Looking at Other Parks and Some Repairs

We plan to be in the area for the winter and also to look to see if there are other parks that we might want to stay at in the future. We plan to start looking at other parks starting tomorrow. We're at Mesa Spirit now. The city is built around us, and the area is like driving in a city, not just a town. Outside the city, parks offer views of the mountains and desert. I think we would like that. Deserts here aren't just sand; they are hills, mountains, and cactus (that bloom in the spring). There are lots of hills and good hiking trails.

The desert can be a rugged, beautiful place. There are many trails and new plants to see.

On a walk, we noticed our neighbor is growing a tomato plant. The weather back in Indiana wouldn't be favorable for this. Going into retirement and wintering in the south brings about changes, some of which I didn't expect. I have found that when I'm walking with Kim in a t-shirt and shorts, I feel guilty about leaving my loved ones in below-zero temperatures. I guess I want to protect them. We walk every morning and evening. Our park has 1,600 places, so there's a lot of space to walk.

We had a mobile wash company come and wash the motorhome and the Suburban. They were really nice guys and did a great job.

There's a guy on the roof washing. If you don't wash the roof, the next rain washes the dirt down the sides. I don't have the balance I used to, and I've decided not to work on the motorhome's roof anymore.

Here's their truck and the now clean vehicles.

When returning from the RV Show in Quartzite, I think the Suburban's alternator bearing began to whine. We have an appointment to get it repaired today.

Also, the motorhome has three heating options. One is that it has heated tile floors. Temps have been in the mid-70s during the day and 45-50 at night. The floor alone heats the coach well at those temperatures at night.

The second way it can be heated is through our air conditioners, which can function as heat pumps. I believe these only work down to about 25 degrees.

The third way we heat is through an Oasis system that heats an antifreeze solution in a closed loop. It functions in three ways. The first two are that it sends heated antifreeze to about 5 small radiators around the coach, each with a fan behind it. This works as a forced-air heat register. We have two zones for that - front and rear. The third way it works is through a heat exchanger, where antifreeze flows and is heated. Fresh water also flows through the heat exchanger, where it is heated, but not mixed with the anti-freeze. This Oasis heater is heated in one of two ways: either with two electric probes powered by the campground's electric, or with diesel fuel from our fuel tank. I guess it is pretty efficient. OK - I've told you all that, so I can tell you this. The Oasis heater doesn't heat. For some reason, it's not kicking on. We have a service man coming today at 1 to look at it.

We're looking forward to summer in Indiana and to taking Grandma Matt for ice cream in the Model A Ford. Below is one of my favorite pictures of Grandpa Matt.

(OK, for those of you who don't know, Kim and I had the same last name before we were married (It's not like we are from West Virginia - smile). Kim's and my grandparents were alive, so this gave our kids 4 grandma and grandpa Mosers. We let the kids name them. So, Kim's parents became Grandma and Grandpa Matt because Kim has a brother Matt.)