6-30-2021 INTRODUCTION TO THE FOURTH OF JULY TRIP

We haven’t been anywhere since June, 2020, no thanks to the government bureaucrats who imprisoned us in our own digs.  But we could only stare at Noobee with longing for so long before an escape plan formed.  Besides, it has been 110-115F in the blazing desert sun and it’s time to head north and see about a little respite.  I’m not sure how successful that will be.  I’ve heard that there are some pretty unusual “heavenly ovens” out there right now.  But it can’t be worse than 1640 and it is time to get out of Dodge! 

One of our little fun hobbies is to try to find 4th of July parades and festivities wherever we can.  This year we found just the ticket in Virginia City, which was once our retirement destiny and potential stomping grounds.  Yes, everything is scheduled to proceed as planned, the kind lady told us, just as if this were a free country!  No masks required, she said!  Bucket of Blood Saloon, chill ‘em up for Krauser and Rob! 

First stop: Tonopah, NV, our Nye County seat of government.  It is an old little town established in 1900 by a silver prospector. We have driven through Tonopah many times and marveled at some of the very old, curious structures and possible history but it seems we were always in some sort of hurry and never stopped to look around.  It’s time to investigate! 

Packed up?  Check.  Mail stopped?  Check.  Paper stopped?  Check.  Security activated?  Check.  Sheriff notified?  Check.  (We live in a small town: the Sheriff drives by our digs every day to check on things.  Is that cooler than the other side of the pillow or what?!)  But back up the truck for just a minute! Yesterday, we had a windstorm in Pahrump.  The bin door was open and the wind slammed it open and sheared the rivets that hold the door actuator in place.  No problem, easy peasy, as they say.  Rob decided that in the morning (today) he would drill out the old rivets and install two new (blind) rivets.  Again, back up the truck.  The rivet gun failed.  Off and running to Home Depot to buy a new rivet gun just 2 hours before our scheduled departure.  Bin door secured?  Check.  As for travel progress, about two hours into the trip a squall dumped a boatload of water on us.  Windshield wipers?  On.  Wait, back up the truck!  The windshield wiper on the driver’s side broke!  A minor inconvenience which Rob fixed in the squall.  It’s what you do.  Meanwhile, the water pump seems to have a problem. As you know, RVs rarely malfunction while sitting in the driveway.  There’s a reason for the 3-year warranty on this beast… it expired a month ago! 

 Stay tuned t-loggers!