Eclipse Over - Still Here

We survived the eclipse. Kathy had purchased some "eclipse glasses" and we watched it, on and off. I thought it might get darker. We both were surprised at how quickly it got light again.

Yesterday I hooked the truck to the travel trailer and had it ready to go to the tire shop this AM. The up/down switch for the tongue's power jack was "frozen" and I broke it. After a lot of fussing with the jack we were hooked up and ready for this mornings trip.

The trailer tires didn't look bad but they were 6-7 years old. They had done a lot of just sitting on the ground. Nathan's Tire Shop in California, where I've had all our tire work done while in MO, had quoted me $270 for 4 new tires, installed. One tire problem during our upcoming trip could easily be more costly than that. Years ago Doug & Kathy blew a tire on our Jayco trailer, on the way to TN. When the tread came off it knocked the bottom of out the bathroom vanity and broke the fiberglass skirting over the tires. It was a pain to fix.

It is 8 miles to Nathans. After the tires were on I drove the "long way" back home, about 25 miles, to make sure everything was OK. All seems well.

I was back home by 10 AM. I pulled the trailer out back, to get it into position to put it back on the pad where I park it. I found out 2 things. The "posi" rear end on my truck works, both tires spin. I also found out that I can't back up a slight hill, pushing a 7,000# trailer, in wet grass.

We let things set until after the eclipse. Even after the grass dried some Kathy was still spinning the tires trying to back it up (she is the driver, I'm the director). I finally just hooked the tractor to the bumper on the trailer and pulled it up the slight hill. We had similar problems with the motorhome. I never pulled it with the tractor but I sure move a lot of wheelbarrow loads of rock to the motorhome and shoveled it along the path of the drive wheels.

Rain drains down the hill in this area. It isn't actually muddy that often but the soil does stay damp. I could probably solve the traction problem if I had 2-3 tandem axle loads of rock brought in and spread in the areas where I move the trailer. If I did this heavy rains would wash a path through the area. Rock is so close to the surface that it would be nearly impossible to install a catch basin and culvert. Guess I will stick with occasionally using the tractor as the solution.

Once we got the trailer back on the pad I tried "jumping" the electrical leads to the trailer tongue jack motor, bypassing the switch. I couldn't get it to work. Part of the problem seemed to be a corroded inline fuse holder. After pulling it apart and twisting it back together numerous times, trying to scrape away some of the corrosion I broke the glass fuse. I have lots of the newer spade type fuses, but no glass ones. I took the motor off the tongue jack and, using a ratchet & socket, manually cranked the jack to get the trailer loose from the ball. It took me awhile (it was HOT here again this PM). Then I played with the motor for awhile to make sure I was comfortable that it was OK. This afternoon I found the switch on Amazon and ordered one, and a new inline, spade type, fuse holder.

Lydia came after school. She arrives around 3:50PM. Andy & Nolan came around 5:15 and all 3 are still here.

God is good, may He bless you and yours.