Just a note ?

Many of the comments on yesterday�s post made great sense to me, so I took your advice and didn�t try to make it all the way to the refuge today.  I�m spending the night in Summit, SD, and will make the final push to Tamarac tomorrow. 

On a most positive note, the wind was almost nonexistent today so I had a smooth 145 mile trip.  Best of all, after once more climbing up the ladder to use duct tape on the awning arm before I left this morning, the awning stayed where it was supposed to all day.    Several folks suggested tying the arm with rope or Velcro or something.  I have to explain that this is one of those automatic awnings, and there�s nothing to tie off.  There is no space between the arm and the rig.  It�s flush against the side of the rig, so duct tape was my only option at this time.

Of course, that didn�t mean that whole trip was uneventful.  There�s always something, isn�t there?  Once I set up at my site here in Summit, I went back to retrieve the keys out of the toad and set the emergency brake.  My fob wouldn�t open the lock so I had to use the key in the door.  Odd.  Also, no dinging went off when I opened the door.  That told me something was up.  Turned out to be user error.  I have a stick shift car that I tow, so I put it in neutral and turn the key one notch up before leaving.  I always double check that, but this morning I didn�t.  Dang!  Seems I turned it a little past one notch, and the battery was dead as a door nail.

I went to see the host to see if he had jumper cables.  He did, we hooked them up, and still nothing.    Summit is a very small town in South Dakota.  The host said he�d call the local car repair guy in town even though it was a Sunday because he thought my battery was a goner.  I kept my fingers crossed. Within ten minutes the repair guy arrived with a portable jumper to give it a try.  It worked!  When I asked him what I owed him, he said, �Ten dollars ought to do it.�  Wow!  You can bet I gave him a nice tip for his trouble.

For some reason, I never even thought of calling my road side assistance plan.  I can�t imagine that they could have done any better than this local fellow did for me.

As far as the ? (note) is concerned?  I only get a couple of channels on the TV antenna here.  I often like to have the TV on in the background as I write.  I can�t believe the best channel reception just had �The Lawrence Welk Show� on from 1956.  My dad died that year when I was eight years old.  Once my mom began dating again, she made us watch Lawrence Welk each Saturday night while she got ready to go dancing.  Ugh!  I can�t believe I had that on.  You go Myron Floyd!  Bubbles and all�

I guess this turned out to be more than a little note�

Thanks for stopping by� talk to you later,  Judy