Day 36 - Tuesday, July 14 - Hot Day, as promised

 When we went in town for lunch the thermometer on our car said it was 93. I'm don't know what the "official" high was for the day, I  just know it was HOT.

The couple on one side of us pulled out this morning. The 5th wheel is a Redwood, I think Model 371, They start at $198k. I was shocked to see that they were pulling it with a 2500HD Duramax. The trailer weighs over 15,000# and has a pin weight of 3,713# before any options are added. This "3/4 ton pickup has to have a cargo capacity of over 2 tons to handle the pin weight, 5 passengers, etc, and be legal.

When we were in Ishpeming the couple next to us had a 5th wheel unit, big but smaller than this one, which they pulled with an F450 dually. At the time I mentioned to Kathy that I bet they were full timers since they had that big a truck.

We went to Big Boy for lunch. I got a breakfast and Kathy had some type of ham sandwich basket. Both were good. On the way back we stopped for a short time and watched Lake Michigan.

Below are some thoughts while I was drinking my morning coffee.

As I woke up this morning I was thinking about how often I forget to thank God for all the things going “right” in my life. Once I get my brain leaning in that direction I start recognizing that there are so many things I have to be thankful for.

I got up, in our nice cool air conditioned coach, put on the coffee and fixed myself a toast and peanut butter sandwich, just something to hold me over because we are supposed to go out for brunch today. As I was sitting at the table enjoying the morning I looked through the windshield and saw a guy on top of a travel trailer parked across from us. He had the cover off his AC unit. I think there is a Mom, Dad, 4 preteen kids and a dog at the camper. Now, 2 hours later, the frustrated guy is on the phone with someone.  You may be thinking, “How bad can it be, they are in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula?” It isn’t necessarily the actual temperature/humidity, it is what you are used to.

Yesterday the high was 86 here, at 9:30AM it is already 81. Yesterday the forecast for today’s high was 93, right now the high is forecast to be 90; average high here for this time of year is 72. There is as “Extreme Heat Warning” in effect, forecasting heat index highs of 98-105 for the area.

While I am sympathizing with this man’s plight I can’t help but grin as I think about our 2^nd experience “camping”. It was in the late 70’s, when we lived in rural Iowa. We made some great friends in the short time we lived there. Every Memorial Day weekend several of the families went camping at a lake near Albert Lea, MN, about 140 miles away. One of the families had purchased a bigger travel trailer but had not sold their old one. They, and other friends, kept up the pressure for us to use the trailer and join them for the weekend. I finally caved. This was an EVENT! We lived in Maxwell, IA. We all had Tee shirts emblazoned with Maxwell Memorial Day Melee.

After work, on several hot evenings, a couple of us guys did some rework on the wiring for the trailers tail/turn/stop lights by Friday we had everything ready to go. Travel to the campground went well. Campers were shoehorned into spots so small that you could hardly make your way between the campers. When we set up I meticulously levelled the trailer. We were ready. Friday night it POURED rain and stream of water leaked in around the roof vent. I went out in the rain and used the tongue jack to put as much slope on the roof as possible. It slowed the leak down to a drip.

As we got up Saturday morning we noticed a long line of folks at the rest room facility. We learned that the sewer was plugged on the ladies side and everyone had to take turns on the men’s side. It was HOT. The only place remotely cool was down by the lake, where it smelled like rotten fish. By Sunday morning I had enough “camping”, we packed up and headed back to Iowa.  Our weekend of fun was not yet complete. As we stopped in our driveway our youngest son, around 9 years old, leaped from the van and shot around the corner of an outbuilding to relieve himself. Soon thereafter we heard a blood curdling scream and say him come limping back to us. He was barefoot, not a problem, but the building he went around was where I split wood for our wood stove and fireplace. While back there he decided to try his hand with the splitting axe. He somehow managed to put a deep gash down the top of his foot. Blood was flowing freely. We wrapped it to staunch the flow and Kathy called the town doctor. Irene, his wife, said he would meet us at the office. We beat him to the office by a minute. As he pulled up he uncovered Drew’s foot, said “Wiggle your toes.”, When Drew did Doc Neglia said, “Its fine, there is a lot of fatty tissue on the top of our feet. He hasn’t cut anything serious.” Doc stitched him up and sent us home.

 It was a LONG time before anyone talked me into going “camping” again. Actually I never camped again, I’ve always glamped (glamour camping). Even our first travel trailer had a decent size shower, a microwave, AC, etc. Now we even have a dishwasher and stacked washer/dryer onboard.

God is good. I pray that He bless you  and yours. He has blessed me.

PS. The guy next door finally gave up on his rooftop AC. They were gone for several hours and came back and installed a window AC unit in their travel trailer.