Mea Culpa time: I was up watching birds this morning and
realized my memory was telling me stories last night. Both active bird holes are in the same saguaro...one is near the top and
one about 5 to 6 feet farther down. I
was zooming in on each hole individually and somehow made the leap that they
were in different cactuses. So now I
know....
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Water Leak update #3: No leaks!! Kim is literally a Happy Camper!!
Walking out into the main living space of
the trailer from the bedroom in the morning can be chilling even though it may
be warm outside. Plus it’s darker
because I shut the shades at night. So
this morning I opened up the ramp and let the sun shine in! Don’t know that it made it any warmer but it
was nice to sit on the couch with the sun streaming in.
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We’ve become aware of a slight problem
getting the bikes in and out of the trailer...a bolt on the underside of each
of the bikes is digging into the plating at the top of the ramp. Can’t be good for the bikes and we can see
it’s leaving a mark on the plating. The
solution is to raise and extend the ramp but how with the least amount of
impact on the trailer/ramp is the question.
We’re only in the discussion stage but today Kim was talking to the
neighbor across the hedge, Dan from Ontario, and he came over to look at
it. We all brainstormed while the ramp
was open and came up with a good idea that we hope to implement before we leave
here. Dan also has a Harley and he was
more concerned about what it’s doing to the underside of the bike than the
ramp. That’s been my concern also...don’t want either bike to shake, rattle,
and fall apart while we’re riding because of damage from the ramp. So there’s another project for Kim.
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I’m very impressed with the high-speed
continuous shoot feature on my new camera.
Hold down the shutter and it just clicks away as I’m watching the action
unfold. Of course, the other side of
that is that I have so many pictures to go through to see if any are worth
keeping. Small price to pay for such a
fun feature.
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Drove to Casa Grande (again!) to get
supplies for the ramp project. We were
smart this time...not only made a list but brought it with us, too. 😏 While there’s no hurry to get it done Kim went right to working on it
when we returned. Before I set about
making a late lunch I opened the ramp and unrolled the flexible screened door that’s
suspended from the back door frame. The
end of the trailer where the table and couches are set up is on the end by the
ramp and there’s only one window on that end...it’s currently facing
south. If I open the window shade the
air conditioning will have to be turned on because sun streaming in can quickly
turn the trailer into a sauna. By opening
the ramp and screen door I can enjoy fresh air and natural daylight without
heating up the trailer too much...the ramp area is shaded this time of day
(afternoon). Added bonus is being serenaded by the birds that hang out in the
back hedges. Of course, if the
temperature reaches 90o this set-up might not be so appealing. 😐
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Ramp project is done. It took less than 2 hours for Kim to add the
extra length and then repair/replace the bolts for the spare tire. Yay!!
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Rode out to Hawk Nest Rd. in the late
afternoon. Our day was mostly taken up by
the ramp project. So when the time came
for a ride the sun was on the downward slope which makes it hard on the eyes so
we kept it short and tried to steer clear of heading directly west. We headed out to Hawk Nest Road (Toltec Rd)
to check out the nest. Couldn’t tell if
the nest is in use this year as the hawks weren’t on it at the time...maybe
they were out hunting or maybe the nest has been vacated. Usually the one sitting the nest will fly
when we get close and then it circles overhead screeching at us or for
reinforcements. We both had the same thought
driving down the road: I wonder if the monkey mask is still there? We’ve been visiting the nest for five years
now and the monkey mask with one eye has been there every time. It’s creepy but oddly comforting that it’s
still there.
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So....we had opened and shut that ramp many
times during the process of hinging a piece of wood on the end to extend
it. Worked great. Then Kim put the spare tire back in place,
shut the door and...we couldn’t get it open!
Tried several different tactics but to no avail. Finally Kim figured out that the level-ness
of the back jacks was what was throwing it off.
So the jacks have to be brought up when opening and closing the ramp...jacks
need to be put down in between to stabilize the trailer. It’s a little inconvenient but still worth it
for getting the bikes in and out without tearing them up underneath.
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Spent a couple of hours at Dan and Kym’s
campfire...they’re the neighbors across the hedge from Toronto. It’s been my experience that campers are
friendly people. Most are very willing
to talk even if just about the small things: Nice weather we’re having isn’t it?...Are you
in the camp with the two Harleys?...How was your ride?...Where in Michigan are
you from?...etc. Sometimes you get
to share a campfire and go a little deeper...that was our time with Dan and Kym
tonight. It was good. 😊
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Sky was clear and stars were out...great
time for Kim to do some imaging. He’s
been waiting for this, for sure. He set
his scope on Orion which he’s imaged several times but it’s an easy one to
start with. Once he got everything set up and going he bounced back and forth
between the campfire and the telescopes several times. Now comes the processing...
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Bike miles today: 41
Total miles: 533
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