RV'ing Fosters Ingenuity!

I have found over the years that owning an RV causes me to be much more creative then I would otherwise be.  I'm not sure if it is because RV related items tend to be expensive or if having an RV and tinkering with it causes me to come up with all kinds of new ideas on how to improve things. 

Below are a couple of examples of what I am talking about.  The first was the result of losing a 1/2 inch socket in the wall when I was working to eliminate the noise in our overhead sleeper area.  The socket came off of the ratchet and I thought that I had lost it in the wall forever. I knew that I had purchased a flexible tool with fingers that I might be able to use to fish out the socket, but as usual, I couldn't find it anywhere.  So ingenuity to the rescue, I had some magnets, superglue and a handy dandy yard stick and the socket was rescued quickly and easily!

Additionally I had posted several days ago that my neighbor had helping me install a couple of stabilizing jacks on the rear frame of our motorhome.  I had purchased a handle with a "J" hook on the end that I used to raise and lower the jacks (I know, not as nice as the auto levelers that many of you have commented about). So I set out on the Internet to find something that I could use to raise and lower the jacks using my rechargeable drill. 

After looking at many websites, the best I could come up with was a 6" adaptor that fit into my rechargeable drill, but it would still require me to climb under the rig and that wouldn't do.  So off to Home Depot I went and found a 3/8" aluminum rod that would fit nicely in my drill, but I still needed a "J' hook on the end to fit into the jacks.  So, I decided to place the end of the rod in my bench vise and heat it using my torch.  Once hot, it was easy to bend it into a "J" hook on the end and it works perfectly to raise and lower the jacks without me having to crawl up underneath the rig. 

I'm sure that you all have done similar projects on your RV's, I always feel pretty good when things work out well and save me a few bucks besides!

That's it for today...hope your week is going well and that you will go out and use some good old ingenuity today!

Wild Flowers!

Because I know that it is only a matter of time before it gets hotter than hades here and I won't be able to get outside and enjoy a daily walk, I try when my schedule allows, to get out of the office and walk 1-2 miles around the neighborhood behind our offices. 

As I walk, there are more and more wild flowers popping up in yards and along the pathways where I walk like the ones below, that are just beautiful.  I sure enjoy this time of year and hate to think that it will be ending soon.

I wanted to welcome Encourage One Another as our thirteenth blog follower, welcome aboard and we all could use some encouragement during these challenging times.

I hope your week is off to a great start and that you have the opportunity to get out and smell the flowers!

Daily Quote! “Time is the coin of your life. It is the only coin you have, and only you can determine how it will be spent. Be careful lest you let other people spend it for you. ” Carl Sandburg

A Little Motivation!

Back in January I shared the beginning of my process against the Battle of the Bulge!  I am happy to report that 5 weeks later I ahead of schedule to lose 1.5 pounds per week. 












I am not sharing this to brag, but rather to let everyone know that this process works and is really painless.  It has created a whole new awareness of the foods I eat and the calories they contain as well as the necessary exercise that is required to take the weight off.  I am looking forward to my continued progress with this program and hope to share one more of these 10 Pound Club badges before I reach my goal. 

I hope you are all doing well and have a safe and enjoyable weekend!

Daily Quote! Encouragement is to raise confidence to the point where one dares to do what is difficult.

Wow...What A Transformation!

Well, although it was painful and expensive to have our three pine trees removed from the front of our house last Friday, it is now done and I think it looks much better than I thought it ever would.  Our little house magically got bigger!

 

A friend posted this on her Facebook page today and I thought it was pretty funny, hopefully this rig doesn't belong to anyone you know. :-)

 

 

I hope you are all having a great week...the weather here has been wonderful and it is only going to get better.

Daily Quote! One man with courage makes a majority. Andrew Jackson 7th U.S. President

Great Weekend At McDowell Mountain Park!

Tracy and I had a great weekend camping at McDowell Mountain Park...Here are some pictures from our time there...

A Saturday morning bird walk with Ranger Amy...

Our daughter Sarah and boyfriend Jake joined us for a nice hike on the Wagner Trail.

Beautiful poppies along the trail.

A great Sunday Brunch....Yum!

A barrel cactus being protected by desert trees...

Ranger Amy didn't teach us what kind of bird would use this type of nest...it sure looked neat.

A jumping cholla with lots of pups....we gave it some distance.

 An Ocotillo getting ready to bloom!

The fountain in Fountain Hills in the distance...always nice to see.

One of our beautiful sunsets.

Our three day weekend went quick, but we enjoyed every minute with rest, relaxation, exercise and great food.  Can't wait until our next outing. Hope your weekend was great too!

Getting Things Stabilized!

One of things that I missed about our travel trailer were the stabilizer jacks on each corner that was so easy to use and really reduced the movement from the wind or people walking around in the rig.   

The former owner had left two stabilizer jacks in one of the compartments, but they were heavy to move in and out and were a pain to get up and under the rig (I'm pretty spoiled huh!). 

So, thankfully I have a neighbor who is a jack of all trades and welding is one of the many things that he does well.  So I drove across the street and John went to work getting the jacks welded to the frame.

 

Doesn't look too comfortable, does it...

 

So, not only did John do a great job welding up the jacks, but he put bolts in to make doubly sure that those jacks didn't come off while we were heading down the road. Can't wait to try them out for the first time!

 

If you are in Arizona and ever need a great handyman/craftsman, let me know and I will give you John's contact information.  He is fast and always does great work.

 

Daily Quote! “I have yet to find the man, however exalted his station, who did not do better work and put forth greater effort under a spirit of approval than under a spirit of criticism. ” Charles Schwab

The Trees Are Coming Down!

We have lived in the same house for over 17 years and have always enjoyed the shade that our three pine trees have provided us over the years.  Unfortunately, the former owner was not thinking about the repercussions of planting three, what would become large trees, in the small space that he selected.  Additionally, he did not think about what would occur when he planted the eleven Eucalyptus trees along the border of our property less than two feet away from our privacy walls. 

Needless to say, the pines have broken up the planters, stem walls, sidewalk and columns out front and need to be removed before they get any larger and do anymore damage.  Tracy and I are sad that this has to occur and know that our house will not look the same without them, but also understand the damage that lies ahead if we don't address this issue now. 

We are scheduled to have three large trucks appear tomorrow morning with workers hoisted up into the trees cutting branches like crazy. I would imagine that by about noon the noise will cease and the front of our property will be transformed.  I will try to take pictures to share with all of you without getting hit in the head during all of the commotion!:) 

Hope your week is going well, we can't wait to enjoy the beautiful weekend that lies ahead for us. 

Daily Quote! “Ask yourself: Have you been kind today? Make kindness your modus operandi and change your world. ” Annie Lennox