BIRTHDAY WEEKEND!

After our last excursion (see "Hell and Back"), it was time to redeem our camping experience and have a good time, as opposed to suffering miserably. So, after turning 48 on July 29th, 2011, 10:13 am, we decided to head out again to Lake Roosevelt with the '62 Shasta & the '74 Glastron Swinger.

Things started off quite well, arriving Friday night after dark. We kind of have the setup down to a science, so it isn't a big deal getting everything together at night. I hooked up a small, halogen, shop light to an inverter & marine battery, which lit up the entire campsite and then some. This trip, we decided to purchase a small window unit AC and stick it in a side window. Our gigantic, standup, inside AC unit was drawing too many amps & shutting down the generator. So, we had to remove the window panes and construct a little apparatus to hold the AC & support its weight.

Had a light supper, a couple of adult beverages, and hit the sack somewhat early.

Next morning, it was time for a day on the Lake! The Glastron boat, with its Mercury "Tower of Power," inline 6 engine, works just splendidly, which is something I haven't said often in the past. With a new prop, the things cranks, faster & smoother than ever! Had the bikini top up all morning and afternoon to fight the blazing sun. Brought plenty of soft drinks & water with us, enjoyed some pasta & fruit salad for lunch.

After a pleasant day of boating, fishing, & swimming, it was time to return to the campsite. A storm was brewing in the distance, which hit us around sunset. Desert thunderstorms can dump a ton of rain in a very short time, and this one was no exception. Temps dropped 20 degrees as the rain came down in buckets, from about 104 to 82 degrees in less than 20 minutes. There's always a mad dash to put up everything you don't want to get wet, but this time we were pretty much prepared as we saw the storm coming in an hour or so before it struck. Temps stayed a bit cooler tha normal throughout the night, but this did not stop our generator from overheating and conking out during the middle of the night. Even with the new system (window AC, 4 amps), the (Honeywell 2000i) generator was flaming hot to the touch, and shut down after 3 or 4 hours of running time.

Our adversary- The Honeywell 2000i Generator

So, after 3 times of starting the generator, closing the windows in the camper, only to have it shut down again 10 minutes later, we decided to give up on the idea of having a good night's sleep in air conditioned comfort, and hooked up fans to the inverter & a battery, kept the windows open, and had a somewhat uncomfortable, sweaty sleeping experience.

It is becoming more and more evident that my wife and I have no clue when it cpomes to fishing. After 2 years of trying to catch something... ANYTHING... We came up short again. I was bound & determined to catch a fish, and after bagging absolutely nothing from 7 am tp 12 noon, I resorted to my usual tactics of of lounging in the lake to beat the heat! Defeated again! Damn fish! They were popping up out of the water right in front of us all morning, as if to say, "SUCKER"!!!! Maybe next time. We'll have to watch a few You Tube, How To, fishing videos to see where we might improve our skills.

Doing what I do best... NOT fishing!

Overall, I had a great birthday weekend! The storm was exciting, the food and my Wife's company was great, saw some neat wildlife, and I was glad to be 48 yrs. old and enjoying life to the fullest! Until next time, happy camping, and see ya' soon!

P.S. E mail me any and all fishing tips!

(Click on pictures to see full size)

Drying the towels after a day of boating.

Dish washing station under the ramada.

Cholla campsite ramada, w/ flags!

Inside the Shasta camper; C-pap machine hooks up to inverter & battery.

Original magazine rack & new curtains.

New tile, bench cushions, table, & colorful placemats.

Inside the camper, window unit AC.