On the Road Again!

Terry and I are on our way to our daughter's wedding out in Illinois. We're traveling in two separate vehicles because

A) we are giving the 2017 RAV4 to Jess to replace(?) her 2006 Yaris, Bob. Bob has done yoemen's work hauling Jess and her belongings from New Jersey to California and then to Illinois. He's been showing his age lately, however and it's just a matter of time before something major goes wrong and, lets face it, Toyota hasn't made a Yaris in years. Parts might be a bit scarce.

B) the RAV4 is jam packed with some of Jess' "stuff" that she left in our basement and attic. Although the tuba and some of the other instruments are still in PA awaiting her directions. And I'm holding on to some books because I want to read them.

We left PA around 6 am and agreed to meet at the RV Museum and Hall of Fame in Elkhart, Indiana. We did run into one another twice along the way speaking only when we both pulled into one of the rest areas in Ohio. Even so, we got to the museum only about 15 minutes apart (around 2:30 pm) before going on to a nearby motel.

 

I can't remember the last time i drove out this way. Must be at least 6-7 years ago. (Justin was able to walk and was climbing all over the logs and rocks on the Pacific Ocean's Oregon beach when Terry and I visited. Before that it was my solo cross-country journey a year or so before that.)

It's a much shorter ride from here so we'll get to sleep in, shower and breakfast at our leisure before hitting the road.

About That 2024 RAV4 vs Deer Thing

 Okay, I should have written about this earlier, but Terry's car got repaired in what I would have to consider record time. One week after the car accident, the folks at Gerber Collision & Glass called to say it was ready for pickup. The next day we were up in Horseheads to retrieve the beast and had to pay...nothing. No deductible or anything because AllState has a forgiveness policy. And because we were with them--home and auto--for 50+ years with no real claims (18 with the agency here in PA) we got TWO forgiveness awards. I can only home we do not have to use the second anytime soon!

And the car looked like it was right off the showroom floor. Which it was back in the spring.

I can highly recommend Rennie Renaldo (AllState) and Gerber Collision & Glass enough!

 

Now, About another INTERESTING Weekend

 Friday night, Terry and I were sitting down to dinner at approximately 5:30 pm. The winds were howling as they are wont to do during November when there was a loud POP! and a flash of light down the hill and our electricity went out.

I called the outage in to the offices at Tri-County Rural Electric Cooperative using their automated system and (my mistake!) told them I didn't need to be called back when power was restored. I figured it would be, at most, two hours or so. When Power wasn't back on at 7:30, Terry and I went to bed. 

I woke up at 12:30 am to find power still had not come back on so I called Tri-Co again and this time spoke to a real person who told me they had 44 folks on the initial power outage and that they had all gotten their power back. I told her we had not and that there was no one else on our little spur except for some hunters from New Jersey who were not at their cabin this weekend. She asked if I had checked the main breaker because if it was on our end we might get a charge on our bill. I told her to send a crew to investigate and I would pay the charge if need be. Then I went to check the breaker which was NOT the problem.

The truck showed up around 1:00 am and two guys started to look over the line. First, they found a fuse box with its door open and they went about checking the line between there and the Jersey guys' cabin to see if a tree or branch lay on the wires. Around 1:30 am the lights came back on. Too late for me to go back to sleep.

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Saturday I was in the basement groggily working on a jigsaw puzzle and watching Rutgers football when I noticed the shallow water pump we have to move water from our 500 gallon cistern to all the faucets in the house just would not stop running. I checked it out and concluded there was something wrong with the pressure switch so I tried fiddling with it to no avail. (Turns out nothing I did would have done any good anyway and might have done even more harm.) 

Deciding the switch was defective, I hauled Terry down to Lowes to get a replacement. (Misery loves company!)

I installed wired the new switch only to have it behave just like the old one. Rather than try to fiddle with this one, I told Terry to find a plumber. She went on line and found one guy who said they could    n't get to us for TWO WEEKS! She must have sounded desperate because he then recommended she call another guy who specializes in well drilling and Gould's Water Pumps. A shallow water pump just like the one we have.

Terry called and this guy said he would be right over. He showed up around 7 pm with his wife and while he started trouble-shooting I asked if she was his helper and her reply was, "No. I'm his boss." Well, they worked for three hours before showing me what was wrong: Clay deposits in the pipe leading to the switch and in the main outlet (plenum?) were constricting water flow. The pressure switch wasn't getting enough ummph behind it to shut sown and the waster coming out of the pump wasn't getting to the faucets with the correct pressure. He spent two more hours chipping out the build-up and replacing the small pipe leading to the pressure switch before he said they couldn't finish because they had to go home and make a gasket for two pieces to be put back together. "What time are you going to be up tomorrow [Sunday] morning?" "What time can you get here?"

They were back at 8 am Sunday morning. Everything was put back together and checked out several times before Bob Burrows said he was satisfied and, most importantly, his wife Sissy was satisfied too. 

While he worked we talked about Alaska, New Orleans, Nova Scotia, Montana, and RVing around the country. Ice shops old and new in the area. Lots of other stuff too. I learned his son usually does the repair work while he does the well drilling. But the younger Burrows spends the weekend with his kids while Bob covers as repairman.

He had, essentially, rebuilt the pump and water was flowing like it was new. All of Saturday night and part of Sunday morning. When I asked, "How much?" I was ready to pay whatever it was. Then he said,  "$400." and I couldn't write the check fast enough. More good people. And an answer to a prayer.

Interesting Day

 

Yesterday (Tuesday, October 15^th) was one of those “interesting” days you hear about.

Terry planned to go to Hampton, VA for a stitching convention and I wanted to go to Cabela’s in Hamburg, PA  to use my accumulated points to “purchase” a late birthday present for myself.

She got up at 4am and, having loaded her stuff into the new RAV4 the previous night, was off soon after.

I got up at 5am and went downstairs to make a cup of coffee for my trip.

That’s when things got “interesting.”

Terry walked in the door and I was all set to make fun of her for forgetting something when she said, “I got an 8-point buck.”

Three questions popped out: “Are you okay? Where? How bad is the damage to the car?”

She’s fine and only wanted to transfer her stuff to the older RAV4 so she could get on her way ASAP.  She hadn’t even gotten to the entrance to the new I-99 (Route 15) in Bloss when the deer jumped out in front of her. She managed to turn around and come home but didn’t see the deer on the side of the road on her return. (I didn't see it on my way down to Loganton but spotted a carcass on the side of the road later in the day when I passed through that section of roadway on my way home. It didn’t have a head when I saw it.) Damage to the car was significant. The left front corner was all busted up and the driver’s door couldn’t be opened (I used a prybar to get the door open this morning when the tow driver got her to pick it up.) Terry had climbed over the console to get out the passenger's door.

 

I called Allstate when I got home and they were very helpful in filing a claim and contacting a Good Hands repair shop in West Elmira, NY for me. In fact, they were so efficient, I got a call from the repair shop BEFORE I was finished talking to the claims agent. The repair shop arranged to have a tow company come first thing this morning to pick up the vehicle—a process that went smoother than expected once I pried the door open.

Terry called while I was still on the road home from Hamburg to report she had no further “adventures” and had arrived safely at the hotel in Hampton.

As for my day… I picked up buddy Joe in Loganton, PA (just outside of Jersey Shore). I was a tad early what with the nerves running on edge after Terry’s little escapade and had to wait for him to finish dressing. The map system in my truck (Siri) wouldn’t give us directions to Cabela’s so I pulled out my phone and let Google maps do the job. It took us on a route we had never used before but we got there despite the several construction sites we had to go through.

At Cabela’s we went right to the gun desk and, after signing in to be #1 on the waiting que, finally got to look at the three lever action rifles I had in mind: S&W1854, Marlin 1895 and Henry Golden Boy. I liked all three but had a special feeling for the Henry. That’s when the clerk said he would hate to have to keep all that brass clean and brought out a Henry Big Boy X. Blued steel, fiber optic sights, tapped for a Picatinny rail, M-Lok accessory slots if I so choose, and an easy to keep clean synthetic stock--what’s not to like? Especially since it was one to two hundred less than the others. That difference allowed me to purchase a sling, hard-shell gun case and a couple of boxes of ammunition. And I’ve still got unused points on my account! The only real money I spent ws for the gas my truck used to travel down and back.

Joe didn’t buy anything but was shocked at the price of brass and powder for reloading. He figures he made a wise investment when he purchased in bulk a few years back. We also picked the brains of, and offered sympathy to, the people behind the counter who processed my paperwork for my background check. We learned that in the state of Pennsylvania alone there were 640,000 background checks performed this year. Sure, 40,000 were rejected or put on hold for one reason or another, but still, that’s at least 600,000 guns sold in less than ten months! This particular Cabela’s processes, on average, 100 background checks a day.

All in all, I had an enjoyable day. Terry? Not so much. But after a rocky start she managed to salvage the day and is having a good time with friends old and new down in Hampton. VA.

 

The Best Laid Plans

 After several years of plague induced closure, health concerns (mine), and then fire, our buddies at Caesar's North Camps finally had us booked for a week at Hanotaux camp on the Goin Reservoir. Joe and I have been going up there since our youngest sons were 10 years old. (That would be 30 years ago!) We missed a few years for the reasons mentioned above. One year I took the family (without Joe) and Joe went once with his wife and another time with his eldest son and his daughter, but between us only fire and pandemic kept us away.

To alleviate some of my concerns about possible blood clots in my legs, etc., we arranged to rent a satellite phone from Ollie to be used in case of an emergency. 

We left the Aerie around 6 am Wednesday morning after Joe drove up from just outside of Jersey Shore, PA. The new Tundra (Tilly) behaved like a dream and the GPS app scooted us through Ottawa via a route we had never take before but, considering the amount of new construction going on, was very efficient.The GPS unit must have been feeling either puckish or impish, however. Once we got past Mont-Laurier--our usual final fueling stop--the ole GPS had us go off on a new route it considered shorter than our usual . We were game so we listened and went exploring. We were sent off on some narrow, dusty roads we hadn't seen before and which seemed very sparsely traveled but er persevered. Until we got to one recommended turn where the road was a mere track and the scrub trees were making it narrower than Tilly was wide. Nope we weren't taking that turn! Luckily our current road and some re-calibration by the GPS imps, got us back on tract and we were kicking up a huge cloud of dust behind us as we progressed to Clova and the offices of Caesar's. (When a vehicle came the other way, the dust made visibility impossible!)

We arrived at the new offices around 7 pm after traveling approximately 600 miles in 13 hours. Oliver greeted us sold us our fishing licenses, worms and lures, and collected the rent for the sat phone. Then we went over to get a pizza at the only restaurant in town--which was also the hotel. Actually our room was a block away in what had been Caesar's old office and Ollie's home in Clova. 

 

We returned to the new office/air base at 7 am Thursday, weighed and loaded our gear in the Cessna that was to be our ride. We had a new pilot, Peter, who spoke seldom and in halting English--not unexpected -- this is Quebec after all. We pushed off around 7:10 and were in the air 5 minutes later. 

Peter had to do some contour flying to keep below the very low ceiling and even then he passed through the lower edge of the clouds on occasion.We were in the air for about 30 minutes when Peter banked sharply and set us down in front of the Hanotaux cabin. 

 

There a group of four were readying to go out. The oldest of the group (a Dad?) told us they were from Wellsville which is just a stones throw northwest of the Aerie in the Southern Tier of NY. Asked about fishing, they reported fishing was slow but they had managed to find walleye in a couple of spots which they showed to us on the maps. They also helped us get our gear up to the cabin and we helped them get their down to the dock for loading on the plane. Since three of them looked to be fine strapping farm boys we asked for help in launching the boat they said was the better of the two with motors attached (Good thing we did, too. They had hauled the boat so far out of the water I doubt Joe and I--two oldish guys with four fake knees--would have gotten it into the water.)

We made the mistake of telling Peter we knew about all there was to know about changing out a propane tank and relighting the propane refrigerators, hot water heater, and stove pilots. And Peter believed us and hurried on his way with the Wellsville folks.

Joe and I packed our food away, chose our bunks and spread out our sleeping bags. Then we unlimbered our fishing gear and headed out to try our luck. That morning, afternoon and evening we had sparse luck but managed a few keepers which would be saved for dinner on Friday. The wind kept shifting and was producing 3-5 inch rollers with the occasional whitecap. Combination made jigging difficult. But we know we were holding on or close to the bottom. We lost more jigs in one day than we have on some entire trips.

The water was calmer and the winds light when we went out Saturday morning heading off in a southerly direction. There was a haze in the air which we learned later was due to fires miles to the north. Again we struggled to find the walleye under the direction/scorn of a pair of loons who thought we were trespassing. 

 

On the way back to the cabin for lunch, I managed to hit a couple of submerged rocks that were a good 15 meters off the shoreline. The motor ceased up and stopped--in forward gear. The winds, which had kicked up again blew us to the shore about 400 yards for camp.On the opposite side of the water. I put the oars (thankfully they were in pretty good shape!) in the oar locks and put my back into it.

First I crossed the water to the shore that was a bit more protected from the breeze. Then I turned and rowed along the shoreline until we reached the camp. It took a little over an hour and my back and shoulders were feeling the workout's effect. 

We made a satellite phone call to report our problem, Asked if we could still fish, we said yes because there was another boat and motor. We were told Oliver would be there the next morning. Ours wasn't a medical emergency. We went and left the red board on the dock (a mistake we were told as every pilot flying over reported an emergency at Hanotaux which is what the red board means). 

We fished that afternoon and evening while fighting the wind the entire time. We did manage to boat a few keepers that went into the freezer to be taken home. Nothing was too big to throw back and none of the handful of pike we hooked were big enough to keep and filet. 

During the night the propane ran out. While I slept, Joe went and changed out the propane tank and start the process of relighting the  hot water heater and the pilot lights on the stove and refrigerators. He got the burners on the top of the stove (not the oven) going but was frustrated on all the others. I managed, some how to get the hot water heater going but the fridges didn't want to cooperate. I put a second note on the door (there was already one there for the motor) and we went fishing. 

 

We weren't out more than ten minutes before we heard a plane heading in so we pulled our lines and scooted back to listen to Oliver who was trying to his temper while showing us how to light the damn pilot lights. (I think he was just as mad at Peter for not insisting we listen to his instructions as he was with us for brushing Peter's spiel aside because we had been coming here for 30 years and seen everything. Well we've seen it, but we didn't remember it!)

Ollie went on his way and we went back to our poor fishing. 

Sunday morning Joe wakes me up with words I didn't care to hear, "Rich, I've got a problem." Joe has been dealing with an issue with his right eye (retinopathy?). Sunday morning he had a large, yellow circle in the middle of his left eye. His ophthalmologist had told him that if he experienced any change to his vision--either right or left eye--he should get into the office/emergency room ASAP. 

The sat phone came out again and Joe called headquarters to request immediate extraction. We were told someone would be flying out that was around 10 am which gave us time to have breakfast, clean the cabin, and get our gear stowed and stacked on the shore. 

 

10:15 Jean-Luc set down to fly us out. He had to stop at another camp to deal with a motor issue (leaking oil). That stop let us see the multitude of skills a bush pilot like these guys have. They can pretty much deal with everything and, while it may not be perfect when they finish, it will be serviceable. 

Back at headquarters we told Jean-Luc thank you and to let us know if we owe Caesar's for the motor. 

 

It was about 11 am when we hit the road south with a huge cloud of dust rising behind us. We made stops in Mont-Laurier for a fill-up for Tilly, at the border for some beer and booze for us, and finally in Troy, PA to refill Tilly's tank. It was just after midnight when I pulled into the Aerie's driveway. Appropriately enough it was raining cats and dogs.

Joe shifted his gear into his truck and he was on his way. He texted me when he got home. Then again this morning he texted to say he had an appointment with the doc on Tuesday.

Maybe Mother Nature is trying to tell us older guys with infirmities that we should rethink our recreational choices?

It's the End Of May!?

 Well, another month has gone by and as wet as it had been in April, we are super dry in May. On the positive side most farmers have gotten their first cut of hay baled and in storage. The trees are all green and everything looks alive! (Well, except for the ash that have been killed by the borer.) 

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Terry had surgery on her spine mid-month. A partial laminectamy where the surgeon took out a bit of bone and cartilage that was pinching a couple of nerves. She now feels much better except for the weakness she had developed in the months prior to surgery. She complains of muscle aches and pains in her thighs after walking around Wally World for a bit. I can empathize as I have had similar but more extensive back surgery (2015) and two by-passes in my legs 2019 and 2021 that have left me feeling anything but A-OK. But she's getting better!

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Planted our veggie garden the other day. Pretty much the same as previous years with zucchini, cucumber, cherry tomatoes, Early Girl tomatoes, bell peppers, and string beans. I had planted lettuce and onions earlier in the month as they could tolerate cold better. Some of the lettuce didn't germinate so I reseeded those rows and a cut worm got one of our peppers so Terry bought a replacement. With the  dry weather we're having, I need to water every day.

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I mowed the lawn again today. Third time this year. Most of the lawn is either flat (horizontal) or I can follow the contour of the land (also horizontal). I switched the mower to mulch and that meant I didn't have to stop every 10 minutes to empty the bag.

When I got done, I decided to mow the trail. Some of that is horizontal but a goodly portion is sloped in such a way that I had to go up and down. The grade is approximately 20 degrees Thank goodness, the mower is motorized and I just had to hold on--sorta. I did about 150 yards of trail.

Finished with the mowing I decided to take the ATV and chainsaws up the trail to the place I stopped mowing. Not much sun and very little weeds or grass in that spot but I had spotted some tree tops that had come down and they were solid enough to cut into firewood lengths but first I had to go up the slope to get them down to the trail. Walking on shale/slate covered hillside that angles about 40-45 degrees is no picnic. Especially going downhill. My toes push into the metal of my boots and are soon hurting like hell.

But I got them down to where I could work on them. Luckily, the chainsaw started right up and I cut two 15 foot poles into 18 inch lengths. While retrieving the two poles from the slope, I noticed that they had come from the tops of trees that were still standing but which must be dead as they had no branches. I'll have to go back and fell them and cut them into firewood lengths--another day.

My Fitbit says I did 19,200 steps for a distance of 8.5 miles. Good thing I road the ATV out to play lumberjack! I think I earned a nice hot shower this evening.

 

Wet but Busy, Busy, Busy!

 It's been raining, raining, raining here at the Aerie. I barely had enough time to get out and mow the lawn on Thursday before the rains returned with a vengeance. The farmers who are growing pasture or hay must be ecstatic. The first mowing of hay will be exceptional and those cows turned out to pasture are certainly enjoying the new grass.

Don't worry. Cutting the grass only required my walking behind the self-propelled mower. Even the gas can was down to about a gallon so it wasn't a case of heavy lifting.

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Terry got to see a neurosurgeon on Wednesday and they discussed her MRI. It clearly showed two pinched nerves and one old herniated disc. His recommendation was surgery as soon as they could. She goes for presurgery tests on this Tuesday (May 2nd) and is scheduled to go under the knife the following Tuesday. The Doc seems to think she will only have to be in the hospital overnight. We shall see.

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I go for a follow-up with the vascular team on Thursday of this week--May 4th. I haven't noticed any complications from the angioplasty. I do wish Robert Packer Hospital was a tad closer.