It’s been a few weeks since I published an article here but time flies. I’m sure many of you have been busy preparing for winter too. I’ve been helping fix things around this RV park along with my regular stuff. So far I fixed a commercial washer, fixed a 47″ TV, fixed a workers boom box, worked on a really old electric range and solved the problem with it (no power to the outlet to the stove), and spent a great deal of time working on a newer front loading washer. That one has a computer board and I was trying to fix it rather than just replace it, no such luck. Had to admit defeat and just today ordered a used brain board for it.
And of course I finished installing the gas furnace hardware as it’s been down in the low 20’s F here for a few nights and I needed it. Only thing left on it was to install the screws that I hadn’t gotten to. Would have worked even without those but wanted to get it done. And none too soon because the next night got down to 22 F.
We have had a cold snap here in the Walla Walla Valley and as I said, it was getting into the low 20’s F every night. That lasted for 4 days and it’s just let up so tonight will be a bit more comfortable at 26 F. I haven’t stayed where it would get cold during the day, and of course even colder at night, for years so my plan on staying here until Dec. 2nd is a relearning experience on cold weather camping. This ’02 Journey is well made and well insulated, like it has dual pane windows, 4″ of foam insulation in the ceiling, insulation under the floor, and a fresh water tank in it’s own insulated box so it’s pretty comfortable. My only worry so far has been the hassle of dumping the tanks. But this Thursday it’ll be very warm during the day so I’ll do it then. And add water to the tank at the same time.
I’ve scored an electric oil heater (it was next to the RV park’s trash bin) and it’s doing the most work keeping the front of the RV warm under those large front windows, than I have 4 other electric heaters scattered around the house, along with the heat pump which I found today still heats even down to 32 F (they generally won’t heat when ambient is 40 F or below) so that’s handy. The 50 amp service here (100 amp total) has been very reliable so far. And last but not least, I have the working gas furnace now. Which surprised me that just one night leaving it set ‘On’ and a thermostat setting of 72 F sort of drained nearly 1/4 tank of propane. I’m now down to 1/4 tank so I’ll be using it less and less. I don’t need gas for much usually, just occasionally for the water heater (it has an electrical heating element) and for everyday cooking. I’ve only been filling the tank once per year…this year looks like twice. I was planning on a refill mid-November and it’s not all that expensive here locally, just $2.09/gallon, it’s just a hassle to break camp to drive and get filled.
The cold snap seems to be over as the prediction for the next 10 days look pretty nice. Just flirting with freezing at night. Sunshine most days with 50 F temps. Turns out tonight is the last of it for a while, getting down to 26 F. Then it hovers near 40 and above at night into mid-November. Yeah, I can make it to December easily enough.
So that’s the news from here, just hanging out going into old town occasionally for Chinese food, running up to Washington for shopping once a week, working on projects, and so far so good NO COVID in any of my family! Are we lucky? Or is it because we were all early adopters of the CDC guidelines regarding masks? I don’t know. I wish for all of my readers to have a speedy recovery if you or yours catches it.
And now, on to a little trip I made south of Milton Freewater a few miles…
