses is a piece of foam which prevents the glasses from moving around during travel.

Rubbermaid storage containers

 Throw out your old tupperware. I don't know about the new tupperware, but my 25 year old tupperware did not stack or pack into cabinets well. Think square/rectangle. Round is a big no-no! I started out with Oxo storage containers (below) and at first thought they were great. But after a year's use, I do not like them. The lids are supposed to be a vacuum seal, but if you pick up the containers by the lid, they pull off. PIA to clean the lids also.  I have since begun converting to Rubbermaid storage containers (above). I LOVE them! They fit nicely near each other, they fit well in my RV cabinets, the lids are easy on easy off, similar to a tupperware lid. They come in a variety of sizes so space is not wasted on the wrong sized container. I purchase mine at Walmart.

Oxo storage containers

Under the storage containers are sliding panels that I installed into the pantry cabinets. They were formally just very deep cabinets. There was no way to reach my arm all the way to the back and try to figure out what was back there.

There are other mods in past posts. Just click on the label in the left column that says "mods".

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CRAFTS:
Finished Treads, fingerless gloves that will keep my hands warm while on the computer.

This was a fairly easy pattern in which I learned a couple of new techniques with this project. I learned how to knit in the round with two circulars. You tube is a great resource for learning knitting techniques. Here's a video for knitting on two circulars. Once I got the hang of it, I like it a lot!  I've knitted in the round with the magic loop method, which is fine, but a little more awkward to do. I don't like knitting in the round with double pointed needles. That just seems too cumbersome. I can see me using this easy two needles in the round method often.  You do need to have two sets of the same sized circular needles though, which I do have. I have a set of Knit Picks Harmony Circulars, a set of Knit Picks Zephyr Acrylic Circulars, and Knitter's Pride Dreamz circulars set. I never knit with straight needles.
With this fingerless pattern, I also learned how to make a thumb gusset, (which is not a finger?). Making the thumb was surprisingly easy. I may have to try to make some real gloves.
Side note: Is a thumb a finger?
What a controversial subject. I've seen some very heated answers. There are a number of ways of thinking.
Not a finger:
1. A thumb is not a finger. It is an opposable digit.
2. A thumb is not a finger because a finger has 3 joint and a thumb has only two.
3. A thumb is not attached to the fingers.
I feel sorry for all those parents that state their newborn is healthy and normal with 10 fingers and 10 toes. I guess that means their child has no thumb? or has 6 digits on each hand?
Yes a finger:
1. 10 fingers=
Two thumbs- very important in holding items. Also the thumbs up sign I use for our deaf dog, Lyla meaning "Good Girl".
Two index fingers, or pointers- Don't you point that finger at me!
Two middle fingers- New Jerseyans need that finger to drive a car!
Two ring fingers- I always kept my left ring finger a "virgin" until my first "pre-engagement"(friendship) ring.
Two little fingers or pinkies-How else could we "pinky swear"?

From Wiki Answers: Why is the little finger called a pinky?
Answer: Derived from a Dutch word 'pink' relating to 'small' and ultimately from a Indo-European word 'Penk e' referring to 'five' the fifth finger
There are many, many resources on the net to learn to knit, or to learn new techniques. Here's just one with a slew of knitting videos-Knit Freedom.
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WHERE WE'RE GOING:
June 14 -24, 2013 Armitage County Park, Eugene, OR
June 25- July 8, 2013 River's End RV Park, Chinook,WA
July 9-17, 2013 Port. Hudson RV Park, Port Townsend, WA
Tentative:
Neah Bay, WA
La Push, WA
Coeur d'Alene, ID
WA, ID, MT, ND, SD, WY, then south for the Winter of 2013/214

I miss New Jersey....

Apr. 18 - Apr. 24, 2013 Meteor Crater RV Park - Winslow, AZ

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NOT! I do miss Spring in NJ though. I'm sure I can find the same kind of Spring in other areas of the country, but here in Winslow, AZ it's all brown and some green. Sigh.  I've been seeing photos of Spring Flowers on other bloggers posts. Sigh.

Lily in my NJ garden

NJ Garden

NJ hostas

I really miss my hostas. I sort of gave up flower gardenings when we adopted Setters. They are not good off leash, so they couldn't be in the front yard with me gardening. I lost the heart for gardening when there were no dogs to keep me company. But hostas are easy care, great edging, great ground cover and come in thousands of varieties. They start showing in April and within a week are huge. I had them all along the edges of our yard.



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PETS: 
I met a nice young man (don't I sound OLD?) at the dog park here in our campground. He is taking some time to travel the country. Sort of his "bucket list" before he has to settle down with a real job and real responsibilities. He purchased an old Bounder Motorhome and has a scooter. He's from MA and headed West and is now heading back East.  His friends are very envious. He says he invited them along. But they were not adventurous enough to leave their "cook" jobs that they've had since high school. Opportunity lost and may never be possible again, until MAYBE retirement.
His roommate is Rocky, a really nice 110 pound rescued black lab. Devin is thrilled to have a playmate again!

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RV LIFE:
We are having plenty of down time this week. There isn't much to do in this area.  We visited Meteor Crater (review below), and went into the actual town of Winslow, AZ. Rt. 66 passes through there, so of course there are plenty of places with that theme. Sorry folks, I couldn't care less.

There is not much area to walk or hike here either, so this will be a very sedentary week. I do not have the discipline enough to just walk around this small park over and over and over, just to get 10,000 steps in a day that is recommended.


Another thing I don't miss in NJ, my job: 
Ya know what's nice about our RV life? I'm retired and away from the crap at my job.

This is from our APWU (union) facebook page.

Ex Co"worker" Sue's post : APWU Sucks. I had my issues, yes. But my Union Rep got me fired. The union rep (Ed: name deleted) sucks. She called me an F'N C---- I responded and got fired. Thanks for taking my money, Red Bank Local, the most "dangerous local around" (Ed: the union's motto)the only ones you have to look from are the Union Reps. They kiss ass
Ann's reply: So nothing you did was what actually got you fired? They just fired you because a Union Rep said to do so? I'm confused.
My reply:  I guess you don't know Sue.
Sue's reply: Neither do you Debbie. There are always two sides to a story.  Mind you own business Debbie, you never talked to me before, oh yeah, you were another ass kisser,/ supervisor wanna be.
Ann's reply: OK. I see now why.

Perfect!!! Sue showed her true colors in her reply to me. Ann also saw and understood.

Ahhh, those pleasant memories. Do you know how I was an ass kisser? I did what my supervisor's told me to whether I liked it or not. Yep, that's kissing ass and yep, I got along with most of my supervisor's. I had an uneventful 32 yrs in the postal service and glad for it. I put in my time and my work ethic and was blessed by being able to retire early at age 53!

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SIGHTS:
Meteor Crater, Winslow, AZ $16.00/per person admission
My rating 1 out of 5
Scott's rating 3.5 out of 5

Scott really liked it and would have rated it a 4 out of 5 if the price was cheaper. I would have rated it 2 out of 5 if the price was cheaper.

This is the best preserved and first proven meteorite impact site on Earth. It is about 1 mile across, 550 feet deep, and about 2.5 miles around. In the museum is a detailed history of the founder and how it was eventually proven to be a meteor crater and the money spent and possible wealth in iron, blah, blah, blah. Glad I brought my Kindle to read!

Scott was a Geology major at Catawba College in NC, so he's really interested in this and can understand it better than I can. He really enjoyed the museum. What turned me off was there was a replica of a piece 3' long, 2' wide piece of a meteor (Helsinger meteorite). The real piece was on display just outside the museum. Artists can make things look and feel so real, I become very skeptical of anything on display. I'm outta here. I sat on a bench reading, while Scott enjoyed the museum.

Seeing the crater itself was anti-climatic. Is it because we just were at the Grand Canyon the week before? Or was I truly able to judge this crater on it's own? Either way, it is difficult to realize the size of it from their 3 viewing posts. Yes, they state the rim is about 2.5 miles around, so we were prepared to walk the rim. Not gonna happen sucka! You are not allowed to walk around it, and can only view at their 3 lookouts.

Can you tell I'm not a fan? They are spending 20 million dollars!, yes, 20 million dollar$!$!$ on a "Sustainable Visioning Masterplan" to renovate and expand the visitors center. I did not see a railing and walking path around the rim in that plan. What a waste!

A definite tourist trap at $16.00 per person. 

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FOOD:

On to a much more enjoyable topic. Lunch! Ever since enjoying the home made tortillas at Verde Lea Market in Cottonwood, AZ, I am so hooked on putting almost anything between them.

I stated before my coleslaw mix, pica de gallo in a tortilla. Today I added sliced cucumber and some Tuscany Herb olive oil. I bet it would taste good with cucumber or ranch dressing also. Maybe add sliced avocado, hmmmm.

A healthy lunch.

Eat those veggies!

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FOOD PRODUCT REVIEW:

Philadelphia Indulgence, Cinnamon

My rating 4.5 out of 5 

I rated the chocolate flavor in a previous post. Now it's time for my second sampling. This is also delicious, although it won't satisfy my chocolate "needs" like the chocolate cream cheese does. This tastes almost like the Cinnabon frosting, only thicker.  I'm not sure what to use this on other than maybe a sweet roll, or...tortillas! I told you I was using all kinds of things to stuff a tortilla! 

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RECIPE:

Cinnamon Cream Cheese Rollups

Soft Tortillas

1 pkg. Philadelphia Indulgence, Cinnamon

Sliced apples or bananas (optional)

Spread cream cheese (and fruit) on tortilla, roll up and eat or layer, then roll up and slice for a nice bring along snack while visiting friends.

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CRAFTS; 
My 6"x9" rectangles have been shipped off the the HAP (Handmade Afghan Project) to make into an afghan and sent to VA hospitals.

1850 Old South Gown This is a crocheted outfit for a "Barbie" type doll. This is for display on your bed. I've had these patterns for years and years.
When I had to purged my craft room to get ready for RVing, I had to decide whether to keep these supplies or give them away. So I brought the material for one project and have been working on it for the almost 2 yrs we've been RVing. My heart is not in this project. What am I going to do with it? I guess try to sell it on Ebay or Etsy or find a nice Grandmom who would want it for her Grandchild.
So far I've completed the base of the skirt. I'm now ready to crochet the ruffles. I am a project crafter. I hate to have a project unfinished. So this project is my outside craft project because the sun give excellent light for this thin thread and tiny crochet hook use.

Sample

I'm also experimenting with a sun hat pattern. I've seen so many sunhats for sale in this area. They are crocheted and I KNOW I could make them, but...what is the material they use? It's not cotton, it's much stiffer so the hat holds it's shape. So I'm experimenting with some twine I bought at Walmart. I plan to make the brim wider and hopefully curl up a touch. Well see.

Cable Jacket

Sample

 I've been a good girl knitter and knit a swatch, soaked and blocked.

Yes, it is full of cables, but it is made with worsted weight yarn, so the bumps and jolts riding in the truck will not be too much of a problem. Come back next year to see the finished project. I hope it doesn't take that long! But it could.
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WHERE WE ARE HEADED:
Apr. 25, 2013 (Tentative) Calizona RV Park, Needles, CA
Apr. 26, 2013 (Tentative) Sierra Trails RV Park, Mojave, CA

Apr. 27 - May 5, 2013 (Tentative) Sequoia RV Ranch, Three Rivers, CA

June 14 - 24, 2013 Armitage County Park, Eugene, OR 

NV, CA, OR, ID, WA, MT, ND, SD, WY, then south for the Winter of 2013/2014

What's the problem?

FOUR PAWS KINGDOM

Rutherfordton, NC 28139

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RV MODS: What's the problem?

Symptoms: 

Fridge flickers on and off when on AC power

Lights dim when too many are on.

Battery indicator shows low.

Check battery strength...9.9 volts which meant essentially dead.

Advanced Auto Parts in Forest City, NC, put the batteries on their tester/reader and it wouldn't give a print out because the batteries were dead.

Purchased new batteries at Advanced Auto Parts, OPTIMA BLUE TOP at about $210. each, needed two. We opted for these batteries as to cheaper ones because these are sealed and no need to check water levels. Plus they were smaller. We could fit BOTH these batteries in the space that ONE of our old batteries were in.

Check battery strength indicator periodically. It is now 2/3 strength. Fridge is on.

Next day check battery strength indicator periodically, uh oh, 1/3 strength. That's not right. We have new batteries!

Check power at converter... uh oh should be 13.6 volts DC, but was 1.8 volts.  

Replace the converter. No problem. Scott has wanted a better converter anyway.

Purchased  Progressive Dynamics PD9260CV Inteli-Power 9200 Series 60 Amp Converter/Charger with Built-in Charge Wizard $150. from Amazon.

We had to empty part of the basement to get to the converter, but easy install.

We've had a couple of fairly cold mornings, but were afraid to turn on the RV propane heater for fear of draining the battery. But it SHOULD be ok because we have a new converter.

Check battery strength indicator, not rising. Still 1/3. Is the converter defective??? We don't want $400. worth of NEW batteries to die!

Scott goes back into the basement and checks around the converter again to make sure all lines are secure...oops! A fat white electrical cord come free. It's the ground! So without the ground secured, of course everything else won't work correctly.

Scott secures the ground and feels that is the solution to all our problems.

So we don't know if it was the loose ground or if the converter really stopped working.

Scott also purchased a Progressive Dynamics PD 9200 Series Pendant for $10. at Amazon. This is a monitor  for the converter. When flashing quickly it is in "Boost" mode, meaning it is actively charging the batteries. When it is a very slow flashing, it is in "Normal" mode, meaning the batteries are charged and the converter is charging as needed.

After 2 new batteries, a new converter, and securing the ground wire, our battery strength indicator is now showing FULL!!!! But, the converter monitor is still fast flashing, so it's still actively charging the batteries. We can't relax yet. A day later, the battery indicator is still showing full & we are feeling more confident that all is well. Later in the day, the converter monitor switches to it's slow flashing. All is well.

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More RV MODS: 

We had originally purchased these plastic thingies to hold spices and medicines. They are cheap and easy to install, but the plastic stretches and eventually breaks off rendering them USELESS.

I now have purchased 3M COMMAND SMALL ORGANIZER. Although much more expensive at almost $8.00 for a piece of clear plastic to hold 4-5 spice containers, I like them much better and over the long run, more durable and easier to use.

 We will be replacing the cheap plastic rings with the more efficient clear trays as the cheap plastic ones break.

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More RV MODS: 

Another little mod, but oh so rewarding is replacing our kitchen & bathroom sink drain strainers and also the shower drain strainer.

We originally replaced all three with the MESH TYPE STRAINERS from Camping World. 

The large works great for the kitchen sink. The middle size was for the shower. Yes, it did prevent hair from going down the drain, but between the fine mesh and the hair, the water did not drain quickly enough and we ended up showering in a pool of 2"'s of water. The itty bitty strainer was for the bathroom sink, which that also slowed the draining of water and collected gunk quickly and clogged quickly.

Next we tried a plastic flexible strainer for the shower. 

This drained better, but what a pain in the &** to clean the hair out of this one.  There are little teeth that the hair wraps around.

Finally, Scott picked up this large flat one at Walmart.

This works perfectly! The holes are large enough for the water to drain. It catches the hair efficiently. It is very easy to clean.

With that, we changed the small mesh for the medium mesh for the bathroom sink and that is also working sufficiently.

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RV LIFE: Octoberfest at Four Paws Kingdom is over. This event was held on the 1st & 2nd weekend of October. Always a lot of fun.  Meik is a very good entertainer. I just sat back and enjoyed this event. I wanted to take it all in and keep in my memory as one of our special times RV'ing.

Of course, being workampers this year, it wasn't all relaxing.  We had Kitchen Wagon clean up after. Luckily we were assigned to clean up the next day.  I am an early to bed person and would have been miserable having to clean up at 9pm after a full day. That's my bedtime!

So Sunday morning, I washed the pots & pans and Scott dried.

I actually enjoy doing the dishes. I get a sense of accomplishment. To reduce that huge pile of dirty items and see them later cleaned and ready for the next time.

Usually the ladies are on bathroom cleaning duty. Although many guests do thank us for the clean bathrooms, I don't get that sense of accomplishment with that duty. The bathrooms are constantly kept clean, so it just feels like we are cleaning a clean room already. We never let the bathrooms gets dirty enough that they look like they NEED  a cleaning.

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CRAFTS:

Finished the CLADONIA SHAWL. It was really a quick knit, but I took forever to purchase beads and figure an edging instead of the picot.

I really like this piece. It is more of an shawlette and better worn as a scarf type accessory.

Also crocheted a watch band. The clasp is magnetic. I'm not sure it's strong enough for me to feel that I won't lose my watch. May have to replace with a traditional clasp.

I used crochet cotton thread. Chain 45, single crochet 4 rows. That's it.  The band ended up twisting and I liked that look, so just let it do what it wanted.

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PRODUCT REVIEW:

Citizen Solar powered watch

My rating 5 out of 5

By the way, this watch is solar powered! It is a CITIZEN ECO-DRIVE. It's charged just by wearing. It can even be charged with indoor lighting. I'll never go back to battery operated watches again!

I paid approximately $100. on sale for my watch, 5 years ago. Now they are anywhere from $170. to over $500.