OH NO! Friday the 13th

Thursday, our first full day in Coupleville, was uneventful.....I watched another stage of The Tour d' France, and then we continued to settle in for a few weeks by putting out the main awning, putting my mountain bike back together, etc.


Then the main task of the day was to install the 30amp electrical I had left with my friend Bob Fenstermacher, a year and a half ago.  After installing the one at my brothe-in-law's home I felt much more comfortable doing this one, and his electrical service box in the barn was much more user friendly.  After discussing with Bob how to be sure all the electrical power was turned completely off, and where he preferred the box to be mounted I got started.  I barely got the box open when I discovered one of the lugs that holds the main "hot" wire in place was missing.  As a result I had to drive into Oak Harbor, about a 1/2 hour away to the Home Depot to get the missing part which, thankfully, they had.


As it turned out I finally finished installing the box around 4pm.....thank goodness I had nothing else planned for the day!  After cleaning up I took a nap, and about an hour later I heard the lovely Elaine calling out that the BBQ'd chicken that Bob was working on was about done, so I got up, poured a couple of fingers of Scotch and walked down the hill.  As we did Wednesday night, we ate outside on Bob's patio by the outdoor fireplace, talking, and enjoying the view of Puget Sound as the horizon turned pink from the setting sun.


12:40pm - Today, Friday, it is raining cats and dogs with lightning and thunder that is striking quite close to home....the last one sounded like it broke right above our heads!  WOW, that was LOUD!!!  Bob says this is very unsual weather for them this time of year, but has been the "norm" for a couple of months now.  Normally they don't get this much rain here in Coupeville....their rainfall is about 1/3 of Seattle, normally, because they are in a "rain shadow" created by the Olympic Mountain Range on the Olympic Peninsula.


I've been spending the morning doing some insurance work, writing this blog entry, and shaving off my goatee, which I have had for more than a decade. I thinkI'll pull out a good book, make some tea and read for a while....it's the perfect day for that.  This storm looks like it is here for the day.  Bob's wife, Karen, will be home from Seattle today, so it will be fun spending time with the two of them this weekend.

Sans goatee....

I am really glad we have 30amps of power right now as we are running both electric heaters, which we could not do with 20amps.  

Stop by later for an update on today's happenings!


05:18pm - Just got back from a 2 mile walk during a brief lull in the rain.  As soon as we got back it started pouring again, and close, loud thunder again!  What a cool day!

My newest piece of electrical magic....I am the man!

This is a picture of the 30amp box I installed yesterday.  This is a classic "the Hockwald Way" project....it should have taken an hour, but took 5.....lol!!  Nevertheless, no small animals, or full grown human beings were harmed during the installation process, and it works!  We now have four of these boxes installed at the homes of friends (Florida, Oregon, and 2 in Washington State) where we have spent time.  Two other friends (Texas and Louisiana) already had 50amp boxes at their homes that we were able to use.  

Karen (Bob's wife) just returned from a week in Seattle bearing a bouquet of flowers for Elaine, and we are looking forward to a nice dinner and conversation this evening.  Bob and Karen are two of our favorite people, and our history goes back decades.  I have known Bob since summer camp in 1963, and we have known Karen since 1973.  I believe Elaine has known Bob a few years longer than I.

All I can say is "Life is good!"  Thanks for stopping by!