Wednesday: (05/01) Granola with yogurt for breakfast. I took it easy in the morning. I installed the second Gen 2 B-hyve hub that was needed to connect to the quad valves. I was rather surprised that the Gen 2 hub is not compatible with the old valves that do connect to the Gen 1 hub so I do need two hubs in the backyard. I connected the Quad valve I previously installed then I installed the other two B-hyve quad sprinkler controllers replacing some single valves. I still need some hose caps and shut off valves to finish the update. I had my leftover carnitas nachos for lunch. While eating that, my temporary crown came off so now I’ll need to be seen by the dentist to get it re-installed. That means I won't be replacing the sewer pipe tomorrow as planned. In the afternoon I did get some more trenching done. So now the trench goes sidewalk to sidewalk in the front yard. I still have a little more digging to be completely ready for a quick replacement when I do do it, possibly Saturday. The neighbor wants some miles put on her car and she doesn’t like to drive much so I drove down to San Jose to get pizza at The House Of Pizza. I don’t like freeways, especially going with the heavy commute traffic So I took Central Expressway down to Coleman to get to downtown San Jose. A big mistake on a game night at the soccer stadium. I had called earlier to order the pizza and they had plenty of time to get it ready before I finally picked it up. The return home was nice and fast going against traffic on the freeway. I put 40 miles on her car for her. She wants another 40 miles before I leave in the van some time soon. Obviously, pizza was for dinner.
Thursday: (05/02) A pancake, sausage and cheese breakfast sandwich from the freezer for breakfast. I finished digging out the sewer line exposing both ends with enough room to cut and connect the new pipe to the part remaining in the ground. I also dug a trench beside the pipe to allow the pipe to be moved out from beside and or under the water line. I was more than pleasantly surprised to find that the sewer line by the front sidewalk was ABS pipe connected to the bad cast iron pipe already so replacing that as a later project is not needed. Someday The remaining pipe going into and under the house will need to be replaced, just not now. My work included two showers and a visit to the Dentist to get my temporary crown re-installed. I had leftover pizza for lunch and dinner.
Friday: (05/03) A pancake, sausage and cheese breakfast sandwich from the freezer for breakfast. I left early to go down to Hunting Hollow in Henry Coe State Park for a hike. I took the van and intended to arrive early and relax before the hike. On the way I stopped for some groceries for the van and picked up a burrito for later from Super Taqueria. I arrived at the park about 0945. Art and Jonathan arrived closer to the designated time of 1040. We hiked a loop up the Jim Donnelley Trail to the Steer Ridge Road, then down the Lyman Wilson Ridge Trail and back on Hunting Hollow Road, about a 9.4 mile loop hike. There were quite a few flowers out to see. The weather was nice with clear skies and a light breeze. I relaxed a while after the hike then enjoyed the burrito for a late lunch /early dinner about 1700. I got back home about 1900 and took a shower and relaxed even more. While eating my burrito I managed to dislodge the temporary crown again and break it in half this time. And, of course it’s now the weekend. If I do get it reinstalled again Monday or Tuesday it would have a short life because the permanent crown will be installed Wednesday. I’m rather worried about how long the permanent crown will stay on now? Lou and Dawn headed out this morning to Santa Rosa for a Storytelling Event.
Saturday: (05/04) A pancake, sausage and cheese breakfast sandwich from the freezer for breakfast. We had a really good rain starting around 0700 and lasting until maybe 1400. My sewer trench is full of water now. I did get the biggest pile of dirt on the front patio covered with a tarp which should be helpful on being able to return the dirt to the trench later. It may be much later due to how much rain fell. I had some loaded potato soup and a ham and cheese sandwich for lunch. I relaxed inside all day. Chili and rice with some spam for dinner.
Sunday: (05/05) A pancake, sausage and cheese breakfast sandwich from the freezer for breakfast. I had lunch at Harry’s Hofbrau, a nice pastrami dinner. I vacuumed some water out of my trench but that was all the work I did today. I made hash browned potatoes with chicken strips and asparagus for dinner.
Monday: (05/06) Leftover hash browned potatoes with chicken strips and fried eggs for breakfast. Lou and I visited Grocery Outlet to get a few things. Lou made biscuits and gravy for lunch. I didn’t do much of anything but relax inside today. I vacuumed some more water out of my trench and installed a fan to help dry it out. Chinese food for dinner from Lucky Chinese Bistro.
Tuesday: (05/07) Granola with yogurt for breakfast. I took the van out for a run to Milpitas and shopped around Walmart, Dollar Store, Big Lot’s and Best Buy. Lunch from Mr. Chau’s in San Jose. I ate my lunch at a park in Santa Clara near City Hall. Then I relaxed there browsing and napping. I got gas on the way home. Leftover Chinese for dinner plus an artichoke from the garden.
Wednesday: (05/08) Granola with a banana for breakfast. I replaced the black water tank valve on Ernie’s trailer. Not a fun job. I also drained the tanks in the motorhome in preparation for tomorrow's house sewer line replacement. After those tasks I took a good shower. I found than my pixel watch had been broken during all this activity so I started a claim with T-mobile to get it fixed. I then headed off to the dentist to get my permanent crown as well as to get a filling in another tooth and the prep work for a second crown. Back home I relaxed the rest of the day. I had leftover Chinese food for lunch and tomato soup with cheese toast for dinner. In the evening Lou and I returned to Walmart in Milpitas to get a second TV antenna. Lou stole the one I had gotten yesterday for the motorhome and installed it at Dawn’s apartment.
Thursday: (05/09) A pancake, sausage and cheese breakfast sandwich from the freezer for breakfast. I replaced the main sewer pipe. Cutting the cast iron pipe took the most time. Leftover Chinese food for lunch. Salad for dinner.
Friday: (05/10) A pancake, sausage and cheese breakfast sandwich from the freezer for breakfast. Busy backfilling the trench. I finished about ¾ of the backfill and then cleaned up the patio and returned things to normal. Just the park stripe pile of dirt remains. Freezer pizza for lunch. Corned beef sandwiches for dinner. The kumquat tree was replanted over the trench.
Saturday: (05/11) A pancake, sausage and cheese breakfast sandwich from the freezer for breakfast. I finished the backfill of the trench, I moved the excess dirt to the backyard by the yard shed. I filled 11 buckets with contaminated dirt, hard clay rocks and other debris. They will go to the dump later. Lou’s apple pie for lunch. I repaired the orchard drip watering tubing. Dinner at Harry’s Hofbrau, Lou’s Mother’s Day dinner. I also put some miles on the neighbor's car for her.
I had to pulverize the clay clogs with the tiller to make better compaction. Some of the good excess dirt ended up in the back yard as fill.
Sunday: (05/12) Leftover frozen pizza for breakfast. I did a little more cleanup in the front yard. I disposed of the bucket of sewer water from the vacuum. I made a funnel and poured it down the drain. It was the liquid from the sump I made where the pipe was clogged and had to break the pipe open. I also put lids on all the buckets of dirt that will be going to the dump when I return. It just might rain and that would make the buckets much heavier. I also replaced some of the drip emitters back into the plants they were revived from to dig the trench. And, Finally, I disposed of all the root debris that I had thrown to the side of the trench. With all that done I was ready to hit the road in the van for a few days. I left about 0930. I did a little shopping before hitting the highway. Traffic was slow through San Francisco and until I was heading toward Stinson Beach from Tamalpais Valley (Marin City) . I stopped on the way in Golden Gate park for a little lasagna for lunch and again beside Bolinas Lagoon for the other half of my leftover lasagna. I watched the tide come in. Then I drove up Fairfax Bolinas Road a short way to a pull out with a view of Stinson Beach and Bolinas Lagoon. I remained there for the night. I had a salad for dinner.
Monday: (05/13) I headed down the mountain and out to Palomarin Trailhead. At the trailhead I had a pancake, sausage and cheese breakfast sandwich from the freezer for breakfast. I was on the trail at 0715. A nice day for a hike. I arrived at Alamere Waterfall at 0930. Fortunately, that was just before low tide at 1000. The beach view of the waterfall was perfect. On the way back to the van, I filled a shopping bag with litter found along the trail. Then I fixed lunch there. Potato soup with focaccia toast. I spent the rest of the day driving North on Highway one. I stopped at a market in Gualala. I found some nice baked pork chops there and also got some potatoes and apples. I baked a potato to go with one of the chops for dinner.
Tuesday: (05/14) An apple for breakfast. I moved from my night time parking spot at a Caltrans debris dump lot to the Big River Estuary State Marine Conservation Area parking area. After a morning call to Lou I explored the signs at the parking area and found out about a nice out and back trail so I had a breakfast sandwich to be better fortified then I took a hike. It was an old railroad bed so a basically flat hike out 4.5 miles before I returned. A very interesting hike in an older second growth forest. Lots of harbor seals in the river. I also think I saw an otter. When I returned I fixed lunch of wieners with blackberry waffles. Then I looked around Old Mendocino village. I got a couple of things at the market there. Then on to Fort Bragg for a walk around and another couple of things from the Safeway there. About 1600 I decided to head out and ended up stopping about 1700 at a Vista Point about 20 miles North for the night. I had focaccia toast with Loaded potato soup for dinner.
Wednesday: (05/15) Granola and a banana for breakfast. I headed North to Highway 101 and stopped near Weott to attend my Wednesday AlphaSoftware Webinar. Then on to Eureka and stopped at Winco Market for more things. I continued up to Arcata for lunch at the Chinese buffet there. Then I went out Highway 299 to Blue Lake to get the cheapest gas in the area, by far, $5 rather than $5.69 as the prevailing cheapest rate. Then on up to Trinidad. I parked down by the harbor beach and took a nice nap. Then, all rested, I took a hike around the Trinidad rock with great views of the area. After that I drove on up the Rest Area North of Trinidad for the night. A focaccia hot dog and cheese sandwich for dinner.
Thursday: (05/16) A pancake, sausage and cheese breakfast sandwich from the freezer for breakfast. I left the Rest Area and headed North. I looked around the Big Lagoon and took a walk at Stone Lagoon. Then I continued up to Prairie Creek. The Visitor Center didn’t open until 0900 so I waited. I wanted to ask about the trail conditions on my route. I hiked a loop out James Irvine Trail, Friendship Ridge Trail, and back on West Ridge Trail. I finished about 1630. Back at the Van I had a BBQ pulled pork and cheese sandwich for a very late lunch. Then I drove up to Crescent City. I checked out several places for a possible spot for the night. There aren’t many possible sites per my iOverlander app. While checking Walmart I also got a couple of items as well. I decided on a spot near the sewer plant and city pier. I had a bowl of clam chowder for dinner.
Friday: (05/17) Granola and a banana for breakfast. I drove over to the Chart Room restaurant to check their hours. I also watched the seal in the harbor and chatted with a waitress cleaning out some weeds at the restaurant. Since it was 0900 and the restaurant didn’t open until 1100 I took a driving tour around Crescent City. I ended up at Point St George Beach trails and took a short walk. Then I returned to the Chart Room for a delicious Fish And Chips lunch. After lunch I decided to get gas before heading off for a hike at Smith River but after getting gas at the casino (Cheapest by far), I needed a nap which ruined the day but made me feel better. I arose about 1630. I returned to the harbor to tinker on the computer instead. About 1900 I returned to my night spot by the pier for another night. I had some steamed broccoli and clam chowder for dinner.
Saturday: (05/18) A maple pancake and sausage breakfast from the freezer. I hit the road about 0730 heading out Highway 199. I tried to take a shortcut toward Seiad Valley but the road, which I took last year, is now closed for construction. It passes through a recent burn area. Instead, I continued up to Grants Pass. I looked around the Fred Meyers Store there. Then I continued out Highway 140. I stopped along the way at a park for lunch, a nice BBQ pulled pork sandwich. Then continued on until I recognized I was further East than I wanted to be to get to the Lava Beds NM. I then took some local roads stopping in Bonanza, Oregon for gas. Then I stopped at the Tule Lake Wildlife Preserve for a walk. Then I finally arrived at Lava Beds NM at 1730. I found a campsite for $5/night. Unfortunately, I need to wait until 1000 when the Visitor Center opens to get a permit to be able to enter the caves. I need to learn how to protect the bats there. I prepared mashed potatoes and steamed broccoli with a chicken breast for dinner.
Sunday: (05/19) I prepared scrambled eggs with ham and cheese for breakfast. Then I left my campsite and drove up to the Visitor Center parking. I intended to wait there for them to open at 1000. But, a park ranger knocked on my window, likely thinking I had camped there all night. I showed my campsite receipt and park pass with ID and he offered to get me my cave permit. That was why I needed to go to the Visitor Center. So I left about 0815 with my permit. I explored most of the caves in the park including one with a roof that was too low and put a divot in my head. I had a lunch of corn chowder soup at 1100 and another lunch at 1330 of a breakfast sandwich. I hiked the loop at Captain Jack’s Stronghold then drove out to the Petroglyph area to see what they were like. Not very good nor with typical images. The bluff they are on is also a bird rookery in holes in the cliff. I then drove East to Highway 139 and headed South stopping for the night a few miles South on some Forest Service land. I prepared a pork chop with baked potato and steamed broccoli for dinner.
Monday: (05/20) Granola and a banana for breakfast. I settled in early at the Rocky Campground near Old Station. Then, I took a much needed shower. I had a salad for lunch. I relaxed at camp all day. Lasagna soup with breadsticks for dinner. This campsite was right beside the rushing Hat Creek. Evidently there was a recent forest fire that burned to the other side of the creek.
Tuesday: (05/21) A banana for breakfast and I was off. I drove down to Lassen NP and drove to the end of the road where it was closed due to snow beyond. There were a lot of campers in the parking lot there probably doing cross country skiing. I returned down the mountain and continued on to Redding. I got gas then stopped at the Sundial bridge. I had some scrambled eggs with salsa and cheese and bacon jerky for brunch. At the bridge I found a very interesting art in the arboretum there. Hundreds of silk on wire frame art pieces throughout the arboretum. I then drove down to Chico and tried to take a walk in Upper Bidwell Park. I found it didn’t seem too interesting and it was in the mid 80’s so I called it off. I drove down near Oroville to the Table Mountain area. I stopped at the Phantom Fals Trailhead and hiked out to Ravine and Phantom Falls, about a 4 mile RT. Not much water in the falls now. I delayed my visit too long. Then I drove toward Williams to stop at a Love’s Truck Station for the night. On the way I stopped at Colusa Casino to top off my gas and have a chicken breast and some cottage cheese for dinner. I made it to Williams about 2000 and settled in.
Wednesday: (05/22) Banana for breakfast. I drove down to Woodland and stopped in a Grocery Outlet parking lot and prepared brunch. I had a couple of sausage egg and cheese pancake breakfast sandwiches. Then I looked around the market and found a couple of bargains. Then I attended my Wednesday webinar. After that I headed off to the Hays Truck Museum. Even though I confirmed it was there and that the hours were 10-5 when I got there I only found the Heidrick Ag Museum, no trucks, just tractors. Evidently the truck museum moved to Reno to the National Auto Museum and sold off a lot of their collection Nothing is on display yet in Reno. They moved in 2017. I enjoyed the tractors and learned a lot. I finished up at 1300 and hit the road. I drove over through Napa to Petaluma then on home. I stopped in Golden Gate park in San Francisco to wait for the evening rush hour traffic to die down and to have dinner. About 1945 I continued on home. I started a load in the washer, helped Lou put some stuff out to the garbage and took a shower.
Thursday: (05/23) A maple pancake and sausage breakfast from the freezer. I spread the mulch back in place in the front yard where the sewer line went. I did my laundry from the van. I made a salad for our lunch. I dumped the tanks in the motorhome and filled the fresh water in preparation to leave tomorrow. Then I washed the van and motorhome. We picked up dinner from the Lucky Chinese Bistro.
Friday: (05/24) A maple pancake and sausage breakfast from the freezer. I went to a 1000 dentist appointment to get another permanent crown and get my teeth cleaned. I finished at 1100 and returned home. Lou and Dawn had been busy preparing the motorhome to leave. We were on the road toward Ferndale at about 1200. Traffic was very slow through San Francisco and heavy until we were North Of Santa Rosa. We stopped for a break and lunch at 1500 in Windsor. I had leftover Chinese food and Lou and Dawn had Lou’s chili beans. Lou and Dawn explored a Goodwill Thrift while I took a nap. We then continued on and took another break near Leggett at a Rest Area. We arrived in Fernbridge and stopped at a casino gas station then on to the Ferndale Fairgrounds to our campsite about 2130. We had some of Lou’s rhubarb apple pie for dinner.
Saturday: (05/25) We woke to find our power off to the motorhome. The circuit breaker in the pedestal had tripped and our batteries were depleted. They were probably low because they had powered the refrigerator on the drive up. But something else would have had to happen to cause the breaker to trip. Maybe a bad breaker. With everything reset the batteries were fully charged when we returned in the afternoon. Avocado toast for breakfast. About 1000 we headed up to Arcata for the start of the Kinetic Art Race. After looking over the racers and watching the start we headed to lunch. We went to the Chinese Buffet for lunch. Then we drove out to the Samoa Peninsula to watch the racers come down the Devils Drop, a sand hill with an angle side slope. Then we headed back to the motorhome after a stop at Winco Market for some bread. I prepared grilled cheese sandwiches for dinner and we had more of Lou’s rhubarb apple pie for dessert. We enjoyed nice showers at the park showers in the evening.
Sunday: (05/26) Lou prepared strawberry French toast with bacon for breakfast. We headed off at 0900 to downtown Eureka marina to watch the Kinetic racers launch into the bay. After that we went to lunch. Lou and Dawn at Frankie’s Bagels. I don’t like bagels so I got my lunch at a hamburger joint on Harris Street. We then visited a couple of thrift stores and the Co-op Market. We then drove by some of the racers making their way on a two lane road nearing Loleta. Dinner was some frozen chicken broccoli dinners from the freezer. Lou wasn’t feeling well in the evening.
Monday: (05/27) I made corned beef hash and eggs for breakfast. Lou still wasn’t up to par so she stayed home today. Dawn and I went out to Fernbridge where the Kinetic racers cross the Ell river. Dawn and I found our way down to the Eastern edge of the river. Last time we were on the Western side where they land. This time we are where they launch from so we got to watch them set up to float after arriving via the road. We arrived before anyone else and couldn’t find a good spot to view on the West side. The beach they land on is much smaller and less accessible. After we watched most of them launch we returned home. After lunch and a nap Dawn and I went downtown to the finish line to look over the entrants again. Back home we had ramen noodles with chicken for dinner followed by apple pie filling.
Tuesday: (05/28) After showers, We had leftover corned beef hash for breakfast, Lou and Dawn took off in the Jeep and I finished preparing to roll and took the motorhome up to Eureka. I looked around Pierson’s Hardware store and Winco. I picked up a couple of slices of pizza for lunch. Then I drove down to Walmart and bought some Goo Gone and worked on cleaning the adhesive off the MH side windows. I eventually found the most effective solution was scrubbing bubbles and fingernails. Lou and Dawn were visiting bookstores. They had lunch at Humboldt Pies in Arcata. They returned to meet me at Walmart and we hooked up and were on the road at 1500 toward home. We stopped at a rest Area near Ukiah for a nap and dinner. We arrived home at 2220.
Wednesday: (05/29) breakfast sandwich from freezer. I made a run to the dump in Santa Clara with the leftover dirt from the sewer trench. On the way home I shopped at Walmart Neighborhood Market and Grocery Outlet then picked up lunch at Wok On Chinese. Back home I discussed sewer line replacement with a neighbor that just got an $18,000 quote to do what I just did to ours. After I finished lunch, I picked up some mulch at the city stockpile. In the evening I made a photo album of the Kenetic Race. Leftover Chinese for dinner.
Thursday: (05/30) I prepared scrambled eggs with peppers, onions, bacon bits and cheese for breakfast. My middle finger on my right hand is very sensitive to the touch today so I deferred working on installing the patio bricks. I relaxed all day. Lou decided that since I couldn’t work, we should go camping again so we are scheduled to visit New Brighton Beach near Santa Cruz all next week. PBJ for brunch. Chili beans for late lunch.
Friday: (05/31) Leftover scrambled eggs from yesterday's breakfast for today's breakfast. Lou was busy clearing the clog in the kitchen sink. My finger was still upset today. Costco chicken bake for lunch. Otherwise another day off for me. Dawn made diced apples with sausage and onions for dinner.
