Saturday, September 14 (continued)
Heart of the Hills Campground shows remnants of the windstorm now known as the Hannukah Eve Windstorm of 2006. Hundreds of trees fell in the campground.
Okay, today we have to deal with the fridge not working.
Right after breakfast and after a walk around the campground loop, I hitch up the Best Little Trailer and secure the interior. I had found out earlier by phone that O’Reilly’s Auto Store in Port Angeles has Optima yellow-top AGM batteries. The crew and I head into town!
Everything goes along smoothly.
Well, I have a moment of doubt whether I’m choosing the correct battery so I call Mick in Tennessee. He confirms I should get a yellow-top. I walk around the interior of O’Reilly’s gabbing and laughing with the phone at my ear, something I swore I’d never do . . . talk on a cellphone in a store, that is.
A young man removes the old battery and connects the new.
It fits into the battery compartment with no problem. Cost? $243.89 ($224.99 for the battery and $18.90 tax).
Immediately I unlock the BLT’s door. I turn on the refrigerator, wait a moment for the ignition, and bingo! The fridge is working again!
I drive around Port Angeles, familiarizing myself with the streets and shops.
You need to be alert in this town because of the one-way streets. I drive along the wharf. A big ship sits in Port Angeles Harbor. Fog hangs over the water and clouds block sunshine, so I don’t stop to take a photo. When rain starts to fall, I drive back to camp.
The campground is a wonderland after a rain.
The leaves, moss, and small plants peeking up through the moss take on a bright, yellow-green glow.
Inside the BLT, Bridget and Spike hop into bed willingly and nose around in the covers. That’s the signal for me to make sure they’re tucked in well under the quilt.
The rain on the roof acts as a sedative for the crew.
I peel some potatoes and put them in a pot to boil. I’ll have taters with chicken tenderloins for supper. I grab my book and join the crew under the covers.
Sunday, September 15
After yesterday’s rainy day, I feel it’s best if I find a place to plug in my laptop in order to post on the blog. I’ll avoid using the BLT’s 12-volt system until the solar panel has plenty of sunshine.
Where do I go for power?
The laundromat! I sort two loads of dirty laundry to take, leaving the rest of the laundry behind. That way, if the cloudy days continue, which I suspect will happen, I’ll have more laundry to justify using the laundromat’s outlets. A delightfully devious plan . . .
After the laundromat, I toodle on over to Rudy’s Automotive.
I noticed this establishment yesterday because it has lots of customers. I ask the man behind the counter if they could put in a resistor for the HVAC blower motor. I explain that I’ve already had it in a shop and received the diagnosis, but I was traveling and couldn’t come back the next day to have the resistor installed. He tells me I can come in tomorrow at one.
I ask how much the resistor will cost.
The man tells me fifty-four dollars and change. “Whoa!” I ask him if he minds me bringing a resistor in for them to install.
“It’s okay with us . . . if you can find one. Just let me know as soon as possible whether you want the one o’clock appointment for tomorrow. We’re filling up,” he replies, looking at the shop calendar.
“By the way, how much labor will the job be?” I ask.
“We charge $84.50 an hour for labor.”
“But it’s not going to take an hour to put in the resistor. It’s easy to access.”
The man asks for details about the van and then taps some keys on his computer. “It’ll take four-tenths of an hour.”
“Okay, thanks. I’ll be right back.”
I zip on down to the NAPA store and buy the resistor.
It costs $31.64 ($29.19 plus $2.45 tax). I immediately drive back to Rudy’s and confirm the appointment.
From there the crew and I go a few blocks east to Willie’s Laundromat.
At first I let the crew come in with me. Usually they sit or lie down nearby while I load the washers and type on the computer. Today they’re restless.
I put the computer back in the PTV and walk the crew up and down the street. Then they go in the PTV, so I can finish blogging inside the laundromat without being distracted. I expect the dryers to do a poor job since it’s another damp day, but I’m happily surprised when the laundry comes out hot and dry.
I hope you don’t mind today’s mundane topics.
I like to write about our adventures in their entirety. Being a full-time vagabond is fun and exciting and sometimes hilarious. Other times it’s batteries, resistors, laundromats, cloudy days, and regular stuff that we all have to deal with.
It’s nice, though, to come home to a cozy abode in a rainforest!
rvsue
THANK YOU FOR SHOPPING AMAZON THROUGH MY LINKS!
Here’s a few of the neat items recently purchased by readers:
Nesco/American Harvest Dehydrator
Oster Professional Fast Feed Clipper with Adjustable Blade
General Tools Digital Sliding T-Bevel Gauge
Canon PowerShot SX50 HS 12MP Digital Camera
Wilson Electronics 75 Ohm Wide Band – 700-2500 MHz Directional Antenna
Think Tank Speed Demon V2.0 Waist Pack
