Month: January 2013

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Planning Adventures

I spoke with my neigbours today and asked them if they would be willing to look after Miranda for a few days while I go tool around with the truck. Certainly! They’re here on and off, so we’ll need to match our schedules in the next week or two.

Looking at my schedule and budget, I don’t see myself spending any more time on the Gulf Coast beyond this stay. I know there is good boondocking in the Port Aransas area, but it’s not free and it’s on sand, something I am leery of attempting. I’d rather go explore the area in the toad and then leave with Miranda for San Antonio, Austin, and points north. I have wiggle room in there in case Croft and Norma make good on their decision to head this way!

There is also the matter of my teeth. I am overdue to visit a dentist and I have thought for a good long while of visiting a dentist in Nuevo Progreso, Mexico. I found a dentist recommended by Mexico Mike, so that’s all I needed, no need to shop around! I emailed him tonight to tentatively book an appointment and get a bit more info and he got right back to me! I’m expecting to need just a cleaning and to have a filling fixed, with the estimated cost being a mere 75USD to 200USD, and possibly lower!

It will be really nice to head out in the truck for a spell as that’s the reason I bought it!

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I Don’t Miss that Wind!

Today was a tad chilly, but the wind FINALLY died down to a light breeze! I haven’t done much beyond solve the charging mystery as I had a few projects on my plate.

Mid-afternoon, I checked my voltage while charging the computer (I’ve been doing this long enough already to know that a voltage drop to no less than 12.4V is good and sustainable).

So imagine my SHOCK at this reading!

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I didn’t even know batteries could register that low!

Oh, wait. I’m a moron. Those are the amps coming in. The voltage has actually dropped to this:

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Very well, carry on.

Unrelated, I think you could file this one under C for contentment:

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Palm Tree Lullaby

Feeling a little claustrophobic this afternoon, I decided to go for a walk ‘in the other direction’ (away from the entrance to this beach). The sun was warm, but the wind gusts chilly, so I was glad I wore a fleece top.

I walked (or, rather, tried not to become airborne) for a few klicks, hypnotized as I was by the sound of the palm trees rustling in the wind. I passed a lot of vacation homes, RVs, and a trailer masquerading as a motel, but that’s it.

I just checked the map and, to my surprise, if I had kept going just another two miles or so, I would have reached the Indianola Fishing Marina where there is a small bar and grill. Total distance from home round trip is 8 miles, or 13KM, definitely doable on foot! So I may take off late morning one day and go grab lunch there, then spend part of the afternoon on the pier. That sounds so much more pleasant than hopping in the truck to go.

The wind might actually be slowing down a little. It’s still very loud, but the RV is just shifting rather than rocking. Nope, typed too soon!

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Nice Neighbours

I’ve had company twice this morning! That’s got to be a record!

Mr. Colorado neighbour came over to point out a big ship passing by and to tell me what to see in Port Anansas and Corpus Christi if I want to go for a nice day trip and check out the area before committing to moving there next. He says I might be able to see sea turtles and dolphins! He also said not to worry about the wind and that it should die down fairly soon. I know I’m safer parked here than I would be driving anywhere!

The folks parked on my driver’s side in a small travel trailer are pulling out today. The wife came over to apologize for being so loud last night and to thank me for letting them have their fun. She didn’t believe me that I honestly never heard a peep from them! Must have been all that wind!

I hope they will be okay driving in this wind (averaging 30MPH apparently).

I can’t even exit the rig from my house door. I’ve opened it a couple of times and it just flies open and is almost impossible to close. I’m going to have to exit through the driver’s side door in the cab until this wind lets down.

My solar array monitor claims that my batteries are fully charged, which is absolutely impossible, methinks, since they were resting at 12.3V in the middle of the night. So colour me a tad confused and slightly more appreciative of the battery monitor when it’s working properly. At any rate, with these conditions, I can charge my computer without discharging the house battery, regardless of its state, so I’m quite pleased about that.

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Still Blowing Like Crazy Out There!

It wasn’t a particularly restful night, I’m afraid. I woke up at 3:00 and 6:00 because the wind was making the escape hatch cover over my kitchen rattle violently. It’s blowing really, really hard out there. My neighbours think it will be over by tomorrow and haven’t given me any reason to be concerned, although I still have visions of my rig flipping over!

We have clear skies, YAY, so I have about 3A coming in right now. That’s average. I might be able to hit 5A by high noon. Estimating an average of 3A over a 10 hour charging day, that’s 30A per day that could come in, so it would take me about five days to hit a really full charge, and that’s if I don’t use anything. So I’m definitely on power rationing for the next little while, especially since my battery monitor is essentially useless until it’s recalibrated.

Painting is out of the question today since I can’t even use my mouse effectively what with the way the rig is bouncing around! Looks like a good day to curl up with a book!