WARNING FROM MOTHER NATURE

Friday, January 24 – We haven't done much since our last post. Relaxing, enjoying the wonderful weather, and of course....wedding planning :-)

Paul finally found some time to do a little carving.

He carved a tree spirit in a cypress knee.

Carving tree spirits is one of Paul's favorite types of carving. He use to do quite a bit of chain saw carving and managed to carve many tree spirits in those days. He likes the creative freedom afforded with tree spirits. He doesn’t have to worry about someone looking at a carving and saying, “Well, that doesn't really look like a bear.” LOL

Finish product

This one hangs in the 5th wheel. It was done a long time ago.

The weather HAD been gorgeous here. We have been outside enjoying the warm sun and blue sky. Bella is really enjoying the outdoors. Fortunately for her, there are many birds for her to dream about capturing and even another cat across the bayou she keeps an eye on. Cats are funny!

 

But….Mother Nature sent us a warning blast of cold weather this morning....just to let us know she's still in charge. It was actually some freezing rain.

 

If you're familiar with Houston, you know most of the freeways are pretty much elevated highways. They don't do well with freezing rain…which leads to shutting them down…which leads to school closures. (Funny that our daughter, a school teacher in NE Ohio, experienced below zero temperatures this morning. Her school was open, and Houston schools were closed due to cold and freezing temperatures.....it was 30 degrees in Houston. What a hoot!) Many stores had delayed openings, and the Elks Lodge canceled Bingo! Golly! So.....we've been hibernating indoors today.

Back in the 60's on Saturday but another one day cold blast by Tuesday of next week. Can't complain though. Overall the weather has been spectacular here in Houston. One of our friends just warned Paul that he better be careful sitting out in the sun – skin cancer you know! So Mother Nature sent along a cold blast to send him indoors.

Thanks for stopping by. Hope to see y’all back real soon. Have a great day!

A NITE OUT ON THE TOWN!

Thursday, January 23 - Our daughter, Carrie, treated us to a night out on the town on Saturday. We met a small group of Carrie's friends (eleven actually) at Chuey's Mexican Restaurant, in the Theater District of Houston. The place was packed....too packed! They are a well-known restaurant in Houston serving the typical huge plates of Mexican food at very reasonable prices. Guess that's why the place was packed.

After dinner we all rode a few blocks to the Music Box Theater.

This little theater is located among the bustling art galleries, theaters, and trendy restaurants in the Theater District of the Upper Kirby Avenue area Houston. If that sounds sophisticated and expensive to you, I think that was the intention when naming this area.

The theater was “sold out” which isn't surprising since ticket prices were a special 50% off. This is a small theater seating 150 people. The show was a “Year in Review” featuring highlights of songs from their 2013 shows.

The five singers sang show tunes, country, classical, oldies, and current top 40 selections. All-in-all, they did an excellent job and provided a very entertaining evening. We thought the Phantom of the Opera was their best selection. The show lasted about two hours with a 15 minute intermission at the mid-point.

At the late night hour of 10 p.m., it was time for us “older folks” to head home and let the younger crowd party the night away. There are certainly enough places for them to enjoy themselves in this part of town. Thanks, Carrie, for a wonderful dinner and night at the theater. We had a great time!

Thanks for stopping by. Hope to see y’all back real soon. Hope you have a great day!

PAUL ALWAYS NEEDS TO BE DOING SOMETHING!

Friday, January 17, 2014 – One of the recurring issues with the Cameo 5^th wheel is the tendency for the curbside-slide motor to loosen and not function properly. It never fails that when you want to “hit-the-road” early in the morning, the slide doesn't come in properly.

There is a fix to this problem Paul found on the Cameo Forum. Use locktite on the motor mount bolts and install bearings on the motor shaft and gear shaft. That is the job Paul decided to tackle this morning.

There is an access panel to the motor via a zippered opening in the 5^th wheel under covering. After opening the area, Paul was able to stick his head up in the motor area .

He removed the motor bolts, applied the locktite, then re-installed the bolts. This acts almost like glue to keep the bolts from vibrating loose over time. It's not permanent, the bolts can be removed if necessary.

The roller bearings were ordered over the internet (about $30 for both). Paul installed the bearings on the motor shaft and gear shaft. He then used washers to fill the gaps between the bearing bases for a snug fit. Not too tight. You don't want the motor to be under pressure when opening or closing the slide.

Marsha was inside to operate the slide for testing. All seemed to work smoothly. But there was another issue Paul was trying to find a solution to. There was something that has been tearing the under cover that seals the bottom of the slideout.

Paul posted pictures along with questions concerning this problem on the Cameo forum. Fortunately, another Cameo owner experienced a similar problem and directed Paul to a solution. It seems a screw in the floor under the slide has a tendency to work loose and raise up. This then tears the under-covering as the slide moves in and out.

It’s difficult, but can you see the screw head protruding above the carpet in the above picture?  The problem is how to reach under the slide to tighten the screw. Impossible!

 

So Paul got out his trusty Moto-tool and ground the sucker off. That did it – no more tearing!

Marsha has been watching the Egrets flying around the bayou behind our campsite. She patiently waited for one to land nearby so she could get a picture. One finally decided to fulfill her wish and posed on the fence behind our RV. Judy, Travels With Emma, would be proud of her :-)

 

Thanks for stopping by. Hope to see y’all back real soon. Have a great day!