Though not a full house move, the first week of settling in here in Yuma has been busy. There were boxes and bags to be unpacked, and items that were packed away last March, brought out and set in place.
The most immediate problem was illustrated in Wednesday's photo. We had a heavy rain overnight and into the morning on Sunday. I woke about 5 a.m. to the sound of dripping water. After following the sound, I discovered that the fan at the rear of the trailer was leaking. I had brought a collapsible bucket with me, and that was placed on the sofa, while a pot was commandeered to catch the other drips. There was a bit of water on the floor that I cleaned up and placed a towel, just in case.
The rain finished about noon, but the drip continued into the afternoon. I dared to climb the ladder on the exterior of the RV, but only to look over the roof top. (I will NOT ever be seen on top of the RV). It was clear to me there was a puddle around the fan. Since there was no more rain in the future, I decided to wait until Monday to call the park maintenance man, Jose. He deserves his weekend off - I texted him at 8 a.m. on Monday, and he was at the unit in just over 30 minutes! He went up on the roof and said it needs to be resealed. He said he could come on Tuesday after 6 p.m., or Wednesday morning. I chose Wednesday because it starts getting dark around 6:30 p.m.
In the meantime I had to pick up the roof sealant at Home Depot. The bucket is so heavy, I had to ask for help getting it into the cart, and then into the vehicle. Here, unlike at home (in the city), they have people out in the parking lot whose job is to load or unload for the customers. I can't tell how many times I've had to wrestle something into my own vehicle or ask a passing fellow to help.
Since I was going to be out and about, I went and picked up groceries, as well as a food safe container. The latter is for the flour I purchased and finding the container took far more time than it needed to as I couldn't find the product on the shelf...the lids were there but not the buckets. However, eventually an intrepid Lowe's customer service person came by and found the buckets in the rafters of the shelves and brought down a stack of buckets for display. While there, I stopped at their garden center. Nothing, and I mean nothing, inspired me to purchase any of the plants.
Back at the unit, I unpacked my portable washing machine and got it set up in the shower pan. I ran a load of clothing and it worked so well, especially the spinner. The clothes were almost dry! I hung them out on the rack and it didn't take long in the sun for the drying process to be complete.
Tuesday was a busy day at the unit. After breakfast, I started prepping some items for meals for this week. I boiled a couple of eggs and seasoned chicken. (which came first?) I fired up the BBQ and it cooked the chicken while I swept and then mopped the outdoor patio area. With the rain came dirt and debris, and it was a real mess. Plus, at some point in the next few days, I was hoping Jose will have time to put up the gazebo. It's far bigger than the one we have at home, so more than I think I can manage.
The sheets I used to cover the furniture needed to be washed, so the little washer/spin dryer did another load. The rack I use for drying is too small, so I wandered over to my neighbour's, to use her lines.
Then it was time to relax for a bit. We have large hot-tub (more like a small pool) here in the park, where I planned to go for a soak. As I was getting ready, I heard a noise, and thought a squirrel had run across the roof. But no, my neighbour, H came over and asked if I was okay - we had experienced a small earthquake! I carried on, going over to the tub, and the jets felt so good on my back, legs, and feet - no aftershocks felt there. After a shower, I headed home for my lunch.
It is so wonderful to be able to sit outdoors and enjoy a meal. It will be even better when the gazebo is set-up. That will be delayed for a bit, as Jose's first order of business was to clean off the roof and dry it. After he dropped by on Wednesday morning to start the process (I thought), I was off to Home Depot, again, to pick up an RV and Marine hose. I'd discovered a leak at the main valve, just a slight one, and showed it to him. Further along there is a split in the rubber, so the whole thing needed to be replaced. Unfortunately there weren't any in stock, so I ordered on-line for pick-up early next week. Just like any home, there always seems to be necessary maintenance.
Before he arrived, I'd managed to clean the back window, as well as the windows on the west side. I'll hold off on the east side until a later evening, to avoid streaks if I can. Another task completed was sorting through a container of odds and ends left behind in one of the storage containers. Most everything will go to the garage sale, a few items hit the garbage bin, and a few tools were tucked away in the tool box.
On my way home from HD, I stopped in at the little Walmart store nearby to pick up tinfoil and paper towels. $30 later, I walked out with those and few more items.
Oh, I forgot to mention at Home Depot, I picked up some annuals to plant in containers. Last year, I planted very late and went with some less than spectacular (in other words, almost dead) plants. This year, I spent a little more since I'll be here until March. I've got marigolds, mums, creeping jenny, and a new to plant, a miniature African daisy.
Later in the day, Roger dropped by. He is the fellow who has installed several mini-splits here in the park. In fact, when I told him my unit number and mentioned I lived across from F, he remembered him. Sadly, it doesn't seem that F will be here this winter as he was hospitalized last winter due to health issues. We're all hoping to see him again soon.
Roger was here for about an hour, first determining where the mini-split outside unit and the inside unit could be placed. My 5th wheel is small, but it will work. Since he was here, and I agreed to the price (about what everyone else said they paid last year) he went ahead and got the electrical work completed. He'll be back on Saturday morning to finish the work! The issue with the RV a/c is two-fold. First, it isn't hooked up to the thermostat so when turned on, it runs until I manually shut it off. That means, I can't leave it running if I leave the unit for any length of time, it will really cool down. Once I left it when I went to Happy Hour and it dropped to 63F/17C. The other issue, it is LOUD! The mini-split, on the other hand, is both programmable and quiet. Plus it provides both heating and cooling.
My goal is to eventually remove all of the appliances that use propane including the stove, the water heater and the furnace. I've already added a Breville oven that I've placed on a large ceramic tile on top of the gas stove - at some point, the gas oven will be removed and the Breville will go in it's place. I also have a two burner stove that I use on the counter. The mini-split will replace the furnace so I'll be left at least for a while, the small hot water heater. Others in the park have on demand hot water unit, so that's on the list for next year. I'm hoping that the propane powered appliances can be pulled at that time, and I'll have a little more storage space. I still have the BBQ and an air fryer that I use outdoors, so I have lots of options for my meals.
Thursday morning was our first week for our coffee meeting in the clubhouse. We had a few more people arrive this week, so we numbered fourteen. It was a time to catch up with those who'd recently arrived and a few of the permanent residents of the park. After the meeting, I headed out to pick up coffee supplies. We'd done a BYOC (bring your own coffee) and a couple of the residents were kind enough to bring treats. That included H, who isn't feeling well but who had clearly dropped by the clubhouse before we arrived to drop these off. She's usually a firebrand, so it was odd not to see her.
Meanwhile, back at the RV, Jose was busy cleaning, drying and applying patches and painting the first few coats of the sealant. When I stopped in, he came down and showed me several photos of the shape it had been in - not good. In fact, I'd figured that out when I returned as there were pieces of old sealant that had peeled off and he'd swept off the roof, all laying about on the patio. My next job on Friday was to clean this up!
As I sat out on the patio before I lunch, I couldn't help but think, how fortunate I am to be here. The weather has been simply wonderful, and I'm grateful I arrived on Saturday, so I didn't walk into a real mess later in the week. I'm been using the mornings to get things done, most mundane but still enjoyable as I settle in to my winter home. The afternoons are my quiet time, as it is quite warm here, at least for me. So I settle in to watch a bit of television or read, until it is time for Happy Hour.
Thanks for reading this lengthy update. YHave a great week ahead everyone!
Sorry about the leak! Sounds like a very active and eventful week getting settled. Sounds kind of pricey too. I guess it is like moving each time. I hope all settles down and you just get to enjoy. At least it is warm!!!!
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