August 6 - September 4, 2026: Anniversary Celebration; Closet Shelves & Light; Home Wash & Wax; Refrigerator Fan; Campout Canceled.

My Blog Reflection

Fools aren't willing to learn from anyone - not even from the wise, while the wise are willing to learn from everyone - even from fools.

Sofo Archon

August 6, 2026:

Our 55th Anniversary was on August 6th. For our Anniversary Dinner we had a salad Kelly made and Imo's Pizza. Both were good and made for an evening about as exciting as we get these days. LOL

August 7, 2026:

We went to supper with John and Carlene, and Donnie and Mona Clements, at "Al's Place" in McBride. The food is always good there. Kelly and I split a catfish platter. Everyone was happy with their meal.

August 8, 2026:

August 8th I worked with Alexa in making shelves for her hall closet. The chimney takes up most of the closet but these shelves will help greatly with use of the space. She wants to use it as a food pantry. Here is a before and after picture. I let Aaron due all the work in the tight quarters.

Once the shelf supports were installed and shelves cut Alexa painted everything white. 

There is a wire rack on the closet door and Alea wants to purchase another to mount on the chimney for storage of additional small items. The closets in this house are quite small so she has to make the best use of the space she has.

While we were working on the closet shelves at Alexa's, Kelly made spaghetti sauce from the tomatoes that Donny and Mona gave us. They love to grow the tomatoes and always have many more than they can eat. This is a second batch of sauce. Kelly and Alexa made a batch earlier in the week from the tomatoes Bob and Ronnie gave us. Kelly freezes the sauce in jars and we just take one out as needed all year long. Alexa will have a nice stash as well.

August 9, 2026:n

I sprayed the weeds in our landscaping this morning before it got hot. Later I cut the grass. Boring. I have never cut the grass this often in August before.

August 14, 2026:

I helped Gary with a little plumbing project this morning. All went well, which is always good. I will cut the grass again this afternoon.

August 17, 2026:

There is electricity near Alexa's hall closet so we installed a motion sensing light that comes on when you open the door. It does a great job of lighting up the entire closet.  As we were wiring the light Alexa asked if we could install an outlet inside the closet. She could then hang her battery-powered vacuum inside and leave it  plugged in to keep it charged. With a quick trip to the hardware store we obtained what we needed for that install. Here is a picture of the shelves all painted and stacked with food. The light was absolutely necessary to see what is inside.

August 22, 2026:

I cut the grass again today. With the rain we have been getting it needs to be cut about every four days. A week ago I bought myself a battery-operated pump to pump gas out of the gas container and up and into the mower's gas tank. It works much better than for this old man to hold the five gallon tank up while pouring into the mower's tank, which is fairly high.

Granddaughter Wren, who is in first grade and loves to play soccer, started playing for a new team today. She is a really good soccer player for her age. She is the one in blue.

August 23, 2026:

RV refrigerators work by heating ammonia with electric or propane. As the ammonida expands from heat, it cools down the fridge.  When it is really hot outside these non-compressor refrigerators have a hard time keeping up, particularly if the refrigerator is on the sunny side the of the RV. 

The fridge has an access panel at the bottom which has vents in it. This is to allow air to come in and move upward and come out the vent in the roof of the RV.  A fan mounted in the back of the fridge will help the natural convection process by pulling air in from the outside. Any additional air flow will help cool the fins in the back of the refrigerator. I will use a computer fan for this project because I have several on hand. I ordered a thermostat so I can set a temperature for it to come on and go off based on the weather. In cooler weather it will not be needed.

August 27 - 28, 2026:

Alexa wanted to pay me money or pay for an oil change for the use of my truck picking up furniture in Nashville, Tennessee, last month. I told her instead I would appreciate her helping me wash and wax Homer. She was agreeable to that and we started early in the morning. 

I got on the roof to clean it. It was much worse than I expected. Homer had been sitting under the pine trees for two months and needles and pine tar was everywhere, in addition to regular dirt. I got about half the roof washed and was shot. Alexa came up and helped finish. She then washed Homer from head to toe and began waxing the sidewalls. 

I use a wipe-on product called "Poli Glow" on the front and back fiberglass caps to make the fiberglass shine. The lower section of Homer, which is painted blue, has gotten very dull despite yearly waxing. I decided this time rather than waxing this area to use "Poli Glow" on it as well. This ended up being a good decision. The sides shine much better now. Here is a picture with the now shiny blue lower area.

Here is a picture of Homer standing proud after being washed and waxed.

He looks pretty good for being 33 years old!

August 30, 2026:

The fan thermostat arrived and I used my 12 volt converter in the shop to figure out how to set the temperatures. Unfortunately it only displays in Celsius so I have to keep converting the temperatures to get what I want. 

I then installed the fan, the thermostat, and a switch in the back of the fridge. I put a switch on so I can turn the fan off when going down the road, etc. Here's a picture of the install. The fan is black with a silver grill and the thermostat is the white box to the right of it. Next campout we will see if it helps.

August 31, 2026:

Our RV club had a campout scheduled for this week at Babler State Park west of St. Louis. The organizer called everyone and it was agreed that we cancel due to the extreme hot weather predicted. The entire week the temperature will be 95 degrees with a heat index of up to 110 degrees. It is no fun camping in that heat. I was disappointed because Homer is all cleaned up and nowhere to go!

September 4, 2026:

There isn't anything to blog about. It is just too hot to do much of anything and definitely to hot to do anything outside. It is the Labor Day weekend but we will not go anywhere. I need to cut the grass and weed eat the lake lot but I won't do it on a holiday weekend and I REALLY don't want to do it when it is this hot. Our lot used to be mostly shade but the ice storm a couple of years ago destroyed our Elm trees.

Enjoy the holiday weekend.

 

July 14th - August 1, 2026 Water Fun - Wally B's - Sun Shade - Magic House - Lake Perry - Dinosaur Museum - Graduation Dinner - Trip Home

My Blog Reflection

Half the lies they tell about me aren't true.

Yogi Berra 

July 14, 2026:

Erin and the boys flew in from California for a two week visit. We picked them up at the airport and once home just relaxed after their trip. Erin will be working online everyday except Fridays so we will be entertaining the boys a lot.

July 16, 2026:

It has been REALLY hot. Erin says it is hotter here than in the desert where she lives. We gave Free the hose and he cooled himself off for over an hour. He had strict instructions not to squirt Grandma or Grandpa and fortunately he headed that warning.

July 17, 2026:

For my birthday and Father's Day, Erin bought me a gift card at "Wally B's", which is a restaurant/bar near Sam A. Baker State Park. This purchase was a mistake. She intended to get it at a place we had already been. We knew nothing about the place but since it was a nice day we invited Bob and Ronnie along for lunch. We all loaded up for the hour and a half drive to the "Wally B's". We all had a good meal and enjoyed the place. It was a pleasant surprise.

After lunch we drove a few miles to Sam A. Baker State Park to see the damage caused by the recent flooding. It wiped out the entire campground. We couldn't get close enough to get pictures. We stopped at a little parking area nearby so Free and Kellen, and a few of the ladies, could get out and throw some rocks.

July 19, 2026:

I took down the sun shade and repaired it again. This time, in addition to gluing it on the seam, I put rivets on the end where it starts to pull apart. The seam should now hold together better. I hope to get one more year out of it.

July 20, 2026:

Free has a major head of hair. Here he is showing me his hair in the middle of getting it washed.

July 21, 2026:

We took Free to the Magic House in St. Louis. It has been greatly expanded since we were there last. He was kept busy for over two hours. One of the displays is that of static electricity. You touch a ball and your hair stands out. Here is a picture of Free and Alexa. It didn't work so well on Free because his hair sticks out all of the time. It worked on Alexa though. Then there is a picture of me. It really worked on my straight, flat hair.

July 22, 2026: 

While I cut the grass Alexa and Kelly took Free out to Lake Perry to swim in the pool. I would have gone along and cut the grass on the lake lot but Kellen has the truck in St. Louis for the day.

July 23, 2026:

I loaded the lawn mower on the trailer to cut the grass at the lake. Alexa loaded her kayak on the trailer as well. We got to the lake and Alexa took Free out on the lake in the kayak. He enjoyed it after he figured out it wasn't going to turn over. They came back in and played in the water for a while.

July 24, 2026:

I took Free to lunch and then to see "Toy Story 5" at the Perry Park Center. I don't think there was enough action for him. After the movie we got an ice cream cone at "Whirl-a-Burger. He wanted a cone. I should have made him get a cup. He was a mess with ice cream running everywhere.

July 25, 2026:

Alexa and Erin went to the movie in Cape. Kellen took Free to the Science Center in St. Louis. Kelly and I had a little respite. LOL

July 30, 2026:

Kelly and Alexa took Free to the Dinosaur Museum in Ste. Genevieve. He really enjoyed it. Here are a couple of pictures. One of him next to a leg bone and one of him holding a piece of petrified dinosaur skin. 

July 31, 2026:

We had a graduation dinner for Kellen. We had ribs, corn on the cob, mashed potatoes, and fresh tomatoes. Here is a picture of Free helping Grandma put rub on the ribs. He is definitely a little ham bone.

There weren't any leftovers. After dinner Kellen received a few gifts and more importantly some major money. He is busy applying online for jobs. It is a much different process than when I was interviewing fifty plus years ago. After an hour break we all had ice cream cake from Dairy Queen, which was delicious.

August 1, 2026:

Freedom was busy playing. At one point he put a bucket on his head and marched around the living room. He made a great soldier. According to him he is great at everything.

Erin and the boys spent much of the day getting their laundry done and packing for the trip home. At 4:00 p.m. we loaded the truck and headed to the airport. They had an hour and half drive to the airport from our house, then an hour and half Uber ride from the San Francisco Airport to Tracey, California. They had a good trip but were exhausted by the time they made it home. 

Free starts kindergarten on Monday. I had him promise to send a picture in the morning before school and call me in the evening to tell me how the first day went. He is good at remembering things so we will see if he follows through.

It was great seeing the three of them for two weeks. There is talk of all of getting together at Christmas like last year. We will see.

 

June 29 - July 11, 2026 Homer Solenoid Replacement - Military Museum Stands - Fireworks - Dinner - Relay - Welge Bridge Walk -Quilt Show

My Blog Reflection

The legal system can force open doors and sometimes even knock down walls. But it cannot build bridges. That job belongs to you and me.

Thurgood Marshall

June 29, 2026:

The alternator has not been charging the house batteries as we drive Homer. There are two solenoids involved with the charging system. One switches to charge the house batteries when plugged into electric. The other controls the alternator sending current to the house batteries when needed. I had replaced the first solenoid a couple of years ago but not the second. The solenoids are in the battery compartment and not convenient to replace. John helped me get the batteries out and then the solenoid, which is pictured with the two large nuts on the end.

We were pretty sure the solenoid was not working but decided no matter what that I would replace it. The best I can tell it is the original so it would be 32 years old. We found an exact match on Amazon for $34.00 and I ordered it. It will arrive July 8th. Homer will be out of commission until we get the new one installed.

July 1, 2026:

John asked if I could make three wooden placard stands for the military museum. He sent me a picture of what he wanted which included dimensions. Over a couple of days I got them cut out, sanded, stained and varnished. Here is one of the three ready for delivery.

July 2, 2026:

We attended the Perry County Fireworks at the City Park. It was a warm evening but not uncomfortable. Here are a couple of pictures. The street lights sorta ruin the pictures.

It was a fabulous display put on by the City of Perryville and Perry County.

July 4, 2026:

The Wiseman family made it safely back to Mountain View, California, after  a visit to Missouri and camping their way back to California, stopping to see many sites. Here are the girls sitting on "Poppy" at home. They all had a great time.

John came over early in the morning and we installed the new solenoid. Unfortunately, it did not solve the problem. The alternator was still not charging the house batteries. I ordered a new relay switch, which is the only other possibility that we can see as causing the problem.

John asked me to make one more placard stand for the military museum. I started on that in the afternoon and while cutting out one piece the blade broke on the bandsaw. Luckily, I had another blade but I had never put one on. It was a learning experience. Thank you Youtube. I will be much better at it next time.

Alexa and Aaron came over for the holiday supper. Kelly cooked ribs in the oven and I was supposed to finish them off on the grill but rain nixed that idea. Kelly finished baking them in the oven. While the ribs were cooking Alexa made everyone a drink. Since I'm not allowed to drink alcohol anymore she purchased some non-alcoholic tequila and Orange Liqueur for Margaritas. They were pretty good. Non-alcoholic liquor is not cheap.

For supper we had ribs, corn on the cob, fresh green beans, potato salad, and cucumber salad. All were delicious.

July 5, 2026:

This morning I got on Homer's roof and trimmed back the pine limbs hanging on it or over it that were within my reach. I also cut a few branches getting close to the side. After that I sanded and stained the placard pieces. I will let the stain dry two days before coating them with polyurethane.

It was nice out so I put out Homer's awning to let it dry from the last rain. Within minutes, it began raining again. I should have looked at the weather forecast. LOL. I put the awning back up probably more wet than when I pulled it out.

July 8, 2026:

The new relay arrived. It is plastic and expensive for as small as it is. I hope it solves the charging issue. The names for the wires are little different so I will wait until John can help me get everything right.

July 11, 2026:

Today is the ribbon cutting for the new Don Welge Memorial Bridge, which replaces the Chester Bridge over the Mississippi, connecting Perry County, Missouri, and Randolph County, Illinois. The new bridge is named after Don Welge, owner of Gilster-Marylee, who worked tirelessly for over a decade to get Missouri and Illinois to build a new bridge. When I was a kid and when we first moved to town,the Chester Bridge was a toll bridge owned by the City of Chester. Don Welge got the toll eliminated years ago because his businesses have trucks crossing dozens of times daily.

Starting at 9:00 a.m. people were allowed to walk on the new bridge. Parking was at the Perryville Airport where we boarded school buses to the bridge site. We had gotten 5.5 inches of rain over night, it looked ominous, and rain was predicted, but I decided to go anyway.

I arrived at 9:00 a.m. and found that the crowd was not as large as I expected. Buses were loaded and unloaded quickly. Here are a couple of pictures on the Missouri side of the bridge where we began our walk. You can clearly see the two bridges.

Here is a picture of the towers and cables in relation to the old bridge.

The new bridge has one lane in each direction and a pull-off lane in case of a problem. The old bridge was barely wide enough for semis to pass.

We were allowed to walk to the middle of the bridge. Here are some pictures from there.

The crowd gathering on the bridge was much less than I anticipated. Perhaps the chance for rain kept some away, or perhaps many were coming later for the ribbon-cutting at 11:00 a.m. Here is proof I was there.

After taking all of the pictures I wanted I started walking back. Here is a view of the Missouri approach for the old bridge and for the new bridge. A major difference. The difference in elevation will keep the slough from flooding the entry to the bridge, which it did in the 1993 flood.

Here are a couple of pictures of where the cables attach to the bridge.

One cable end had the cover off and was covered in plastic. I took this picture to see what was inside. It was hard to tell but it appeared to be a mechanism to tighten the cables as needed.

The cover laying nearby.

The towers for the new bridge dwarf the old bridge, which is eighty years old and in terrible condition. Next week travel will be started only in one direction on the new bridge as some minor work is finished. No date was given when it would carry all traffic. 

A made the entire trip without getting a drop of rain on me. The overcast sky was actually a blessing for this type of event in July in Missouri. I am glad I went for this experience. Interestingly, there were a couple of people in the crowd who were present with the old bridge was dedicated eighty years ago. 

Here is a picture of the ribbon cutting by, I assume, Don Welge's widow, with the Welge family surrounding her. The ribbon cutting was set for this day because it would have been Don Welge's 91st birthday.

A major milestone for this area of Missouri.

After I got home we went over to Alexa's and fed the cats, since she is in Nashville. From there we went to the Presbyterian Church to view the Quilt Show. I was amazed at the number of quilts displayed by local artists. Here are a few pictures. 

Most quilts now are done by machine. I was told the machines are $10,000.00 and up. Yikes!

These two events were a nice way to spend a Saturday. I will watch for notice of when they plan on blowing up the old bridge. I want to be there for that as well.