Month: September 2022

          My favorite Science-Fiction author, the great Robert Heinlein, has a short story entitled, “The Moon is a Harsh Mistress.”

          I am going to borrow from that title and state Time is a harsh mistress.

          Yesterday I returned from Vermont where I dropped Paula off in order for her to be with her sister Barbara for the next few weeks as she (Barb) is having a medical procedure and will need some assistance recuperating. We drove up on Tuesday morning and I returned yesterday morning. That means that I needed to sleep (?) up there.       Sleep is a rare commodity for me, and I really don’t care too much.

          My least favorite part of the day is when I go to bed.

          My most favorite part of the day is when I wake up.

          As you may see, this can be the source of an issue.

          I have no problem falling asleep, (much to Paula’s chagrin} and I believe that my record stands somewhere around seven seconds. (I am not exaggerating). My problem is staying asleep. Between aches and pains, Restless Leg Syndrome, and the fact that I really don’t want to be there, tends to deprive me of a restful night. When I feel that I am getting too uncomfortable and/or restless to the point where I would be disturbing Paula, I just pick up my pillow and retreat to the couch, sliding the pocket door (that divides the bedroom area from the rest of the motorhome) closed.

          Now I am the master of my own sleep-deprived destiny.

          Depending on what time this nightly ritual occurs, I do try and fall back asleep on that couch. I am no fool, I do know that (unfortunately) some sleep is physiologically important for our well-being. Fortunately, I believe that I am on the lower tier of this Sleep Need Level as the only negative that I’ve encountered so far is that it is usually a good thing to have Paula do the driving (either car or motorhome) in the afternoon.     Actually, I react to the ride in a car much the same way that a baby does, You know, “Take him out for a ride around the block to put him to sleep.”

          So, back to Vermont.

          I did not sleep well that night, in fact, it was one of my least sleepy nights I’ve ever had. I was up at 1:30 AM. I did go into the next room which has a couch and try to go back to sleep. This effort was, on a grand scale, very unsuccessful so, I was up and down all night either working on something on my computer, reading a news feed, watching the Hurricanes progress, laughing at funny dogs on Instagram, etc. As you can see, on one level I was happy….. I was awake! On the other level, I knew that I would pay for it sometime and I was worried that it would be while I was driving back down to New Jersey the next day.       There would be no Copilot Paula to bail me out.

          The trip down the NY Thruway was uneventful. I pulled in at the Ulster Service Center for the obvious reasons, bought a Coke to help out a bit, and made it back to Freightliner Memorial Hospital to visit and hopefully get Miss Motorhome discharged. I spent a few hours waiting there, inside the motorhome, and I did try and lay down for a bit but that did not work. Finally, we were discharged, and we made our way back to Yetter’s RV Resort and our reserved parking spot.

          Well, I made it until about 7:30 PM, which under the previous night’s circumstances I thought was pretty good. I called Paula, said I was zonked, and went to bed. I do not recall falling asleep. There is an excellent possibility that a new record was set but as there were no witnesses, the Guinness folks refused to even take my call.

          Now comes the Time part.

          The motorhome has several ways of drawing and /or producing electrical power. Generator, batteries, and several levels of amperage can be used to keep the juice flowing. There is a ‘Brain” of sorts that knows which one to choose from if any, or all, of these options are available. The issue is that these “Juices” flow at slightly different rates, and it is impossible to determine how it may affect anything on board.

          Except our digital clock that is stuck up in an alcove above the bed so that we can see it at any time. There are no “nightstands” on either side to hold a clock or anything, just a small shelf for water, glasses, tissues, etc.

          When I woke up this morning at 5:30 AM I was unbelievably ecstatic!

          7:30 PM to 5:30 AM….  10 Hours !!!!

          I haven’t slept that much in years, or decades, possibly never!

          As it was now way past my usual “get up” time, I threw the covers off, jumped out of bed and was busy planning everything that I need to get done today!

          I felt like the proverbial “Million Bucks”!

          Until I went out into the living room part of the motorhome and turned on all of the lights.

          I happened to glance up at the battery-powered clock that is on the wall there.

          Wait! That can’t be!

           It only took a nano-second for me to realize that for the last day the motorhome was on various power levels while at Freightliner Memorial.

          The correct clock read 1:30 AM.

          I don’t know which part upset me the most…

          The fact that I did not get a good night’s sleep or,

          The fact that I felt so good when I thought that I had!

So, we’re still here!

          The visit to Freightliner Memorial Hospital was relatively successful.

          All the new parts were installed, the Official SCR Test for this equipment was run successfully…. Three times! So, all seemed ok.

          I say relatively because on the way back to Yetter’s Deluxe RV Park and Resort a Check Engine light came on.

          Boo!

          But…. all the big, bad, scrolling messages did not pop up on the dash like last time! I hopped into the Lifeboat and went back over to Campbells Supply (that’s the official name of the truck repair) and went to see my Service Guy, Bob. He had Brett, our technician and new best friend, hop in his truck and make a house call  😊.

          After hooking up his computer and spending some time underneath, Brett was able to get the light off, but we may still need to fine tune something. That something still needs to be determined so Brett asked us to run the motor a few times over the weekend to see if we could get the Check Engine light to come back on.

          So far it has NOT returned!

          And the suspense is killing us!

          In the meantime, I went over to Ideal Farms across the street from the (former) Chatterbox. Jan and Ben Jorritsma run one of the finest Farm Stand/ Farm Themed attractions in the area. When were still at the Chatterbox it was as though, at times, our businesses were one and the same, especially on “Pumpkin Picking” and “Christmas Tree Cutting” weekends. The cooperation between us was seamless and quite rewarding for both enterprises.

          It is that kind of interaction that I miss most after the Chatterbox went to that Big Burger Joint in the Sky. It is always a treat to go visit them and we have, on occasion, parked over there and transformed them into another RV Resort!

          So, I have procured a new camera, a DSLR (Digital Single Lens Reflex). These digitals are based on all of the same principals as any of the old 35MM cameras that we used to load film into, adjust our settings, and click away. You all know how much I love my Samsung phone camera. Everything that you have seen so far in the blog has been taken with it and I will still carry it with me. But I have been itching to get back into proper photography for a while and I have seen more and more folks using DSLR’s, especially for National Parks and landscapes. I used to have a darkroom in my basement, and I was the Photography Editor in both High School and College for the year books and newspapers, so my background is fairly solid.

          For the most part.

          But….

          This digital thing is crazy!

          There are no less than 14 gazillion possible settings when it come to these cameras and then the further processing in an Adobe product called Light Room (I get it!). I’ve embarked on this venture because I felt that there were still some nuances of photography that I was missing with my phone camera with both its abilities and drawbacks factored in. Not many, but maybe enough to warrant all this new paraphernalia (camera, computer, and software.)

          I hope to use all of this to great advantage when we’re on the (hopefully) upcoming World Cruise in January.

          We shall see, and so shall you, because I will be doing this blog deal from the ship, all the way around. Apparently the newer internet connections (on at least the Princess Lines) are quite good! Only time will tell.

          So, getting back to Ideal Farms.

          I went over there yesterday to do a photo shoot and practice a little with the camera and all those settings,. The weather was really good, and the lighting was great. Here are some of the “fruits” (you’ll see!) of that shoot.

          The place is great, so if you and your family are looking for the perfect place to go, spend some time, go on a hayride to “Pumpkin Hollow” and come home not only with some Fall decorations, but also with some great memories, I can suggest no better place than Ideal Farms.

          Say Hi to Ben and Jan, just tell them, “Donny sent me!”

          It’s 4 AM…..

          Do you know where your motorhome is?

          Yup…. It’s sitting right outside of the Authorized  Freightliner Repair Facility.

          Do you know why it is there?

          Yup again….. It is … hold on now…. “Waiting For A Part.”

          I feel the inspiration for a Country and Western song coming on…

                             I’m settin’ and waitin’

                             Just anticipatin’

                             It’s 4am and dark

                             Lonely here, the truck repair

                             No one here ‘cept me

                             They said, they said, they said…. 

                             The “part” was on its way

                             I’m just settin’ and waitin’

                             Just anticipatin’

                             It’s 4am and dark

                             Sure wish they had my part….

          Maybe they’ll have my part by the time I learn to sing, get a record contract, make millions, and am able to buy the parts manufacturer and beef up inventory.

          We’re back here, the parts had been ordered last week with the anticipated arrival of Tuesday. We scurried over here yesterday morning breathlessly anticipating the 10 to 11 am arrival of our beloved SCR unit. You know when an acronym is involved with any type of “Part” it automatically increases the price by a factor of 10. Our SCR (Selective Catalytic Reduction) is no exception. But the forces at work here, (which would be the collective Terrorist Organizations of the DOT, DEP, EPA, and just because they can… the special XYZ department of the government that covers anything else that the previously listed agencies may have left out) make it impossible for the motor to run without it. Don’t get me wrong here, I don’t mind the fact that there is a significant reduction of all that black smoke that used to emanate from the tailpipes of the trucks and busses but bringing everyone to screeching halt with no “Band-Aid” available is going a bit too far. It’s a good thing we’re so close to a home base and a repair facility that we know and love. The guys inside had been customers of the Chatterbox😊.

          Never underestimate the powers of a good cheeseburger, fries, and chocolate shake!

“To be continued….. hopefully!”

“Tower, This is Winnebago Flight 101 declaring an emergency and requesting an immediate return to base!”

          “Roger, Winnebago 101, what seems to be the issue?”

          “Multiple dash lights, engine warning, DEF sensors, we could de-rate at any moment, request to return!”

          “Ah, yea. Winnebago, request to reenter pattern granted but this is a Diner so we’re not sure if we will be any assistance unless you need a Taylor Ham, egg and cheese on a hard roll, to-go. We suggest that you procced to The Emergency Repair Facility in Lafayette on RT 94, they’re an authorized Freightliner facility and should be able to help you.”

          “Great, hopefully we’ll make it without having to ditch this baby into the Paulinskill, Captain Sully is not aboard, wish us luck!”

          “Roger 101, good luck and keep us posted, we’ll keep your parking spot open for as long as we can hold off the employees who used to park there. They’re like vultures circling over a dead body!”

          “Nice thought Tower, thanks a lot for your encouragement, Winnebago 101 , out!”

          Well, we were going to try and spend a few days up in Watkins Glen, New York. There a few days open that did not require Paula to be in Vermont, hostessing, or anything else. And my responsibilities for the 100^th Anniversary of Ritter Food Corp. did not start until next week, so plans were made and reservations at the KOA were secured.

          The weather was just incredible, perfect for traveling. We dumped the tanks, filled up with water and fuel, Loaded the Monster Energy Drinks into the fridge and way we went!

          Almost.

          Not five miles into our journey did those ugly lights and ringing bells signal a premature end to our planned mini trip.

          You may recall that this exact same thing happened when were embarking on the Great Circumnavigation of the Lower Forty-Eight way back at the end of March. Same as then, we did not get more than five miles into said trip when all hell broke loose, and we needed to land in our Texas Emergency Facility.

          I guess we could look on the bright side and be thankful that were not in the middle of Lower Nowhere, just outside of One-Horse Town, inside the confines of the Last Chance Desert.

          As a matter of fact, that is just what we are doing!

          We celebrated our good fortune of being stuck at home by going out to dinner at one our favorite places, The Carriage House on Culver Lake.

          We were greeted warmly.   😊

                    “Next!”

(Almost!)

“Ground Control, this is Winnebago Flight 101 requesting to push back.”

          “Roger, Winnebago 101, please hold for Garbage Truck, momentarily blocking your tarmac area, expect a short delay, they’re only doing a pick-up and will vacate the gate area momentarily.”

          “Roger, Ground Control, waiting your go-ahead.”

          Everything was loaded, including Bonnie the Parsley Plant who took her usual seat in First Class. We had fueled a few days ago and topped off our propane tank at the same time so that we would not have any additional delays come Departure Day.

          We’ve been sitting here at the Winnebago Airlines gate in the Yetter’s Terminal of Sussex International  since our arrival back in late May. It’s a good thing that the folks here at Yetter’s have waived both our landing fees and ground fees because staying here at the Terminal (instead of pushing us over to outlying areas where outfits such as Bill’s Airlines and Lower than Whale Doo-Doo Air Transport are located) would normally have been prohibitively expensive. Getting that clearance from the Port Authority of Augusta was a bit dicey as we were the only Flight here. Luckily we were able to trade these services for First Officer Paula’s work tenure as a Hostess and Cashier in the Terminal Lounge area.

          “Winnebago Flight 101, this is Ground Control, the Garbage Truck has cleared your area, permission to push back is granted, please proceed to Runway 206 South and switch to Tower Control for further instructions, have a good flight, Ground Control out.“

          “Roger Ground Control, Runway 206 South, and thanks for your hospitality, Winnebago 101 out.”

          “Tower this is Winnebago Flight 101 taxiing for take-off, Runway 206 South, request permission to perform final run-up before entering runway.”

          “Roger Winne 101, traffic is heavy, perform run-up then proceed with caution, you know how those bozo’s coming out of Pennsy are!”

          We performed our final check of all instruments and awaited our opportunity to enter the traffic flow in front of us. The Tower wasn’t kidding, it took several attempts to finally pull out onto the Runway and accelerate to our take-off speed. In the meantime, all of those small, single-engine pests coming out of Pennsy, were in fact, quite annoying, kind of like a swarm of gnats trying to pass an albatross.

          “Winnebago 101, this is Air Traffic Control, proceed due South, switch from 206 to 15, hold both course and speed through the Lafayette Congestion Area, then you may accelerate and climb out when you reach the Sparta Zone, watch out for those Sparta Control guys, they keep their Radars on, have a good flight, Air Traffic Control out. “

As we were preparing our final details, an urgent message was heard in our headphones, “Winnebago Flight 101 abort take-off! I repeat abort take-off!” We hastily retreated to the safety of our parking area at the Yetter’s Terminal to get an explanation. It seems that there are some new developments, family personal matters, that require Paula’s attention. So it looks like we are grounded until at least the end of September, which means that we are not leaving for Texas any time soon. You will have to put up with our presence for a bit longer!

          We would have settled in for a routine flight on the first leg of this trip to our first destination, that of Ortley Beach, just north of Seaside Heights down the Shore. We did this anyway, only we did not bring Miss Biggie, we just used the Lifeboat. When we finally get on the road for sure, the entire flight is definitely not a non-stop event. There are several end-of-day layovers planned as this aircraft has only a two-person crew and we are certified to fly for only about ten hours before we must land and get the mandatory eight hours of rest before climbing back into the cockpit and repeating the process. Our entire flight will be three to four days long, depending on the condition of said pilots. Our landing in Texas is definitely a “daylight” procedure as this is a back country airport with no landing lights and has many obstacles that line the runway, so extreme caution is advised.

          As I alluded to in my last post, I don’t like to start any adventure with a dirty vehicle. I am pleased to announce that I am very happy with the way that our house-on-wheels looks. I have discovered a new product that helps with anything vinyl, rubber, plastic, or otherwise. It is not anything like the Armor-All type products. This one actually bonds with the materials and keeps it looking good for a year. Plus, I got the one that has a black color to it so that it is something akin to using black shoe polish on black shoes. This solves my problem with the “protective” vinyl covering that is affixed to the front of the motorhome and was looking tired, dull, all washed out, and looking like, well, you know….

           No amount of anything made it look good, until…… now!

          I wish that I had a before and after photo for your perusal, but you’ll just have to trust me one this one!

          We do have a lot of car and automotive enthusiasts here in Sussex County. They are extremely knowledgeable about their vehicles and how they are kept. They are also quite critical about everyone else’s and make no bones about inspecting other folks’ vehicles and pointing out things that need attention.

          A few days ago, we inadvertently created quite the panic session at Yetter’s before we pulled out of the parking lot.

          As I said before, we left to get propane.

          That in itself was not the issue.

           The issue was that we needed to leave the parking lot and drive to Newton in order to procure it.

          So, why was that an issue Don?

          Well, it was an issue because the staff thought that we were pulling up stakes and hitting the road without having Miss Paula, Hostess Extraordinaire, finish out her shifts that she is responsible for.

          The wailing and gnashing of teeth was audible as we pulled out. Multiple staff members were seen exiting the building, using any and all of the doors in an attempt to hurl themselves in front of us as we exited out of the parking lot.

          It didn’t help that we had a banner affixed to the rear that read,

                              “See you next year!”

          But we came back a short while later, much to the delight of the previously devastated staff. Paula is using her new-found popularity and is holding out on signing next year’s contract in the hopes of getting additional packets of saltines when she has her soup for lunch.

          The government is investigating these coercive negotiating tactics.

Sorry! I just have to do this!

News Flash!

          As reported to you on 28 March of this year, the USS Texas, the only dreadnaught class battleship (in the world) still afloat that battled in WWI and WWII, is being dispatched to a Galveston drydock for much needed repairs to her hull.

          The journey commenced yesterday, very early in the morning and went off without a hitch!

          The Texas will be laid up for over a year while her hull is repaired, and a final berthing area is decided upon. Several towns have expressed an interest in having her on their waterfronts, but it is this reporter’s (me!) opinion the Port of Galveston will be the one chosen.

          See the post entitled “Get the Kid a Tee-Shirt” from this past March for more photos and a very short history lesson!

          Thanks for indulging me on this one. But beware, there are two more Battleship possibilities in your future reading endeavors, that of the USS Missouri berthed in Pearl Harbor and the USS Iowa berthed right next to where we dock in Long Beach, California, both are on the hopefully (last year’s was cancelled) upcoming Great Circumnavigation of the World Cruise commencing on 5 January of 2023. The fares have been paid and we are busy deciding which excursions we would like to have in each port and hopefully be able to pay for those! (There are about 50 ports!)

          The klaxon is sounding Battle Stations, so I’ll see you on deck!