Hi readers.
Whoopteeedoo! Something finally worked as planned.
It’s been troubling my mind for some while, that huge storage box I couldn’t access because the ladder was wokkyjaw damaged, one leg at the top swinging loose, kinks and bends, supports pulled through the RV skin. Not one thing about it caused a man to wish to climb it.
I worked most of the day crossing my fingers and knocking on wood as I went. Cut about three inches out of the section toward the top, slid an undersized piece of tubing inside and spliced it together.
That allowed the end that’s supposed to connect on the roof to come down enough to touch, anyway. There was a piece of rusted 1/8 inch steel rod, threaded, sticking out of the roof. Supposed to go inside the ladder connected somehow, I reckons.
Couldn’t think of any meaningful way to replace it, so I whittled down a piece of broom handle to fit inside the tubing, drilled a 1/16th inch hole lengthwise through it and gorilla-glued the hell out of it.
Couldn’t think of much anything to do with the tools at hand about that kink, so I just hose-clamped a step on top of it.
Now that I can get to it, that box is going to carry a sleeping bag, coleman stove, small tent, pick and shovel, gold pans and classifier, backpack and a number of other essentials I’d been gnashing my teeth wondering how to carry along.
Life wasn’t bad yesterday, but it’s better today.
Old Jules
So Far From Heaven 
Looks like you have a great imagination for making things work. Spent a lot of my life having to make do like you are on this. Blessings, M.
Looks good!!! Where do you prospect? I am a member of the Gold Prospectors of Americal Association (GPAA) and they have lots of claims you can work. Check them out.
Hi DizzyDick. I used to be a GPAA member and I’ve prospected a lot of SW New Mexico [looking for the Lost Adams Diggings, mainly]. I left a lot of artificial bedrock traps spotted in some areas in the late 1990s I hope to check out, and I always like checking culverts in gold bearing areas such as Pinos Altos. But my bud Eddie’s been talking about spending some time in the Jicarillas in New Mexico working some new arroyos. I’ve been putting together plans for an innovative dry washer/shaker mounted on an aluminum golf caddy we might use. But I lean heavily to desert placer. Gracias, J
Gorilla glue, the stuff that holds life together!
The ‘any port in a storm’ solution, elroyjones. Gracias, J
Hello Jack et al,
I hope you can get rolling now. That/those inside back tires looked scary like our of balance or alignment. It made me wonder about mine.
I have been relying on the Honda shop to look at the thing for oil changes (can’t reach the filter on my own, I am told) and bulbs and real repairs. I had just about everything that can go wrong wrong, when I took it in for major and I am sure overdue maintenance. I would have probably been killed, if God’s grace hadn’t pushed me in there. There was one tie rod (???) that holds the steering straight or gives you driving control remaining on the left. The engine mounts were shot, at least one or some and other things that made the bill about $2500. It was cheap at twice the price because that car was going on a mission and it would have been a disaster if not repaired.
But the tires, I don’t know how many miles are left on those. I would like to drive thousands of miles except for new cats: 4 babies and Mama: The Grey Lady. We just can’t leave her with them yet. They are just about to the “I can walk” stage. Still on Mama milk. She is acting like she would like to skive off, but that is probably not altogether true. How would you Like to be stuck in a restroom with 4 hungry mouths and squirming babies already mock fighting with each other. I gave them three toys and the cat went after the mouse and the dog. i already have a crazy one (Big Buddy Mo) that will even chase pit bulls. He’s nuts!
The rest of the gang have not met them yet. They have not gotten face to face yet.
Chuck
Hi Chuck. They’ll run your life if you let them. Gracias, J
Sometimes progress is hair-raising or heartbreaking. This one is definitely innovative.
Good morning LCTC!. At least sheep shears can keep a low throttle on the hair raising part. Gracias, J