It seems like life keeps rolling along with another adventure in the saga of the motor home.
Last Tuesday while I was working at Northwood I received a call from Ron to come to Grandview and N. Star Rd as there had been a fire in the motor home. Let me say right off the bat, that no one was injured and for that we are very thankful.
Needless to say I left abruptly from the church and headed towards the motor home. I could not imagine what had happened. I was trying to picture what I would find...the picture of a totally burned out motor home kept coming to mind. When I got to the motor home I found the engine cover off, fire extinguisher foam all around the front of the motor home and Ron on the phone with the insurance claims person. As I stepped into the motor home it reeked of smoke...ugh!
What happened: the diagnosis from Jerry Chambers Chevrolet was that a oil hose burst and the oil on the monifold caught the engine on fire! The fire burned up the speedometer and throttle cables and all the hoses leading to and from the engine including the leveler hoses that run the length of motor home, the master brake cylinder. But I am getting ahead of myself...back to making phone calls...I quickly called Kristy to tell her what happened and to see if she could take Charlie Brown ~ I had no clue what was going to happen or where we would be I just knew if Charlie Brown was being taken care of that would help ~ just what do you do with a dog in the midst of a crisis. Well, Kristy came to the rescue and met me at Fred Meyer's so we could do the dog exchange ~~~~ thanks Kristy and Norm for helping us out in this jam.
Next was a phone call to our insurance agent Jim (if you need insurance he is the best agent to have!) Jim drove out to where the motor home was to help us brainstorm what all needed to be done. Knowing that the motor home was going to be out of commission for at least a little while I asked Jim if he had an open unit in their fourplex ~ yes he did...so my next job was to gather up all the food, the pillows and my med's and go and get our stuff organized. Jim and Ron continued to make phone calls to the adjuster and the tow company. After making arrangements to have the motor home towed to Jerry Chambers Chevrolet and finding a tow truck company that could tow the motor home (it needs the big tow truck like for semi's because of the type that it is) and gathering some clothes together Ron and I made our way back to the condo unit ~ thanking God and Jim that there was an open unit just when we needed it.
Now it is Saturday and this is where everything is...Ron spoke to the adjuster and was told that it would be the middle of next week before we hear if they are going to repair the motor home or total it so we are kinda in limbo for the time being...we have a place to stay ~ the condo in Birch Bay and everyone is okay...we just have to be patient as we await the outcome of their decision.
Our mind wanders as to what we will do...if they fix the motor home it will just mean we are displaced for a couple of weeks...no big deal Alice will continue to work at the church and Ron will work as a plumber...just need to get a few jobs :) and life will go on. BUT if they total the motor home then we have to decide what to do....do we buy another motor home or get a 5th wheel or do we find an apartment/house to rent and put our dreams of traveling and working on the road on hold?????
We are in a space of much prayer as we continue to trust the Lord, knowing that He is in control and just take one day at a time ... believing and trusting that He will open the right doors and guide us in our decision making. We would appreciate your prayers for us as we deal with the insurance adjuster and make decisions as they are needed.
One thing I keep thinking about is the holidays...as you know we have been planning to be in Napa/Middletown for the Thanksgiving holiday with Alice's Aunt Joan and Uncle Don...with everything up in the air about the motor home that decision is now also on hold....once we know what is going to happen with the motor home then we can decide what to do about Thanksgiving...some friends are saying just go as we planned everything else will work out and yet some are saying maybe the timing is just not right and we should stay in the area...Ron says we won't make a decision about Thanksgiving until after we talk to the adjuster later in the week. I keep thinking of the plans that have been made and how everything seems up in the air and not really sure what we should do...I just wish a decision one way or the other would be made but I guess this is where patience comes into the picture and more trusting of the Lord...not making a decision until we have more information...ugh I hate waiting and not knowing.
Well, now that I have rambled on about all the thoughts that have been going through my head the last fews days I will close...stay tuned for the next chapter in the life of Alice and Ron.
Sunday, November 15, 2009
Sunday, November 1, 2009
Back in Blaine
We are back home in Blaine!
Our return trip to Blaine was very uneventful. Weather wise we saw snow, rain, felt lots of wind and sunshine. The motor home ran great except for three small blips.
Friday night the main battery quit working. Fortunately Ron could jump the motor home off the house battery and get the motor home started. Saturday morning we pulled into Les Schwab in Pendleton, found the paperwork on the battery and got help from a young man who identified the problem ~ the battery was not powerful enough to run the motor home and so it wore out. Fortunately for us it was under warranty. So 45 minutes later we were on the road for Portland/Vancouver.
We faced some pretty strong head and side winds all the way from Pendleton to Portland. Then the rain started and it came down in torrants at times. The blip of the day was when we were pulling out of the rest area the motor home acted like it was gasping for air (gas). Ron babied the motor home for about a 1/4 of a mile and then it was fine. We stopped for the night in Rochester just south of Olympia.
This morning we woke up to total fog. We waited until close to 10:00 this morning before leaving to allow the fog time to burn off. Once the fog was gone we had a beautiful sunny day. Our blip for the day was just like Saturday where the motor home acted like it couldn't get gas. After some coaxing the motor home did just fine the rest of the way home.
We are now settled in at Beachwood till the 10th of November when we will move to Thousand Trails till the 20th when we will leave for California. The next trip will be in the suburban - going to California to see my aunt and uncle for Thanksgiving.
Thanks for traveling with us on our vacation and for your thoughts and prayers for us to have safety on the road. As we look back over the past four weeks we see God's hand in protecting us as we traveled along with helpful strangers in just the right place at just the right time. We saw some beautiful scenery, spent lots of time resting and relaxing and just enjoying being together.
Alice
Our return trip to Blaine was very uneventful. Weather wise we saw snow, rain, felt lots of wind and sunshine. The motor home ran great except for three small blips.
Friday night the main battery quit working. Fortunately Ron could jump the motor home off the house battery and get the motor home started. Saturday morning we pulled into Les Schwab in Pendleton, found the paperwork on the battery and got help from a young man who identified the problem ~ the battery was not powerful enough to run the motor home and so it wore out. Fortunately for us it was under warranty. So 45 minutes later we were on the road for Portland/Vancouver.
We faced some pretty strong head and side winds all the way from Pendleton to Portland. Then the rain started and it came down in torrants at times. The blip of the day was when we were pulling out of the rest area the motor home acted like it was gasping for air (gas). Ron babied the motor home for about a 1/4 of a mile and then it was fine. We stopped for the night in Rochester just south of Olympia.
This morning we woke up to total fog. We waited until close to 10:00 this morning before leaving to allow the fog time to burn off. Once the fog was gone we had a beautiful sunny day. Our blip for the day was just like Saturday where the motor home acted like it couldn't get gas. After some coaxing the motor home did just fine the rest of the way home.
We are now settled in at Beachwood till the 10th of November when we will move to Thousand Trails till the 20th when we will leave for California. The next trip will be in the suburban - going to California to see my aunt and uncle for Thanksgiving.
Thanks for traveling with us on our vacation and for your thoughts and prayers for us to have safety on the road. As we look back over the past four weeks we see God's hand in protecting us as we traveled along with helpful strangers in just the right place at just the right time. We saw some beautiful scenery, spent lots of time resting and relaxing and just enjoying being together.
Alice
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Can You Spelll FRUSTRATED?
Okay, we got ready to hit the road this morning. First stop Albertson's for some groceries, then onto Costco for more groceries and gas. All was going smoothly.
Now onto the Copper Mine. The motor home started acting up again, acts like it is struggling to get gas. We just looked at each other and sighed.
At the mine we decided to turn around. As we drove out I asked Ron where were we headed. He asked me where did I want to go?
A: Home
R: totally quiet
A: We said if we had any more problems we would head for home.
R: You are right.
R: Let's go back to SLC and rent a car for a couple of days and so some more sightseeing and then head for home on Monday or Tuesday.
A: That sounds okay to me.
So back to KOA we went. They gave us a weekly rate instead of a daily rate since we had already been here for two nights. :) We then set up the motor home and got ourselves situated. We then got online to find a rental car. Avis had the best deal so Ron took the shuttle to the airport to pick up the rental car. I am writing my blog and on Facebook.
So our new revised plan is to go to the Copper Mine tomorrow, to Antelope Island on Saturday, find a church to attend Sunday services and then reorganize our itinerary to head out on Tuesday for Blaine. Not sure of the route yet, we will decide that on Sunday night.
We have already talked and decided to still go to my aunt & uncle's for Thanksgiving...just in the Suburban. Kristy has already said she can take Charlie Brown for us during that time ~ Thanks Kristy ;)!
We may not understand why all the delays but we are trusting the Lord as he leads us on this journey. Thank you all for your thoughts and prayers as we have traveled this journey (keep praying we aren't back in WA yet).
I will do an update of our new plans and new itinerary before we hit the road on Tuesday headed for Blaine.
Alice
Now onto the Copper Mine. The motor home started acting up again, acts like it is struggling to get gas. We just looked at each other and sighed.
At the mine we decided to turn around. As we drove out I asked Ron where were we headed. He asked me where did I want to go?
A: Home
R: totally quiet
A: We said if we had any more problems we would head for home.
R: You are right.
R: Let's go back to SLC and rent a car for a couple of days and so some more sightseeing and then head for home on Monday or Tuesday.
A: That sounds okay to me.
So back to KOA we went. They gave us a weekly rate instead of a daily rate since we had already been here for two nights. :) We then set up the motor home and got ourselves situated. We then got online to find a rental car. Avis had the best deal so Ron took the shuttle to the airport to pick up the rental car. I am writing my blog and on Facebook.
So our new revised plan is to go to the Copper Mine tomorrow, to Antelope Island on Saturday, find a church to attend Sunday services and then reorganize our itinerary to head out on Tuesday for Blaine. Not sure of the route yet, we will decide that on Sunday night.
We have already talked and decided to still go to my aunt & uncle's for Thanksgiving...just in the Suburban. Kristy has already said she can take Charlie Brown for us during that time ~ Thanks Kristy ;)!
We may not understand why all the delays but we are trusting the Lord as he leads us on this journey. Thank you all for your thoughts and prayers as we have traveled this journey (keep praying we aren't back in WA yet).
I will do an update of our new plans and new itinerary before we hit the road on Tuesday headed for Blaine.
Alice
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
On the Road Again!
We are back on the road again! Yeah!!!!
After 3 days in Wells, NV waiting for our scheduled appointment with the mechanic this morning the problem with the motor home was figured out...the fuel filter put in in Missoula was put in backward! Yes, backward! and the rotor needed to be replaced. After putting in a new fuel filter and replacing the rotor, Chris the owner took the motor home for a test drive up some passes and then talked to Ron and adjusted something with the carburator we were back on the road.
We drove from Wells, NV to Salt Lake City with no problems. Chris had said if we had a problem turn around and he would work on it some more but there was no need...yippee!
The drive was beautiful, the mountains looked great with the sun and shadows and we arrived safely in Salt Lake City. We saw lots of salt along the side of the road and stopped and viewed the Bonneville Speedway where cars have been clocked as fast as 600 mph ~ Ron thought that would be fun to go that fast.
We drove straight to the KOA (thanks Jamie and Suzanne for the use of your GPS system!) and got checked in and set up. We will be here for two nights...tomorrow we are going to do some sightseeing. There is a free shuttle that takes us right downtown so no need to rent a car. We are going to evaluate our itinerary and make some necessary changes so that we get back on schedule to be in Arizona at Verde Valley (Cottonwood, AZ) Thousand Trails on 11/1 as planned.
We are praising the Lord for a good Christian mechanic - Ron and Chris shared about Christ in their lives as they were doing the test drive - the repairs were made quickly and quite affordably.
Thanks for coming along on our trip and I will do another update at our next stop...not sure where that will be...will figure that out tomorrow night.
Alice and Ron
After 3 days in Wells, NV waiting for our scheduled appointment with the mechanic this morning the problem with the motor home was figured out...the fuel filter put in in Missoula was put in backward! Yes, backward! and the rotor needed to be replaced. After putting in a new fuel filter and replacing the rotor, Chris the owner took the motor home for a test drive up some passes and then talked to Ron and adjusted something with the carburator we were back on the road.
We drove from Wells, NV to Salt Lake City with no problems. Chris had said if we had a problem turn around and he would work on it some more but there was no need...yippee!
The drive was beautiful, the mountains looked great with the sun and shadows and we arrived safely in Salt Lake City. We saw lots of salt along the side of the road and stopped and viewed the Bonneville Speedway where cars have been clocked as fast as 600 mph ~ Ron thought that would be fun to go that fast.
We drove straight to the KOA (thanks Jamie and Suzanne for the use of your GPS system!) and got checked in and set up. We will be here for two nights...tomorrow we are going to do some sightseeing. There is a free shuttle that takes us right downtown so no need to rent a car. We are going to evaluate our itinerary and make some necessary changes so that we get back on schedule to be in Arizona at Verde Valley (Cottonwood, AZ) Thousand Trails on 11/1 as planned.
We are praising the Lord for a good Christian mechanic - Ron and Chris shared about Christ in their lives as they were doing the test drive - the repairs were made quickly and quite affordably.
Thanks for coming along on our trip and I will do another update at our next stop...not sure where that will be...will figure that out tomorrow night.
Alice and Ron
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Just needed to share...
Just wanted to share how the Lord was with us today in our travels.
We woke up early this morning to get on the road to Crater Lake but first we thought we should check road conditions...good thing we did...Crater Lake Park was CLOSED! We quickly did some thinking and reviewing of the maps and found an alternate route to Winnemucca, NV.
After a quick breakfast we were on the road.
We were eight miles out of a little town called Christmas Valley, OR when we blew an oil hose. Smoke billowed inside and out of the motor home and Ron quickly stopped on the side (as far on the side as he could get). We jumped out hoping the darn thing wasn't on fire. After the smoke cleared Ron looked underneath and there was a puddle of oil dripping out of the motor home. I sat at the kitchen table and just said "Lord, I don't even know how to pray" shortly thereafter a man stopped, looked under the hood, said he knew a good mechanic and got on the phone. He couldn't reach the guy so gave us his number to keep trying (Lesson learned - get the area code when in a different location because we had no way of calling...important thing but once again the Lord came through). About 15 minutes later the man was back to tell us Kenny was on his way (Kenny is the mechanic). Someone else stopped asked what the problem was, told him we were leaking oil bad; he called his wife, she brought us out 10 qts of oil, refused any money for it and left. Kenny showed up about 45 minutes later...crawled under the motor home, saw the hose had blown off ~ it was shot as he put it, and knew exactly what to do...he cut the hose and put it on again (the end had frayed!) Charged us $80 for the call out and repair and we were on our way again. We thanked the Lord for the angels he sent our way and thanked Him for the quick repair. We were back on the road 90 minutes after it all began.
Now for an update on our time in Bend...we spent time reading and playing cards...I skunked Ron twice at cribbage :)...he beat me at war, played backgammon and checkers, watched "Are We Done Yet?" the sequell to "Are We There Yet?", Ron went hot tubbing a couple of times (toooooo cooooollllllldddddd for Alice) and we went on a couple of long walks as well as did a couple loads of laundry ~ the never ending job.
On Wednesday we went to the High Desert Museum...spent almost 3 hours there...beautiful grounds, lots to see and history coming alive...and then we went to the Lava Caves - they were closed but we were able to get out and go for a walk up the Lava Rock path and through the treed area. The rain held off until we were back at our campsite. It actually started to rain AFTER Ron got the lawn chairs put up in the carrier on top of the rig!
Our time in Bend was good and yet it feels good to be back on the road again. Tomorrow we are heading for Winnemucca...if you think of us say a prayer as we have to climb a 6180 ft mountain pass and we all know how the motor home doesn't like to climb those mountain passes.
Well, that's all from here...hope everyone is having a good week. Love to all, Alice and Ron
We woke up early this morning to get on the road to Crater Lake but first we thought we should check road conditions...good thing we did...Crater Lake Park was CLOSED! We quickly did some thinking and reviewing of the maps and found an alternate route to Winnemucca, NV.
After a quick breakfast we were on the road.
We were eight miles out of a little town called Christmas Valley, OR when we blew an oil hose. Smoke billowed inside and out of the motor home and Ron quickly stopped on the side (as far on the side as he could get). We jumped out hoping the darn thing wasn't on fire. After the smoke cleared Ron looked underneath and there was a puddle of oil dripping out of the motor home. I sat at the kitchen table and just said "Lord, I don't even know how to pray" shortly thereafter a man stopped, looked under the hood, said he knew a good mechanic and got on the phone. He couldn't reach the guy so gave us his number to keep trying (Lesson learned - get the area code when in a different location because we had no way of calling...important thing but once again the Lord came through). About 15 minutes later the man was back to tell us Kenny was on his way (Kenny is the mechanic). Someone else stopped asked what the problem was, told him we were leaking oil bad; he called his wife, she brought us out 10 qts of oil, refused any money for it and left. Kenny showed up about 45 minutes later...crawled under the motor home, saw the hose had blown off ~ it was shot as he put it, and knew exactly what to do...he cut the hose and put it on again (the end had frayed!) Charged us $80 for the call out and repair and we were on our way again. We thanked the Lord for the angels he sent our way and thanked Him for the quick repair. We were back on the road 90 minutes after it all began.
Now for an update on our time in Bend...we spent time reading and playing cards...I skunked Ron twice at cribbage :)...he beat me at war, played backgammon and checkers, watched "Are We Done Yet?" the sequell to "Are We There Yet?", Ron went hot tubbing a couple of times (toooooo cooooollllllldddddd for Alice) and we went on a couple of long walks as well as did a couple loads of laundry ~ the never ending job.
On Wednesday we went to the High Desert Museum...spent almost 3 hours there...beautiful grounds, lots to see and history coming alive...and then we went to the Lava Caves - they were closed but we were able to get out and go for a walk up the Lava Rock path and through the treed area. The rain held off until we were back at our campsite. It actually started to rain AFTER Ron got the lawn chairs put up in the carrier on top of the rig!
Our time in Bend was good and yet it feels good to be back on the road again. Tomorrow we are heading for Winnemucca...if you think of us say a prayer as we have to climb a 6180 ft mountain pass and we all know how the motor home doesn't like to climb those mountain passes.
Well, that's all from here...hope everyone is having a good week. Love to all, Alice and Ron
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