Checking In

This summer is keeping me on my toes. I have finally resolved my car issues-by selling the Trooper to the salvage yard and buying a reliable Honda Accord.

I bought a season pass to Water World. It is my guilty pleasure. I go just about every week.  Here I am with Heather and Adam.

I have been pedicabbing downtown again.  I think of it as my spin class that pays me.  Working on a late summer video project to capture the insanity of Denver nightlife from my perspective.

Starting to return to the mountains again (now that my transportation is stable). It was stormy weather with sleet and snow at the summit. It was August 5!

Spending most of my time parking/camping in the bus at Bear Creek Lake Campground across the highway from Red Rocks Amphitheater.

Purchased a GoPro to take my videos to the next level (and working on my editing skills).

And seeing random, interesting things...just as I intended to when I started this whole trip. Like this big ol' dog waiting from an elevated position for the driver of the truck to return from the grocery store.

My cat half zonked out on shoe box

I hesitate to post this last one.  I go up to Blackhawk to eat all you can eat crab legs at the casinos every few weeks and I am fascinated by the TV/Mirror.  It's like magic.

Evergreen, CO

I went up to the Mountains for a mid-week break, courtesy of Rob, a Ranger at Bear Creek Campground (and future builder of his own motor-home).  He took me up to Evergreen where I was introduced to a few other like minded people.  It was a good day of conversation and cold ones.
I saw my first deer this summer, right next to their house.  The deer allowed me to get really close and didn't think I was a risk. This is prior to me holding a pump action shotgun.   Here is a little video.

At one point Shawn (sp?), our host in Evergreen,  pulled out his shotgun that he had never fired (I think he was going to return it because it was missing some accessories) and let us all take turns taking a few shots.  Here is a video of me taking out some empty cans.  It was a good ol' fun mountain man time.

And this video of what I fear is my car slowly starting to give up the ghost.  Head gasket issues, now transmission.  I will be car shopping this coming week.  Dashboard lights code- yellow (not serious, take care of at your leisure), Red (Serious-take care of immediately), Blinking red-(Very, very serious, stop the car immediately or problem will cause failure any second now and leave your butt stranded).

River Education- Clear Creek in Golden

I love the water and rivers, in particular, hold a special place in heart.  In my early teens my dad and I took a whitewater canoeing course in Columbia, SC. That course taught me about eddy's (fluid dynamics-aka. the calm places of water behind rocks to pull out of the main flow of water) and safety (don't attempt to stand in fast moving current. There is a good chance your foot could become wedged between rocks and the strong water will push your upper body and head downstream and under water. Instead, float on your back with your feet in front of you to protect you from rocks until you get in a position to get out of the main current )I have tubed and enjoyed that river countless times since then.  From low water levels to when the alarms where going off and lights flashing (indicating a significant surge of water coming down from the dam).

Here in Colorado I have also enjoyed the rivers.  Clear Creek in Golden is a favorite because of it's close proximity to where I currently live.  I discovered this little gym last summer.  It is a relatively narrow river with several fun rapids.  Perfect for adventure tubing (versus relaxing float tubing).  About a week ago, a few friends and I took a trip to Clear Creek for some tubing fun.  The first thing I noticed was the water higher and faster.  In my anticipation of the first tubing run of the season I interpreted this as a wonderful bonus.  I consider myself an experienced 'river rat'.  I believe my confidence led me to temporarily forget my normal respectfulness of fast moving water.  My first clue should have been the absence of any other tubers on this section of river.

 After a pre-tubing photo-op, a few of us hopped in the frigid water.  (My guess now is the ones who stayed on shore may possess a slightly sharper intellect than the rest of us.) We didn't make it much more than a 100 yds before we were desperately seeking refuge out of the raging waters.  We had entered the current one by one.  Which resulted in each person being whisked away quickly, not allowing anyone to be near the other. I was second in the drop in.  I was flipped out backwards in the first series of rapids, losing my gatorade bottle and sunglasses.  Reflexively grabbing my tube, so as not to lose it and to assist me getting out the current. I made it to the side and calmer waters. Then others were coming behind me and those of us that went first became rescuers of sorts. This is were I sustained the cuts and bruises to my shins and ankle.  Standing in waist deep water on the cusp of the rapids while leaning out and retrieving shoes and people, my feet were trying to gain purchase on the uneven river bed of large, sharp boulders.  Once everyone was safely out of the river we decided to go to the lower section, which was only marginally better.  Four of us rode the river down from about midpoint, which was much better, but technically difficult to really control in a tube.  We just clung to our tubes and rode the river.

Since this trip, I have wondered what was so different and why.  Besides the obvious of the water being higher and faster. So I have done a little research. Here is what I have found.

So what was the water level when we went.  Here is what I found.
http://waterdata.usgs.gov/nwis/uv?cb_00065=on&cb_00060=on&format=gif_stats&period=&begin_date=2013-06-08&end_date=2013-06-15&site_no=06719505



The yellow triangle represents the 38 average.  Clear Creek was at 1000cfm pretty much all last week.

From the website:
 http://whitewatertubing.com/river-information/where-to-go-tubing/clear-creek/

Flow Range:40cfs to 100cfs is a good mellow to moderate level for tubing in the whitewater park
100-500cfs is a great level for tubing from Tunnel 1 to the whitewater park
500-1000cfs is best for kayaking or canoeing by experienced paddlers. The river starts to move pretty fast for tubing.
1,000 cfs: experienced paddlers only

Water Temperature: During May and June the water is typically pretty cold. When the water is over 300 cfs, it’s usually in peak snow melt time. That means, you guessed it, cold water. We rent wetsuits. The water usually starts warming up when the snowmelt is winding down.

When is it running?: Clear creek is usually floatable from April through August. Weather and snow pack are different every year. You don’t need much water to float in the Golden whitewater park. The whitewater park has man made features that help channelize and pool up the water, making it fun even at very low water. It’s a great place to swim at low water too.

Difficulty: 200cfs=easy/moderate ; 200cfs=moderate ; 500cfs=advanced
Closures: Clear Creek may be closed to tubers at high water, which would be around 1,000 cfs.

Here is a chart of the averages,(http://waterdata.usgs.gov/usa/nwis/dvstat/?site_no=06719505&por_06719505_5=344693,00060,5) showing that June is the highest flow month (snow melt off the mountains). I didn't discover Clear Creek until late summer.  Which explains why I didn't see these high water levels last year. (click to enlarge pic)

I am satisfied that I understand Clear Creek a little better and with this information I will be planning my tubing trips appropriately.

Never-Ending snow and pet sitting

The month of April has always been a definite Spring month in my mind.  March is the more seasonally ambiguous month.  This April has been sending me some mixed signals. Alternating days in the 60-70 degree range mixed with heavy snowy days. Seriously, at least once a week in April we had a big snow shower.  Other things happen during April but the snow is what I remember. 

Here are some pics and videos. I house/pet sat for Michael in Mid April. 

I made a partition out of an old flat bed sheet that I velcro'd along the ceiling of the bus. This allowed me to efficiently heat my sleeping quarters.  This pic shows me running both of my heating resources. The 45 on the space heater indicates the current temperature (at floor level). It would warm up to about 62 (again at floor level). This is how the unexpected cold April affected me. 

Nala sporting her snow 'stache

Shiner and Micah interested in my snack

First time- Grilling in the snow

Nala dragged Shiner's bed from the other room to be more comfortable while being near me. She makes me smile.

This video is a compilation of about 3 weeks and three different snow events. It is in chronological order.  It looks like it was snow white the whole time but the snow would last on the ground 2 or 3 days, melt and another storm would come. It was nice to be house sitting for a week of this messy weather. 

Teeth, Snow and Accidents

I have been going to the dental school here in Denver to get some low cost teeth cleaning and checkup. Turns out I have 3 cavities. The upside is that the students are extra thorough and made a mold of all my teeth, just for the practice. I go every few weeks. It isn't the quickest fix but I enjoy the visits. I get two of my wisdom taken out for basically $100/each. That's awesome!

Here are the pics from getting the mold.

This contraption allows for them to duplicate my jaw movement to see which teeth hit when I chew.  Also to analyze my bite and teeth alignment.

A couple of weekends ago, in late March, we had another big snow.  One last Hurrah! I thought Nala was 'pointing'. Turns out she has a severely abraded pad on her foot. :(  It is just starting to heal properly.

I have said many times before that I learn my lessons from mistakes.  Usually that means making the mistakes myself. Today however, Michael was my instructor.  We were cutting coax cable. We were remarking on a pair of scissors and how well they cut the cable. He said that he bet they could take a finger off.  Not 5 seconds later he appeared to be demonstrating that very thing. Turned out it was just a VERY deep cut into his finger tip.  He didn't make a sound when it happened and only minutes later (after he used electrical tape, wrapped around the finger, to stop the fast dripping) did he say 'Man, that hurts'.  Michael is one of the tougher guys I know.  He has also self-sutured wounds. That's what I'm talking about!!  It dawned on me 30 minutes later I had a small first aid kit in my glove box. The photo below is from when he removed the tape and used the kit. The blood on the floor is from one minute of in between uncovered time. It was an impressive cut. I stopped whining about the fiberglass splinter in my thumb.

A little 10 second video (He keeps the cut side facing him, so it is ok to watch right after eating)

It's Alive!!

I have revived the Trooper!! It runs without billowing white smoke from the tailpipe.  It also has ceased gulping water and coolant from the radiator.  I am driving on borrowed time, but it is valuable time that I need to get situated and start the hunt for a replacement vehicle.  I have a deep sense of accomplishment even while I believe luck played a sizable role this time around.  The engine doesn't exactly purr, in fact, one mechanic commented that it sounded like a diesel (it is not.)  A friend who knows his way around engines expressed his surprise that the Trooper is still running.
I took tons of video of stages of my repair attempts but have not had time to edit it down to something easily watchable.
Here are a couple of pics to hold you over.

Site of the surgery

Notice the copper flecks in the radiator...that's the medicine.

 I took a steaming sample to see what 'Liquid Glass" looks like in action. I happened to have a stack of disposable wine glasses that were perfect because of their clarity.

 After sitting for a half hour it settled in a strange way. I have no idea what that means. :)

And the next day it starts to snow again. Weather plays a big role in outdoor automotive repairs.

I do enjoy driving a street legal, 4 wheel drive vehicle again.

So my car is up and running.  I have been working on my RV remodel.  I look forward to posting pictures as soon as it is completed!  It will be the single biggest change on the bus since I took all the seats out and built it up.

Isuzu Trooper on death bed

My trusty Trooper has been struggling with what I am certain is a blown head gasket.  I have been keeping it on life support for the past few months.  The Colorado cold winter has made outdoor automotive work all but impossible. I have been pulled over by law enforcement for the copious amounts of smoke coming out of my tail pipe.  The policeman frantically asking 'What was going on? Was my car on fire?'  He told me I was smoking everyone out behind me.  So I have it parked in a Home Depot parking lot which makes repairing it challenging.  I am using an old cheapo fix.  I have successfully used Head Gasket sealers 'in a bottle' in the past.  The Trooper isn't worth the cost of a proper repair which is surely over a $1000, easy.  I have been waiting for temperatures to stay over the freezing point for 24 hours straight.  Today I tried one of the bottles, one that works with Antifreeze still in the cooling system (a type I haven't used before).  No success and it was messy work because I drained the bulk of the antifreeze (just to be safe) but didn't flush the system.  I believe the head gasket is blown too wide for this bottle fix.  I checked the oil and saw the yellow signs of oil and water mixing.  A Very Bad Sign!!  Then when I was going to hobble the car over to a friend's place to properly flush the system and try the other bottle, the car stalled within 30ft of driving it and would not restart.  I am seriously concerned that I hydro-locked the engine.  A situation where water got in the cylinder and because it doesn't compress, caused the engine to seize, possible bending a rod.  My only hope is that because I was going so slow that it didn't damage any internal engine parts.
There is one other potential culprit.  The 'fix in a bottle' stuff is Sodium Silicate, aka Liquid Glass.  You put it in the radiator while the car is running.  It melts or becomes active at around 212 degrees, then after 20 minutes the engine is shut off, radiator drained and reflushed.  The Liquid Glass cures and won't melt again until temps get near 1500 degrees.  It has worked for me before, twice, as a temporary patch that lasted for a few months.  The problem is that this same solution is used to kill cars in the Cash-for-Clunkers program a few years ago. http://www.cashforclunkersfacts.com/car-dealers/how-to-use-sodium-silicate-to-disable-engines/  If added to the engine oil it permanently disables an engine.  I fear that the water to oil contamination might have allowed this stuff into my engine.  If so, my Trooper has become a boat anchor.
My plan for tomorrow is to remove the spark plugs and turn the crank case in hopes to eject any water in the cylinders. Get my car running (the big variable here) and drive it the 3 miles I need to work on it.  There I hope to flush the system and use the more serious product (the one I have had success with in the past). I will still have to drop the oil pan and clean out all the water and coolant in there  If I am successful, I might still be able to get a little more use out of the car.  If not, I will have to call a salvage company to tow it away.  

On the bright side, if it is officially pronounced dead I don't have to make the March 9 insurance payment on it.  March 9 is the one year anniversary of when I bought 'Delilah', the nickname for my Trooper.  I got some good use out of her for the $700 I paid.  It has been a great Colorado vehicle.

Right after this picture, I removed those cute little stickers that the previous teen owner had put on the back.



First October Snow

January

Home Remodel Project- Hardwoods

I finally got the pictures from the home model that were taken by Jason.  This post is a continuation of the previous post and shows more detail of the hardwood floor make-over.

This is the only shot that shows the before look of the floors.  Normal color, slight orange hue.

Here the floors have been sanded down to bare wood.  All polyurethane and stain are gone. (I had just finished the back splash earlier that day.)

Here is after the new stain has been applied.

Applying polyurethane. Improvised rolling chair.

Finished product.

It was a satisfying project. I will be posting more projects soon.

Past home remodel, Pre bus remodel

It is time to get back to bus business.  It has always been there, my primary residence since I started this journey.  But some of the love slipped away and it is time to find it again.  Some of the ways I am going to spice things up are by giving the interior a face-lift, getting it mechanically sound enough to tackle the Rocky Mountains before the summer solstice and getting out into the wild even more frequently this year.
Look for construction photos and videos in the coming weeks, reminiscent of the early days of building the bus. Except I have a little more technical skill now.

I have been working on remodeling a couple of houses with a friend.  He actually has the bulk of videos and pics on his phone.  When I get them I will add them to this collection. For now, here is a look at what I have been up to...

The biggest, most satisfying single project has been stripping, staining and poly-ing the hardwood floors.  I have only done it once before.  It turned out great! These are from the stripping process.
The edger- for that detail stuff.  I would have taken up baseboards but we were time/cost conscious.

Be careful using this beast, it aggressively chews the layers off.

Do as I say, not as I do. Always go with the grain, never across.  I had to make a judgement call based on our equipment rental time. It didn't turn out bad but I could tell after I restained and poly-ed. It bristled my perfectionist side.

Stripped bare

Video of floors. Not the best video of them, as it was a week or more later and it became a construction zone again. The wet poly in kitchen and bathroom is from a touch-up I wanted to do. (side note: I also did the back splash in the kitchen and bathrooms)

At the end of December I moved into one of the houses for the convenience of getting work done and the comfort of hot showers, central heat and unlimited electricity. At first, I stayed on my queen size air mattress but then up graded to a twin mattress and box spring. My pets enjoyed the change of scenery.

Priss wants to be nice but Nala doesn't like her hovering over her shoulder.

The picture doesn't really capture the coating of dust, but I have been sanding drywall for hours. (During all these projects where I was working solo, I listened to the entire Gunslinger series by Stephen King)

Wake up call by Priss.

I had a birthday a few days ago. A group of friends treated me to Hibachi. I haven't had hibachi in over 3 years. It was even more fun than I expected. This is also a case where all the good video are on my friend's phones.

Well that is all for now. I have other stuff to post from the past but I am really looking forward to what the future is going to hold.  I will post again soon.