Sunday, November 1, 2020

Closing October-Back on the Road

November 1, 2020                                             October 2020-Fall Finally Arrives
Santee State Park                                                September: Finally the Heat Breaks
Santee, South Carolina



IMG_1784Mid October found me counting coins with my friend Mary.  I was at her house one day and saw a plate of change on the kitchen counter.  I said something about it and Mary told me I hadn’t seen the half of it.  Boy was that an understatement. 

She brought out numerous plastic bags and tins filled with change.   I’ve never seen so much change.  Must be years' worth.  I volunteered to help her roll it up.  She wasn’t so keen at first but once we got started, we spent a few hours a day for 3 or 4 days along with what she did when I wasn’t there and ended up rolling almost $900 in change.  What a windfall!  And soooo funny!!   I hope she’ll spend some of it on a plane ticket this winter to visit me in Florida.

We had such a good time, I was sorry when we had it all rolled up.  Who would have thought?  Certainly not Mary who really didn’t want to do it at first.  But look at her having fun.

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And how about this mushroom in another friend’s yard.  She has several of them growing off the roots of an oak tree that was cut down years ago.  They are huge and come back every year and every year.  Diane digs them up in fear that they are poison and will hurt her dog.  Anyone know what it is?  And if it is eatable?  It sure is beautiful.


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IMG_20201016_085809997Walking the John Warner Parkway in Charlottesville took Mary and I by this house which wins the Halloween decorations in my opinion.  I meant to come back by and take pictures with my good camera since these were taken with my Motorola phone and are terrible but they are all I have so I hope you can appreciate this display at least a little.

Look closely above, there is a grave yard in the back left, ghosts, a witch climbing in a window, one on a bicycle.

The picture below shows the ghosts, a trio of pirate skeletons and a circle of witches around a cauldron.

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Closer view of the skeletons.  How about the long gray hair??

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These lanterns run up the driveway.  I wish I had seen it at night.  Perhaps my friend Mary will go out and take some pictures before they take all this down.

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I was still doing puzzles.  Some of them are do overs.  Here are a couple I finished at the end of the month.  I’m too impatient to do anything more than 750 pieces. 

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Restaurants opened back up in Charlottesville for eating outside but now are open for 50% capacity inside. 

Pam and I went back to Burton’s Grille  which has one of only two alcoholic beverages I will drink, the mudslide.   They also have great though a bit pricey food.





Good to the very last drop!

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And FINALLY, it is time to get back on the road.  But, of course  not without incident.  My first day headed toward Congaree National Park, I stop for overnight in a Walmart in Roanoke Rapids N. C. as usual.  I’ve had a lot of work done on the RV including maintenance on the generator, appliances and propane system.  Things David always maintained and I have no clue about. 

When I left, I filled the fridge, turned it on and headed down the road for 3.5 hours.  At Walmart I go back to see what the fridge temperature is only to find that it has an F code which means the burner didn’t fire and there has been no cooling.  Everything is starting to melt including frozen raspberry fruit bars which are all over everything.   I’m tired from an entire morning of packing up and afternoon of driving.  I google what could be wrong.  Among other things, they say bad burner.  I’ve just had it and the board replaced.  I write to the wonderful (mostly guys) in my Winnebago Brave Group.  But it’s now nearly dark, I’m even more tired.   I just can’t deal with this now.


IMG_0555So I put Winnona in drive and go over to Carolina Crossroads where a night with full hookups normally costs $45.  I pull in.  Nobody is around.  I hook up in the dark and go to bed.

In the morning I go over to pay and ask about a second night so I can try to get this problem fixed.  I tell the guy taking money my story and ask about Passport America.  He says they only take it in January and February.  I think, Well my bad luck is holding when he says he’ll make an exception and charges me $33 each for two nights.  Great guy!!

The next day after some more checking I discover that my maintenance guys have left the main propane knob turned off.  I’ve never had it off I don’t think although David isn’t here to ask. I didn’t even know where it was before my investigations.   Things are good again.  That evening, I enjoy pink skies and a nearly full moon. 

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Friday is a long driving day of nearly 300 miles during which I have to stop for gas.  Towing Ruby I am 57’ long so this is not a minor endeavor.  But the Pilot station is not very busy and things work out fine except that in the past 7 months they changed the rules on the Good Sam discount and you have to go inside to request it BEFORE you pump.  At least at this station it doesn’t work at the pump.  So I lose my 3 cent discount and pay $1.929/ gallon rather than $1.89. On an 75 gallon tank, it adds up.


IMG_0566I’m almost to my destination at Santee State Park when the yellow ‘Service Engine Soon’ light comes on.  This is the same as the check engine light in a car which had come on two days before in Ruby.  I easily took her up to my mechanic who said from reading the code that it was claiming catalytic converter problems.  He cleared the code, told me if it came back on again to let him know and if it started flashing to stop the car and call him.   Neither thing has happened in what is now the last 6 days.

David has a code reader for Ruby but I don’t know how to use it and don’t know if it will work on Winnona or if I can find where to connect it. 


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For now I am parked at Santee State Park in a nice long site 19.  After arriving, I contacted my Brave group.  Thank goodness they don’t get tired of me.  They said it could just be the gas cap and not to worry unless the light starts flashing.  I did put Lucas Upper cylinder Lubricant and Injector Cleaner in the tank after I filled it.  Because David did. No idea if that’s related.   Any help or advise on how to use the code reader or this yellow Service Light would be very greatly appreciated.



After cleaning Winnona’s windshield and front of bugs, I asked one of my neighbors who is driving a similar Winnebago motorhome about the problem.  He also said gas cap and since it was dinner time on Friday night, offered to come over Saturday and “take a look”.   Since I’m going to Congaree on Saturday, I hope he’ll come on Sunday although it is scheduled to rain which probably puts an end to my hope to put the kayak in Lake Marion.  I leave on Monday.



IMG_0572I’m very near Marion Lake and can see it in the distance from my site.  I take some photos through the trees of the sunset and the moonrise on this day before the full moon.







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Congaree National Park is the reason for my stop here.  It was a wonderful day but deserves a post of its own so I’ll be back after the election with that and some great Halloweening here at Santee State Park. 

PLEASE get out and vote.  There may not have been a more important election in our lifetimes.

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42 comments:

  1. Oh geez, Sherry, I think that "check engine light" is the worst thing ever in cars. And it almost always is something to do with the catalytic converter or the gas cap. Last time it came on in my 18 year old truck, I had to replace "miles" (according to the service guy" of hoses that were supposedly cracked and interfering with the converter. After 800 bucks, the light came on again, but of course by the time I got back to the service man it was out again. I got rid of my locking gas cap, and now whenever it comes on I just wait and it eventually goes out. If it is ever something serious, I might never find out in time. Looking forward to seeing Santee Halloween and yes....soon it will be over....at least hopefully. I'm not fully confident that being over will be it is really over, no matter the outcome.

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    1. I too hope this isn't something serious. I've cleared the code and have my fingers crossed. I agree that this debacle may never be truly "over".

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  2. I think the only thing fun about counting coin is the final number. My parents had hundreds of dollars worth. Maybe more fun with help. Elaborate Halloween decorations. Hope you solve the Winona problems. Does seem to always be something. Glad you are on the road.

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    1. I actually enjoyed putting them in rolls and couldn't believe she so many hundreds of dollars worth.

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  3. Glad too see you're happily back on the road. Great moon.

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    1. Yes happily despite the problems in just 3 days. Sorry we didn't get another visit before I left.

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  4. The picture through the trees of the lake are very peaceful looking. Here's to no more mechanical problems of any kind! I'm glad that you have the other Winnona owners to ask when you have an issue. xxxooo

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    1. I second your wish. It really is great to have others who own a rig that is the same or nearly as yours. They are a great resource for me now that my mechanic isn't able to help me any more.

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  5. Glad you are finally on the road despite the issues that always seem to come with it. Our check engine light came on once in awhile in the truck. It definitely helped having a code reader if only to ease our minds that it wasn't anything. Hope it all checks out and you can move on with no more issues.

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    1. I figured out how to work the code reader and know that it is a knock sensor or perhaps the additive I put in the gas that was supposed to help. Time will tell. So many people have check engine stories. Sorry you are one of them.

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  6. I have never had a mudslide but it looks scrumptious.

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  7. So brave to do this trip! I’m tickled you decided to take off!

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    1. Thank you Patty. It's great to hear from you.

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  8. Well....glad you are back on the road and sorry to hear about the troubles!! Hopefully, things begin to settle and the rest of your travels smooth out. Love Congaree NP and haven't been there in years!! Looking forward to seeing one of David's favorite places:o))

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    1. Smooth - yes absolutely. I could use some smooth after these past 2 years. Always great to see you in the comments. Hope all is well and cooling where you are.

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  9. So Mary was single handedly the person responsible for the nationwide coin shortage. Nice of you to help her get all those coins back in circulation and resolving the crisis. :c)

    I had a problem with my fridge one time on propane and I removed the burner shield and found it clogged with piles of dead stinkbugs! Have I ever mentioned how much I hate stinkbugs?

    I'm a bit jealous of seeing you on the road and I'm not able to get the Journey out and about other than a monthly short ride to keep things working. Hoping next year to go to CA if this blasted virus goes away. That's what nixed our CA trip this past summer.

    Safe travels, looking forward to your adventures.

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    1. Yes Paul, Mary actually confessed. I concur about stink bugs. Haven't had them in the rig but for sure at the farm. I'm going despite the virus. I can keep myself "quarantined" as well in Winnona as anywhere else. Good to hear from you.

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  10. Wishing you the best in your travels. Code reader connections are always within a foot of the steering column under the dash and they are always the same connector since the law required it after 1996, if I remember correctly.

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    1. I found it and it's reading Knock sensor. I cleared the code and hope it won't come back after I refill the gas tank. Any advice?

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  11. Glad to see you back on the road, despite the problems. The UK is just about to go back into lock down and I must admit I am not looking forward to it. The Halloween decorations look great!

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    1. I heard about it Michele and I wouldn't be looking forward to it either but if it saves lives it will prove your PM smarter than our Pres.

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  12. Coins can sure add up! Our One and Two dollar denominations are in coin here in Canada. A roll of dollars (affectionatly called Loonies after the birds on them) is $25 and a roll of "Toonies" is $50.
    We had a wonky gas cap on our van give us error codes. It's a cheap fix, whew!

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    1. Love Loonies and Toonies. Love that you have birds on your coins rather than old white guys. I erased the code, filled the tank up with gas, drove 200 miles and it didn't come back on. I'm THRILLED!!

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  13. So your friend is the one hording all the change the banks are crying about LOL.

    I so happy for you to be back on the road. And no more problems just smooth sailing from here on

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    1. Yes I think she is but I didn't know there was a coin shortage until I went to the cash register to pay and they only take credit because of the coin shortage. Should be over now. She gave back $877. LOL!!

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  14. The comments about Mary's coins made me laugh. $900!! That is way more than pocket change. Goodness! I hope the mechanical issues are resolved now and stay away! Beautiful moon pictures. I'm glad you are able to be back on the road again! No doubt it's warmer there than here where the winds are up and it is quite chilly today. Miss you, love you.

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    1. Made me laugh too, every time we counted. Who could hoard that much?? Definitely warmer here. Love you all - miss you!!

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  15. It's ok to moan and complain about lockdown, but it would be much worse if the virus gets out of control throughout the country.

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    1. Definitely not sounding good for winter. DT's going to fire Fauci to fix it all. HA!

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  16. So glad to see you are back on the road despite the first few days of problems. We never made it to Congaree so I look forward to your post. We have also had the check engine light come on, and taking the gas cap off and on seemed to be the answer. Hope it's as easy for you!

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    1. Thanks Jim and/or Gayle. No problems today with it. The story in the next post with Congaree.

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  17. You are a good friend to help with all of those coins. You are obviously very patient. Eric tends to collect change and when I found his stash a few years ago we took them to one of those coin machines that sorts them and charges a percentage, LOL. I try to keep tabs on him now. So glad you're back on the road, doing what you love!

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  18. They were going to charge something like 7%. No no no. I'm too cheap for that so we counted and had a great time.

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  19. Before we retired we used to fill a container with coins and 1 dollar bills. By the time vacation rolled around we had a good stash saved up. Thankfully our credit union didn't charge to use their coin counter.
    I hate when the check engine light goes off while towing, thankfully Dave's always been able to take care of it.
    We did our part and voted by mail weeks ago, we know it got there since we can see when it arrived.
    Safe travels.

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  20. I think the days of free coin counting may be over unless you do it with a friend. I'm pretty sure our check engine light went off once or twice too and David always took care of it but now I have to do it myself so I hope it's not anything major. I voted long ago too and checked my ballot was received and counted. Crossing my fingers tonight.

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  21. Sherry, hello friend ………… it has been a long time but I am thrilled to hear you are one the road . That is wonderful ! Hopefully you will have a smooth trip …… Glad to read that you are stopping at your old stops to revisit. Looking forward to your blog and your terrific photography! Safe journey and may the engine light go to sleep !

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  22. $900 in change- that is an impressive windfall! And it’s great she’ll use it to visit you!

    Wow, I’m so glad the fridge problem was so simple (after what I’m sure was a yucky and irritating clean-up chore)…AND the bonus of the nice RV park guy giving you the discount. There are some nice people out there!

    BEAUTIFUL sunset and full moon photos! Very lovely and atmospheric.

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  23. "On the road again"....Willy Nelson would be proud of you....as would David. Sounds like being on the road again has come with some challenges....but you won! We plan to travel to Big Bend end of next week to help Amy and Angela with a massive deck right outside their Airstream. Trex has been delivered, knee pads purchased, and camper rented for us to stay in. They have an extra parking pad next to the Airstream. Love the moon photo.....we had a lovely blue moon just a short while ago. It was very visible from our bedroom windows. By the way, we are often troubled with those pesky check engine lights. Usually, like many of the comments, it has something to do with the gas cap. May you have no more of these lights! Hoping for lots of sunshine and warm temperatures for your southern winter.

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  24. Glad to see you doing what you love!!
    My son throws his change on the floor in a corner and gets all offended if i pick it up or get into it for laundry money!!! :) (large blankets don't fit in my washer)
    Also glad that issues turned out to b small ones... I am STILL raking leaves and bagging... will it never stop?? We even had snow flurries last night... not ready.... now the leaves have to dry out!!
    The election appears to have cleared.. hopefully and had a good outcome, maybe now things can return to normal and i can stop watching CNN and MSNBC...
    Take Care and God Bless

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  25. I am catching up. I am so sorry for these mechanical problems. I know you miss David, for more reasons, than these, but I miss my carpenter father, too. I know what it feels like. Hang in.

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  26. I'm finally getting caught up as promised. Paul caught the coin shortage connection too :-)) Love that Halloween yard! Bummer you also had engine light issues. I'm grateful for the notice but not knowing what it means is so frustrating. Handling it on your own is no picnic so I hope it was an easy fix.

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