MOUNTAINBORN CHRONICLES

LOOKIN’

2012-01-21T09:33:00.001-06:00

It is just a short ways to either of the lakes ( Greeson or Ouachita ) from our current location.

The look of the turn off into Kirby landing has changed a bit. Click photo for a better look.

Weston point site 89 was our last years campsite. It is just above the small sheltered inlet where the boat is protected from the powerful Spring time winds that come out of the East from time to time.

The site has full hookups including sewer.

50, 30 and 20 amp plugins at each pedestal.

There is a set of steps that lead down from site 89. The large old Oak that was dead last year has been sawed down for safety by the USCOE contractor. Lots of just the right size limb wood for all of those evening campfires !

It’s early yet, but, we’ve got it on our minds and we are a’ lookin’ !

ANNIVERSARY

2012-01-15T08:30:00.001-06:00

A day on the lake enjoying each other’s company. We scouted for signs of bream in the pre spawn. It was just too early yet. No visible signs of pre spawn. The water temperature on the sonar.

In mid January, it’s just too early yet for the bream to be thinking about spawning. We also put a bait trap out to get a look at the bait fish.

Here we are getting ready to launch the boat. Note the sobering sign in the foreground.

While cruising through Mountain Harbor marina we took this photo of the fuel islands.

Here is a short video of passing under the bridge into the marina.

Joplin campground bridge

This picturesque bridge is over a narrow, shallow cut that is sometimes difficult to navigate.

After a great day on the water, we went into Hot Springs to celebrate our anniversary at the Outback steak house.

Followed by purple shakes at the Purple Cow.

Yep, it was a pretty wild night out on the town for a couple of old geezers !

After such a wild night of revelry, we finally came dragging back home at the very late hour of 7:30 PM.

BRIGHT

2012-01-12T08:12:00.001-06:00

Bright sunlight made working on the bait traps and fishing jugs on the tailgate of the pickup most pleasant.

The weather forecast for tonight however, didn’t sound too good.

The bait traps had came back from the lake last year in pretty rough condition.

Even after considerable straightening, they looked somewhat bent. Yet, we know that they will work just fine, when we need them.

Some of the jugs needed minor repairs and hooks replaced. Note the offset in the above hook’s shaft.

But, a couple of hours in the bright sunlight and we are all set for our next trip to the lake.

It won’t be long now ! We’ve got catching large catfish on our minds !

DRAGGING

2012-01-09T08:05:00.001-06:00

As our time at Amazon came to a close, we knew that we were tired. But hey, we were supposed to be, for we had been working long days.

What we didn’t have a good handle on, was that we were also coming down sick. We had similar symptoms, so we thought that we had picked up a bug somewhere. And, that in a couple of days, it would be gone. Wrong.

Hooking up the fifth wheel in the rain didn’t help any, and a clue I should have picked up on, was that I was running too warm while working in a tee shirt, though it was raining. Now, you would think that at our age, we would know better. But it had been a year since we had been home and we were ready to get there before CHRISTmas.

The first day we only made it to Jackson Tennessee, thinking we might overnight on the Gander Mountain Parking lot. Something that we had done before. This evening, it didn’t work out though. After a couple of hours we realized that our congestion was much worse when laying down. By then I knew that we should have changed into dry clothes instead of turning the Kawabunga truck’s cab heat on high and drying out on the road.

We hit the road again, though we were just absolutely dragging by now. And, by then, we had figured it out, we were sick.

To make a long story short, we made it on in to Arkansas and parked in Betty’s Sister’s driveway.

The next time the Doctors office was open we were there.

She had a severe sinus infection and I had pneumonia. No wonder we were just dragging around !

VERIZON

2011-12-29T14:00:00.001-06:00

Dear Verizon, based on your past performance, I just knew that somehow you would take unfair advantage of our business relationship. This news article confirms that for me.

http://news.cnet.com/8301-30686_3-57349742-266/verizon-wireless-yep-thatll-be-$2-to-pay-your-bill-online/

I guess that when you arbitrarily decided that unlimited internet was a 5 gb maximum, I decided that you couldn’t be trusted. Consequently, I kept my paper billing when I started paying my bill on the internet. Even though the internet bill pay is less expensive for you, sadly, you want to penalize me a $2 fee for saving you money !

Did you do the math ? The cost of a stamp and an envelope is well under $1. I can save myself money and it will cost you money, to process that payment.

Public loss of trust and confidence in Verizon may well cost you an exorbitant sum.

TAILLIGHT

2011-12-26T10:00:00.001-06:00

The taillight parade has began ! Thursday morning at 0230 hours, C and D shifts met in their C break room to recap the season and fill out our exit interview forms. On the side of the large room was tables covered with all types of fruit and other goodies to enhance the mood of the celebration. We were ramping down after another very successful Peak season. Amazoner’s measure their time in the number of peak seasons that they have served as Santa’s Elves. This was our third.

Note the round pin attached to the ID Badge lanyard. Click for large view.

The new records, there were so many that they all began to run together. However one thing was clear , we had shipped over five million items and received over two and a quarter million items !

We celebrated last night at the Huddle House restaurant with others from work. We ate too much way too late. I had the golden waffle platter with a side of hash browns.

Looking across the corn field to the highway, large Rv, after large Rv, is rolling by though the sun is barely up. Everyone wants to get home to their loved ones before CHRISTmas. The taillight parade is in full swing !

Lots of the neighbors have already hooked up their tows, here is a look.

It is a bit foggy as we start to round up our stuff. It’s time to fold the chairs,

roll up the rugs and load the extra propane tank. We’re headin’ for Arkansas !

Those that have not had sewer hookup, dump on the way out of the park. The dump station is located near the Laundry, showers and restrooms.

Though it rained a few days, it was much better than snow ! We will wait until we get home to wash the truck.

Here is a look at what some of the loot looks like.

Tee shirts, small prizes in the goody bag, gold coins and gift cards, all in all, quite a cool send off from Amazon’s SDF-1 facility.

BUSY

2011-12-22T09:13:00.001-06:00

Working as one of Amazon’s Elf’s during the CHRISTmas season is a busy time.

But busy not only means work busy. There are other things going on at the same time. Other things that are not only motivational but are fun too. Here is a look at some of those things.

Every so often a bingo number is posted up on a very large high definition TV screen, located just a glance above our computer terminal screens, at the front of the receiving line.

A stereo system plays music as we work and on one night each week we have a DJ night where our requests are played. Jimmy Buffet’s Cheeseburger in Paradise has gotten pretty popular as cold weather is setting in.

We also have a brief “minute to win it” type contest after our lunch time safety and production meeting. Gift cards are a popular item, and we have gotten a few for various things such as perfect attendance. Here is a look.

The gift cards are worth $5. each, and they are small performance rewards, as the gold coins are. Betty has used the coins in the vending machines in the break room where they have an old fashioned Nu Grape soda pop that she likes. It is a cool way to touch base with a taste from our childhood memories.

Oh, we are not just playing all the time, we work hard and go home tired at the shift end. But we are having fun as we set new records and make history.

RULEY’S

2011-12-17T02:43:00.001-06:00

Lights ! Music ! Action ! Yes, the Ruley’s Family CHRISTmas light display has it all !

Located about thirty miles from Campbellsville, in Loretto Kentucky, it is marvelous place to visit.

This is the decorations for the garage.

This wreath is very large and it was made right on the farm. The wreath’s under frame is made from two different sizes of silo bands. You know, those steel bands that go around a farm silo.

Hanging on the end of a barn, in this photo, using the flash, the actual size is more apparent. The wreath is fifty two feet across ! The builder told us that when he hung it on the barn, it was all that his tractor’s front end loader could do to lift it in place.

We shot this video as we arrived at the Ruley’s place.

Over a million lights and the most gracious hosts.

There was even designated reindeer parking.

Santa’s cabin where Poco wanted his photo taken with Santa.

Santa had the Grinch behind bars !

CHRISTmas, Trains and kids, they just seem to go together. The kids are hard to see in this video, but we were enjoying their comments as they looked the train over.

Betty scored a cool hoodie while there.

Here is a look at both sides.

Remember the reason for the season !

BIG

2011-12-15T14:08:00.001-06:00

Our office slide out has a couple of desks in it that we mostly use for our laptops. It has been pretty cool to be able to quickly jump on the internet to access back ground information about a fast breaking news story on the television. Today while in town on a day off from work, we picked up a cable that we would need to display our laptop’s screen on the much larger high definition screen, Here is a look.

Should you click on the photo to see it in a full size view, you can see that we are on the Happy Trails blog web site. Geri is a professional photographer and always has the greatest photos. When we display them in a slideshow mode up on the large screen the detail is absolutely stunning !

As you can see in the photo there is a significant difference up on the big screen.

One of my favorite uses for the big screen is when balancing the check book or paying bills on the internet. The laptop is on one desk out of the way, and I have the check book and the wireless mouse over on the other desk, while watching the large screen .

Often I will have more than one instance of internet explorer running and switch between them as I access the calculator function at each step. Those much larger displays make it so much easier.

This photo is one of my favorites. It is a reminder of a great day out on the water. Betty and I were picking up the jugs with our friend Pete. Pete took the photo. It is currently our avatar on facebook. In thumbnail size it is obvious what the photo is. When enlarged on the laptop more detail is available. But, when it is up on the office slide out’s 32 inch high definition screen, you can see ever so much more detail. It is easy to tell that it is early Spring and also early morning. The boat is new and the color is startlingly fresh. This is a beautiful thirty pound blue catfish and I had just turned around and said, “ Now, this is what I’m talkin’ bout’ “.

This was one of several that we put back in the lake that week. Here is a look at the display on the big screen.

On the big screen all of the small details show up that made it an exemplarily morning, even down to my old worn and softly comfortable bib overalls. Pete had the presence of mind to capture the moment, and now, the big screen lets it all be shown.

CHRISTmas

2011-12-08T21:16:00.001-06:00

CHRISTmas wishes to everyone from the Indian Ridge campground, high above the Tebbs Bend Civil War Battlefield.

We are enjoying a much needed day off from Amazon.com’s CHRISTmas rush season. Taking our time, and an occasional nap, as we catch up on the little things around the house. You know the kind of small things that you are just too busy to get to during the work week.

Here is a short video, taken on this beautiful Fall day, from our living room window, as we laze around and think of being home for the holidays.

CHRISTmas Wishes from the Tebbs Bend Battlefield

GUMPTION

2011-12-02T14:25:00.001-06:00

A large corporation’s internal communications can sometimes be a nightmare. I expect that any little change in a company wide message or policy, can cause interpretation problems, and usually that means the consumer will take it in the pocketbook !

Or so it seems to me, anyhow. However, recently we got a pleasant surprise while dealing with the local Wal Mart here in Campbellsville Kentucky.

It has been our experience that when confronted with a policy change, a corporate worker often times just shrugs their shoulders and passes the buck saying “ it’s policy”. It is pretty hard for the person that is working in the grease pit to make a decision to go to management and tell them that “we just need to do the right thing”.

Here is Betty’s story about a grease pit worker and a manager that had the gumption to get the right thing done.

We visit Walmart’s that are located all over America’s heartland, as we put on about sixteen thousand RVing miles each year.

It is logical for us to get the oil changed in our vehicles at whichever WalMart we are near. Our one ton dually has a 6.4 liter Diesel engine that uses fifteen quarts of oil at each change. Now, at an oil change every three thousand miles that’s quite a lot of oil and filters, yet, I expect that many other RV’ers are using more than 75 quarts of oil and more than five oil filters, each year.

In the past it has been our experience that the automotive department at WalMart has “our brand” of oil and the filter in stock. Now, 15 quarts of oil would be a very large arm full, but Motocraft oil can come in five quart jugs. so, three jugs about the size of a gallon of milk is easier to handle.

This time the oil change technician checked his information and told Betty that they had no oil or filter to make the change with. He thought that they had stopped carrying the five quart jugs and had removed the remaining stock from the shelves.

He sent Betty to the local auto parts store for the oil and filter. After she got back and was waiting for the oil change to be completed, she wandered through the automotive department and to her surprise, found the very oil in the five quart size, that she had wanted. As she got ready to pay for the oil change and pick up the dually, she told the oil change tech that the oil was in the store and quite a bit cheaper than at the parts store price.

Now here is where the tech could have just shrugged his shoulders and Betty would have left. But this guy had gumption. He said “ wait a second and let me check on something”. Soon the store manager was there and they handed Betty a oil change ticket that said free. Yes, They changed the oil for free. Here is a look at the service order.

The yellow highlighted part at the lower left is the cool part.

Now, ya’ just gotta’ love it when a person with gumption says,” there was a problem, but were gona’ take care of it. We just need to do the right thing.”

Thanks to two large corporate workers that had the gumption to recognize a problem and make a satisfied customer leave smiling.

Want to know who the workers with gumption were ? Just click on the photo to make it larger their name’s and initials are in the highlighted area.

COINS

2011-12-01T13:33:00.001-06:00

One of the small tokens of appreciation at Amazon’s SDT-1 fulfillment center, are gold coins that can be used in several ways. Their actual cash value seems to be in the neighborhood of one dollar. Or, that’s the value of a large Coke in the vending machines where the coins will actually work just like regular currency. Here is a look.

In the short time we have been here they have fed us a meal at lunch time on two occasions, and extended one lunch time by 15 minutes, so we could relax and enjoy the meal.

In this fast paced blue collar working adventure, those small things are greatly appreciated.

As the management team constantly makes adjustments to the flow of product, both inbound and outbound, associates can be moved from one job to another. This makes for a blue collar working adventure that Betty and I both enjoy.

All too soon the CHRISTmas rush season here at Amazon will be over and we will be moving on down the road.

As the month of December arrives, we are thinking more and more about our pending move to S/W Arkansas to be with Family and Friends for the Holidays.

SIXTYEIGHT

2011-11-23T13:01:00.001-06:00

Thanksgiving week at Amazon’s SDF-1 Fulfillment center in Campbellsville Kentucky. Though the “peak season “ is underway, we have had a couple of short days. One for VTO, voluntary time off, and one for the Holliday. So, between us we have put in a quite easy sixty eight hour week.

The VTO is over for the season and the fifty plus hour weeks begin. That will mean a hundred or more hours between us, each week until we are released just before CHRISTmas.

Across the battlefield a patch of sunlight has broken through the clouds and the old fort site, above Tebbs Bend is standing out brightly, on a overcast day.

Thank you to the Men and Women that serve America to keep it free. You are the reason that Betty and I can enjoy the lifestyle that we enjoy so much.

I remember back when I was serving, way off somewhere in a strange and dangerous place, that it was good to know that folks back home were having a great meal and giving thanks, and that some day, I would be giving thanks while others served.

That day has came for us, thank you America’s Military ! We keep the home fires burning for you.

Valve

2011-11-18T11:58:00.000-06:00

Last Winter in Campbellsville Kentucky, at Indian Ridge Campground, we had a pretty rough Winter.

We had a opening where we could move up on the very scenic ridge beside friends, but were concerned that we had never spent the Winter in our then new Coleman fifthwheel, so, we stayed down out of the North wind swept ridge.

Even then we had a couple of problems, one was insulated and a heat tape added, earlier this year, though we never did freeze all the way up, we did have a exposed grey water dump valve that wouldn’t open because it was frozen. Here is a look.

Since the valve is on the sewer manifold that is exposed, below the heated basement and belly, and is dry below the valve, we won’t leave the heat tape turned on all of the time. The heat tape manufacturer advises to only put the tape on pipes that are filled with liquid. The cord that plugs in will remain exposed and easily accessed. So, when the valve freezes in the closed position, we will plug it in, long enough to thaw the valve and dump the gray water tank.

Our other gray water tank and the Black water tank, have their valves up inside the heated belly of the trailer and have not frozen up so far. If they ever do freeze, we will have to give the project another thought or two.

After securing the heat tape in place with gorilla tape, it was time to apply some insulation.

The insulation is foil backed and self adhesive, but, I taped it with Gorilla tape anyhow.

Here it is on the pipe above the valve.

I made sure it was sealed up to the belly skin, thinking that would help in windy conditions.

The valve, being a difficult shape to wrap, didn’t come out as neat looking.

This type of heat tape seems to be no longer available in most hardware stores because of a change in the electrical code, or so they tell me.

I had to find this one on Ebay. Here is a look at the simple items needed for the project.

I really like the Frost King insulation. It was easy to work with and we have lots of it left over for future projects.

CAMPERFORCE

2011-11-18T11:56:00.001-06:00

Last year at Amazon in Campbellsville we were Seasonal Campers.

This year, however, we are the CAMPERFORCE, a “branded” word. Here is a look at some of the inbound receive team’s Personal equipment.

The yellow plastic thing at the bottom is a safety knife that we open all of those cardboard boxes full of the stuff we receive into SDF-1.

The blue cards go on the lanyard around the neck and are used several times each day for everything from accessing the facility to logging onto your computer terminal.

The new lanyard is softer and smoother. Here is a closer look. Note the extra plastic latch that will break away easily if caught on something.

I guess that we all have experienced a paper cut some time or another, that’s the reason for the thin, stretchy, rubber palmed, gloves. As you may well imagine, the cardboard boxes have traveled many miles, are handled many times, and a cut could be quite infectious.

Who would have thought that a computer keyboard could be operated while wearing gloves !

The gloves and knife as well as many other safety related items may be received from a free vending machine that you just “swipe”your ID Badge on.

The top card in the photo above gives an idea of the kind of hours that can be available should you want extra hours.

We have completed our two weeks of “work hardening” , five hour days. The “peak” of the season is starting and we will be busy busy busy !

CONNECTING

2011-11-13T10:47:00.001-06:00

As we travel around America’s Heartland, we find ourselves in different internet availability situations. Here is a look at how we are connecting at our current location.’’

As we watch the Arkansas vs Tennessee game, that is pumped into the fifthwheel’s surround sound system, we are , writing a blog entry, and downloading a update on the other laptop. Both laptops are connected to the internet, each in a different way. One by 3g device and one by cell phone tether. Our third way to connect would be via the campground’s various wi-fi signals that are present. Here is a look at the campground’s various wi-fi signals that are available.

Having multiple internet methods sound expensive ? Nope, it doesn’t have to be expensive or fancy. Here is look at our smart telephone tether, hanging by a fly swatter handle to get it away from signal blocking metal and the television behind it gives it some directional ability towards the nearest cellular tower.

The other laptop is hooked to our air card 3g device. It is also on a short USB cable to elevate it. Here it is, held in place with a bread sack tie twist.

In one of our locations, DSL is available and our cell phones just are not going to work. So we use our centurytell provided DSL modem, our fourth way to connect. Here is a look.

Having lots of inexpensive internet options keeps us up to speed with family and friends as well as to be able to pay bills and look for cool blue collar work adventures.

I guess that the bottom line for us is that though it isn’t expensive or fancy, it does work for us.

INDOORS

2011-11-10T10:20:00.001-06:00

Working indoors is something that we just don’t care much for. We would just as soon be outside experiencing the weather, what ever it may be.

Having said that, I remember those bad Winter days last year, when there was 1/4” of Ice on the ground, with 4” of snow on top of it. That building that we would rather be on the outside of, felt pretty dadgum good !

As I sit typing this in our office slide out, this is the view.

We have completed our orientation and safety schools at Amazon.com, and are now working on our two weeks of five hour days that Amazon calls “work hardening”. This is to get us ready to work those ten and eleven hour days during the CHRISTmas rush season that many call “crunch time”.

It has been a joyful time to reunite with our Amazon family. So many have moved on up the chain of command and now have bigger jobs with more responsibility.

The inbound receiver’s now have a new training program that is done on the actual receive station. We all wear headsets to follow our instructors as we do the various drills that make up the course. It is a good experience that refreshed last years skills and gives us new skills to work with.

Each day we will have a couple of hours of training and a couple of hours of hands on work.

SINKING

2011-11-05T08:31:00.001-05:00

Sinking Spring Kentucky, birth place of President Lincoln.

Stately oak trees near the RV parking area, located on the left just before arriving at the museum, just turn left onto the heavily graveled parking area.

It is only a very short walk to the museum and the start of the various tour trails. A cool RVer’s advantage is that the parking area is located in the middle of and very near the trails that are ADA accessible. This makes it possible to have lunch before or between doing the trails.

Don’t go on into the automobile parking area, while towing, that would be hard to get out of.

Beautiful plaque at the entry way to the museum. Be sure to catch the movie first, it will set the stage for everything on the site and will enhance your experience.

A museum log cabin interior.

56 steps one for each year of his life, lead up to the memorial. Many US Presidents have made the climb to the top. It was pretty cool to walk in the steps of such powerful history and think about how the Lincoln family did things as they lived here.

The formal entry way into the memorial that housed the log cabin. We had to go in by the back door. It didn’t bother this bib overall wearing red neck though, we’ve been avoiding “polite company” and coming in the back door all of our lives.

The Sinking Spring, was the Lincoln family’s water source. Cool and damp at the bottom of the stairs, it made us wonder if a young Abraham Lincoln had, on a hot Summer afternoon, slipped down the steps for a cool drink of milk or maybe some other kitchen delight that mom had stored there.

Betty and I walked down into the spring, while we speculated on such matters, and shot this video. Here is a look at our short, 28 second long video.

This was an easily access, close to the highway, free and enjoyable place to visit our nation’s history.

Thank you National Park Service !

RIDGE

2011-11-02T12:11:00.001-05:00

We arrived early at Indian Ridge Campground. We had been running ahead of a strong Nor’Wester, the same one that dropped so much snow on New England. Still, though, we had to set up in a cold rain. That rain passed through overnight, and the weather has been just great since then.

It is good to be back in the campground that has such a commanding view of the Tebbs Bend Civil War Battlefield. Here is a look at the campsite and the campground.

Click on photo for a better view. Union troops were entrenched up on the ridge behind the house, guarding the Green River Bridge.

Here is a 32 second video look at the battlefield from our living room window.

At the front of our fiver is the office, recreation hall, pool and so on and so forth. Here is a look.

Picnic table side of the fiver.

Got the 100 pound propane tank filled today, just in case that next front that the weather man is talking about gets rougher than he thinks !

STARS

2011-10-28T13:50:00.001-05:00

Yep, we has done went and done it ! We is television stars now ! While having lunch at the Midway Truck stop in Columbia Missouri, they were filming their Halloween episode for the History Channel’s Truck stop Missouri series.

While in the Men’s room washing up for lunch, I noted a cast member putting on zombie makeup.

Cool hand carved cedar bench at entry way.

The daily lunch special was meatloaf, one of my favorites.

Truck Stop Missouri cast at the table.

During our meal, we were asked to sign releases to be background extra’s during a scene. You know that we jumped on a very cool thing like that. Here is Betty getting her photo taken by a staffer for the TV series.

The meal was great, and the dessert excellent. I had the pie al la mode.

As we were leaving the star and staffers let us interrupt a meeting long enough for a quick photo and hand shakes all around. Here is a look.

Even if our TV debut winds up on the cutting room floor, it was a lunch that we will never forget !

Here is a short video of the back lot where all of the trucks park.

Woo Hoo we is gona’ be on television !

ROUGH

2011-10-26T19:24:00.001-05:00

When we got ready to depart the overnighting site beside the Bass Pro Shop in Independence Missouri this morning, only one leg of the fifth wheel’s landing gear would raise up. Here is where we were parked.

It turned out to be a simple fix though.

The rough interstate highway 29, was the culprit.

Each year we say, “I hope that the construction on I-29 is finished”. Well, this year, it was mostly completed all right. However the new part was ever bit as rough as the old damaged part !

It was plumb crazy ! Beautiful new interstate highway, that would nearly shake the fillings out of your teeth !

We tried everything to smooth it out a bit. Finally, we dropped our speed down to more than ten MPH below the speed limit, and just gritted our teeth, toughing it out. Stopping on a regular basis to take a break.

That constant shaking worked a bolt loose on the landing gear jacks. We replaced the bolt, flat washer, lock washer and nut, then cut off the excess length with a hacksaw.

Here is a look at the replacement bolt.

After sleeping in, having breakfast and making the repair, it was mid morning before we hit the road to Columbia Mo., where we planned to have lunch.

It would be a late lunch , but quite a unique and very cool one ! We is now TV starz !!

BLADES

2011-10-22T19:55:00.001-05:00

We see them out on the highways.

We see them way off in the distance.

We could tell that they must be large.

So when we got a chance to get up close and personal with a yard full of the fiberglass blades, we jumped on it !

Yep, they are very large. We didn’t measure them, but the size comparison with Betty and our Nissan 4x4 gives a good idea of it’s real world size.

There are three of these on each of those wind generators that we see more and more of every year.

Click on a photo to enlarge it for a better look.

HEAVIER

2011-10-13T08:48:00.001-05:00

ST 225/75 R 15 E, is the size that we replaced our original equipment tires that had blown out, with.

Load range E, 10 ply tires that carry 85 PSI of air pressure in them. Our old tires were ST 225/75 R 15 D, 8 ply tires that held 65 PSI.

Made in China by TRANSMASTER.

Here is a look at the tread pattern.

I asked the tire guy at Sam’s Club about the blue and white stripe on the tread, he said it was a warehouse marking. They looked pretty good for a heavier 10 ply tire, here is a look.

A look at the new valve stems.

And here is a look at them sitting on the ground in place.

Don’t know how they will pull yet, but they sure sit up better than the old 8 ply tires with 65 PSI in them did.

WIND

2011-10-09T09:41:00.001-05:00

Roaring up into the Red River valley of the North, winds coming from a Southerly direction have brought high temperatures and have shut down the sugar beet harvest for several days in a row.

The National Weather service forecast was for gusts of wind up to 60 plus miles per hour.

Denned up in our fifth wheeler, we caught up on sleep, laundry and eating out. Regular gusts of wind would shake us around.

The wind let up for awhile this morning and we went to town for a few groceries. On the way we came upon a 18 wheeler that had been blown over as it traveled down the highway. Here is a look. The date on the camera was off, again, from changing batteries, again.

Click on the photo to make it larger and you can see where the rescue squad cut the windowshield and the steering wheel out, to remove the driver.

Here is a look at the other side of the truck.

As you can see, by the extreme steering axle angle, the driver was trying to “get back under” his trailer as it was being blown over. It slid on it’s side for quite some distance in the highway before going into the ditch.

Two 18 wheeler wreckers arrived while we were there.

Here is a short video clip of the skid marks and over view of the area.

High wind blows semi off of the road

SEWING

2011-10-06T09:57:00.001-05:00

Stitching or sewing up the belly skin is a protracted process that must be done in stages. Here is a “before” the start of repairs on a previous area where I had taken a short cut that didn’t pan out.

I had stitched the skin with ty wraps that were widely spaced, then covered the seam with gorilla tape. It looked good and worked well for the first few months. However the skin flexes and eventually that caused the tape that covered the seam, to turn loose.

In the next photo, I have removed the tape, and put in more closely spaced ty wraps. The next steps will be to cut off the excess on the ty wraps, wipe down with alcohol, then seal the seam up with silicone. Here is a “during” the repair look with the ty wraps not cut off just yet.

Here is a photo with the ty wraps cut off.

Here is the final result, with the seam sealed off with silicone.

The result is a tougher, more flexible, wind and water tight seam.