Saturday, January 23, 2016

Shiny Wheels and Rid-A-Rat!!

Another beautiful Arizona sunrise yesterday morning brightened my spirits until I realized the thermometer was in the 30's.  Just the thought of that makes me cold.  It's a trade-off however .... it's pouring down rain where I come from, with creeks on the verge of flooding.  At least it's warm and beautiful here from noon till bedtime!!
When you drive into this small subdivision on a really narrow one way road, you would think there's no way possible two huge RV's would fit, let alone be able to turn around.  Dan Chance and his not-so-little tractor in the picture have made this the perfect little RV park.  
I promised a picture of my shiny wheels from our stop along the highway, and here they are.  The before picture ..........
And the after.  Quite a big difference, don't you think??
The back ones are even better.  Now all I have to do is wax them to help keep the shine alive.  She's about as pretty as she can be, washed and waxed (including the roof), except for that little bit of dust we picked up in Quartzsite!!
Being parked in the desert brings it's own type of problems.  There are critters here, one of which you really DON'T want to encounter.  Pack rats .... lots of them!!  Dan does a lot to rid his property of them, including a service that keeps them at bay, and placing rat traps around the outside of the house.  Mr. Cooper almost got his nose taken off before I realized what it was.  

In an effort to keep them out of his RV and his tractor engine, a favorite hidden, protected spot among the wires which apparently taste delicious, he has tried lots of devices to keep them away.  Flashing lights laid down on the ground around anything you want to protect is supposed to be the answer.  But what do you do when you go to Quartzsite or other desert parks??  

Rid-A-Rat!!  I know, I thought the same thing, but if it works, who cares what it's called. Chuck has come up with a pretty simple device ... a plastic box holds two batteries that make a light flash.  It has two very good magnets to hold it to the underside of your rig on whichever end your engine is located.  

I installed mine last night, but every time I go to check and see how it's working, Dan's motion sensor light comes on.  Hopefully it will keep those pesky critters away.  If you sign up, Chuck will even send you an email reminder to replace the batteries.
I'm not supposed to show you this picture of Miss Missy on the table, because she hasn't learned all the rules yet, but she's working on it.  She is the latest member of the Chance family, adopted up in Idaho this last summer.  Although she hides under the recliner when underway, she has become a really good RV traveler!!
I spent the rest of the day going through drawers and throwing away junk.  It's amazing how much can accumulate in such a short period of time.  My plan had been to rest up from the long drive, but that didn't happen.  After the trip to Ace Hardware for Rid-a-Rat, we stopped in at the post office to be sure I could receive my mail, picked up groceries and then had to play with the puppies.  They can be really persistent!!  

Chef Patty created a yummy stir fry dinner, after which I collapsed on the couch.  Today I will gather up all my unfinished quilts, along with a list of requirements and head off to the quilt shops for fabric.  I'm pretty sure it will be the first of MANY trips!!




8 comments:

  1. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  2. Well the way to get rid of pack rats is simple
    You buy a house that's on the water Then you spend some time in Florida and you pick up a bunch of baby alligators when you get back home you put the alligators in the water and that would be snack rat pack eliminator
    Now I know it works because I live next to the lake and I haven't seen a packrat ever
    Now if you like I will send you five baby alligators if you send me one coyote
    Oh that's the four-legged kind not the two Legget one thats The drug running kind
    I need one in the park to keep the feral cats in check and definitely on their claws. See you help me and I'll help you
    Ps
    You could always put Miss Missy on a long string around your RV be like Chase a smorgasbord of variety For her

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    1. I forgot to tell you the next time you venture into Lowes
      Look for these puck lights I think there about 20 bucks for two
      It puts out an incredible amount of light And after 30 minutes it turn off by themselves at the rate that we use it which is quite a bit I get about six months on three AA batteries
      I'll bet if you use one or two more likely you go back and buy more
      They work real good next to the nightstand not stuck to anything


      2-Pack 3.543-in Battery Under Cabinet LED Puck Lights

      100 Lumens and 3000K color temperature per light
      Can be installed in any place where extra light needed
      Dimmable for full brightness, half brightness and turn off
      6 AA batteries included
      2 piece double-sides adhesive tapes included
      Magnet mounting, screw mounting and surface mountings are available
      30,000 hours long lifespan
      turns off after 30 min

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    2. Living on the water sounds pretty nice!! But then you have those pesky alligators .... lol Actually haven't seen or heard any coyotes this trip ... not even the four legged kind!

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  3. Ms. Missy is cute! Tell them thank you for adopting a cat from Idaho!

    Liz
    Boise, ID

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    1. I think it was Priest River where the Thrift Shop that supports animals was located. Any time they are in the area, they always stop there. Great place and Missy has the best home ever!!

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  4. Utilitech 2 Pack 2.75-in Battery Under Cabinet LED Puck Lights

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    1. I'll check those out. Sounds pretty handy for around the house.

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