Ives Run, PA for a couple days

Thursday

Guess I was keyed up last night after we finished the coach install as I did not even lay down until 1:30 this morning.  Then I was awake before 8 this morning as it is nice and sunny and bright out.  Threw the towels in the wash and watched a podcast.  Now I need to drop down into Varysburg and drop off a flyer for the pancake breakfast.  Then I need to start packing for tomorrow and put the tow bar into the coach and make sure it is ready for tomorrow.

It was so nice out I decided to go out and mow the lawn and pick up a few leaves.  Wow I ended up out there all afternoon and picked up 6 loads with the Cyclone Rake which equates to 244 bushel.

Then after a quick shower Bonnie came home and fixed a nice salad for supper.  Then Alexus and Elizabeth came and we headed to Attica to hear Ken Davis.  He is a Christian Comedian and we all laughed and laughed.  Got home after 10.  Bonnie packed some of her clothes and will finish in the morning.  She is going into work for a while and will meet me on the road.  Then we will hook up the Toad and be off for Tioga, PA.  There we plan to camp at Ives Run a Corp of Eng. campground on Lake Hammond.

Friday

So Bonnie was up early and headed into work.  I got up just as she left.  Had my breakfast and then went to check out the RV and load up our clothes and the food Bonnie put out in the tub for the trip.  I brought up the Ranger and loaded it up with the tubs and took it all down to the MH.  By just after 10 I was ready to roll.  I called Bonnie and let her know I was leaving.

She met me on just outside of Perry on route 20A where trucks have to pull off to avoid a steep hill that is restricted going down into Warsaw.  We worked together to hook up the Car and MH for the first time.  Hook up the tow bar, then the safety cables, then the air line for the brakes, then the electric cable for the lights and finally the break away cable.  Then back up the car and lock the tow bar arms.  Then cycle the transmission through all the gears, then let it idle in neutral for 3 minutes.  Turn the key to accessory so the steering does not lock and turn off the radio.  Release the emergency brake and flip the switch for the LEDs that lets us know the brakes are working.  Wow seems like a lot of steps, it is so we have a check list on the iPad,

Hooked up read to go

We hit the road and had a nice easy 112 mile run down to Tioga, PA.  I got a low Battery warning on one of my tire pressure monitor sensors and that beeped every 30 seconds all the way.  We are at a Corp of Engineers Campground called Ives Run.   Best part is because of my age we get 1/2 price camping 16 bucks for full hookups and 50amp service.  This a a joint campout with other Holiday Rambler owners and friends.  Chapter 1 from the Rochester area and our Chapter 12 from closer to Buffalo.  Some folks came down earlier in the week and some are just getting here.

Turn in here

Here come some friends now

Once set up and after a little visiting Bonnie and I took a quick tour of the campground.  Here are a few of the shots.

This is the overflow area

Down close to the dam, pretty smile

Looking up the lake

Bonnie found an orange Salamander

Looking across the lake at the spillway, water was flowing over that a few weeks ago.

We got back just in time to change and then head out for a fish fry to the Lakeview Lodge up in Lawrenceville.  The meal was great and we got to talk to meet and a couple new people.

Here comes our hungry group

Fellow photographer and advisor Bob

The view from the deck of the Lakeview Lodge

One of our tables, I think about 28 went and the service and food were great

This was on display along with may other area animals

Hate to meet this in the middle of the night.

Now back in the coach relaxing and planning to get a good long nights sleep.  The weather is just perfect and it was a beautiful day.

Saturday

Had a great nights sleep and woke up to gun shots (opening day of duck season).  Sounds like shotgun and someone missing a lot..  Oh well big group breakfast at 9:00.  It was just a tad cool in here so turned on the furnace and now its toasty.  Use it of lose it, I think it is good to use all the systems in the MH when you can and keep them exercised.

The breakfast was great as usual and we all enjoyed it as it was nice and sunny.

When I got back to the MH I investigated this.

Wet spots are never a good sign when it is not raining

It turned out to be the dreaded pin hole leak in the ice maker line.  Then a couple of the guys came over to look at my Air Force One brake system and we chatted for a while.

Bonnie and I headed for Mansfield to look around and pickup a battery for the sensor and some tubing for the ice maker.  On the way we stopped at the PA visitors center.

Visitors center

View of one of the dams and outflow from the visitors center

I dropped Bonnie off in the business section of town (oh no what have I done?) and headed for WalMart to get tubing and a battery.  They did not have any so I found a Tractor Supply and picked up the tubing and fittings I needed, still no battery.  I stopped at Auto Zone and they had some batteries but not the right one. So one of the customers told me where a radio shack was, I knew they carried the CR1632 that I needed so I headed back into town as thats where it was.  I ended up back where I dropped Bonnie off an hour earlier.  Oh no Radio Shack is closed.  So I checked the jewelry store just up the street and they had them.  I asked the price they were cheaper than what I got at Radio Shack so I bought two.
I knew Bonnie would not be ready to leave so I went into the ice cream shop, they sell Perry's ice cream here and got a nice smoothie.

The Main Twist I sat here at a table waiting for Bonnie

Once she was ready she gave me a call, I put the literature away that I had been reading and went over to help her carry her purchases.

Once back at the campground we had an hour before dinner so I replaced the tubing on the ice maker.  Then I had to is it a few in the group looking for a screw driver to change the battery.  John G had one that would work.  So I changed it and brought it back and screwed it on.  It did not work.  My guess was I put the battery in upside down.  No time to fix it we were going out to dinner.

The Methodist Church down the road was having a roast beef dinner so we were headed there.  Wow was it good.  Beef, potatoes, gravy, corn, green beans, cole slaw, pickles and picked beets and more.  Then there were home made desserts to top it off.  All for 7 bucks.  We had 2 hours before the play so we rode over to Lowes in Madison and I got a set of small screwdrivers so I could flip the battery over in the sensor.  Then back to Wellsboro.

We went to the Wearhouse Theatre to see a local production of Shakespeare's Two Gentlemen of Verona.  It was pretty good and we all enjoyed it.

Theatre

Back at Ives Run for the night.  The folks that did not go to the play had a nice fire going so I visited there for a while, then came back and took the sensor apart and flipped the battery, all is working again.  Now just after midnight I can say its been a wonder and busy day, but I had a great time.  Now time for some sleep.

Sunday

Slept in this morning till 9, latest in a long time.  I got up and made coffee and my oatmeal, Bonnie got to sleep until a little after 10.  Some folks begin their day like this.

Morning walk for Grace and it is nice and sunny.

Some of our folks have pulled out already.  Some are staying overnight and some like us are leaving after the 1:00pm group pot luck.  We will slowly get packed up and then leave right after lunch I would guess around 2 and we should be home by 5.  We planned the round home to avoid the big craft show at Letchworth State Park near home but I think we will have a lot of traffic from the Bills game when we try to back into the driveway.  Since we have full hook ups here I will drain the tanks and flush them out good in preparation for winter, sadly this is our last planned trip for the year.  So once we get home I will get the oil changed, get a grease job, get the inspection done and then winterize the water system and we should be ready to store it for the winter.

We had a pot luck lunch with everyone that had not left at 1pm.

The group gathers

Solving the worlds problems

Lots of good food

Great food, great friends, and great conversation

After lunch we packed up and headed out.  We pulled the coach and car into the closed camp store parking lot and hooked up.

All was going good on the way home until the ABS warning light came on.  Shortly after that the Tire Pressure Alarm went off letting me know the pressure was high in the inside right rear tire.  My guess is a brake caliper is stuck and did not release.  The wheel was hot but not smoking so we went the last few miles home.  We unpacked and the kids came over for supper.  I will deal with the brakes tomorrow.  At least it is not the side that was just replaced.  Probably have to replace this side.

I will get this posted and relax a little.

Thanks for checking in.