Back To The Projects

Wednesday: (10/31) I relaxed in bed catching up on email and Meetup hike details in the morning. I attended a webinar at 1000. I ran out earlier to remove the fence posts from the roof of the Jep before Lou and Dawn went off for breakfast an shopping. When I got out side after the webinar I drained the holding tanks and filled the water tank. Both firsts for the new driveway plumbing. Tank duty is so much easier now? I also got the LPG tank compartment door open. The latch would unlock the door. It had broken. I went online and found what hopefully is a replacement. It should be here Friday. I then headed off for lunch and shopping. I visited Lowe’s to get fence rail brackets and electrical conduit fittings for the new RV service panel. In the evening I sent out a warning email about next Friday’s hike. Hopefully people properly evaluate their hiking abilities. Leftovers nachos and PBJ toast for breakfast. Dim Sum King for  late lunch. Tamales for dinner.

Thursday: (11/01) I tinkered with projects in the morning. I disassembled the old driveway gate and put some things away. I cut my hair before a shower around noon. In the afternoon I had a dentist appointment. My implant bone graft is ready for it’s crown now. A little grocery shopping at Sprouts to get granola, trail mix and bread. A visit to Lowe’s to get some vinyl roofing panels and fence rails. Unfortunately, their fence boards looked terrible so I stopped by Home Depot to get the fence boards. At home I unloaded all the stuff I’d collected and relaxed a while. Lou and Dawn were out picking up Cecelia at the airport. They all came home for chili with weiner and cheese for dinner. Bacon and cheese sandwich for breakfast. Chili with cheese and weiners for dinner.

Friday: (11/02) I moved the fence from it’s temp location to its permanent location. I still need to trim the top but it is otherwise finished. Much nicer than before. I’ll be replacing the old gate sometime in the future. Breakfast at Bajis Restaurant. Guacamole and chips for lunch Ramen noodles and sausage for dinner.

 

Saturday: (11/03) I did a little work on the fence. I trimmed the top boards and posts. I made a hardware store run and swapped some vinyl roof mounts that were wrong. I also bought some spring nuts. Back home I installed the new latch on the LPG compartment door of the RV. That required a little filing of the door to get the latch in place and a push nut to attach it. All working well now. I also did a little paking for departure tomorrow. Granola and banana for breakfast. A burrito for lunch. Salad for dinner.

Arroyo Seco Campground

Wednesday: (10/24) Breakfast from Happy Donut, a sausage egg and cheese English muffin and an apple fritter. We finished packing the RV and did some errands before leaving just before noon. I had to get the propane tank filled. It was totally empty. Lou did a little final shopping and got new water bottles. We stopped for lunch in Greenfield at the Rancho San Miguel market. A little more shopping before sharing a chili verde plate for lunch. We headed on in to Arroyo Seco Campground and checked in We were only able to get the site for three days. The days beyond that are controlled by online reservations. There is no cell phone signal here so if we get out where a signal exists tomorrow we might register for the other three days we plan to be here, or just see what’s available. We might have to move. For now, we are the only campers here other than the hosts. Chili with cheese and chips for dinner. We listened to the radio in the evening.

Thursday: (10/25) We took a drive around camp then Lou dropped me off at the trailhead. I hike some trails circling around the camp via the ridge top, about 4-5 miles. After a late lunch I took a shower and a nap. The shower in the camp almost meets the standard of heated, but not much. Banana nut bread and trail mix for breakfast. Ham and cheese sandwich for lunch. Pork Chops with baked potato and artichoke for dinner.

 

Friday: (10/26) PBJ toast and bacon jerky for breakfast. Lou dropped me off at the trailhead. I took the trail out along the Tassajara Creek Gorge on Indians Road to the Marble Peak Trail. Along the way, about 1 mile out, I hiked down a trail to the bottom of the gorge by the creek. The Marble Peak Trail crosses the Tassajara Creek on a suspension bridge, the “Horse Bridge”. It then follows Willow Creek. I hiked three miles up Willow Creek to a trail junction, about 7 miles out, then returned the way I came. I returned to camp about 1500 and enjoyed a shower. Lou had gotten the hosts to adjust it so it was warmer. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Saturday: (10/27) Sausage, eggs and banana bread for breakfast. We drove to Carmel Valley Village via Carmel Valley Road, Tassajara Road and Cachagua Road. We explored the village and the mountains getting there. We had lunch at Kathy’s Cafe. Carnitas tacos for dinner.

Sunday: (10/28) We took a walk around the North Lake and campgrounds in the morning and relaxed in camp all day. I had an opportunity to try out my new, unused jump start battery set. A car had a dead battery over in the primitive campground. Amazing that a battery not much bigger than a cell phone can start a cars engine. It still had 75% of its charge after starting the car. Oatmeal and bacon jerky for breakfast. Cottage cheese and fruit for lunch. Carnitas noodles for dinner.

 

Monday: (10/29) Oatmeal and bacon jerky for breakfast. I was off before 0830 headed out the Indians Road. I stopped at the second trial about 2 miles out to hike down to the gorge. This trail was easier and the it had a beach down by the river with a huge swimming pond headed up the gorge. It would be a wonderful place to hang out on a summer day. I hiked back up and continued up the road past the Marble Peak Trail Junction about 2.5-3 miles. At about 7.5 miles out  I arrived at a Santa Lucia Trail junction. I hiked down the side of the mountain about 1 mile to the Cawara Trail junction. Another half mile down and I was at the bottom of the gorge at the dry Santa Lucia Creek. The trail down had a lot of overgrowth. There was no real trail at the bottom where the trail headed back down stream toward camp. Little pieces of trail mixed with crossing or hiking on the boulders in the creek bed for ¾ mile brought me to a nice section of trail all the way back to the Santa Lucia Road. Before I left the creek bed I happened upon, and almost stepped on, a 6 inch turtle. After a nice shower we had spaghetti for dinner.

 

 

 

 

 

Tuesday: (10/30) Leftover spaghetti for breakfast. We left camp around 1000 and headed down to Greenfield. We walked the toun looking at the shops then headed over to Rancho San Miguel Market for lunch. On the drive home we stopped at the mall in Salinas and at Lowe’s and a thrift store in Gilroy. We got home just after dark. This is the RV’s first parking on the new concrete of the driveway. Leftovers for dinner. Busy catching up to paper mail and email much of the evening.

Finished the Driveway

Saturday: (10/20) Granola and banana for breakfast. Ernie and I poured the last section of the driveway. I also trimmed the neighbors gate. So it closes better. I reinstalled a section of fence I had removed to make working on the neighbors sidewalk easier. Then some time spent cleaning up from the project in front. Sauerbraten on potato for lunch. Pizza for dinner.

 

Sunday: (10/21) I announced my hikes for the Pinnacles NP visit to the San Jose Midweek Hikers. I spend some time approving each signup for the five hikes. Outside, I stripped the last 2x4 form from the slab we poured yesterday. I also trimmed down both inlaid fence post sleeves. Next, I secured the floor of the RV service compartment. It was damaged by a blown tire before we bought and the taped up job done by the dealer had failed. I added several runs of plumbers tap underneath it to support the shattered floor. I also washed the RV. Lou washed the Jeep. Should be ready for our departure Wednesday. I then moved the last of the stuff from the front yard and did final cleanup. That included the washout debris from what was the front lawn. I also moved the leftover concrete bags into the tent. I also cleared the area where Ernie’s shed floor will be poured. I measured the length of the conduit run to the RV service point from the main panel and the area where concrete is still needed. I also blew a pull string through the conduit for the RV service. Granola and diced apple for breakfast. Shredded pork and cheese sandwich for lunch. Pea soup with toast for dinner.

Monday: (10/22) Granola and diced apple for breakfast. I relaxed and watched TV in the morning. About 1030 I headed off on a shopping run. First stop was REI to get a new sun shirt. I also looked for an electrical supply but it had closed. I stopped by a sheet metal/welding shop to get an idea of the cost of a replacement floor panel in our RV’s sanitary compartment. Next stop was Harbor Freight to get work gloves. I get a bunch each year for my “Pig fence” hike at Pinnacles NP. They keep the hikers from ripping up their hands on the barbed wire fence on the way down the mountain. Another stop was a Walmart neighborhood market. I then returned some things to Lowe’s. Another stop for a few things at Sprout’s Market. And a final stop at Lucky Chinese Bistro for a late lunch. At home, I put things away and trimmed the gutter in the driveway and installed an end cap that I got at Lowe’s. I also pulled in a rope I got at HF into the conduit for the RV power pedestal. Leftovers for dinner.

Tuesday: (10/23) Granola and diced apple for breakfast. I moved the RV closer to the sidewalk and put the jacks down so I could extend the bedroom slideout as needed to pack and still not get into the road with the slide. I then checked on electrical suppliers and decided on Universal Electrical Distributors in San Jose, I headed off toward San Jose stopping at the Sunnyvale Home Depot to return my 4 pallets from the concrete. Before unloading I asked inside where to take them and they said right here. I unloaded them and brought them in. They tried to accept them and one terminal and couldn’t do it there. I was sent to another clerk who tried to check them in and said they couldn’t take them because they came from another store. I had ordered them online and they were delivered from East Palo Alto. They don’t seem special and any store accepts returns bought at any other store, except pallets? I loaded them back up and continued on to San Jose. I picked up my wire and then headed off to East Palo Alto. They had trouble taking them as well but that seemed to just be their new computer system. This all used to be easier. At home I had lunch, took a nice nap and started packing. Lou was off to the dentist most of the day. Dawn was at the library. Leftover soup for dinner.

Palo Alto Foothills Park Hike

Friday: (10/19) I stripped the forms on the concrete we poured yesterday. I was off to a hike at 0930 with the San Jose Mid-week Hikers. We hiked most of the trails in Foothills Park in a 10 mile loop. After the hike Lou and I took both cars over to Home Depot to get the concrete I’ll need tomorrow to finish the driveway. I unloaded it when we got home. Sausage, egg and cheese sandwich for breakfast. Granola bar for lunch. Dinner at Cardenas Market.

 

A Concrete Effort

Monday: (10/15) Leftover pizza for breakfast. Lou and I went to Walmart where I tried to find some grease for the mixer bearings. They had a spray but no canisters for my grease gun. I then visited Kragan Auto and found it. Lou, meanwhile did some shopping at Sprout’s Market. At home I found the existing canister wasn’t empty but all the grease and moved behind the plunger. I reassembled it and it worked well enough to lube the mixer. I stripped the forms on the already poured concrete so I can install the forms for the other side of the driveway. Ernie and I then poured the fourth section on the first side. The mixer threw it’s chain on the last mixer load. I had to mix a half bag in a bucket to finish the pour. It was easy enough to reinstall the chain but it provided a good opportunity to lube the chain, as well. We didn’t do a second pour again today because of the delay. I installed the forms for the next sections as the concrete cured and I waited to do the finishing. After dinner I went to Home Depot and got more rebar and dobbies for the remaining concrete sections. Pizza for breakfast. Pork sandwich for lunch. Roast chicken with asparagus for dinner.

Tuesday: (10/16) Ernie and I mixed and poured the concrete for two sections of Meili’s sidewalk. In the afternoon I completed the rebar for the driveway. Granola and banana for breakfast. Ham sandwich for lunch. Dinner at Luu Noodle House.

 

Wednesday: (10/17) I stripped the forms from the concrete we poured yesterday. Ernie and I mixed and poured the concrete for two sections of the driveway. I spent the afternoon cleaning up and doing the final finishing. Mr Hobbs, our neighborhood cat walked through the wet concrete in the morning and also again after we finished the second section. Then he returned to the earlier section, which was almost dry and did his cleaning and defleaing. Only left a little scratch there. Always great to have some help. Granola and banana for breakfast. Hot dog sandwich for lunch. Chicken pot pie for dinner.

 

Thursday: (10/18) I started by stripping the forms from yesterday's pours. I also fitted some edge cushion on the round post anchors. Ernie and I poured the rest of the neighbors walkway and one more section of the driveway. With that, I ran too low on concrete bags to do the last part of the driveway. I spent the rest of the day doing the finishing and cleanup. Only one set of cat prints to clear today. Granola and apple for breakfast. Chicken pot pie for lunch. Sauerbraten for dinner.