Wandering w/ Serenity: January 2017

1.30.2017

Forgot to Turn the H2O Heater Off Again?

I don't leave my water heater on 24/7. I heat the water in the morning, then turn it off. The water remains hot to warm through out the day.

When you turn the heater on a large red light comes on and stays on until the burner lights. Then it goes out. I found that frequently I would forget to turn the heater off after it had heated the water. There was no light to indicate it was on. I know, I could look at the position of the on off switch, but being absent minded I forget.

Burner trying to light

I got a 12 volt LED light at Radio Shack. I drilled a small hole to mount it next to the switch. By trial and error I found the two connections I needed so it would glow when the heater was on.

Much better. The little red light is a great reminder that the heater is on. No more leaving the water heater on all night.

Red light on - water heater on

1.27.2017

Quartzsite

It has been a week and a half kicking tires and looking at every imaginable RV accessory. I treated Serenity to four new Trojan 105 batteries from Discount Solar.

The WINs are camped north of Quartzsite on Plomosa Rd . My spectacular view.

Arlene singing for her dinner at Linda's rig.

Linda, Mike, Linda, Paul, Barbara, Arlene

Headed down to Rocky Point, MX next. Serenity will be getting a face lift.

1.19.2017

Golf

That's Desert Golf at the WIN County Club on a cold and blustery day. We, Paul Linda Carolyn and I, were competing with three other teams on this challenging four hole all rough course. We managed to avert total embarrassment by coming in third.

Off the T, sort of.

Now, where did it go?

Carolyn smacks a good one

What a fairway

Paul's off the T with a nice shot

Linda sinks it.

A great time was had by one and all.

1.14.2017

Castle Dome Ghost Town

In 1863 Jacob Snively followed early blazes to a 10 mile long faulted area where ancient volcanics had filled the faults with Galena, lead ore, laced with Silver. Early miners dug shafts down hundreds of feet into these rich deposits. Silver was the goal in these early days. Recovery of Galena, think lead, became very important during both World Wars. The last miner left in 1979. Over the past 116 years the population in this remote desert location fluctuated between a few hardy soles to several thousand people providing all the services needed to support mining. The Armstrongs bought the property in 1993. In 1998 Fish and Game wanted to remove all remains of the mining era spread over a many square miles. Allen Armstrong asked and was granted permission to collect and move it all to his museum. You can read more here and here.

The volcanic plug that the town was named after.

This Galena ore yields 40 oz of silver per ton.

Rusty treasures

Stone Cabin Cafe 1956

Early glass had a green tint. Glass makers added magnesium to make it clear. The Mg tinted the glass purple after long exposure to sun light.

Very old jeans discovered in the mines.

Bunk house washroom

Miner's cabin

We spent several hours exploring the treasures collected here. I especially liked that you could touch and handle most of the items.

1.08.2017

Rainy Day Fun

It is pouring much needed rain here in San Jose. Rachel and I are having a great time making up our own game using rummy tiles.

1.06.2017

Visiting My Favorite Girls

I am up in San Jose, CA having quality time with my son's family.

Simply mesmerizing

Ctenophors, my favorite jelly

Artist Alison McDonald created 12 sculptures to create a dialogue

about the negative and positive effects of plastic in our environment.

The aquarium has many interactive computer activities that engage children and adults alike.

Coloring your fish is only the beginning. When you are satisfied with your fish, tap a button and your creation pops up on a large screen in a burst of bubbles. You can also email your fish.