Monday, March 2, 2020

Bit of a rant, errands and nicer day than expected....



Our Location: Empire Ranch, Vail, Arizona
 
We seem to be in a suddenly popular spot. Saturday 5 rigs (besides us and the turn around guy) parked on this little roadway. Yesterday around 4:30 pm another one parked literally across the road from us.  One would think it's an Airstream convention as 3 of the 5 near us are Airstreams.
 
 






Yesterday was a day for some errands, so we headed into Sierra Vista to accomplish those things. Trash, water and shopping were the order of the day. We accomplished all three. The shopping was two fold, I wanted to look at few items for under the sink storage and also a generator that caught my eye in store, plus of course we needed groceries as well. Lowe's was spot of choice for the under sink cabinet items and that is where the generator caught my eye. (It was not something we were actively looking for at this time but I had a question about one they carry.) I've usually found Lowe's to be good, always someone around to find the right person or to help us find what we seek. This year I've noticed a big change, and not for the better in the quality of service. It reminds me very much of Canadian Tire back in Ontario. You can never find anyone, and if by chance you do, they need to call someone else to help, and that person is either 15 minutes getting to you or perhaps just doesn't show because after that long I leave anyway. Needless to say after waiting for two different people to show up, we left with nothing in our hands and a disappointing experience yet again at Lowe's this year. 
 
 

 
 
  
 
 
Today's forecast was supposed to be very ugly with snow and rain and wind and cold, so far it isn't looking too bad, no snow, no rain, the wind will of course continue to pick up as the day goes on and the temperature is already higher than the predicted high of a few days ago.  We are running the heater though as being at this elevation it is just  naturally cooler in the mornings. 
 
 

 
 
 
All of today's photos are of sunset on Friday, Feb 28. 
 
 

 
 
Thanks for stopping by, I hope you enjoyed your visit. 
 
Until next time... take care, be safe, 
 
Deb

11 comments:

  1. Know what you mean. People have an entire desert to park in but practically park on your doorstep.
    Check Harbor Freight for Generators. They sell the Predator Brand that is equal to a Honda in dependability and comes at a fraction of the price. I believe there's one in your area. It would make a great Rainy day road trip.
    Something I learned our last winter in the southwest is to use only High Test Gasoline in the Generator. The other grades have Ethanol that attracts moisture causing the Gen to barely run.
    Be Safe and Enjoy your neighbours.

    It's about time.

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    1. Thanks Rick. I always use high test in a gasoline engine, I think it's a habit.
      We are heading into Sierra Vista in a day or two, perhaps I'll check them out. Thanks for the tip.
      Another rig has parked in the middle of the 4, which now brings a total of 6 in the area beside us, with another up the road a bit. Getting to be like a park here. haha

      Take care, be safe,
      Deb

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  2. You're right about service. Hard to get that anymore. I guess online is the way it is now. Glad you missed the bad weather. Don't need snow for sure.

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    1. Thanks Doug. I've found it bad this year as compared to others. I have no idea why.
      I believe the weather has now shifted a day, and we expect rain tomorrow and perhaps overnight as well. We had a bit of rain late, just around sunset and I thought I could see little pellets in there but maybe I was mistaken. The wind seems to have died down considerably as well.

      Take care, be safe,
      Deb

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  3. Are they all friends or what? I just hate it when people park right next to you. I'm out in the boon toollies to be AWAY from people and you park across the road from me. It's just rude. Hope you find the generator. I have always had the same luck at Lowes. Never anyone around to help.

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    1. At least four of the rigs are friends, and possibly five. The original four are parked at a site that is for group camping. The motor home which is new as of yesterday parked in the middle of all of them. The one directly across the road I think may have some connection to the four but I"m not sure. I think maybe the last Air Stream and the Motor home came in to get off the road before yesterdays big winds. Everyone is very quiet and we've not heard a peep from the 4 kids in the rig across the road.
      I doubt I'll buy a generator until we get home to Ontario but they had a size I hadn't seen before in the style I like. I wanted to ask a couple of questions and depending on the answers it may have changed my mind. However I don't know that it would, but I would have caused me some serious though. haha.

      Take care, be safe,
      Deb

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  4. Good luck with your generator hunt. Once you find one, you might want to get it rather than just get info. :)
    Too bad about your neighbours. Glad you didn't get the snow, that sounds too soon!

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    1. We like the neighbours, very friendly, quiet and welcome to stay as long as they like.
      The snow is a bit thicker on the mountain tops out the window when we can manage to see them through the clouds.
      Not everyone has the time to waste on returning an item because it doesn't fit. I would rather take the time and energy to do the research than return something because I was too lazy to figure it out the first time. For me $2000- $2500 is a lot of money to put out to purchase something that I might have to return because it isn't the proper size, or doesn't meet my needs. I'm usually pretty confident that when I buy an item that I've researched that it fits properly in every possible way and that I will have a very small chance of having to return it.


      Take care, be safe,
      Deb

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    2. Sorry Deb, it sounds like you took my comments in the wrong way. I meant that it was too bad the neighbours parked too close which is what I thought you said. :(
      The generator comment wasn't to jump and purchase just any one, I was figuring you'd researched already, I just meant grab it when you see it because of their shelf stock. LOL

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  5. It is always surprising when you are out in the middle of nowhere and somebody comes and parks near you. What is worse is that they start their generator at 7 in the morning.
    At home I had to buy a new lawnmower, and it came with a bottle of stabilizer. The manufacturer said to use stabilizer with the gas all the time because of the ethanol in the gas. While in Quartzsite this year I talked to the Cummins guy about the gas generator in my RV. Sometimes I will not gas up the rig for a couple of months or so, thus when I run the genny it is using old gas. He stated that this would more than likely over time gum up the carburetor, and to my surprise he actually had a carb there that had been gummed up from not being used. He suggested stabilizer also for the fuel.

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    1. Thanks for the information Peter. I will keep that in mind as I don't use a generator very often but it's always nice to have one just in case.
      Not one single person has run a generator here that I've heard. All of the little rigs and the Air Streams have solar panels, some on the roof, some on the ground, some with both. I'm so surprised we haven't heard a peep from anyone. I think it's a good neighbourhood. Haha.

      Take care, be safe,
      Deb

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