Dogsled Down....needs repairs

We are currently in Foley, Alabama but have been without internet for a couple of weeks. I will post the missing blog posts in order. Sorry for the long dry spell. 

Our Location: Gunter Hill Campground, Montgomery, Al

(Post Jan 11, 2017)

A nice warm night last night and today was even better. Tonight's temps are still in the 65F/18C at 8:30 pm our time (Central). We barbecued tonight so you know it was warm. ~laugh~

We decided yesterday that today would be a day of rest and we’d just stay home and relax, do some walking and perhaps just recuperate a bit. It kind of went that way.

Grey, cloudy, overcast this morning but warm, a bit of a breeze but still very nice. Not short pants kind of nice but still much nicer than it’s been since we’ve arrived here. After breakfast we tidied up a bit and enjoyed our books for a while. By 8:30 am it was raining. Not hard but enough to get everything wet. So our lazy day was looking like it would be stay inside day due to weather.

Winding wooded hardtop path in various parts of the park.

Yesterday morning I noticed a spot under the truck and upon checking it out I realized it was diesel fuel, since I had filled the tank I thought it was perhaps the result of me over filling it a bit and the sun heating it up causing it to over flow the vent. Yesterday in Montgomery I didn’t notice anything but we were parked on a bit of an angle as well. Yesterday late afternoon I noticed another spot under the truck and upon further investigation I realized I had a leak in the tank. Around 10 am I headed up to the guard shack in hopes of finding Barry, a Prattville local, to pick his brain about where to take it to get it looked at and/or fixed. Barry wasn’t on the desk but the nice folks there from Iowa had his number (they referred to him as Bruce) and called him asking him that question. As luck would have it, HIS baby brother is a mechanic and Barry/Bruce was at his brother’s shop as he spoke on the phone. Directions and address in hand Bella (US GPS) and I made the trip to 1381 Hwy 82 West the home to Will’s Automotive. Will confirmed that it was a leak and that he could indeed help me out. I explained I wasn’t from the area, had only this vehicle and had driven from Gunter Hill CG to his shop. No problem Brother Will brought me home to the Igloo and will pick me up when it’s fixed. I didn’t hear from Will this afternoon but he was certain we would have it back by the weekend. So I’m hoping for tomorrow. 

 

One of two bridges that we found on the path.

Back home by 11:45 am, I thought I’d have an early lunch and enjoy my book outside as the rain had stopped and the sun was peeking out from time to time. After I finished my lunch I decided a few chores needed completing. I removed the tank/propane heater from it’s hooked up spot by the dining room window. Attached this very same tank to the BBQ in prep for tonight's dinner. After that I managed to tidy things up in the basement a bit but I think tomorrow if it’s nice I’ll actually remove everything and vacuum the space. It gets dirty fast with moving chairs, bbq’s, hoses, mats, etc in and out of the space. I also topped up my batteries with water today. The solar panels are showing the ‘full charge’ mode and I’m happy to see it. I’ve actually shut the batteries off from the shore power as I know they are topped up already and we aren’t going to be needing them for some time, I think it’s easier to have them shut off and not charging all the time.

This needs to be repaired to connect the two loops in the park. 

 I sat outside for a while reading until I finished my book. Not the best book but it was okay. I started another but quickly decided after about 6 chapters that I didn’t like it and grabbed a new one. I don’t usually do that but if a book can’t hold my interest than I am getting better at just moving on to the next book. 

Not sure what this is but only found one of them in the closed loop.

NO walk for me today, I  just didn’t have the energy to do it. I’ll walk tomorrow though. We are debating about what to do if we get the Dogsled back early tomorrow. I’m leaning toward the zoo, and we need to get one of our big propane tanks filled as well. I think we’ll hold off on the laundry until we get to Blackwater River State Park this coming week as they have laundry facilities right in the park. I’ve not seen anywhere near by to do laundry and I think we can hold out that long.

Looking across one of the sites toward the first loop. 

The park is filling up with a few more trailers, more people out and about as well. The warm weather is  helping for certain. I’m curious as to the weekend and what it will bring in terms of local people. Americans are big on camping weekends as Will (mechanic) told me they had come down on the weekend of New Years to camp for the weekend (right here in this park, he was one site past where we are parked right now) but it was too cold and they didn’t enjoy it too much. I’ve found many state parks are like that, fill up for the weekend and clear thru the week. 

Dinner tonight was sausages, italian veggies, garlic onion potatoes. BBQing is something we enjoy and we’ve missed it the last few weeks.

Clean up inside and out, bbq cover on, lights off outside, lock up and head off in our own directions. Not an exciting day but it was our day. We enjoyed it and are hoping for the return of the Dogsled soon. Thanks for stopping by, feel free to leave a comment. Until next time…be safe…take care….