January 10, 2017. Gotcha! I Am Back Already. Propane Leak.

January 10, 2017.  Gotcha!  I Am Back Already.  Propane Leak.  I know, I know, I told you I would be taking a few days off.  I didn't lie.  I fully intended to do that.  However, We had some excitement today - it doesn't take much to excite us when we travel.

First, we got a text from our oldest daughter telling us that a smoke detector was alerting at the house.  She was there watering Annie's plants and heard the constant and annoying beep of the detector.  That was the beginning.  She had to locate the offending detector which can be pretty difficult.  She finally traced the sound to the study on the second floor.  That's good.  That room has the lowest ceiling of any room in the house.

Then the Easter egg hunt began.  She began to look for the hiding place for a replacement battery.  Of course, Annie keeps those in a box in a drawer in the deepest, darkest place in the pantry.  My oldest daughter is nothing if not persistent.  She finally found the battery stash and replaced the battery in the smoke detector.  That stopped the constant and annoying beeping.  Good girl, that daughter.  Having her living nearby is a blessing.  The really good news is that she is close enough to change my diapers in a few more years.

After a long walk this morning, Annie and I were reclining in the puffy chairs this afternoon when our rear neighbor stepped over to introduce himself.  His name is Ron and he is from Ohio.  He is retired, of course, and winters here because of the many amenities and activities.  He seemed like a nice enough guy.  As he was returning to his fifth wheel, he stopped and asked if I smelled gas.  I walked to where he was standing and I sniffed.  I smelled it, too.  The wind was carrying the gas from beneath Harvey.

I checked the propane gauge in Harvey and saw that the propane tank was nearly empty.  I just filled it about four days ago, it should have been nearly full.  So, Annie and I walked to the office to get a recommendation for a mobile RV repairman.  The first number I called indicated it might be 24 hours before they could get to us.  That was unsatisfactory.  Then, I called Gary's RV Service.  Gary was a little gruff and rough around the edges.  He didn't seem happy to have my business.  Nevertheless, he said he'd come to the campground when he finished the job he was working on.

About an hour later, Gary was here.  He tested for gas leakage and quickly found it in the regulator underneath Harvey.  He pawed through the back seat of his truck, which looked like Fibber McGee's closet, and miraculously pulled out a new regulator.  He also produced a floor creeper from the bed of his truck and went to work.  In 45 minutes, he had removed and replaced the defective regulator.  And, I was $225 poorer.  But, hey, gas is dangerous stuff.  I has happy to pay the bill so I can go to bed tonight without worrying about being gassed in my sleep.  That would not be good, I think.

A couple of pictures may require some explanation.  The dead fish on the beach is a puffer fish.  We saw 5-6 of them on our walk.  The puffer defends itself against predators by ingesting water until it "puffs up," exposing his spiky exterior.  If the predator gets past the spikes, the puffer kills it by secreting a deadly toxin called tetrodotoxin, a poison 1200 times more deadly than cyanide.  This particular puffer evidently landed on its back before rolling over.  You can see the spike marks in the sand near him.  Unfortunately, his defense system didn't protect him today.

The second picture requiring explanation is the toy rubber dolphin on the boardwalk railing.  Annie found it on the beach Monday.  She picked it up and placed it on the railing hoping the child who lost it would find it.  So far, no luck.  But, ever hopeful, Annie moved it to a more obvious location and continues to hope.  I think she even said a little prayer that the child would find it. The cynic in me says the child who lost it has already forgotten about it.  There's another difference between Malachi and Annie.

So, that's it for today.  I may take off tomorrow unless more exciting events befall us.  Goodnight.