Dinner with the Amish

With my eye surgery delayed, we decided to make our trip north a bit less hectic. We stopped in Lancaster, PA for a visit with the Amish and a bit of family research. We spent a day in Columbia – visiting family gravesites. John spent the day at the Lancaster County Historical Society and unearthed some interesting family tidbits.
On Wednesday evening, we joined a group of Cajun motorhomers for an Amish dinner. We drove for what seemed like ages- passing large Amish farms, driving through towns like Blue Bell and Intercourse – and finally turned into the “Smucker” driveway.

The hostess of our evening was the widowed mother of 10 children- 6 of them still at home. We were ushered into her kitchen/dining room/living room- converted into a dining hall with tables seating 30 people. We got separated from our Cajun group and joined a table of New Jersey-ites – all from the same community in NJ and staying at a nearby B&B. They raved about the food, served family style. The dishes were passed- homemade applesauce and broccoli salad, roast beef and carrots, chicken tenders, sugar snap peas, green beans, mashed potatoes (no gravy- the men weren’t happy), and, of course, bread. It was a bit like a 1950’s suburban Sunday dinner- lots of well cooked food with absolutely no flavor.
The hostess did some table-touching- talking about leasing out their farm land and doing these family style group dinners to get by. Her unmarried daughters work at the local B&B doing house-cleaning and were busy most of the evening- serving food and cleaning plates. Her eldest son, however, sat at the head of the table and ate with the rest of the guests. Guess the feminist movement hasn’t reached the Amish community. After plates and plates of food, we were stuffed and ready to leave—but wait- there was dessert—strawberry and peanut butter pies – with huge bowls of ice cream. We did our patented early exit and headed home. Our first- and last- Amish dinner.

Lightning Strikes and Motorhomes!

We learned a hard lesson after our lightning stike in Florida. The lightning didn't directly strike our motorhome--but hit about 2 feet from our coach and the campground power. John saw the strike - and Chloe and I heard it - you'll never forget the sound - it was like an explosion(Poor Chloe- she's not been the same since- terrified when she hears thunder or sees lightning).

We were fortunate that we had our surge protector attached to the campground post- but didn't realize what damage a close lightning strike could do to our coach. One of the engine ECM's (computer modules) was destroyed, our backup camera was damaged, our front step motor failed....a very costly strike, to say the least.

We've been amazed that after all of our FMCA and Spartan rallies and all of our research on motorhomes, we had never heard anyone talking about what to do during a lightning storm. So, we decided to do a bit of research to find out how to avoid the disaster that we had just lived through. We hope that this will prevent someone else from living through this horrible experience..

Here's what we found at the South East Trek Fun Club web site: (the entire article can be found at: http://www.setrekclub.com/Lightening%20&%20RV

"…treat lightning like a snake: if you see it or hear it take evasive measures…

The short version of the paper is If parked and a lightning storm is nearby, make sure the RV jacks are retracted and the shore power lines are disconnected and stored.

In the USA, central Florida experiences some 10-15 lightning strikes per sq. km./yr. Over the entire year, the highest frequency of cloud-to-ground lightning is in Florida between Tampa and Orlando. This is due to the presence, on many days during the year, of large moisture content in the atmosphere at low levels (below 5,000 feet), as well as high surface temperatures that produce strong sea breezes along the Florida coasts. The Rocky Mountain west has about two-thirds this activity. Half of the casualties of lightning strikes occur in open fields. The most common situation for a lightning death or injury in Florida was found NOT to be in the heaviest rain area with lots of flashes, but after or before the time when rain and lightning was the most intense. Essentially, the most dangerous times occur from a weak storm without too many flashes, at the edge of a larger storm, or early or late in the life of a storm. Much of a storm's lightning remains within the clouds, leaping from the negatively charged bottom of the clouds to the positively charged top. When an object on the ground, such as a tree, building or an RV, becomes positively charged, the lightning sparks to the ground. A bolt of lightning can be as great as 15 million volts.


Recreation Vehicles and Lightning What happens when lightning strikes a recreation vehicle? The answer, gleaned from anecdotal observations, is all the way from "nothing" to "Wow ! What a mess. . . my RV is a disaster." I have determined that few, if any, RVs get struck while mobile. They are mostly vulnerable when connected to shore power and/or when they have their jacks deployed without at least five inches of wood or some other insulator between the jacks and ground. I have noted that RVs are more susceptible to damage from induced lightning surges when connected to shore power and lightning hits nearby transformers. According to the NLSI, lightning's median amplitude is assumed to be about 20,000 Amps. Typically, a metal plate 3/16 inch thick will not be penetrated by that high of a current.


Some general recommendations for RV users include: If parked, make sure the RV jacks are retracted and the shore power lines are stored and disconnected. Do not store your power cable under your RV. Retract and store all deployed antenna. Disconnect external TV/Satellite antenna wiring. Reported incidents and related injuries make it clear that a person inside a fully enclosed metal vehicle must not be touching metallic objects connected to the outside of the vehicle. Door and window handles, radio dials, CB microphones, gearshifts, steering wheels and other inside-to-outside metal objects should be left alone during close-in lightning events. I suggest pulling off to the side of the road in a safe manner, turning on the emergency blinkers, turning off the engine, putting one's hands in one's lap, and waiting out the storm. Do not wash hands or take a shower during a storm. Do not get close to electrical appliances such as the TV or plug in laptop PCs. In no circumstances, during close-in lightning, should the passengers attempt to step off the RV to the ground in an attempt to find another shelter. Very dangerous Step Voltage and Touch Voltage situations are created when a "dual pathway to ground" is created. Lightning voltages will attempt to equalize and they may go through a person in order to do so. Do not get on the roof of your RV when a storm is nearby! Don't be an isolated tall object, and don't be connected to anything that may be an isolated tall object.
To further lower your odds, don't park your RV near the tallest trees or utility poles. Rubber tires provide zero safety from lightning. After all, lightning has traveled for miles through the sky: four or five inches of rubber are no insulation whatsoever. People should get into a safe shelter. If not possible, make sure all windows are closed and the "hands on laps" rule is observed. If you can't get to a safer location, avoid the most dangerous locations and activities. Avoid higher elevations, wide-open areas, tall isolated objects, and water-related activities. Avoid unprotected open structures like picnic pavilions, and rain shelters."

We hope that you take away some helpful information - thanks to the South East Trek Fun Club for this info from their web site...

Will we ever leave Florida?

Memorial Day weekend and the park finally got some life back. We were perfectly positioned- by the water slide and the mochachinno cart. Kids and bikes and lots of trailers.

We were looking forward to our departure on Sunday morning- it was just time to leave the Crusher. We got everything slid in, tanks drained, the jacks were up and the GPS was programmed. John wanted to start the engine—and I saw his face fall as the horns blared and the engine would not turn over. We pulled out the phone lists and started calling—trying to find anyone to answer the phone on a Sunday on a holiday weekend. We finally got to a technician at Cummins who could only guess that it was probably the “ECM” (translation- the engine computer….real translation-$$$$$$). Our only option was to set up a tow truck to get us to the closest Cummins dealership—in Ocala, 50 miles away. We opted to set up the tow truck for Tuesday morning. No sense spending the rest of the weekend in the Cummins parking lot – or being the entertainment for all of the campers as we are being towed out.
Tuesday finally came, the weekend campers were gone and we were alone at Rock Crusher again. We got up at 7 AM to call Good Sam Emergency Road Service and were told that the tow company would be there within the hour. After emphasizing the we are a 45 foot motorhome- and that they needed to find a company with equipment capable of towing a 50,000 pound vehicle, we waited…and waited… We got their automated call to confirm that service was complete—and still no word from the tow company. Back on the phone to Good Sam, they checked with the tow company…an hour delay. We once again asked them to confirm that the tow truck could handle our motorhome. No problem… At 10:00, we finally heard from the tow company- the driver was on the way. We asked about the truck and it’s ability to tow our motorhome. They hadn’t been told anything about towing a 45’ motorhome- and didn’t have any equipment to do it. So, three hours later and we were back to square one. The service group at Cummins in Ocala (where we were being towed) gave us the name of Revis Towing- and said that they were the only company in the area that could handle our motorhome. We called Good Sam and gave them that info—but they wouldn’t even listen. They insisted that they had another company available- and if we didn’t accept that company, we were on our own. Well, one thing we will be doing after all this- GETTING RID OF GOOD SAM EMERGENCY ROAD SERVICE. What a joke they are – they are probably a fine company for towing travel trailers and fifth wheels- but they don’t have a clue about what it takes to tow a motorhome.
So, we called Revis and within an hour, a 60,000 pound truck was at our site.

According to our new friend, Chris, this monster truck is the only truck that can tow a 50,000 pound motorhome- and the only one available in Central Florida.

It was quite a feat--it took this 3 tour Iraq War vet about 3 hours to get the motorhome ready to tow (with John helping). He had to disconnect the 200 pound drive shaft--located UNDERNEATH the engine.

He had to secure the front axle on a massive hydraulic boom. After the 3 hour connect time, we still had an hour drive to the Cummins dealership in Ocala (about 60 miles away) --just in time to watch this guy back his truck with our coach attached into the Cummins maintenance bay.

We got the diagnosis - evidently it was caused by the lighting stike that hit about 2 feet from our motorhome and 4 feet from the window that John was looking out. The discharge from the strike fried one of the computers that control the engine. So, we were "homeless". We found the closest motel- the pet friendly "Red Roof Inn". We were told that, unlike most of the other smelly, moldy trucker motel rooms in the area, this one was relatively new and still smell free. We splurged the following day and upgraded to the "King Inclusive" room that gave us Wi-Fi access.
Time passes so slowly – we had our motel breakfast and would amble over to check on the progress at Cummins – find some place for lunch – go back to Cummins… We were SO bored. Finally on Thursday afternoon, the engine started, the test drive was done and we were good to go (more or less- we still had an ABS light flashing- but the dealership didn’t have the diagnostic tool to check it), cruise control wasn’t working – but the coach was drivable. We got ready to leave – at last. But our nightmare wasn’t over—the backup camera was in-op. Our hearts sank- especially when we were told that we’d have to go to a Newmar dealership to get the camera fixed. So, we were off to Orlando to Independence RV.
On Friday, we drove to Orlando and discovered that not only has the lightning knocked out our backup camera- but also our step motor. $762.00 later- and we were drivable again—still with an ABS problem, but we had our “get out of Florida” card. It was 2PM and we were going to drive as far as we could away from Florida. We made it to the southern edge of Savannah that night. The next day, we were heading north- making our way to Salem, MA.

A drive to Wisconsin

We celebrated John’s birthday a day early—dinner at the Havana House, with Chloe at her appointed seat. On his birthday, it was packing day. In hot, humid Florida, packing is a real chore, but we finally finished up and made it an early bedtime—with a 6:30 planned start the next morning. Right on time, we were off with clear skies. The weather forecast for the entire drive wasn’t great- lots of rain forecast, but we lucked out on day one and got into Athens, AL at 4:30. We had a little happy hour in the motel then found a local restaurant for dinner. I was out by 9:00 while Mom stayed up to watch the finale of Grey’s Anatomy.
Up the next morning at 5:30, breakfast at 6:00 and we were on the road again. We had great weather for most of the trip- until the last hour. With 60 miles to go, the skies poured on us. We made a brief stop, thought about calling it quits for the day—then the rain let up and we decided to give it a shot. We finally made it to Mendota, IL and it was freezing! Cold, damp and chilly. The hotel clerk told us to give the truckstop/restaurant across the road a try for dinner. They had a buffet and menu option. What she didn’t tell us about was the side-show we’d have watching the largest people in the world gorging themselves on the buffet. We were amazed at the never ending parade of really big people. We were truly in mid-America.
Our last day- a shorter drive – and we made it to Lake Viola at 1:30. We got the car unpacked and thought we were ahead of the game…until, we found that the furnace wasn’t turning on. With a forecast of freezing weather for the night, we were depressed. It was Saturday night and we had to try to find a repairman. We finally found someone willing to come out – it was a process of bleeding the air out of the lines. While he worked, we stopped at the hamburger bar and picked up some burgers for dinner.
With 3 days to go, we attacked the boxes room by room and by Tuesday afternoon, we were all done and it was feeling like “home” again. On Wednesday- it was a nuclear start—we had to be in Rice Lake by 6:45 am for me to catch the shuttle to the MSP airport. It was an uneventful trip—just lots of spare time in the airport. We arrived at the airport at 8:30 and the flight didn’t take off until 12;55. Memories of those awful travel days when we were working….unending hours at the airport. We finally took off, had a minor maintenance issue keeping us on the runway for 20 minutes, and had a nice flight- until we hit Florida. The thunderstorms bounced the plane like an amusement park ride and it was a white-knuckled ride all the way into Orlando. Then, I still had 2 hours of drive time to get home. Rock Crusher never looked so good.

Cruising the Hall's River

We made it back from Orange Beach to Florida- with Jean declaring that Alabama was now her favorite U.S. state! The Gulf Shores were a surprise for all of us--it was one of the highlights of our trip. We were fortunate to have a few days to "chill out" before the Brits left for home. The weather was still sunny and beautiful so we decided to rent a pontoon for the afternoon.

Gordon was designated Captain for the day and we headed off, exploring the Hall's River. After our crazed schedule the past few weeks, it was great to drift along and relax.

The Florabama Annual Mullet Toss!

Jean's Florabama journal...


Today was the day of the Annual Florabama Mullet Toss. The bar, the Florabama, is apparently right on the Florida/Alabama border, hence the name, and thousands of people congregate there to throw dead mullets across the border from one State to the other.



They also come to show off their silicone boobs, sunbathe and get drunk, though fortunately not in the morning which is when we went. In view of the crowds, we parked up and took a tram to the venue which was driven by a huge woman who apparently used to drive an 18-wheeler truck. She was a character and in her deep Southern drawl told us about when she was asked to deliver something to a prison. She agreed to go but only if it was a man's prison - "If I'm gonna get raped, it ain't gonna be by no woman!"

The Mullet Toss itself was badly organised and there was a lot of hanging around for them to begin but it was all good humoured and the entertainment - folk singers and the likes - was brilliant and a right laugh. Not to be missed!
The entertainment was pure redneck "Bama"- with tunes like, "She put a Louisiana liplock on my Alabama porkchop", "No one can make love like my Sister can", "She Cut the Cheese", Tequila makes my clothes fall off", "Made love to your mother", and "Critter up my sh**tter". Needless to say, the boys and I loved the music.. The "posh" one, Jean, was appalled.

The rest of the day and evening was spent lazily. We made friends with a newcomer parked on the site and ate a Greek salad, courtesy of Gordon.

Fresh shrimp and good friends

Jean's journal continues...
Another baking hot day. After an early rising but a lazy start, we drove to an outlet mall as I wanted some perfume. John & Debs dropped us off as they wanted to visit another store. This place was huge but several of the outlets had closed and there were very few customers around - America is really feeling the effects of the recession.

After a disappointing lunch, we drove to where the fishing boats come in and bought about 10 pounds of very fresh shrimps

'

After freezing some, Gordon prepared the rest with chilli and garlic which we ate with more roasted vegetables. A quiet night for a change.