Storage Idea For Batteries

Today's blog is going to be short and sweet.  Recently I saw a great idea on Facebook.  It was a Good Housekeeping post with organizational tips.  They showed how to store batteries in a clear tacklebox.  I thought that would be an easy project, so we took a trip to the lumber store.  Actually we were going there anyway for some other things.  It so happened they had a plastic latching stowaway box in the perfect size.  It was also on sale for $5.83.  When we got home, we gathered all of our batteries.  Most of them were stored in a drawer in the original packaging.  Some had fallen out of the package and were laying loose in the drawer.

Since the compartments in the box are adjustable, they can be placed to fit each size battery.  When we were done, all the batteries were in one place.  It was amazing to me that all of our batteries fit in the box with a lot of room to spare.  Now when we are running low on a size, we can see it at a glance.

The post had all the batteries labeled, but I don't think that would be necessary.  It is pretty obvious which is which.

Latched and ready to put on a shelf.  No more digging for the right sized battery.

Spring and Summer Will Come Eventually

We know Spring will come eventually and stay, but right now it seems we are taking one step forward and two steps back.  Today is no exception.  It is cold and rainy.  I guess we should feel fortunate it is raining and not snowing as it is in the northern part of Wisconsin.  Some years it is this cold in May so I shouldn't complain, but I still want it somewhat warmer.  I would be happy with sunny days and temperatures in the 60's.  I don't think that is too much to ask.

We have a lot of work to do outside.  We need to clean out all the flower beds, pick up sticks and rake hundreds of pine cones.  With the strong winds we have had, there are even more sticks and pine cones to deal with.  Even the birds are patiently waiting to nest.  The male bluebirds arrived several weeks ago, but now the female is also here.  She is just sitting around and waiting.

I don't know where this pair spends the day, but every morning and evening they hang out near the birdhouses.  Once in a while another bird tries to check out the property, but the bluebirds quickly chase them away.

Our pond is fully flooded so the number of ducks we have seen is less than usual.  I think there is so much water in the area for them to swim and feed, they are spread out this year.

Maybe when the weather improves we will have more wildlife visitors, but for now we are only seeing the more common ducks, birds and animals.  

The blue winged teal.

We have a lot of geese.

Wood ducks are looking for nesting spots.  This is a female wood duck.

The yuckiness continued this past weekend.  A couple years ago we purchased an older model RV.  We had planned on taking my dad with us on adventures and thought it would be easier for him than staying in motel rooms.  He was excited to try camping.

We tried to rig up a comfortable sleeping space for him, but it never happened.  Now that he is gone, we thought we either need to sell the camper or use it.  We decided to give it a try.  If we don't like it, we will sell it and move on to other things.  Last weekend we decided to open up the camper and get it ready.  It will be warm sooner or later.  

Oh lordy.  We opened it up after winter storage and at first we were pleased to see no sign of mice.  We had heard horror stories of mice taking over campers during the winter.  My elation came to a halt when I saw the area over the cab was leaking.  Water was running down the window and soaking into the mattress of the over the cab sleeping area.  Now we have to figure out where the leak is coming from.  We got some help from friends.  It seems the leak is from some aging caulking on the roof.  The first step is to fix the damage.  The mattress got thrown away and the insulation and plywood removed.  They will have to be replaced later.

Right now we are running fans and making sure the area is perfectly dry.  My husband put some temporary caulk in place until the weather warms and a more permanent solution can be accomplished.  

Notice he is caulking with his winter coat and hat on.  BRRRR!

So here we are.  Old people taking on a new venture.  We know nothing about camping, but we are willing to learn.  It may be comical at times.  At least I won't be sleeping on the ground or walking a mile to the toilet.  Stay tuned for further adventures, if they aren't too embarrassing.