Shhh! Mona's sound asleep!

The night closes in on a sleeping Mona and a typing Ken

Our home is now parked in front of our house.

Tonight we are sleeping in the coach for the first time since the trip to pick it up at David and Margaret Hickson's in Mobile, Alabama. Quo is 98% loaded with all we will be taking with us. Our clothing, our kitchen, our bathroom, our two offices (all greatly reduced in space requirements). The new smaller printer/copier/scanner is configured and ready for work. Our desks are either side of the dining table when dining is not happening. And the refrigerator is stocked with our fav ice cream.  It gets no better than that, unless its parked on a beach (stay tuned).

Tomorrow we off on a 10 mile away trek for two nights at French Creek State Park. There we will learn much more about how to live in our new home.  For instance, I learned today that the water pump was fine.  it just needed some air removed from the water lines with the correct sequence of start-up procedures. Yes, I read the book and Tim Gibble, our plumber, read the book and brought his own camping experience and professional skill to bear, but sometimes it just takes a learning curve, and a village of internet accessed RV techs  (TY Aaron at Shaeffer's RV above Hamburg, Pa).

The newly rebuilt leveler's were also giving us some fits till John McGrath drove over this morning from his shop in Monocacy Station, 2 miles away, to show me the best way to drop and reload the levelers in their lifters.  Ah, education.  it's amazing what a little can do!

We're hoping to confirm the start up procedure for the electric/gas hot water heater tomorrow before we get to the park.  Isn't it great that John MsGrath's shop is actually on the way to French Creek?  Oh Jo-hn!!!  :)

-Ken

Our first house guest!

Tim Gibble, long time friend, Hope Church attender and friend, spent the better part of the day with us today installing the new water filtration system he built, and discovering and repairing a freeze-cracked refrigerator ice maker valve.

He also, sadly, discovered that there is something keeping the Shurflo automatic water pump from working at full capacity when we are on the fresh water tank instead of city water, as we will be two nights this week in our first two nights of actual test-living in the coach at French Creek State Park
 


 But all days, no matter how challenging they may be, have a good side if we look for it.  Tim got to join us for lunch as our first with a house guest in the coach.

Thank you, Tim, for helping us, as so many others have, learn how to live well in our new home!

PS:  Mona is working hard to fit her kitchen into our new galley.  It's coming along, but you know how most women and many men love to have a BIG kitchen when they finally get their dream home?  We've definitely gone the other way.  When you have to decide which 4 of the 8 Mrs. Dash non-salt seasonings you actually have room for... that's small.  :)

-Ken

Preparing to prepare to depart

First, we have a new agreement on the house!  Settlement is scheduled for June 10, two days after we depart, but that's just fine.  The auctioneer comes to pick up all that's left June 9, and the last of our 'saved' items are in about 15 boxes and will be at our sister and brother-in-law's  (Larry and Loretta Crum) for long term storage in Lititz well before that.

After four weeks in the shop the coach has four rebuilt hydraulic jacks.  They each have new gaskets so are very snug.  I have to keep blocks under them when we use the leveling system so they don't drop all the way until the seals stretch a bit.  But they WORK, and the coach is back home again! TY John and Kim McGrath!


Mona began loading food and kitchen items into the coach.  How fortunate she did!  Our house refrigerator, which is sold in the house sale contract, is on the fritz so that was the first food that moved into the coach. We are praying the fridge may be repaired as we really don't want to have to purchase a new one to close the sale. TY for praying with us for this small blessing!

Then I got ready to fill the 110 gallon coach clean water tank. Uh oh.  Why are the two water filter holders laying on the floor under the valve heads?  And are they supposed to be snapped off from their threaded tops?? Turns out many northern RV'ers are discovering what I just did.  Even though we used the best antifreeze available the super cold winter we had, with extended periods of such cold, cracked pipes and filters all over the place.  But it's the very beginning of RV season, and every coach and trailer shop is way backed up with seasonal work!  We head for French Creek State Park for 3 days this Wednesday to test all our systems in real life before the June 8 sendoff.  Will we be using the public facilities, and washing dishes in the creek beside the trout fisher persons??

 NO!  Tim Gibble, plumber extraordinary to the rescue! Not only did he make a house call on a Saturday morning, he has arranged to develop a simpler water filter system that will be easier to replace filters and allow us to purchase less expensive filters from any home supply shop in North America, not just RV suppliers.  AND he's delivering and installing this hand built wonder this Monday.  TY Tim!



Now, if I can just get the basement door latch I broke off by leaving the door under the front slide-out open when I slid it out replaced!  The contact snapped the latch handle right off. the latch is only 8 years old but hard to find.  None-the-less Schaeffer's RV parts department is working hard to find one and have it shipped FAST to our current address.

It will be a small piece of duct tape or a bungee cord wrapped around the entire coach body like a Christmas ribbon when we travel till then!  :(

Finally Tony Choudhry, who has been helping with the TV setup has determined that while he was able to get the Chromecast units up and working on each TV for great broadband reception and the wireless headset Mona requires so my screen viewing won't mar her book reading audibly is all set up, the project is bigger than the two of us. I'll be asking a local TV repairman (yes, we still have them here in Eastern Berks County) to come out and complete the Wii and Surround Sound speaker system to the front 32" TV.  Mona says I can suffer without 5.1 Dolby for a few days.

She actually says, "Read a book!".

-Ken