A possible short move. What do you think?

Barring a government shutdown, this refuge is only closed two days per year… Thanksgiving and Christmas.  That meant that all ten volunteers here had the same day off.  Since we man the refuge seven days a week, this only happens twice a year.

Did we get together to celebrate the holiday?  You betcha!  We also invited the refuge interns to join us.  One couple was not present since they were visiting their daughter.  Happy hour was first up before the feast.

We had the usual sides to accompany the ‘bird’.  The chest freezer was  disguised as the desert table, and I didn’t get a picture of that.

The star of the show, of course, was the stuffed turkey.  Jay, one of the volunteers, was a chef before he retired.  He deboned the turkey before stuffing and baking it, and carved and served each of us.  It doesn’t get much better than having a professional chef in your midst.  I wish I had seen how he deboned that turkey.  I’m not a big fan of stuffing, but this stuff (pun intended) was delicious.  I can’t remember all the ingredients, but I do know Oregon cherries were one of them. 

I behaved myself and didn’t rip off a big piece of breast skin to savor.  I just love browned turkey breast skin with a little salt on it.  It’s probably my favorite thing about Thanksgiving dinner.  Guess I’ll have to wait until next year.

Now for my little dilemma.  While I was taking Emma for a walk this afternoon, we stopped at one of the two unused volunteer pads.  I’m thinking I might like to move over to this site, but there are pros and cons.  Let me explain.

This is my present site, #5.  It’s on the end of  one of the two rows of sites.  Hard to see, but notice the very small cement patio.  The site is surrounded by a shallow layer of gravel over the dusty desert land.

This is the view from my rocker as I sit outside with Emma.  Not bad; enough room between rigs since no one is parked right beside me, but Emma stirs up plenty of dust, and rolls around in the rocks.  She is filthy!  If you pat her sides or back, puffs of dust rise.

This is the view out the front window of the site I’m thinking of moving to with the maintenance area in the distance.  It’s not much different from my view out the front of my present site, although it’s a little closer at the new (to me) site.

This is the view from the very large patio of the new site where I would sit out with Emma.  I’m guessing this patio is six or so times the size of my present patio, and the rig would also sit on pavement.

You can’t see it in these photos, but the pond below is loaded with coots, cormorants, ducks, and some white pelicans.  When we were there, little birds were also bubbling through the mesquite and shrubs out in front.  There’s also gravel surrounding the pavement for Emma to do her ‘business’.  Did you notice that saguaro on the right?  One of the few that are around this part of the desert.

If I move here, the bunkhouse for interns is right behind, but I don’t have a window facing back anyway.  I like that good sized tree on the left, and bushes on the right.  So, what’s not to love about this site?  A beautiful view, a not so dusty Emma, and maybe the pavement would help trim down her nails a bit.  Seems like a no brainer, right?

HOWEVER, the site only has 30 amps. I live in a 50 amp rig with a residential AC/heat pump and convection oven.  I’m still running the AC every afternoon, and by February and March the temps are sure to rise.  This is the desert after all.

If I remember correctly, the AC/heat pump pulls about 22 amps (I think) and the residential fridge pulls about 1 or 2 amps normally.  That leaves me about 6 amps for the microwave/convection oven, the hot water heater, lights, TV, toaster, and computer, etc.  I can switch the water heater to propane.  I lived on 30 amps for five years before I got this rig but I didn’t have that residential AC/heat pump thing then.  I also think the rig is supposed to shut down some things being used if I near the 30 amp limit.  I also have the volunteer building nearby if I want to use a real oven. 

I’m leaning toward moving, but I’d like to know what you think.  Can any of you see what problems I might have with only 30 amps that I haven’t thought of? 

Thanks for stopping by… talk to you later,  Judy