Back from second shakedown

It was a successful shakedown.  Another overnight at Catalina St Park.  

A few disconnected thoughts:

I have some questions about the refrigerator, or perhaps they’re questions about the little thermometer I bought to check on it.  It didn’t seem to get cold hardly at all when I turned it on yesterday morning, using LP gas.   So when I bought groceries I got a bag of ice, and turned it into an icebox.  That may have been the pragmatic solution — kept the food cold — but I didn’t learn much. It seemed colder when I plugged into camp power, but the thermometer never did get down into the below-zero range for the freezer.  It said that the freezer was in the safe zone for refrigeration.  So I left some cans of soda in there, and was rewarded in the night by the sound of exploding Pepsi.   This next week I’ll try to be more systematic about testing it, and get a better thermometer.  (Just checked Amazon and there’s a wireless device which gives a readout from both the freezer or the frig.)  Gadgets!

As far as I can tell, the new converter/charger is working right.  The output of the converter when I unplugged from camp power was 13.6.  The battery test lights on the rig showed “full charge.”  I was too lazy to unearth the battery from its protective shell down under the step and actually measure it.  For now, I’m assuming that all is well down there.

Emma:  she may need to go back on the pheromone collars for trips. She panted almost the whole time, and trembled for the first several hours.  I bullied her into getting down from the couch and sitting on her dog bed for a few minutes, but the moment I stopped paying attention she was back up on the couch.  That by itself isn’t a bad thing, but the incessant panting and drooling suggests she’s in a fair amount of distress, and it’s pretty annoying for me.  

I’m beginning to develop routines about what gets stowed where.  I’m happier when the space is fairly clear, and when I know where things are.  

I also need to get some checklists for small electronic parts and their cables and adapters.   I think it’s time in general to get some small plastic boxes to organize various bit and pieces… and I want to figure out something akin to a cargo net to keep things from skittering around that I’ve put in a couple of places that don’t have doors.

This was the maiden voyage for my son’s generous birthday present:  a “Big Jam Box” bluetooth speaker.  It sounds great in the space, takes up very little room.  I took it outside on the site’s picnic table at one point to enjoy jazz with a beer and some chips.  Perfect!

Assuming I can get a handle on the refrigerator issue without going on the road, I think the next trip will be Bisbee for a few days.