rvsue and her canine crew

I’m really pleased with how easy it is to tilt and untilt my solar panel. 

Some expressed concern that having the panel on the roof of my tow vehicle would be a royal pain.  I’m happy to report that it isn’t a problem for me.  But then I’m not the type to jump in a vehicle at the drop of a hat.  I usually plan my trips in order to combine tasks and save on energy (mine and the planet’s).

I choose the angle I want based on the seasonal position of the sun in the sky – these days I’m setting it at 40 degrees –  and insert the pins in the corresponding holes and lift her up, pushing in the pins in the bottom of the bars.  Presto!  It doesn’t take five minutes!  And it’s even easier untilting the panel and securing it on the roof rack for travel.  Now if I could clear the sky of clouds this easily . . .

I drive into town for groceries and drinking water.

Chuck and Geri might arrive this afternoon and I want to be stocked for a possible move to Quartzsite on Thursday.  I put everything away, pour a glass of iced tea, and open my laptop.

Benny.

There’s an email from Denise (Sassy Rider) from across the pond.  Just as I’m about to reply, I hear a voice outside.  It’s Denise with her little pooch, Benny.

We talk here a few minutes and then walk over to her place and sit and talk some more.  Bridget and Spike love this kind of socializing, getting to sniff out Benny’s yard.

Denise gives me lots of ideas on how to spend money!

Those round things on the ground are the tops to her solar lights.

She shows me the shade cloth that she got at Quartzsite. It attaches easily by tabs that slide into the groove on the awning, and there are plenty of tabs so it doesn’t droop.

The photo shows the inside view.  The grommets allow you to take it down temporarily while leaving the tabs in place.

It makes a softly lit place to sit, letting in enough light and providing a little privacy.

LED light, motion sensitive

She also picked up some handy motion sensor LED lights.  I’m thinking one would be great to have in the bathroom.

Hmmm . . . Does that mean I’ve got to keep moving in there?  I suppose I could sit there waving . . . but what is it that I have to see? Gotta think this through . . .

I like the outside, folding chairs she has, also purchased at Quartzsite.  My five-dollar,grocery store camp chair is starting to come apart and is not very comfortable.   When I have a visitor, one of us has to sit in the anti-gravity chair.  It’s not good for visiting, better for dozing off, which one of my visitors might be tempted to do!

Denise takes me around and opens one of her storage compartments.

She’s rightly proud of the PVC holder she just made to hold her sewer hose.  We walk around to the front of her Class A to the windshield . . . Geez, that’s a big windshield . . . she points to her wipers.

They’re snugged into those gray, foam tubes used for insulating pipes.  “That’s to protect the wiper blades from the Arizona sun,” she explains.  She also has vinyl wheel covers that look big enough to cover my Casita!  Well, maybe I exaggerate.   Everything is so big on a Class A!

Suddenly I realize the time and gather up the crew .

I left my cellphone back at our campsite and Chuck and Geri may be trying to reach me.  We hurry back home.  As it turns out, they decided to park for the night in Dateland, a stop along I-8 where several date palms were planted.  I’m glad.  I don’t think it’s good to try to drive a lot of miles if it’s not necessary.  Why arrive at your destination and park your rig when you’re not as alert as you could be?  This isn’t a race.

I’m looking forward to their arrival tomorrow!  And the crew will be happy to see the “hound herd” again!

rvsue