This was my last chance to see the coyote pack. I've determined they only come around every three days. Since their territory is usually 10-15 miles wide, I can certainly see why I don't see them more often. It's also due to the rain. There are lots of water pockets around the area. In the summer when those dry up, they will hang out by my house more often.
Mother Nature put on another great show. She never disappoints. This time a completely different looking dress graced the mountains.
These three images were taken one minute apart. I love the way the dark clouds slip over the top of the mountains underneath the orange sky.
It stayed overcast and rain-looking all day long, but not a drop fell down that I saw. What I DID see was an unusual number of trains going by. Literally one after another going both ways. That can make for some gigantic traffic jams since I live between two railroad tracks with two nearby schools.
As you can see, the trains are closer than they look in the pictures I take outside. All this heavy traffic and rattling rails results in things shifting under the house.
Although this is a permanent house, the floors can move enough to cause cracks in the walls. That requires leveling every couple of years.
They said between 11 and 2. Nothing like messing up your entire day with waiting ... and waiting. The good news is it gave me a chance to medicate Cooper's foot. Oh yes ... I took the bandage off to discover they had wrapped it so tight, his claw cut another nice little hole in his pad. Mama Nancy wasn't too happy about THAT! I've been nursing his little foot ever since.
It's better now, but he wants to lick it constantly. It's been a real problem. Waiting gave me a chance to just sit on the couch and make sure he left it alone.
Finally ... with a break in the action, I headed out to put water in the rig. Honestly, I don't know why they make this so difficult. Why not just one pipe for water? Why do you have to move FIVE valves around to fill the tank? I have to spend way too much time thinking about what I'm doing so I don't mess something up.
Once full, you have to open the hot water faucet and wait about four minutes for the water to fill the hot water tank. That of course pushes all the air out the faucet and scares me to death. Same goes for the kitchen faucet ... which MUST be open when filling the tank. It's a lot to remember, especially at MY age.
Finally two nice pickup trucks showed with with not one or two, but FOUR good looking guys!! Wow ... how did I get so lucky!! After getting gussied up for claustrophobic work, they all went in the same access hole and began crawling around.
Cranking noises could be heard as they tightened up the jacks that keep the floors level. They also take pictures of all the holes in the vapor barrier and offer a price to repair same. Five years ago that estimate was $300. On this day it was $850. No thank you.
Then they said the jacks are at the top of the bolts and should be replaced with taller ones. Hmmm that's one I've never heard before. That would cost $125 each. There are TEN jacks. YIKES!! Maybe we can do a couple at a time ... LATER. I'll have to do a little more investigation into that suggestion. Maybe a block underneath each jack?
Suddenly the head guy went running around the garage. Uh oh ... he came back with none other than a SNAKE STICK. You know, the kind with grippers on the end to catch snakes? "Did you know you have snakes under there?"
Uh no ... well I did catch one in a rat trap once ... but I have seen them in the yard before. Did it rattle?? He passed the stick under the house. No rattles, but there are apparently not one, but TWO snakes hanging out having parties under my house. My guess is they are the rare Sonoran Lyre snakes I've found in my back yard before. Although they will give you a nasty bite, SUPPOSEDLY they won't kill you.
In no time, all four guys were out from under the house with no snake. They couldn't move fast enough to catch it. I know the feeling, since I chased two around my back yard with no success. So that's good news, right? Beware the snakes. Maybe they will eat the rats and mice. It's a little unsettling though.
I spent the rest of the afternoon making sure Coop didn't chew on his foot as I watched two weather channels on my phone. I'm on weather watch to be sure there isn't a lot of wind when I get ready to leave.
Snakes and Black Widow Spiders are my nemesis...they give me the shivers. However, if I am SURE the snake is not dangerous, I have held them...like a little Garter snake...but that was decades ago.
ReplyDeleteI hate to tell you Dave, but ANY snake can give you a nasty bite. These Lyre's won't kill you, but OUCH!!
DeletePoor Cooper. He looks sad. I wanted to go to the Yuma Wetlands but I keep reading to watch out for snakes. They area got crossed off my list.
ReplyDeleteI'm with you .... Snakes usually stay away from high traffic areas, but you never know.
DeleteThat is a complicated water fill I have to say and it would give me a headache too. As to the snakes those guys under your house must have been on edge for sure.
ReplyDeleteThey said they are used to it since they work in the desert, but OH MAN ... I wouldn't want to come face to face with something.
DeleteSo you have a pier and beam house? Well, so do I. And it's about 100 years old. Occasionally cracks in the sheetrock inside widen, and then they narrow....all depends on the rain and weather. My previous house was the same, old, pier and beam. I just tolerate it. Nothing's fallen down around my ears yet, and the people on solid slabs pay humongous sums when things start going awry.
ReplyDeleteThat's pretty much how it works ... this is the first time I've had this many cracks. Hopefully it doesn't continue.
DeleteWhat you should have done is giving them 10 pieces of 2 x 4x10 You already paid them to screw the jacks Just go down and then back up and you’re all set … And knock $500 off the bill
ReplyDeleteThat was exactly my thought. Just like any salesman ... they were upselling their "services".
DeleteIf those guys were good guys, they would of suggested cement blocks or cement stepping stones on the bottom. A larger footprint under the jacks would help them not settle so much and sure cost a whole lot less.
ReplyDeleteBobseyes.
I had the same thought Bob ... they would probably get a lot more takers too!!
DeleteFour good looking guys and no pictures?
ReplyDeleteYeah ... it's hard to sneak pictures when there's that many of them.
DeleteHope Cooper feels better soon. Poor little guy. You still amaze me how much you know and accomplish with your RV.
ReplyDeleteThanks Loree ... it's mostly because I have to if I want to keep traipsing back and forth across the country! Cooper seems to be much better today.
DeleteCement blocks would work instead of replacing the jacks. When we were in Casa Grande there was an older gentleman outside working on his rig looking confused, so we stopped by to help him. He said he could not get his hotwater heater working. I looked at it, turned a valve and he was back in business. Some of those things can be very confusing!
ReplyDeleteThat's kind of what I thought ... but then they wouldn't get the big bucks!! LOL. I suppose that panel gives a good enough description of how to turn the knobs, but says nothing about leaving a faucet open OR how to fill the hot water tank before turning it on and BURNING it up.
Delete