Let's Winterize!!

 

HELP – it’s a Snowpocalypse!

So, with all the prognosticators predicting Armageddon on Friday (pre-halloween), I figured I’d better “winterize” Rigbee.  Basically, that means flushing the water system with RV Antifreeze. 

With only a half-gallon left over from last fall’s adventure, I headed out to get more.  Tractor Supply had some, and of course I not only got the antifreeze but a few other items – pelletized horse bedding (aka. Cat litter) etc.… 

They did not have the size tarp Rigbee needs (giant) so I decided to stop at the new Ocean State Job Lot in Vernon.  They’re having some huge anniversary sale, so after I got the tarp (and a few other things I just HAD to have) I got a “crazy deal card” for 40% of what I spent.  Since the tarp is REALLY expensive, yay me.

Once home, I went out to Rigbee and moved some of Melody’s things around to make access easier (when I get to S.C. in the spring, I’ll deliver them) and set about winterizing the water system.  Essentially, I have to turn on the generator, turn the water diverter valve, open all the faucets, turn on the water pump, put the diverter hose in the antifreeze and let it get sucked up into all the hoses, faucets, etc…  And I open up the grey and black water tanks, too.  They’re empty, so they should just run pink eventually.

Well, you do need to remember to take the cap off the suction hose.   That’s the first thing.  It won’t suck up the fluid if the cap is on.  Minor detail. 

Once the pink fluid is coming out of all of the faucets (kitchen sink, bathroom sink, shower.  And don’t forget the outside shower!!!), don’t forget to flush the toilet until it flushes pink, too.  The diverter valve is under the sink.  It’s difficult to get at and it’s a pain the butt.  With my sprained calf protesting intermittently, I was not looking forward to this job.  Since it has to be done, best to get on with it.

Amazingly, it only took me a half hour to do it – and that includes forgetting to take the cap off the diverter tube, and almost forgetting to flush the toilet until pink.  Sometimes, I’m such a goof.  Once everything is running pink, you have to go around and close all the faucers/valves and the tanks so everything is secured.

Then I decided to move the camper forward a few feet.  You know, before driving off, you really should take the tire covers off.  At least they’re vinyl and were not ruined by being driven on/off.  Sometimes I wonder if my brain is fully turned on.  Everything is a-ok though. 

I still have to do the electrical winterizing – disconnect the truck battery and hook up the battery tender in the coach, running power to it from the garage, through the shed and on out. 

The forecast continues to threaten us with awfulness.  Tomorrow Piper and I will go to Tufts in Grafton MA for her last shockwave treatment.  I hope it’s her last. 

Onward and upward!

ACT - an agility trial, plus...

Sunday, October 18, 2020

It's been an interesting week.  Somewhere along the way, my left calf decided it would not work right.  It's been tight and painful for the last 9 days.  Tomorrow I'll call the doctor (Betty's orders!),'cause it's not getting better, with pressure stockings, heat, and I think the muscle actually tore a bit. 

There are still things to do and get done.  Yesterday I went to Rhode Island and visited with one of my oldest friends, Melody.  Even with COVID crap going on, somethings must be semi-normal.  We must social distance, but we can still visit if we're careful.

Today the Talcott Mountain Agility Club held their fall ACT event.  Since Trippy was neutered last Thursday (he's fine, wearing a cone! and being leash-walked) and I'm gimpy, we did not sign up for ACT II, where he only needs one more qualifying run to get his title.  We'll hopefully go for it in the spring.  A couple of people from our agility class were running, though.  I offered to video them.

I was there until about 1:30 today.  They both did quite well. 

Now I'm home with my leg up and a heating pad under it.

and three dogs and one cat gathered around.  Ah, I'm so well loved!

 

Tyson PASSED!!

 Tyson took his CGC test last Thursday (10-08) and passed with flying colors.  I have to send the check and paper work into the AKC, but He Did It!  

He's becoming an excellent companion and has the instincts to be a great ESD.  He's snuggling with me right now.  We will continue our training and may move into Rally, too.  

He's such a lover.  So glad he's mine!

Trippy growls at him and bullies him, but when all's said and done, Tyson protects his older brother.  So adorable!

Traveling no. 3, Rigbee

 

Whilst I traveled around the country in my Teeny Haven trailer, my family at home (well, my beloved step-mom, Betty) worried about my safety (and sanity) being in this frail, little box behind my car.  She began to encourage me to look at something more substantial.  Safer.  Bigger.

Although I never had a safety issue, traveling in cold weather was Not Fun, and even though I had a small honda generator to run my CPAP and a heater, it was just uncomfortable.  One problem is that I don’t stop driving until either I’ve reached my destination or I’m extremely tired.  I have a tendency to drive to exhaustion, because I don’t mind driving.  But I found myself sleeping in the car, because adding gas to the generator in sub-freezing temps, the dead of the night and climbing into an ice-cold bed in the camper was more trouble than cranking the heat in the car for a few minutes,  reclining the seat, then shutting everything down and napping.  Either way, it was not restorative sleep.

This is not the way to travel.  I was always safe as no-one was going to come after me with 65 and 35 pound DOGS guarding me.

So I began to look at my options.  Any larger trailer would require a different vehicle.   A class B camper van would be ideal.  A class C would also be do-able.  Used, of course. In 2018, I started looking around and learned that the class B was unbelievable expensive and awfully cramped.  I started looking at the smallest of the class C motorhomes.  Financially they made more sense, there is more room, and a real, honest-to-goodness bathroom!  Just pull over and go!  (More than once I’d had to pull over and use the side of the road, ugh!) Heat and air conditioning, WOW, spoil me some more.

After a considerable amount of research, I went up to New Hampshire and purchased a 2006 Winnebago Outlook.  26 feet long, 11 feet 2 inches high, on a Ford dually chassis with a Triton V-10 gas motor. 

It felt a little squirrely driving home, but I put that off to the size of it and the awful highways in Massachusetts.  (little did I know…)

My friends gave me “new home” presents and we laughed over coming up with a name for it.  We settled on “Rigbee” -  a bastardization of “Big Rig.”  Formally known as Tiny Haven, Rigbee is wonderful.

 

As you see, I’ve parked him in the same place as Teeny was parked, but getting this big rig up under the trees, next to the dog’s yard has been an adventure.  After catching the slide-out’s awning on the silver maple last fall ($1000 to fix this spring), I decided that a more appropriate parking place was required. 

Saturday (Oct. 10, 2020), a parking pad was created at the south-east corner of my lot.  It only took me two years to properly park Rigbee.  When we’re not traveling, this is where he’ll be.  Happily esconced, safe and sound.

They promised that the trap-rock will not get washed away.  Since we haven’t had any rain in forever, it’s not my biggest concern right now anyway.  I do wish the rock was tamped down better, though. 

 

It’s much closer to level than I thought it would be. 

After closer examination, it looked a bit unfinished.  I've purchased landscape timbers and will add them just inside the curb, to dress it up and make it look - better.  Since we're actually getting rain, (YAY) they are waiting for me at the Bloomfield Lowe's.  I'll just hook up my little utility trailer (another story for another day) and fetch them home in sunshine.

Happily, I put down straw as we're getting the remnants of a hurricane.  We desperately need the rain.

Now I just have to winterize him and secure the landscape timbers.  Oh, happy day.  Seriously.

Another home improvement project.  YAY!

Traveling No. 1

When I thought of retirement, I dreamt of traveling this great country.  Of seeing the places I’ve never seen and those I saw when I was a child and those only viewed through the prism of television.  Along with those dreams came the horror of hotel bills, weird rooms and no puppies to share the journeys. 

There was a solution.  Camp!  When I was a child we Always went camping.  Those were our vacations.  They were also always educational, as Mom and Dad were Really Big on Education.  After all, when I was seven, my Dad became a teacher.  Yes, education was Very Important in our famiy.

I did not want to tent camp.  There is nothing more uncomfortable to older bones than sleeping on hard ground.  The other options were an Aliner-type of camper, or a tear-drop style or even a trailer-tent.  As I started looking, the Aliner was my first choice.  I’d need another vehicle as my beloved Altima was getting old and not designed to pull anything.

When I went looking for a car back in 1999, I thought first of a sporty or sports car. My mid-life crisis car.  And I tried several.  Hated them.  Noisy, not enough power, uncomfortable… So then I looked at mid-size, because I’m worth it.  No more tiny cars for me!

The first time I drove a standard Altima, I was hooked.  It was My Car.  And I loved Elsie.  I had her for 15 years and she was great.  Powerful enough, large enough and tons of fun.  But now . . .

Well, I tried everything, keeping in mind that I had two dogs (Trixie and Piper) and they needed room, and I needed to pull a small trailer to travel.  Eventually I settled on a 2014 Rogue that depending on what source could pull either 1000 pounds or 1500 pounds.  Not much.  Not much at all,

The Aliners were too much weight-wise and cost wise, so I kept looking.  Eventually I found these little trailers called “Runaway” that weighed only 750 pounds.  That included an air conditioner, mounted on the front.  As luck would have it, one came up for sale in East Hartford (the town next door) for a reasonable price and I bought it.

 

 

Teeny Haven (as I named it) was as basic as could be.  A box on wheels.  From Runaway:  “Inside dimensions are 46.5" wide x 94.5" long x 46" high - overall length is 12' 3" with tongue, width to outside of fenders is 65" and outside height is 64"”  Over time, I personalized it with graphics outside  and a bed box with underneath storage inside. 

After the graphics:

 

 

 Notice the Husky?!? 

 

I drove to an empty lot here in town and practiced backing up.  The trailer has a very short “throw” or tongue.  When it starts to turn, it TURNS.  It very easily jack-knifes.  The trick is patience, lots and lots of patience, and plenty of practicing. 

Hauling a trailer takes a different mind-set.  You must be aware of how much space is between you and anything in front as braking takes longer.  Starting takes longer and is slower and your gas mileage is going to suck in comparison to regular driving.  Plus your whole vehicle is longer and heavier.  I got used to it very quickly, though and really enjoyed it.

As a first adventure I loaded up and we (me, Trixie and Piper) went to Roland Nickerson State Park on Cape Cod.  The first three family camping trips were to this park and my memories of those vacations (I was six, seven and eight years old) are precious.  The park did not disappoint.  It was as beautiful and wonderful as I remembered.  We only went for a weekend, but I learned and remembered a lot which would come in handy in future adventures.

 

 

 It is amazing the amount of crap you have to haul!

 

RNSP is inland on the cape and has this beautiful pond/lake.  Piper and I played fetch and I really wished I had my bathing suit (it was October) as I could’ve taught her to swim.  She would fetch as long as her feet hit bottom.  Trixie HATES water unless it’s to drink.

 

 

Long suffering Trixie.  “I do not like water, Mom.  Thank you, NO.”

Piper is such a goof!

We were only gone for a long weekend as a practice and trial camp.  It went well and proved that this was “doable.”

Once home, it was time to unpack and wrap up Teeny Haven.

 

While we would only have a couple of more “adventures” with Teeny, this little camper got me started.