5C's Que Pasa

Today we were up extra early as it was carpet cleaning day.  We put everything up on the bed and the sofa and waited until Joe got here.  Thank you Libby for arranging this for us.  We both think that this is the best cleaning we have ever had.  Next year we will get the upholstery done as well.

Last spring our RV storage area back in Kelowna was redone after the flooding They added extra RV storage sites and we are now very  tight. Too close together to be able to put our slides out to get the carpet cleaned hence the reason we are doing it today.  Plus the heat here in Lake Havasu will get the carpet dry quickly.

Colin and I chopped as the carpet was cleaned and we now have a crockpot full of fish chowder for dinner.  I will add some fresh snapper ( that I froze just a few days before we left the Isla ) about an hour before we leave here.

It was also laundry day complete with fresh sheets and towels.  I decided to hang a few wet things inside to dry.

It wasn’t until late morning yesterday that we were able to open the box that my camera came in.  A great deal for the price considering all the extras that came with it.

I had thought that my old Canon SX600 battery would work in the new one but it is too big.  The new camera is a tiny bit smaller and lighter.  The old one weighed 6.65oz while the new camera is only 6.45oz.  The new Canon SX620HS comes with several accessories if ordered on Amazon for the same price as buying it at Best Buy but there you only get the camera and battery and charger.  Here is the Amazon Link with the full description of all the extras.  I love the camera case that comes with which can be used by attaching it to a belt (or my purse strap ) but also be worn around your neck with a strap.  Most versatile.  The 32 GB card reader and funky light weight tripod will come in handy as well not to mention the lens cleaning kit, card reader etc.  Colin is most impressed with this little camera.  If you are looking for a new camera check out that link.  The price is excellent.

So we played with it a bit yesterday afternoon.  Detail with full zoom.

They plane has been flying around the entire time we have been here.  Excellent zoom on this camera.

Colin walked around yesterday and took some photos. A few older RV’s here.

The licence plate on the truck says RZR RIDR.

To each his own.  I prefer to sit inside on my comfy sofa.

Our old bus still looks so good.

The old camera was put into File 13 along with the dredges of our dinner last evening.

Just now at 11:15PM we got back from our dinner with Libby.  We still have to put the fresh sheets on the bed and put everything away.  Will have to share the rest of our evening on my next post.  I am going to try to get to bed before midnight tonight.

Totally missed the sunset tonight 😳

After our long day of travel and crossing back into the USA we were tired and slept in yesterday.  We only left our boondock spot at the Shell near Gila Bend at 8:45AM, after giving our big front window a thorough clean.  By 9:30 AM we pulled over to the shoulder on I10 as we headed west.  The tire sensors were shrieking and one of the Jeep’s tires was down to 16 PSI ( normal is 32 – 33 ) and decreasing quickly.  Had we not had the tire sensors, we likely would have had serious damage to the Jeep. Within the few minutes it took to slow and pull over it was down to 12 PSI.  Before tire sensors, the exact same tire, front right – passenger side, many years ago –  over eleven at least, on our Grand AM was damaged to mere pieces of the steel wire in the tires and the brake pads, etc were all damaged.

Colin said he would change the tire to the spare himself but could not get the lug nuts to budge. They were on too tight.  I meanwhile decided to call Good Sam, our roadside assistance and get us some help.  Well it took a full thirty minutes for me to get in touch with Good Sam.  In the end I had to activate Colin’s Canadian cell to get thru.  My iPhone with the Telcel SIM refused to work as did Fongo which is internet dependent.  Fortunately we had Colin’s cell.  The agent at Good Sam took forever and insisted they could not come out to help us as we were unsafe on the road (too close to moving traffic).  We were less than 3 feet from passing vehicles at 75mph. Colin took over talking to him while I was able to use my iPhone to call 911 and request the police to come out (Good Sam’s requirements).  Once they were there then the tire repair people would be able to be sent out.

Good Sam considers being 5 feet away from the white line to be safe.  Colin did not want to move any further onto the shoulder as it was a mix of dirt and bits of gravel and he did not want the RV to sink.  It did take over 30 minutes for the Good Sam agent to find us someone to come out to change the Jeep tire.  He needed to know the numbers on the tire and all kinds of stupid ( in our opinion ) things.  I mean, all we needed was a tire changed out for our spare, not a new tire ordered.    We had a 90 minute plus wait for the tire service to show up.

So moments before 11AM a vehicle stopped followed seconds later by a police vehicle.  Immediately the frantic swaying of the RV due to semi’s passing by within a few feet at high speeds was greatly reduced.  Traffic was moving over to the left lane which stopped affecting us. I seriously was getting nauseous from the swaying. The first vehicle that stopped was a young lady named Sherry who asked if she could help.  Turns out she was passing by on the other side of I10 and saw that we needed help so she drove to the next overpass and came back to us.  We soon realized that she was not the tire service we were waiting for.  She was still willing to help and said she had tools in her truck which we later saw was also a tire company, Hamilton Towing.

She had the perfect jack as well as power tools that undo the lugs quickly.  The flat tire was off and the new one on within 5 minutes.

The police woman never uttered a word but did keep the vehicles in the far lane.  She did stand very far away from her vehicle and was safe on the shoulder.

I took this with my iPhone as Colin had the small camera outside.  You can see how the police vehicle has everyone moving to the inside lane.

Once the tire was back on the police woman moved directly into the right lane with flashing lights so that we had a chance to slowly start up and get up to speed, that was an immense benefit.  Her help was greatly appreciated although she kept her distance.

Sherry then moved from her position behind us into the fast lane. She refused to charge us anything for her help. Needless to say we tipped her and intend to contact her company and put a good word in for  her.  She went out of her way by at least by 12 miles with all her back and forth across the interstate.

Meanwhile I tried to call the tire service that we were waiting for but they were not answering their phone.  So I switched to Good Sam but I was on hold and eventually I was cut off once we lost cell phone signals.  It took about 4o minutes but I was finally able to contact the original tire service. They had been out and said that we were no longer there. They of course will still charge Good Sam for the job that they did not do.

Not too far down the road we saw this.  However we had the option of taking route 72 which bypassed Quartzite via Vicksburg @ exit 45.  Sorry we missed seeing you Rick and Kathy.  Hopefully next winter.

We stopped at the Zip station right at that exit to get propane. Interesting RV at the pumps.

Back on the road about 12:30pm and seeing some wonderful wildflower displays.

Most interesting traffic control system.  The  automated lights control the flow of traffic.

Once we drive through then the oncoming traffic gets to pass.  Very efficient.

Next stop Spanky’s in Parker. We needed a few things including some LED light bulbs.  These are a very bright white color which I don’t like. The new dining table light and the bedroom sconces  we changed out  in October are also LED but a nice warm white light.

The drive between Parker and Lake Havasu is lovely.

So much green this year.

So once we checked in, got unhooked and parked the RV, I started to check out tire repair places.  There are only two here in Lake Havasu.  One had closed at 4PM and the other was closing in 25 minutes.  Colin quickly removed the tow shield from the Jeep and drove off to Discount Tire.  Otherwise we would  have to wait until Monday @ 7:30AM to get service and we are leaving Tuesday.  What if we needed to order a new tire?  This is his report of what transpired.

Arrived at Discount Tire, Lake Havasu at 4:40pm. They checked me in but did not start on the flat tire until 5:05.  They lock the doors at 5 pm and will finish all jobs checked in before 5 pm.  The flat was caused by a sharp stone wedged in-between the tread.  They removed it, drilled a new clean hole  and put a plug in from the inside.  Then they polished the inside of the hub. The tire was balanced, checked and reinstalled. Then they checked all lug nuts and air pressures on the other 3 tires. All this took approx. 30 minutes.  The car was driven to the front of the waiting lounge where I was given bottled water for my thirst. He gave me the keys and I asked where do I pay? He said  “no charge, when you have a need for a new tire or you have a friend who has, we are here to help you”  I was speechless.

So as you can see, yesterday was a Good Samaritan day, between Sherry the tire service/repair lady and then Discount Tire here in Lake Havasu.

This is where yesterday’s post came in.  Such a lovely sunset.  We were eating by 9PM and I was in bed by 11PM.  Tired!  We slept in again today and took our time easing into the day.  Mostly computer catch up for me and some bill paying, and for Colin guitar time of course.

He did clean the bugs off the front window and put our shade screen on. We face full sun on this site.  We also got the Satellite dish up and hooked up the water, filled the tank and dumped the gray.

We tore ourselves away to go do some clothes shopping but neither of us found anything we liked so headed over to Walmart for a few items like a water bucket and some romaine lettuce.  I loved these new retro bikes on sale for $148.00 each, complete with basket and a nice wide seat.

Back home for a late lunch at 3PM which is our normal time.  We did have a lovely back road Sunday afternoon drive back to the RV.

The view directly to the right which we can see.

So we are going to take it easy for the rest of today/tonight.  Catch up on a few things, watch the sunset and have a wonderful relaxing meal.  Tomorrow is a whole new day with lots on the go for us  😉

It’s not the Isla but still a great sunset.

My nose however is most unhappy.  Colin’s is bleeding.  The dry air is not allowing me to breathe properly.  I am using either Carmex or Vicks VapoRub  just inside my nostrils every 15 minutes in order to breath.  Any suggestions.

We had a wee incident shortly after getting on the road this morning.  It took a while to get us sorted out and our day sort of slowed down from then on.

We are at the Campbell Cove RV Resort in Lake Havasu. We only checked in at 4PM and Colin had to rush off at 4:30 for some repairs while I set up.  Sun starting to set.  We left to do a few errands.

One of which was seeing Libby to pick up some boxes including my new camera. I have not even opened that box yet.  We are running on empty in more ways than you think.  Once we left Libby we went shopping for some fruit, veggies and wine and napkins :). We also needed water but it was out of service,  Manana.

I don’t have the energy to post about our day today but just know that we are fine and all is well.  I really need a shower ( would prefer a bath ), wine and dinner and likely early to bed.  Real pain in that the RV Park no longer offers internet unless you are a monthly renter 😯   It is a Passport America Park but in order to be sure to have a spot here we had to pay the full rate but no internet!!!  Fortunately I have my ATnT hot spot device but will have to buy more G’s.

Taken from Libby’s driveway.

Tomorrow you will get the rest of the story 😎

PS. 9PM, showered but need  to eat.  I can’t stop sneezing enough to make dinner. 77F and 3% humidity.  Problem is that I sneeze loud.  Likely I am disturbing the neighbours.

Where to start?  We both slept well, not perfectly, but good for a truck stop. 60F at 6AM with 40% humidity.  I did run out of data just after I published the blog last night.  Colin walked over to the 24 hour Oxxo to buy me more time.  Oh, the 24 hour Oxxo was already closed and opened again at 6AM.  Colin was there at 6AM and again at 6:30AM and finally they opened at 7AM.  I needed the data so that I could review the to do’s of turning in our TIP.  Good thing we delayed our departure this morning so I could put it clear in my mind as you will see. Colin noticed that the squatter guy was doing odd jobs like picking up garbage, washing semi’s and truck engines, etc.  So he bought the guy a coffee and some pan.

Very smoggy Hermosillo.  For the third year in a row the toll booth north of town is still not collecting money.  We stopped to fuel up at the large Pemex at KM33 just past the toll booth.  Other than us there were three other RVs.  A small Class A from Vernon, the gentleman was traveling solo as his wife had to fly home the other day re a recent surgery, a Class A towing a trailer with an MGB on it from Florida and a 5th wheel from Oregon.  There will be a quiz later.

Just north of Hermosillo, vines as far as the eye can see.

And more being planted.  The name of this vineyard was Vinos Buena Vista but I could find nothing online.

At KM 111 and the Military check we were greeted with a good morning and go over there for an inspection.  The 5th wheel was already being checked.  We had to park alongside the bays as they were all full.  Every RV was pulled over.

Two very very young dudes came along, one stood in the stairwell while the other entered with his pencil flashlight that did no good but he brandished it about like a weapon.  First he opened a cabinet under the sink, then the cutlery drawer, the fridge and the freezer.  He flashed his light into the shower and moved into the bedroom where he checked out both wardrobes, including my underwear drawer and the dirty laundry basket.  Another check of the empty shower and he was done.  As he was leaving, another dude showed up to start the inspection.  No I said, we have already been inspected.  The first two just stood there and said nothing 😯 The dude asked for a Coke, I said nada.  Hmm.  Okay, inspection time.  I asked the first two to confirm that we were terminado.  They had already asked us where we were coming from ( always say San Carlos ) and where we were going ( Canada, not the US ).  They had written down our license plate numbers and asked Colin to sign on the dotted line.  There was no way I was having a second inspection.  They said goodnight and moved on.  I called after then and said it was not noche so it was good morning.  The 5th wheel was still there when we left and the gentleman in the Class A had just arrived.  All RV’s were being inspected.  We later saw the Class A with the MGB stopped just before Santa Ana.  It looked like engine trouble and they already has people helping them.

The road soon became bumpy. I remember ten years back when the road to Santa Ana was horrific. Finally it was redone with new asphalt and that is now breaking down but as you can see they are working on it.

The road from Santa Ana to Sonoyta is flat and mostly straight.  You have to have fallen asleep at the wheel or be drunk to flip your semi.

Pitiquito, the white elephant.  This is where for just a year or two we turned in the paperwork on our vehicles to get our import money back.  It has been empty for several years and now is home to the Polica Federal.

Directing traffic at Carboca.  A first for me to see.

At about KM120 the road becomes bumpy with many patched areas. They are still working on the potholes but it only lasts about 20 kilometres.  They are hoping that the passing vehicles will flatten the asphalt.  Seriously!

Everything is so very green. There are yellow, blue, purple and red wildflowers all along the sides of the highway.  Lovely.

As you come down a hill and see a huge Mexican flag to the left of the highway at approximately KM 226 ( it got busy really fast and I did not do a good job of the KM number but it is accurate within a few KMs) you are in the area to return your Temporary Vehicle Importation Permit or TIP.

To the right is this colourful building, Restaurant La Bella.  Time to pay attention.

Next you will see this.  This is where the autos and the RV’s need to enter to get their refunds.  But first you need to turn around.

This is the bus entrance and where we go off to the right to start our turn around.

We did the turn and used part of the bus entrance to help complete our turn.

The bus entrance which we took last year.  Do not take this entrance.  You can see the auto entrance to the left, the yellow barricade.

Passenger cars only…..and RV’s!

Just to be clear, this is where you enter to return you paper work.  Then it will be a left turn.  See the green arrows 1/3 down the right.  Sorry about the dust spots and the bugs on the windshield.  At least the new camera will take care of the dust spots.

Only the lane to the extreme right was open to drive through ( the others had a pylon blocking the entrance ).  However we were being waived to stop.  You can see the guard coming towards us.  This is the part of the auto entrance that I was most concerned about re width and height of each lane.  Looks like lots of room to us.

Very very long story made short, they would not let us enter.  We were too large and needed to go to the bus entrance.  I explained that last year we were told to not use the bus entrance.  No we must back up.  Well sorry but we can’t backup. Yes you can, no we can’t and so on and on.  Then we must turn around.  No can do re the turning radius.  Turn, no. Turn around, no can do and so on.  The guard refused to listen to us and was very insistent that we move.  We both got out and stood up to him and asked him for an English speaking person.  We got another guard who barely understood us.  He insisted we turn around or back up.  We explained that it was impossible and that we could only go forward.  Yes we could have disconnected and backed up onto the road and into the bus entrance but that was a major problem last year.  You can read about that here.  We stood our ground and finally spoke to an English speaking female via phone.  She thought we were good to go forward but the guard would not let us.  Finally it came out that we were too big.  I said that were are not and that there was ample space for us. Okay but we have to be very careful. They were all very upset and concerned.

So easy and lots of space.

We turned to the right where the red ruck with the white on the back was.  From there is was an easy left.  You can see an RV to the extreme right.  It was in the bus lane.

After the left turn.  At the middle left is a white trailer leaving.  We are heading to that tiny white building with the green roof, just in front of the parked car.

I had to move the pylon so we could park along the curb.

Colin parked a bit forward of the Banjercito office and straddled both lanes.  This was so we could make the sharp left turn back onto the highway.  It took us thirty minutes to get permission to drive to this point.

If no one is in the office just push the button on the bottom left.

We waited a very long time for this officer to be free to help us. He was the only one doing this and was dealing with the two RV’s in the bus area, us, a car and the two other RV’s that had come in behind us.

He had Colin scrap the decal off while he processed the paperwork. Unlike last year when Colin had to come back to the RV to get his Drivers License as the Passport was not enough, this guy didn’t even check any ID.  We asked about which entrance to use next year and he just shrugged his shoulders.  It took a full 55 minutes from entering the auto area till we finally left.

Eventually we found ourselves in line to enter the US at the Sonoyta/Lukeville border.  It was a 25 minute wait and when we got there I was asked to say what every single item was in our fridge.  Duh!  My brain was fried from the Mexican paperwork issues.  As to how much alcohol I had, perhaps 3 – 4 bottles of wine!  No way he said, only one bottle up to 1 litre each.  But I explained that we are in transit to Canada and…stop he said.  You can’t do that, it is the law.  I shut up and fully expected a thorough search.  He merely sent us on our way but I of course questioned the wine.  I explained that as Canadians we have been allowed to transit the US with what we have and have been doing this for over 20 years.  Not on his watch.  Still he let us through.

We crossed into the US about 4:50PM.  We finally got up to Love’s ( I 8 )  to find that diesel was 3.18 cash.  I had already seen it for 3.09 at smaller stations.  I recalled a Shell down the road that often had it for less. Sure enough it was 2.89 per gallon, cash.  We put in 78 gallons and saved almost $23.00.

The sunset just at 6:45PM as we left the Shell station.

Our plan was to spend the night at another Shell station ( much much more per gallon here ) on the spur road between 85 North and I8 East on our Passport America card.  It was jam packed full.  In fact the entire parking lot outside was full of boondockers.  Turns out that only four sites are transient, the rest are now full timers.  So we saved another $13.00.  Usually it is so hot that we often need to run our air but it is cool tonight.  At 8PM it was only 69F with 21% humidity.  Right now at 11:50 PM as I finish this post I am wearing a sweater and feeling chilly.

Sunset from our parking lot spot. It is very quiet here.

We drove 430 miles today and were on the road for a full 11 hours and 20 minutes.  We stopped a total of 30 minutes to make food to eat as we drove.  The only down time was at the military check, the TIP return area and waiting at the US border.  However last year it took us 12 hours, so with all the delays we are still doing well.  Our RV rides like a dream and is not tiring. Looking forward to 7 days of very little driving and a bit of relaxation.  We are happy how we planned the last three days and will not change the amount of miles per day.  It works for us.  Colin is in bed and  I must proof this and shower and get to bed myself.  Please excuse any errors.  I will admit to being exhausted at this point of the day.

We slept fairly well with only one truck coming close to the RV all night.  I shut the window and fell asleep again.  We were driving by 7:30AM this morning with a coffee each.  Sadly the bumps in the road made it impossible to take a sip of the hot liquid.  There were road patches here and there but it was still bumpy.  But better patches than none.  We used to leave the Isla at first light around 5:40AM and drive all the way to San Carlos in one long 12 hour day.  We don’t anymore as the road is so bad.  This way we can take our time and drive as slow as needed.

Corn as far as the eye can see.

The agriculture check before Los Mochis at KM 124. No apples, oranges or pineapple but limes and bananas are allowed. We slowed as we entered the area and the fellow waived us to the left where the spray jets are. We just kept driving straight and he let us through after checking that we only had bananas. However I think that next time we will try and go through on the extreme right.

As we left the little booth area we had these huge craters to waddle through and it was not pleasant. The exits on either side of our lane were smooth hence the reason to try and take the one on the right. If you go left then you likely will have to pay 100 pesos to not get your RV sprayed, if they will let you do that. You don’t want get your RV sprayed.

Much of the details in this post are for those coming after us, both from Las Jaibas and from Tres Amigos RV Parks.  We have left early this year for us, so it is only fair that I share my findings to help those following behind.  If you are leaving the Isla and stopping at Smart Gas just before Los Mochis it will take 6 hours and 10 minutes of driving time.

Some construction around KM 175, slow going and bumpy but only for  2 kms.

We were amazed at how many Pemex stations have been taken over by Chevron, Gulf and others.

We stopped for fifteen minutes for Colin to get a muffin and another coffee.  Meanwhile I was suffering from dry eyes and I neglected to get my sunglasses on fast enough.  A cold wet facecloth helped with the burning and the tearing and eyes drops calmed it all down.  But it was bad enough that I couldn’t open my eyes for about 20 minutes.  Crisis averted.

Another crisis averted was this white crop duster. He was flying very low coming towards the highway.

It looked like he was going to go under the wires when he suddenly pulled up and spiralled.  We nominated him for the idiot of the day award.

We were boarded at the second agriculture check at the Sonora border. By the way, go to where it says truck ( there is no longer signage saying autos ), do not go where it says autobus. We said we only had bananas but the officer had to come in and look at the bananas in my fruit bowl. At no time did he look into the fridge to check what I had in there.

Once you leave the agriculture inspection area you approach this.  Enter close to the right of the arch, less potholes here but still enormous ones, think bathtub size.  You will need to literally crawl through here.  Those who experienced this last year and thought it horrific will not believe how much worse it has become.  It will take  several minutes to sway and bump your way out of this pothole field.  Your reward is a lovely new cement road but only for a few moments.  Between the dust spots and the bugs on the windshield my photos are pretty spotty.

Now begins the first of 5 desviacions/detours. That means 10 of these cross overs. However the first 3 sets of these are not easily done. Pay attention and watch for the drop offs and craters. The 4th set was tolerable and Colin said that the 5th set was civilized. So approximately 32 miles of back and forth and then a good 50 KM of road to Navajoa.

Between the 4th and 5th detour was an obvious drug stop.  Trucks and cars were being checked, inside, under the hood, in the trunk and even the wheel wells.  After a 10 minute wait we were first in line and the fellow walked away to look at the tire area of a car he had pulled over.  Rather  than wait, we just moved on.  No one came after us.

Can you spot the guy washing the semi’s windshield?

We always drive through Navajoa, except last year to check out the detour. It is way too long and there is no law that an RV can’t drive thru the middle of town so we do. Still much quicker than the detour.  It is always interesting to see what is  happening and we find the slow pace a nice break after highway driving.

Most Sonora tolls are being charged again except the one right after Navajoa so we saved 227 pesos.  Just past the toll booth at km 202 is the sign for the Guaymas quota, essentially  the Ciudad Obregon bypass.  It was along the bypass that we saw a small European RV driving south.

The bypass is 35 kilometres and takes 25 minutes to drive. The toll is again charged per axel and our cost was 318 pesos. Well worth not having to deal with the headache and bad roads of Ciudad Obregon.

It was as we got off the bypass that I realized that we had a problem.  We had not stopped in Navajoa and now we wanted to stop and make lunch but there was no place to stop.  The merge off the bypass onto HWY 15 is north of the last big Pemex.  There was no place to stop until Vicam.  However Vicam is not exactly a good place to stop but in hindsight we will do so in the future.

Vicam continues to be a hotbed of protests.  In this first road block, barrels are placed after every two cars pass.  You are expected to give a donation in order for the barricades to be moved. I gave about 15 – 20 pesos worth of change and we were allowed to pass.  Just outside of town was yet another protest and we simply dropped 20 pesos into their bucket and off we went.  The people of Vicam have created their own toll booths 🙂

As we continued north there  was still no place to pull over.  We just did not feel comfortable stopping in Vicam but it is the only place to do so.  I can’t believe that there is nowhere to stop between Navajoa and Guaymas.  In the end because the road was new and smooth, I managed to get up and make a quick sandwich for lunch.

This was a full load.  Three in the bed of the truck surrounded by stuff and three in the front and at least four in the back seat.

The turn off to Hermosillo is a bed of holes and difficult to manoeuvre.  In order to get to Totonaka RV Park in San Carlos you have to drive through the new Flecha Gas station which happens to also have a large fenced in ( on asphalt, not dirt and just a bit of dust ) overnight area.  We looked at each other and said why not.  Audrey had recently reminded me that I can always use my iPhone hotspot with my Telcel package to post a blog.  I just keep wondering when my data will run out.  I only got the 100 pesos package last week.

Guess what? We have a squatter just over the fence from us.

We never plug in at Totonaka because of the bad electricity so why spend 420 pesos just to get a receipt for our out of country vehicle insurance.  I will use something else.  The cost to park here was 50 pesos.  We drove 309.6 miles today.  That only took us 7 hours and 4o minutes.  Last year it took us 8.5 hours.  The better roads along with the Obregon bypass far outweigh the bad roads.  Every year the roads are getting better.

Not much of a sunset tonight.  As you can see we parked as far as we could away from where the semis might want to be.  When we arrived there was another RV here and it now has a semi on either side.

Thanks for all of your comments. Always appreciated. I have been at this for just over two hours.  Time for a break from bouncing around in the RV and from posting.  I need to rest up, tomorrow will be our longest driving day of the trip home.