ARE WE HAVING FUN YET???

You can bet your Granny's best China on it. Getting all the stuff gathered up for this quick little trip down to Douglas AZ.

Here was the original plan. Install the Battery bank on the right side at the very back of the van .Have a custom bed frame frame made for Jeanie so that the porta pota would set inside a handy dandy Home depot cement mixing tub and slide under the bed.Install Cool white Led Rope Lights along the inside of the van just above the windows. !2/120 volt IGLOO  Kool-Tron cooler in the passenger seat, Coleman grill/ single burner camp stove on the floor board passenger side, Air/ water protective cooler( for summer) cause we aint gonna be where there is humidity. and a 3000 BTU Coleman catalytic heater for cool days. a Coleman fold up  cot for me. on the back is a hitch mounted 20x60 cargo rack holding a 7.5 gal propane bottle, a 1000 watt Honda generator and a 30 gallon water barrel. A 12 volt water pump and a tank-less hot water heater and 2 roll up camp tables.and one folding chair.

Well most of it is going to get done, the weather back east has delayed UPS ,so we are running up against the clock... but you know me.. If not today tomorrow will be OK.  Better get started the temp was above the minimum 50 degrees for my short pants when I got up at 7 so there went my excuse to lounge around and drink coffee catch ya latter in the day  maybe with some pics this time.

THE REST OF THE STORY FOR TODAY.



130 Amp Isolater

Battery bank and Inverter

Porta potty                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     Anti Jeanie projectile securing device ( bed seatbelt)                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              Porta potty in shower pan where it will normally be stored under the bed when the permanent bed frame is installed                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   shower pan  AKA Home depot cement mixing tub                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       Temporary bed in place with show pan stored under it.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               

Van with wheelchair lift deployed

THE RE-DANG-TIRED ROCKING CHAIR

I don't know who the dang fool was that said they never wanted to retire and set around in a rocking chair, that don't fit us for sure. Today we are hopping like a Frog in the freeway. I have just started to make our 15 passager van into a day camper, the key word here is just. All of the parts came in to do the 4 battery storage bank, so that we have electric for Jeanie's- cpap, lights,and our portable fridge.


Here is how the rocking chair day goes to day and most days. 7 A.M. alarm for Jeanie's meds, make coffee, feed and water RV Kitty, he gets fresh food and fresh spring water twice a day, spoiled rotten cat. Get Jeanie dressed and setting on the edge of the bed and her rolling computer desk in front of her. Slug down some coffee and make breakfast, waiting for the temperature to get up a little, 51 at 7A.M.. 50 is my cut off for shorts, and I hate long pants. Start measuring cutting and crimping end on the battery cables to hook up the inverter. 12 noon Jeanie's meds and time for showers, get us dressed and off to physical therapy from 2 until 3:30. Back to the shop for work on the van until the 5:00 alarm for Jeanie's meds and start supper.


We will just have to see how it goes from there for the rest of the day. We had our Honda 1000 generator ,carburetor converted to propane and it should be in today, so I need to get that put on.


We have a dear friend in AZ. who is in need of some help and 2 couples of our internet friends are already there doing a great job of getting things in order but there is an eletrical problem and they don't feel comfortable dealing with that so We have a rush on, to get to van "livable " so we can get on down there and work on the Electrical problem.


Gotta go, catch you later in the day.. I plan on having a great day ,I hope you will join me


Rojo


Part 2 
I got all the Batteries wired in and the inverter hooked up and the isolator hooked up. What all that means is the 4 battery bank is now charging off the alternator when we are driving and the 120 volt Led rope lights the we use for interior lighting in the van come on when I flip the switch.... How in the heck do you reckon that all worked like it was suppose to on the first try?... The only thing that would make it better is if I had the solar panels mounted on top of the van so the batteries would be charging when we are setting still in the warm California, Az, or NM sun..I do love that solar.


All in all it has been a graet day for us... We certainly hope yours was too


Rojo

THEY WON'T LET ME DRIVE THE TRAIN

They won't let me drive the train. They won't let me blow the train horn. They won't let me decide where the train goes. They won't let me decide when the train leaves. Just let this dang train be late and see who they blame.  Now that is STRESS

We have just finished the most stressful season of the year for most folks. Hurry here, hurry there, buy this and buy that. Hurry make it to choir practice or the tree lighting or to the airport.  Where did that speed cop come from ? outta my trunk as soon as I hit that school zone. Just what I need a $100 fine or go to court and I don't have time for that. Soccer, basketball ,football, tennis, Dance class. drop off and pick up or was it pick up and drop off? . Hello... why is he in ER this time is he gonna be OK?  Hello...   NO, it's not, I paid the bill a week before it was due and my online bank statement shows  you cashed the check 2 days before the payment was due.The  retirement plan I have faithfully invested in  for 20 plus years is crumbling  and on and on and on, Do you feel like you are living in a 24/7 Tornado that you can't escape from and are spinning round and round?

Any of that sound familiar? Jeanie and I live an almost stress free life. It has not always been that way. At one time we were caught up in the, I have to please people no matter the cost to my sanity or well being and above all don't just keep up with the Joneses ,BE THE JONESES. We didn't even know each other then. Ima thinking that is a good thing because we probably would not be together now and we would be missing what life is all about.

I have read in other Blogs that people were so relived that the Christmas/ New Year season is over and that they survived another stressful season  I am so grateful that I dont have to live like that anymore. Maybe I better splain a little about why we live the way we do and what brought it about.

Jeanie and I are not of the Christian faith ,or any organized religion for that matter,We have no problem with those who are, you know what they say, Well you do know don't you?, about a guys gotta do what a guys gotta do. Jeanie says that is written in the wrong gender :-).

 We believe in random acts of kindness and giving year round. We don't exchange Christmas gifts or get involved in the Christmas shopping , except for a dab of Christmas candy a  a few Claxton fruit cakes http://www.claxtonfruitcake.com/ for our personal use. We love our friends but we aint nuts, we are not going to give our claxtons away.

It just kinda warms the heart to give that homeless guy some groceries or give someone a gift just because or take a container of posole to a guy who missed his New Years posole or or give someone in a tight spot $20 and I said give not loan. No stress involved.

While I am on the subject of giving I want to express how much I appreciate what Al and Kelly and Dave and Cindy have done for Our Dear friend Belle Starr. You may not know Al,Kelly,Dave and Cindy but I'll bet you know Betty or Kris or Sue or Bob or Allen or John and today might be a real good time to tell them what they mean to you and how much you appreciate them.

Then you might want to step back and take a look see at the stress in your life and ask yourself if it is honestly worth what it is bringing you..Is that car payment worth the  stress it takes to get the $ to pay it and the high dollar insurance premium. or that beautiful leather living room sofa and matching chairs or that $3,000 propane stainless steel grill that you use 3 times a year  If it takes material things to make you feel good about yourself then you might outta  back off and take another look at what is missing in your life.

I did that a good many years ago  and Jeanie says she got her backbone back. just a couple of years ago, with a tad of coaching, It is a mighty good feeling..
I plan to have a great stress free day and I sure hope you will join me.
Rojo

BUSIER THAN A 3 LEGGED CAT WITH DIARRHEA

Our online friend and member of our Yahoo group Boondocking with Solar http://groups.yahoo.com/group/BOONDOCKING-WITH-SOLAR/  Mar, came by today for me to do a small repair job on her motor home "Bella".

Bella has a gray water leak. For you non RV readers gray water is the water from your shower and sinks . Black water is what goes down the toilet, they are held in separate holding tanks. They both dump through a central dump connection. You always dump the Black water first and the rinse the line and hose with the Gray water. If you don't have any gray water to dump you end up with a messy situation that we don't even want to discuss.

The Glue on the fitting between the gray water tank and the gray water dump valve had given up the ghost.and would let the fitting separate and leak the gray water out of the tank
  I separated the fitting from the tank and cleaned the old glue and "STUFF" off  both the tank and fitting with a wire Brush and re- glued the fitting to the tank. I dont want to say Bella's dump line is as good as new because I certainly hope my work is better than the shoddy construction that is done on a new RV, with few exceptions

Rojo,Jeanie and Mar

You can catch Mar's Blog at http://lifeat55mph.blogspot.com/ She is a very interesting lady with a very interesting profession as well, plus a beautiful smile too boot. Jeanie and I very much enjoyed her company for Tamales and Spanish rice  supper. I later baked Mar and Jeanie a fresh batch of Ginger cookies.

ENGLISH LANUAGE AND OTHER STUFF

When it comes to writing, spelling, sentence composition, verbs, adverbs,nouns, pronouns, punctuation and the such this may well be the worse Blog out there. If My English 1 and 2 teacher had not been my Football  line coach's wife I would have not made it. I am still of the opinion that a Dangling participle is a blotched circumcision job. If you are looking for precision like a well oiled machine, I suggest you might want to check out my friend Lavetta's blog "THE CHERRY BOWL"  http://lkbscherrybowl.blogspot.com/  . We went to school together. She was in the 4th grade when I graduated.LOL She didn't play football but I think she was a Cheerleader and the Cheerleader coach or what ever she was called didn't teach English, so Lavetta knows all the correct stuff..

Yesterday was an absolutely gorgeous day here in the "OC', 76 degrees at 4:15 PM.  The doors and windows were all open and RV Kitty was sitting at one of his favorite spots, the front screen door watching the world go by. I used the time to trim back the Hollyhocks and watered all the plants including my Milo crop that came up from the bird seed that we throw out in the back for the Doves and Finches. That Milo makes we think I am back on the Farm at Pringle,TX


We are redoing our flower beds to use succulents since California has a mandatory water reduction law in effect . Our Bougainvillea on either side of the fountain look a little scraggly( is that a word Mrs. M?) this time of year due to the lack of long hours of sunlight. We are planting a lot of kalanchoes  because they are low maintenance succulents and bloom year round.We also have a large Jade plant and our 32 year old Spider plant.

Today we have a friend we met in our Boondocking with solar Yahoo group http://groups.yahoo.com/group/BOONDOCKING-WITH-SOLAR/ coming by for me to do a small repair job on her Motor Home " Bella". Bella has developed  a leak at the connection of the dump valve and the gray water holding tank.

This brings to mind a story from Many years ago when I was still on the road working. I was living in Port Saint Luci,FL and had just worked a shoot in Tampa and was headed back to P.S.L. with my ole Winnie pulling my shop trailer. Somewhere  not to far East of Tampa were two sets of rougher than heck railroad tracks. I had crossed them many times at a very slow speed. This time I was still thinking about a job I had done at the shoot and hit those suckers at about 60. When I recovered from the bounce I looked back and saw a nasty looking mist in the air, on the side of "Winnie"and my shop trailer, the car behind me had it's wipers going full speed. I pulled over to the shoulder to see what damage was done to Winnie but first I had to deal with a very angry girlfriend that was following me. Her pride and joy Chrysler had taken a direct hit of  about 30 gallons of black water, for you non campers that is what goes down your toilet. She never let me forget that I really pooped on her.
  I do remember from Mrs. Malone's English class that she said "If you have to write a paper and don't know what to write about just  pick a letter, write it on the paper and go from there". It works, thank you Mrs Malone
Winnie and my shop trailer

THE BAYFIELD BUNCH

I want to thank  The Bayfield bunch  http://thebayfieldbunch.com/ for the jump start that they gave  Belle Starr. http://thebayfieldbunch.com/2009/12/appeal-for-help.html I have been trying to get folks interested in Belle's Silverado Ranch  since April 2007, with limited success. They have " Been there done that" and moved on. I tip my hat to you two, what you did for Belle means so much to me.

Jeanie and I met The Shinning Belle Starr in December of 2006. We fell in love with her and her work. We had planned to go back to Belle's for an extended time when we returned from Alaska in 2007.Our plans changed in a split second on April 14th 2007, that story is another Blog in it's self.

We have felt so helpless in regards to Belle since that time. We  visited with Belle many many times on the phone and was very concerned when we could not contact her and her web site went down.

We were so relieved on that Sunday morning when Belle did answer the phone. Belle had bad news for us about a fall and a broken hip but you would have never know the pain  she was in and the trials and tribulations she was encountering at the Silverado. Belle sounded so up and so positive, that is just how Belle is.

We felt even more helpless and there was nothing we could do. A short time latter Belle emailed Jeanie saying that a couple was on the way to help her get her website back up and running. We knew that this was a wonderful thing but we just didnt know how wonderful, We were also afraid it was just more Scammers trying to take belle for a ride.We couldn't have been more wrong and we are so Grateful to Kelly and Al for the help they gave Belle. Thanks again Al And Kelly.

Belle and Jeanie at the Silverado
http://bellestarraz.blogspot.com/2009/04/morning-call-at-silverado.html#comment-form

A LIFETIME AGO

HAPPY NEW YEAR!! 
 JANUARY 1,1950.... 7 years old , living in our new home that Dad and Mom had just built on our farm/ranch near Pringle,Tx. Looking out that huge "Picture window" at the cold Texas panhandle and playing with my new Road grader I had just gotten for Christmas. That Road grader along with many other family heirlooms was taken in a burglary in 1992.

JANUARY1,1960.....Millard Harrison, Wayne Ferguson and I were celebrating  the new year at Wayne's Family home above the Ferguson Hardware store in Stinnett,TX.

JANUARY 1,1970..... My first day in Roswell NM. I had spent the night in the Drivers Bunkhouse at Woody's Truck Stop waiting to meet my new Boss the next day.I was hired as "First seat driver" on a team operation hauling bulk Whiskey from Kentucky to California and Brandy from California to New York.

JANUARY 1, 1980..... Capitan,NM  My best bud and I were guiding a Mountain lion hunt for some Texas "Oil Men"

JANUARY 1,1990....El Paso,TX  painting and remodeling a house that I owned.

JANUARY 1,2000.... Red Mountain Trap and skeet club Mesa AZ, waiting for Y2K to end  life as we knew it.

JANUARY 1,2010  Yorba Linda,CA  looking out the huge window at the beautiful green grass  flowers blooming everywhere and playing with my 1950 model Road Grader, just like the one I got for Christmas in 1950. I spotted it on ebay. Jeanie , the love of my life, bought it for me.Remolding the house, upgrading the solar on the motor home and making the van into a day tripper conversion.Making the first post on my new Blog, I must be nuts.

What a time to start a blog. It was planned for 2007, on the way to spend the summer in Alaska, but as they say." The best laid plans of  Bill Clinton and John McCain sometimes go astray". Medical stuff has kept us tied to the sticks and bricks home, when we want to be in our real home "JEANIE'S BOTTLE" the motor home.

WELCOME, I hope you will come back often. Some days I may post several times and some days I may post only once. Between January1,1950 and January 1, 2010 is a life time of stories, I am going to share some of them with you, I am going to introduce you to some interesting people and places.I will try my best to inform and entertain you.With all that I have going on in my life right now, my expectations may be a tad to high but I will do my dead level best to not disappoint you by not posting. If you care enough to come here I owe it to you to give you something to come here for EVERYDAY.