2 steps forward and 3 steps back!!

August 7 – The saga continues!  We ran the generator a couple of hours while we ate, showered and got ready to go into town for groceries.  It was expected to be a nice cool day so we left Molly with all the windows open.

On the way in we stopped at Home Depot to get 2  5 gallon gas cans to refill our diesel as it was down to ½ tank this morning.  No cans available.  None at Walmart.  So we did our shopping and I brought ice packs today as we didn’t know how many stops we’d make.

Bill dropped me at Aldi while he filled the truck tank.  Then we stopped in downtown and had a nice lunch.  He had a BLT and I had a delicious bowl of corn chowder with chicken.  The 2 post offices we passed going in to town were closed for counter service due to no electricity, but the one downtown was open and I took a package to mail.  Then we left for Bolton to a specialty vet store to get Molly’s prescription food.  Bill called a local vet in town as we normally get it from a vet if there’s no PetSmart and they said all the vets in the area require to see and examine the cat.  Well, we were not paying for an office visit on top of $30 for a bag of food.  She told Bill about the specialty vet store so we stopped there and it was quick and simple.

We passed Pam’s son’s RV place and turned around to stop in and check the status of our AC and side view mirror but he was busy with someone and we left word for him to call. 

On the ride home we saw tons more orange cones in the road and many, many downed trees and trees leaning on wires.  We did see 3 power trucks from NY turn on to the road so maybe they were finishing one area and moving to the next.

It was pretty warm in the RV when we got home so we shut it up and turned on the generator and once it was up and running, turned on the AC.  That lasted about 5 minutes and the generator shut down with the same code.  I called Bill over from chatting with the neighbor and it was leaking fluid, he thinks it’s antifreeze.  Crap, crap, crap!  It was 4:45 when we called into the RV place and got Eric, the owner.  Bill went over what had transpired and we have to pack it up and take it in on Monday morning.  What a huge bummer!

I cooked dinner on the grill and our neighbor attempted to run a cord from his generator to our fridge but the cord needed to be male on both ends!  Bill is going in the morning to get a new cord and a replacement plug and turn it into males on both ends. 

Are we having fun yet?

And the saga continues....

August 6 – We thought it was lucky that  we didn’t  go to work  until 3 today as the generator shut down with an overheat code.  Bill drove to town to get oil and on his way back they had closed the  road and  he had to  find a way  around it.   He said he just hoped for the best.  I didn’t  know why  he was  taking so  long so I called and he said he was close but explained what a hassle it was.  He got the right oil and put it in the generator and all was well.

Today we both went in at 3 as our shift is until 8.  The generator shut off again and this time it was decided it needed antifreeze.  Since it was cooler out today and our neighbors were going to dinner with friends they said they’d stop and get the antifreeze so opened the windows and Molly would be fine.

Bill couldn’t work early as he had to park incoming RV’s.  In and around that duty he mostly mowed.  Well, Pam figured out she could access the phone messages through her phone and then had Terri and do that until closing.  She did them the first hour as she was ending her shift and then I took over and we had continual messages until about 7:15.  A lot wanted to know our power and water situation.  Some wanted to cancel or move their dates further out.  Some were happy to bring their generators and just get out.  So it should still be a busy weekend but no activity in the Rec Hall though. 

I did take my book and crocheting but it really wasn’t enough light with our lantern and flashlight to see my book but I did finish a couple of crocheting projects.  Bill was supposed to microwave the leftover brats and corn on the cob and bring mine over, but since the generator was off he split and fried the brats and didn’t do the corn but brought me some raw veggies and a slice of sharp cheddar.  I was happy to get whatever by 7!

We kinda sat in the dark once we got home and I saw a head near the generator and sent Bill out.  It was our neighbor putting the antifreeze in.  We started it and all was well!  We ran it until bed time since it was nice and cool out and just let the batteries take care of the fridge. 

Power did not come back on!

August 5 – I slept like crap last night.  Maybe it was the situation we’re in.  I checked the fuel level of the RV and we’re well over ½ tank so the generator can run quite a while!  Outside looks bad but I was told the rest of the campground has a lot of leaves and branch ends down but nothing like the branches that fell up here.  I was very thankful that I was able to have my morning coffee and cook sausage on my gas stove.  We could have resorted to cereal, but that’s not high on my breakfast list!

Bill left at 9 and I went in at 10 today.  It was no better than yesterday with no power.  What a mess and they keep telling us they’re working on the power.  They really wasn’t much to do but sell some bags of ice and bundles of wood.  We can’t run the register so we’re writing down each sale and just making change.  

Pam and I cleaned up the debris in the yard area beside the rec hall.  We made big piles that Bill came in a golf cart and took to the trash pile.  I spent a couple of hours on the porch where it was pretty cool out and chatted with Pam and Laurie.  There was nothing else to do.

We had our dinner and watched some TV as usual!

Not a good day!

August 4 – Back to work!  Bill went in at 9 and I made blueberry muffins that I shared with a few folks here.  I put another pint of berries in the freezer and we still have a lot to munch on or bake with.

I was schedule 2 – 7 today so I put a chicken breast in my tiny crockpot with some seasonings and let it slow cook all day.  The plan was refried beans and chicken tacos.

My first hour of work today I cleaned the rec hall.  Tuesdays I can’t go into the office area until 3 as a friend of Pam’s comes in and does a list of things and she doesn’t like distraction, which works out OK that I get my “dirty” work out of the way.  Once she left I started working on phone messages and website emails.  The weather was getting VERY windy and we had to shut the rec hall doors due to all the debris coming in.  I had one poor RV come in once the rains started and got him in but since the storm was getting worse we shut down all of the computers and unplugged everything.  Well, it got worse before it got better!

Limb that missed us!

The power went out around 3:30 so I stayed in the Rec Hall with Pam and Laurie and we thought it would just pass on and the power would restore – NOT!  The wind started really howling and we had the back door open for some ventilation and one of the work campers came in and said some tree limbs were down.  One hit an RV and put a dent/scratch in it and one almost hit another couple’s truck.  They guys all moved their vehicles down to the open parking lot away from any trees.  Our little lane looked like a disaster area but it could have been worse as there are huge oak trees all along it.

At 6 Pam said to go home or I could stay and visit then her and Laurie but I opted to go

Debris on our Row

home and see what I could do for dinner.  Bill let the RV run off battery power but that means no AC.  The windows were open so it wasn’t bad but we didn’t want to run out our batteries so I turned on the generator and before we went to bed we closed it up and put on the AC.  Everything was calm by bedtime and Bill helped our neighbors unload their portable generators that they hooked up to their RV’s.  I think all but one of the work campers either has a built in generator or carries a portable. 

I shredded up the chicken and decided to “can” the beans and just made extra greens to put on the tacos.  Bill was very pleased with the dinner.  It’s been along time since I made them and it was a nice change of pace!

Bill used his new headphones and was very pleased with them.  Now I don’t get blasted out of the room and we can keep the AC running while watching TV.  I do think the rechargeable batteries are not very good so will see if I have some that size or get some the next time we’re out and about! 

I felt really bad for the family that arrived just before the onslaught of bad weather as being in the cabin there is no propane stove, just a grill and no lighting or anything.  Pam gave them free ice to keep in their cooler and Steve attempted to go to Dollar General for flashlights but they were already shut down also with no power. 

What a crazy day, but we’re safe and no one in the park suffered any major damage that we know of.

😒Last day off!

August 3 - Down to our last day off!    Bill was able to get an appointment with a hearing aid place just west of Hartford, near Mansfield where the real shopping is!  That worked out well as we started our journey by stopping at Best Buy.  I’m trying to find a way for Bill to be able to hear the TV with the AC on.  His hearing aids have Bluetooth but what Best Buy offered was going to be way over what I was willing to spend.  The guy didn’t really seem to know much about that department, so we went across the street to PC Richard, which is a local similar store.  They got me the guy who knows that department and he started with similar options but then decided certain headphones would work.  I left there with Sony headphones with a charging post and sends the sound by signal to the wireless headphones.  It came with 2 sets of wire option to the TV.  He said I could return them if he didn’t like them (Bill wouldn’t go in the store) or they were not compatible with our TV.  There’s only one that we can get to the back of it to work it with, but its in the living area so that’s perfect!

The plan included having lunch at a BBQ place, which are few and far between here.  The one we picked was closed today, drats!  Bill dropped me at the door of JoAnn’s where I managed to get 4 yarns that I needed.  Bill then dropped me (reluctantly) at Hobby Lobby as he needed to head to his appointment.  I told him I could walk to the mall up the hill once I was done.  He thought it was too far.  It was almost a mile!  I had a bottle of water and stopped frequently to rest as half of the way was uphill!  It was good for me, but plays havoc on my lower back! 

So I did my shopping a Penney’s, then headed to Bath and Body Works, which was on my list as well.  Stocked up on what I needed that was on sale then headed to an exit and found a curb to sit on while I waited for Bill.  When I called I had no idea how to tell him where I was except that I was at one side of Macy’s.  I actually saw him at a stop sign and called and told to turn left and then to turn left into the parking and he could see me!

By now we were both starved as it was after 2!  I had walked past a place called Market Fresh.  We ate that location 6 years ago but didn’t remember if that was the name of it.  Well, it was excellent but pricy for lunch.  The portions were huge and I ended up not having any dinner!  I ordered the fried clams appetizer with a spring lettuce salad and Bill had a Market Burger that was 4-5 inches tall with all the stuff on it and a side of fries!  This is the first place we’ve eaten or ordered food that charged a sur-charge of 2.5% Covid adjustment! 

Time to head back home.  We were supposed to go to Wal-mart but I was tired, especially after a big meal, but I said I’d go in the morning before going to work. 

I didn’t eat anything but Bill had a “small plate” around 6 or so.  I hooked his new headphones up to charge as they take 4 hours to fully charge.

Good day at home!

August 2 - I was planning to be industrious this morning and make a Blueberry Crumb Cake to have with breakfast, well, I did make it but not until after.  I didn’t sleep well and neither did Bill so we didn’t get around too soon and I need my 30 minutes after my morning meds before I can even have a cup of coffee!  We did have our last 2 apple cider doughnuts, Canadian bacon and fruit, so lucky we still had the doughnuts!

I put the cake in the oven and got some laundry rolling.  It was a beautiful morning and Bill

You can see some behind the bathhouse

went out and sat and read for a while.  Around 11 I saw Pam and Smokey eating at their picnic table so I took them over 2 pieces of the cake, although it was a bit warm still to cut.  I asked if they were having breakfast or lunch and they said brunch so I told them they could work the crumb cake in.  Smokey was saving his but Pam started on hers and I’m thinking she went ahead while it was warm and finished it off.  They were getting ready to go into work at noon.

All big rigs!

The campground was pretty full this weekend!  The 3 pavilions were full with rally groups.  Two were mostly big rigs, Class A’s.  We can’t imagine how many millions of dollars were down there.  There were some older units as well.

My stove was a mess so I did a thorough cleaning job on it and put a second load of laundry in.  I guess my cleaning the pump thing did it’s job as it’s working fine.  Bill discovered the water pressure overall was affected by the replacement pressure gauge he put on when the last one broke.  He doesn’t like this one so I will need to order a new one.

It’s been breezy out and looking like it could get worse so I brought the awning in, just in case the sensor on it doesn’t work.  I paid some bills and caught up my checkbook and got busy on the blog.  The rain started and some wind that blew off one of my little flags so I took my slippers off and got a big umbrella and went out to get the down one and one still barely hanging on.  It continued to rain for quite a while on and off.  The campground gradually emptied and most managed to get on the road before it got ugly. 

The plan was to grill brats out but the rain kept on and off so we cooked and ate inside.

Toot, toot - Train and Riverboat

August 1 – No lollygagging today!  We had a good breakfast and had to be showered and ready with a picnic lunch to leave by 10:30 – 10:45 at the latest!  Bill said we left at 10:41!

Our train arriving

We drove to Essex, CT where we picked up our tickets there were pre-paid to go on the Essex  Steam Train  Riverboat for our 2.5 hours tour!  We arrived in time to pick up our tickets, use the restroom, visit the gift shop and it was time to board the train.

They did an excellent job on the train to make you feel comfortable under Covid circumstances.  Each car only used one side of the seats and had Plexiglas partitions allowing only 5 “groups” on each car.  We had 2 seats facing each other and

Safety precaution in place

windows open on both sides allowing air circulation.  You could sit maskless in your section.

We were allowed to bring snacks/food on and since we were leaving at 12:30 there was no option but to bring lunch along.  I make chicken salad and brought a bun for Bill and crackers for me.  We had 2 bottles of water, veggies, rice pudding and fruit, so we were good to go!

Gillette Castle from the train

The train goes slower on the way out and they give you lots of info about what you’re seeing or not seeing.  We passed Deep River Landing where we were to catch the boat on the way back.  The engineer blew the train whistle a lot as there were a number of railroad crossings and there were beautiful homes along the way.

They use 2 engines as there is no turn around once you reach the end.  We didn’t get off until we were back to Deep River Landing.  It’s a pretty large marina along there and the steamboat was docked with a horde of people already off and in their designated corral waiting to board the train.  The train personnel cannot let them on until they have sanitized each cubby and the same for the boat.  Once they were cleared their corral was emptied and we went into it and once the boat was cleaned we got on.  They put

Train bridge we went over

everyone on the boarding deck first and you must mask until they get so far out and open the top deck and the

Our riverboat

bottom deck.  Bill and I managed to snag seats along the rail so one others relocated we stayed and moved to allow space between us and others but we still masked for the entire trip.

I took a lot of photos going up and coming back rather than keep moving, as I don’t do well on boats or water and walking on a moving boat hitting waves created by BIG boats is not a fun thing for me!  I barely move my head

Opera house that's never had an opera

also.  The guide was very good and provided a lot of information about the river and areas we passed going and coming back.  It was such a beautiful day the river, which is very wide, had many, many boats of all sizes and ski doos going back and forth.  People were have a great day during a difficult time!!

We got to see Gillette Castle from the train and then twice on the boat.  I managed to get some good shots and hope it opens to take Bill to see the inside before we leave.  I went there years ago with my buds: Kerry, Karen, Donna and Debbie and it’s an awesome and very unusual place to

Gillette Castle from the boat, does it look the same?

see.  Gillette had no heirs so the estate was left to the state of CT and is now a state park with huge acreage. 

We took our turn in the corral and once the train arrived and the cleaning was done they instructed us to return to our same car and seat.  The trip back to Essex was much faster than the outgoing trip.  Everything was closed up just as we were told but I took a couple of photos in the station area before we headed on our way.

We stopped at Crystal Mall on the way back and I did a quick stop at Bed, Bath and Beyond and a longer one at Christmas Tree Shoppes!  Then it was hit the road towards home.  There was nothing planned for

The engineer remembered where he left us!

dinner so we stopped in Dayville, CT at Railside Tavern, as Bill has been wanting to go there.  We sat outside and had an awesome dinner!  I had baked scallops with sides of slaw and squash while Bill had Chicken Parm over pasta.  My veggies were slightly crisp, my slaw was seasoned perfectly and my scallops were moist and tender in s succulent sauce!  We’re going back there!!!

I will saw we were wiped when we got home.  So glad we don’t have to walk a dog sometimes!  We emptied the truck and watched some TV and read!  It was a great day in CT.