CAMPING VACATION - Day 5 - Solar Sewing Machine at East Fork Campground

QUICK NOTE- 
FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO PUT MY BLOG IN YOUR READING LIST AS A REGULAR READER, SOMETHING SEEMS TO HAVE CHANGED ON BLOGGER. I THINK YOU NEED TO RE-ADD MY BLOG ADDRESS TO YOUR READING LIST TO MAKE IT APPEAR AGAIN:

https://kareninthewoods-kareninthewoods.blogspot.com

 Now on to my blog:

What a peaceful night! No sounds other than a few owls hooting... And with such beautiful sunshine streaming in the windows this morning, I knew it was going to be a lovely day.

Freshly ground Blue Mountain Jamaican coffee beans, along with fresh baked blueberry muffins (from a mix). What a great way to start the morning.

We only went down 8% on our batteries last night. That was using either of the TVs for a couple hours, charging up the laptop and the cell phone, plus various lights and the water pump. With the bright sunshine coming on the roof this morning, we were fully charged up back in no time to 100%.  Got to love that nice quiet solar, no need to start a generator.

I decided to haul out my sewing machine to sit under the awning and do some quilting today.

I joke that it is my "solar powered sewing machine". Really it's just a plain old basic household current Singer sewing machine. Because:

1. the solar charges the batteries, 
2. the batteries power the inverter, 
3. the inverter changes it from 12 volt DC to 120 V AC, 
4. and that sweet quiet free power comes right up the cord into my machine!!

While I was busy cutting and sewing and quilting, my Steveio was busy doing a few projects.

First on his list was to wash off our solar panels. They hadn't been washed since last summer. After all of the fall leaves, then all the winter snow, then of course all the ice this past April, those poor things were in need of a good cleaning. Although it rained, he wanted to get up there with some good window cleaner and a soft cloth and give them a good scrubbing.

Steve said it is to get the "Optimum Charging Potential" by having them good and clean.

He carries this telescoping ladder in the motorhome basement compartment. It was a gift I gave him one year via Santa Claus, after he saw our friends Rich and Mary having one.

He uses rubber wedges that are designed for hauling a canoe on the roof of a car, to keep it from marking up the sides of our aluminum paint on the motorhome.

He did a good job, and got it all done before it got too hot. Temperatures are going to reach up near 80 today so it was good to get this project done in the cooler morning.

Next on his list was to take a look at our water heater. He could hear it running but it was not making the correct sound --- so he decided to give it a look-see. It is good to recognize when something doesn't sound right, to take care of it before it breaks any further.

Sure enough, there must have been a spider or something gunky inside of the tube. Yes, even a spider web can mess up the Venturi tube or plug the orifice in a water heater or a refrigerator. He took that long horizontal tube off and cleaned it out and it is now operating just fine again. The tube is getting quite rusty and should be replaced soon. Next thing on our list to order and replace.

 Steve realizes that having a twenty-two-year-old motorhome means that it is going to need constant maintenance to keep it in Tip-Top Shape. I am so glad he is able to do all of these things and we don't have to pay the labor charges that some some RV places charge ---- and rip you off at the same time. We would rather just get the parts when we can at a good price instead of an inflated dealer price because you need it right now!


Today the inmates came back to the park to finish raking up all of the leaves. The state park trucks drove back and forth disposing the leaves who knows where. It seems so strange to see them working to rake them up and remove them from the park. There are still plenty on the ground under the trees and the brush.

At Steve's old job at High Cliff, they had a huge blower unit on the back of the tractor that would just blow the leaves off the roads and out of each of the campsites ... blasting them into the woods. One man could get it done in less than half a day in the huge 100 + campsite campground at High Cliff. The leaves become natural compost for the new growing shrubbery and plants. Recycling at its finest!

After lunch, we laid down for a while and took a nap during the hottest part of the day. Kind of like an afternoon siesta! Nowhere near Mexico, but it sure felt hot today. I think inside of the motorhome it was about 87 degrees.

Tomorrow and Thursday are due to become even hotter. We are looking at moving on further east to stay at another County Park, this time with electric so we can run the air conditioning. My lungs just can't take the heat, and if there's humidity combined it gets rather difficult. Three days of 80-plus weather and sunshine coming up, so we want to enjoy the rest of this week without running the generator mid day for air conditioning.

Suppertime was crispy crunchy salads and some fried Otto's steaks on buns.  Followed up by a nice walk around the campground with the dogs. They found plenty of things to sniff and were rather excited to see the camp host! The car with the tent people that came in last night never did set up their tent. I think they slept in the car all night during the rain and left first thing this morning. The people up on site 24 came back later after a canoe trip, it appears, and are settling in for the evening as well.

Steve started up a campfire and I put away my sewing things. Steve carried in my sewing machine and the little bench, and now it's time to sit back with a beverage of our choice and enjoy the flames....

Ahhhh camping 

It sure don't get much better than this....