We boondocked overnight in the parking lot of Chukchansi Gold Casino & Resort near Coarsegold. This morning we were almost finished our morning "toilette" when the water pump died. We departed the casino and drove about a mile south on Hwy. 41 to SKP Park of the Sierras. We checked in, got set up in our assigned site, and after lunch I got to work on the pump.
This is the third ( and final ! ) breakdown of the "new and much improved" water pump I bought and installed about four years ago. I think that today's problem was that the motor overheated and seized / burned out. When I installed this "new and much improved" water pump I kept the original equipment water pump as a spare. I removed the dead water pump, much easier said than done. However ... I've installed and removed this pump a few times already so ... practice makes perfect ! We went to the Sunday afternoon ice cream social, had some ice cream and socialized for about an hour, then returned to our site to install the old ( original equipment / spare ) water pump. As soon as I had completed the reinstallation of the old water pump it was time for this RV park's daily dog party in the dog park. WOO-HOO, WOO-HOO, WOO-HOO ! ! ! Bo had been eager and excited as soon as we arrived here this morning. He remembered ... this is the daily dog party RV park. WOO-HOO, WOO-HOO, WOO-HOO !
We went to the dog park and socialized for two hours while the dogs played. Afterwards we went into the clubhouse so I could use Wi-Fi to retrieve e-mail, and Joanne could use Skye to phone her sister. We returned to our trailer and prepared supper. We started with one of the three artichokes we bought at Village Fest last Thursday in Palm Springs. It was a disappointment ... and we had been so looking forward to having artichoke. We barbecued steak and potatoes, and spent the evening watching TV ; Amazing Race and Celebrity Apprentice.
Monday ; Today was sunny and warm, the best that can be hoped for this early in the spring, this high up in the Sierra Nevadas. I was sick for most of the day with an ulcerative colitis flare up, inspired, I think, by the Cajun trail mix I was munching on while watching TV last night.
My rush yesterday to replace the dead water pump was because today the RV park's water system was being repaired. We needed to have our freshwater tank full ... and a working water pump ... to have water this morning. After the repairs were completed and we switched from the trailer's internal water system to the external "city water inlet" ... YUCK ! The park's water was ... dark ! Joanne postponed doing laundry waiting for the park's water system to clear up.
While changing the exploded trailer tire the other day I noticed there were screws and bolts missing underneath the trailer, in the underbelly panel from behind the wheel well to the rear of the trailer. Probably due to Mexico road vibration. This morning I crawled underneath and replaced all the missing screws and bolts.
This afternoon while Joanne and Bo visited with their friends in the dog park I worked online in the clubhouse. I received confirmation of employment from B.C. Elections. We are both going to be working the upcoming B.C. Provincial Election. And it means we're going to have to be home three days earlier than we had planned in order for me to attend a training course. I shopped for a new trailer tire ... or three. I phoned tire dealers in Oakhurst and Fresno, and made a decision.
Occasionally Joanne and I each make our own separate dinner if one wants to eat something the other doesn't want ( her ) or can't digest ( me ). Tonight was one of those occasions. I poached myself shrimp ( purchased fresh in Mexico ) in coconut milk ( collected fresh in Mexico ) and lime juice ( squeezed fresh tonight ). MMMMM !
Tuesday ; Today was an unusual weather day. It started out sunny and warm. Joanne put supper to cook in the Sun Oven. It became cloudy and cool. She took supper out of the Sun Oven and put it into the oven in the trailer. The weather became windy and cold. And a few drops of rain fell. As the day progressed, those weather changes reversed themselves so that by sunset it was sunny and warm again. Such is springtime in the Sierra Nevadas, I guess.
My project for today was to replace the gutter spouts on the front of the trailer. The gutter spouts on both sides, at the front but not the rear, recently broke off. Plastic parts that have baked in the sun for a few years. Crisp as potato chips ! I removed the broken gutter spout on one side, then opened the package of new ones I purchased a couple of days ago at Camping World in Bakersfield. DAMN ! I carelessly selected the wrong ones ! I'll have to exchange them for the right ones at Camping World in Redding after we leave here. In the meantime ... today's gutter spout replacement project is on hold ! I puttered around with some other minor maintenance chores.
Around 4 PM Bo was driving us nuts, throwing a hissy fit about leaving for the daily dog party. Does that damn dog wear a wrist watch ? ! ? We tried to convince him that nobody was going to be in the dog park today because at that time, it was windy and cold. He didn't believe us !
I needed to go to the clubhouse to use Wi-Fi for a few minutes so we decided to take Bo along and show him that the dog park was empty. Well ... we were wrong. Guess ours wasn't the only dog throwing a 4 PM hissy fit. HA HA HA ! Bo enjoyed a brief visit and play session with his old friend Parker the Rat Terrier and his new friend Laddie the Doberman Pinscher.
We spent the entire evening watching episode after episode of an addictive reality show we hadn't seen before ; World's Worst Tenants on the Spike network.
Wednesday ; Today was sunny and warm. Why couldn't it have been like this yesterday when we wanted to use the Sun Oven ? ! ?
This morning we did an obedience session with Bo ... good dog, Bo, well done ... then headed north on Hwy. 41 through Coarsegold to Oakhurst. I refilled Lanoire with diesel ... under four bucks a gallon for the first time since we left Yuma ... then we went to buy groceries at Vons.
I bought an item I needed at CVS Pharmacy then joined Joanne at Vons. On the way back to SKP Park of the Sierras I stopped on the side of the road and ... at this point, I invoke the privilege granted by the 5th Amendment to the Constitution of the United States of America. HA HA HA !
Big group at the daily dog party. A good time was had by all. Watched Survivor after supper. WOW ... what a brilliant twist at Tribal Council !
Thursday ; Another sunny, warm day.
One of the things I like most about SKP Park of the Sierras is that they have a large, excellently equipped, three bay maintenance garage. The maintenance people use it every morning, and it's available for use by residents ( including visitors / renters ) in the afternoons. This is where
I changed the oil on the truck by myself for the first time. And a few more times since then. Including today ! This afternoon while Joanne was doing laundry I changed the truck's oil and filter, lubricated the tie rod ends, and changed the fuel filter. First time I've changed the fuel filter on the truck by myself.
I can't get rid of this cold / flu. It's been 2½ weeks. I had a suspicion, and after doing some Internet research, I think that it is quite possible that I have what is known in Arizona and Southern California as "Valley Fever". ( Dr. Darcy ... check it out ... coccidioimycosis ) It's a fungal infection in the lungs caused by a fungus spore that gets circulated in the air during desert dust storms. It's not that uncommon in the desert southwest, particularly around Yuma, Arizona. When we get home I'll see my family doctor, but at this point in time, I probably know more about it than he does ! Northern doctors sometimes initially misdiagnose it as lung cancer ... unless if the patient steers them in the right direction, which obviously I will do. Our saxophone playing friend Ernie had Valley Fever, and suffered for more than a year until diagnosed. Made playing the saxophone pretty difficult !
We went for dinner to the Chukchansi Gold Casino & Resort. They have a promotion during April ; 2-4-1 in the buffet restaurant on Thursdays. WOO-HOO ! ETYS for half price ! HA HA HA ! With that promotion, seniors' discount, player's club member discount, our bill was, including taxes ... wait for it ... $10.44 !
Friday ; Still sunny and warm.
This morning I went into Oakhurst to have the truck's front and rear differentials' fluids changed at the lubrication service business in town. I did not get it done ! Their price was outrageous and the young staff didn't really seem to know what they were doing. I will wait until we're home, then go to Great Canadian Oil Change in Penticton. They know what they're doing, they do it well, and their prices are reasonable. Before leaving Oakhurst I refilled our five gallon water jug.
Late in the afternoon we went to the dog park for our final daily dog party. After that we went to the clubhouse for Friday afternoon Happy Hour & Potluck Dinner. After dinner we sat around chatting with old and new friends while also working online, paying bills and doing e-mail.
In the evening we watched a bit of TV while I printed and reconciled our monthly MasterCard billing.
Saturday ; SKP Park of the Sierras south to Fresno then north to I-5 Rest Area near Dunnigan, California
Sunny and hot today ! This morning we prepared for departure, checked out of SKP Park of the Sierras, and headed south on Hwy. 41 to Fresno. We found our way to Discount Tire Center where I had an 11 AM appointment for the purchase and installation of three new trailer tires.
I was really annoyed to discover that the three new tires were still sitting in a Discount Tire Centers' warehouse somewhere in Fresno. Apparently they don't bring the tires to the retail store until the customer arrives < fume >. That caused a delay of about an hour < fume > ! Earlier in the week I had spoken to that store's manager to ascertain if the tires' manufacturing date codes were "fresh" enough to satisfy me. He arranged with the warehouse for three tires manufactured in the 50th week of 2012 to be put aside for me. When they finally arrived today, two had manufacturing date codes of week 8 in 2013, and one had a manufacturing date code of week 32 in 2012 !
I refused that tire < fume >. Another hour delay ! ! ! Eventually a tire arrived with the 5012 date code. And I did not discover until we stopped for the night and I was examining the tires that ... because I was rushing them so much by the time the third tire had arrived, it didn't get balanced
< FUME > ! ! ! I'll be looking for another Discount Tire Center over the next few days where I can get that tire balanced !
We found our way to a Wal-Mart in Fresno where we stopped to buy a few needed items, violating my "no Wal-Martin' on weekends" rule, but we really needed pet food, especially for Sully. He has hardly eaten anything in the last few days because of a tooth problem. We needed to get him some canned food because he won't eat dry food right now. We're worried about him !
We had a very late lunch in the trailer in the Wal-Mart parking lot, then crossed Fresno from east to west to head north on Hwy. 99. At Ripon we stopped at Flying J to refill with diesel, refill a propane tank, and adjust the air in one tire. After leaving, I realized ... DARN ... I forgot to check the new trailer tires' lug nuts with my torque wrench. At Manteca we used Hwy. 120 to cut over from Hwy. 99 to Interstate 5. We stopped at another Flying J at Lodi and I checked the lug nuts.
We had hoped to make it to Sacramento today. And with the delays at Discount Tire we thought we might not. But ... we actually made it to and through Sacramento, and stopped for the night about half an hour north of Sacramento at a rest area on the Interstate.
DSK
No comments:
Post a Comment