Good morning!!!!

[RedNeckGeek]

Good Morning!!!! 53F @ 6:45AM. Foggy this morning, then partly cloudy this afternoon. High around 75F. Winds W at 5 to 10 mph.

Drew made it here at around noon, and after a quick lunch, we surveyed the damage to the transfer switch in the motor home. I couldn't smell the burnt insulation on the wires, but there was plenty of char to show some of them had gotten pretty hot. So off came the wire nuts holding the three wire pairs in place, and out came enough ten gauge butt connectors to take their place. And since Drew had a new transfer switch, we decided to put that in as well.

AD​

By that time the oil in the RV had cooled off enough to change it, but the vacuum siphon tube couldn't make it down the dip stick tube far enough to strike oil. So Drew heroically slithered under the RV, undid the drain plug, and let fly with the oil. Then he had to put the cork back in so we could drain the catch pan; it was too small to take everything at once. With the oil drained, he turned his attention to the filter, only the right sized band wrench was missing. So out came a pair of adjustable pliers that worked well but not as easy as the band wrench. There was still oil above the filter, so it coated the filter as it came off, sending oil all over Drew. What a trooper, not a single complaint. It was all down hill from there, and we soon had the new oil in place and the engine humming along nicely.

Took longer than expected, and I had to redo one of the connectors twice, but the transfer switch swap got done, too. And once we got the breakers turned on properly, sweet, cool air was soon blowing through the AC in the MH. Mission accomplished, and time for some dinner.

I'd put a rack of baby backs on the grill about the time Drew arrived, and had been dropping oak chips into a smoker pan all day. With the temp hovering around 225F, by six o'clock the meat was falling off the bones and there was a nice red smoke line in the pork. Smothered in Sweet Baby Ray's sauce and slightly carmalized by the flames, they were some good eatin'. The fresh corn on the cob and garden salad, sloshed down by a pair of Pacificos Drew brought along didn't hurt either. I'll save the jug of fine Woodfords Bourbon for when the Costco sized one runs dry, though.

Today he's headed into the Los Angeles area, hopefully during midday hours and avoiding the rush. Happy Trails, Drew, and it was a delight to hang out with you in real time for a change!

 

[Looking4new]

I just finished watching 12 O'clock High for about the 15 th time. Raining outside so you tube rabbit hole here I come.

 

[PJSprog]

Happy Trails, Drew, and it was a delight to hang out with you in real time for a change!

He is indeed a pleasant guy, and a fun conversationalist.

 

[sodamo]

70°F and .27 inches rain.

Awaiting response of freezer repair. Troubleshooting took several hours and then after more time on phone discussing having to supply info and pics by email. Had hoped to see response this morning. Guess that was too hopeful.

I did get an appointment next week with a live person to review my VA stuff.

End of Summer BBQ HH was quit nice. Met a new neighbor that bought last Feb. wife not here as she hasn’t retired yet. Only 51 and he is.

Prayers for all
Be safe
Have a great day

 

[RedNeckGeek]

While Drew and I were busy with the MH, there was trouble brewing in the garage. Toward the end of the afternoon I walked to workbench to get another tool, and noticed a whole bunch of red dots on the floor. Blood red dots; thought someone had cut themselves rather badly. I mentioned it to Drew in passing, and he was fine, thankfully. After we'd finished up I headed for the kitchen door through the garage, and the closer I got, the bigger grew the drops. And not just on the floor, but on and around a shelf that had lubricants and paint cans. I found the culprit hiding on the shelf, a pretty new can of sticky red grease. It had ruptured at the bottom seam, throwing the stuff on everything within an eight foot radius. So that's job one today...

 

[m7040]

The guy that stole the portrait of Sir Winston Churchill came from the town just north of me (Powassan). The guy that bought it thought it was a copy, paid 10 grand for it. It was an original and worth about 1 million dollars. It is supposed to be going home now, to Ottawa.

Small world. And he came from town close by. D's friend tracks down Heritage Crimes as part of the OSCE Heritage Crime Task Force. Organized crime and state actors look at those crimes as easy, low risk money. Sounds like who ever took it did not know the value or how to sell it

 

[Looking4new]

Small world. And he came from town close by. D's friend tracks down Heritage Crimes as part of the OSCE Heritage Crime Task Force. Organized crime and state actors look at those crimes as easy, low risk money. Sounds like who ever took it did not know the value or how to sell it

I would hazard a guess that he was an opportunistic Dummy. With a capital 'D'. Evidentially he took a print of the portrait and replaced the real one with the print.
There are a lot of not too bright people up here. Too much smokables back when they were illegal.

 

[daugen]

oh my if you can, try to avoid driving near LA.
what an awful drive today, constantly packed four to five lanes, with folks darting back and forth between lanes.
wow what a lot of traffic and hardly ever cleared out.

I thought I was taking 101 to 10 but gps took me west on 134 instead. It was crowded too, but anything to get off what is likely the busiest highway around. Pretty sure it was the northern route to get here because I went south to San Dimas

very nice campground, Bonelli Bluffs, huge sites, largest I've seen.
view could be interesting if there wasn't a grey haze over everything and was all morning. Some very pretty spots where 101 runs along the Pacific Ocean.

all these hollywood street names I've heard on tv but now seeing signs for them

full hookups here, going to take long hot shower and hopefully a long nap.
glad I have some shade, sunny and 90 here

 

[kenmbz]

oh my if you can, try to avoid driving near LA.
what an awful drive today, constantly packed four to five lanes, with folks darting back and forth between lanes.
wow what a lot of traffic and hardly ever cleared out.

I thought I was taking 101 to 10 but gps took me west on 134 instead. It was crowded too, but anything to get off what is likely the busiest highway around. Pretty sure it was the northern route to get here because I went south to San Dimas

very nice campground, Bonelli Bluffs, huge sites, largest I've seen.
view could be interesting if there wasn't a grey haze over everything and was all morning. Some very pretty spots where 101 runs along the Pacific Ocean.

all these hollywood street names I've heard on tv but now seeing signs for them

full hookups here, going to take long hot shower and hopefully a long nap.
glad I have some shade, sunny and 90 here

Your in my old neighborhood of Ontario California.
Mt Baldy and all that. I worked in that area off/on for almost 4 years.

Home of the famous ( well not that famous) Graber Olive House. Though the family I am sure is well into the next generation. I met the Grabers many times back in the late 80's and had the full tour by Betty Graber, who turned on/off the lights as we moved from room to room.

I just looked and it seems like they are closed

I have been all over the world, LA traffic is not nearly the craziest, but it is huge compared to other cities, anywhere. Miles and miles of watching pigeons walking past and never catching up to them.

Once you get south of there, so many great little sea towns like Carlsbad. And Laguna Niguel where one of my wife's cousins live.

Even Long beach with the Spruce Goose and the QE2. I once did dr. pepper shots with their Marilyn and WC fields staff in the QE2 bar.

 

[daugen]

I figured before I took my shower I'd have a really messy lunch.
and my was it good, moist but not fatty, smoky and sweet.
RNG made a cheese omelette for me this morning and sent me off with lunch.
much appreciated
and now I'm glommed up with barbecue sauce, perfect timing for a shower...

 

[ronjhall]

Buckeye Farmer stopped by for a visit on his way to visit his friends that live north of me. Was great to visit with him and his wife.

 

[daugen]

Getty Images
In 2017, Angelenos spent nearly 5 entire days and more than $2,600 sitting in traffic on busy freeways and surface streets. In addition to being the worst in the U.S., it ranks at No. 31 on TomTom's list of cities with the worst traffic in the world.

Ken, you are a world traveler, I can only compare to DC Beltway or Philadelphia blue route. I've driven in Germany and Austria and those folks know how to drive.
Came home and realized we had way too many poor drivers here.
I often wonder if that person ever took driver training.

today's traffic was tiresome because of the darters and incessant lane changers.
They whiz in and out perhaps playing games, or just enjoying the risk.
one missed my front bumper by about ten feet at 50 mph. Good thing I let off the gas. Doesn't matter right or wrong, have to avoid the accident if you can.
one reason I have a dash cam.

hot shower sure felt good. Nothing like hot water on an unhappy neck.
Neck got a workout today, on a swivel in heavy traffic, often where I had to get in middle lane instead of right lane because there were huge exits off to right that would back up three lanes over.

those extra turn signals Popgadget installed on rear of rv have really paid for themselves, folks see multiiple sets of lights high and low blinking and they know you are trying to get over. Sadly there are still many who don't understand the function of turn signals, showing intent instead of completion.

very few motorcycles on this road, and when there were they were coming fast and loud.

I was thinking of a bumper sticker on back
saying Hells Angels are Wimps
I wonder if I'd make it to the state line before getting shot up.

I'm headed to the Sonoran Desert tomorrow for a two day stay.

might try to sneak out later and wash bugs off. Angelino bugs, you know those
are tough suckers....

 

[m7040]

oh my if you can, try to avoid driving near LA.
what an awful drive today, constantly packed four to five lanes, with folks darting back and forth between lanes.

Welcome to LA traffic and haze up against the mountain. Pretty sure it is smog. When we were there we were so surprised when the Santa Anna winds blew the smog out to sea and we discovered there were actually mountains up there.
Lived further South in Long Beach and Costa Mesa but it was convenient for trips going South along the coast. We drove all over and made many friends in the area
Walking distance to the beach made it nice for evening walks
We moved from Montreal in the winter 1968 to LA and went from snow storms and COLD weather to sunny California with pools and palm trees. What a pleasant change

 

[Thomas]

you can kick that nasty illness quickly plowhog.

 

[daugen]

tried to take some pics of small planes taking off from local airport but
didn't get focused in time. So took some pics of houses up on far hill

headed out now with drone. I bet it alarms due to local airport.
I think I may turn it on here before I walk a ways and find out I can't use it.

 

[daugen]

no joy on drone, authorized area due to:

 

[scott_vt]

Good Evening Wngsprd,

Come on Scotty, a 44F boat ride would be fun! Puffy coats and hot toddies

Ha Ha, just to let you know , we brought a thermos of hot chocolate with us !

 

[Popgadget]

Was that Brackett Field in the second picture?

 

[scott_vt]

Good Evening Ron,
Glad to see you and Dennis had a chance to get together ! Always a pleasure to share time with friends that you talk to on a daily basis !

 

[buckeyefarmer]

Buckeye Farmer stopped by for a visit on his way to visit his friends that live north of me. Was great to visit with him and his wife.
View attachment 1316687

Ron, great meeting and talking with you. Made it to supper with our friends up north.