Tick Tock Tick Tock

April 22, 2026

Leaving Virginia after a week with family, we stopped in Elizabethtown, PA, for a week. The idea was to spend time in Amish country, relaxing for a week. Within a day though, we had several activities planned. 

Our first stop was the clock museum. The National Association of Watch and Clock Collectors has a museum in Columbia, PA. They have over 13,000 items and currently display about 3% of their collection.

The sound is what strikes you first. The gentle tick tock of the clocks somehow calms. Then you start noticing the different movements. Pendulums, plates, clock hands, and gears all run with precise movements. 

Different and impressive, this museum is definitely worth a stop when you're in the area.

Eberman Tower Clock 1784

Thoughts?

Clock Tower Clocks

Grand Statuary Clock

Rose Engine

Advertising clocks

Machine for making watch screws

Guinness World Record - Most Accurate Mechanical Clock

Where Are We Going Next?

Flock of Factory Fresh Filters

I need to conduct annual preventative maintenance on our RVs engine, generator and water heater. To do this, I need to replace a phalanx of filters. I carry all the filters for our next preventative maintenance interval onboard our RV with the exception of the air filter due to its physical size.

 

Fabulous Filter Festivities Follow

 In the front row is the air filter, fuel filter and oil filter for our generator.

Second row serpentine belt, air dehydrator desiccant cartridge and the screw on hydraulic filter.

The ten by two-inch water filters are for our reverse osmosis water filtration system. The white one is a five-micron sediment and the black one is a five-micron carbon block.

To the right is the five-year service kit for our Oasis hydronic heating system which also heats domestic hot water.

On top of the box are the in tank hydraulic filter, fuel filter, fuel water separator and oil filter.

The large steel canister is our engine air filter.

The open bay door is where all of this stows with the exception of the air filter.

RVing is not inexpensive. Sitting on this table is $1,259.95 in parts. I have yet to purchase the oil and hydraulic fluid I need to replace during this service. It is included in our annual budget but UGH that is a challenging pill to swallow.

 

Five 

 

Front row is the fuel nozzle and sintered bronze fuel filter.

The device with the two white wires is the fuel ignitor with the protective shipping cap removed.

The black device with the red, white and black wires is the flame sensor.

There is also the air fitter which is made of sintered bronze attached to steel pipe thread.

Lastly is the Garber type R fuel oil filter.

 

Soon I will need to install all of these…… Wish me luck!!!!!

Where Are We Going Next?

Landing on Monopoly's Water Works

Ever since I installed the whole house reverse osmosis system, we have been living off the water in our rig's 105 gallon fresh water tank. Therefore, all of the water we use is pumped using the installed fresh water pump. Our pump was making a lot of noise, and the output was reduced by about 25%. I decided to replace it. This is the second time I have had to replace it....

limited space in the ready service spares locker

As we live full time in our RV I carry some spare parts to include a fresh water pump as I don't want to Elizabeth to have to put up with the loss of fresh water.

Fresh out of the box.

The pump that Newmar installed is a Pentair SHURflo model 4048-153-E75 The pump our rig uses is powered by 12 volts direct current with a max draw or 10 amps (120 watts) and is rated for 4 gallons per minute output.

New pump in the background and old pump partially disassembled.

Note the angle of the swash plate

Where Are We Going Next?

Colonial Williamsburg and Yorktown in the Spring

April 7 - 13, 2026

 Since we had an annual pass to Colonial Williamsburg curtesy of a Black Friday special, we stopped by after the Fly Forever attempt in the Outer Banks. We had hoped there would be lots of flowers in bloom. There were some, but not as many as I had hoped to see. 

We also stopped by Yorktown Battlefield site and took the self-drive tour. Neither of us could remember visiting there prior. The Yorktown waterfront was an enjoyable stroll. We liked how they had free parking and a free shuttle bus. 

We still enjoyed meeting up with friends, Mearl and Adrianne and her sister Mary and her husband Jim. Mary, a Willimasburg local (and blog fan) told us about the musical swings at the Williamsburg library. We did enjoy them and managed to find a time where we didn't have to fight off the little kids. 

We also met up with Charlie and Joan at Pierce's, a local favorite barbecue joint. Yum!

Scary ladder

Silvermsith

Yorktown cannons

Yorktown uniforms

Us with Adrianne, Mary, Jim, and Mearl

Musical swings

Us with Joan and Charlie

Where Are We Going Next?

Fly Forever

 March 26 - April 2, 2026

Harold usually only requests a couple of very specific stops during a travel year. The Fly Forever kite flying record-breaking attempt at Oregon Inlet in the Outer Banks of North Carolina was one of those events. 

We arrived at the Oregon Inlet Campground a day before everyone else. We just wanted a little extra time. Many of the team were staying at an Air B&B. 

After checking the weather forecast, the team launched two kites on Sunday, 3/29/26 at 10:00 am. The flying was divided into three shifts of two team members each. Harold and Chuck drew the 10:00 pm to 4:00 am shift. I noted that the only two men who had their spouses with them were the two who drew the night shift. Hmm...

The first kite popped a seam on Monday. The second kite made it to Tuesday afternoon, setting a record of 51 hours 3 minutes. After consulting the forecast and heavy winds predicted, the team decided against another attempt. that week. They're still dreaming though. So more attempts are likely with even an altitude attempt being tossed around for thought. 

Harold and Russ, one of the event organizers

Another house soon to be lost to the ocean

Measuring the wind

Launch!

Danger, danger

Great to visit with Chris and Katy in their new home

Where Are We Going Next?

Brad's Drink

 March 18, 2026

We were at Pelican Point, the RV park on Marine Corps Air Station at Cherry Point, NC. The RV park  is our new famcamp favorite. It has great amenities and concrete pads, and the base has plenty of entertainment, shopping, and food choices for its marines. Harold was amazed at what they had as he compared his own early stations. "We didn't have any of this."

Anyway, nearby New Bern is the birthplace of Pepsi-Cola. With memories of my mom and her love of Pepsi, we ventured to  the Pepsi Store. I enjoyed seeing the various logo changes through the years. They allowed us to stand behind the counter. After a cherry Pepsi float and some peanuts, we continued our stroll around New Bern. It's a cute little town. Their slogan is "Everything comes together here." I can see where that fits. 

Where Are We Going Next?