Last Hike

We went for our last hike of the season today.  The reason it is our last hike is because the Snakes Are Out.  Actually we quit hiking a couple of weeks ago but some of the hikers wanted to see if they could see a real live rattlesnake.  We really didn’t want to have any confrontation with snakes so we decided to hike the higher altitude in hopes it would be cooler and the snaked wouldn’t be out.

Well we didn’t get very far into the hike when I (not knowingly) stepped over this guy.

 

Yep a real live Diamond Back Rattlesnake.  I didn’t even know I stepped over him until the guy following me said snake!  He was about to place his walking stick when he realized he was about to place it right in the middle of this guy.  I turned and spotted him right away and noticed he was looking right at the guy behind me.  I said, “You might want to step back”.  It didn’t take long before the rest of the hikers were surrounding the snakes to get a look.  He was pretty lethargic since it is early in the season and they are just warming up.  Even after tossing a few rocks at him he barely lifted his head to see where they were coming from.  Never did rattle.  I didn’t really want to excite him too much in fear that he would try to retreat and since we had him surrounded there was no were to go besides through one of us.  At this point the hikers decided they saw what they came for and were ready to get out of there.

What a great time

As you know we just spent a week in Vegas mainly for this weekends NASCAR race.  We found it was cheaper to get a weekly rate at the campground rather than the 4 nights for the race.  We could always find something to do.  Turns out we did none of the Vegas stuff.  Instead we spent one day seeing the Red Rock Canyon, another seeing the Hover Dam and bypass bridge, and went to the strip to see the NASCAR hauler parade.  The rest of the time we spent in the infield with our daughter and their friends for the NASCAR weekend.  What a great time we had.  Everything went extremely well from the trip there and back to the touring and the race.  I remember before we went fulltime we didn’t want to go home after a great weekend on camping, I got the same feeling this time.

Now we are back in the resort here in Havasu and there is plenty to do here as usual.  It won’t be long before everyone heads home and Susan and I will be one of the few left here for the summer.

 

Here are a few more photos.

 

The first Shelby made

1100 Horse Power Shelby

 

Observation Deck

 

Dam Bridge

This morning we headed out to the Hover Dam.  Actually we have seen the Dam before but since then they built a bypass bridge that I wanted to see.  This bridge is a bit down stream from the Dam and spans 1900 feet from Arizona to Nevada.  At 900 feet above the river it stands way above the Dam.

We walked down the bridge walkway where we got views of the Dam.

Then we went to the Dan and got a view of the bridge.

The Arizona Nevada state line in the middle of the bridge

The lake is really low on the other side of the Dam.

 

After coming back from the Dam and Bridge we found out that the hauler parade was tonight instead of tomorrow night as it usually is.  The hauler parade is where about 50 NASCAR car haulers (semi trucks) parade down the Las Vegas Strip all lit up and their horns blasting.  Pretty cool sight to see.

Red Rock Canyon

We decided not to do the Vegas thing this trip so today we went to the Red Rock Canyon.  This is a site west of down town with…well…red rock canyons.  As with the Grand Canyon, pictures don’t do it justice.  You just have to be there but here are a few.  I will have to come back some time with my hiking buddies.  There are about 19 hiking trails to do.  Since some of them are 3 to 4 hours long we will not be doing them in one day.

 The weather so far has been great but it is supposed to turn ugly in the next few days.  Hopefully it won’t be too bad for the race this weekend.

Las Vegas Nevada

We left Havasu about 9:30 this morning and arrived in Las Vegas at about 11:00. 

This is about a 2.5 hour drive and no we didn’t make it in 1.5 hours.  We went through a time change that gained us an hour.  The trip was good and the motorhome ran great for sitting still for a year.  This is the first time I towed the Saturn Vue and I did notice the difference.  The Vue weighs about 800 lbs more than the SC2 did and it shows going up the hills…or maybe it was the year old gas I had in the tank.  Anyway it towed great and easily.  We don’t need to be at the NASCAR track until Thursday so we have a few days to play.

Waxed again

Got the motorhome waxed again.  It came out much better this time but still not perfect.  I got to admit though they gave it a valiant effort.  This time they used a different wax especially designed for fiberglass.  I will probably go over it in a month or so by hand with a good cleaner wax designed for fiberglass gel coat.

Tomorrow we will be getting things ready to head on over to Las Vegas.  We will be heading out Monday morning.  Not to early though since we will be traveling from Arizona time to Vegas time and pick up an hour.  Can’t get there too early.

Getting ready to go

We are getting ready to head on over to Las Vegas for the NASCAR race next weekend.  I checked on reservations for 4 nights and found it was cheaper to get the weekly rate than the 4 nights so we leave on Monday for a week.  Since I haven’t driven the motorhome for a year it will be good for it and me.

The guys are coming back tomorrow to add another layer of wax on the motorhome.  Hopefully this time it will come out better.

 

The last couple of days it has been real windy here.  I hate the wind.  The temps would be in the high 70s if it weren’t for the wind chill.  It did calm down enough this morning to take a hike to the Bill Williams River.  It is amazing how green the desert is right now.  Won’t be long before the flowers start popping out.

No wax today

Well the guys were supposed to come by today and talk about what we can do for my wax job on the motorhome.  As you can see in this photo, it is a lot whiter and brighter but most of the shine is gone. 

 

Anyway, we didn’t get together today because a friend came by with his Razor and asked if I wanted go for a ride.  Now I am not going to miss out on a ride so I called the wax guys and postponed it until tomorrow.

 

Who says the desert is hot and miserable?  This is what we woke to Wednesday morning.

 

Yeah that’s snow on the hills behind the resort.  It wasn’t too cold here in the resort at 600 ft above sea level but it must have been pretty cold up there at 2200 feet.  In the 6 years we have been here I have never seen it so low.

I made the call

Today, after the rain, I got out my can of wax and did a test wax on a spot.  It came out much nicer than the machine job I just got.  Most of the “highs and lows” came out and it shined much more than the Professional job I got.  So I gave the owner of the detail shop a call.  He said he would send his detailers out tomorrow and possibly stop by himself to see what they can do about it, if anything.  At the least I would like to get some of my $310 back so I won’t feel so bad going over what they already did.  I don’t mind buffing it out by hand myself.  I just though they would do a better job.

Not happy

Today I got the motorhome washed and waxed.  Usually I do it myself.  I figured I would have it professionally done because… well I thought they would do a better job with their electric buffers than my hand wax job.  I was wrong.  In fact I think I did a better job by hand than they did and I paid them $310 for this.  It does not shine and there are a lot of swirl marks.  Their excuse was that the fiberglass is oxidizing and it will take more waxing to bring the shine out.  OK maybe so but I wish they had let me know this before they completed the job and given me the option to pay for a bad job or do it myself.  I may have to give the owner a call and see what he suggests.

Chassis Lube

Today I did the chassis lube on the motorhome.  All went well except I could not get to one fitting.  It is in a tight place and requires turning the front wheels one way or the other.  Since we have a steering wheel table with Susan’s knick-knacks on it that wasn’t an option.  When I take the tranny oil down for recycling I will pick up a 90 degree fitting so I can get to it.

My next task will be to replace the coolant and thermostat.  I discovered I have a cracked recovery bottle and I knew I had a crack in the cap so I am looking for a replacement.  This is not an easy task.  Seems no one has the caps, even on line.

Tranny maintenance

The wind finally died down today so I did the tranny fluid change on the motorhome.  I first marked a 5 gallon bucket at the 1 gallon, 2 gallon, 2 gallon + 1 quart, 2 gallon + 2 quart, 2 gallon + 3 quart, and 3 gallon mark.  I was told I would only get about 3 gallons out on a refill.  I purchased 3 gallons of PB Autrans Syn 295 at about $57 a gallon (ouch!).  Finally I slid the bucket under the tranny and pulled the plug.  1 gallon, 2 gallons, 3 gallons (oh no!).  Imagine my anxiety when it went past the 3 gallon mark with no sign of slowing down.  After pulling the pan and draining the screw on filter I measured 3 gallons 3 quarts and 3 cups.  Off to the store I went for another gallon.

 

 

Well all went fine.  There was absolutely no metal in the bottom of the pan.  Some fuzz on the magnet in the pan and filter, that’s  normal.  I was thinking I should replace the main filter since it was right there after pulling the pan but didn’t want to run back to the store.  Would probably have to order one anyway.  Also I figured since the fluid was so clean and the main filter change is only recommended during a rebuild, I didn’t worry much about it.  I placed a tarp under the motorhome just in case but didn’t spill a drop.

Torque specs on the pan bolts are 18-21.  I torqued them to 18.  The drain bolt is 22-30.  I torqued it to 25 which sure seemed tight.  Next I started it up and ran through the gears leaving it in drive and reverse for about 2 minutes each then put it in park and checked the level.  Lastly I shut it down and checked for leaks, none found.  Glad that’s done.  Since I used synthetic this time, the next change isn’t for another 100,000 miles.  In other words…never again.

Slacking

Every once in a while I get a kick in the pants from one of my website Followers for not updating the site.  I just got another the other day.  I will try to be more diligent in posting here.  The only excuse is that we aren’t traveling so I didn’t think there is anything to write about.  The truth is, there is a lot that goes on here and you all might be interested in hearing about it.

Every Thursday is hike day at the resort.  There are lots of trails thought the desert and plenty to see.  Today we hiked about 40 miles away in a small community called Yucca.  I know today is Friday and we did hike yesterday but sometimes we do a few extra days here and there.  Anyway I though you might be interested in seeing a few photos of the beauty the desert has to offer.

 

 

We hiked through some cholla fields and got pretty stuck with cactus.  I think I still have one in my leg.  My favorite is to climb to the top of the hills and enjoy the views. 

This is a big weekend for Havasu.  We have the big pyrotechnics show where the manufacturers bring their best for show in hopes to attract more sales.  It is a whole weekend event starting Thursday night on through the weekend.  Also is the Rockabilly event.  Lots of music, classic cars and freaks.

Moved to California

Today we took the car to California.  We are now at our daughter’s house in Encinitas.  We will be here until Christmas day when we will move over to her parent’s house in Fallbrook.

Of course we had to pick a crappy day to travel.  Actually it was good until the last 1.5 hours of the trip.  Then we ran into rain.  Most of it was just light but we hit a few spots of heavy rain.  Since we were in the car instead of the motorhome it wasn’t all that bad.  Along the way we did come across a car upside down on the interstate though.  Not a good day for them, I suppose.  Gas here in California is about 30 cents higher than in Havasu Arizona.  Not only that but with all the crap California puts in their gas the mileage is worse too.

Well we are settled in for a while and will have a great time visiting family.

TV job is done

Well we got the new TV and everything fit well.  As you may know we replaced our older style picture tube TV with a new flat screen TV.  This involved some remodeling.  The top of the old TV cabinet was sawed off just above the fireplace and this made a nice shelf for the new flat screen TV.  I researched (huh, imagine that) TVs and found one with the perfect dimensions to fit on the new shelf.  It turned out to be a 37 inch JVC on sale at Walmart for only $288 ($318 with tax).  You can see some photos here.

 

This project sparked a whole motorhome remodeling job.  We got all the furniture reupholstered.  I had the same material as the original so it looks the same except new with no ware.  This was no easy task.  I had to disassemble the recliner to fit it out the door and the couch had to go over the steering wheel, the dash, and out the drivers door.  I had to disassemble the driver’s door to remove the limiting strap so I could swing the door open enough to get the couch through.  The next job will be to rip out the carpet and install wood flooring.  I will replace the carpet in the bedroom, in the cockpit area, and top of the slide but the rest will be new wood floors front to back.  This is going to be a major job with all the obstacles involved.  I have been researching (huh, imagine that) what to do about the slide, stairwell, and engine cover but I think I got it all figured out.  We shall see.  I am not going to attempt this until after the holidays so stay tuned.

$300 remodel job

Our old school picture tube TV is on the fritz so we decided it might be time for a new TV in the motorhome. The problem is, the TV is build into a cabinet and the new flat screens are different dimensions than the old. The solution is a remodel job. So this is what I did.

It took some planning and guts due to wiring and screw holes. The wiring comes from the top of the motorhome down into the bottom portion of the cabinet so I had to hide the wires. Also the upper part of the cabinet was screwed to the wall with A LOT of screws. I managed to use parts of the removed upper cabinet to solve both problems. Oh, the reason this remodel job cost me $300, a new 37 inch flat screen TV (TV is on order. The one in the photo is my outside patio TV).

Sad but happy

As you might know, we bought a 2005 Saturn Vue during the summer.  We decided we didn’t need 2 cars so we put the Saturn SC2 up for sale.  I placed an ad on Craig’s List with no response.  Last night I reposted the ad again.  This morning before we even got out of bed we got a call.  I had just finished my morning coffee when he showed up with a fist full of 100 dollar bills.  About 30 minutes later he was driving off with our Saturn in tow behind his truck.  It was a bit sad to see it go away but we are glad it sold.  I told the guy I was sad and he said not to worry, he will take good care of it.  He even mentioned he wanted to fix the little things that needed attention.  I am glad it went to a good home.

Met a web follower today

I always enjoy meeting the people that follow our Blog.  The other day one of our Work campers said there was someone inquiring about me.  They have been following our Blog and were in the resort and wanted to meet us.  Today they stopped by and we had a good conversation.  Unfortunately I was on the phone most of the time with my insurance company and was not too hospitable.  Maybe we can get together before Monday, when they leave, and talk some more.  From the short conversation we had, it sure sounds like they have been having a good time.  They left the northeast and have been visiting the National Parks of America.  They even took a loop up through parts of Canada.

 

The snowbirds have been arriving at the rate of a couple a day now.  The park is filling up and the parties have begun.  Thursday we started our weekly hikes.  Jolene, the leader, took part of the group around the “low road” and I took the more experienced hikers over the “high road”.  I really though I might have scared them a bit but they told me they really enjoyed it.
 

 

Today the weather turned from a very bright and sunny high 80s degree to a windy cool high 60s day.  It is amazing how much change there can be over night.  The weekend is going to be cool but the heat will be back next week.  I prefer HOT.

Killer Bees

So yesterday I was our working on the resort. I was trimming trees along the street, up against the wall at the front of the resort. Suddenly I noticed a bee buzzing around my head. Knowing there are bees around here I didn’t think anything of it. Then there were more, then more, then more. I said to myself, this isn’t normal. Then the next words out of my mouth were SHIT as I made a run for it. There was a small swarm around me. Those little suckers were going down my shirt and down my work gloves. Then it hit! Yep, one got me on the wrist. I finally out ran the guys but not before getting stung. I looked and could not find the stinger. Apparently he didn’t loose it. After about 10 minutes the pain was gone and no other indication that I was stung was apparent. No marks or swelling. Now, I don’t know if they were “Killer bees” or not but after a few hours my wrist ached like arthritis in the bone. Then I noticed a little swelling. This was hours later mind you. This morning I woke to an arm that itched, ached and looked like it belonged to a 300 lb man. So the next step was off to the store for some benadryl. I have never had an allergic reaction to bee stings but I guess these guys pack a pretty good wallop. Now we are trying to figure out how to get rid of those guys.

Back in Havasu

I can't believe we have been back in Havasu for a week and I didn't update our Blog. California was pure STRESS! The traffic was a mess and it was sad to say goodby to our grandson for a few months. Hopefully we will see him again in March.

It is nice to be back in Havasu. The temps are a bit hotter but even though the humidity is higher than I like it is still lower than California was. I like the heat, just don't care for humidity.

This is our monsoon season and the thunder clouds have been hanging over the mountains ever since we got back. The storms seem to always go around us though. I don't know if it is the mountains or some sort of lake effect but we get very little of it.