'18/#20 Just Another Day In Yellowstone

Today was the day we decided to fix our RV water pump issue. The new pump was delivered last week and it was time to install it. Anyone who has owned an RV knows that everything is not necessarily readily accessible. The pump was no exception. It is located in the lower storage compartment, behind the water heater, and blocked by the shower "P" trap. After emptying the basement storage I contorted myself into the space with assorted length phillips head screw drivers. The whole thing is held in place by four screws, only one of which was both easy to reach with a regular length screw driver and visible. The others either required a "stubby" phillips head screw driver or was reached blindly around and behind assorted obstacles. Finally the old pump was out and I was freed from the basement... for now.

Next the new pump was prepped with a clean strainer, new electrical connectors, and teflon tape. Then it was back into the basement or should I say dungeon? I made  the water connections first so they would help hold the pump in place. Then I had to get all those screws back into their original holes. The first one was relatively easy since I could see what I was doing but the rest....well my mumblings were not PG13. Eventually the job was complete and the pump works great. Good water flow and minimal noise which is saying a lot for an RV water pump.

It was still early enough in the day so we decided to take a little drive into the park. As soon as we entered the park, traffic was backed up for almost a mile. The ranger warned us there was a buffalo jam so we were prepared. What we weren't prepared for was a lone buffalo laying in the weeds taking a nap. Usually a buffy jam is caused by several buffalo in the roadway. This was just a ridiculous amount of rubber-necking.

Once past the "jam" we drove up to see the Virginia Cascades. The road is narrow, winding, and in need of some serious repair but once we got there the view was worth it. After taking enough pictures we headed home.

On the way out of the park there were a bunch of cars pulled over and people looking across the river with binoculars and cameras. We figured another buffalo or maybe an elk. We were glad we stopped because there on the far shore was a bald eagle just chillin' and having a snack he probably caught in the river. I was sorry I didn't have my good camera with me but still got a good shot of our national bird.

We arrived home and we will have some dinner. Maybe we will go to the movies tonight or maybe just an early night in our home in Montana because....

Home is where we park it,
Frank and Mary

'18/#19 Just Keeping In Touch

It has been a while since my last blog, but there has been very little to talk about. Mary is finally getting over the crud that has been tormenting her the past month. My post illness cough is easing up enough that I can say complete sentences without coughing my brains out. Now I just wish the pain in my rib cage from coughing so much would go away. Mary keeps saying we are allergic to Yellowstone but we know that can't be true. There are a lot of things blooming that might not be helping though.

Now that we are feeling better we are going to get out some. The other day we headed out to find Mesa Falls in Idaho. It was a beautiful day and a nice drive just 45 minutes from our location. The falls were well worth the trip. At 114' high and with access right up to the edge it was quite impressive. On top of that the sun was shining and creating rainbows in the mist from the falls. It was another one of Mother Natures masterpieces.

Now you see a rainbow...

                                                            and now you don't!

Since we were out that way we drove another 40 minutes to Rexburg to do some shopping. The Walmart there is so much nicer. There are people working there and merchandise on the shelves. Any decent shopping is 1 1/2 hours away from West Yellowstone so when the opportunity presented itself we took advantage.

On another topic, I had to do some work on our trailer. Like I have said in the past this a lifestyle not just a vacation and just like in real life things break and need to be fixed. Our water pump for the fresh water in the trailer died on us and I wanted to get it replaced before the cold weather comes back. When the temperature drops below freezing, and it will, we have to disconnect our water hose so it doesn't burst or do damage to the parks water system. The fresh water holding tank is enclosed in the floor of the trailer so it won't freeze and we just turn on the pump to get water to all our faucets. It also comes in handy on the road when we stop to eat or use the bathroom.

On top of that our ice machine decided to give up the ghost. These portable counter top ice machines are great but they don't seem to last more than a few years with constant use. Freezers in RV refrigerators are small enough as it is, so there is no room for ice cube trays. We have resigned ourselves to the fact that the ice machine will have to be replaced every so often.

Well that should bring everyone up to date. A few more days of work and then we will be off again. Soon we will be heading over to Cody Wyoming to see some friends that we worked with about 6 years ago. So until the next blog, so long from our home in Montana because...

Home is where we park it,
Frank and Mary