Hodges Gardens Star Party

Observation Field of the BRAS Star Party at Hodges Gardens, tent campers spread out across the field.

My husband and I belong to the Baton Rouge Astronomical Society. John is as involved in this group as I am in our dog club, attending lectures, helping host stargazing evenings at CC’s Coffee House, Best Buy, etc., earning amateur astronomer certificates, and contributing articles to the BRAS newsletter. I attend just a few events, and especially enjoy the out of town retreats to dark sky places where I can bring my dogs. It’s one reason we got the RV.

Last weekend (Thurs – Sun, March 14-17), we were off to the Hodges Gardens in mid-west Louisiana near Leesville, not far from the Texas border.  3.5 hour drive through some pretty hill country. Gorgeous weather all the way, and well worth the drive to see this place. On the drive we talked and I discovered that John's pursuit of astronomy is similar to mine in training dogs -- personal development, feeling "fired up", and wonderment at this incredible adventure called life.

Hodges 4700 acres was private until it was donated to the State of LA in 2007.  The Hodges put in lakes, formal gardens, a grass air strip, equestrian center, hiking trails, gift shop, cabins, canoeing, and an RV camp.  The park also boasts a huge field with no light pollution (photo above), perfect for the annual star party BRAS hosts. 66 amateur astronomers showed up, many families rented cabins, others pitched tents right there in the field, a few like us had RV’s.



The Red Barn, and grassy area where we trained our dogs.
In distance, the huge field with tent campers and canopies.

It was our first star party. Thursday afternoon we drove straight to the observation field, set up John's equipment and our dogs' x-pen under our 10' canopy, and I found the perfect level shady place to park my RV beside an old red barn, with a flat grassy lawn for dog training beside it.   I was very happy.  But after dark the dogs were not happy in the field, barking at everything, so I brought them back to the RV.  As no lights were allowed, I draped the windows, lit one candle, and listened to podcasts in the dark on my iPhone til midnight. At some point the BRAS director came over and informed me we were not allowed to park there overnight, nor run our generator, nor even drive vehicles within 1/4 mile of the field after 6 p.m. (light pollution).  I could not stay in my spot.   This made no sense to me as other people had vehicles parked in that field beside their tents for 4 days.

So at midnight curfew we drove the RV 1/4 mile back to the parking lot where a few other RV's were and went to sleep, miffed.  I learned there were no electric or water hookups anywhere.  I was more miffed!. Next morning, I located a shady spot amidst pine trees to park the rest of the weekend, and marked it with orange cones so when I drove off to tour nobody else would get my spot.  The only way I could level the unit was to sink the back wheels into a low spot.  Our new location was too long a distance to walk the dogs back and forth to the Observation Field in the pitch dark.

Thus, John did the stargazing while I spent Friday night in the RV, again, and entertained myself in the dark, again, listening to Podcasts until my iPhone battery went dead.  Then I was really miffed. John was having fun, but this weekend was not at all what I had pictured.



One of the 2 earthen dams
with a road on top.

Day times were splendid, though!  Friday Karen, her kids, John and I took a driving tour together through the park, in the RV, stopping along the way for me to take photos.  We pooled our food and enjoyed several meals in Karen’s cabin, and played a new board game - Gemlock. Saturday John, Christina and I went back and walked through the gardens.  Beautiful!

We could drive up to the field any time during the day, park in shade beside the red barn. I set up my agility equipment in what turned out to be the only level grassy area in the whole park. Christina, a teenager who trains a border collie, had come along with her mother and brother, Karen & Jacob, both active in BRAS, when she learned I was bringing my dogs and equipment. Both Friday and Saturday, we trained during the day while the astronomer geeks did their thing. I brought enough portable equipment to set up jump chutes, threadles, serpentines, weaves, and chute for Maxie, Lucky, and Shadow. Christina helped me work Pepper on short sequences. Lucky especially enjoyed chasing her Chuck-It ball through the tall dead grass in the field, Pepper racing alongside. We drew some interest from others who took a break from star talk and came to watch us train. Alas, I didn’t get pics of any of that.

About Hodges Gardens:
While the park is mostly hilly pine country and rough, with hiking and horse trails scattered about, the formal gardens are cultivated and elegant.  Similar to Bellengrath Gardens near Moblie, AL, but hillier, and without a plantation to tour. 

Built near an old quarry, with plenty of slate and granite around, the Hodges had built numerous architectural stone structures, plus 2 dams creating a beautiful lake and designed gardens with meandering paths, and a series of waterfalls cascading through camelia, azelea, rose and other gardens.  An amphitheater, and numerous lookout points on hilltops – gorgeous!

Karen's cabin by the lake.

There are 12 cabins for rent clustered here and there around the lake (alas, no dogs allowed within), a lodge for retreats, canoes and kayaks for rent, horesback riding trails, and boat ramps.  Lots of outdoor suff to do.

One sad point about Hodges, there were no designated RV spots, no hookups, and no level ground. The sites that used to be there were torn out by the state for "not meeting code", there is no level ground, the roads have many potholes, and it seems our state budget does not have enough cash to fix things, which is why their official website doesn't do the place justice. (The Friends Of Hodges website has a great page on the history of the place, lots of before and after B & W pics, well worth the read.) Many people there were badmouthing LA Gov. Bobby Jindal for siphoning off the money.

Our campsite, just off the parking lot.  That's me with
Willow, Maxie, Pepper, Lucky

Airstrip

Our campsite was in piney woods on the edge of a large grass airstrip some astronomers used at night to view the Pan-Starr comet at nightfall.  I just missed seeing it myself before it disappeared below the horizon. This spot doesn't do for a star party because there are lights in the parking lot and cars with headlights coming and going, destroying night vision.

Friday night John walked the 1/4 mile to the field, and walked home at about midnight.  We learned next day that about 3 a.m. a single huge gust of wind blew down our canopy, despite it being staked down, so we took it down Saturday.  It wasn’t damaged, but some others out there were destroyed.  Some people tent camping had their tents come down on their heads, one a pregnant lady. A few telescopes blew over and were damaged, one that cost $9,000 and has to be shipped back to Japan for warranty repairs. Ouch!

Saturday night was open to the public, with a hayride shuttle, so I left the dogs locked in the RV and joined John at the field.  About 200 people showed up, lots of Asian tourists chattering away who had never looked through a telescope before.  It was a blast.  John was in his element, with people lined up to see Jupiter’s moons through his telescope.  Other scopes were trained on various sky objects, with long lines to see them and BRAS members used their lazer lights to point out the object in the sky, explaining what it was.  The weather was cool, the breeze was brisk but manageable, lazer lights criss crossing each other in the night sky made it all the more exciting. 

Light Pollution:
I caught the hayride back to the RV about 10 p.m, perched on wobbly hay bales with about 20 other folks, mesmerized by the moonlight casting eerie shadows across the road through the tall pines.  One doesn’t much notice light pollution in town, but it’s absence is important.  The Milky Way was clearly visible, as were many millions of stars. They fill your soul with wonderment.

Electricity:
Back at the RV Saturday night, alone in the woods again, I thought, to heck with this no electricity situation, fired up my generator, and spent two luxurious hours with lights and a microwave to heat my coffee -- for as long as it took to charge up my phone and computer!  The generator police didn't come get me.  John walked back around 3 a.m., exhausted.

4 days without electricity, and what inconvenienced me most was no way to charge my cell phone or computer.  I found a single plug in the shower building but couldn't see myself sitting in there 2 hours guarding my equipment!  We charged our phones every time we visited Karen's cabin. I also missed my microwave to heat coffee. I learned Sunday while packing up to leave that I could have run the generator the whole weekend. It was only at the Observation Field after 6 p.m. we weren’t allowed to use it! 

Moral #1 of this tale – ask the right questions, to the right people, and don't take your first answer as the only one.
Moral #2 - RV'ers don't need hookups or a generator if you bring your own water, you don't need A/C, have LP gas for stove and fridge, and you can find a plug to charge your phone and computer batteries.
Moral #3 - Light pollution in cities robs us of much of the magic of night.  We should really do something about that.


L to R:  Maxie, Willow, Pepper watch on as
Mommy hops out to take pictures.

Moral #4 - Dogs don't give a damn about flower gardens, lovely scenery or stargazing.  They only look at you.

Moral #5 - Hodges Gardens is a testament how the Hand Of Man can improve upon God's raw design. (see PS below).

Came home and upon reflection, realized that despite all the inconvenience, I had a wonderful time.

More photos of Hodges Gardens here.

Upwards and onward!


P.S.  Lacking electricity, sitting in darkness, parking in undeveloped woods on rough terrain, makes one think differently.  I celebrated the hand of man several times on this trip. More on this in my next post.

Monroe Agility Trial March 1, 2, 3 2013

Maxie: 4 runs 3 Q's 1 QQ, 3 2nd places, 30 MACH points, 4 videos
Lucky Lucy: 4 runs, 2 Q's, 2 3rd places, 6 MACH points, 4 videos

Left BR Thursday at 1:30 planning to arrive West Monroe before dark.  Oops, before I got on I-10 I noticed my gas peddle was flopping around.  I whipped into Firestone, they did a “curb side” check and sure enough, the pin holding the pedal onto the shaft had broken.  They rigged up a nut and bolt to get me going.  That put me 1/2 hour later on the road.  Didn’t bother me.  Uneventful trip, beautiful drive, little traffic.



RV park at the IKE Convention Center.  I'm on the left.

First time RV’ing at the IKE Center, a vast asphalt parking lot with no shade, no beauty, little grass to potty the dogs, and a 4 minute hike to the arena from my spot up close to the back.  Arrived, picked a spot way back by the grassy area, backed in, leveled the RV, then discovered the electric was 50V, which I didn’t have an adapter for.  S#%T!  By the time I went looking for a 30V it was pitch dark and no night lighting whatsoever.  Running around with my flash light, I found most of the boxes were locked down.  I finally found a 30V connection open close to the arena, then leveled the RV in the dark in 35 degree weather.  So much for picking my favorite spot!  And with all my strength I could not open the water valve, so I did without city water all weekend. Somehow, none of that stressed me out either.
 

Only 2 channels came in on my dinky little AIR antennae, but I got to watch Jay Leno for a change.  He’s gotten funnier over the years.  I opened up my couch and used it as a bed for the first time.  It’s so comfortable, I fell asleep watching TV and woke up there in the morning!  But I noticed the RV walls got cold. Heater worked great after I directed all the vents towards the center of the rooms – they were all facing the floor.  Heater ran almost continuously with temps ranging from 28-55 all weekend (4 days), and used up about 3/4 of my LP tank.   Also learned I don’t need to bother with connecting up the water line.  1/2 tank is plenty for all my flushing needs, and I bring 4 gallons of drinking water for coffee, cooking and dogs.

Our crate space -- daytime home for 3 days.

It was too cold to set up my outdoor yard, and since the arena was far away I set up my crate space indoors. It’s easy as pie to set up if all you do is drive up, level up and plug in. Yahoo!  (But first, be sure you can plug in.)

Now, on to the trial: I only got in for Friday and Sunday, so Saturday I just hung out and tinkered. Dogs ran tall to small all weekend, making Lucky the 6th dog on the line in each class, and Maxie was second to last! Only one ring, which went smoothly and Tanya Lee, Trial Sec, says it goes just as fast as with 2 rings if the judges nest the courses properly.

GOALS SET/GOALS MET:
Maxie:  1 QQ, at least 20 MACH points, and running weaves/got my QQ plus another Q and 30 MACH points, but no running weaves which helped cause his 4th clean run to be 3 seconds over time.
Lucky Lucy:  1 jumpers Q, 1 standard Q, at least 5 MACH points, and running weaves/got both Q's and 6 MACH points, but no running weaves.
Pepper:  better leash behavior, off leash sit/stays in arena at practice bar, attentiveness to me, ease with other people and trial environment/got all except better leash behavior.

Theresa and Breeze, a tiny sheltie

FRIDAY:  Maxie QQ’d with 2 2nd places, placing that high only because Breeze, who usually beats Maxie by 10 seconds or so and working on his 4th MACH, got pulled.  The little 8” sheltie took off from the start line walking– by the 3rd obstacle Theresa picked him up and pulled him out for the weekend – they’re supposed to compete in Nationals in 2 weeks.  She reported he had given a yelp at the practice jump just before his turn.  Musta pulled something. How heartbreaking is that?  Lucky Q’d in Standard by 5 seconds despite walking her weaves, but scratched in Jumpers by walking her weaves plus a refusal in a threadle and taking the table twice. Someone just had to comment that she doesn’t have a good “work ethic”.  I guess that means she lacks drive?  Another chimed in saying I’ve slowed both Lucky and Maxie down by demanding perfection, over-practicing, and not making it fun.  That’s all such bulls#%t, I hardly practice and don't demand perfection, but I wish they’d apply their “make it fun” standards to encouraging me.  I’m going to follow Joe’s advice (who had overheard their comments) –  “Don’t listen to anybody.”

Found out that some clubs comp the runs of their Trial Secretary, Chief Course Builder and Gate Steward, confirming what a few of us have been thinking/talking about recently -- It’s too darn much work to expect key positions of a trial to be filled by volunteers for free, especially when trials are netting thousands of dollars.  We are outgrowing our "hobby" status.  AKC trials have CUSTOMERS who expect competent SERVICE for the thousands of dollars they spend each year.

Tanya Lee studies her club's new tire.

Saw a breakaway tire for the first time, and several of us studied how it worked, with electromagnets holding the bottom sections together. The tire did break apart for several dogs, but Judge Mary Mullens didn't fault that because nobody was sure how to set the tension.  It's clear, several dogs do nick the tire.

Here's a video that explains AKC's new requirement and shows how the breakaway tire works.

Here’s a link to a collection of YouTube videos showing Scary Tyre Accidents, which I’m sure contributed to AKC’s new rule.

Mary Mullens was the most pleasant judge I've encountered so far. She was gracious, supportive, clear, concise, kept things running smoothly, her courses flowed, she nested the courses well.

Dawn in pink with her new pap puppy, Theresa in green
with her new pap, me in red with Maxie & Pepper.

SATURDAY:
Didn’t make it off the waiting list to run Maxie and Lucky, so Saturday was Pepper’s day.  We hung out all over the place. I had several people hold him while I walked away. We stayed in the bleachers awhile, ringside awhile, alone in the crate awhile, did some heel work, and I worked him off leash in the warm up area.  He sniffed a lot but didn't run away. For those who don't know, this is called "proofing the dog", i.e., desensitizing them to the trial environment long before they ever compete.  It's very important because arenas are very noisy, busy and stressful.   Talked with 2 new papillon owners and we had a little party. Theresa helped me measure him and he's definitely going to jump 12" with his 11 3/8" height.  Sorry, boy, you're going to have to run with much larger, faster dogs.  I hope I can learn to keep up with you.

SUNDAY:  Maxie had 2 clean runs and I really thought he had QQ'd a second time with a 1st place as no other dogs in his class qualified.  Much to my dismay, when the results of the last run were posted, he was 3 seconds over course time.  A first for him. In fact, his YPS all weekend were down, in the 2.8 - 3.2 range whereas he's usually in the 3.25 - 3.8 range.  He seemed to run with nose to the ground a lot, and he never once ran his weaves.  This despite running weaves every day at home for the last week and him begging for more turns.  He sits at the end of the weaves or on the see-saw and refuses to budge.   I literally have to fetch him out of the yard to end his turn. Lucky's Q in Jumpers was icing on the day, with her fastest run time all weekend at 3.68 YPS.

RAFFLE:  Great raffle karma this weekend.
 

Bought my usual $10 worth, got 15 tickets, and put 5 into each of 3 choices.  I knew I'd win the Addidas baseball shoes because mine were the only tickets in the bag.  I tried them on, they fit perfect, and I have been wanting cleats for training in wet grass or muddy conditions, and the leather cover over the tied shoe laces means they can't come undone while I'm running around.  Worth between $30-$60.

My other two choices had lots of other bidders, so I didn't expect to win.  I was surprised, then, to win a WOOF Leash Rack and assorted dog toys in a plastic sterlite tub.  The rack and tub will go in the RV. We chew through toys quickly so those are always welcome.

And while I didn't win the little plush dog bed, I did congratulate the lady who won it and to my amazement she said she didn't want the bed, just the stuff in it.  I offered her $5 for it and she agreed!  Said it paid for her raffle tickets! Willow is sure I brought this incredible bed home just for her, but they all take turns nestling in. It is very very plush and very very soft, unlike the other cotton, terry cloth or velveteen lined beds around my house. Can they really feel the difference?  The bed seems always occupied, even by Lucky who barely fits.  Except for FoohFooh the dingo, who doesn't go for such froo froo.  In 12 years I don't think I've ever seen him go in a dog bed!  He prefers the hard floor.

L to R:  Willow, Pepper, Maxie, Lucky Lucy

And as I write my last paragraph, I look over and see this vision of adorableness -- Pepper and Maxie curled up together.  Whipped my iPhone out and snapped another pic to show you.  Couldn't resist. It reminds me what the lady said who gave me the bed:  "It wouldn't suit my dog" (a mid size dog but not sure what kind), "but is perfect for your Papillons."  She was right! Before this, I would never have gone out and purchased a plush bed or blanket for my Paps, but by gum, they really can tell the difference and prefer plush to plain!!!

 

Another bonus: While packing up to leave the arena, I sought out the manager, told him about the dark parking lot on Thursday night, the locked electric boxes and no water, and he refunded me Thursday night's reservation fee -- $20. More details on IKE’s RV accommodations available on my Trial Site Summaries page.  Got home about 8 p.m. and John had dinner cooking for me -- spaghetti and meat sauce, french bread and a big green salad.  Plus he helped me potty and feed the dogs, and unload the RV.  I was quite tired by then, and really appreciated the warm welcome home!

 

Monday morning I noticed the azeleas had popped open all down my driveway. Picked some for my window sill and used them for Maxie's QQ photo. He didn't much like posing amidst those flowers. Lucky would barely pose. I never could get her ears up and she kept looking at me with those huge brown eyes one is always in danger of falling into, as if to say "how much longer must I endure this torture".

Still have my videos to watch and study, so the trial isn't over yet for me.  I look forward to that, but tomorrow is another Agility Bloggers Event so I have to concentrate on that right now.  I also need to catch up on the 2 courses I'm auditing from the Daisy Peel Online Classroom. Not to mention the rest of my life, which is in a state of complete neglect because it is nowhere near as much fun!

Upwards and onward!

 

New Iberia Agility Trial

Maxie: 6 runs, 4 Q’s, 1 QQ, 2 2nd place, 2 3rd place, 49 MACH points, MXB and MAB TITLES, 6 videos
Lucky Lucy: 6 runs, 3 Q’s, 1 QQ, 5 MACH points, 6 videos



Our setup, right at the entrance. 
Each support beam has a 30 amp hookup and water.
Unfortunately,
the asphalt parking lot was studded with limestone rocks,
which is going to hurt us later.

It's Valentine's Day weekend and I'm off to a trial, leaving my sweetheart at home. We agreed to postpone our celebration til Monday night. After a 1.5 hour drive, and another 1.5 hours to set up the RV including my fenced yard, I was completely settled in 3 hours.

The Sugarena has electric and water hookups on every metal beam front and rear of the arena.  I was one of the first to arrive at 4 p.m. Thursday so I got my pick of spots right at the entrance, not far from the rings. No need to set up a crate space, which saved me lots of effort, and the dogs were warm and comfy between runs.  Sweet!  These hookups are new. The weather was cool, crisp, and dry.    Furthermore, most other RV'ers parked in the back or way to the side, so I had the whole front to myself.  The dogs seemed calm and happy.

I got several compliments on my fenced yard, and discovered that by bungying my 2 little wooden tables to the outer corners, was able to increase it's stability when Lucky lunges against it.  So much so, I didn't mind leaving them alone outdoors for short periods. It's always been bungied to the awning uprights and the 2' x 4' table, plus the white strips on top keep it mostly stable, but it needed more.

Temps in the low 40’s with wind early mornings and evenings, in the 60’s during the day. So glad to have my Trapper’s Hat! Still need to work on looser layered clothing that doesn’t make me feel stuffed in a sausage skin. Also need warmer, looser lounging clothes for evenings when taking the dogs out. I had to stay dressed in my day clothes for enough warmth.

Dogs ran small to tall all weekend, and Maxie was the 1st 8” dog on the line all 3 days, Lucky the 2nd 24" dog.

Friday, Feb 15, - Trial started at noon so I stayed up til almost midnight Thursday night, and slept in til the dogs woke me up for breakfast at 8. I'm on vacation!  Maxie's first run wasn't until 2 p.m. He Q’d in Jumpers with a 2nd place win and pretty fast times.  NQ'd in Standard by entering the weaves on the wrong side. Otherwise a nice run.  Lucky miraculously Q’d in Jumpers -- with 2 seconds to spare, then scratched in Standard with several WC's and R's, like she didn't want to be in the ring.  Curious.  I earned 1 raffle ticket for gate keeping T2B, and won a $25 gift card to Chilis’.

Maxie with his placement ribbons, and a
purple ribbon from Mommy for his 11th QQ.

Saturday, Feb 16 -  Up at 6 a.m. Maxie on the line at 8 a.m.  Maxie QQ’d, with a 2nd and 3rd place win.  Darnit, the hosting club offered no purple QQ ribbons!  Lucky scratched both runs, one with so many errors I removed her from the ring. She was totally distracted. I had noticed her licking her right front paw incessantly Friday night and all thru Saturday, leaving wet pools of slobber on the couch and bed.  When we did our traditional hand shake and she gave a cry, I felt sure a lodged stone or bruized paw accounted for her dismal performance Friday afternoon and Saturday.   She would not let me examine it, but by Sunday she wasn't licking it any more, which is maybe why her performance improved significantly with a QQ.

Lucky Lucy's 3 Q's and a purple scarf from
Mommy for her 3rd QQ.

Sunday, Feb 17 – Up at 6 a.m. Maxie on the line at 8 a.m. Q’d in XJ with a 2nd place.  Lucky, to my absolute amazement, QQ’d!  She barely made course time both times, one with only 2 one hundredths of a second to spare, but walked/ran clean and made it. I earned1 raffle ticket on Saturday for gate keeping but too late for the raffle.  They gave it to me for the Sunday raffle plus another, and I won another $25 gift card to Chilis’.  I'll use these cards to take my husband and our dog sitters out to dinner.

Composite videos, with commentary, will be posted when I get enough time.

GOALS SET/GOALS MET:

• a QQ for Maxie and 35 MACH points, which earns him both bronze titles: MAB, MJB.  All that and more accomplished - 4 Q's, 4 placements, 1 QQ, 49 MACH points.
• a Jumpers Q for Lucky.  We did a QQ, and 2 Jumpers Q's, which was beyond what I expected.
• get all my videos taken without stress.  That happened thanks largely to Karen Des Roches and others who stepped up and offered to help willingly.
• Get Pepper used to the trialing environment.  He seemed OK with the noise, let several people hold him, sat in the bleachers a long time, and pranced about like the wild man he is.  He doesn't mind the noisy, bouncy motor home, a great relief as he used to throw up in the car as a young puppy.
• Relax and have fun.  Yes, one of my best trials ever in that regard.

OBSERVATIONS:

1. Rhonda Crane was a very pleasant judge.  Her courses were "melodic".  They flowed beautifully and while challenging, were not tortuous. She nested her Open and Novice courses so they could be built with just a few changes from the Excellent setup, making the course builders' jobs much easier.
2. I'm always trepidatious about those limestone parking lots.  How can the dogs not get bruised paws? I must try to avoid them whenever possible.
3. I came home with the outside of my shins aching something terrible.  Someone speculated it's because the hard packed dirt had no "give", like running on concrete.  Do I need to train for that?
4. Gift Cards: I really like the way this club gave out a raffle ticket for each class worked, with a drawing near the end of each day.  (Plus, they also gave out a $5 lunch ticket to spend at Concessions.) They had a range of gift cards from Starbucks $25, Burger King $10, Subway $15, Chili's $25, plus an assortment of agility books and T-shirts.  At other trials I've also seen gift cards offered instead of raffle items, where you purchase tickets for $1, or 6 tickets for $5, or 15 tickets for $10, etc., with cards for Home Depot, Pet Smart, and others included. Much easier for the hosting club to pull cards together (and possibly members would donate cards) in lieu of the extreme hassle of hauling and assembling hundreds of raffle items.
5. Maxie would easily have 20 QQ's by now if it weren't for his hesitation in those darn weaves!  Lucky would make course time way more often.  I've begun to suspect it's the white metal spacer bar that throws them off at trials.  We don't have those at home.  I'm going to paint my spacers white and see if that helps.
6. Most interesting maneuver I learned was in MS on Sunday, second to last obstacle was a 20' tunnel going under the dog walk and pointing straight to the exit.  Very few handlers reached the end of the tunnel before their dogs did, resulting in D veering left to find H (like Maxie did), and taking a WC at worst.  Only way to do this well was to cross before the tunnel and run like hell, which few did.  I noticed it from the stands, and corrected my own performance by the time Lucky ran and she Q'd by 2/100th of a second. A bobble there would have killed her Q. I analyzed video snippets of several people doing this below.

LESSONS LEARNED:

• The road to Lafayette is bumpy as hell in Lafayette and I-10 out of Lafayette towards BR.  They need to fix that road. Good thing I had my cabinets bungied shut because 2 of them popped open slightly and scared Lucky so badly she raced up and jumped over my gate to hide under my drivers seat, with her butt almost touching my gas peddle and I could not budge her, and me on the Atchafalya bridge.  I managed to pull off at the Atchafalya Welcome Center a few miles up the road and calm her down, then chained her up so she couldn't reach me, but that could have been a disaster.
• Label everything.  I left my new Trappers Hat and gloves on the workers table.  By the time I remembered, the crew had packed up and left.  I hadn't labeled them but I emailed the trial sec and she has them.  She'll bring them to me in Monroe.  If I'd have labeled them, someone would have found me and delivered them.
• I'm comfortable as Gate Keeper, but on Saturday I was handed the gate list and envelope of scribe sheets for a large T2B class.  I taped up the list and people began checking in, but when the scribe was nowhere in sight and only 5 minutes to go, I began to sort the the big stack of sheets according to the list as best I could (never done it before).  Many people hadn't checked in.  Those marked ABS I pulled those sheets.  Oops, I was just supposed to mark them ABS and leave in correct order.  Those Moved I moved into the new order.  The unchecked people I left in order and waited to see if they showed up.  If they didn't by their turn I  ran over to the scribe telling her to mark them ABS.  It was controlled chaos.  Next day I was visited by the Trial Sec, who very nicely thanked me for a good job but in future please do it differently . . . . . . . Yes Ma'am!
• Next day I asked the Gate Keeper to move Lucky from 2nd to last (about 5 dogs down) on the 24" running order so I could film a friend running late in the 20" jump height. The gate keeper happened to be a judge, and OMG, how she fussed me for that! "Oh No, you don't get to move because you want to film somebody. You have to have a real excuse, like a conflict getting your 1st dog put away and your 2nd dog on the line on time. If you miss your run in the correct order, you will just miss your turn."  Again, Yes Ma'am!  But then, I'm glad she wasn't gate keeper on Saturday when I didn't get Lucky to the gate on time and the friendly Gate Keeper just moved her to the bottom, as I've done for numerous people in the past. Didn't know that was a wrong thing, especially in a friendly game.  I've seen people move themselves to the bottom and never give a reason why.

So I continue to ask, how hard would it be to teach a little class or write an instruction sheet on how to change your place on the list?  How to put scribe sheets in order??????  Gate keep??????  Time??????   Scribe??????  I hear over and over people say they'll "do anything but scribe", including this weekend.  Getting it wrong affects a team's score, so it's serious stuff.  Learning to watch the judge instead of the dog is hard for some, and scribing what the judge signals instead of what you think you saw is another level of difficulty.  Marking the wrong sheet with faults and time would be a sin.  I propose at the very least providing a laminated chart on every scribe table showing the judge's hand signals. Who knows those starting out?  AKC provides such a chart, shown here, and linked to here. I'm going to print up and laminate a few for our club, plus give them out to Gate Stewards at every trial I go to from now on!  Enough of this nonsense of not systematically training people, then fussing over not having enough volunteers and/or fussing them for getting it wrong.

 

Despite all this complaining, the Acadiana Kennel Club did an outstanding job rounding up volunteers.  I know it was a tough haul for them, but they enlisted some outstanding helpers from other clubs.  If not yet, I hope future Trial Secretaries, Chief Course Builders and Gate Stewards get comped for their trial entry fees or other financial compensation.  They work very very hard all weekend on top of trying to run their dogs.

Next trial in 2 weeks, in Monroe, LA. I look forward to another cool weather trial.

Upwards and onward!

RV Improvements - Geico Insurance Comes Through

Several weeks ago I turned my RV into an older neighborhood here in town to make a simple U-turn.  Big mistake.  An old oak tree reaching out over the road scraped my roof up pretty bad.  I didn't notice much of a scrape or think much of it until weeks later when it rained for 10 days and my master bed got soaked (down to the waterproof mattress cover, that is).  I dried my bedding and took it to a trial that weekend, then brought the RV to the shop where it's been for the last 3 weeks.  Picked it up a few days back.

Much to my amazement, Geico insurance covered a whole new roof to the tune of $6,000.  All I had to pay was my $500 deductible, and I didn't even pay that.  Sweet.

While they were at taking off the old A/C and skylights to install the new roof, I had those replaced with a larger (15,000 BTU) A/C and thermostatically controlled overhead vents.  Of course I had to buy those, but the labor to remove the old and install the new items was included in the insurance.  And when the old roof was stripped off the workmen noticed some rotten wood near the front, which I paid to have replaced while it was exposed.  It ended up being a much bigger job but the cost was far, far less than if I hadn't incurred damage from that oak branch.

While it was in the shop, I had the 22' electric cord replaced with a 35' cord, had them replace all the plastic seals around the cargo bins (the old plastic was brittle and falling apart), seal the windows, fix the generator (the air filter was filthy and the carborator needed a good cleaning but the Onan unit, they said, is still strong and one of the best on the market), and repair the drain pipe in the fridge.  So now everything is supposedly ship-shape.

John picked up the tab for our part of the repairs as my Christmas present, and ended up spending only half what he thought it would cost when he was planning to pay only for a new roof.  Now that is a very, very, very sweet deal.  I was doubly gifted!  And so was he.

One thing I can say about motor homes, from past and present experience, is DON'T GET ONE unless you have considerable savings set aside for repairs.  And realize they aren't designed to save you money over hotel costs.  Their attractiveness is simply in comfort and convenience, and staying in places where you could not stay otherwise.  You pull into a rest area or commercial parking lot and fix a sandwich or take a nap or pottie break any time you want.  You don't have to bother checking in or out, or unloading your stuff into a hotel room then packing the car up again the next day.  You don't have to drive 5-10 miles to and from hotels at trials. You sleep in your own linens, sit on your own pottie, and eat inexpensive meals from your own fridge.  For a home body like me, and with dogs along that few hotels will accept, that's an enormous convenience.  Plus, the RV community that shows up at trial after trial, becomes a sort of RV family that shares communal meals and helps you out when you run into a problem.  That's a real plus for me.  I like my time alone doing my own things, but I don't like being stranded.

So now I'm packing up the unit, ready to head out this weekend for New Iberia, then two weeks later to Monroe for more trialing.

Upwards and onward!

Kiln Trial–January 10, 11, 12–1st Trial of 2013

Maxie: 6 runs, 3Q’s, two 2nd place, one 3rd place, no QQ’s,  44 MACH points, 5 videos
Lucky Lucy: 6 runs, 3Q’s, 1QQ, MX TITLE, 7 MACH points, 5 videos

Kiln is generally a great place for RV’ers.  But 9 days of rain made for slushy grass, water filled ditches and puddles to slosh through. My freshly washed Papillons were filty at the first pottie break, and my freshly vacuumed interior was tracked with red sandy mud within minutes.  Fortunately I had old sheets to drape over the upholstered furniture and floors, except the dogs thought them great opportunities for digging. Worse, due to hard rain, we had left home at 4:30 p.m. instead of 1 p.m., which put us there to set up at dusk. While trying to maneuver into a high dry parking spot, I backed over a water spigot and broke the pipe.  It began gushing, we got drenched finding the cut-off valve, the ditches flooded even more, and a whole line of RV’s went without water Thursday night thanks to me. They were not very happy, but the repair guys had it fixed by next morning. Since I carry my drinking water, plus half a tank of water for flushing and rinsing out my coffee cup, and towel bathe or take showers in the arena, I don’t really need water, but I found out some others rely totally on their city water connection, even to flush. 

What I DO NEED is golashes!  Everybody had some but me.  My socks and tennies were soaked, so I made sure to dry my feet as soon as I got in.  And I had plenty of shoes and socks for a dry pair every day.

While packing at home between raindrops, I had discovered a new leak over the bed had dampened the quilt, sheets and mattress cover, fortunately in time to put them all in the dryer.  I had to protect the bed in case of further rain with a vinyl tablecloth.  Good thing John promised me a new rubberized roof as my Christmas present (sweet), but I haven’t done that yet.  Now I’m motivated. This makes 2 leaks now, at each dome roof window, caused by me driving under a low hanging tree branch and making huge scratches in the roof.

Due to the anticipated difficulty pottying the dogs in mud and rain, I decided to bring only Maxie, Lucky and Pepper. Willow screeched in torture as the rest of us departed! John reported she laid by the door for 3 days waiting for our return.  But it was a lot easier managing just 3 dogs.  Her travelling days may be numbered.

Ring conditions were horrible.  Even under cover, the ring dirt was saturated, and the more we tromped on it, the more the water rose.  Here’s how it looked by Day 3.  I’m surprised no one slipped, but I know I ran slower each day, and neither Maxie nor Lucky liked having cold wet feet. You can hear squishing on the videos.

Despite all these and other problems, I felt totally calm. I attribute some of this to working on my mental game, as outlined in my previous post.

FRIDAY.  (dogs ran small to tall, only one ring.)
Maxie was my first dog to run, but not til around 9 a.m. after the FAST class.  So I got to stay up til 11 and watch some TV.  My new air antennae was picking up 8 channels and all came in well despite the weather. I popped open a beer, watched a cooking show, and slept like a baby all night. I don't generally drink on trial weekends, but if this works again, I’ll replace my half sleeping pill with beer!

Maxie had a smoking good XS run, very fast, with a few bobbles but no saves required.  Alas, he took a wrong course near the end.  It happened so fast, I didn't see it coming.  Just an imperceptible push, or not enough pull, on my part.  Even with that WC, his time was 8 seconds faster than the 1st place dog.  I could hardly keep up, but I felt great and never got lost or rattled.  It was the most memorable run of the day despite the NQ.  His XJ run was clean and solid, with a 2nd place and no bobbles, and while an analysis of his SCT and personal time showing he ran even faster, it didn’t feel as fast as that first run.

Lucky Lucy got what I thought was her 1st QQ ever, running faster and surer in both XS and XJ, walking the weaves, but at a faster walk.  She didn’t get distracted.  We felt connected.  Her jumps at 24” were pretty, with ample clearance.  (I found out later checking her records, this was actually her second QQ!) To celebrate, I joined the Red Stick gang at the nearby Delsey’s Seafood restaurant, and bought the table some appetizers. I made Q’s out of the onion rings to decorate. And brought some hush puppies home for Lucky.  The food at Delsey's was somewhat pricy but huge portions and delicious.  Lots of items on the menu, and the best onion rings I've ever tasted, served with a dipping sauce made of Ranch dressing, wasabi, and cayenne pepper.  It kicked ass!

Karen, Christina’s mom, was thrilled to video my dogs on Friday if she could also video her daughter. What a sweet deal.  Too bad she’s just there for 1 day. I hate scrambling for people to take my videos.  I want a mom along who wants to record my every run!  But I if I brought my mom to a trial, she would soon be bored to death “watching dog after dog do the exact same thing”.  It takes a practiced eye to see the endless variety we see. No one but us knows the difficulties we face attempting the miracle of a clean run.
 
SATURDAY: (dogs ran Tall to Small, Lucky on the line at 8 a.m.)
Lucky earned her MX title!  That’s 10 Q’s in Masters Standard (what used to be called Excellent B).  She only had .87 seconds to spare in her XS run, but she made it! Her XJ began with a whimper but ended with a blast.  After falling asleep in the weaves and NQ’ing, she noticed the tripple bar jump, which she loves, and decided to run the rest of the way.  The half run that was good, was very, very good. That's a sequence I'll play over and over in my head.

Maxie scratched in Jumpers, missing the weaves, but Q’d in Standard.  His times were good, not counting slow weaves.

SUNDAY: (dogs ran small to tall, Maxie on the line at 8)
Maxie Q’d in Standard, NQ’d in Jumpers, again popping out of the weaves, otherwise clean. His times were slower, I suspect due to muddier conditions. I know I was walking fast more than running.

Lucky NQ’d both runs, seemingly tired and not focused.  Her first run XS she stopped on top of the A-frame, plcking up Ken's scent in the stands, went down and headed for the sidelines trying to get to him.  Lucky has a serious thing for Ken.  We always have to arrange for Ken to disappear during Lucky's runs, but we both thought up in the stands was far enough away.  NOT. This is developing into such a problem, we may have to stop training together on weekends.  Lucky literally quivers and whines looking in the direction of his RV whenever I let the dogs out.

Didn't get video of either of their last runs.  Couldn't find anyone willing to take them.  I have to quit letting that bother me, but I feel I'm missing valuable information I can use to improve.

There's going to be a fun run in 2 weeks at the same arena.  I'm going.  I can't wait to show some of these agility folks how fast and well Lucky runs when I'm carrying her toy, and I pray someone will take her video then.

I'm having trouble with my AVS Video Editing Software.  I discovered that one of my USB ports gives an unreliable connection, resulting in problems with voiceovers, and it sometimes takes forever for these huge HD videos to load into the program.  After futzing with it for several days and trying Windows Movie Maker again, I got AVS to produce something.  It's still better than WMM.

Maxie's Composite Video, with commentary.  I learned that as Maxie improves, I no longer need to push or pull him very hard to get him to veer. I have to become more subtle in my corrections.  Without watching the videos, I probably would not have picked up on that.  Also need to time my front crosses better.
Lucky's Composite Video, with commentary. I managed to capture a segment in slo mo showing Lucky's beautiful 12' jumping stride, which no one seems to notice but me.  I may have a long ways to go with her enthusiasm for trialing, but I know I've got great jumping skills to work with.

GOALS MET/GOALS SET:

• My goal of another QQ for Maxie was not met, but we racked up two more Q's in Standard and 1 in Jumpers, leaving only 1 more to go in each class for his Master Bronze Agility Titles - MXB, MJB.  (25 Q's in a class)
• Lucky's 2nd QQ was a great achievement, plus her MX title. I don't know how long it will take us to get MXJ with 8 Q's to go, but I WILL GET HER THERE.
• Work on my mental game.

Otherwise the weekend was full of too many oddities to mention, including a see saw whose end got stuck in the mud leading to many fly-offs, how few dogs qualified in class after class, and some turse comments.  The courses were not that difficult, but some of those border collies were running wilder than usual.  Was it the weather?  The barometric pressure?  The wet ground? Handlers unsure of their footing?

There was one magical moment worth sharing.  My friend Sue Cohen handed me a thumb drive with info for a story we're working on, said she needed it back tomorrow.  I promised to download it that very evening, and stuck it in the bottom of my wagon on my way into the ring.  But when I got the wagon back to the RV it had vanished.  I searched high and low to no avail, then retraced my path to the arena, searching the ground.  About tearing my hair out, I told another RV'er about the jinx, and she suggested I look up St. Anthony prayer (patron saint of lost items) on my iPhone, say the prayer, and see what happens.  Said her mother swears by it.  So I went back to my RV, lit a candle, and did it.  Here was my prayer:

     St. Anthony, St Anthony, please come around.
     a thumb drive is lost and can’t be found.
     Dear St. Anthony, I pray
     Bring it back without delay.

Within 5 minutes, a voice said “look in the basket on the table”, where I found a thumb drive I had lost 3-4 months back.  I have NO IDEA how that one got into the RV!  Apparently, one has to be very specific in wording ones prayers to St Anthony.  I repeated the prayer saying “Sue’s thumb drive”, then a little voice told me to look again in the duffle bag I’d already gone through 3 times.  I did, and there it was, sealed in a ziplock bag!!!!!  I will not be forgetting St. Anthony's Prayer!

Is there a patron saint for agility?

Upwards and onward!

RV Improvements

Reviewing my Page Views stats, the most visited pages on this blog have to do with RV Improvements!  Being as it's such a hot topic, I decided to catch the world up on my latest renovations on my Class C 27' Four Winds 5000, circa 1999.  Simple things that solve problems, make better use of limited space, and sometimes save money on far costlier solutions.

Low cargo door

High cargo door

Instant Outdoor Table:  "Mainstay Easy Hang Shower Rod" with non-skid rubber tips, very convenient for holding up the side compartment door, providing an instant table before unpacking any patio equipment.  The fact that the rod is adjustable from 36-60" and locks in any position makes it so the table can be leveled on very uneven terrain, and can prop up both the low or high cargo doors.  It gives me a place to put my coffee cup, cigs and ash tray, snacks, leashes, light tools, etc., while setting up my camp space. Cost: $6.95 (Walmart).  Why those RV engineers don't build in fold down legs for these compartment doors I can't figure. Not pictured, but I got some plastic mats to put on the surface to prevent scratches.

Leveling Boards: Whew! I priced those installable crank up leveling jacks, the yellow plastic locking leveling boards, and figured I could save myself a heap of money just making my own. After a bit of experimentation, I learned I could get all the leveling I will probably ever need with the pictured 3/4" thick 4" wide, 8" long and 16" long wood fencing boards. (I found a few of these boards on a scrap pile somewhere, and cut them the width of my tires.) I carry 2 sets. Cost: $0




I create a ramp behind the tires that need lifting, 2 boards thick, then 4, then 6, then 8 boards thick as needed, and easily drive the RV up onto them.

Both back tires rest on the long boards.

The longer boards provide a final resting place for both back tires to sit on, but the shorter boards are sufficient enough ramp to lift the unit using just the outer tire.


It surprised me how just a few inches thick makes a huge difference in leveling.  See how the unit is completely lopsided driven up onto those 8 boards pictured above?  And walking inside is difficult on this angle.  But if I wasn't on level ground already, you can see that I could make it level using my method.  Oh, and don't forget to chock your other tires so the unit doesn't blow off the boards.

Hanging closet conversion to shelves and bins.  I don't bring hanging clothes on trips, but if I did I have a second closet with a hanger bar.  So in the bigger closet I built 2 shelves to hold 3 16" x 22" Sterlite bins.  One is for my clean clothes, another for dirty clothes, another for a second person's gear, linens and pillows, or whatever.  I've stacked a 4th bin under the 3rd one, in case I need a large container to put wet stuff, wash a dog, store live fish caught in a nearby stream, or other useful purpose.  I built the shelves by lining the side walls with 3/8" plywood cut to fit, stained to match, and screwed in, then laying a 3/8" shelving board across the top, then repeat with another set of uprights and board.  Voila!  A much more useful space. Cost: $25 (Target for bins, Home Depot for wood)

WINDOW TREATMENTS:

Stained Glass Window:  I hate those curtains and flimsy curtain rods around the top bunk.  Romping up there, they are always bending, popping off, and the hardware sticks out and pokes/scratches you.  So I got rid of the long one and coated the interior window with a stained glass sheet (comes in a roll from Home Depot, several designs).  You clean the window immaculately clean, wet the precut sheet with soapy water, and position it on, then work out the bubbles with a credit card, per package instructions.  Once on, it stays there by suction. I've had one up on my art room door for years and it's still there.  But it comes off easy if you ever want it to.  It's pretty, creates ambiance, and filters out a good bit of sunlight. Cost $19

Windshield Privacy Shade:  My Class C unit came with a curtain you can velcro around the front of the drivers cab for privacy.  It hangs straight down (over the steering wheel), though, and blocks off a lot of valuable dash space and the cab seats can't be sat in with that curtain in your face.  Hated it.  Whose dumb idea was that?  I got rid of it and resolved the privacy issue with an oversize accordian style silver windshield shade (available at any auto parts store), held flat against the windshield by a flexible flat stick that contours to the windshield's curved shape.  It creates privacy, allows for maximum usable space, and also keeps the heat out.  When not in use, the screen folds up neatly and stores in the closet, and the stick stores nicely under the overhead mattress. 

3 tiers: open, filtered light, privacy

Picture Window Light Blockers/Insulation:
I love the double pull down window shades that came with my RV.  Very cleverly, they slide up and down and acordian fold into each other, providing a filtered light screen and a privacy screen.  But it does NOT block out heat/light sufficiently.  (Another bitch of mine, for I'm sure those engineers could solve this problem from the factory if the wanted to.) 

Meanwhile, I carry two more windshield screens with me, and can tuck the edges into any of my window boxes for a blackout feature.  They are the perfect size for my windows and their weight rests neatly on the back of the couch, or the basket on the table, or the bed.  I once made the mistake of setting up camp under a street light that would have beamed down in my face all night thru the back bedroom window, but I was able to block it completely with a windshield screen.  These also serve as great window insulators in freezing cold weather!  In my pop up camper, for example, they kept my feet and head from freezing while in bed, so near they were to the canvas sides. Cost: 3 x $10.

Cab Window Liners:  Once I X'd the wrap around privacy curtain, I needed to create something to block the driver and passenger windows.  Also block the sun. And cheap.  Using a small silver tarp from Harbor Freight, I cut out two pieces a wee bit taller than the windows.  To hold in place, I lower the window an inch or so, tuck the fabric over the glass, and roll up the window.  Presto!  Privacy and heat problems solved.  One can open and close the doors and the fabric stays in place.  Cost:  1 5x7 tarp $8

Later I ran across a large flat cardboard box, cut out two pieces the exact shape of the windows that tuck right into the upper and lower window grooves, and am now figuring out how to decorate them (contact paper, glued on reflective tarp, or maybe a laminated photo collage). 

I don't know whether I prefer the cardboard or the fabric.  Both work.  The loose fabric folds up and tucks away in the door pocket when not in use, and is the easiest to make.  The cardboard version stores flat under the overhead mattress or in a closet, but took more effort to build.  Cost:  $0

Sky Light cover

Shower Sky Light:  Man, this clear skylight lets in so much heat, you could toast bread up there in summer.  Had to buy or build a reflective cover!  The other sky lights came with a pillow to block them, but not the one in the shower.  Guess I could have spent a fortune buying one to fit, but nevermind.  I just whipped out some stiff cardboard, cut it to size, covered it with contact paper the same color as the shower walls, dotted transparent velcro strips around the edges, and built my own.  It works perfect, looks good, and stores flat when I want it down. Cost: $1.50



Shower Curtain held on track
by a tension rod.

MISCELLANEOUS:

Shower Curtain Repair: 4 of the top grommets on the flimsy built-in accordian shower curtain had ripped out, so when one opened the curtain it sagged into the shower in places. Bummer! Didn't think to open and check it out before purchasing the second-hand unit. I was faced with replacing the curtain, not cheap, reinstalling the grommets (tried that, but it was way too bitchy to fool with). Why those RV designers can't reinforce the top hem of the curtain so the grommets can't tear out, is baffling! Eventually I installed a little adjustable tension rod behind it near the top, and presto, problem resolved. When I open the accordian curtain, the loose parts just rest against the rod and don't fall in. Cost: $1.29 Walmart

Table basket: Can't leave pens, pencils, tape, scissors, rulers, salt and pepper shakers, post it note pads, and such stuff out on the table when in motion, but it's such a pain to take it out, put it away, take it out, put it away. I want to leave it out.  So I used a long thin bungie cord to affix a cute bread basket (that I picked up at a garage sale) to the wall end of my table where all that little stuff can stay while I bounce down the road. Works perfect. Easy, once I figured it out. Cost: $.75



Outdoor Thermometer:  I always want to know the outside temperature.  Glued a transparent velcro strip to the outside wall and the matching piece to the back end of the thermometer bracket.  I stick it up when I get to my campsite, and take it down when I leave.  Works perfect except in a very heavy wind it peels off.  Heavy wind, bring in the thermometer.  Forget to do that, it lands unharmed on the ground.  Cost: $3.50

Hooks, Hooks, Hooks:  For minimal expense, I've installed hooks galore all over the place.  This keeps my precious walkways, counters, tables, couches and bed clear of sweaters, coats, PJ's, bathrobes, leashes, damp ponchos, towels, pot holders, etc.    I despise clutter and having to move something out of the way every time I want to move into a space. Some hooks glue to the walls, some screw in, some hang over the doors. The factory provides some, but can you ever have enough hooks?

Exterior Cargo Bin Latches:  Horrible design.  To secure doors shut, these latches turn 90 degrees and catch behind a thin metal lip that sticks up about 1/2 inch.  The problem is that going down the road, if some piece of your cargo rattles up against the lip and pins the latch in place or blocks where it needs to turn to open, you are screwed!  No access to your cargo until you remove the whole door assembly.  Fixed that with some mason jar lid rings cut in half and edges smoothed with a dremmel, and glued to the cargo doors using E6000, such that they protect the latches as they turn.  So far they are holding up great!

I also ran some Rubber Foam Weatherseal Self Stick Tape (that I had lying around) along the bottom inside edge of the cargo bin to prevent anything pressing down along the bottom edge.  Of course I left a gap where the latches need to swing into place over the lip.  Cost:  $0.  Why can't those RV engineers eliminate this problem to begin with?

I still have more improvements in mind and will post them as I resolve them.  It's fun playing RV engineer, but extremely time consuming!

To see my earlier RV improvements, visit this page.  It is totally amazing to me how RV's are let out of the factory without these issues resolved! Just as amazing how each and every one of these problems can cost a fortune to resolve if you let the RV Repair people do them for you.  And they don't even have solutions for some of these problems!  We are pretty much on our own to resolve many issues.

Upwards and onward!