56th Escapade

Posted on August 8, 2016 by Sparky
General session

General session

When Jett and I first heard that the 2016 Escapade – the national convention for the Escapees RV Club of full-time RVers – was to be held in 2016 in Vermont, we immediately resolved to be there. One of the reasons we accepted our summer jobs in South Hero, VT, was that we would be just 15 miles from the Escapade venue in Essex Junction, VT. We even made getting the week off a condition of our employment.

So the Escapade, held July 23-29, is now history. We are glad we went, though Jett participated only minimally due to poor health (ongoing digestive issues – more on that in a subsequent post). It was a large event – over 1,200 people living in over 700 RVs (and we probably had the shortest trip of all as many traveled thousands of miles to get there). It was amazing to be surrounded by so many other people “living the dream” as they say. I attended many of the very informative seminars and learned a lot. As a side benefit, we got the RV in motion after several months of just sitting, which is always a good idea.

The first amazing thing we observed was how efficiently the “parking team” got everyone situated in a water/electric site. Though there was a constant stream of arrivals on both Saturday and Sunday, there was never a line of RVs waiting to get parked. We were parked within 5 minutes of arriving. It is almost like they have done this before. Or maybe they have done this 55 times before (this was the 56th Escapade).

One row of RVs

One row of RVs

Our site for the Escapade

Our site for the Escapade

The seminars varied widely in topics. I attended one – surprisingly entertaining – on toilet odors and how to control them. I also sat in on two very interesting and informative genealogy seminars, one on how to do local research and another on how to photograph gravestones (which is harder than you would think). Other seminars included volunteering in federal parks and refuges and workamping in general. The general sessions were also interesting with the best one featuring Kay Peterson, co-founder (with her husband, now deceased) in 1978 of the Escapees organization. The success of her effort was demonstrated in the announcement that the most recent membership number was over 130,000. Jett, in one of her distressingly rare moments out of bed, sat with Kay and had a nice chat. Wonderful ladies both.

Jett with Kay

Jett with Kay

The toilet odor talk

The toilet odor talk

Social events included a concert, an amateur talent show, a potluck supper, a fundraising chili cookoff (very successful – over $6,000 raised for charity), a pet parade and, on Friday morning, a “hitchup breakfast” to give everyone something to eat before they left. Jett volunteered for the potluck supper (with me filling in because she felt so lousy) and I volunteered for the hitchup breakfast (a breeze, except for getting there at 6:30am). We met some wonderful folks, all of whom planned to attend the 57th Escapade in April 2017 in Tuscon, AZ. We didn’t commit but would very much like to be there. Escapades are fun.

Chili cookoff

Chili cookoff

Pet parade

Pet parade

Pet parade

Pet parade

Categories: Adventures, Genealogy, Places, RV Living, VT | Leave a comment

Starr Farm dog park

Posted on August 2, 2016 by Sparky
Entrance

Entrance

Roaming

Roaming

One of the (many) shortcomings of the Apple Island Resort is the lack of a dog park. While there are plenty of places to walk the dogs, there is no place where they can run (or in Grace’s case, walk) freely. So I recently took them to the Starr Farm Dog Park in Burlington. This is a very large dog park – maybe an acre of fenced-in land – with water for the dogs and places for owners to sit. About a half dozen other dogs were there when we arrived and neither of our dogs socialized much. Rusty doesn’t deal well with larger dogs and he was the smallest dog there, so just as well that he kept to himself. Grace is more social but showed no interest on this day. They contented themselves with sniffing their way around the boundary fence and enjoying the ability to roam freely.

Grace, who is nearly 16 now, is becoming more feeble. She went down into a large hole that had been dug by some other dogs and was unable to turn around or back out. I had to grab her collar and assist her back up to level ground. Sad.

But it is a very nice dog park and we will get back there again someday.

Categories: Places, VT | Leave a comment

Sisters-in-law

Posted on July 25, 2016 by Sparky
Christine as pontoon captain

Christine as pontoon captain

Jett’s sisters, Sybil and Christine, came to visit us at Apple Island Resort. These are the 3 surviving sisters from the original 6. A lot of wine was downed, good food was consumed, cards were played and lots of friendly banter was exchanged. A good time was had by all, I think.

There were three notable outings: a pontoon boat ride, dinner at The Blue Paddle Bistro and a trip to downtown Burlington featuring a downpour and lunch at Leunig’s Bistro. The pontoon boat ride was gratis, due to my position at the marina.  It featured a few minutes with Christine at the helm, looking very comfortable, but was cut short by the arrival of a thunderstorm.

Waiting at The Blue Paddle

Waiting at The Blue Paddle

The Blue Paddle Bistro is just about 2 miles from the resort. It is one of only two restaurants nearby. Jett and I had passed it many times and had vowed to try it out “sometime” but sometime didn’t come until Sybil and Christine arrived. The place is understated but is decorated with some very imaginative and colorful original artwork, including a woodcut portrait of the owner’s dogs.

The food was… what is the word? Spectacular.  I regretted not taking photos of the various dishes, but I distinctly remember the flavors.  Jett had one of the most succulent and tender ribeye steaks ever.  I had salmon on a bed of ginger and fried cranberry risotto, Christine had the coffee-crusted roast pork tenderloin – the best pork dish I have ever tasted – and Sybil had the filet mignon (Mmmm!).  I tried to avoid dessert, but they offered both crème brulee and pecan pie, so I couldn’t resist.  I went with the pecan pie while Christine and Sybil split a crème brulee.  The pecan pie was unbelievable. Simply the best ever.

Woodcut of owner's dogs

Woodcut of owner’s dogs

Trash can with a message

Trash can with a message

This superb dinner was followed, the next day, with lunch at Leunig’s Bistro in downtown Burlington. The food was very good, though not spectacular, but the craft brews were very tasty and the ambiance was very authentically Parisian. We had contemplated dining at a sidewalk table, but opted for inside. Good decision as a downpour erupted mid-lunch, driving everyone inside. We had a window table and were amused by all the people running and getting soaked. I also noted a trash barrel with a cleverly-altered sign with perfectly captured the Burlington spirit.

All-in-all, a very fine visit from two very fine sisters-in-law. Thanks, Sybil and Christine, for brightening our temporary Vermont homestead.

Categories: Family, Places, VT | Leave a comment

Paradise Point

Posted on July 12, 2016 by Sparky

Paradise Point

Paradise Point


Adirondack chairs

Adirondack chairs

One of the best things about the Apple Island Resort is Paradise Point, an elevated promontory overlooking Lake Champlain. It is nearly inaccessible by car, but is a great destination for a short hike. It has a few Adirondack chairs in case you
feel the urge to sit and enjoy the view. And you will.

Categories: Places, VT | Leave a comment

Vermont Route 108

Posted on June 30, 2016 by Sparky
Route 108 at Smuggler's Notch

Route 108 at Smuggler’s Notch

Two weeks ago, on one of my off days, I explored the Green Mountains just east of Burlington. Specifically, I was curious about Vermont Route 108 which has the reputation of being one of the most intimidating roads east of the Rockies. I have to say that it didn’t disappoint… at Smuggler’s Notch – the pass through the mountains near Mt Mansfield – the road narrows to a single lane and traverses a chasm, with an S-curve, that prevents seeing oncoming traffic. The only comfort is that no one in their right mind would be traveling more than 5 mph through this curve, so the risk of a high-speed head-on collision is nil. But, still, I did this with my monster truck and would have appreciated an extra set of eyes so that I could simultaneously watch for sides scraping and oncoming traffic.

I made it, but I am not about to do it again.

This route passes by both Smuggler’s Notch (north of the notch) and Stowe (south of the notch) resorts, two of the largest and best ski areas in the east. Should I ever go skiing at one of these places (unlikely as they are a long way from Ft Myers), I will know how to get there.

Categories: Places, Routes, VT | Leave a comment

Cheap truck repairs… or so I thought

Posted on June 16, 2016 by Sparky

When it comes to our GMC 3500 it seems that there is no such thing as a cheap repair.  As I mentioned previously, I had to add radiator fluid several times during the STN.  I fixed the problem temporarily by adding Stop Leak to the radiator.  I also needed to get the front end aligned – something which should have been done 2 years ago when I had my fender bender, but didn’t because the shop could not handle the large truck.  So I scheduled a day for service at the local GMC dealer, fully expecting the total cost to be under $500 – a couple of hundred to find and fix the minor radiator leak and about $150 to do the alignment.

If only.

The service rep came to me, in the waiting room, sipping on my coffee, oblivious to the rock that was about to fall on my head.  First, he informed me that they were unable to do the alignment because my “camber rods” were frozen and needed to be replaced at a cost of about $800.  Then, because that wasn’t bad enough, he told me that the coolant leak was caused by a bad head gasket.  Cost to fix that one?  Only $5100.  So, instead of a $500 repair bill I was looking at about $6000.

Ouch.

I thanked him and told him I needed to get a second opinion.  I then drove the truck home.

It ran beautifully.  How can a truck that needs that much work run so well?

 

 

Categories: RV Living | Leave a comment

Jett, American Princess – update

Posted on June 15, 2016 by Sparky

A while back I blogged about Jett’s amazing colonial lineage (Jett, American Princess). I have since completed a second round of research on her ancestors – all of which derive from her paternal great-grandfather (her paternal grandfather’s father), Elbridge Scribner Stone. Here are some salient statistics:

As most early colonial families were quite large – 10 children was not uncommon – she also has a slew of distant cousins. That group reportedly includes John Adams, Humphrey Bogart, Marilyn Monroe and Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.

All of this is pretty amazing, really.  I doubt if you will find a purer line of colonial ancestors anywhere. The Cabots and Lodges have nothing on Elbridge Scribner Stone.  The last two generations have diluted that purity a bit.  Jett’s mother was Irish from 19th century immigrants and her paternal grandmother was a World War II bride from England. So the “colonial” aspect is diminished some for her, but she has continued the theme of English/Irish purity.

Categories: Family, Genealogy | Leave a comment

Junuary

Posted on June 14, 2016 by Sparky

Junuary lakescape

Junuary lakescape


The weather today will be lovely – sunny with a high in the low 70’s. However, that does not fully compensate for the last 4 days which were miserable – highs in the mid-50’s, strong winds and a cold rain. Apparently this is not all that unusual for northern Vermont. When we complained about the weather to a local resident he just smiled and said, “Welcome to Junuary.” A January/June combination. Lovely.

Categories: Places, VT | Leave a comment

RV water torture

Posted on June 10, 2016 by Sparky

An update on the water overflow problem. To synopsize… we started experiencing a steady drip from a spigot at the rear of the RV undercarriage way back in mid-April. We determined that the problem was, in essence, due to the fresh water tank overflowing when we were attached to city water. In that configuration no water should flow into the fresh water tank. We managed the problem by using the fresh water tank (and the rather noisy water pump) until the tank was empty, then switched to using the city water until the tank became full again.

That worked, but was a pain in the neck. It necessitated me switching the inflow valve several times a day – sometimes late at night in my pajamas. Plus we had to deal with the unpleasant noise and vibration of the water pump (think jackhammer next door). It was noisier inside the RV than outside, but Jett still didn’t want the pump to go on late at night, for fear of bothering our neighbors. So we often brushed our teeth at night using bottled water.

Inconvenient, to say the least.

Enter Peter, an RV repair guy. He correctly diagnosed the problem as a faulty inflow valve (we thought it might have been a faulty water pump, so the diagnosis was good news). He got a replacement cartridge for the valve, installed it and… no effect. The tank continued to overflow. So he got a brand new valve assembly and installed it. No effect. Or possibly worse. He was puzzled and so was I. To demonstrate the issue, he ran some tests with me watching and demonstrated that water was still leaking. He fiddled with the knob a few times and found a position in which the water did not leak. He left it in that position and said he would call the manufacturer to discuss the problem. The water did not leak for an entire day, so Peter suggested that I turn the knob a few times to find a position in which it leaked again and, perhaps, find a position in which it reliably did not leak at all.

So I fiddled. And fiddled. And was unable to make the leak reappear. I wish I could feel good about that, but I have an uncomfortable feeling that I still don’t understand the problem. And that it will show up again.

Peter and I continue to scratch our heads and look for root causes. So far the most likely one is: demon possession.

I don’t think this is the end of the problem. But in the meantime I will enjoy the “fix”.

Categories: RV Living | Leave a comment

Putting in the docks

Posted on June 4, 2016 by Sparky
The marina office

The marina office

Launching the (faulty) work boat

Launching the work boat

As previously mentioned, I am helping manage a marina this summer. That means, among other things, that I am learning how to tie nautical knots. It also means that I participated in the spring activity known as “putting in the docks.” As a seasonal marina on Lake Champlain, the Apple Island Marina must remove its floating docks every fall and reassemble them in the water every spring. Dock space / slip rental is a key income source at the marina, so it is necessary that they be in place by opening day – May 15.

Putting in the docks is a 4-man job: one to drive the front-end loader that lifts the dock segments and places them in the water, one to stand on the dock segments as they are assembled, one to stand in the water to wrangle the segments so that they can be bolted together and one to drive the work boat to tow the segments into place so that they can be anchored in place.

I was the in-water wrangler. I was dressed in hip-waders. They insulated me pretty well, but the 58-degree water was still chilly. I wish I had a picture of me in the waders, but I don’t. No one was thinking of taking photos during the 3 days it took to assemble the docks. It was intense, physical labor. I slept well each night.

The process was to assemble 4 to 6 dock segments, then tow them into place, bolt them to the previously-installed dock segments and then attach the anchors. I would stand in the water while the segments were connected, then hop aboard and ride the segment to their anchored location.

The launch/gas docks

The launch/gas docks

This work was preceded by two days of “pulling up the anchors”. Each anchor consisted of a large block of concrete resting on the bottom of the lake, somewhere between 5 and 30 feet below the surface. Attached to each block was a long chain. The chains were left on the bottom over the winter and had to be pulled to the surface each spring. When the docks were removed in the fall, all of the anchor chains were connected by a small line that ended at a location on shore. The “pulling up the anchors” task involved taking the end of the line, getting aboard the work boat and carefully following the line to each sunken chain. We would pull the chain to the surface, attach a buoy, cut the line we had followed and then follow the line to the next chain.

This was dirty, cold, wet work that chafed the hands. I found some rubber-gripped gloves that helped, but it was still unpleasant. I was a mess at night – damp and stained with rust and kelp.

All of the work was made more difficult by the failure of the “new” work boat. A used but improved work boat had been purchased, but it failed its initial trials. It ran fine for about 10 minutes, but died when full power was applied. The vendor took it back and returned it two days later, supposedly fixed. But it failed again, this time a considerable distance from shore. We had to call the Coast Guard. We eventually got the engine started again and made it back to port under our own power, but were met by the local fire department when we arrived. The Coast Guard had notified them that we might need a water rescue.

Embarrassing.

But we got the job done. We did the launch/gas docks first, then the rental docks.

I almost feel like a sailor now.

Almost.

Docks half done

Docks half done

Categories: Places, VT, Work | Leave a comment