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Borrego Springs, CA

Friday, November 25, 2011

It’s safe to park next to me now :)

I was hoping to post pictures of how I do the salinity testing on the refuge tonight, but there was a fly in the ointment with that plan.  I’ll have to do that next week. 

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I picked up fellow volunteer, Jim, to take him along with me since I would be doing a back road that hadn’t had much use since hurricane Ike hit.  It turned out that the only pictures I could take were from the safety of the refuge vehicle.  We’ve got several white-tailed kites on the refuge right now.

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We did one test on the back road, but were accosted by thousands of mosquitoes.  I was wearing a hooded sweatshirt, and had to put the hood up and pull the strings to only leave a small area open on my face.  My only other exposed skin was my hands.  After that one trip out of the suburban, we decided to forget about the rest of the tests.  I’ve never seen the mosquitoes that bad.  Sitting in the car, the windows were covered with them!  We itched our way down the road and could only take pictures through the window.  (white pelicans)

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                                                                                Great egret.

Last night I posted about the woes I’m having with water pressure in the rig.  Many people responded with suggestions.  That was just what I was hoping for.  All of us here had tried everything we could think of.  I had already changed hoses, removed the water pressure regulator, and cleaned the new water filter.

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The other guys had checked all the connections, filters, and washers.  We remained stymied.  I was still reluctant to fill the fresh water tank and just use the on board water pump for showers.  I really don’t want the water from here in that tank.  I know it has gone through all of my pipes, but I can’t think of any way of getting that kind of crud out of the tank after I leave.  I use that tank for drinking water when I am not here.

As Emma and I sat outside this afternoon with no one around, I decided to try the one suggestion I hadn’t done yet.  Several of you had commented on it, so it certainly couldn’t hurt to give it a try.  I told Emma to cross her toenails as I removed the water filter from the holder.  I put the holder back on without the filter and turned the water back on.  I then held my breath as I went inside, stepped on the toilet pedal, and pushed down the sprayer lever.  Viola!!  That little sprayer just came to life!

So now it’s safe to park next to me because I’ll finally be able to take a shower.  Smile  Isn’t is amazing how some of the littlest things in life can make your day?  The toilet bowl sprayer works once again today, and yesterday I got to have two pieces of turkey breast skin with a little salt on them.  (a once a year treat for me)  Life doesn’t get much better than that!

Thanks for stopping by… talk to you later,  Judy

21 comments:

  1. We had the very same problem. We didn't realize that the water filter doesn't last as long as they say they will, no matter how much you pay for them. The water all over the country can be very very hard. It gunked up the filter so badly and we couldn't see the stuff inside the filter. It looked like it did when we purchased it except it was black. It was a slow dying process for our filter and for us to realize that's what it was. Once we took the filter off and put a brand new one in (this is the house filter), we got TONS of water pressure back. And you are right about the toilet sprayer! We just marveled over that for days! (It doesn't take much for an RVer to be happy, does it!)

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  2. I am so pleased you found the problem.

    It may be a good idea to carry a spare replacement cartridge for your water filter, as this is quite a common problem. We do not notice how much fine silt and or rust comes in our water.

    Keep enjoying your warm weather, as we are experiencing down to freezing in the Canadian Maritime provinces.

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  3. love the pictures of the White Tailed Kite and White Pelicans! Sure don't find them in Indiana!
    Congrats on finding the solution to the water problem....spray away!

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  4. Good, now Emma can uncross her toenails!
    You always take such wonderful pictures.
    Thanks for sharing.
    Happy Tails and Trails, Penny, TX
    www.pennys-tuppence.blogspot.com

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  5. Judy, when you have time, would you look at my post http://amigoingsomeplace.blogspot.com/2011/11/saturday-and-beach.html
    and see if you know what that tree is? I called it a cactus tree... I've never seen anything like it!

    I've googled and asked several people... no one knows...

    love your pictures.... love the birds...

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  6. That Egret in flight is beautiful. But not as beautiful as having water pressure. Great news.

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  7. I am glad to hear it is now safe to approach you:)

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  8. I love that picture of the gulls with their wing at all different positions! Very nice!

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  9. Congratulations on trying everything until you found the answer to the problem. Better than paying someone to tell you to disconnect a filter.

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  10. glad you managed to solve your water pressure problem..it was the luck of Emma crossing her paws!!

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  11. I'm with Sue and Doug, having Emma crossing her toes made all the difference in the world. You mention the mosquitoes, as did another blogger, who visited not long ago. Is this usual for this time of the year? How are things in March-April ... we're thinking Anahuac might be one of the first places we visit after we get the Phaeton checked out in Alabama ... still have plenty of time to make that decision, though.

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  12. Happy to learn that you have your water situation straightened out. I have cataloged your experience and will remember it in case we ever run into this problem. By the way, your bird photos are wonderful!

    John
    connectedtothevinephotography.blogspot.com

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  13. I think you have learned that you cannot clean a filter. Replacement is the only option. Also, putting this water in your water tank will not hurt anything. The minerals generally stay in suspension. The only time they create a problem is when there is a small gap or opening that it has to go through. Then it can build up and reduce the gap and therefore the water volume.

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  14. Miss Judy, how long had this filter been in service?

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  15. Trust me, you'll survive..and even better without the filter..We haven't had one for 5 years or more....highly overrated and not necessary...

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  16. I think water filters are highly overrated as well. It's just one more accessory to add to everyday costs of RV'ing. Glad you got your water pressure back.

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  17. Glad all is well. It truly is often the little things that make us happy!

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  18. Don't get carried away by all those mosquitoes!

    Maybe now they won't bother you because you'll be freshly showered and clean? ;c)

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  19. Wonderful photos! Probably couldn't do that with my inexpensive Lumix.

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  20. So now all you really have to do is replace the filter which was clearly clogged up. NICE!!

    Your pictures out a mosquito filled window and better than ones I take outside and close up. AMAZING!!

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  21. Love the Egret! Soooooooooo glad things are looking up for you! K

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