Maybe I'll start with the RV stuff. I made my monthly inspection of the chassis and house batteries. I think of all the things RV folks have to deal with, battery caused problems rank among the most common that we deal with. With eight batteries on board, located on both sides and ends of our coach, it takes me about an hour to clean them up and check their condition. As I worked my way through the checkout I finally got to the last bank of house batteries. All was good up to there but as soon as I looked at the two batteries I quickly noticed they were bulging out at the sides. According to the manufacturer (to whom I later talked to) some bulging is okay on AGM (Absorbed Glass Mat) unit but what wasn't okay was they were hot to the touch and were showing signs of leaking at the vents. Not normal since there was little load on them while hooked to shore power for the past several months. Two very serious problems that prompted me to find some replacements. As luck would have it, one of the local marinas could get me a pair the very next day so a solution was at hand. I picked them up the next morning and later installed the pair in about 30 minutes. Actually installing them took a little longer as I had to wait for my neighbor Charlie to helped me lift them up into the battery tray. As each battery weighs around 135 pounds, those younger muscles sure came in handy. So with a little luck, any near-term electrical problems are averted and life is good.
So with the sweaty job of battery installation behind me, Sharon and I decided to stock up on some of the local raspberries so we returned to nearby Riverbend Farms (www.greatberries.net). Run by young Ryan Morgan, this well developed operation gets better every year. Ryan met us after we arrived and pointed out where the best picking was. He even gave us some lessons on which berries were ripe enough to pick and how to pick them. Our first stop was at the black berry area and quickly filled 8 pints in about 10 minutes. Now that's good pickin'. Moving on, the red raspberries, the second seasonal batch, were not quite as plentiful but we still managed to pick 6 pints in short order. Sharon prepared them when we got back to the coach and now they sit waiting in the dark freezer for me to pluck them out for my next fruit salad.
You can see the size difference. Ryan said that the blackberries have actually gotten smaller as the season progressed. The first ones were near walnut size.
So what else have we been doing .... well ... my two grand daughters each had very special days recently. My eldest Allison, was off to college. Leaving the comforts of those high school days and the warmth of home to join her fellow freshmen at Grand Valley State University in Allendale Michigan. We're all very proud of her and know she is success bound. Our youngest grand daughter Lola, celebrated her 2nd birthday. She too is experiencing new things every day and is probably the smartest and prettiest 2 year old I know. She will continue to mature and we all look forward to her journey to her first day college. Only about 16 years away.
The summer season is now over here in South Haven. The crowds are gone ... the beaches are not near as crowded but the sunsets are just as beautiful, the restaurants are easier to get into, and life and mood in town is finally slowing down. We actually enjoy this time of the year here and it gives us the opportunity to slow down a little ourselves and enjoy our friends here in camp. Some have already headed for their wintering spots but others will stay on, like us into October. The fall color change will be soon upon us and accompanied by cooler weather. It's been a good season.
Still livin' the dream at the end of summer on the sunset coast of Michigan.
Phil
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