Monday, March 30, 2015

Mon - 30 Mar/15

Cool again last night. Down to the high 40's; however, it is still clear and dry. It will warm to almost 80F by lat afternoon. Nice to have no humidity, sunshine and clear blue skies.


I went to the ACE Hardware across the street from the RV Park to buy my needed item with which to "Mickey Mouse" (AKA MacGyver) a fix so I could remove the RV Hot Water Tank Pressure-Temperature Relief Valve.

I did not bring my pipe wrench on this trip. After travelling in the RV with a set of "Heavy Wrenches, etc.) for 10 years and not needed them I decided to reduce the weight and increase storage space by omitting them. Sure enough,  I should have left them in the RV.


The variable sized wrench I have just would not allow for enough leverage to loosen the valve. Actually, the solution was not "Rocket Science". My fix was to screw in a length of galvanized pipe that I purchased at ACE (red arrow). It did the job.

I will keep this Special Tool" for future use. Galvanized pipe is a hard to find item these days. Most all plumbing fixtures today is made of some form of plastic. I was lucky to find this length of pipe as it was all they had with 1/2" threads.

Installed and tightened the new valve. No leak, so we were then on our way for a day trip.I did not want to turn on the hot water until we return just in case it might leak when the tank is heated and/or pressured.

Our first stop was at the Yahala Bakery for a "German" breakfast. Unfortunately, they stopped serving at 10:30 a.m. We then continued on to the Webster Westside Flea Market in Webster, FL. It is held on Mondays (Oct through April: 5 a.m. to 3 p.m.).


Parking is always almost full with the thousands upon thousands that visit during the day.


For more than 50 years, Webster Westside has been the place to find everything imaginable in the35 acres of open air markets.  Here, in the over 300 undercover booths and over 600 outdoor booths, you can find produce, flowers, bakery items, jewelry, plants, boutique items, furniture, musical instruments, electronics, hardware/tools, pet supplies crafts, clothing - just to name a few things. It is also a primary source for the old, unique and unusual.


Our first stop; however, was for breakfast lunch. We ate at "Chez Jim's". I wonder if they are transplanted Canadians from Quebec. (Think the Chez might be a clue - grin).


They provided a great breakfast for a reasonable price (cheaper than McD's).


Still no luck on locating the Corelle dinnerware we have been looking for. Often the "Under Cover" booth vendors have extra items in storage sheds behind their stall. We checked them all with no luck. Corelle is so durable and like by it's owners that it rarely comes up for sale. The closest we might come to The Black Orchid (pattern) is to watch the movie (grin).


Being Florida, there were several booths selling every type of gun and ammo.


There were several Diz Pin dealers. None had "Lumiere" which we have been try to add to our collection for years. Needless to say, it is a hard one to find.


We were tempted at the Homemade Ice Cream Booth. It is made using portable John Deere (circa 1936) machinery. We have had ice cream made this way previously at an Amish Farmers Market. Unfortunately, we were still full from breakfast lunch.

Just a beautiful day to enjoy a convertible ride on the less travelled roads we used to return to the RV Park. Still a faint whiff of the orange blossoms as we passed orange groves near Howey-in-the-Hills, FL.


We stopped at our usual Publix to pick up a jug of milk and this week's magazines for Charlotte. While Charlotte was in shopping I had an interesting talk with a "local" who noticed I was Canadian (the licence plates were a dead giveaway).

He was familiar with Cornwall, ON (nearest large city to where we live) as he served on the SAC Air Force Base in Plattsburgh, NY during the Cold War era. He also noticed my Route 66 hat. He took the Route 66 from Chicago to California after WWII about the time I was born. He still had an original highway sign  - wow!. Most interesting was the fact that he worked in the Sheriff's Department in Orlando. Way back then he said crime did not exist. The yearly major crime rate = about 15 cases. Today, they have more than that in one day.

Back at the RV I checked the PR Valve. No leak, so I turned on the hot water switch. I will keep checking at random to see if all is working correctly.

We found our "Sweet Tank" was a little low. We topped it back up by finishing the last of the desserts we bought the other day from the Yalaha Bakery. It was then time to rest, with a little TV, until it was time for Bingo.


We were off to Bingo being sure to arrive before 6:30. You know, the "If you are a half hour early, you are already 15 minutes late" rule applies here.


The folks sitting next to us informed us that since the new Bingo Calling System was installed the display board we were facing no longer functioned. With their help we were able to switch to the other side of the table just in time for the start of the Bingo. It didn't improve our luck in the least.

After Bingo we were able to get back to the RV ( a 2 minute walk) in time for me to catch the last 3/4 of Scorpion on TV and do the blog. Charlotte watched different programs on the bedroom TV. I finished the blog while watching NCIS Los Angeles.

Another busy day in the "Land of Sunshine" where it is about to get even warmer. The forecast for the next week shows the temps in the High 80's F.

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