Wednesday - Dec 2/15

Good Morning. The internet is still working - sort of. Sometimes it is fast and other times really slow. I tried a half a dozen more tweaks to see if that would help. Apparently this is not an uncommon problem.judging by the number of help requests on the internet.

Charlotte was off to crafts for 9 a.m. today. She insisted on walking. Today's temp will be 10 degrees above normal at 85 F. The high humidity will make it feel like 90 F. The next few days will have periods of rain which will be mostly in the late afternoon or early evening as the temps drop. The high dew point means that the cooling will cause rain which will be mostly light and sporadic.

After Charlotte left I went out to do a sewage "Dump". What appears to be a spider's web of hoses makes this process quite easy.

I use a Gilmour Full Flow Aluminum Four Way Connector.

I printed out new labels for each of the 4 Valves so I could re-label the connector.

I have been using "The Sewer Solution" since I bought the RV. I have never used a regular sewer hose. I dump and clean the holding tank without getting my hands dirty. A high velocity water jet pulls sewage from the RV sewer pipe and ejects it out the discharge hose which is a little larger than a regular garden house. The water jet liquefies the waste and tissue as it pumps several gallons per minute into the sewer.

I have added a clear extension to the discharge line so I can easily see the progress. Many RVers make the mistake of thinking their tank has been completely emptied when they no longer hear liquid emptying into the sewer line. I have discovered that water takes the easiest path leaving "piles" of solids in the tank. This most often is the last used pieces of toilet paper. When I no longer see liquid I close the valve and run the "Black Tank" (Sewer) flusher that spins and sprays water around the inside of the tank for a few minutes. Re-opening the sewer line most often finds additional solids are flushed out of the tank. I do this 2 or 3 times. These extra flushes usually empty out a surprising amount of toilet paper allowing the tank to be used longer before becoming full.

Neighbours were out doing "odd jobs" around their RV which included roof maintenance,

Blowing leaves off the drive,..

...and gardening tasks were on the agenda.

I had an enjoyable half hour conversation with my next door neighbour. RV parks are like being in a small town community in the 50's and 60's. Everyone is social, friendly and helpful. Many "Snowbirds" are from this era. They instill this way of life into the "Adult (means over 55 - not X rated - grin) RV parks.

Sadly, the "Small Town" way of life began disappearing in the 60's as real estate developers, to be competitive by lowering home costs, made sidewalks, front porches and picket fences disappear. As they did, so did a way of life. Thankfully, it can still be found at Olde Mill Stream RV Resort and other similar snowbird destinations. If you are in the "neighbourhood", stop by. They will be glad to give you a tour.

It was also time to replace the batteries in the clock/temperature units. The large clock shows interior temp on the bottom left. The temp on the bottom right is outside temp sent by an outside unit. The small display shows the refrigerator temp without having to open the door to check it.

Another similar clock on the bedroom wall shows the interior (bedroom) temp and the Freezer temp. This way I can keep track and know if I have to increase the cooling level of the refrigerator.

Being retired we also have a need for a "Day" clock. This was a gift from my daughter Kat. It not only shows the time, it shows the day of the week (Red Hand). When RVing days are so much the same it is easy to forget the day of the week.

Charlotte returned from this morning's craft session. She was busy cutting lots and lots of fabric. Some is for the jewelry bag craft class which she has been asked to teach again this year. There were also numerous squares cut for an upcoming "Christmas Ball project.

For dinner we opened our first bottle of "White Sauce" - it won't last long. It was used liberally on our re-heated (last night's) "take-home".

The remainder of my afternoon was spent on the computer. I am still trying to get the Wi-Fi to be consistent. I also spent time catching up on the blog (yesterday and today).

With the humidity and higher temps today I decided to start the A/C units so it would be cool for Charlotte when she returns. It was also a way to make sure they were working properly. It is good practice to regularly operate A/C units for at least 10 minutes once every week or two. It keeps the seals condition and adds to the longevity of the unit. My home unit and the Del Sol A/C lasted 19 years. The RV units are still working fine after 12 years.

Charlotte left for the afternoon class which involved making "Dreamcatchers" as gifts for the local "Girl's Ranch" which is a home for abandoned youth. This project is still a work in progress.

Dreamcatchers originated with the Ojibwe (Ojibway) people residing in Canada (Quebec to Saskatchewan) and the USA (Michigan to Montana). Later it was adopted by some neighboring nations through intermarriage and trade. In the 1960s and 1970s they were widely adopted by Native Americans of a number of different nations. Some consider the dreamcatcher a symbol of unity among the various Indian Nations, and a general symbol of identification with Native American or First Nation cultures.

Lore says that dreamcatchers would filter out all bad dreams and only allow good thoughts to enter our mind. Once the sun rises, all bad dreams just disappear. The shape of the dreamcatcher is a circle representing the sun (moon and month) as it travels each day across the sky. There is meaning to every part of the dreamcatcher from the hoop to the feathers to the beads embedded in the webbing.

The usual Jeopardy, etc. evening before bed.