A Different Life II

[Lily&Me]

Tuesday with my sister in law and yesterday with a friend about an hour north of me, we had the tanks emptied and were home before 9am this morning.

It is always preferable to me in recent years to get home in the mornings, when I still have the energy to get the Interstate unloaded.

It is a job by oneself, but part of the privilege of travel, right?

Laundry is running, things are mostly put away, 3 months worth of mail has been sorted…sanitizing the frig and vacuuming good out there will wait until morning.

It was a good trip, but it is always good to get home and to the creature comforts of a sticks & bricks.

Maggie

[Mollysdad]

It's great to see a business where service is an attitude, not a profit center.
There's far too many dealers who would have changed the fuse and billed you for a new circuit board.
Good things happen to good people, I believe.

[Lily&Me]

I agree about the service, and the man not only fixed the issue in just a few minutes…for which he would accept no pay…but gave me a very patient explanation of my electrical system.

I have had some almost magical experiences, of a variety of sorts, while traveling the last couple of years.

Gifts from the universe, I call them.

Angels traveling with me, Raven (from the fire tower project) called them.

Whatever and whyever, it is a good thing.


Going to go get a new battery for the Interstate in the morning, and pick up a coach battery for my mechanic to install while I am at it.

I have had the red battery icon on my dash lit up every time I start the engine lately, tho it goes off after a few minutes I suspect it is a warning to replace its nearly four year old self.

Better to do it now than have a sudden failure, right?

Maggie

[Al and Missy]

Originally Posted by Lily&Me

...


Going to go get a new battery for the Interstate in the morning, and pick up a coach battery for my mechanic to install while I am at it.

I have had the red battery icon on my dash lit up every time I start the engine lately, tho it goes off after a few minutes I suspect it is a warning to replace its nearly four year old self.

Better to do it now than have a sudden failure, right?

Maggie

Maggie, in my experience the illuminated red battery icon is often an indication that the battery is not being charged, which may or may not be caused by a bad battery. Have your mechanic check it out to make sure it is not an alternator problem. It could also be just corroded terminals, a slipping belt, and a host of other things.

[Lily&Me]

Hi, Al, and thanks for that info.

When I had the little fuel leak in July, I think it was, the little red battery icon was coming on first thing in the mornings, and I had the guy check it for me while he was under the hood.

I blew the fuse, I think, early on in the 12volt on the dash, plugging something in which overloaded it, so have been using the cigarette lighter while driving to keep my iPad charged. I thought that may be the issue.

He reported the battery was receiving a charge, and couldn’t at first blush find a problem with the alternator, the battery or its systems…but, the light continues to come on, every time I start the engine, tho it goes off within a few minutes.

Your post, however, prompted me to look at exactly when I replaced the engine battery and in my book it looks like March of 2022.

That’s why I write things down, because I forget, and I’m going to get into service records in the rv in a bit to confirm.

I would have pulled them out at Interstate Battery, to confirm the when and what, but you’ve saved me a drive to the other end of town.

Note to self: check records, first.

Then, seek out appropriate help.

Thank you, Al!

Maggie

[mimiandrews]

The battery light you're seeing might be normal. Before the engine starts, the alternator isn't putting out current. So, between the time you turn on the ignition key and when the alternator gets up to speed and starts producing the charging current, it's quite normal for the battery light to be on.

I'll agree with having it checked, but don't let someone lead you into something expensive without a good, truthful explanation of what they're doing.

Also, you may be right that a four year old battery is about due for replacement. 5 years is about the best we get out of them.

[Al and Missy]

Maggie, I presume you know this but here goes, anyway - all dashboard indicators come on when you turn the key to ON and then extinguish when their monitored process reaches acceptable levels. The battery light will illuminate when starting but should go off in a few seconds, not minutes. If it is taking minutes there is some reason why charging is starting up slowly. If you can see your coach battery (one of my vehicles has it under the driver's seat) check the terminals for cleanliness and tightness. If it needs correction, probably better to let a mechanic take care of it, but you'll have an idea what the problem is. A slipping belt is another good possibility.

[Lily&Me]

Thank you both.

I checked my papers in the Interstate this morning, and I did have a new engine battery installed in March of this year.

I do know that all the dash lights turn on when you start the ignition, also that they should then go off, and it is the red light for the engine battery that stays on for several minutes after I am underway.

I have a service appointment scheduled for the 12th, and they are going to check this out.

Thanks for the assistance!

Maggie

[mimiandrews]

Have them check your alternator. Might be a slipping belt, but you should have heard that squeal. Might be worn brushes inside the alternator itself.

Just because the battery is new doesn't mean it's good. Manufacturing defects do happen. Have them load test it.

The alternator failed recently on my granddaughter's new-to-her car. When she learned the price of having the shop change it, she went to the auto parts store and let her mom teach her how to replace an alternator. About $350 saved and a new skill learned.

[Lily&Me]

Thank you, Mimi.

Maggie

[Lily&Me]

Interstate has been cleaned and is out to storage…awaiting its 9/12 service appointment…little house has been tidied and vacuumed, and yard cleanup begun.

After I am gone for a period of time, I have to take the hedge trimmer to the ivy that grows on the trellis in front of the little house …which I did this morning, along with some weeding of beds and general cleaning up.

An immediate gratification chore, tho, and one which I don’t really mind, because I like neat and tidy.

Something was taking up residence in the rock bed in front of the house while we were gone, and so I took a hoe to that mound and then soaked it with the hose.

Nothing ran out of it, and I didn’t even see a hole, but whatever moved in has hopefully now relocated.


I picked up a couple of bottles of this instant coffee at a TJ’s recently, stirred a spoonful into a glass of milk just now with a little sugar and it makes a very tasty cold latte.

A little chocolate syrup would make it a mocha, and I have added that to my shopping list.


Lily is very glad to be home and back in the creature comforts of central air conditioning, bless her little heart.

She nuzzled down into her bed in my room last evening, making little happy sounds as she got herself comfortable.

[Lily&Me]

Ahem…this is what I found this morning…the new chipmunk escape route, I am guessing, after I destroyed the lovely home extension they had built in my rock bed while we were gone.

After apparently tunneling under my driveway.

They are no longer cute little critters, having apparently brought their extended family to my address, and I have ordered some environmentally friendly rid-x.

In the meantime, I have sprayed garlic deer/cat repellent down this hole.

[Nelson428]

The down side of traveling is what we find when we get home. It’s always an adventure to travel and then to get home. Hopefully you get the critters before they do too much damage. When spring rolls around get some castor bean plants save the seed they will do the trick and make a pretty plant as well. If you go to the local co-op they will have some seeds.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ricinus

[Lily&Me]

Thank you.

Maggie

[mimiandrews]

Be careful with castor bean seeds. They are definitely poisonous. My Mom used to grow them as ornamentals in our yard, and we kids handled the seeds all the time, but were always careful not to eat one.

[Lily&Me]

Thanks, Mimi.

I have ordered a rid-x for the chipmunks, and will use that for now.

They had a mound at one corner of the little house/garage, where I just let them be as they seemed to be bothering nothing and gave Lily some entertainment from her favorite perch in the front room.

But, that has changed.

They seem while we were gone to have tunneled under the driveway to build a home extension in the rock bed, so now it is war on a small scale.

When I disrupted that new mound, they came up thru the hole pictured yesterday.

Or something, as I am not well versed in the behavior of small rodents.

Now there is a repair to the garage framework needed…they have to go.

Maggie

[Lily&Me]

The chipmunk rid-x I ordered arrived yesterday, and I did not read carefully as it is for indoor use, only…to keep them and other rodents out, not to eradicate ones that have already taken up residence.

After a couple of companies telling me this morning they are booked solid for a couple of weeks dealing with BATS , I was able to get Orkin out here this afternoon.

They are not allowed to kill the chipmunks, must trap and relocate them , then they will lay down some wire mesh of some sort around the drive and corners of the house to prevent them from returning.

The bats, too, may not be killed, but have to be allowed to leave homes they have entered, residents getting rabies shots in case they are bitten.

Not that I have murderous intent toward the chipmunks, but trapping and relocating is rather involved and, of course, costly.

They are not in my walls or garage at this point, tho, and that is the next thing they could do, so removal will occur.

In the meantime, I emptied what is left of the garlic repellent into the hole at the base of the garage frame, in the hopes the smell will drive at least some of them away.

Every morning there has been more debris there that they are carrying up out of that hole.


In addition to the chipmunk issue, an entire circuit of electricity has been out in the little house since Saturday, and my son came by yesterday to remove some cabinets I added in the laundry area 20 or more years ago so that the entire panel can be accessed…everything in those cabinets first having to be emptied into the back bedroom.

Fortunately, the frig and freezer are running, and the central AC, but the electricians are as busy as everyone else so getting someone to the house was not quick.


And that is not all, but suffice it to say has been a very busy week.

But, we are not without basic needs, so I am done with complaining.

It is still good to be home.

Maggie

[dznf0g]

Originally Posted by Lily&Me

The chipmunk rid-x I ordered arrived yesterday, and I did not read carefully as it is for indoor use, only…to keep them and other rodents out, not to eradicate ones that have already taken up residence.



After a couple of companies telling me this morning they are booked solid for a couple of weeks dealing with BATS , I was able to get Orkin out here this afternoon.



They are not allowed to kill the chipmunks, must trap and relocate them , then they will lay down some wire mesh of some sort around the drive and corners of the house to prevent them from returning.



The bats, too, may not be killed, but have to be allowed to leave homes they have entered, residents getting rabies shots in case they are bitten.



Not that I have murderous intent toward the chipmunks, but trapping and relocating is rather involved and, of course, costly.



They are not in my walls or garage at this point, tho, and that is the next thing they could do, so removal will occur.



In the meantime, I emptied what is left of the garlic repellent into the hole at the base of the garage frame, in the hopes the smell will drive at least some of them away.



Every morning there has been more debris there that they are carrying up out of that hole.





In addition to the chipmunk issue, an entire circuit of electricity has been out in the little house since Saturday, and my son came by yesterday to remove some cabinets I added in the laundry area 20 or more years ago so that the entire panel can be accessed…everything in those cabinets first having to be emptied into the back bedroom.



Fortunately, the frig and freezer are running, and the central AC, but the electricians are as busy as everyone else so getting someone to the house was not quick.





And that is not all, but suffice it to say has been a very busy week. [emoji38]



But, we are not without basic needs, so I am done with complaining. [emoji38]



It is still good to be home.



Maggie

Maggie, it is really easy to live trap them, put them in the car, still in trap and take them far enough that they can't return. It is a no-touch process.

[Lily&Me]

Thank you, but I will not be doing that at this point.

I might be able to handle a lone chipmunk at some point, but this is way over my head.

Maggie

[Airtandem]

Back either your car or van as close as you can to one of the holes. With engine running, attach sewer or sweeper hose to exhaust and other end to chipmunk hole. Some will leave, others; RIP