Month: September 2015

Much has transpired since my last post. Here is an effort to catch up on the last 3 weekends.

We had driven to our Sanderling lot the weekend before Labor Day to continue cleaning the area we have taken to calling The Nook. The Nook is an expansion of an uphill area we had partially cleared  last year, but is further back on the lot, in more pine trees, and steeper.

Pam and I created a slash pile (burn pit wood) and another pile of soon-to-be firewood. However, due to the terrain we had to haul the slash further than I really like; only with much difficulty could I get the ATV and utility trailer into the area. This slowed us down a bit but we still managed to get several loads of slash staged and one load of firewood ready to bring home.

That weekend we had mice again. Determined to fix this problem,  I crawled under the RV to identify the entry point. Peeling back some of the undercoating fabric,  I found a place where the mice had gained entry through a very round-about route. I think they had come in though a space near the holding tank drain line then followed a smaller drain line into the bathroom sink area. Having purchased a can of expanding foam, I proceeded to plug the route and every small hole and opening around the water tanks and lines that I could find. While this appears to have ended our mouse problem for now – no mice over Labor Day weekend or last weekend – I will need to make a more permanent fix when I bring The Box home for the winter.

And speaking of that…tree colors are changing here in the high country. Como had one night below freezing. It may be only a matter of weeks before we’ll have to shut down operations for the year. Seems like it is just too soon for fall to be here!

September 13, 2015, fall colors beginning to show

The next weekend was Labor Day.  I had taken off  Friday to make a 4-day mini-vacation out of it, planning to include a little adventure by adding a couple of ATV rides to the weekend schedule.

I went up on Friday with the truck and trailer and Pam followed Saturday afternoon with the dogs. By the time Pam arrived I had The Nook slash loaded and taken to the burn pit. Determined to get the most out of the Saturday, we tackled a project closer to the driveway…clearing an area adjacent to the dog run. This spot is in line-of-view of The Box, and has fairly easy access. We quickly had a load ready to go and when I returned from yet another burn pit trip Pam had a good start on a 2nd load. That load would have to wait until this past weekend as the burn pit was now closed for the day. We came to the conclusion that there will always be another pile of slash…for the rest of our lives!

Another slash pile takes shape

Jerry getting a load of firewood out of The Nook

Sunday morning we again worked on the dog run area and added to The Nook’s piles of firewood and slash. Pam headed home around 3:00 PM; I stayed to take my ATV rides later in the day and next morning. We feel we got a lot done and the absence of mice was an added plus.

My 2 ATV rides (Sunday evening and Monday morning) were of Hall Valley and North Twin Cone Peak. The former was fairly easy and short, only about 14 miles round trip, but a light smattering of rain made the evening a bit more interesting. However, the rain ended quickly and the long rays of the sun made for a very nice late afternoon ride.

My ATV and another family at the end of the Hall Valley trail. (Building is an old bunkhouse.)

Monday’s ride of North Twin Cone Peak, accessed from the top of Kenosha Pass, was pleasant but the final third of the trail was rocky and steep, thus making for slow going. The 32 mile round trip took me over 4 hours. Highest elevation, at the top of the peak, was 12,600 feet. I was glad Pam had insisted I bring my lined leather jacket along…it was chilly up there. I headed back to The Box, had lunch, hooked up the trailer full of firewood, and headed home, completing the long holiday weekend.

Downhill on the North Twin Cone Peak trail. Angles not enhanced by camera…trail was steep and rocky in places.

Fast forward to this past weekend. I drove up Friday after work  – no day off this time – while Pam stayed home. Saturday morning I managed to get the pre-staged slash (a couple of loads) out of The Nook and over to the pit and still had time to get another load ready by late afternoon. (Photo of this 3rd load is below.) Originally I had planned to return home on Saturday, but the weather was totally beautiful and I was tired so I decided to stay over until Sunday morning. I made myself dinner then built a nice campfire and watched the stars appear after the fire died out. At our elevation, just under 10,000 feet, and with no lights around (the moon had not yet risen) you can really see all the stars and the swirls of the Milky Way.  I slept well that night.

Load #3, more fuel for the burn pit

Sunset from The Lot, 9/12/2015

The last big project for the year is scheduled for September 24 – 25, when we will have another load of gravel delivered for the lower end of the driveway. While the gravel company will try to spread the gravel somewhat when dumping it from the truck, we anticipate a lot of gravel will have to be moved and raked by hand. We want to get this done now as some washout has occurred on the lower end of the drive over the last two winters. Hopefully the gravel will put a stop to further driveway deterioration.

That’s it for now. Thanks for looking in!

Pam’s Two Cents Worth:

It’s a mad rush to the end of the season.  Once we wrap it up at Sanderling, it will be time to accelerate the retirement house hunt– into next year.  Something to keep us engaged during the long winter months.

Happy Trails.

In my last post I mentioned a “trip video” I was working on. Here is a 6-minute clip consisting of footage taken in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. The footage is mostly waterfalls, but a few still photos have been added to break up the waterfall monotony.

[cincopa A0PAI1MTLn1e]

I do like my waterfalls. 🙂

A few statistics about the trip:

Miles on bike: 580

Miles in truck: 3,313

Highest price per gallon of regular: $3.17 in Colorado

Lowest price per gallon of regular: $2.46 in Iowa

Hotel price range per night : $59.00 in Lincoln up to around $85.00 in Nebraska and Minnesota. (Julie’s Motor Inn, base camp for the rally, came in at just under $65.00 per night.)

Total gallons of gasoline purchased for truck: 250

Average MPG – truck: 13.3

Total gallons of gasoline for bike: 14

Bike’s average MPG: 42

Number of photos taken: 131

Number of video clips shot: 12 (all on an iPhone 6+)

The trip took 11 days all told, August 11 (afternoon) until August 22nd (early evening).

 Next post: Back to normal themes, including The Lot, Fall colors, and general living.

That’s it for now. Thanks for looking in!

Pam’s Two Cents Worth:

And my vacation lasted from August 11 (afternoon) until August 22nd (early evening).

The last segment of my trip, which had begun on August 11th, included a visit to central Wisconsin to see my mother and family members.

I arrived in Greenwood, where my mother lives, late in the day on Monday, August 17th. The drive down from Michigan’s Upper Peninsula was a bit rainy and cold, but I did work in a stop at another waterfall. Notice how grey the sky is, an indication of the intermittent rain falling on this Monday morning.

Agate Falls

The old railroad trestle is now part of a recreational trail for both summer and winter use. Must be interesting to ride a snowmobile over it! The primitive trail down to the bottom of the falls is almost non-existent and it took a bit of work to get this shot.

The visit with my mother and sister Sienna was quiet. We talked a lot, watched a little TV, and I walked part of the land where I grew up. It is different now, after 4 decades, particularly where open fields have grown over with large trees and tall grasses.

On Wednesday I drove to Bloomer to visit with Pam’s brother Craig and his wife Dianne, who just moved into their newly-built lakeside retirement home. While there is still work to do, the house is very well built and quite attractive. Both Craig and Dianne are glad to be out of their small rental, occupied while the house was under construction. They still have a lot of boxes to go through, still need to sort out storage places for their stuff, but both are retired and are looking forward to settling into their new place.

Craig and Dianne outside their new house

After a very good visit with relatives on Pam’s side, I headed back to Greenwood, stopping to see my father’s brother Frank and his sister Gina, my aunt and uncle. Both live near Chippewa Falls. Aunt Gina is 94 and is still as sharp as ever. Uncle Frank is 88 and looks terrific. They took me out to eat at a China Buffet and we were able to talk for quite a while over dinner and later back at Aunt Gina’s house. It was very good to see both of them.

The next morning, the 19th, I started back to Colorado with the intent on making it as far as Lincoln, Nebraska that evening. On the way I passed a sign advertising the Iowa Aviation Museum. Who knew? So, just on the spur of the moment, I decided to visit the museum.

The museum is small but growing and has a collection of some ’20s and ’30s aircraft as well as a few newer planes.

1929 Stearman

A-7 Corsair

I had arrived late in the day and could not stay long at the museum, but it was an interesting place to visit! Later that day I arrived in Lincoln and settled in for the night.

The next day it was back on the road again. Previously I had mentioned I’d stopped in North Platte during the initial days of this trip to buy a used tire, and at that time had been quoted $180.00 per tire for a set of “take off” tires. (The story is that a guy had purchased a new truck but wanted “monster truck” tires installed so traded these in. Supposedly the tires, Michelin light truck tires, had only about 400 miles on them.) I decided to offer the dealer $150.00 per tire, about $92.00 each off the price of a new tire, and they said OK if they could keep the old tires to resell. So I stopped in North Platte and had a “new” set of tires installed! The old tires, on the truck since we bought it, were nearing the end of their service life and Pam and I had talked about replacing them this fall, so I just accelerated the timing a bit. The Michelins seem to ride very well and are quieter than the tires they replaced. I just hope they last a long time.

That night, Friday, I made it as far as our Sanderling lot in Colorado and stayed in The Box, our RV trailer. Saturday morning I did a few chores (such as loading the firewood I had cut previously), walked around the lot a bit, and just sat for a while enjoying the morning while drinking a hot cup of tea. After I did get going I stopped to look at a couple of For Sale houses Pam had seen during an on-line search; my last leg home was unhurried with a few side stops.

Over all it was a good trip. I saw some new country, reconnected with some old acquaintances, met some new people, and visited family. I had the opportunity to visit Craig and Dianne’s new home plus walk the property where I grew up.  I ate some good food and drank some good beer and learned a bit of history along the way.  Then I had to go back to work… 🙁

My next post will have a few statistics and a movie clip, mostly waterfalls but presenting a few other topics as well.

That’s it for now. Thanks for looking in!

Pam’s Two Cents Worth:

Convincing Fields to drive the truck and trailer the cycle was a good move.  He also did well watching his diet and practicing moderation to control his diabetes during his first major trip since his diagnosis.

Happy Trails.