December 30, 2024

Learning Something New

When we bought this coach the only experience I had on a vehicle like this was a 34’ Class A gas coach.  While that coach was a learning curve for me as I had never driven anything that large before, this coach presented an even steeper curve.  It has a rear mounted diesel powered engine, air brakes instead of hydraulic, is 43 feet long and has a maximum weight limit of 46,000 pounds.  For perspective that is ten times the weight of our car.  If I was going to be safe and comfortable driving a vehicle this size and weight I wanted to have some training and experience.

Do I Want To Be A Truck Driver?

To legally and safely drive a vehicle like this in Ontario you are required to obtain a Class D licence with an air brake endorsement.  Some jurisdictions just allow a general licence to drive something like this, but Ontario has a standard that means you need to have, and demonstrate the knowledge to do so.  Not necessarily experience, but after taking a training course I can certainly see the benefit in taking the training.  In other words, it is entirely possible to purchase a vehicle like this, study the material that is available on the braking system, write the test and take the road test without having any training.

I booked myself on a course last April in Brantford at a Truck Driving School.  I don’t live anywhere near Brantford but that was the closest I could find a course that would get me in and trained before we took delivery of the coach.  The course had full attendance and was three days the first week to obtain an air brake (Z) endorsement on my licence; while the second week was three days of street driving in a transport truck.  I was the only student there that was not planning on driving commercially and the only one over 30.  The demand for truck drivers is extremely high, there are far too few schools to handle the number of drivers out there, and I think a lot of employers are hiring people with minimal experience and pushing them through the system.  My instructor was 72 and had driven his own trucks for fifty years and retired when he was 70, so had plenty of thoughts on the state of the industry today.  The truck driving school recruited him to teach and he said if I passed, even at my age, I could have my pick of companies with trucks looking for drivers.

I can tell you from my experience of taking the course, if there are any readers contemplating a vehicle like this, or any that have a vehicle like this and haven't received any training - book yourself on a course.  There were things I learned on the course about the braking system, and driving a heavy vehicle in general I would never have known or been able to feel confident about if I had not taken the course.  Now don’t get me wrong, this was a truck driving course and so a lot of the practical things learned cannot be done on a coach like the one we have, but the principle is the same.  For example, reading about the slack adjuster on the brake components on each wheel is not the same as actually seeing if the adjustment is correct for each wheel on the vehicle.  Thankfully our coach has a system built in that allows me to adjust the brakes before each trip without having to scramble underneath.

The road test in the truck was a bit daunting as it has been just over fifty years since I got my licence and I have developed a lot of bad habits in that time.  I had to do a walkaround on the truck and was subject to random questions about the braking system and daily checks that needed to be done, then taken on a road test.  The road test was the most stressful as the truck just fits in the lane and you cannot go even one kilometre per hour over the speed limit.  If you go too slow you are cautioned by the examiner.  Cutting off cars or pedestrians is an automatic failure, and running a yellow light is a potential problem depending on where you are when it turns yellow.

The road test went quite well and I was pleased I didnt hit any yellow lights or cut anyone off.  I was cautioned once to speed up as I was going too slow trying to time a light ahead.  I was feeling pretty good about myself and came up to the last intersection.  The light was red as I approached and there were no vehicles ahead of me.  I came up to the stop line and waited.  Looking to my left I did not see any cars coming up on the green.  My examiner told me to never be in a rush to turn right on a red, and as that thought went through my head a blind person with a cane walked from left to right in the crosswalk.  As he passed in front of the truck I couldn’t even see him.  I obviously waited until he was clear of the intersection and by then the light was green.  As I turned right I chuckled mostly to myself but the examiner asked what I thought was funny.  I told him I thought the blind guy was a plant.  He didn't laugh.

In the end, I passed the Z, wrote my test at the test center and passed, and passed my road test so was legal in Ontario.

Spartan RV Chassis

With that training out of the way, I now needed to get some experience on the coach.  Driving around is one thing but I wanted to know about the systems and how they worked, and whether there were things I could do on my own from a preventative maintenance perspective that would minimize the requirement for certain things on service visits.

2023 Newmar Ventana - Patty’s Wagon

Most diesel coaches in this class are built on either a Freightliner or a Spartan chassis.  The chassis is built at the factory and shipped to the coach manufacturer to add the components you see on the road.  The walls, furnishings, appliances, etc.  The vast majority of coaches are built on the Freightliner chassis and there are all kinds of Freightliner transport trucks on the road so any service requirements will be fairly easily met if you have a coach built on the same chassis.

Our coach was ordered by the dealership, was in the showroom when we purchased it and was ordered with a Spartan Chassis.  Spartan produces truck chassis primarily for utility trucks for electrical and speciality purposes, but is perhaps best known for producing most if not all of the chassis for fire trucks in North America.  Spartan RV Chassis is based out of the small central Michigan town of Charlotte.  It was quickly pointed out to us that it is pronounced Char-LOT and not SHAR-lot, like the city in North Carolina.

Fire Truck Bodies and Completed Unit in the Background

Both Freightliner and Spartan produce marketing products that tout the unique benefits of each, and if we were in a position to order a coach from the factory we would have had to make a decision one way or the other.  However, the coach we purchased was built on a Spartan chassis, so we got what we got.  Spartan builds their chassis with heavy duty commercial components, designed to go hundreds of thousands of miles, so the ten to fifteen thousand I might put on each year are a fraction.  They offer a robust technical support network and I am impressed with their level of after market support for the engine, transmission, and components installed by them.  As these are sophisticated commercial grade products, Spartan also offers a week long course on systems related to safe operation of the coach as well as a day long road training defensive driving style course in our own vehicle - for both the primary driver and their spouse.

The week long course includes a stay in their campground, thorough inspection of the coach with individual wheel weighing and some basic service, recommendations for optional service items, breakfast and lunch provided each day, and a full agenda of training elements.  Shortly after we purchased the coach we booked the training course for the middle of October, 2024.  We drove from our home campground in North Bay, arrived the day prior to training and set up in the campground.

The training course was comprised of eight couples, ranging in experience from those like us just starting out to a few with ten to fifteen plus years driving coaches like these.  So I think that is a testament to the benefit of training being provided.  We also had a factory tour to see the chassis being assembled.  All of the operations at Spartan are unionized, except the RV Chassis assembly line.   Also, the RV Chassis are built by hand - no robotics, no automation, and the technicians working the line bid internally to get the opportunity to build them.  A very impressive facility and the people working the line are seasoned and show a tremendous amount of pride in the product they are producing.

Miles of Air Lines, Cummins Engine, Allison Transmission

Interestingly enough one half of a day was set aside for training on the air system for braking and the air bag suspension.  The course was almost the same as the course I took back in Branford for the air brake side of things - I think primarily because in most jurisdictions in the US you do not need any formal training to drive an air brake equipped vehicle.  You only need a special licence if driving commercially.

Spartan brings in an external instructor to teach the road portion and he was excellent.  He had the patience required to make sure those that typically don’t drive felt comfortable behind the wheel when it was their turn to hit the road.  Pat did well and although she has no intention of driving the coach, doing so under these circumstances at least gave her comfort knowing she could if she needed.  Despite her wanting him to call her by name, he insisted on saying ma’am.  It was “okay ma’am you are going to take out those mailboxes ma’am, you need to move left ma’am, good ma’am, that is good.  Now don’t forget ma’am people will move out of your way ma’am when they see you coming, so you should ride right down the yellow line ma’am.  Good”……

Easy Does It Ma’am

Having taken the course we now have the right to attend any future course at any time without question.  Just show up, park the coach, learn something new or just get a refresher.

The various training courses were a wealth of information, and I have developed a number of checklists that I use before each departure.  These checklists incorporate some of those items identified on the courses as well as manufacturer recommended checks.  I will write more about that in an upcoming blog.

Thanks for reading.


December 29, 2024

Start Of Winter 2024 Southbound

After spending the summer at our home, travelling to some new places around Ontario and Quebec, it was time to pack up and depart for the start of our trip to Arizona.

Before that could officially start we had a trip planned to Michigan to undertake some training we had booked for us to help understand the operation of our new coach.

We packed up our summer campsite and departed North Bay with the car in tow on October 11.  Our first stop southbound was The Hitch House where we had purchased the coach in the spring.  There were a few warranty items that had been shipped to them on our behalf and we wanted to pick them up so we would be able to install them over the winter.  One was a new pantry drawer to replace one that appeared to be missing when we picked up the coach and the other was some tape used to blend joints in the wall panels.  With that done we departed right away for our next stop - Bill and Pat’s place.

Since we first met Bill and Pat we have enjoyed stopping to see them at their place just outside Durham.  They are always welcoming and we enjoy the time we spend there.  The property is gorgeous and is flanked by farmers fields with different crops every time we stop by.  We had a great afternoon, fantastic meal, and after a short drive in to town to the Lions Club to participate in a ‘Catch The Ace’ lottery tournament, returned without a win to the RV for an early night. 

Always get the primo spot….

Nothing wrong with this view

The following morning we were off to Michigan.  First off though we had a quick stop in Kitchener at Green Acre Park to drop the car.  We had no need for the car on the training course so didn't see the need to drag it along when we were returning to the park a week later anyway.  The park is wonderful, with spacious sites, 50 amp service, sewer and water at each site and a great mix of park model and RV’s throughout.  It is open ten months out of the year so is very popular with snowbirds who arrive back to Canada before other parks are open, or like us, want somewhere to stay after our home park is done for the year.  The park is just on the north side of Kitchener-Waterloo and is a convenient drive to the St. Jacobs Market and all kinds of shopping.  We had stayed there before and will do so again I am sure.  It is also close enough for us that we can go to see my family down in Vineland.

We only stayed in the park long enough to disconnect the car.  Once on our way it was a fairly straightforward trip down to Sarnia and across the border to the US.  However, we did have a small incident when crossing the BlueWater Bridge to Port Huron.  The toll booths for the bridge on the Canadian side are the old style single person booth but instead of a flat wall panel up to the roof, there is about a six inch overhang all around the top of the booth.  I was focussed on getting as close to my side of the lane as possible so I could reach the card reader for the toll and wasn't paying attention to the right side.  As I pulled up to the machine to reach out and pay, the agent in the booth to my right came flying out of her booth like her hair was on fire, stood in front of the RV so I couldn’t move and stated in a rather loud voice I had just ‘smashed into’ her booth.  I was shocked for a bunch of reasons, not the least of which was neither Pat or I felt anything, so got out to investigate.  She told me I had to “stay right where you are and don’t move” until her supervisor got there.  Unfortunately I did not get any pictures of the devastation, but it appears a previous driver had in fact hit her booth and there was some tin flashing protruding into my lane up at the top of the roof.  I must have hit that as the only evidence on the RV of any contact was a scratch on the top of the passenger side mirror.

The supervisor finally arrived and asked what had happened.  I said I honestly didn’t know but told him the agent said I hit her booth.  He asked to see any damage and I pointed out the previous damage on the roof of the booth and the scratch on the mirror.  He asked if there was anything else.  I said no, so he waved us through and bid us a nice day.

After a brief stop for fuel we continued on and arrived at our final destination for the night.  We are members of the Harvest Host program and have used the program extensively throughout Ontario.  I will post something at some point in the future about some of the interesting places we have stayed.  This was our first US destination and, other than the unique name, is typical of many of the hosts that participate in the Harvest Host program.  Bear Naked Wood is not what the name sounds like it could be, but rather a specialty furniture and live-edge wood manufacturer.  They appreciate the value added with RV’ers stopping in on their journey through the area so have set up a few parking spots just for that purpose.  The parking area is level, has a fire pit, covered gazebo and fenced dog run area for those with pets.  The owners texted us to say they would not be arriving home until well after we arrived so gave us directions about where to set up.  It was very straightforward and we got set up and took a nice walk around the property.  Shortly after a large fifth wheel arrived and also stayed the night.

Approach to Bear Naked Wood

We were up and on our way around nine the following morning for the short journey to our final destination for this portion of the trip - Spartan RV Chassis in Charlotte, Michigan.

Thanks for reading.

December 28, 2024

A Titanic Discovery

For those who have read the blog from the start and remember what I said about possibly going back in time to 2020 at some point, this entry addresses a flaw I have discovered about the way Blogger shows the posts.  Or should I say I didn't know enough about how Blogger worked when I started to start in the right spot.

As I publish an entry the date and time are attached automatically.  This post is being written and published on December 28 so that is where it will show in the list.  That works great for regular posts about things that are happening in the moment.  I do have an option to change the date and time of a post when I publish it, but if I use a date prior to when I started the blog back in November there is no effective way for me to notify readers the post exists.

Readers could scroll down on the right hand side and see there is a new entry, but I don’t think that is reasonable.  As I understand, those readers who have elected to follow the blog will be notified whenever I publish something, but for the majority of casual readers, there is no easy answer.

So, I will continue publishing in real time so posts will show in the order they are published.  On the bright side, for those readers who like a good book or movie written with flashbacks, like Titanic, my posts will hopefully end up telling the same story in the end.

I personally hate books or movies with flashbacks so I understand if this causes confusion, but once I have caught up to where this started in November, things should  be good.  Thanks to my brother Stuart for giving me the title recommendation, and thanks for reading.

Patty looking for Leonardo on the Bahama Bank, March, 2021


December 24, 2024

Almost Bought The Farm

As one story goes, when military pilots went out on a sortie but didn’t come back, they were said to have “bought the farm”, as a way to suggest the pilot really left to buy a farm to peacefully live out the remainder of his life.  In those circumstances, one hopes to never buy the farm.

Typically Bill and I go to the field each morning for a few hours at 0800.  Most mornings the same guys are there and there is a range of beginners like me, up to guys who could compete in air shows.  Most of the guys are using a mixture of aircraft like the one I have, or small high wing aircraft that are loosely modeled after a Cessna 172.  Both are tricycle gear aircraft with high wings, but mine has a prop that pushes from behind the wing, while the other is a standard configuration with the engine and prop in front.

My flying has been coming along quite well I think.  After the first few days with the instructor Wayne, I was able to take off and land myself and have slowly progressed since then.  Once I became proficient to fly on my own I would typically fly two flights of about twenty minutes each.  I have two batteries and each last about that much, so I could get forty or so minutes a day to practice various things.  The first flights were basic circuits, approaches to landing, touch and go, and most of the same things you would learn in the same order as in a real aircraft.

Bill snapped a picture of a nice landing

Flying a remote controlled aircraft is the same as a real aircraft, but not.  The basic elements are obviously the same with the functions of the flight controls, but the hard part is getting all that to work remotely.  So taking off is one thing, but landing is another, and flying with the aircraft coming toward you or going away is different again.  For example, you have to retrain your brain to think about what the aircraft is doing when coming toward you.  If you want to turn left you still push the control stick to the left, but what you see is the aircraft turning to your right relative to your position.

Because of this, some of the exercises I had to perform were flying the aircraft in figure eights in front of me as precisely as possible.  In that drill I am doing a simple figure eight but have to get used to all the visual cues and control inputs changing all the time.

Unfortunately I do not have any good video of any of the flying as my camera equipment is just not good enough to capture the small aircraft flying by.  I have tried with my GoPro and show some pictures here.


Most radio controlled aircraft have a feature called Safe-Flight.  This is a feature that limits the control movements to small amounts so you can get used to flying without upsetting the aircraft.  There is a little gyro in the receiver in the aircraft that keeps it quite stable so is a good way to learn.  From there you can flip a switch and go to Intermediate, and again for Advanced.  The main difference in these two modes is the gyro is turned off in the aircraft and the control surfaces move to a greater extent.

The first time I was instructed to try Intermediate I could immediately see the effect, and didnt feel comfortable with it.  It is all about very fine motor controls with your fingers on the joysticks.  Give or take a few days when we were out of town on trips, I have been flying for two weeks, so built up a good feel for the controls and have been doing basic manoeuvres for the last week in Advanced mode.  Flying in that mode means you are flying faster and using the controls more so using more battery power.  This means I am down to only getting about 12-15 minutes of flying in before I get an alarm to say my battery is getting low.  Still, that amount of time to practice and fly around is great and is a lot of fun.

The nice thing about going at 0800 here in the desert is the wind is usually nice and calm.  It slowly starts to build and by 1000 it is breezy enough that I would not be comfortable flying in it.  There have been a few days where we have had that strength of breeze but it is still less than five knots of wind and allows me to see how the aircraft handles in a little breeze.

There Is A Farm Over There

So, to the point of the title of today’s blog.  With my confidence building over the last two weeks, I am now doing all my flying in Advanced mode and I can easily see how someone starting off in that mode could get into trouble very quickly if they hadn’t built the motor skills properly.  Bill and Wayne have encouraged me in the last few days to try loops and rolls.

Flying commercially you would never come close to anything that would resemble a roll or a loop, and in fact, you do everything in the cockpit to maintain as stable a flight as possible.  So doing these types of manoeuvres looks cool from the ground and really cool when a fighter jet does one in an air show with full afterburner, but doing one yourself in a remote controlled aircraft is a little daunting.

I have been able to do loops fairly easily but not with a lot of precision.  I am finding rolls however a little more challenging.  There is a sweet spot in how far away from you and how high you need to be to be able to properly see the aircraft while you are doing these manoeuvres, and with rolls and loops you need more height for a safety margin.  As I am not that precise yet I have been moving a little further away from the central flying area and staying up high, all of which means it is sometimes really really hard to see that little white styrofoam aircraft.

Yesterday, on my second flight of the day I was feeling pretty good about things, and with no-one else up (I am beginning to think they all stay on the ground when I am flying) I took off and got up to altitude.  The wind was blowing a little bit and up high it was noticeable how the wind was moving the aircraft.  I did a few loops and came out at the top of one and decided to try some rolls.  I was rolling while flying away from me and I messed up my up from my down, and the little white speck started doing something unexpected.  I had my aileron control still pegged and now couldn’t tell which way the aircraft was flying.  Centered my stick but the aircraft kept spinning.  Realized my elevator control was full up.  Centered that control.  Ground getting closer.  Realized my throttle control was full speed.  Reduced that.  More elevator, more aileron.  Not getting better.  Out of the haze and confusion that was developing in my head as I was losing sight of the plane were the words “Put it in Safe” coming from somewhere.  Flipped it to safe and let go of the control sticks and the aircraft levelled out. Still couldn’t tell if it was coming or going so stayed level until I could tell.  Whew.  That was too close.  It is amazing how focussed you get and your heart rate increases through all of that, so I did not even realize Bill had moved up right next to me and startled me when he began walking me through the return to the center of the field.  I think it was a really nice farm I was headed toward, but I was not ready to buy.

Thanks for reading.

December 22, 2024

Ukulele Concert

Typically our evenings are taken up together with a movie or some YouTube, but we got a chance the other evening to listen to a local Ukelele Orchestra put on a Christmas concert.

We have struck up regular conversations with a couple who are neighbours of ours.  Erma and Walter are from Florida and travel full time in their Class A motorhome.  Walter is a ukelele player and has joined a local group to play regular concerts throughout the winter season.

The only ukelele song I thought I had heard before is Tiptoe Through The Tulips, so was not sure what we would be hearing at this concert.  I say ‘song I thought I had heard’ as I could not think of any song played by a ukelele other than that one.

We arrived at another RV Park clubhouse in plenty of time before the start, and saw a stage full of Elves, and Mr and Mrs. Claus.  I think I counted twenty-two people on stage in all, and they were dressed in all kinds of Christmas outfits and appeared to be raring to go.



The audience numbered probably close to 75 or 80 people and I presume most would have been from that park, although the parking lot had a fair number of cars.

Promptly at 1900 they started, not with Tiptoe Through The Tulips, but “We’re an American Band” by The Grand Funk Railroad.  Now the lyrics were changed somewhat to suit the season and with various ukelele references blended in, but that was a good way to start things off.

From there they introduced various people on stage with stories and backgrounds to songs they then played.  There was a single guitar, but otherwise everyone was playing a ukelele.  They did an excellent job changing the lyrics of easily recognizable songs just slightly to bring in some humour as they sang each song.  Once you start listening to some of the songs you recognize the ukelele, or in some cases the song was played with a ukelele instead of whatever would typically have been played.

I am sure there is a rule about posting copyrighted material or playing a song you hear at a concert so you will just have to google the songs yourself, or imagine the sounds and sing-a-long.  

Well it turns out a reader of the blog mentioned there is a publically available ukelele version of Jingle Bells, so enjoy.  This was one of the songs played but not from the concert.

A Ukelele Jingle Bells

A short list of the songs played that I recognized is: Mele Kalikimaka, the Hawaiian Christmas song, Somewhere Over The Rainbow, Elvis’s song Can’t Help Falling In Love, and others.

By the time the concert was drawing to a close an hour later, the songs were Christmas sing-a-long songs and everyone participated.

A welcome change to get out at night and experience a bit more of what Quartzsite has to offer.  Thanks to Erma and Walter for the invite and the Quartzsite Ukelele Orchestra.


December 21, 2024

Winter Solstice

Today is the shortest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere, and although the coldest days of winter are still to come it is one of the days I always look forward to the most each year. 

A lot has been written of the rituals associated with the various sun cycles but I am not climbing to the top of the nearest mountain to watch the sunrise.  I will however relish the warmth on my face and think about the return of the sun, with longer days and warmer temperatures.

Of course the closer you get to the equator the less impact the movement of the planet in relation to the sun has on each day, so in Arizona it is not nearly as pronounced as North Bay, but is a little more affected than locations we visited in The Bahamas.

On this shortest day of the year, North Bay will only see the sun for 8 hours 36 minutes, Quartzsite 9 hours and 55 minutes, and Hope Town, Bahamas 10 hours 29 minutes.  This picture is the closest I have to a December 21 picture.

Jupiter Island, Florida, December 22 at 7:07 in the morning

By the time we get to the longest day of the year in six months, North Bay will be basking in the sun for 15 hours and 48 minutes, while Quartzsite will see 14 hours and 23 minutes and Hope Town 13 hours 48 minutes.  This is the closest I can get to a June 21 picture.

North Bay, Ontario, June 16, 2019 at 9:13 at night

 




December 20, 2024

Our Visit To Molar City

Yesterday we took the much anticipated trip to Los Algodones.  Bill and Pat always visit on the way down to their winter spot in Arizona and also again just before they leave, so this was a special trip they made to show us the ropes.  I can see why they plan a stop on the way down and back as it is the premier spot to get quality eyeglasses and frames, as well as dental services ranging from simple cleaning, polishing, fillings, crowns, plates and I am sure even more.  There are literally hundreds and hundreds of dental offices and eyewear stores.

To get to Los Algodones you leave Yuma and travel a short distance west into California for a few miles before turning south onto a road that takes you to a huge parking lot where you leave your car to walk across the border.  This parking lot was not filled for our visit, but I would not want to cross the border when it is.  There is room for likely thousands of cars.  When we arrived we met Ken and Kim who we have spent some time with already, and friends Deb and her daughter Riley.  Ken and Kim are from Ingersoll while Deb and Riley are from Manitoulin Island, and they have been staying in a desert LTVA location not far from the border so joined us for the day.

The town is nestled in the absolute northern most point of Mexico right along the US border to the north and east along the Colorado River.  It is across the border from California but as most of its business is tied to Arizona it stays on Mountain time.  Wikipedia says the name comes from the word Cotton Plant so I suspect there was or is a lot of agriculture centred around cotton in the area.  There was no evidence of cotton in town other than the tons of vendors selling blankets and such.  Strangely enough on the two times now we have been through Yuma there are a number of fields that grow cotton as we see the large bales set up ready for transport to wherever it is further processed.  The town is apparently nicknamed Molar City as it has become known primarily for the place to go for dental work for Americans and Canadians alike.  The dentists and most of the facilities are as good as any in Canada and the US and the dental surgeons trained in the US.  You do have to check around as some will be better than others, but for example we were told you can get single crowns fitted for about $450USD, so a lot better than Canadian pricing.

We were not inside the border more than a hundred yards and you feel like you are in any of the hundreds of tourist towns in Mexico or the Caribbean countries.  Hawkers and vendors are every five feet trying to give you their card to refer you to ‘their’ optical place or dental office.  Intermingled are hawkers and vendors selling just about anything you can imagine.

We turned a corner and one of the guys spotted Bill, called out his name and they both hugged each other as old friends.  As Bill and Pat have been going as regularly as they do, the people they have known through the visits remember them and warmly greet them, knowing what they are there for.  It is amazing to me really how these individuals can remember a face and a name from the thousands of people they will see and meet between each visit, and think it is a testament to how well they do what they do.  Their livelihood depends on reading peoples faces and remembering who they are.  Bill explained to the guy what we were there for and he promptly led us to what he claimed was ‘the best’ optical place in town at least in terms of price.  The fact that he led us there and we didn't just walk in meant we got some form of discount.  The discount was never disclosed but we felt good about the pricing of what we purchased so that is what counts.

We did not go for any dental work but may opt for that another time.  On this trip we were focussed on eyewear.  Pat has two pairs of quality frames that needed new lenses and I opted for a new pair of frames and lenses.  It is amazing you can go into an optical place, pick out new frames, get the existing frames tested against what your current vision is, choose the coating types for the lenses, pay $120 in my case and come back in two hours for them.

Despite our total bill being just over four hundred bucks, the unknown additional cost was going to be in what Pat spotted in the two hours we were waiting.  I didn't have to wait long as she was first to see the optometrist which meant I was the last one to come out.  By the time I did Pat had already commissioned one of those guys who paints scenes on stuff to paint a maple leaf.   The painting style is almost like Bob Ross and his technique, but this guy is nowhere near as slow and deliberate.  His ability is based on quickly painting something so he can keep people moving to make more money.  I don't know what his day is like but he can paint a maple leaf complete with mountains, trees, a deer and a few birds for $38 in fifteen minutes.  People were lined up buying stuff from him so I don't think he is hurting.

With that sale complete, Pat was off to the next booth for a lively discussion on how much to spend on blankets.  From there the ladies went to a jewellery store in order to get a shot of tequila with a beer chaser while browsing the aisles for that special piece of jewellery they don’t need.  As Pat says though “it is never about need, rather about want”.  She got out of there without buying anything so I suspect it might have been just about the tequila and the beer.  I joke a bit about it but being in a place like that for some is like being a kid again in a candy store.  The people who work and sell know what they are doing and while they don't get upset when you just walk by, they are very attentive once they make eye contact or you stop for a second.

Finally we went into one of the many pharmacies that also line the streets to see what they were selling.  You can buy virtually any medication that you can think of and the prices are very low.  Many of the items we saw were as cheap as dispensing fees back home.

It was time for lunch and Deb recommended an open air restaurant she had been to before, which did not disappoint.  Service was started with the obligatory margarita round for those that like them and then orders were placed with food coming out fresh, hot and very good.  It was typical Mexican food and was excellent.  Of course while we were seated every street vendor came around to their now captive audience to try and sell something, but as long as you said no thanks they would move on.

After lunch we returned to get our glasses while Bill and Pat had also purchased a few of the metal painting from the same guy so we were off again through the narrow aisles.  From there we walked the few blocks back to the border.

Bill said that typically when they have been to Mexico the wait at the border can be up to two hours.  This day we were very fortunate as the wait was less than five minutes.  There were not that many going back at the time we went so it was an easy out back to the US.



On the way back to Quartzsite we stopped at a local market that we were at a few weeks ago when we first travelled to Yuma.  It is reminiscent of the fruit stands that used to line Highway 8 all along the Niagara Penninsula.  Wooden stalls with fabrene walls, dirt floor and a steady flow of traffic.  The last time we were through we picked up some things that we definitely wanted to repeat.

This stop did not disappoint.  The celery, broccoli and cauliflower had been picked that morning so were about as fresh as you can get.  Prices are better than the grocery stores down here and even with the currency exchange as bad as it is right now, the prices appear to be about half what they are at home.

Radishes, Broccoli and Celery - picked Fresh

If you made it this far, thanks for reading.

December 18, 2024

Water Water Everywhere

Last summer when planning for this trip I had read a number of blogs about the quality of water in most places throughout the US as being very hard.  This is primarily due to the fact most places obtain their water from ground water in deep wells or aquifers.  For the last forty years we have lived in North Bay, Ontario which has probably the absolute softest water in the province, with regular readings in the range of 20 parts per million of dissolved solids.  It gets its water from a deep freshwater lake so is naturally softer.  I felt I didnt need a softener for when we are in North Bay, and decided to wait until we were on the road in the US before deciding how to proceed.

Without knowing what level of hardness we would experience as we travel along, I started looking at the various products that soften the water.  With our experience on the boat we wanted to select a product that would soften the water before it gets into the coach, and subsequently the faucets and water lines.  When we had the boat we used a heavy duty marine watermaker to make our own water from seawater.  I tested the results after every session and the hardness of the fresh water that was produced was in the range of 200 parts per million.  To put that in perspective, seawater is about 35,000 parts per million, so you can see how effective the watermaker is at removing salts.

At 200 parts per million there are enough solids still in the water you should carry out a regular maintenance procedure to remove the hardness and scale from faucet heads and screens in the washrooms and galley.  To do that, once a month I removed all of them to soak in CLR for a few hours, then rinse them.  At the end of the season when we put the boat on the hard for the summer I completely drained the water tanks, lifted the inspection lids and washed the walls down with a mild bleach solution.  Even though I did that to the tanks I was never able to remove any of the scaling that might build up in the water lines.

There are various water softening products out there and I figured as we are using the coach as much as we are I would need to find a unit that had the ability to mount and provide a good level of reduction on the hardness scale.  I selected the On-The-Go portable unit and have it hooked up outside and providing softened water to the coach.  In the meantime I have started to design a method of installing it in the coach.

The unit comes with test strips and prior to the water entering the system I tested the hardness.  Here the water tests at the maximum end of the scale which is about 1,000 parts per million.  I am not sure what the authorities that manage the water here report for their hardness but the little strip test shows end of scale.


After it has gone through the softener it comes out somewhere between 40 and 80 parts per million.


Once the hardness starts to increase again we will notice water spots on utensils and sinks and such so will have to regenerate the system again.  That is done by adding dissolved salt to the tank that has the softening agent inside.

In the meantime, I have been scouting out areas to mount the unit and have made a decision on where to put it.  The unit is about two feet high and quite heavy so I have found an area in one of the bays in the basement where it can be safely secured.  To get to it, I need to run water lines between it and the filters, so I have designed a scale template and laid out what I think will be an effective way to do that.  Until that is done I will have to add the salt to regenerate the system outside the coach and will document what that process is like when it happens.

Open the left hand flu flu valve, next to the doohickey and water goes round and round

More to come at some point in the future on this project.  I am not sure if you are like me in this regard but half the problem is coming up with a solution that works and is efficient in doing whatever it is you want to accomplish.  For that I have found laying these things out works best.  Once laid out I take a picture and paste it into an app that allows you to draw various scenarios.  


The other half of the problem is actually making the decision to start the project.  This is one of those projects that, once I make that first cut into an existing line to put this in, I am committed.  So, I will ponder this for some time I am sure before I make that cut.

December 16, 2024

A Christmas Onion???

It is the time of year for everyone to enjoy the Santa Claus parade, or Christmas Parade as some call it.  I am sure all of us can remember standing with our parents, in the cold, sometimes snowing, sometimes raining, and sometimes just plain cold, until we could get to see Santa Claus.  We can also remember doing the same with our children and the excitement building in them as the end of the parade got closer.  We also used to watch the Toronto Santa Claus parade on TV every year with our kids and Pat’s parents.  We made an afternoon of it and enjoyed the show.

On our travels we have experienced a few parades in some places you don’t think of as typically having a Santa Claus or Christmas parade, but in each case they find a way to celebrate the arrival of Christmas.  Last year we saw a boat parade in Florida, and the year before a Junkanoo in the Bahamas.  This year we experienced a parade in the desert town of Quartzsite.


Crystal River Christmas Boat Parade 2023


New Plymouth Junkanoo, Bahamas, 2022

We bundled up because it was cold at about 12C or so.  Yes, I know that is still technically shorts weather but it is the desert and when the sun goes down, so does the temperature.  We all got bundled up and drove the few miles to the road where the parade would pass by.  Everyone stayed in their vehicles until the parade started, but soon everyone was outside wishing those on the floats a Merry Christmas.  It is nice when you get in a setting like that to exchange greetings with people you dont know, who are there for the same purpose, and it doesnt take long to get back into the same feeling you had at a parade as a kid.

For the size of the town we were impressed with the turnout, both for spectators and floats.  It started just after 7pm and lasted for about 35 minutes before the float with Santa and Mrs. Claus.  There were no street lights so it was quite dark but I am fairly certain I saw at least three Santas go by, so I suspect some were just dressed as Santa.  Most of the floats were four by four off-road vehicles decorated with all manner of lights, while some were trucks and trailers, police cars and emergency vehicles.  The people who participated certainly put a lot of effort in decorating their rigs.  My phone does not take particularly good night shots so these are what they are.

I think that might have been a Santa

This one too



Not sure who this is…..


Local service bus, the ‘Camel Express’ decorated up


I actually did not get a picture of the float with Santa on it for some reason, but believe me, he was there.

Just about all the participants on the floats were dispensing candies and treats, while some were running down the road doing the same from sacks.  At one point a trailer went by and because of the dark we didnt see it, but heard all kinds of candies hitting the ground at our feet, plus one big thud.  We turned on our cell phone lights to gather them up, noting the thud that hit the ground was an onion.  Now I know there are lumps of coal that may be left for some at Christmas but we were really puzzled about the onion.  It was not really any worse for wear so I brought it home and it will end up being eaten at some point.  This was also no random act as I saw other onions on the road after the parade ended.  I couldn’t help but wonder about the onion and what the story was about.  It was obviously a deliberate act to take onions on the float, but why.

Well I know you will want to know as well, so I googled it.  Google found a story from the Arizona Republic on line newspaper from 2019 (go figure).  The story is found at this link and apparently there is a tradition centered around the Christmas Onion.  So now we know.  I hope the link remains viable for you to read over time, but it is an interesting read and basically talks about the various layers of Christmas that elicit more tears/emotion the closer you get to the center/Christmas.  I wont be throwing onions at people any time soon but think this was a way for whoever threw it to send a message about Christmas.


December 14, 2024

Lake of Blue-Green Water

The Natives who lived in the Western region of Arizona referred to the water that flowed down the Colorado River through their lands as Blue-Green.  Blue-Green in their language is Havasu and they were referred to as Havasupai.  So, when the Parker Dam was built in the 1930’s the reservoir of water being held back was called Lake Havasu. 

Bill and Pat wanted to share the experience of Lake Havasu City with us, so we took the ninety minute drive up through Parker to there.  From Parker to Lake Havasu City you are roughly travelling along the Colorado River valley with some sections near the Parker Dam with tall cliffs encroaching on either side of the highway.  This would be why they chose that section of the river to build the dam.  It is quite scenic and I was more interested in looking at the cliffs and crags than taking pictures apparently as I do not have any good ones of the rocks.  I will get some next time as we are taking that route when we start our trip home in a few months.  I did get some pictures of the river and blue-green water, but again, the pictures do not always transfer what your eye sees.

As good as it gets for Blue-Green

Lake Havasu City was developed by Robert McCullogh in 1963 initially as a place to test outboard motors on Lake Havasu.  He clearly had other plans right from the start because his family was known for chainsaws and not outboard motors.  To spur development of the area he built a number of manufacturing plants for chainsaws, and the Wikipedia link above is quite detailed in his backstory and the link to the area.  

Perhaps his biggest and most well known project was the purchase, removal, transport and eventual rebuilding of the London Bridge.  This link describes a lot more than I am going to write about it, but when you see what the results of that purchase and his vision were, of building a city in the desert you can’t help but be impressed.



The walkway that has been created along the waterfront where the bridge is located is lined with trees, is well manicured and a very popular place for locals and tourists alike as it was busy for a cool morning.  There is certainly a different feel when you are in a desert location with water, grass, trees, and a mountain backdrop.  The population is around 56,000 year round but the city has a much larger feel to it and is clearly still growing.  We took a drive north of the city before we returned home and both Bill and Pat commented on the amount of new building that was going and had taken place since their last visit.  You can see why retirees from all over the US would want to come to a place like this.


One other interesting thing about Lake Havasu and not necessarily the city proper, is the presence of 28 replica scaled down lighthouses.  These are lighthouses from the US East Coast, West Coast and Great Lakes.  The one that marks one end of the entrance to the canal that goes under the bridge is the same one we have at home hanging on the wall as a tapestry.


Replica of the Currituck Beach Lighthouse, North Carolina

For those readers who have travelled and may be interested in this sort of thing, this particular lighthouse is reminiscent of the Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse, in Jupiter, Florida.  When we boated out of Stuart we would very often pass by that lighthouse on our way up or down the Intra-Coastal Waterway.

While we were in town, for lunch we took the ferry across to the California side of the lake to the Native run casino.  Not nearly as big as the one we saw in St. Louis, but big enough, and I imagine quite busy during the height of tourist season.  You would think that would be just about now, but the casino was nearly empty, so not sure what that means.  But we managed to find a few machines to drop our cash into, and despite the winnings Pat had in St. Louis she could not repeat here.  I was consistent in my losing so we did not come out ahead at all.  It was a fun stop and the lunch was great.


Zeus got his revenge this time

Casino with empty marina.  I am sure it is packed in the summer.

Entrance to London Bridge canal approaching from the lake.