Author: Bill

Eclipse 2017: Leg 5

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Tillie got me up at 6 AM CDT for walkies.

I secured a site for two days in Onawa, IA.

We packed up and left Oxford, IA, around 10:30 AM CDT, and saw this sign as we exited the campground.

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We had to stop at the next exit on I-80 because Tillie had dropped her bone outside her crate. Resolved that issue and pressed onward. Stopped at a rest area just east of Des Moines for a break.

In Des Moines, we stopped at a Price Chopper supermarket for groceries and lunch. Then we stopped at a Pet Smart, 4 miles later, for pet supplies (we love our dogs).

We got back on I-80 and continued to travel west. Along the way, we traveled through two large wind farms. This one is near Walnut, IA, where we stopped for fuel and a break.

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Toby Two got carsick, so we needed another doggy bed. I found a place in Council Bluffs to buy them and we diverted there. Did I mention how much we love our dogs?

We then proceeded northbound on I-29 and made one more rest stop. We arrived at our campsite for the weekend in Onawa, IA at 7:45 PM CDT.

After we got set up, we got the TV tuned, and the news was covering a severe thunderstorm with tornado vortex signatures (TVS) and hen egg size hail (I love Iowa). The storms were well to our northeast so no worries at our campsite.

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We plan to stay in Onawa until Sunday to recharge, relax and do some housekeeping Our pups need a break as well.

I tried to find a site around Des Moines but The Iowa State Fair, and an LPGA golf tournament, were in progress so all the campgrounds within an hours drive were booked. Our current site is less than 3 hours from our eclipse site, and we will travel there on Sunday.

Forecast at the time of the eclipse at our site is still calling for mostly sunny.

Eclipse 2017: Leg 4

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Left the campground near Joliet, IL, before lunch. Went to a nearby Pet Smart for supplies. Got lunch from a Steak and Shake. Then we proceeded west on I-80. Stopped at a rest area and observed a plot of restored prairie.

Crossed The Mississippi River near The Quad Cities, and reached a campground near Oxford, Iowa, just west of Iowa City. Stopped for fuel before arriving. Can’t beat the prices.

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We need to find a place to stay for the weekend tomorrow.

Eclipse 2017: Leg 3

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Left Coldwater, MI, at about 10:30 AM EDT. Proceeded west on US 12, and then turned south into Indiana to pick up The Indiana Toll Road. The section we drove on was smoother than the one near the Ohio line. Made three stops, two at service areas and one at Bristol, IN for groceries.

Saw this at one of the service areas, left as a warning to others.

Our dogs were very good this leg of the trip. We only had one request (Tillie) to stop for a walk. We ran into heavy traffic on I-80/94 south of Chicago for seven miles due to a construction zone. That slowed us down significantly. By 3 PM CDT we were near Joilet, IL and looked for a place to camp. Found one near the l-55/80 interchange. By then, our good weather ended with heavy rain as we arrived. It was short lived, and I didn’t have to wait long to connect our hookups after parking at our site.

Forecast at our eclipse site is still looking good. Mostly sunny with a high of 89 dog F.

Eclipse 2017: Leg 2

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Our dogs (Tillie) got me up shortly before 6 AM. I took all three for a walk but it was difficult. The leashes keep getting tangled.

While we were in Akron, our Westie, Trixie had a spa day. Here’s what she looks like now.

You can see her eyes clearly now.

Packed up the rig, got it ready for travel and left the campground around 11:30 AM. Made a stop at a Pilot Service Station, at The Ohio Turnpike interchange, for fuel and lunch. With my Good Sam membership I got a discount for gasoline.

The Ohio Turnpike has a speed limit of 70 mph. However, there were several construction zones with a speed limit of 50 mph. It is a long, boring expressway. Imagine The New Jersey Turnpike, but twice as long.

We stopped at the Erie Islands Service Area for a break and once more at the last exit, before Indiana, at a Quality Inn. Here’s Toby Two, one of our Scottish Terriers, during our last break of the day.

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We arrived at the campground, at about 6 PM, in Coldwater, MI. I officially added Michigan to the list of states I have visited that didn’t involve an airport.

Long range forecast for Eclipse Day in Nebraska is looking good. Mostly sunny with a high of 87 deg F.

 

Eclipse 2017: Leg 1

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Today, my wife, our three dogs, and I set out on the first leg of our trip west to view the solar eclipse. After loading our class A motor home it was near noon when we started our journey. We traveled only 200 miles before we stopped near Akron, OH. We did plan to meet a friend here before proceeding west. Weather today was mostly cloudy but cleared up before crossing the Ohio line.

I plan to reach Indiana tomorrow.

New HF Antenna

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The vertical wire antenna I set up a few weeks ago was not working out. I decided to replace it with a G5RV antenna, installed as an inverted V. Since there are no suitable trees on our property, I needed a mast to support it.

I ordered and received a fiberglass mast, which was easy to assemble. However, it was necessary to attach two rope guys to keep it from bending. The two antenna wires also serve as guy lines.

Soon after completing the installation, I made a contact with a station in Indiana. Today, stations that were barely readable before were coming in with good signals. They were barely readable with the other antenna. Even though propagation has not been good this summer, the G5RV has been a great improvement.

RVing: First Time Out

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My wife, and our three dogs, had their first overnight trip in our motor home. We took a trip to Cozy Creek Campground, near Tunkhannock, PA, and stayed two nights. Our two Scotties and Westie adapted well to travel and we’re very eager to explore when we took them on walks. They also enjoyed looking outside from their perch on the dash board. They did get agitated when they spotted chipmunks and squirrels as well as other dogs. We’ll have to work on that during training. 

I had already made two shakedown overnight trips on my own, prior to this one, and I am getting more proficient with the RV’s systems. I’ve worked out most of the bugs, but I still have a couple of things to try out and resolve.

Halfmoon Valley Rainfall

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After the rainfall from yesterday and early this morning (1.10 inches), the annual precipitation is now at a surplus of 0.17 inches. Monthly precipitation has been below normal for January, February, March and April. May is not quite over, but the rainfall for the month is 1.74 inches above normal.
Outlook
The outlook for the summer months of June, July and August indicates equal chances for a near normal amount of precipitation.

Way Fruit Farm

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Located near Stormstown, PA, The Way Fruit Farm has been operated and owned by members of The Way family since 1826. The market was built in 1958 and was expanded in 2009. 

 
Besides local produce, they also have milk, cider, soups, ice-cream, preserves, spices, baking supplies and more. There is also a bakery that makes fresh bread, cookies, cakes and pies. In addition, there is also a cafe and deli. Last, but not least, there is a small gift shop.

Stream Water Data Collection

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On Thursday, May 19, I joined a team of volunteers that collect and analyze water samples taken from rivers, lakes and streams in Centre County, PA. The two sample sites that we visited are along Little Fishing Creek near Hublersburg, PA.

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Chemical analysis of the water samples was conducted at each site. Samples were tested for dissolved oxygen, akilinity, pH, conductivity, nitrates, phosphates and sulphates. Also, at both sites, the width of the creek was measured, along with the depth at 10 points across the stream, and the speed of the water flow was taken at those same points.

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While the chemical analysis is being conducted, other volunteers collect the fauna from the stream. The bottom of the stream was stirred up and then collected with a fine netting.

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The collected silt is then spread out on the mesh, using a table, and then, using large tweezers, various invertebrates were collected, sorted and counted.

There is a web page for the organization, which includes Google spreadsheets for the data.