Saturday, 23 August 2014
Gulf Waters RV Resort — Port Aransas, Texas
Temps: Hi 89F (32C) / LO 81F (27C)
Let’s see, where was I when I last posted on 10 August? Oh yes; Mui was still overseas, getting ready for his return trip to the US. And I was stuck in Port Aransas with an electrical problem. Luckily, a temporary solution was found to keep things going until the ATS (automatic transfer switch) could be replaced. I was able to share that information with Mui before he boarded the long, long flight back to Houston the next day.
His long travel day ended up being even longer than anticipated. First it was a one-hour weather delay leaving İstanbul; then it was storm-delays in the Houston area. As you can see from the above map, the Turkish Airlines flight had to go through some gyrations before a window in the passing storm allowed it to land at George Bush Intercontinental Airport. The good news — or so we thought initially — was that the storm had delayed his flight to Corpus Christi as well, so he managed to transfer to Hobby Airport in plenty of time. But then, that flight kept getting pushed back. Finally, at 10:30p, after having been on the go for 26 hours, he threw in the towel. He asked Southwest Airlines to transfer him to the first flight the next morning and he went to a nearby Marriott for a good night’s rest.
We’ve been busy since Mui touched down at Corpus Christi International at 10:30a on the 12th. Yes, planning our New Zealand trip has been part of that busy-ness, but Mui’s not one to sit for long, so he found some “projects” to do as well … overseeing the installation of the new ATS switch; replacing the motor for the windshield’s daytime MCD shade; trimming and pruning some of the overgrown plants around our pad; and keeping the lines with Amazon humming with this, that, and whatever.
Dale from Southern Style RV Service returned on 18 August to install the new ATS Switch.
[Sorry about the size of the photo; Mui’s camera was still set to shoot small jpegs!]
Mui also installed insulation in the cabinets and closet [thanks for the idea, Pam] — we’re already seeing positive results from this … the ice cream bowls aren’t dishwasher-hot and the chocolate bars are no longer gooey ;-) Oh, and he worked on one more project; but I am going to write about that separately so I can put the post on the Phaeton mods page.
The insulation may not look pretty, but it helps …
… to keep the worst of the heat out. And we think it will also help with the cold this winter.
Now what about those guests I mentioned in the post title. Well, it’s not what you think; and no, we weren’t rude to them by continuing to work on our projects ;-)
First came a baby turtle that was no more than 2½ inches (6 cm) long.
The baby turtle sought refuge under our rolling umbrella stand …
… but moved out from under it and headed towards the Yucca plant I
watered hoping to get it moving into the shade and off the concrete.
Eventually, it made its own way back to the pond that fronts our pad.
Next came a green heron … a juvenile by the looks of it.
 |  |
Unlike the Great Blue Herons that frequent the pond to hunt,
this green heron was just interested in surveying his surroundings.
Oh, and I saw a pair of caracaras on the beach a couple of times. No photos, though; I leave the camera at home when we go out for our morning exercise walk.
And that’s a wrap for now; I’ll be back with a post about Mui’s latest Phaeton mod soon.
My! What a shiny closet. Now your rig REALLY looks like a space station.
ReplyDeleteSpeaking of... Phytoplankton on the exterior of the ISS !?!?
Can this be for real?
http://www.extremetech.com/extreme/188479-astronauts-find-living-organisms-clinging-to-the-international-space-station-and-arent-sure-how-they-got-there
Your visitor organisms are very cute, btw ;)
So glad to hear Mui finally got back safely and all is going well. All David can talk about now is getting that insulation from Lowe's. We are in neither a too hot nor a too cold climate hardly ever but he loves the idea. Once he gets the new toilet in I suspect that's next on his list. Well maybe after he replaces the outside overhead running lights' gaskets. HA! Always something. And those wanna be's think they are getting rid of house maintenance.
ReplyDeleteWhat type of insulation did Mui choose to install? We want to insulate our front cap behind the front TV and cabinets. Probably a project for our winter stayover.
ReplyDeleteWe used Reflectix from Lowe's; it averages R6 Insulation depending on where you are using it. By custom cutting the pieces, we did not have to attach them to the back wall of the cabinets, but where we did need to use something adhesive, I used velcro. Haven't done the front cabinets yet, as the alignment of our pad here at GWRVR pretty much means no direct sun on the windshield.
DeleteFor anyone considering insulation options, Steve's email reply is below:
Delete"I saw on the TRVN forum that some of the guys had used a "no itch" insulation similar to denim up in the front overhead section with success."
Is it a man thing that they can't sit still or is it just Mui and Paul?
ReplyDeleteGood job, Mui. Glad the instullation did the trick.
Your description of Mui's trip home is the reason why I have become reluctant to travel long distances in a plane. The state of airline service is so poor now, I just dread being in their control:( I know I will have to relent, since there are so many places I want to see that I can only get there realistically by plane.
ReplyDeleteYou're right on ... it's a necessary evil. Which is why we take extended trips to destinations ... which make the long flights more worthwhile. That and the splurge for extended leg room.
DeleteHmm...seems as though my comment from yesterday got lost. I'll go hunt for it again. who knows what I said!!
ReplyDeleteChecked Spam ... but it didn't go there.
DeleteI know you are glad Mui is home, I am too, however you did a great job of managing "stuff" in his absence. Isn't it nice that you don't have to do that all the time? Also...my chocolate is always melting in the MoHo and I hate that. Time to go find some insulation...except winter is coming....and we won't be anywhere that is cold enough to insulate the cupboards...at least I hope not. Who knows what else I said since I write off the top of my head all the time and don't edit. :)
ReplyDeleteGlad Mui made it home despite the delays. Having been a world traveler in the past, I fully understand the issues. Don't miss it at all.
ReplyDeleteCan't say that flying is a favorite part of our travels anymore, but as long as there are interesting places to visit around the world, we'll endure it as a means to an end ;-)
DeleteI never thought of adding insulation in the cabinets. Good idea! We do put that same silver stuff in our windows when it's cold. Seems to help.
ReplyDeleteWhat a great idea! Putting it on my list for the summer stay over in Newport.
ReplyDeleteGood to see I could help with using up the rest of that insulation:) It sure does help when the sun hits our food cabinets.
ReplyDeleteLove that little turtle guy:)
I have a feeling I will be very happy when I live there for a month with all those wild life visits.
ReplyDelete