A Different Life II

[OTRA15]

Great shot, very relaxing to look at! Glad you are having fun.

Cheers,

Peter

[rmkrum]

Originally Posted by Lily&Me

We are choring today...cleaning, filling with propane, replenishing dog food and currently at a laundry in Bailey.

Heading toward a water side campground for tonight.

Mortaring the flashing on the roof via scaffolding... me on the right.

Interesting. It appears you are working on a chimney, but the top is mortared shut...decorative only??

[Lily&Me]

They are stone pillars, made of rose quartz, which rise above the roof of this wellhouse.

On a cement slab beneath the roof is a picnic table over the old, filled in well.

The roof had been replaced and tiled by them more young and nimble, tho I helped remove some of the old tiles, also some of the original timbers underneath which held the roof up...then they put steel flashing around the base of each pillar where it meets the roof, to direct rainwater away from vulnerable areas.

My job, along with another volunteer shown, was to mortar over the tar covered steel flashing, to blend in appearance and because the flashing was not original to the structure.

A couple of areas of pillar at the ground were rebuilt...one by me...plus lots of removal/replacement of crumbling and cracked mortar from the past 100+ years.

We basically did light construction work, outside in beautiful and glorious Colorado...it was a great experience, with the immediate gratification seen from such tasks.

Ethan’s next project is an old log cabin that must be hiked into and they will all just tent camp around it, mine at the same time with a campground not far away and an established road to near the site.

There is another project that just occurred that is a lighthouse on a small island in Lake Superior....they have to boat out, and camp out on the island for the week. What an experience!

I have developed some more muscle, and lost at least 5lbs the past couple of weeks...down about 20 all told since the stroke 7 months ago.

A good thing.

I’m at this campground overlooking the river, it is absolutely quiet but for the sound of the water, with three bars of Verizon LTE.

Maggie

[OTRA15]

Originally Posted by Lily&Me

. . .
. . . with three bars of Verizon LTE.
. . .

Now we're talkin!

[Lily&Me]

We spent two nights overlooking the Arkansas River, then the past two in a full service campground in civilization...trip to the pharmacy, washed the Interstate, some cleaning, phone calls, personalizing and organizing, etc.

I’m loving the new rig...so similar and familiar to the other, with enough differences and upgrades that it feels “new”.

For just me (and Lily ), making up just the small bed from the bench across the back has worked out perfectly, and I have loved having the day bed kind of feel.

While doing these projects, I’ve just left the bed made up during the day, as I was working or in it most of the time.

The leak at the valve by the water pump reappeared yesterday after running errands, and I was unable to tighten enough to get it to stop, so begged for a strong mans hand from one of the camp hosts...ta daaa!

He tightened it a full 1/3” or so from what I was able to do, and that was the end of the leak.

RV’ers are nearly always willing to lend a helping hand, when one must ask for a small something they can’t handle on their own. I appreciate it.

Moseying into Taos for the weekend, going to spend some time with a fascinating and lovely couple there from the Wyoming trip a few years back.

Then, up to Estes Park, and round three of my summer adventure.

It’s been a great trip...I’ve acclimated to the new rig, and pushed my physical limits with work I have never done before.

A good thing.

Maggie

[Al and Missy]

Wow Maggie, whar a fantastic recovery for both you and your camping. It sounds like you have found a calling. We really enjoyed our trip to OR and the return through Crater, Glacier, Yellowstone, and the Tetons with visits to some Oregon Trail sites as well, but we were ready to get back home. Sounds like you are having a great adventure!

Al

[Lily&Me]

Hi you two, and sounds like a great trip!

One of the other volunteers I have met does this same thing with several different groups, so I am going to look into that here soon.

A good way to continue to travel, with a positive and focused purpose...I needed that, and seem to have found it.

Plus, it feeds my love of old things and old ways.

Maggie

[Lily&Me]

We have been to Taos and back, and had a great visit with Chris and Carla in that spectacularly beautiful area.

At an Interstate Battery center, where my problematic coach battery is being looked at...it has a set of wires loose again, doesn’t have the proper battery terminal attaching them, and is also not actually a coach battery but a starting battery.

I had been told the coach battery was replaced in March, I believe it was, but there is no paperwork. They tell me here that this battery actually has to be replaced with the rig on a hoist, as it is in a tray beneath the rig...tire has to be removed, etc.

It’s a good battery, just not the kind for its intended purpose.

They’re fixing the connection, so I have something that works, and I will have the rest of it looked at when I get home.

I don’t know how old the starting battery is, either, and it seems sluggish to start when it has sat a couple of days, so am having that replaced while I am here, as well.

Do not need battery problems, either kind, heading off to dry camp for 5 nights for the cabin restoration project.

Other than these couple of annoyances, the new rig is performing well and we are enjoying it.

Staying in a private campground near Estes Park tonight, going to dump tanks, fill with fresh water, do laundry, etc., before reporting for work tomorrow.

Maggie

[Jim Flower]

Hello Maggie,
A wee bit of a bummer on the house battery issue but you may be able to use it later for your starting battery if capacity and size works out. Also, if dry camping becomes a bigger part of your future, you may wish to look at a little solar capacity for your minimal needs. Have fun at work. Safety 24/7. Jim

[Lily&Me]

Hi, Jim.

The starting battery that is the coach battery doesn’t fit for what I call the engine battery...they replaced that for me, just for my own peace of mind.

I have been dry camping this entire trip, for multiple days at a time, without any problems, so it may be that I don’t have to have a deep cycle RV/Marine Battery.

The frig runs on propane when not hooked up to electric, burners are propane, hot water heater, etc....tho I have run the engine most days for a short while, which may be enough to keep everything going.

At least I’m up and running for now.

Highway 36 to Estes Park reminds me of the two lane thru the Keys to Key West...narrow and slow and beautiful.

Here we are, and when Doug was alive I would not have driven in the mountains, period.

I’ve done a lot I’d never done before, these past 4 1/2 years.

Lily needs a good walk....

Maggie

[mimiandrews]

The "starting" battery will work as a coach battery, but it probably won't last as long. Deep cycle batteries are built to take a deeper discharge and recover. Starting batteries are meant to provide a lot of power for a short time and recharge almost immediately. They never get deeply discharged in normal service. Just different versions of the same device.

[Lily&Me]

Hi Mimi, and thanks for that info.

I’ll delve into it all more once I am home.

Maggie

[skitique]

Hi Maggie!
Estes Park is a nice town with great views. Deer walked through the RV park regularly when we were there. Enjoy your trip!

Jane

[Lily&Me]

Thanks, Jane.

We are back in our campground, with modest signal, and after dry camping 5 nights are looking forward to the comforts of amenities overnight.

We were four volunteers this week, including a man a bit younger than me who brought his 15 year old grandson, plus 5 young men from a Virginia Job Corps Site.

With two leaders, I was the only female with 10 men of varying ages. They do get female volunteers, I’ve just mostly missed them.

I mostly did windows, setting of glass, caulking, glazing, painting and staining, also got in some hand chipping and trimming of logs and assorted other tasks that did not include the stripping and replacing of the roof which the smallest and most agile of the men did.

The roof work was hard, hot, dirty work, and these guys looked like they’d been in the coal mines by the end of the day.

We had good weather, home cooked meals and plenty of hard work in the fresh Colorado air.

I was a bit Mama and Grandma to some, did some mending of torn pants, encouraging and nurturing where needed, and was treated with respect and courtesy.

One of the leaders had a dog, Odie, which Lily took to immediately. They quickly became a pack of two, and where Lily went Odie wanted to be, including accompanying us on our early morning walk. They were cute.

The young man in this picture is Nick, one of the Job Corps kids, who were all in their early 20’s, and these are two of the 5 windows we made this week and then installed this morning.

Nothing in this old cabin is symmetrical and true, as one would expect with a modern home, so there was a fair amount of jimmying and manipulating, trimming of this and adding shims under that, to get the windows in place. It was interesting.

I stained replacement parts of an outside door, also shutters others made, which we made to blend with the old parts by rubbing dirt into the paint while it was still sticky...and it worked very well.

The Interstate is filthy, inside and out, so I’m going to clean today and find a carwash tomorrow...it’s very dry here, with lots of dust.

I couldn’t be more pleased with my summer adventure, and hope to do several of these projects next year. There’s a lighthouse in Louisiana in the works, I’m hearing.

[Lily&Me]

Lily has been an outdoor dog these past 5 days, and she is very tired...

[Lily&Me]

I had a pm early evening from Debbie Ray, who was riding her bike in my campground and spied what looked to be my new Interstate...which it was.

I told her if she didn’t mind I was already scrubbed head to toe and in my pjs to come on over for a visit...so she did, and we had a face to face chat, which was great.

Nice lady, and thanks for reaching out.

We’re going to do laundry and labs this morning, also find a car wash, then plot a course into the Black Hills...

Maggie

[Lily&Me]

Got my choring done yesterday morning and began heading north.

South of Cheyenne I began experiencing intermittent loss or reduction of engine power, then the check engine light came on.

I limped into town, made some phone calls from the wait line at Blue Beacon...after being told by Freightliner and Peterbilt here that no one in the area but MB in Loveland, CO could even diagnose much les do any work relative to my engine problem, I was referred by one independent place to Haller’s Repair in downtown Cheyenne.

Haller’s actually works primarily on these vans and small RV’s on these Chassis, and not only can repair them but took me in off the road for service this morning and we are sitting here as I speak.

The air filter is full of dust, and there is also a split in the “charge air cooler pipe”. The notoriously faulty turbo resonator is okay.

They are getting parts, I stayed in a campground last night but will spend tonight in their parking lot...and be back on the road tomorrow.

Debbie and I were talking the other evening about on the road repairs, and agree they are part of the privilege of travel.

It is a pia, but I am grateful it happened here and there is a competent repair shop to fix it.

Maggie

[Jim Flower]

Hi Maggie,
Tincampers had a similar problem on his recent Alaskan venture. Same with me several years ago on my Jeep diesel. Apparently goes with owning a Mercedes Diesel which is a wee bit unfortunate. Parts are normally slow to arrive but it sounds like you are in good hands.

[Lily&Me]

I feel in good hands, they are a reputable shop, and the owner has showed me everything, explained things thoroughly, etc.

Were it up to the first two places I called, I would have headed back into Colorado...maybe had to have been towed there.

I learn something new most days.

Maggie

[Lily&Me]

Originally Posted by Jim Flower

Hi Maggie,
Tincampers had a similar problem on his recent Alaskan venture. Same with me several years ago on my Jeep diesel. Apparently goes with owning a Mercedes Diesel which is a wee bit unfortunate. Parts are normally slow to arrive but it sounds like you are in good hands.

Reading Tincampers Alaska thread, and his turbo hose issue, very similar problems and looks like IB recently had one, too.

We love our older rigs, but things do predictably wear out and need replaced, so going with the flow is important.

I not only have a spot in Hallers parking lot for the night, the owner practically insisted I accept electricity.

Repair shops making space for travelers with emergencies is so very appreciated, and very good business...I will do a nice review on this place after I leave.

Maggie