July 29th - August 16, 2025 Trailer Upgrade; Trip to Michigan and Indiana

My Blog Reflection

For evil to flourish, all that is needed is for good people to do nothing.

Edmund Burke

July 29, 2025:

I have a utility trailer that I use to haul the lawnmower out to the lake lot to cut the grass and for various other needs. The trailer tailgate is a ramp so it is heavy to lift up from the ground once it is down. As I have aged I have lost a lot of strength and am now having difficulty lifting the tailgate off the ground. I am not the only one with this issue because there are several tailgate lift assist kits for sale. These kits use large springs attached to cables to help with the weight of the tailgate. Here is the kit I ordered.

Upon the kit arriving I got busy installing it with the help of daughter, Alexa, who was here at the time.

I love the tailgate locks that came with this trailer. There are no pins to pull and lose. You just turn it and push it out to engage the tailgate. Once the tailgate is engaged you turn down to lock it. Here is a picture. A clever design.

The lifting kit instructions said to mount each tube one quarter inch from the end of the trailer side rail. This installation allows for the cable to be pulled down with the tailgate and not rub on the trailer rail. I really wanted to keep my original tailgate locks so I installed the lifting mechanism behind these locks. My "hope" was that I could keep the original locks and mount something on the end of the trailer rail for the cables to ride on so they did not rub on the edge of the trailer rail as you see them doing in the above  picture. 

I purchased pulleys to mount on the end of the rail hoping they would guide the cable away from the edge of the rail. No matter what I tried, this idea just would not work. Sadly I had to cut off the the old locks and move the lifting mechanism to the end of the rail as the instructions stated. Once they were installed according to the supplied directions the cables did not rub on  the trailer. 

With the lifting assist properly mounted I now had to fabricate a new locking mechanism for each side of the tailgate. After looking at some other trailer tailgate locks I settled on the following: I welded a two-inch long piece of pipe on the trailer and another two-inch long piece of pipe on the tailgate. A pin would then be inserted through those pipes locking the tailgate in the upright position.

I purchased two "Draw Hitch Pins" which are normally used on farm equipment. The pins are 1/2 inch thick by 6 inches long. 

As you can see in the picture the "Draw Hitch Pins" came with "bobby pins" to keep the pins from coming out. I hate these bobby pins because they are very difficult to get off with your bare hands. The "Draw Hitch Pins" had large holes on the end so I purchased "Lynch Pins" to replace the bobby pins. This is what lynch pins look like. The pin goes through the hole in the "Draw Hitch Pin" then the ring snaps closed to lock the "Lynch Pin" in place.

Here is a picture of both pins installed on one side of the tailgate. The arrows point to each piece of pipe welded on - one on the trailer and one on the tailgate. You can see the "Draw Hitch Pin" and the "Lynch Pin", top and bottom.

Here is a picture of the new locking mechanism installed on both sides with the cables for the tailgate assist in place.

I was concerned about losing a Draw Hitch Pin, or a Lynch Pin, when using the trailer so I purchased lightweight chain to attach each pin to the trailer.  Here is a picture with the pins in place and chained to the trailer.

Here is a picture of the Draw Hitch Pin once it is pulled. It just hangs there out of the way and readily available to be reinstalled once the tailgate is back in the upright position.

We went out to the lake to cut the grass on Thursday. The tailgate assist system and the new tailgate lock system all worked well.

 

August 9, 2025:

Today in the mail, after living in Perry County for 50 years, I received my first call for jury duty in the federal court system. I filled out the questionnaire online and will wait to see if I get called. My concern is having conflicts with my medical treatment schedule. We shall see.

August 12, 2025:

Now that all of my medical procedures were out of the way for a week or so, we headed to Michigan for a long talked about visit with friends there. When spending the winters in Roberts RV Park in Florida for several years we met three sisters and their husbands from Michigan and became great friends. No one is RVing there anymore and we wanted to get together.

In the evening we stopped overnight at a Super8. The hotel was fine but this is a picture of their "breakfast bar". I was the only one in there. There wasn't a single hot item other than the coffee. You could have cold cereal, yogurt, day old bread for toast, or a half rotten banana. What a joke.

August 13, 2025:

Upon our arrival at Chris and Marj's place in early afternoon, we were warmly greeted by Chris and Marge, Jean and David, and George and Janet. It was so great seeing all of them. Here is a selfie that Jean took out on the patio.

It was a very emotional meeting for Chris and I since we are both dealing with progressing cancer issues and don't know if we will have the opportunity to visit again. 

Chris and Marj provided a wonderful meal for everyone and we shared pictures of our times together at Roberts RV Park over the years. We were lucky to have had several years of great times with these great people. I wish:  A: We had met forty years ago; and B: That we lived closer to each other for visits. 

Chris took us for a tour of the apartment complex on this golf cart. It is a very nice and large complex with several streets and is still in the making.

Their apartment is perfect for them with an open concept, no steps, a two car garage, two bedrooms, and a nice rear patio. Selling their home of 45 years and moving here has proven to be a great decision for them.

August 14, 2005:

We took Chris and Marj to breakfast the next morning and, after another great visit over breakfast, we then headed to Fort Wayne, Indiana. 

In Fort Wayne we visited Jim and Marilyn in their new apartment. They recently sold their home and moved into a a nice two-bedroom apartment in a large complex for seniors. 

We had a nice visit with them and then retreated to the room they rented for us in the complex which is available for visitors. It was a nice room and I was ready for a good night's sleep.

August 15, 2025: 

Friday morning we got up, had a huge breakfast at a restaurant Jim picked out, and headed home. Here is a picture of Marilyn and Jim as we were leaving the restaurant to head back to Perryville. It is always good to see them.

We arrived in Perryville at 4:30 p.m. and it was 96 degrees, a little hotter than in Michigan and Indiana. I couldn't believe the amount of bugs on the car in 1,400 miles even though we had never driven at night. I'll need to get busy and clean them off soon. Maybe.

We had been looking forward to this trip for a long time and it did not disappoint. A visit on Monday with the oncologist will give us an idea of time we may have for other short trips, or even a hope down to our place in Florida.

June 21st - July 6, 2025 Making Fire Pokers, New Backup Camera for Truck, and Shadow Box out of a Cigar Box

 My Blog Reflection

Joy is not in things, it is in us.

Charles Wagner

Saturday, June 21, 2025

Over the last week I have been making six fire pokers that my daughter, Annie, and husband, Adam, want to give to friends in California whom they camp with. To make these pokers the only things I had to buy were the metal rods and polyurethane for the handles. When I was out in California with my truck last year Adam and Annie had a bunch of bed slats they were going to throw away. They were all nice pine boards about three inches in width. I couldn't see them going to the landfill so I loaded them in the truck and brought them home for projects like this. For these poker handles I glued two bed slats together, turned them on the lathe, painted them, and polyurethaned them. I like the pine handles over the oak handles I made in the past. Two of the bed slats are making their way back to California. LOL

Here are the pokers ready to be packaged for shipment to California. I hope all the families enjoy using them.

Wednesday, June 25, 2025:

In the morning, after two tests at the hospital, I decided to get a summer haircut. It's been a while since I wore my hair short. Unfortunately it doesn't make me look any better. LOL

Thursday, June 26, 2025:

The aftermarket backup camera I installed in the truck went out. I have no reason why. One time it worked, next time it didn't. I thought maybe there was a loose wire to the camera or a bad ground. John and I took the camera off and connected it to another power source. Nothing. We pulled apart wires, sprayed connections, etc. Nothing. We decided this Chinese backup camera was junk. I ordered another Chinese backup camera but a different brand. 

Friday, June 27, 2025:

The new backup camera arrived this afternoon. I will install it tomorrow. The worst part is rolling under the truck bed and wiring the camera into the running lights for power. 

Saturday, June 28, 2025:

My first attempt at wiring the new backup camera into the running lights failed. I couldn't get any of the wires out of the "Scotchloks" which I used for the prior installation. I always called them by that name but I found they are now called "Quick Splice Connectors". I think they were originally made by the Scotch tape company, thus the name. I assume their patent ran out because now they are made by several companies. Here is a picture of one. 

Their purpose is to allow you to tap into a wire without cutting it. They are used  a lot for trailer lights. Here is how they work. The wire you are tapping into goes through one side and out the other. The wire you are adding goes from one end to the other of the Scotchlok. You squeeze the metal piece down and it pierces both wires with the metal piece making an electrical connection. The plastic top is then flip over to lock it in place.

 

I found that the "Scotchloks" were not a good fit for the tiny wires for the truck running lights and for the even smaller camera wires. In getting the Scotchloks off one of the truck running light wires broke. It was clear that I needed to solder all the connections and forget the Scotchlok method of connecting wires. 

I soldered all connections and the camera worked fine. I then wrapped everything with several layers of electrical tape to keep out moisture. Before mounting the camera and license plate I checked the camera monitor again and got "No Signal" from the camera. I cut all of the tape off and immediately found that the truck ground wire I had soldered had broken on one end. These tiny wires are a pain to work with up under the bumper of a truck. I added a piece of wire to the truck wire to take some of the strain off the camera wire connection. 

Before I began soldering I placed a piece of shrink tube over each wire. After soldering I moved the tube into position over the soldered connection and heated it up with a lighter so that the rubber tubing shrunk tight around the connection. This helps with strength and moisture.

This time the connections were tight and the camera worked fine. I then mounted the camera and license plate and wire tied all the extra camera wire up under the bumper.

I sincerely hope this camera last longer than the two years I got out of the old one.

Sunday, June 29, 2025

We put our lake lot up for sale. We don't use it enough to justify continuing to own it. Additionally, it is getting harder for me to keep it maintained. We've owned it for about ten years so it is time to pass it on to someone who will enjoy it. 

Thursday, July 3, 2025:

Alexa came down and we went to watch the fireworks at the City Park. As usual it was a great display. We all enjoyed it.

Friday, July 4, 2025:

A laid back holiday. Alexa had brought down a couple of pork steaks for grilling.  I grilled them for supper and had them along with a fresh salad that Kelly made from the vegetables Bob and Ronnie are providing us. Nothing was leftover. LOL

Sunday, July 6, 2025

Yesterday and today I have been working on a small shadow box for my daughter, Alexa. She wanted it approximately the same size as one she already has. This shadow box is for miniatures so it needed to be made out of thin wood. My son-in-law's father, Jay, owns a cigar store in St. Louis and has given me  a number of wooden cigar boxes that normally get thrown out. These boxes are made out of light-weight, thin wood which was perfect for this project.  Here is a picture of the box I used for this project.

I cut the box apart and then cut the sides into strips from which I made the frame and the slats for the shelves. Here is a picture of the frame assembled and slats ready for assembly.

After putting all the slats together I stained it and put on several coats of polyurethane. Here is a picture of the shadow box behind a cigar box like the one I used to make it. A fun little project. Alexa is going to buy some velvet material for the back of it before she hangs it up.

May 29 - June 16, 2025 - Blackstone Issue - Grandsons Visit - ER Visit - McKerrow Family Reunion and Birthday Parties - Airport - Tailgate Fix - Doctor Follow Up

 My Blog Reflection

If you cannot find peace within yourself, you will never find it anywhere else.

Marvin Gaye

Thursday, May 29th through June 2, 2025

The last two times cooking on the Blackstone griddle I have not been able to get the heat up to 300 degrees. I read online how to "reset" the regulator. I did that twice. No change. I then read on the Blackstone website that to "reset" the regulator you need to disconnect it from the tank and from the griddle. I did that. The flame may have been a little higher but it was hard to tell in the daylight. Once it was dark I took the griddle off the stand and checked the height of the flames. They didn't look very high to me. I decided to order a new, adjustable regulator from Amazon. It arrived but it did not fit the Blackstone, even though it was advertised to fit. I sent it back. 

Tuesday, June 3, 2025

I got the grass cut because it is supposed to rain for the next three days.

Wednesday, June 4, 2025

This evening we pick the grandsons up at the St. Louis airport. They are flying in for two weeks. Erin couldn't come along because of a new job assignment. Next week we will all be at the McKerrow Family Reunion in Washington State Park. It should be fun.

Saturday, June 7, 2025

I got up at my usual time and felt really odd as I was walking around. I knew something wasn't right. I took my blood pressure and it was 190 over 92. It had never been that high in my life. I took it again and got the same reading. I woke Kelly up and told her I needed to go to the ER.

Kellen was in St. Louis visiting with friends. As luck would have it, Alexa was here so she could watch Free while we were gone. I ended up being at the hospital for six hours as they worked to get my blood pressure down and took a number of tests. When it got down into the 150s they let me go home with new medication and an instruction to follow up with my GP. No one figured out what made my blood pressure spike. For several weeks my legs have been swollen and my knees hurt. I was clearly retaining water. This may have been part of it. 

June 9 - 13, 2025 - McKerrow Family Reunion

On the 9th, after loading the truck with chairs, suitcases, food, and toys, we headed to Washington State Park for the McKerrow Family Reunion. All of Kelly's siblings live away and most were scheduled to come. We stayed in rented cabins in the park. Adam, Annie, and the two girls flew in from California and met us there. Free kept asking me where the tent was. He wanted to know if we had a triangle tent or a square tent. I finally convinced him we weren't staying in a tent but rather in a cabin. 

One of the highlights of each day for the kids was the evening campfire. Annie bought the fixings for Smores and the kids were all into that. While we were sitting around the campfire and the kids roasting marshmallows, Free exclaimed "We're camping!" 

Here he is showing me his very first Smore.

He didn't like the Smore but he loved the marshmallows, which he called "washmallows".

Tuesday, June 10, 2025

In the morning sister-in-law, Joan, and several others, went walking on one of the trails in the the park. Joan slipped and fell, hurting her leg. Kelly and Alexa drove her to an Urgent Care where an x-ray determined that her leg was broken. They wrapped it and gave her a boot telling her to see an orthopedic surgeon as soon as possible. Kelly and Alexa then drove her home. Her family reunion was over.

Wednesday, June 11, 2025

Free's fourth birthday is June 15th but we celebrated it on June 11th because he will be home in California on the 15th. The ladies decorated one cabin while Kellen kept him away. We all then gathered in the cabin until Kellen brought him down. When he arrived and we yelled "HAPPY BIRTHDAY" he was quite surprised. He didn't know what to say or do.

He got a number of nice gifts and cupcakes with candles and dinosaurs on them, which his cousins helped him pick off.

Thursday, June 12, 2025

Today was my 76th birthday. I received several nice gifts from my girls. My legs continued to be quite swollen and it was difficult for me to get out of a chair and to walk. I had brought along a "zero gravity" chair to keep my legs up. It wasn't much fun trying to lay in it around a campfire. I was kinda "Debbie Downer" as far as the grandkids were concerned.

Friday, June 13, 2025

My Friday the 13th luck started off early in the morning. We were packing up to leave. It rained during the night and into the morning, the first bad weather we had all week. We packed everything in the cabin to load into the truck. I pulled the tailgate latch. It pulled all the way out but did not unlock the tailgate. I tried it multiple times in the pouring rain. No luck. I had just installed this new tailgate latch about a year ago and it probably hadn't been pulled twenty times since. I have a bed cover to keep water out when hauling stuff so there was no easy way to access the truck bed to load it.

We needed to pry up the bed cover frame enough to get fingers in and fish for the cable that releases the bedcover on each side. With two people prying, and me digging in with my fingers, I was finally able to find the cable, pull it, and release the bedcover lock. We rolled it back and loaded the truck having to lift everything over the side. Once everything was loaded we rolled the bedcover back on to keep suitcases, etc. as dry as possible. What a way to start the day.

The Bullerdieck clan left the park and met at Chris's Pancake House in St. Louis for lunch. After lunch I had to go to BJC Hospital for a special scan to see if I would be eligible for a new radiation injection treatment. The plan was for Alexa to take the truck and boys to my sister Renee's house and we would take her car and head downtown. We had made arrangements to stay at Renee's to save us two hours of driving in the early morning to get the boys to the airport from Perryville. The boys' plane took off at 6:10 a.m. 

After the scan we drove to Renee's house. While there we had a nice supper and got to visit with Renee's kids and grandkids who stopped by to see us.

Saturday, June 14, 2025

We were up at 3:00 a.m. and left for the airport at 3:45 a.m. It was a half hour drive, we parked, got the boys' luggage checked, and walked them to security.  The boys' flight began boarding at 5:30 a.m. and took off at 6:10 a.m. We hung around the airport until they were through security, at their gate, and boarding. It was fun having them here for two weeks and we really hated to see them go. 

We then drove home, unloaded the truck, took a nap, and just relaxed the rest of the day.

Sunday, June 15, 2025 

After cutting the grass I decided to take the tailgate access panel off to see if I needed to order another new latch. Once I got the access panel off I was able to release the lock and open the tailgate. I found that the handle was not broken but rather the handle unlocking arm, which is located on one end, had somehow gotten behind the locking mechanism. It was not engaging the lock when pulled. I don't know how this could have happened because it was not easy for me to get the handle arm back in position. While I had the panel off I greased every moving part I could reach in case that was part of the issue. Good as new. (I hope.)

In the afternoon Alexa came down to bring me a vibration plate she bought me for Father' Day. I used it a couple of times and think it will help with the edema in my legs. I plan on using twice a day.

Monday, June 16, 2025

I had my follow-up visit with my GP after the ER visit. Addressing the blood pressure issue and my swollen legs, he ordered blood work, an Echo of my heart, and a sonogram of my kidneys. He also prescribed two new medications, one to lower my Uric Acid, and a stronger water pill to take for three days. I am to get the blood work in the next few days and call in on Friday to report on the swelling. Tests were scheduled for next week.

My new medical issues have killed our plans to drive to Indiana and Michigan to visit friends this week and for the foreseeable future. A visit back to the GP in a month and radiation treatment will also interfere with our plan to spend a few weeks in Florida in July. The only thing I can plan on anymore it seems are doctors appointments.

In the afternoon I was notified that the scan indicated that I am eligible for the newest radiation shots that my oncologist outlined to me. This will be a series of six shots, one per week. This will all be under the direction of a radiology oncologist whom I haven't met yet. My appointment with him is on July 3rd. In the meantime I will cool my heels and hopefully get the swelling down in my legs.

 

  

May 18 - 27, 2025 - Mother's Day - Celebrations - Graduation Trip - Waymo Ride - Home

My Blog Reflection

What I regret most in my life are failures of kindness.

George Saunders

Tuesday, May 20, 2025

Daughter, Alexa, brought down for Kelly some Mother's Day gifts from her and her sisters. One was a peach dessert from Japan that was something like Jell-O. Very tasty. Another was a tablet with "Queen of Everything" on it, and another was a "Queen of Everything" mug. Alexa also stopped and bought a hanging basket of flowers, which is beautiful.  

In the evening, as a "Thank You" for looking after the house last winter while we were in Florida, we took John and Carlene to "Celebrations Restaurant" in Cape Girardeau. The meal was wonderful, as was the company. We are headed to California on Thursday for a graduation and family party and Friday they are headed to Minnesota for their annual family fishing trip. Us old folks don't sit around all the time.   

Thursday, May 22, 2025

We flew to California for grandson, Kellen's, high school graduation. We had a non-stop flight to the San Francisco Airport taking off at 5:00 a.m. This meant we had to leave Perryville at 2:00 p.m. to pick up daughter, Alexa, and get to the airport for check in. The flight was fine. We got an Uber to daughter, Annie's, house in Mountain View, California. We spent the night there. 

Friday, May 23, 2025

We rented a house in Mantika so the entire family could spend time together before and after the graduation and the party that followed. The house was huge with a very nice pool. The grandkids loved it. I got in for a short time but it was too cold for me. It also had a hot tub, which I would have enjoyed but the heater was broken.

Saturday, May 24, 2025

The graduation ceremony was at 8:30 a.m. in Tracey, California. I thought that was an odd time but it made sense. The ceremony is held outside and Tracey is in the desert so it gets hot in a hurry. Here is a picture of the crowd waiting to get in at 7:45 a.m. The line was over a block long when we got there.

Here is a picture of the attendees standing and cheering as the graduates filed in.

Before the ceremony began the seniors got to play with the band for one last time. Here is a picture of Kellen. He stands out with his mop of red hair. This day he played the trombone.

Here is Kellen with a big smile on his face after getting his diploma.

 A picture with his aunts, Alexa and Annie.

A picture with Adam and Annie.

A picture with grandpa and grandma.

A picture with mom, Erin.

And a picture with little brother, Freedom.

After the graduation we headed back to the house. Kellen said after the ceremony he was going to get his hair cut off. Here he is with a "post graduation" haircut. What a difference. $90.00 for this haircut! I would have shaved it for $5.00. He sure looks different. He hasn't had short hair since middle school.

Erin put together fabulous decorations and food for the party. In the morning we all helped get it ready. She is very creative.

Early afternoon Kellen opened his presents. He is crazy about Praying Mantis so he got a stuffed one. (He quickly informed us it is a Mantis but not a "Praying" Mantis.) LOL

He got several other nice gifts and a large wad of cash from the immediate family. In this next picture, that's what he is looking at. 

He is going to go to a coding school starting in August. It is eight hours per day, five days per week, for ten months. I hope he likes it. Sitting next to him is his best friend, Kenny. Kenny is going into the electrician apprentice program.

After the gift giving, Kellen and Kenny left to attend a party. We didn't see them the rest of the day. 

Sunday, May 25, 2025

The party started about 1:00 p.m. Erin ordered pans of chicken fingers and pans of fries from "Canes Chicken" to go with the huge veggie and fruit plates the ladies made. I neglected to take pictures of the food. Throughout the day the food was eaten with not a whole lot left over.  

Here is a picture of Sabrina, Kellen's girlfriend, talking to Wren about how cold the water is before she decided to get in.

Kellen's friends were all nice kids and enjoyed the pool and food and drinks provided. Most stayed until almost midnight, several slept over sleeping on the couches and chairs.

Monday, May 26, 2025

We cleaned up the house and loaded all the stuff into the cars. Kellen, Erin and Free headed to Tracey. Annie, Alexa, and Kelly headed to Mountain View in Annie's car. Adam, the girls, and I headed to Mountain View in Adam's car. Once at the house we unloaded everything and hung out for the rest of the day. 

Waymo driverless cars are now available for Google employees in Mountain View and Adam wanted us to experience riding in one. So after a great Taco lunch Adam made he ordered a car. You can watch on your phone where it is. It arrived in about ten minutes. 

I got to sit in the front seat with "no driver". It is weird. All the Waymo cars right now are Jaguars. When you call a car you tell it where you want to go. There is a large screen in the middle of the dash. This is what it looks like when you get in.

As soon as you start the screen changes. It shows all intersections, cars, pedestrians, stop lights, as well as your arrival time. 

It keeps you advised of your arrival time.

Here is a video of the car driving itself. It was a trip.

Our plane didn't take off until 11:00 p.m. so Adam made a nice pasta dish and salad for supper. Around 8:00 p.m. Adam called an Uber for us. 

We arrived at the airport an hour and a half early. United Airlines is strange at this airport. You check in through security at Terminal 3 then you have to walk all the way to Terminal 2. They are connected but it is a long walk. 

Hardly anyone besides us was crazy enough to catch the "red eye" to St. Louis. The plane wasn't even a quarter filled. Once up in the air I moved to three empty seats so I could spread out and maybe get some sleep. In the three and a half hour flight I maybe slept a half hour. I just couldn't get comfortable, even spreading out over three seats. It wasn't just the seat, the compression socks were squeezing my legs.

We picked up our luggage and Aaron picked us up. He drove to Alexa's apartment were we dropped her off and Kelly and I headed to Perryville. At least is was light out now for the trip home. We got home at 7:20 a.m. and hit the bed immediately to try and catch up on some sleep. I slept until noon, Kelly slept until 2:00 p.m. We will probably go to bed early this evening to catch up more on our sleep.

 

Tuesday, May 27, 2025 

It looks like rain is coming so I cut the grass while I had a chance.

May 3 - 16, 2025 Another Squirrel Caught - Church Project - Brake Work on Homer - Step Maintenance - Club Campout

My Blog Reflection

We take for granted the very things that most deserve our gratitude.

CYNTHIA OZICK

Saturday May 3, 2025

Yesterday morning there was another squirrel in the trap trying to go into the house. The exterminator got him while doing some other work on the house to close up possible points of entry.

I unloaded everything from the wash tub in the garage that a squirrel jumped into last week. No dead squirrel. There was a leaf blower tube stuck in the tub and I assume he climbed out through it when I wasn't looking. I didn't have to deal with him. Kelly thought he might be the one caught in the trap yesterday.

One of the seams on our sunshade started to unravel. I climbed a ladder and put Superglue and E6000 on it and clamped it. I hope to sew it the best I can so we can get another year out of this shade.

Sunday May 4, 2025

No rain on Sunday and actually a little sunshine so I sewed the sunshade with nylon fishing line. It came out pretty well. With a little luck it may last more than one more season.

I ran Homer's generator for an hour with a heater going. With the heater on the voltage was 113, without the heater it was 120. It should ramp up to 120 with the load but didn't. I don't know why. In the evening we dropped Homer off at the shop for an oil change and to check out the front brake calipers. He should then be ready to be loaded for our campout next week.

Thursday May 8, 2025

Today I helped John lay an underground electric line for the light on the "Hill of Peace Church" sign. The light had been solar for several years but John said the batteries did not hold well and he was tired of fooling with it. 

On the way down to the church we stopped by the repair shop to see what was going on with Homer since I hadn't heard back. The service manager said that Homer now needed a caliper on the driver's side. Their theory was that the driver side caliper was not operating properly thus causing the passenger side to heat up. They didn't want to do the work without my approval because it was rather costly. I approved it and they said the work would be done Friday. They aren't open on Saturday so we need to get Homer back so we can load him up for the campout next week.

When we got to the church we found the ground around the trench quite muddy from all the rain over the last two weeks. In fact the clods of dirt dug out of the trench had pretty well "melted" into the grass. This made the trenching job more difficult but we got it done before the rain hit (again). 

Friday May 9, 2025

The repair shop closed at 5:00 p.m. Kelly dropped me off at 4:00 p.m. and I waited for Homer's brakes to be fixed. The mechanic wasn't finished until 6:00 p.m. I was thankful that he stayed that late on a Friday night.

While I was waiting and watching the mechanic I noticed that he did not re-install the hubcaps correctly. I will fix that when I get home. I jumped in Homer and stopped and picked up some burgers for supper. When I arrived at the house Kelly came out and immediately noticed that the passenger side front tire was going flat fast. Great! Did the mechanic run over something on the test drive?

After eating our burgers I took the hubcap off thinking I would need to pull the wheel off in the morning to get the tire fixed. It is always a challenge to get a flat fixed on a Saturday in Perryville. Only two places are open and they are always booked up. If I can't get it fixed I will put on the spare. It has never been on the ground but is ten years old.

After supper it crossed my mind that maybe the mechanic knocked the valve stem extension loose on that wheel when he was re-installing the hubcap. I went out and sure enough it was quite loose. I tightened it up and filled the tire with air. I will check it in the morning.

Saturday May 10, 2025

I went out early to check on the tire. It had lost ten pounds of air overnight. Better, but not good. I was convinced that valve stem extender was leaking even though I tightened it with pliers. I had a new replacement so I installed it and pumped the tire back up. It held air all day.

Here is a picture of the wheel after I installed the hubcap retainer correctly. The retainer is the stainless steel ring attached to the lug nuts. The mechanic had it turned around with the lip facing out. Installed this way you can install the hubcap but it will not tighten down and then rattles. In the bottom of the picture you can see the new valve stem extender. It has a nut head so you can really put it on tightly.

While I had the air hose out I checked the four back tires and they were all good.

While loading Homer for our campout I noticed that the wire ties that hold the carpet onto the lower step had broken. I installed all new wire ties. Plastic just doesn't last that long. Originally the step covers came with springs to hold them in place. They didn't last long either.

While on this project I noticed that the steps were not fully extending. Here is a picture of the steps from the side. You can see that the vertical brackets are not perpendicular to the steps. They should be perpendicular when the steps are fully extended.

I got online and found that this was an easy fix. This issue is caused by all of the pivot points on the steps not being lubricated enough so that they move freely. It is important to lubricate everything with an oil that will stay on the parts throughout the season, no WD40 here. Below is a picture after I lubricated everything and ran the steps in and out several times. You can see that the brackets are now almost totally perpendicular. When Homer is just sitting I put a brace under each side of the step to take some of the strain off when we go in and out multiple times a day.

Clothes and most food were then loaded and the fresh water tank filled. After the chili is cooked and the scones baked tomorrow the rest of the food will be loaded for a Monday morning departure.

Monday, May 12, 2025

Monday morning I drove Homer while Kelly followed in her car to Giant City State Park in Makanda, Illinois, for the Carri-Yals RV Club four day campout. The weather was nice driving over but rain was predicted. Upon arriving at our campsite it rained off and on for several hours. Since some people traveled three to four hours to this campground the only activity of the day was a potluck supper at 5:00 p.m. 

I had bought twine to re-string a day/night shade in Jim's RV. Jim and I took the shade down and got to work on it. We soon found that the string was not broken yet the shade would not work properly. We reinstalled it but couldn't get it to draw up properly. We decided to re-string it with the new twine. Once we did that it worked perfectly. 

For the potluck Kelly and I provided the ham and others brought side dishes and desserts. Due to the threat of rain we held the potluck at the campground pavilion, a short distance from our campsites. After supper we all visited and relaxed for the rest of the evening.

Tuesday, May 13, 2025 

Something always breaks on RV trips. This time the kitchen sprayer started squirting water from a crack at the bottom.

This aggravated me because I just replaced this sprayer nozzle a couple of months ago because it was leaking. I thought it was leaking because it wasn't winterized properly. I'm beginning to think this part from the local outlet is just junk. I taped it with Duck Tape to keep it from squirting water at you when the faucet was turned on.

It kept the water from squirting but still leaked badly. It needs to be replaced with a better one.

At 10:00 a.m. the women had a Bunco tournament. At 2:00 p.m. the guys had a Giant Jenga Tournament. $2.00 to enter. Mike won!

For supper we once again hiked to the pavilion for "Mike's Homemade Chili" and Kelly's salad. Several desserts were brought out by the other ladies. Everyone enjoyed the meal.

It was Bev's mom's 100th birthday so she called her and we all sang "Happy Birthday" to her. This is a picture of her mom, Bernice. She lives on her own, is sharp as a tack, and looks amazing.

At 7:00 p.m. we had planned to have a "Show n Tell" presentation of pictures that the attendees sent to us. The idea was to present pictures of places folks had traveled to and have them tell the group why they picked those pictures to share. Due to the threat of bad weather, we postponed it until Wednesday night.

Wednesday, May 14, 2025

In the morning we all drove to Makanda, Illinois, to checked out the artsy community that has developed there in what is left of this small Illinois town. Here is a video that Don took of everyone sitting outside after visiting the various shops. Everyone enjoyed the visit and a few of us bought some items.

While walking around Makanda a fellow told us there is a sculpture garden up the stairs and behind the buildings. We went up for a look. There is a bridge over the creek and sculptures are placed all around that blend in with the natural setting. Here is one.

The bridge over the creek.

Walking back to the entrance I spotted this guy laying nearby. At first I thought he was fake but he moved. He was a Copperhead about thirty inches long. Fortunately he was just relaxing and watching us walk by.

Leaving Makanda we drove to Carbondale, Illinois, for lunch at "Rip's Pizza". The food was great. A very different kind of pizza. This long picnic table worked out great for sitting our group.

Back at the campground at 2:00 p.m. the men held a "Washers" tournament. It was $2.00 to play. The women played "Farkle". The team of Jon and Dennis won the washers tournament and the $12.00 prize money.

Us oldtimers always complain about the kids being on their phones all the time. Well, we better not talk. Here are a couple of pictures of the guys sitting around.

At 5:00 p.m. we had a "Pie Iron Supper". Some in the group had never had a sandwich cooked in a pie iron before. For those unfamiliar with it, here is what a pie iron looks like.

You make a sandwich, with whatever you want on it, put it in a pie iron, and you place it in the fire to toast it. You turn it over a couple of times to make sure it isn't burning. Everyone enjoyed this "make your own meal". We then enjoyed a campfire until it was dark enough for the "Show n Tell" and "Blast from the Past" digital shows using our projector and screen. 

We viewed the "Blast from the Past" pictures first. These were pictures I had taken of various Carri-Yals Club campouts over the ten years we have been in the club. It was followed by "Show n Tell". This consisted of those who submitted pictures describing why they chose these pictures to share. It was all quite fun but combining the two shows into one due to the weather made it too long. 

Thursday, May 15, 2025

For breakfast we provided my homemade Biscotti and Kelly's homemade scones. Everyone brought their own coffee or tea. After breakfast we had a short business meeting during which the next two campouts in July and August were outlined. Both should be great fun.

At 10:00 a.m. we all headed back to the pavilion for several games of "Nickels". We broke into two groups to make the games more manageable. With the wind we had to hold our cards down or they would not blow away, along with our nickels.

After lunch we once again met at the pavilion for several games of "Bingo". I was the caller. It was a $1.00 per card and the winner took all. The final game was a coverall and it was $2.00 per card. After these "monetary" games were over the group wanted to play a couple of more games for fun before breaking up.

Back at the campsite the wind picked up and the canopy I borrowed in case of rain raised up more than I liked. The weather was predicted to get quite windy and stormy so I decided to take the canopy down. It then rained but after a little delay we could sit outside once again and visit.

At 5:00 p.m. we all met at the Giant City State Park Lodge for a family-style "Fried Chicken Dinner" consisting of: fried chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy, dumplings, green beans, corn, cole slaw, and biscuits. The food was fabulous. Only one or two of the group had left enough room for dessert.

During dinner there was a light rain. We headed back to the campground thinking we would all have to sit in our rigs the rest of the evening. Luckily the rain quit and we all sat out and visited until dark. We then said our goodbyes because people depart at different times in the morning. 

Despite a little rain and threat of bad weather at times during the week, it was an enjoyable campout with great friends. Looking forward to the next one.

Friday, May 16, 2025

We only had a one and a half hour drive home so we were in the driveway by 9:30 a.m. It took us about a half hour to unload Homer. Bad weather was predicted with high winds, large hail, etc., so we took Homer to the storage facility to get him out of the weather.

To the campground and back home Kelly followed Homer in her car. She told me that the new LED tail light bulb I installed before we left wasn't as bright as the other bulbs and one bulb on the other side was half flickering. (LED bulbs are bad for that - going out slowly.) I got online and purchased four new LED bulbs from Amazon so they would all be the same and work properly. I also purchased a new sprayer nozzle which I hope is better quality than the last two I purchased.

In the early afternoon daughter, Alexa, and her friend, Aaron, came down from St. Louis to visit. We ordered Chinese for supper. While picking up our food the tornado sirens went off. We hustled home where it poured rain with pea-sized hail and a lot of wind. It could have been a lot worse. St. Louis had five people killed and many structures damaged or destroyed. The weather has been crazy since we got back from Florida.