Friday, December 28, 2018

Happy New Year!

Beach Mouse Bypass Trail (boardwalk), Middle Lake, Gulf State Park, AL

Well, we've been here a month and truly settled in.  We're still doing OK and doing the same things as last time. We're still walking and Donna still rides her bicycle with the Folks-on-Spokes three days a week.  So far, nothing new (that we know of) has broken on the trailer.  The truck has gotten a new recall for the engine block heater.  And it has rained.  Weather people earlier this year had mentioned a warm, wet winter for this part of the country.  So far, they've nailed it!

I know that's not much, but that wraps up our 2018 adventure for this year.  We pretty much plan on visiting the same general places in 2019 and traveling about the same general timeline.  At least that's the plan!

Here's to a great new year for you all! Thanks for dropping by and checking up on us.  Until next year, David

Saturday, December 15, 2018

Mid-month update



We've settled in down here at Gulf Shores.  Been out to eat a few times.  Tried the park's new Woodside Restaurant just off Highway 135 as you enter the park from the west.  Having gotten use to longer hikes over the summer, we're trying to keep the time & length of our walks similar to our summer hikes.  Kinda hard to duplicate the elevation change, though!  Donna still rides with the Folks-on-Spokes, Gulf Shores two to three days a week weather permitting.

Been a wet season, so far.  We've had heavy rain, but not the severe weather we've had in previous years.  Hopefully, we'll get lucky and miss most of the coldest stuff, too.

For those who keep track of such things, we did get the ASCO Red Hat II valve replaced with a manual shut-off valve.  The old valve was wired so that closing the stove top shut the gas off to the stove (to keep the stove from lighting should the cover be closed).  It had worn out and shorted itself out so that it was always on and allowing gas to flow no matter whether the stove top was open or not. We now have to close it manually if we want gas flow off when the stove top is down. 

And in a nod to the 21st Century, we had the software in the truck updated as well as a GPS update.  The original software would reboot from time-to-time.  Nothing dangerous, mind you.  But it did it enough to make Bill Gates proud.  Posts on Ford forums had indicated that people did see an improvement with the update, so we went ahead and had it done.  For the GPS: One must now go get it from a Ford dealership, so we had them just update it themselves while the truck was there.

That gets you up to date.  Thanks for stopping by and checking up on us!  We don't post as often when we're down here as we get into a routine and not a lot changes from week-to-week.  We'll get an update out in a couple of weeks, though.  Later, David


Gulf Oak Ridge Trail, Gulf State Park