Home and Preparing to Roll

When we leave this area in just over two weeks after Dryden Rd Indoor Fellowship Meeting, we will be dragging the tent trailer behind us. It has been idle for a good long time, so it needs a little TLC before we roll. Those things are on our list of priorities this week and next.

First things first, Dad needed his old mower. He brought this old mower here and used it to mow Odie's grass many, many times since the summer of 2015. He had purchased a replacement sometime before and the Lazy OD Ranch became the retirement home for the old one.

Even after we brought a newer used mower to the Ranch, Dad used this old one for the tight areas and for trim. It has served in retirement well.

Dad had a purpose for it at home so I backed the truck up next to the hill by Odie's house and rolled it onto his truck.

Of course, we ate a few times this week as well.😍

A Word For Wednesday was concerning upcoming tent revivals.

Wednesday, KJo mowed while I tackled the first tent trailer project.

My main task for that day was to change the two deep cycle batteries in the tent trailer. They had been charged three weeks before we came home, but were dead when we arrived. I charged them for two days and two days later, they were dead again. Time for a change.

These two batteries are Group 27DC-2 Deep Cycle batteries that I purchased and installed on August 18, 2014. I replaced them on August 10, 2022. That means they went 8 days short of 8 years between replacement. Not too shabby at all, I say. Much better than my normal "luck" with batteries.

The tent trailer goes months between uses at times and we always try to have it plugged in for two-three days each month. Maybe that helps. Maybe I just happened onto some good batteries in 2014.

The batteries are not super easy to access in the tent trailer, but they are not super difficult either. Inevitably, several things need to be moved from in front of the big panel, but then you remove the panel and the doors for the battery compartments are right there.

The batteries were not a special brand of batteries. They were AutoCraft brand that I purchased at Advanced Auto. I think they were about $125 a piece in 2014.

Advanced Auto is the second closest parts store to us. The only reason I bought them there was that the closest store, O'Reilly had none that day in 2014.

In the last 8 years, Advanced Auto quit selling AutoCraft and began selling DieHard, the old Sears brand. They were made in the same factories as AutoCraft for years and I imagine they still are. They were $172 each minus $22 for each old battery so $150 each.

The compartments did not need much attention, because the doors stay closed all the time.

It did not take long to put them in, hook them up and test them out. The lift went right up!

I have also been sorting things in the tent trailer. Some trips require certain things and do not require other things. The trick is figuring out what you need and making sure it is in the trailer, while not carrying everything in the world.😁

You will hear more about the tent trailer as we get closer to departing.

My sister in law, Karen, is in Ohio for a few days working and she came by with JoJo for a visit one afternoon. It was good to see both of them!

Drawing Jo on the sidewalk with chalk.

Thursday, we went to lunch with Dad and Mom! The food was excellent and it was wonderful to spend time with them. We enjoyed it so much. Hopefully, we will be able to do that again in the few days we have left at home.

Thursday night we went to church and that ended this part of our week.

Thank you for stopping by.

Davy