To everything there is a season...

It was a dark and stormy night... well, that was last night. Today it was a cloudy, rainy, gray, chilly day. But that's OK, because we picked up the motor home and started preparing for a couple of days at Champoeg State Park. This is the first camping trip since December, so we have been loading things aboard that we took out last year in order to avoid having them freeze.

We also had a problem with the satellite receiver in the coach last fall. It just stopped working. The little green light that indicates it is turned on wouldn't even light. So, I called Dish Network and got a "new" one sent out. The "new" unit is covered with stains and smells like an ashtray. I hope it continues working. This makes two receivers that have gone bad in the last year. I'm beginning to think of switching to DirecTV. At any rate, I got the "new" receiver installed and our entertainment system is fully functional again.

I also installed some weather stripping on the passenger side cockpit door. There has been quite a breeze coming in around that door, but I think it will be better now. If that turns out all right, perhaps I'll redo the weather strip on the driver's side as well.

Once those projects were completed, I started checking tire pressures and air pressure in the rear air springs. In the process, I discovered that the front axle has air springs, too. Unfortunately, when I applied some air to the right front air bag, it wouldn't hold the pressure. The Chevy P-30 chassis' factory front air bags are notorious for failing, so I was disappointed, but not surprised by this development. I have a new set of air bags on hand, so when I next take the coach in for service, I will ask the boys at First Choice Auto to install them for me. In fact, I need to take the coach over there soon and have the transmission serviced and have them check to see why the transmission temperature gauge is not registering.

The fact is that we are thinking about taking an extended trip in May, so I need to get these things fixed. If all goes well, we will take several weeks and make a loop from home to Sedona, AZ then on to Santa Fe, NM and home again. Along the way, we hope to visit some of the National Parks in Utah and Arizona.

So, we are going camping tomorrow for a couple of days to get our "sea-legs," so to speak! Thank goodness the seasons keep on turning!