The end of *DST, finally!

7:00 am - Sunday - November 5th - GNHS - 54° F, humidity 49%, wind 4 mph out of the southeast.....crystal clear, blue, sunny skies today with a forecast high of 88° F.  On this date in 2013 TLE and I were courtesy parked in front of my brother's home in South Jordan, UT....we awoke to snow sticking to the ground and our 2002 T-Bird......↴ 

We were on the job Saturday by 8:30 am, which was also the last day of DST*.  From now one we'll be waking up to sunlight, instead of darkness.  We had just two rentals scheduled for Saturday....one all day rental, and one 4 hour rental.  I looked back to last year on my blog and found out we did not rent our first RZR until November 5th, so we're way ahead of last year, and it isn't even November 5h yet.  Last year we were neophytes to this business, but this year we are seasoned professionals, with very little happening for which we are not prepared, and with the addition of Hunter, and the Polaris tablet based check out/check in system, we are a smooth operating machine.  Because of Hunter's presence TLE and I are able to put in fewer hours, and work fewer days, which is an added bonus.

After our all day rental headed out Hunter and I installed the four spare tires he had mounted Friday, and after the 4 hour rental departed at 10 am we installed the rest of the rear view/side view mirrors on the RZRs missing them.  At that point TLE clocked out as there was nothing left for her to do.  Around 11:30 pm Hunter took his lunch break, and then I at 12:30 pm.  By the time I came back on at 1:30 pm it was almost time for the four hour rental to return.  Once they were checked back in I took their 2 seat General over to the wash station to give it its first real wash job of the season.  There were two other RZRs left over from Friday that had not been fueled, or washed so I fueled them, and then washed them thoroughly.  By the time I was finished with them the all day rental was returning, and we were pretty much done for the day.  The all day RZR was, surprisingly, not that dirty so I just used compressed air to clean it.  Once the helmets and goggles were air cleaned, and put away Hunter locked the office, and we bid each other adieu for another day.  As he was getting in the Mule to drive home Hunter turned and said "Clarke, it's good to have two uneventful days in a row!", to which I heartedly agreed.  Uneventful is that for which we strive in the UTV rental business.

After showering I retired with TLE to the 'viewing deck' to celebrate the end of another successful day, and watch the setting sun light up the Chocolate Mountains one more time.  It never gets old.  I managed to get a couple of great sunset pictures....

Thanks for stopping by!

*DST = Daylight Savings Time

Day off, or work?

 7:01 am - Saturday - November 4th - GNHS - 51° F, humidity 46%, wind 3 mph out of the south by southeast.....crystal clear, blue, sunny skies today with a forecast high of 86° F.  On this date in 2015 we were in Minden, NV for a couple of nights at Silver City RV Park before heading to SoCal for the winter.....I guess we weren't moving south fast enough to escape the long arm of old man winter......lol....↴

We had two all day rentals which went out at 9 am Friday.  Initially Hunter was going to handle them, and be on call the rest of the day, but the spare tires finally arrived at COYNE Power Sports down in El Centro so Hunter was sent to retrieve them in the company van.  I'm glad he's here this year to make that 2 hour round trip drive!  I did it way too many times last year.  Anyway, since he was gone I was next up to be on call.  I busied myself installing the rest of the 2 ton scissor jacks on the remaining RZRs, as well as a few more fire extinguishers.

Next I installed my old LCD flat screen TV from the trailer (I replaced it last winter with a TCL Roku TV ) in the COA office.  It is not a 'smart' TV, so I ordered an Amazon Fire Stick to transform it into a 'smart' TV so we can stream offroad footage in the office when we are open for business.  We had left it in its box in the office loft last summer intending to do just this.  The Amazon Fire Stick was easy to install following on screen instructions, and the wall mount for the TV was equally intuitive. ....

My 'old' trailer TV became 'smart' overnight

....I think it came out well!

Around 1:30 pm we rented out a RZR to some ladies in the park for a couple of hours, and that was about the time Hunter returned from COYNE with the spare tires.  While he headed down to the GNHS shop to mount the spare tires on rims I began to wash one RZR after another finishing around 3:45 pm when the ladies returned, so I checked them in, and then washed their RZR so we will have enough clean ones for our Saturday rentals.  The all day rentals returned around 4:30 pm, so Hunter checked them in, and then I put them away until Saturday when I'll fuel and wash them while the other rentals are out.  It was nice to have a day without any equipment issues, and to see our customers return with smiles upon their faces.

I finally finished with everything around 5 pm, and was beat.  I hadn't expected to work at all Friday, but ended up with 8 hours on the time card.  After a quick shower I joined TLE, who was off work Friday, on the 'viewing deck' to see in another sunset, and the end to another day at GNHS.

We'll get temps in the 89° F range Saturday and Sunday, and then by Wednesday the temps will slide back into the 70's, or lower the rest of the winter.  Daylight Savings Time, aka: DST, changes back to Standard Time for another winter Sunday, and then the sun will be setting at 4:47 pm.

Thanks for stopping by!

Clean bill of health?

7:08 am - Friday - November 3rd - GNHS - 51° F, humidity 44%, wind 5 mph out of the west.....crystal clear, blue, sunny skies today with a forecast high of 84° F.  On this date in 2011 TLE and I had just completed a 36 mile round trip bike ride to Ojai from Rincon Parkway (Ventura).....a little vino makes everyone mellow.....↴

....especially with the ocean as a backdrop.  The view this morning.....↴

....the sun just hit the wooden fence outside my window....I guess that would be sunrise!

When we got up Wednesday morning we had no plans to drive anywhere Thursday, but by mid morning our plans had been set.  We would be driving nearly 300 miles round trip to Poway, CA for our annual dermatological exams beginning Thursday morning around 9:30 am.  It would be a long, just shy of 9 hours, day involving at least 6 hours of driving.  Since we didn't have to leave until 9:30 am for our 1:45 pm appointment we lazed around until after 9 am before getting dressed and beginning our 3 hour drive to Poway.

We did this drive at least 4 times last year....once for my annual cardiological exam, and 3 times for dermatology issues.  I hadn't been to my dermatologist since late 2019, so it had been almost 3 years.  As a result I needed 3 biopsies at that first appointment, two of which came back as cancer (melanoma, state zero on my chest, and basil cell carcinoma on my left arm) which required two additional trips for separate surgeries to remove the offending masses.  Anyway, as we began our 3 hour drive I was hoping for a clean bill of health this year, since it has only been 9 months since my last visit.

When we drive to Poway we take secondary roads all the way there by driving around the Salton Sea to Salton City, which is directly across the sea from GNHS as the crow flies.  It takes an hour to get there, and then we head up the hill on S-22 through Borrego Springs, up Montezuma grade to Ranchito, the Santa Ysabel, then Ramona before descending toward Poway.  The drive is beautiful, and there is very little traffic going, or coming.  We always hope for an uneventful drive, and that is what we got, both directions.  We arrived in Poway around 12:30 pm, just in time to top off our fuel tank at COSTCO, pick up a few things at Trader Joe's, then over to Starbucks for a couple of Frappuccinos before arriving at the dermatologist around 1:40 pm.

TLE and I chose to be seen at the same time, in the same room to save time, and it worked out well except for the part where I get a clean bill of health.  The doctor found one spot on my back which he felt needed further investigation, so he took the dreaded biopsy promising to call me in a few days with the result.  If is negative no return trip will be necessary.  TLE did, however, receive her second clean bill of health in 12 months.

We were back on the road heading home by 2:25 pm, and after another uneventful drive arrived in Borrego Springs around 4 pm.....just in time for an early dinner at our favorite local taqueria, Los Jilbertos.  I always, as is my nature, get the same exact thing....the two taco plate with rice and beans.  TLE a single chicken taco à la carte.....YUM!!!  By 4:30 pm we were back on the road for the final 90 minutes home,  arriving back at GNHS just after 6 pm....that was a long day!

I'm hoping for a negative lab result, but if it is positive we'll return in the near future to have it removed.  It's only been 9 months since my last visit, so I'm sure if it is positive it will not be a major deal, just like the others were not.  Not getting the 'all clear' is disappointing, but that's why you go and get checked, right?  Better to catch this stuff earlier than later.

Thanks for stopping by!

The cards you are dealt....

 6:55 am - Thursday - November 2nd - GNHS - 51° F, humidity 48%, wind 4 mph out of the southeast.....crystal clear, blue sunny skies today with a forecast high of 83° F.  Up early as we are heading to Poway, CA today for our annual dermatological appointments.  On this date in 2013 TLE and I were in Park City, UT with my brother, Dwyer, and sister-in-law, Lori for dinner at the Stein Erickson Lodge.....one of my favorite pictures......↴

We haven't had a game night for quite a long time, and I was hopeful we would Wednesday night, so I was determined to get those Edison lights hung under the dining canopy before the end of the day to make that happen, but I get ahead of myself.

To begin our morning (after I finished my latest missive) TLE and I took our coffees outdoors to the 'fire deck'.  It's been a while since we sat in those Adirondack chairs for morning coffee, and soon we will be sitting in them enjoying a sunset fire as it is getting cool enough in the evenings to do just that!  

While we sat there I decided to begin setting appointments for our annual teeth cleaning/checkup, annual visit to our dermatologist, and my cardiologist.  Amazingly, we were able to set all three appointments pretty quickly.  Our dental appointment is Monday, November 13th.  We'll drive to Yuma, AZ Sunday afternoon, spend the night, and see our good friends Rich and Marnie (worked for them at Ramona Oaks RV Resort back in 2019), then go to the dentist Monday morning.  

Next up was our dermatologist.  Initially the appointments lady said they had nothing available until February (too long), but then said they had a cancellation for tomorrow, November 2nd....after a brief hesitation we accepted the offer.  It is for 1:45 pm Thursday afternoon, so we'll leave here around 10 am Thursday morning to make the drive to Poway (near San Diego), do some shopping on the way, keep our appointment, and then head back home.  We should be back before sunset.  We'll even stop off in Borrego Springs for an early taco dinner at Los Jilbertos, our favorite taqueria in Borrego Springs, and pick up some firewood for our future sunset fires.

The last appointment was with my cardiologist, Dr. Mulvehill.  He has been my heart doctor since my heart attack back in May of 2019.  The earliest date they had open was December 7th, another Thursday, so we took that.  We'll drive to Borrego Springs on the 6th, spend the night at our favorite mid century modern hotel, The Palms at Indian Head, have dinner in their world class restaurant, then drive the final hour to Poway Thursday morning for the appointment.

Once all that was settled I got busy installing the Edison lights under the dining canopy.  I've done this a few times now, and it takes about 30 minutes, beginning to end.....

....the lights are on, and game night is just an hour, or so away.  

We headed out to the 'viewing deck' around 5:15 pm to enjoy the view of the Chocolate Mountains as the setting sun lit them up once again.....

....headed inside around 6 pm for dinner, then back out to the 'dining/game night deck' for a rousing game of 'Phase 10'.....

.....the game went back and forth, and we both found ourselves on the final Phase (#10) with me having a slim 5 point margin in total points (155 for moi, and 160 for TLE...it is like golf...you want the lowest point total possible).  We both had one card left as I drew my final card, which is what I needed to 'phase out' and beat TLE not only in the head to head, but in points.  She is tough to beat in 'Phase 10', but the cards just fell my way.  We had forgotten how much we missed our game nights, so this was a good beginning to our stay here at GNHS.

Thanks for stopping by!

Post wind......

 8:01 am - Wednesday - November 1st - GNHS - 54° F, humidity 24%, wind 4 mph out of the west......partly cloudy skies today with a forecast high of 81° F.  On this date in 2011 TLE and I were dry camping at Rincon Parkway, just north of Ventura, CA......↴

It was Tuesday, October 31st, that we awoke to NO wind for the first time in 3 mornings.  Our 'lido deck' environment was a shambles, and it was time to get busy putting things back together, and time to add a few more finishes previously left undone.  We've been meaning to deploy a couple of our 'sail' shades over the 'lido deck', so while TLE repaired the Ozark Trail canopy (had to reattach some of the Velcro tabs which affix it to the metal frame), I laid the 'sails' out of the ground to figure out how to place them for maximum shade.  Once TLE was finished with the minor wind caused repairs I reinstalled the canopy on the metal frame, then began to install the 'sail' shades.....

.....and redeploy our umbrellas....we think it came out well.  Once that was done I secured all the artificial turf to the ground with the spikes we use just for that purpose so they won't get blown around in the next wend event....

.....I finally took pictures of our new sewer line setup, which I wrote about yesterday....

Along the side of the coach...

....under the front

.....and to the sewer connection....at last

.....last year, due to the orientation of the coach and trailer I could only deploy the sewer hose when we were dumping the black tank, which was rather inconvenient, and made it take twice as long to do the deed as it should.  While this run is about as long as the one at LPG&RVR this past summer, I can leave it connected 24/7, and it actually drains a little better.

I also spent time putting the final touches on the trailer interior organization.  Now everything I need to use on a regular basis is easier to access.....

Looking front to back

Looking back to front

....there is a lot of stuff in there.....WAY too much stuff, and we are going to have to do something about that, or we're going to need a bigger trailer.....lol!

For the second time since our arrival we saw in the sunset from the 'viewing deck'.....I love how those Chocolate Mountains to the east light up as the sun slides towards the San Jacinto Mountains behind us in the west.....

......this was one of those rare sunsets that lasts 30 minutes, or more, and changes continuously.....it's like getting a month's worth of sunsets in one evening.....

Thanks for stopping by!

Involuntary confinement.....

7:55 am - Tuesday - October 31st - GNHS - 47° F, humidity 40%, wind 4 mph out of the north by northeast......crystal clear, blue, sunny skies once again with a forecast high of 79° F.  Nice...no wind, and temps in the 70's....this is that for which we came!  On this date in 2016 TLE and I were boondocking next to Tuttle Creek (Alabama Hills, just south of Lone Pine, CA),.....↴

.....and I mean, right NEXT to Tuttle Creek......↴

Having lived in SoCal for the first 62 years of my life I am well acquainted with Santa Ana winds.  I grew up in Pasadena, CA where they got quite bad at times, but then in 1986 TLE and I moved our family out to Ontario, CA, which is just below Cajon Pass, the gateway to the high desert communities of the Antelope Valley, from which the Santa Anas originate.  I remember all those years growing up hearing the weather forecasters speak of 'winds below the pass', and never quite knew that that meant until 1986, when I realized the pass to which they were referring was Cajon Pass, and now we lived directly below it.  The Santa Anas would blow so hard in Ontario our two story home would shake, just like we were having an earthquake....another one of those things you get used to growing up in SoCal.

Anyway, this most recent edition of the Santa Anas was one of the worst I can remember in many years, and certainly was worse than any of the Santa Anas from last winter here at GNHS.  This one lasted 2.5 days (no wind this morning, thank goodness!), and during that interval we spent 99% of our time indoors while 40+ mph winds howled incessantly outside.  It wasn't until Monday afternoon that I ventured outdoors to do anything of consequence.  During that time I finally finished setting up our sewer line so it will flow properly to the sewer connection, I put a few screws in the fence which borders our site, which the wind had loosened, using the electrically powered Toro blower I blew the accumulated dust, and detritus off the artificial turf, and just generally tried to bring order out of the wind caused chaos on our 'lido deck'.

We lost one of the tire covers off the drivers side of the trailer in the winds, and despite an intensive 'search and rescue' effort on our part it remains in the 'lost' column.  It's okay, though, they were over two years old and showing their age so I'll just order new ones off Amazon.  The Newell wheel covers remained in place, and continue to do their job despite the ferocious winds.

Usually on our days off work we try not to get out of bed until after 7 am.  We're usually awake by then, but just knowing you don't have to get up is enough motivation to stay put, and awaken slowly as the sun slowly crests the Chocolate Mountains to the east.  However, when your bedroom feels like the front car on a rollercoaster, it is hard to stay in bed for long once you are awake.

Due to our 2+ day involuntary confinement there is not much else about which to write, so I will bid you all adieu for another day, and thank you, as always, for stopping by!

Windy....I know the title is kind of obvious, but it is!

7:04 am - Monday - October 30th - GNHS - 57° F, humidity 34%, wind 18 mph out of the north by northwest..,...clear, blue skies today with a forecast high of 81° F. Wind continued through another night, and is still blowing as I write, and the coach is a rockin' and a rollin'.  Not supposed to begin abating until around 2 pm today.  On this date in 2015 TLE and I were in John Day, OR enjoying beautiful fall weather.....↴ 

The original weather forecast had this Santa Ana wind event abating around 5 pm Sunday, but it did not.  It is a good thing TLE and I don't get sea sick, as our Newell sits broadside to the north wind, and she was rocking and rolling all Saturday night, and into Sunday morning.  As I write she is still rocking and rolling.  I think this first wind event of the 2023 season is worse than any of the wind events we had here last year by a factor of two.  Having our coach oriented with the passenger side facing south is wonderful when there is no wind, but quite the opposite when it is windy.   The Santa Ana winds always come out of the north from the high desert.

In spite of the wind we had two rentals scheduled for Sunday....one all day beginning at 9 am, and a short 2 hour one beginning at 2 pm....so TLE and I were dressed, and out the door before 8:30 am.  Hunter  joined us for about 30 minutes, but we really didn't need 3 people for 1 rental.  We're all getting used to using the iPad tablets provided by Polaris for checking in customers, and checking them out at the end of their rental time, and using them sure speeds up the process, as well as reducing the amount of paperwork to an extreme minimum.  Once our 9 am, all day rental had departed Hunter and I clocked out, and headed home, and out of the wind.  TLE remained behind at the office to man the phone, and the tracking system.

The Santa Ana winds have reeked havoc with our 'lido deck', and it is currently in disarray, as one might imagine.  We had to lower the Ozark Trail canopy as low as it would go, and remove the canopy.  Both umbrellas are stowed, and our camp chairs are inside the trailer along with the piece of turf we use for the 'viewing deck'.  We're just kind of hunkered down waiting for the end of the wind event, and waiting to get back to regular programming....lol.  

Our 2 pm rental arrived around 1:30 pm to check in, and by 2 pm they were on their way.  Once that was taken care of I once again retreated to the friendly confines of our Newell to get out of the incessant wind.

Both rentals returned on time, and without incident....nice!  I decided not to wash either unit in the wind, and dust, so I just parked them for the night, and will probably wash and fuel them Monday, or Tuesday, or whenever it is not windy any longer.

Thanks for stopping by!