Top 12 Nat. Pk CG. Used RVs. Redneck Airlines. Hand Crank RV Slide. Totaled RV. Propane. Invertors and Generators. 55 mph.

 

For "tRaVersing Thursday" or RV Day:

Top 12 National Park campgrounds

"This list might surprise you, especially when Channel Islands NP, with no road access, is on the list. But it will give you something to ponder — and motorhome and trailer access is possible at most of the parks. See the list here."

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RV tech shows "watch outs" for used RV buyers (video)

"If you're shopping for a "good deal" on a used RV, don't let your heart get ahead of your head. Here's an interesting video from an RV technician who walks you through someone's "great deal" that really turned out to be a lemon.

This is a guy you might like to take with you when you're considering buying a used RV — even one that's touted as that "great deal that you just can't pass up." Watch the video, and you might save yourself a major headache."

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Redneck Airlines offers RV discount

"Some airlines are desperately trying to lure back RVers who've discovered that RVing beats the pants off airline travel. If you are unsure whether you are on Redneck Air, peek into the flight deck and observe the pilot's flight check."

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How to hand crank an RV slide out

"What to do when the slideout jams while you are on location. Here's how to hand crank it back into place."

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How a paper cup can save the day at an RV sewer hookup

"Every once in awhile, typically in older RV parks, you can run into a problem with a sewer hookup. Here's an easy way to handle this uncommon situation. This is so simple you'll say "Why didn't I think of that?""

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An RV horror story. Don't let this happen to you!

"What happened to one RVer couple should never happen to anyone. Nobody was hurt — it was not that kind of an incident. But the RV was totaled. And imagine the horror the couple felt when they returned to their fifth wheel trailer to find it ruined by . . . well, watch the video."

From me: Remember to turn off the water at the spigot anytime you go anywhere.  You never know what leaks can spring up.

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Fifth wheel travel trailers — invertors and generators

"Dear Gary, 
Do fifth-wheel travel trailers have inverters? If they do not, then I need one with a generator, right?" Robert P. (Avon, IN)

"Robert, many 5th wheel travel trailers are indeed equipped with an inverter. In some cases, however, they may not power all 120-volt AC loads in the same manner as an on-board generator. Some trailers are equipped with both an inverter AND a generator. It just depends on that manufacturer. No hard and fast rule here..."  More at: http://www.rvdoctor.com/2011/05/5th-wheel-travel-trailers-inverters-and.html

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A hot idea for gauging LP in your cylinders

"Take your kettle, fill with water and bring to a boil. Once boiling, pour the hot water in one place over the tank — where the tank collar meets the tank. After the kettle is empty, place your hand at the bottom of the tank where the hot water ran down the tank. If there’s any propane in the tank it will absorb the heat from the water and the tank will be cold. From that start point, run your hand upwards along the hot water path. When you reach the point where the steel of the tank gets hot, you’ve reached the level of the propane in the tank. You now know if you’re good to go or if you need to top-off or completely refill your propane tank."   by George Bliss

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Propane Co's Under-Fill Tanks

"Propane companies are saving money by under-filling the tanks they sell."

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Leveling an RV

"How level must an RV be for everything to work properly?

Many RVers wonder what the magic solution may be for a perfectly level RV. The technical experts from betterRVing.com weigh in and help make the magic a reality.  The answer to the importance of leveling an RV may surprise you."

CLICK THE VIDEO TO SEE THE TIP: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=fG2Jrb7av5I

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RV Tips:

Leveling an RV

"How level must an RV be for everything to work properly?

Many RVers wonder what the magic solution may be for a perfectly level RV. The technical experts from betterRVing.com weigh in and help make the magic a reality.  The answer to the importance of leveling an RV may surprise you."

CLICK THE VIDEO TO SEE THE TIP: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=fG2Jrb7av5I

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Coach-Net adds RV tire protection program
"This new option for RVers, in addition to the usual towing, battery jumping, fuel delivery services, etc., will include a tire protection plan that offers tire and wheel hazard protection from nails, potholes, debris and more."   More at: http://www.coach-net.com/News/071513_HazardProtect.aspx

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Show your support for nationwide farmers markets

"The best organic food is what's grown closest to you. Use our website to find farmers' markets, family farms, and other sources of sustainably grown food in your area, where you can buy produce, grass-fed meats, and many other goodies.

Support the concept of farmer direct to the consumer markets across the country. What could be better for an RVer to find these markets wherever we travel."  http://www.localharvest.org/

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RV refrigerators are different

"RV refrigerators are much different than the one in your house. They don’t have compressors and they work off the principle of absorption. You should turn the RV refrigerator on several hours before putting food in it. It is best to leave it on overnight and put your food in it just prior to leaving. Always keep a small thermometer in your RV refrigerator so you can monitor the temperature. Food can begin to go bad at about 40 degrees." Tech Tips from Mark Polk

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Lock your freezer and fridge doors
“There are usually mechanical locks for the freezer and main refrigerator doors.  Use them always, and make sure they are on your check-off list before leaving camp.  Without the locks both doors will fly open on bumpy roads and in hard turns.” Bill's Hints

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Off-roading in an RV? Really?
"There are some amazing, beautiful places that an RV can get to ... some are slightly off the road. Off-roading in an RV? What if you get stuck? Find out all about it this week from Rich Miller, "The Wanderman.""

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On This Day:

Nixon signs national speed limit into law, Jan 2, 1974:

"On this day in 1974, President Richard M. Nixon signs the Emergency Highway Energy Conservation Act, setting a new national maximum speed limit.

Prior to 1974, individual states set speed limits within their boundaries and highway speed limits across the country ranged from 40 mph to 80 mph. The U.S. and other industrialized nations enjoyed easy access to cheap Middle Eastern oil from 1950 to 1972, but the Arab-Israeli conflict changed that dramatically in 1973. Arab members of the Organization for Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) protested the West's support of Israel in the Yom Kippur War by stopping oil shipments to the United States, Japan and Western Europe. OPEC also flexed its new-found economic muscle by quadrupling oil prices, placing a choke-hold on America's oil-hungry consumers and industries.

The embargo had a global impact, sending the U.S. and European economies into recession. As part of his response to the embargo, President Nixon signed a federal law lowering all national highway speed limits to 55 mph. The act was intended to force Americans to drive at speeds deemed more fuel-efficient, thereby curbing the U.S. appetite for foreign oil. With it, Nixon ushered in a policy of fuel conservation and rationing not seen since World War II.

The act also prohibited the Department of Transportation from approving or funding any projects within states that did not comply with the new speed limit. Most states quietly adjusted their speed limits, though Western states, home to the country's longest, straightest and most monotonous rural highways, only grudgingly complied. Even after OPEC lifted the embargo in March 1974, drivers continued to face high gas prices and attempted to conserve fuel by buying revolutionary Japanese economy cars. For many, a desire for fuel-efficient automobiles became the standard until the trend toward gas-guzzling sport-utility vehicles (SUVs) emerged in the 1990s. In 1987, Congress authorized states to reset speed limits within their borders, but proponents of the national maximum speed limit law claimed it lowered automobile-related fatalities, prompting Congress to keep it on the books until finally repealing it on November 28, 1995.

Today speed limits across the country vary between 35 and 40 mph in congested urban areas and 75 mph on long stretches of rural highway. U.S. drivers now drive almost as fast as their European counterparts, who average between 75 and 80 mph on the highway. On some roads in Italy, it is legal to drive as fast as 95 mph."

From me:  I suppose some folks here think they are in Italy!

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Yesterday:

I didn't take Misty when I went to get Jay, as he wanted to get a plank out of the lake.  Jim, the mechanic still hasn't been well enough to finish working on my little Puddle Jumper.  If I leave blind Misty alone in the van, she might fall off the seat, which is a lot higher up. If I take her out of the subdivision in the van, she has her seat belt harness on, or in a carrier.  We looked at the plank, and realized that we would have to have a longer rope than the one I carry in the van.

When we got back here, we knew that for the cross fence to be in line with the existing fence that we would have to move three posts, or it would look awful.  We ran a string line from end to end, and we got two posts out and reset one.  So that Misty couldn't get out of the back yard, we put temporary barriers up until we could finish it. 

We drove down to the lake before I took Jay home.  Armed with a longer rope with a rock tied to the end, Jay threw it over the 2x12x16, and steered to to the shore.  I put the ball mount in my receiver hitch, tied the rope to the ball mount, and pulled it out of the lake.  They have just finished rebuilding the fishing dock, and this board must have got away from them.

As it was wet and too long to put in the van, I carefully towed it to Jay's house.  I had that hitch put on 4 years ago, but it's the first time it's been used until yesterday.

Lake Texana and Submerged Texana, TX. Kit Carson.

 

For "Travel Tuesday", let's visit Lake Texana, in the Texas Gulf Coast region of TX.

"Home to some of the best beaches in America, the Texas Gulf Coast region draws millions of visitors to this Texas playground. Stretching some 350 miles from South Padre Island & the Rio Grande Valley, all the way to Beaumont & the Louisiana border, this region is renowned for its wildlife & natural beauty, as well as the home of America's space program. Discover the Beaches of the Texas Gulf Coast Region."

Lake Texana State Park, Texas

"Halfway between Houston and Corpus Christi, Lake Texana State Park is a great spot for swimming, boating, fishing and wildlife viewing - including deer and alligators. The park features a Nature Center and offers interpretive programs throughout the year. For more information, visit www.LifesBetterOutside.org.

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"The majority of the park consists of mixed oak and pecan woodlands. White-tailed deer,squirrels, rabbits, nine-banded Armadillos, and raccoons are numerous. There are occasional bobcat and wild turkey sightings. American alligators are also found in the park.

Lake Texana contains many native and exotic species of aquatic vegetation. Large stands of water hyacinth are present throughout the reservoir. Moderate densities of giant salvinia, hydrilla, coontail, spikerush, cattail, pondweed, and bulrush are also present.

Lake Texana contains vast floating beds of water hyacinth which provide marginal habitat for most sportfish species. Isolated beds of hydrilla, coontail, and other submerged aquatic vegetation provide the best habitat for largemouth bass. Most of the reservoir contains submerged timber and numerous stumps, ideal structure for catfish species. In periods of high water, flooded terrestrial vegetation provides excellent habitat for all game fish species. The Navidad River channel and the adjacent shallow area called the "jungle" is a favorite bass fishing area, water level permitting.

Hikers, birdwatchers and other nature buffs should explore the 1.3-mile Lake Texana Nature Trail that traverses creek bottomlands, providing up-close views of the park’s fauna and flora, as well as wooden butterfly homes erected to protect the winged beauties from predators. Wooden footbridges spanning a creek add a scenic touch to the trail and afford excellent vantage points for spotting critters that call the waters home.

A growing number of birders are finding their way to Lake Texana, too, because of the impressive number of bird species spotted in the park. More than 220 species of avifauna have been documented to date, drawn by the overlap of coastal prairie, hardwood bottomland and riparian  habitats. Migrating songbirds, waterfowl, shorebirds and scavengers like the Mexican buzzard (cara cara) are frequently seen at the park."

Lake Texana State Park Drive Through.

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Speaking of Texas: Texana

A popular wedding site today, the 150-year-old former Texana Presby­terian Church stands near its original location. (Photo by J. Griffis Smith)

"It’s a safe bet that few of the boaters and water-skiers who frequent Lake Texana, near Edna, realize that less than 75 feet below the surface of this placid body of water lies the site of a once-bustling river port. In the mid-1800s, as many as 20 vessels a week docked here.

Established in 1832 on the Navidad River by Dr. Francis F. Wells, one of Stephen F. Austin’s Old Three Hundred colonists, and Wells’ sister-in-law, Pamelia McNutt Porter, the town was originally named Santa Anna after Antonio López de Santa Anna. However, the Mexican soldier and politician’s popularity soon waned and residents changed the name to Texana.

During the Texas Revolution, the town served both as a port of entry for volunteers and as a training camp. When the war ended and the Republic was organized into counties, Texana became the seat of Jackson County. “The Navidad was a navigable river then, and boats were able to dock and turn around at Texana,” says Frank Condron, president of the Jackson County Historical Commission.

In mid-1836, New York capitalists Augustus and John Allen, in search of a site for an inland deep-water port, approached Wells about buying the land on which Texana was located.

“After making their survey of the entire gulf coast they decided in favor of Texana, it being the farthest inland with no obstruction,” writes I.T. Taylor in his 1936 book, The Cavalcade of Jackson County. When the Allen brothers offered Wells a substantial sum, he set a price twice that amount. Legend says his response so angered the brothers that one of them declared, “Never will this town amount to anything. I curse it. You … will live to see rabbits and other animals inhabiting its streets.” The Allens then bought land on Buffalo Bayou and established their dream city of Houston there instead.

Nevertheless, Texana continued to grow. By 1840, it had regular steamboat service, and in 1858, residents erected a courthouse. In 1880, it boasted regular mail and stage routes, a flourishing business area, and a weekly newspaper.

The next year, agents of the New York, Texas and Mexican Railway proposed routing the railroad through Texana in exchange for $30,000. When town leaders balked, the railroad moved seven miles north, by-passing the town. Many Texana residents followed and established a new community called Edna. It soon became the county seat, and by 1884, Texana had become ghost town. It seemed as if the Allen brothers’  curse had been fulfilled. Some might say the final blow fell in 1979, when Palmetto Bend Dam was built on the Navidad River less than a mile below the old town site, forming Lake Texana and flooding the area.

Today, the reservoir is at the heart of Lake Texana State Park. Because Texana’s namesake park attracts some 88,000 visitors a year, perhaps the Allen brother’s curse was dispelled after all.

Traces of Old Texana

Lake Texana State Park, east of Edna, offers camping, hiking, fishing and other watersports. (Photo by J. Griffis Smith)

While the town of Texana no longer exists, you can find traces of it at several sites in and around Edna (at US 59 and TX 111). Lake Texana State Park (7 miles -east, on TX 111) also features occasional programs on the pioneer town. Call 361/782-5718; www.tpwd.state.tx.us.

The Brackenridge Recreation Complex (across TX 111 from the state park), once the site of the Brackenridge Plantation, displays early photographs of the area and offers tours of the restored Historic Texana Church, which was built in 1859, moved to Edna in 1884, and finally moved here, a few miles north of its original location, in 2001. The quaint Greek Revival structure is a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark and listed in the National Register of Historic Places. Owned by the Lavaca-Navidad River Authority (LNRA), the park also includes the Brackenridge family cemetery. Call 361/782-5456; www.brackenridgepark.com.

Two other sites display Texana artifacts and photographs: LNRA headquarters (at FM 3131 and FM 1822; 361/782-5229; www.lnra.org), and Texana Museum (403 N. Wells St.; 361/782-7146; www.jacksoncountytx.com), which offers exhibits on local history.

A number of buildings were moved from Texana to Edna in the late 1800s. Only two historic homes remain: the 1866 Bronaugh-Hasdorff home, at 203 E. Brackenridge St., and the 1876 George F. Horton home, at 404 Hanover St."  By Nola McKey

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On This Day:

Kit Carson born in Kentucky, Dec 24, 1809:

"Christopher Houston "Kit" Carson, one of the most celebrated heroes of the American West, is born in Richmond, Kentucky.

Shortly after Carson was born, his family moved west to Howard County, Missouri, an ideal spot for a future frontiersman to learn his trade. By the early 1820s, nearby Franklin, Missouri, had become the starting point for the newly opened Santa Fe Trail. As an apprentice to a Franklin saddle maker, Carson spent three years watching the covered wagons head westward for Santa Fe. Finally, the yearning to follow overwhelmed young Carson, and he ran away from home to join a trading caravan.

Intelligent and resourceful, Carson made a new life for himself once he reached Santa Fe. He learned enough Spanish to serve as a translator, and soaked up information about frontier knowledge and skills from the many mountain men who came to town. When Carson was 22 years old, he met the famous Irish mountain man Thomas Fitzpatrick, who offered to take Carson on a trapping expedition in the northern Rockies. Carson jumped at the chance, and soon became a skilled trapper and a cunning tracker. In January 1833, when a band of Crow Indians stole his party's horses, Carson trailed the Indians for 40 miles and his party was able to recover the stolen steeds.

Possessed of an uncanny ability to remember geography and topography, the illiterate Carson gained international fame after he served as a guide for John C. Fremont's 1842 western mapping expedition along the Oregon Trail. Fremont was so impressed with Carson's frontier and guiding skills that he rehired him to guide his 1843 exploration of the Great Salt Lake and the Sierra Nevada. When Fremont published his reports on the two expeditions, he wrote glowingly of the young scout, and Carson had his first taste of national fame.

After serving with Fremont in the Mexican War, Carson gained even greater renown as an Indian fighter in New Mexico, and the authors of popular dime novels began featuring him in their western tales. Literally a legend in his own time, Carson had the bizarre experience of colliding with his own mythic self. Late in 1849, Carson led the pursuit of a band of Jicarilla Apache who had kidnapped Mrs. J.M. White and her child from an emigrant caravan. Carson and a company of Taos soldiers tracked down and defeated the Apache, but they were too late to save Mrs. White, who was found with an arrow through her heart. Carson discovered a dime novel lying near White's body-the novel featured Carson as the hero of a story where he single-handedly fought off eight Indians.

Although he spent much of his life fighting Indians, Carson apparently had great sympathy and respect for them--in 1867 he became the Superintendent of Indian Affairs for Colorado Territory. Despite his failing health, Carson made a strenuous trip to Washington with delegates from the Ute tribe to argue on the Indians' behalf in treaty negotiations. Shortly after he returned to his home in Boggsville, Colorado, he died at the age of 58, but his legend continues to grow, thanks to countless novels and movies celebrating his life and adventures."

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Yesterday:

Jay wanted to work, so Misty and I got in the van to get him, but it wouldn't start.  A door wasn't closed all the way, and the inside lights ran down the battery overnight.  The Puddle Jumper is still being serviced down the street at Jim's, the mechanic, who is down with a bronchial infection.  The new muffler has arrived, but he is too sick to install it.

Misty was very upset that she wasn't going for her 'walkies' down at Jay's, and took her time taking me for a walk around the front yard.  Jay walked up here, as his ATV battery was dead, too.  Must be this cold weather!  

As I don't have the clear vinyl up on the screen porch this winter, the aloe plants would get too cold in there when it freezes. So they are all in the temporary greenhouse that we made with some old patio doors.

Rather than take the two wire shelf units off the screen porch, as I didn't really have anywhere else to keep them, we went up to my attic and brought down some pieces of very thin plywood and paneling.  We cut pieces to fit the eight shelves, so now the foster cats could go out there without breaking their legs on the empty shelves.  Jay always wants to cut up new full sheets, and was amazed at what we made with the old scrap paneling that I had kept to re-use.

These are two weird cats, they didn't seem to like their first outing on the screen porch at all.  They did jump up on the shelves though, so I was glad that we had added the paneling.  I had a cat that broke her leg jumping on something like that, years ago, so I am very cautious now.

After a boost with the battery charger, the van was ready to take Jay home when we were through for the day.

Please Help Stop King Amendment. Pet Hazards. Avoid GMO Corn. Workout Dogs. Dog Propelled Scooters And Carts. Plastic and Paper Voyager. Recycled Paper.

 

For "Mammal Monday":

It's The Last Chance: Don't Let Them Wipe Out Animal Protection Laws

"The King Amendment is a potential disaster for laws protecting animals:

The House version of this year's Farm Bill contains a provision from Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa) that could negate most state and local laws on the production or manufacture of agricultural products. The King Amendment is a radical federal overreach that aims to block state laws protecting animals. It could also overturn many state laws covering child labor, dangerous pesticides, labels on farm-raised fish, and more. Please act now.

What is the King Amendment?

The King amendment proposes to undermine state laws related to public health, safety, or welfare. Read our King Amendment fact sheet [PDF] for details.

• Under the King Amendment, dogs and puppies suffering in puppy mills could lose their protection in many states. Kathy Milani/The HSUS

The King Amendment endangers state animal welfare laws

Laws like California’s Proposition 2, which will phase out cruel confinement for farm animals, could be reversed. Compassion Over Killing.

The King amendment could undo animal welfare laws in many states, including Arizona, California, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Guam, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Mississippi, New Jersey, the Northern Mariana Island, Ohio, Oregon, Tennessee, Texas, Washington, and Rhode Island. Our fact sheet [PDF] provides specifics on the laws that could change.

The King Amendment could ax state laws on health and safety

Beside animal welfare laws, the King amendment could nullify a wide range of state and local measures regarding food safety, labeling, environmental requirements, labor standards, and other important issues. For more examples, check our fact sheet [PDF]."     More at: http://www.humanesociety.org/issues/confinement_farm/king-amendment.html

Please sign: https://secure.humanesociety.org/site/Advocacy?cmd=display&page=UserAction&id=6297

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Can We See Our Hypocrisy to Animals?

"Today, the challenge is factory farming, which produces food exceptionally cheaply, at huge cost in animal welfare.

“There are still tens of billions of animals suffering horribly in factory farms every year, around the world.”   From: New York Times op-ed: Can we see our hypocrisy to animals?

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From Me:  More reason to buy happy, pasture-raised beef, poultry and eggs. They are more nutritious so you eat less, so it doesn't cost more.  Anyway, it is still cheaper than medical care, so what price do you put on your health?

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10 Holiday Pet Hazards

"The holidays are a joyous time, but the season does bring its own set of dangers for pets. Keep your furry family member away from these items to ensure a merry holiday for all.

If you think your pet has been harmed by or consumed one of these items, contact your veterinarian or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center (888-426-4435) immediately."

Resist the urge to feed holiday table scraps to your dog or cat, and make sure your pet doesn't gain access to tables or countertops loaded with edible goodies. Rich, fatty foods can cause everything from mild indigestion to a serious case of pancreatitis in susceptible pets. Turkey bones and any cooked bones are also a no-no because they can splinter or break apart, puncturing or blocking internal organs."      More at: http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2013/12/16/10-holiday-pet-hazards.aspx

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Avoid This Aflatoxin-Infested Food Like the Plague

"Aflatoxins are deadly metabolites produced by fungi that grow on crops, in particular, corn. These mycotoxins are known to cause acute toxic illness, including cancer, in both animals and humans.

The Argentina study results conclude that glyphosate enhances the growth of aflatoxin-producing fungi on GM corn. This is important because recent estimates are that over 60 percent of corn grown in the U.S. is genetically modified, and at least half the sweet corn grown on U.S. farms is as well.

A fascinating new twist in the growing contamination problem is a recent study that shows Roundup herbicide, the primary herbicide used in GM agriculture, promotes the growth of the fungi that produce aflatoxins. This certainly further explains the alarming increase in contamination levels in U.S. corn.

If you haven’t done so already, we highly recommend you switch from any pet food containing corn or its derivatives. Learn the ingredients in the food you buy for your pet, and avoid brands containing corn or any GMO ingredient in any form.

Also avoid formulas containing cereal grains. Instead, select organic pet foods or prepare a balanced homemade diet made from organic ingredients, for you and your pet."    More at: http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2013/12/11/aflatoxin-contamination.aspx

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From me:  More reason to buy organically grown veggies, which are non GMO and do not have the pesticide Round-Up, or funguses in them. http://www.nongmoproject.org/find-non-gmo/search-participating-products/

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Turning Your Dog Into Your Workout Partner

"If you do it right, power walks, or “workout walks” with your dog may just replace your need for a gym membership. And what could be better than spending that extra time with your pet, insuring he’s getting all the physical activity he needs to be healthy?

First, though, you must reprogram any dog who has grown accustomed to checking it's 'pee mail' and 'sniff-piddle-dawdle' walks. Don’t expect to make a one-day transition from leisurely strolls to power walking. It will take several sessions for your pet to catch on.

Of course, you’ll also be taking your dog on casual walks, so you’ll need to help him learn to distinguish between the two. It could be a time of day thing – for example, you could schedule slower walks for first thing in the morning and again before bedtime, and workout walks happen at some point in between.

Alternatively, you could develop a verbal cue that tells your pet he’s about to go on a power walk. I also strongly encourage the use of a harness for exercising with your dog. A leash attached to your dog’s collar can quickly become a health hazard as you’re cruising city streets or even country roads. Many dogs learn which walk they’re going on by whether the leash gets attached to their collar (short walk) or a harness (time to get serious!)."    More at: http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2013/07/22/dog-workout-partner.aspx

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Dog Propelled Scooters

"Do you have a hard time giving your dog enough exercise?  Maybe you don’t walk as fast as the dog does or perhaps the dog pulls too hard on the leash for you to control him or her.  Here’s a new one (on me, anyways)":  dog-powered scooters and bikes.

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Dog takes owner for ride in dog cart

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Introduction into dog triking (English version)

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On This Day:

Voyager completes global flight, Dec 23, 1986:

"After nine days and four minutes in the sky, the experimental aircraft Voyager lands at Edwards Air Force Base in California, completing the first nonstop flight around the globe on one load of fuel. Piloted by Americans Dick Rutan and Jeana Yeager, Voyager was made mostly of plastic and stiffened paper and carried more than three times its weight in fuel when it took off from Edwards Air Force Base on December 14. By the time it returned, after flying 25,012 miles around the planet, it had just five gallons of fuel left in its remaining operational fuel tank.

Voyager was built by Burt Rutan of the Rutan Aircraft Company without government support and with minimal corporate sponsorship. Dick Rutan, Burt's brother and a decorated Vietnam War pilot, joined the project early on, as did Dick's friend Jeanna Yeager (no relation to aviator Chuck Yeager). Voyager's extremely light yet strong body was made of layers of carbon-fiber tape and paper impregnated with epoxy resin. Its wingspan was 111 feet, and it had its horizontal stabilizer wing on the plane's nose rather than its rear--a trademark of many of Rutan's aircraft designs. Essentially a flying fuel tank, every possible area was used for fuel storage and much modern aircraft technology was foregone in the effort to reduce weight.

When Voyager took off from Edwards Air Force at 8:02 a.m. PST on December 14, its wings were so heavy with fuel that their tips scraped along the ground and caused minor damage. The plane made it into the air, however, and headed west. On the second day, Voyager ran into severe turbulence caused by two tropical storms in the Pacific. Dick Rutan had been concerned about flying the aircraft at more than a 15-degree angle, but he soon found the plane could fly on its side at 90 degrees, which occurred when the wind tossed it back and forth.

Rutan and Yeager shared the controls, but Rutan, a more experienced pilot, did most of the flying owing to the long periods of turbulence encountered at various points in the journey. With weak stomachs, they ate only a fraction of the food brought along, and each lost about 10 pounds.

On December 23, when Voyager was flying north along the Baja California coast and just 450 miles short of its goal, the engine it was using went out, and the aircraft plunged from 8,500 to 5,000 feet before an alternate engine was started up.

Almost nine days to the minute after it lifted off, Voyager appeared over Edwards Air Force Base and circled as Yeager turned a primitive crank that lowered the landing gear. Then, to the cheers of 23,000 spectators, the plane landed safely with a few gallons of fuel to spare, completing the first nonstop circumnavigation of the earth by an aircraft that was not refueled in the air.

Voyager is on permanent display at the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C."

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Yesterday:

Not much happened yesterday, so I got around to going through the junk mail and kept the shredder busy.  Why do these companies put your name and address inside their literature, too?  Just one more step to take them out of the envelope to examine them, so all the names and addresses can be put in the shredder.  Shredded paper cannot be recycled into good new paper, so I tear the important part off and just shred it.  The rest of the literature can go in the recycling.  This time of year there seems to be so much junk mail that slips past the "Do Not Mail" list.

"The main reasons for some recycling centers not accepting shredded paper is that some paper mills cannot deal with it. It’s said that shredded paper makes weaker fibers and produces an inferior quality product. In some paper mills, the small fragments cause problems with machinery."

If you are on the road, or don't have a shredder, put the torn off names and addresses in with your used kitty litter, in doggie poop bags, or put them in with your coffee grounds.  That will make them illegible, and anyway no-one would want to retrieve them. If you don't have a pet, or drink coffee, I suppose you will have to put them in with your veggie peelings, or safely burn them.

After a few days of warmth, it has turned colder again.  One day it's tank tops, and the next it's turtlenecks and sweaters again.  That's Texas winter weather! 

Even though I had let her out late last night, Misty got me up early this morning (2.45am), and wanted to go out three times.  It was so cold that she would try to make a short trip do, and then have to go back out again in the cold.  I tried to go back to sleep, and then I'd hear her one little urgent bark again, so I am going to be dragging today.

Hochheim, TX. Stagecoach Inn. First Meteor Shower. Saturn's Rings. Canine Renal Failure.

 

For "Travel Tuesday": Let's visit Hochheim, TX in the Texas Prairies and Lakes region.

"The Texas Prairies and Lakes Region offers a wide variety of destinations & attractions, from the fast-paced cosmopolitan excitement of the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex with the best in shopping, dining & entertainment, to the beautiful lakes & laid-back country lifestyles found throughout the region. Discover the Excitement of the Texas Prairies & Lakes."

 

HOCHHEIM, TEXAS

Texas Ghost Town in DeWitt County, Central Texas South, Highway 183 and Highway 111, 16 Miles N of Cuero, 17 Miles SE of Gonzales, 8 Miles W of Yoakum, Population: 70 (2000)

View of Hochheim from the road, Vintage photo courtesy TXDoT 

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History in a Pecan Shell

"Immigrating to Texas was often a tragedy. Such was the case with Valentine Hoch who bought a homesite in DeWitt County even before leaving his home in Alsace-Lorraine. The man's name is German for "high" so it can be translated as "Hoch's Home" or "High Home" which corresponds to the geographic location of Mr. Hoch's residence.

One of Hoch's children died a few days before they left for America and upon arrival in Indianola, Mrs. Hoch died - leaving Valentine a widower with three surviving children. Arriving at his property in 1856, Valentine spent the next two and a half years building his two-story house from stone gathered from the Guadalupe River. Hoch remarried a woman with three children of her own and soon other families were arriving. The community became known as Hocheim to the German speaking residents and as "Dutchtown" by the Anglo settlers.

The community prospered since it was the Indianola-Austin stageline and a post office was granted in 1870. Hochheim had most essential business in the 1880s including at least two stores, a blacksmith, a Masonic lodge and a druggist. Daily stages to Gonzales and Cuero (the nearest railroad connection) made life a little easier for the 200 citizens - half of which were German-speaking. The population peaked with 261 residents in 1904. It declined to around 100 in the 20s and remained there for the next 40 years. After a brief climb back to 175, it dipped down to 70 where it remained for the 2000 Census.
The town remains on the state map and retains a post office on the highway. Valentine Hoch's stone house still stands just south of town - a mile from the river."

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STAGECOACH INN, Then and Now

THEN:

 

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NOW:

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Stagecoach Inn historical marker, Photo courtesy Sarah Reveley, 2008

Hochheim General Store, Then and Now

THEN:

Vintage photo courtesy Mel Brown

 

NOW:

Photo courtesy Sarah Reveley, 2008

The General Store in 2001.

 

Hochheim markers, Photo courtesy Sarah Reveley, 2008

US Post Office in Hochheim, TE photo, July 2001

 

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Hochheim's Stagecoach Inn

Before Trains, Planes and Automobiles: Hochheim's Stagecoach Inn recalls the 1850s

A way station for travelers in early Texas, the Stagecoach Inn lay along the Austin-Indianola stage road. Find it today off US 183, near Hochheim. (Photo by Michael Amador)

"Tucked away on a backroad in the northeast corner of DeWitt County lies a remnant of early Texas. A two-and-a-half-story structure built of stone from the banks of the nearby Guadalupe River, the 1856 Valentin Hoch Home stands amid rolling blackland prairie dotted with live oaks and pecans. The secluded setting makes it easy to imagine Valentin Hoch, a German immigrant and stone mason, stopping at this spot and saying to his children, as reported in family histories, “Here we shall build our home.”

Not long after the house was completed, it became a stagecoach stop, one of the way stations that made travel across Texas possible in the days before railroads. An article by Mike Cox in the Texas Almanac states that 31 stage lines were operating in Texas before the beginning of the Civil War. “Those were the major transportation routes of the day,” says local historian Doug Kubicek, “and the stops along the way like Hoch’s place —which became known as the Stagecoach Inn—were crucial. They offered a place for drivers to change horses and for travelers to have a meal and sometimes spend the night. One of their most important functions was mail delivery. Places like the Stagecoach Inn really opened up the interior of Texas for settlement.”

According to Bob Brinkman, an architectural historian and coordinator of the Texas Historical Commission’s Historical Markers Program, several things make this site special. “The house is a testament to Hoch’s craftsmanship and practicality,” he says. “ I’m amazed every time I see it how well it’s integrated into the landscape: He sited it on a hill among a grove of trees so that it could catch the prevailing breezes.

“But the other reason it’s one of my favorite sites is because the story of the Hoch family is so interesting,” adds Brinkman. “Like many immigrants, they endured great hardship and tragedy, yet they eventually made a good life in this new land.”

An account by Valentin Hoch’s great-granddaughter Mildred Allen Duhon describes the family’s voyage from Germany to America: “Just days before they left … , the youngest child … became ill and died. In the fall of 1845 the family ... began their journey. On their way to America, another child … died and was buried at sea.”

Soon after the ship anchored at Indianola (then called Indian Point), Hoch’s wife also died. Duhon wrote, “It was said that she died of either scarlet fever or cholera, but others say she died of a broken heart.”

Details about the whereabouts of Hoch and his remaining three children for the next two years prove sketchy, but in February 1848, Hoch purchased 45 acres of land near the Guadalupe River, the family’s eventual home site. According to accounts by Duhon and other family members, Hoch spent several years quarrying the stone and assembling the materials to build the house.

He was still building it when a neighbor told him about a woman named Johanna Flemming who had come to Indianola and recently lost her husband. Desperately needing someone to help look after his children, Hoch went to Indianola to see Flemming, who had three small children of her own. When he returned, he brought all three with him. Valentin Hoch and Johanna Flemming married on August 18, 1854; their union resulted in four more children.

An inscription in stone over the east entrance reads “V. Hoch 1856.” Other lintels bear dates of 1857 and 1866, indicating that Hoch completed the house in stages. The attic was designated for the boys, the second story for the girls, and the bottom floor for the adults. They stored food and supplies in the cellar, including wine that the family made from mustang grapes gathered along the river.

The home lay along an old freight trail, and the government soon awarded contracts to Hoch for mail delivery. According to a Recorded Texas Historical Marker placed in 1964, the home “served as an inn on the Austin-Indianola stage road. While drivers changed four-horse teams, the passengers welcomed the chance to enjoy the inn’s food and hospitality.”

Doug Kubicek says there’s tangible evidence that the home was on a stage route. “The first time I went out to the site, I nearly fell on my face in the wagon ruts on the east side of the house—they’re still two to three feet deep in places,” he notes.

The Stagecoach Inn sparked settlement in the area. The community of Hochheim (Hoe-hime, meaning “Hoch’s home” in German) grew up around it and today lies six miles west of Yoakum. Three generations of Hochs lived in the house, which remained in the family until 1899, when it was sold to rancher Valentine Bennett. His descendants restored it in 1954, earning several awards. The site was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974.

A local insurance company acquired the property in 2000 and established the Hochheim Historical Foundation to serve as the Stagecoach Inn’s caretaker. Restoration efforts continue through the foundation, whose aim is to preserve the site as a German heritage center."  By Nola McKey

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Hochheim Texas USA

"Hochheim Texas is a small historic Texas town near Gonzales TX and Shiner TX. Valentine Hoch built a home there about 1856 with stones he quarried from the banks of the Guadalupe River. Valentine Hoch is a Son of the Texas Republic, here when Texas was The Republic of Texas.  I love to stop by and see his home which became known as the Stagecoach Inn. Hochheim Prairie Insurance maintains the old Historic House Museum there."

 

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On This Day:

First meteor shower on record, Nov 12, 1799:

"Andrew Ellicott Douglass, an early American astronomer born in Vermont, witnesses the Leonids meteor shower from a ship off the Florida Keys. Douglass, who later became an assistant to the famous astronomer Percival Lowell, wrote in his journal that the "whole heaven appeared as if illuminated with sky rockets, flying in an infinity of directions, and I was in constant expectation of some of them falling on the vessel. They continued until put out by the light of the sun after day break." Douglass' journal entry is the first known record of a meteor shower in North America.

The Leonids meteor shower is an annual event that is greatly enhanced every 33 years or so by the appearance of the comet Tempel-Tuttle. When the comet returns, the Leonids can produce rates of up to several thousand meteors per hour that can light up the sky on a clear night. Douglass witnessed one such manifestation of the Leonids shower, and the subsequent return of the comet Tempel-Tuttle in 1833 is credited as inspiring the first organized study of meteor astronomy."

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Voyager I flies near Saturn, Nov 12, 1980:

"More than three years after its launch, the U.S. planetary probe Voyager 1 edges within 77,000 miles of Saturn, the second-largest planet in the solar system. The photos, beamed 950 million miles back to California, stunned scientists. The high-resolution images showed a world that seemed to confound all known laws of physics. Saturn had not six, but hundreds of rings. The rings appeared to dance, buckle, and interlock in ways never thought possible. Two rings were intertwined, or "braided," and pictures showed dark radial "spokes" moving inside the rings in the direction of rotation. Voyager 2, a sister spacecraft, arrived at Saturn in August 1981. The Voyagers also discovered three new moons around Saturn and a substantial atmosphere around Titan, Saturn's largest moon."

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Yesterday:

As I was going into Conroe for a doctor's appointment, Jay wanted to go with me.  So Misty and I drove down there to pick him up and had our walk down there.

Back here, I let Misty into the house, change cars, and loaded up the paper and plastic recycling into the van.  We left early enough that we could drop off the paper, and make a quick trip to Lowe's where I looked at some mini-blinds for the screen porch.  There are times when the sun really comes in there.  Not wanting to loose the light, but needing to stop the glare, mini-blinds seemed to be the answer.  Lowe's didn't have them narrow enough.

When we got to the clinic, they had postponed the appointment to today, so we proceeded to Walmart to see about getting a tire for my van.  They said it would be a 2 hour wait so we gave up on that.  I did get the mini-blinds there, but we will have to cut about 3/4" off the sides.  We have done that before.  Just take off the ends, wrap the blind tightly with some masking tape, cut it with a circular saw, and replace the ends.

In the afternoon, Misty's vet called and said that the blood tests showed that she is going into kidney failure and has to be put on a prescription diet.  Upon talking to other foster moms who had been in this same situation, and are experienced vet techs, they aren't too keen on those diets.  Like most prescriptions, they are made of cheap ingredients and are just money makers.  So I searched the internet all afternoon, and found out bad things about the prescription kidney diets for dogs.

The most famous and most prescribed one, even has ethoxyquin, (a Monsanto product) in it!  http://www.dogfoodadvisor.com/red-flag-ingredients/ethoxyquin-dangerous-dog-food-additive/ More about this at: http://www.whole-dog-journal.com/issues/13_5/features/Dog-Food-Preservatives_16221-1.html

But I did find some special homemade recipes for dogs with renal failure and printed them out.  Though what I had been cooking for her was not very far off from the recommended diet, so her kidneys must just be getting old. Apparently, now she needs more fat and less phosphorus.  Recently, I have been lax about cooking for Misty as I have been so busy getting this house ready to sell, so I'll go back to cooking for Misty today.

RV Transfer Switch. Batteries. Solar Panels. Tire Brands. Truck Campers. Keep Cool/Warm. "No Trace." World War II With Germany Over.

 

for "tRaVersing Thursday", or RV day:

Take care of your generator's transfer switch

"Got a "built-in" RV generator? Don't have to "plug and unplug" shore power cords when switching from shore power to the generator? Then you have an ATS (automatic transfer switch). They're convenient — no need to go outside, open a door, and plug the shore power cord into a special receptacle fed by the genset.

However, there are a couple of caveats you need to be aware of: An ATS is not a "perfect" device, and problems can occur. Here's a good rule when firing up the generator when using an ATS. In fact, this is a good rule when firing up any RV generator, ATS or not: Reduce power consumption before firing up the generator. That means, make sure the air conditioner, the microwave oven, the portable electric space heater--any of those "big draw" devices are turned off."   Read them here.

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Like Horses, Batteries Need To Be Watered Too!

How to maintain your RV batteries

"Just like horses, batteries need water, too. Rich "The Wanderman" shows you how to do basic maintenance on your RV batteries to keep them in top shape for a long life. Find out how easy it is!

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How much maintenance is required on solar panels?

"So you want to "go solar." That means installing solar panels. Okay, good. But what happens after that? How much maintenance is required?" Read the article.

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Can you mix different brands of tires?

"When it comes time to replace one or more of the tires on their RV, many people shop based on price so they are confronted with questions such as: "Do I need to replace all the tires at the same time or can I just buy one to replace the damaged tire, or just a pair for the front axle?" Or, "Do I have to keep the same brand or size or design of tire or can I make a change?" Find out.

"I strongly suggest you do your research in the comfort of your home or at a campground rather than on the side of the Interstate and on the phone with the tire service company."

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Truck camper buying tip

"Thinking about buying a truck camper? You've joined a big group of folks who appreciate the flexibility these RVs provide. They're the only RVs with no running gear — no axles, wheels or brakes. No springs and suspension system. These all are part of your truck. But just because a truck camper doesn't have its own running gear doesn't mean you should ignore these things. Whatever truck you choose for your camper must be carefully considered." Read all about it.

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Lingering in the desert?

"Keep cool the low energy way.
Some snowbirds like to stick it out in the desert until the increasing heat thoroughly thaws out their bones before moving north. However, some Spring days can easily reach into the 90s and if you are boondocking, running an air conditioner from your main engine or a generator for hours should not be an option. But here are two ideas."  This works for winter, too!

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Oddball RV paint jobs

"You likely won't be motivated to repaint your rig after seeing these photos of offbeat paint jobs — but you will be entertained. See the photos."

 

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Safely Jacking Up a Travel Trailer

"I have a 24-foot travel trailer with tandem axles. I would like to know the best way to get all four wheels off the ground at the same time to service wheels, besides rolling onto blocks to get one axle at a time. The axle owner's manual says not to jack on the axles. Where is the best place to jack and block for wheel service?" David L. (Cumming, GA)

"David, in my shop, if I couldn’t get the entire RV onto a hoist, I would only jack one side of the trailer at a time. Perform the service at each axle on that one side, then move to the other side. I would jack only on the main frame rail and allow the suspension to hang until both tires were clear of the shop floor. I would then lower that side onto appropriate, (read: weight capable), safety jack stands. Then simply repeat the process on the other side. For any RV being raised up with a floor jack, it’s much safer to always have at least two tires (or one side), safely on the ground at all times. Remember, safety first, the time element, second!"   Posted by RV Doctor

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Trivia

"In 1942, Revolite, then a division of Johnson & Johnson, developed an adhesive tape made from a rubber-based adhesive applied to a durable duck cloth backing. This tape resisted water and was used as sealing tape on ammunition cases during World War II. Today we call it Duct tape."

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RV Tip:

"Don't speed when driving. Slow down. Use the right lane when possible. Lowering your speed five or ten miles per hour won't delay your arrival time by much, and you'll save fuel and be safer. What's the hurry?"

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What's your "no trace" RV ethic?

"A columnist in an Idaho newspaper has a few gripes about bad campground behavior. Trash in fire rings, dog poop on trails, and the other usual suspects. Sometimes bad behavior is just that--a person with a nasty attitude. Other times it's just a matter of education. How's your campground courtesy knowledge?

Here are some tips that can make fellow campers (and park personnel) a lot happier:
Don't trash: It may be "biodegradable" but it can take a long time for the bio to degrade. Even paper plates can take four months to disintegrate, but a plastic drinking bottle? Try 500 years.
How about burning the trash? Not only does the stuff stink, it doesn't always burn up. Imagine being the next guy in your site, confronted with a lot of garbage to clean up.
If there aren't any trash cans, then use the "Pack it in, Pack it out" philosophy.
Got a tenter in your group? Encourage them to put their tent up on a designated tent pad. Putting them on native vegetation can stunt, even kill the stuff.
Walking around the campground? Please don't walk through somebody else's site. Cutting across a site is nothing but disconcerting--it invades a personal space.
Heading out from your site? Stick to the established trails. "Pioneers" cutting a new path, like tents in the wrong place, kill vegetation.
You've got an RV--use the bathroom there, or make the hike to the campground toilet. Whizzing in the woods (or worse) ain't great in the eyes (and nose) of your next door neighbor.
The same holds true for Rover. Take a poop collecting bag and follow up on your dog. Put the bag in the trash or tote it home with you.
The ethics of "leave no trace" make for a nicer time for everyone." Posted by Russ and Tiña De Maris

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On This Day:

Truman declares war with Germany officially over, Oct 24, 1951:

"On this day in 1951, President Harry Truman finally proclaims that the nation's war with Germany, begun in 1941, is officially over. Fighting had ended in the spring of 1945.

Most Americans assumed that the war with Germany had ended with the cessation of hostilities six years earlier. In fact, a treaty with Germany had not been signed. Complicating the treaty process was the status of territory within what was formerly the German state. Following the Second World War, the major Western powers (U.S., Britain and France) and the Soviets agreed to divide the country, including the capital city of Berlin, into democratic and communist-controlled sectors. Both East and West Berlin ended up within the Soviet-controlled territory of East Germany and the capital became the epicenter of increasing tensions between the West and Soviet Russia. Each side claimed the other had violated post-war treaties regarding their respective spheres of influence in post-war Europe. The conflict over Berlin came to a head in June 1948 when Stalin ordered a blockade of the city. Truman did not want to abandon Berlin to the Soviets and ordered an airlift to supply the western sectors with food and fuel. The treaty process was put on hold until the Western powers could agree on what to do about Berlin. A Soviet atomic weapons test on October 3, 1951, increased the tension.

In his proclamation on this day, Truman stated that it had always been America's hope to create a treaty of peace with the government of a united and free Germany, but that Soviet policy had "made it impossible." The official end to the war came 10 years and two months after Congress had declared open war with Nazi Germany on December 11, 1941."

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Yesterday:

It was shopping day, so Misty and I went to get Jay, as he wanted to get out of the subdivision.  We had our walk down there and Misty was tracking an armadillo.  We could tell what it was by the way it had been rooting around in the grass.  I don't let Misty walk on private property, so she couldn't track it all the way to the lake.

In Conroe, we stopped at Walmart.  I had some canned cat food to return, as it wasn't a brand that I feed my cats. Also, I was trying so find a certain cat food for Peekers, my foster kitten. One of the foster moms said she thought she had the cat food's name right!  It is what they feed at the SPCA Cat Habitat, where Peekers will be going eventually.  It wasn't there, so I used the store credit on a new circular saw blade.

We stopped at the health food store as I wanted to buy some dextrose (glucose) for sweetener, but they didn't have any.  Amazon has it for $4.99 for a 2lb bag, so I might have to send off for it.

We dropped off the paper recycling at St.Mark's thrift shop, but after a quick look inside, we came out empty handed.

We went downtown Conroe to the Assistance League thrift shop where I bought a cookie tin, and some new Gel insoles for 50c.  When we got to the Nearly New thrift shop we remembered that it had moved, but we couldn't remember where.

We made our way south to a pawn shop there.  Jay had a tile cutting wet saw that he wanted to sell.  They didn't offer him enough, so we put it back in the van. At Taco Cabana we shared some tacos, guacamole, rice and beans. I don't normally eat at fast food places, but I was hungry.

Kroger's didn't have the cat food either, but I bought a few food bargains.  I found the cat food at PetSmart, but when I got it home, it didn't look the same as what had been sent with Peekers.  What I bought has corn meal and 'by-products' in it, and I don't think the SPCA would feed that, knowing how it harms a cat's urinary tract.

Even though the day had started off cool, I was glad that I had turned on the AC for the animals, as it turned into a warm day.