Archives for 2022

Hi Sweetie,
Well, after doing some research this morning, I finally had the truck towed to a shop about 25 miles away, to the tune of over $300 for the tow! Crazy expensive these days! But everything has gone up, right? Wasn’t in the mood to do much of anything today, since the next step in my signage really needs to be done with my truck, though I guess I could do some with my tractor. It’s just so hard to carry paint and supplies with me, so I figure I’d just wait till I got my truck back. By the end of the day, the mechanic had come to the conclusion that it needed a whole new set of fuel injectors, something I did about 50,000 miles ago, but of course, the three year warranty expired last year, so nothing is covered. He suggested an upgraded type of injector, and an after market product called an Airdog, which is a fuel “lift” system to help move it from the fuel tank to the engine. I’d read a bit about them in my research, and it’s going to be expensive, but it seems like a worthwhile investment since I plan on keeping this truck forever if I can! So, it’s going to be an expensive repair, but hopefully, it will be only one for awhile! I made an appointment to take the Buick in tomorrow morning, I’m hoping they can solve the vibration, and maybe figure out where the whine is coming from, and maybe even trace back why my AC compressor isn’t get electric. The rest of the day, I just didn’t feel like doing anything, figured I’d save my strength for later in the week when I’m really going to need it! Read and binge-watched all day, had another argument with UPS about not delivering my packages to me (the driver went to the office instead, despite promises to the contrary), and just chilled today. Heading for my shower and bed here shortly. Good night, darlin’! Love you!

Hi Darlin’,
Had a mostly quiet day today, just did a little compounding and waxing on the Buick to get rid of some stains that had come up, probably from the car cover that’s been on it for the last two years. I started up just find this morning after having been charging up all night, so I moved it into the carport. I tried to put the AC compressor on, and it seemed like it went but then it almost stalled out so I turned it off again, then it wouldn’t come on when I went around to see if it was on, which it wasn’t. Not sure what the problem is, but I didn’t have the energy to go looking for it today. Put a little oil in the tractor, then took the rest of the day off, finishing up a book and binge-watching some TV. Did one load of laundry, too, now I’m ready for my shower and bed. Good night, baby! Love you!

Hey Babe,
Started working on the truck myself this morning while I waited for Jeff, cut a new hose and started to put it on, had trouble working around a big pipe so I took that off. He got there fairly early and we got busy, it went a bit easier this morning, but unfortunately, even with the new part in, the truck behaved exactly the same way as before, so this was obviously not the problem, darn it. I hate changing out parts just to try to find a solution, then discovering it didn’t help! Guess my only option now is to find a good mobile mechanic, if there is one around here. Decided to go back to Jeff’s to see if we can get the Buick going, or at worst, borrow his old Bronco, which it really the most reliable vehicle either. We had to charge the battery up for a couple of hours, be we did manage to get it started using my little jump starter, though we had to get some charge in it before that would work. Put air in the tires, and Jeff tried to put some refrigerant in the AC system, but even though the compressor was working when I first started it up, it quit for some reason, so I guess I’ll just be driving with the windows down for awhile, though I’ll take a look and see if I can find any other problems. The compressor is probably okay, it’s just not getting power to it, so maybe an electrical issue. It still has that whine that it had when I parked it two years ago, but it seemed to be running okay. Then I headed home, and just before I got to Pratt Whitney Rd., there was a pop, then a rattle that sounded like a tool dropping through the engine, and a cloud of smoke from the exhaust and it quit. I pulled over, and it jump started right up again, thankfully. It got me as far as about 100 yards from the entrance to the camp when it quit again, and I had just enough momentum to pull up to the gate, thank goodness! This time it wouldn’t jump start, so I opened the gate and pushed it through, closed the gate, and tried to jump start it again, this time it started right up again. Got it to the end of my driveway and put the charger on it. So now I have two dead vehicles in my driveway! Well, not dead, just not reliable. I’m going to take the Buick into the service center in town, because I want to have the check the tires and the front end, it has a pretty bad shimmy that I want checked. I’ll ask them about the whine, and have them give it a good going over. If I can get it serviceable, it will make a great runaround car, with great mileage and cheaper gas, not to mention, a lot more fun to drive! Did my rounds and settled down for the evening, ready for my shower to get rid of the smell of grease and diesel, and a good night sleep! Love you, sweetie! Good night!

Hi Sweetie,
Spent the morning cutting and painting a couple of new crosspieces as well as making a couple of changes on two more, which didn’t take me long. Jeff was supposed to get here around 11:00 or so, then got a late start (big surprise there!), then got waylaid by brother Glenn who needed him to come over and work on his air conditioning system, so it was after 4:00 by the time he got here. Naturally, it didn’t turn out to be as easy as he thought it would be, and it was getting dark and the mosquitoes were out and we had only managed to get the old fuel filter housing off, with little headway of getting the new one on, mostly because of a misunderstanding about which fuel lines went where. We called it a night, with plans to pick up again tomorrow. Settled down for the evening, desperate for a shower and bed! Good night, my darling! Love you!

Hey Darlin’!
Got up bright and early, reviewed the procedure for replacing the fuel filter housing on the truck, then after feeding the horses, went about the business of trying to take that part off. Sorry to say, I was unsuccessful. Didn’t have the right tools, the strength, of the patience for it, I’m afraid. The part itself is only held on by two bolts, but I just couldn’t reach it with the tools I have, and even when I did, I couldn’t break them loose. I managed to get off one of the fuel lines and moved a couple of things out of the way thinking that would help (it didn’t), and finally I decided I just needed to have it towed to the shop and let the professionals do it. Well, that didn’t work out either, turns out neither of the two shops in town will work on a diesel. Go figure. So then I asked about a mobile mechanic and got a name, but didn’t really want to go to a complete stranger, so I ended up calling brother Jeff to see if he had time to come over this weekend and help me with it, and he agreed, thank goodness. Meanwhile, I all but finished painting all the numbers on the crosspieces for the trail markers, and did an inventory to see what I had left to do. I have two boards I need to fix where I made a mistake or forgot to put on a trail stripe, and one board I need to cut that I somehow miscounted, but that won’t take me long. Then I’m going to do a touchup with white, because some of the boards stuck together when I stacked them and peeled a little when I separated them, so I just want to fix that. Then I’ll be ready to start taking them out and putting them up! The challenge is going to be putting in the intersection number and the other arrows in situ, so it will be slow going for awhile, but at least we’re making a lot of progress at last! Sister-in-law Dena was kind enough to offer to pick up some groceries for me, so she and Glenn stopped by to drop those off, along with the replacement fuel line for the repair. I had completely run out of dog food, and I needed a couple of things for me to last me through the weekend, hopefully I’ll be able to do a big shopping next week when my truck is running again, fingers crossed! Had three more groups of campers come in, so a busy weekend in store. “Old” James came by with my package with the new part, I was sure the office was closed but apparently he was there and kindly brought it over to me. Finally settled down, had a quiet evening, soon to shower and bed. Good night, babe! Love you!

Hey Babe!
Had a good night sleep and another busy day! I finished off stenciling the rest of the boards that are ready, and started painting the numbers and arrows on them. This is my least favorite part of the job, mainly because I’ve just never been good at art! I’m good at many creative things, but painting with a little art brush isn’t one of them. I managed to get about 20 boards done, so I still have a long way to go. Went practically nonstop from 8:30 to 3:30, then I just had to quit, it’s such tedious work. I collected some more palm fronds and put them on the remains of yesterday’s fire, and it smoked for a long time before finally catching, but I got rid of some more of the stuff that’s laying around. Finally settled down for the evening, just drinking my Sleepytime tea, then I’ll shower and get to bed early, I have another long day tomorrow! The part for the truck is due to be delivered, and sis-in-law Dena is bringing me some groceries, mostly for Lola, and hopefully some fuel line from NAPA for my truck as well, and they’re coming early. So I’ll say good night, my sweet! Love you!

Hi Sweetheart!
Had a full day of painting today, as I started to put the color stripes on each sign, as well as some of the numbers and fine print. I got so involved I barely had a short break midday and worked straight through until 4:00, when I thought it was about to storm, but never really did. Still have a bunch more to do tomorrow, and I also hope I’ll have time to take the fuel filter housing off the truck, though if I do that on Thursday morning before my part comes, that should be okay, too. Finally settled down for dinner and a quiet evening, though I also spent a few minutes burning some windrow that been lying around. I’m trying to do that periodically so it doesn’t pile up too much. Once of these days I’ll tackle the big pile behind the dumpsters, no sense letting it just rot there, it looks rather untidy, and isn’t likely to get used by campers any time soon. Anyway, I won’t be long out of bed tonight! Good night, my darlin’! Love you!

Hey Darlin’,
Got to bed late but had a good night sleep, lots of energy this morning. James came by and met a vendor regarding water and sewer for the new host site they’re putting in for me, then I got busy and cut all the boards I’m going to need for the cross pieces of the trail markers. After measuring and looking at how they are going to appear on the post, I figured out that I could have gotten away with a lot less lumber than I ordered (and painted, unfortunately, or else I could have taken some of it back), but that’s okay, I’ll just put out more arrows and have plenty set aside for future repairs. Once they were cut I painted the edges, first coat in the morning, second in the afternoon, which has become my habit the last few days of painting. Tomorrow it get serious, putting numbers and arrows them. Once that’s done, I can start going back out and screwing them onto the posts, plus painting the intersection number on the posts, which needs to be done in situ. We’re on the home stretch! At least, for the posts we can reach, the southern swamp area will have to wait awhile, though at least I’ll be able to finish them here, then all I have to do is make a hole and put the completed posts in, which will be easier, though more difficult to carry out there. Maybe by then I’ll have a UTV, or someone who can take me out there. Did some housekeeping, a few finicky jobs like cleaning the little fan in the bedroom and bleaching my dish rack, then settled down for the rest of a quiet afternoon, working on the videos from last week’s workshop. Soon will be time for shower and bed! Good night, babe! Love you!

Hi Babe,
A good night sleep, woke up early, read for a bit, then got up and did my chores, and put the first coat of paint on the last edge of the boards before breakfast. Jeff was supposed to come over early, but got waylaid by brother Glenn to do something with his air conditioning on the new house, finally got here around 4:00. By that time I had already done the second coat of paint on my boards! Turned out he didn’t have the right fitting to check the fuel system, so we both took another good look at everything and couldn’t find a leak, but we agreed the best course of action was to go ahead and order the fuel filter housing, which seems to be the part most likely to be failing. It is clear that there is some air getting into the system, but I’m not sure it’s enough to account for the problem, but we have to start somewhere! If this doesn’t fix it, I’ll have to get it towed to a shop anyway, because it seems that the next most likely candidates are much too complicated for me to do. Other than painting, pretty much just hung out today, finished a book, binge-watched a PBS Mystery series, and, as always, time for shower and bed! Good night, sweetheart! Love you!

Hey Sweetie,
Slept a little better, woke up early, did my morning chores, then painted the edges of the boards I’m working on, and took out the fuel filter again on my truck trying to see if there was anything I might have done wrong last time, but everything seemed to be in place, no change though. It just cranks and won’t start. Actually did that twice, but no effect. Did some research on the internet and it could be any number of things, most of which I don’t have the tools to test, so Jeff is coming over tomorrow to help. Wasn’t much else I could do with it. If we can’t figure it out tomorrow, I’ll just have to call the local mechanic and have it towed in to be repaired. Figures, I get a job and put a little money aside, so of course I need to have a big mechanic’s bill to pay for! No worries though, it’s still a lot less than a car payment! Was filthy dirty from working with all that fuel, so I took my shower before dinner, did a load of laundry to get rid of the smell, and settled down for the evening. Sleepytime tea, then bed! Good night, my darlin’! Love you!