Finding friends, by accident!

The RV world is such a small place, as it seems everyone has met most everyone.  And as I read the blog comments from last night, I see that Lynette McHenry had left us a message that she and Mac were at the Oasis Campground in Amarillo and to stop by and see them.  But of course we had stowed the computer, and were on our way about 9 or so this morning, and never saw her comment.

But, since we all read each others blogs, we tend to use the same campgrounds automatically anyway, and that is just how this one played out!  As I was in the office checking into the campground for the really high price of $20 a night, who walks up behind me but Mac!  Small world huh?

We are parked on the East side of them on the very next site, and I am told that Rod and Deb Kendal just left the same site.  It truly is a small world.

It was about 29 degrees overnight in Oklahoma City last night, and since our water hose was stowed, we had no issues with the utilities.  But, RV's don't do colder than freezing very well.  At least none that I have ever had, liked ice much.  This rig tends to leak cold air around the slide gaskets, and especially back under the bed.  We do have double pane windows, so that helps insulate the loss of heat enough that the heater cycles, rather than run all the time.

Also we have a Blue Flame style propane heater in the utility trailer, but generally only use that if we are boondocking, or without electricity for some reason.  We do have some axillary electric space heaters as well, but they are not totally up to the task when it gets below freezing.  We have to use the propane heaters and the space heaters together.

With these thoughts, we expect to reach the forecast low tonight of 24.  We never even attached the hose for the water, as we will just use the onboard tank.  I did throw out the sewer and of course the electric cord.  We like our 50 amps!  LOL   50 amp Kings and Queens!

We headed off after getting set up to go to Home Depot, and then Lowes in search of a 1/2" female hose coupling.  Of course everyone had the 5/8ths but we drove all over town looking for the 1/2 and never did source one!  Finally I purchased a six foot extension hose that was complete. I use this short stub to  connect up under the water locker and extend the connection outside.  Our doors open upward and it is difficult to screw in a long hose while on your hands and knees under the doors.  The more expensive motorhomes have doors that open sideways, and really expensive coaches have doors that extend outward and then upward on arms. Ours are just hinged at the top.

We also went to Wal Mart looking for a replacement of our oil filled Honeywell space heater.  It seems that the older heater fell over while driving one too many times this past year and has broken the thermostat controls.  So if you could get it turned on, it would randomly shut itself down in the middle of the night.  Burr.....  Or the propane heater started running almost constantly.  So now we have a matched set of black oil heaters.   One that works and one that almost works, for a while anyway.

At least the winds here in Amarillo have died down to about 5 mph, and the slide toppers are not flapping as much.  And we are about a mile South of the Interstate so the highway noise is almost non existent.  This would be a nice place to stay for a while, and Mac and Lynette have family here so they plan on doing just that, but we need to get to Mesa, for that all important reservation, so we will probably press onward in the morning towards Albuquerque.  Hopefully we won't freeze down in place here.

Retired Rod

By the way Rick, if  you look at last nights shot of the jet stream, our cold comes from Canada, so please shut the door up there on that arctic deep freeze.  Will ya?