Running the Solar Numbers

WHERE ARE WE? Pahrump, Nevada

We are hanging around here for another day.  The weather is wonderful so there is not hurry to move on.  We are not wanting too hot of weather so we will move south as we see the temps moderate.  For today we want to be here.

If we leave here tomorrow and head to Las Vegas.  The temps are going to be nice there for a week or so while we wait for Quartzite to cool down just a wee bit.  Next week even the overnight temps look good.

Then after the weekend it will be safe to head down to Quartzite.  We want to spend some time there doing some things.  It will be nice working weather.

And of course La Penita is where we want to be however we will have to let it cool down for another month I think.

So like I said it was a do some computer work type of day.  I did look up and saw this van conversion go by.  We get some real doozies out here in the desert.  I feel sorry for lots of these people because they don't have a pot to pee in and probable the window they throw it out is broken.  This van has a wooden top on it.  I guess they cut the roof off and built on top of it.

So the work I am looking at is putting solar on the Motorhome.  Now this is looking like an expensive affair.  The solar itself isn't that expensive, but we need an inverter and transfer switch along with 4 AGM batteries.  Here is the breakdown of the parts I will need and the cost.  OUCH!!  But solar or not, we need batteries and and inverter so we may as well spend a bit more and get the solar. Right now we are spending about $50 a week just running the generator. So 24 months and it is paid for.  But we only run the generator for 3 month of the year so payback is about 8 years!!  I have broken out the costs to 3 functions, the inverter, the batteries, and the solar.  There is no labour involved because I will do the project myself.  What do you think??  We have a couple days to discuss this and then we have to order to get the stuff to Quartzite in time.  

So lets go back to today.  It is Halloween!!  Here is our family in pictures for Halloween!

Lincoln, Silas, Abby, Emma

Grace

Kenia, Katherine

Max

Sheri, Dani

Speaking of Sheri, She did a real good job of putting on a community function for Halloween.  Her restaurant, Cj's on Ice spearheaded a Monster Mash in the Hockey rink.  Because it is sometimes cold and slippery out on Halloween, she decided to put on a halloween skate from 5 to 9.  She had a DJ with lazer lights and smoke and eerie music and she got her suppliers Forbidden Flavours to supply free hot chocolate, and Pratts Wholesale supplied a bunch of candy.  The local Rec Department donated the ice time.  Cj's on Ice (Sheri) sponsored the DJ.  She said there were lots of people there enjoying themselves.  They gave away some prizes and our Grandaughter Grace won one of them.  It was a gift certificate to Cj's I think so it won't be much use to her cause she gets everything from Aunty for free anyway!!! Anyway it was a hit.

Well that was our day and we have some things to think about.  We had another sunset again today and it was just as good as the others.

Here we are sitting in the desert and loving it.  Hope your day was great too!! Good Nite!!

PS.  The back is fine now!!!

Laundry Day

WHERE ARE WE? Pahrump, Nevada

Last evening I experienced some bad back pain.  It was so bad that I could not stand up straight.   For a few years now, every once in a while I will move wrong or something and get a severe pain in my lower back on the left side.    I sometimes wonder if it is a kidney problem but it was so bad last night that I had to go to bed early where I tossed and turned for a few hours before the pain subsided a bit.  This morning I felt a bit better and as the day progressed, and after a 2 hour nap,  I was almost back to normal.  Well today is laundry day so off we went.  

While we were waiting for the laundry we did a quick shop at Walmart.  

So that was about all that happened today.  We just enjoyed the warmth and have nice smelling clothes and bedding. Got a picture of sunset from the laundromat window.  Hope your day went well too.  Good Nite!!

Made it to Pahrump

WHERE ARE WE? Pahrump Nevada

We woke up this morning and when I rolled over this was the view out the bedroom window.  I love the desert sunrises (which I don't see many of) and the sunsets.  It is typical desert weather here right now with nice warm days and as soon as the sun drops below the mountains you have to reach for a sweater.  It went down to 2C last night.

There were still a few of us at the pads, but many had moved on quite early.

We had a big day of driving today to get to our destination of Pahrump.  66kms to be exact.  Now way back when we jello planned our west coast journey, we had discussed hopefully catching up with our friend Kyra and maybe travelling with her on her migration south from Washington.  However she had to do some legal things and had to head down south before we could get to Washington.  So thats ok we thought, we will just see her at Pahrump, where she has an RV spot that she stays in until it is cooler in Arizona.  Yup, that will work.  NOPE!!!  Sadly Kyra had a family emergency and had to fly to Chicago for a while.  This was 2 days before we arrived here in Pahrump, so we will now shorten our stay here and move on to Vegas in a couple of days.  Maybe we will see Kyra later in the season farther south.  We haven't seen her in a couple of years and sure miss her a lot. 

It sure is nice to start seeing some palm trees.  Palm trees to me are a sure sign we will not be shoveling snow.

Where we are parked we look out over the city of Pahrump and the mountains and the sunsets are quite nice.  

And behind the sunset is always a treat to see as well.  See you tomorrow.  Good Nite!!

Some Wild Mountain Driving

WHERE ARE WE? The Pads, Death Valley California

When we woke up this morning we almost had to shake the ice off to get out of bed.  No I'm kidding, it was warm with the furnace on.

When we pulled back the front curtains this is what we saw.  We were aware that a couple vehicles were shuffling around in the nice big parking lot we were in, after we went to bed.  Well Patsy!! We were surprised.  Now this would be something to whine about on the blog. lol.  Not to mention that a van had pulled in right beside the jeep at the back end late but he left early so no picture.

Well they were actually a nice young couple who just didn't know any better.  So we waved and smiled and Archie and I went off on a walk.  A nice park and a museum right across the road.  The museum was closed for the year.  Some lady had built an upside down house in the early 1900's and the museum took it over.  It was locked so I didn't see inside.

We had discussed the fact that we were going by the east gate of Yosemite National Park.  After some research last night we decided that all the interesting stuff was to the west on the other side of the Sierra Mountains so decided to just drive on by.  The mountains themselves are beautiful and we are happy just with the drive.  Sorry Yosemite Sam!!!

We headed south for an hour or so and then came to Highway 136 that will take us through the Death Valley to Pahrump.  We stopped at the info center for some information and they were having trouble with wasps invading the place.  They were big ugly ones too, but lots were dead from them spraying them.  

Well it was time to clear out of there!!  So off we went.  When I saw the sign I immediately said a little prayer quoting Psalm 23.  I hoped that no harm would come to us as we travelled through.  

We travelled along a nice quiet highway for quite a few miles.  The highway was smooth and very relaxing.  

Well not for long.  We came to some road construction and the guy said we would have to follow a pilot truck down the mountain because the shoulders were in bad shape in lots of spots.  I asked how far and he said all the way to the bottom which is 5000 feet of 6 and 7% grade in 8 miles.  WOW!!!  This was what it looked like on a map.

So off we went.  We stayed under 40 mph and lots of curves were 25 mph and there were lots of curves.  Percy handled the braking really well and after an eternity, we made it to the valley bottom.

Archie was even a little worried and hid under Sues feet.  

Well we made it to the bottom unscathed but it wasn't over.  About a 5 mile valley to cross and up the other side we went back up to 5000 feet which only took about 8 miles and then down to 200 feet BELOW sea level in another 12 miles.  Well that was enough of mountains for a long time.  We had come a long way down the coast though all kinds of mountains but todays drive takes the cake.  I will never again fear mountain driving because they can't get much worse.  Although I did see a sign on a side road that said 26% grade!!!  Thats almost straight up!!  Well we needed a place for the night and we are in good old boondocking country.  We had come by here a couple years ago with the Jeep and saw these pads where there used to be an RV park.  People now boondock at the spot so thats where we went.  Its just a big gravel area with a bunch of cement pads.  Archie is enjoying getting used to the desert again.  He does shy away from the cactus.  The sunset over the mountain was nice but not great tonight.  

Here is where we travelled today.  

Well I will sleep good tonight.  We have a good spot for the night.  Good Nite!!