July 4: Heat Wave Ending

I am enjoying the thunderstorm that’s ending the heat wave that had drained me. I am not enjoying the country’s 250th anniversary. With temperatures in the high 90s, I cancelled plans for everything except watching the full moon rise, a physical therapy appointment, and a trip to the garage to fix the coolant system that made driving unsafe, especially in the heat. (The same coolant system that was “fixed” in Georgia.)

A coven sister drove us to Old Lyme to see the full moon rise on June 29. For the first time in several trips, we scored at the Book Barn. I might have found more books had the metaphysical section not been in a trailer without air conditioning. I scored two tops at Tumbleweeds, had another wonderful meal at Black Sheep Tavern, and watched the reddest moon I’ve ever seen rise over Long Island Sound.

I am attempting physical therapy to avoid knee replacements. The therapist thankfully modified exercises to accommodate life in Karmalita, but I am still recovering from the session.

The low coolant warning light began coming on again, and although I’d add coolant before several short trips, the warning came on by the time I reached my destination. I spend a night in the garage parking lot waiting for parts to arrive the next morning. It was 93 degrees on the bus when they plugged me in so I could run the AC without sun on my panels. About 10pm I was moved to check the Victron app on my phone only to learn I only had about 12% power left. Brett guided me from Georgia, and it turned out no electricity was flowing through the cord plugged into the side of the building. A voltage meter would have been handy, but I turned to one of only two things I have on board with a plug that are moveable – my air fryer. I carried it outside, plugging it into the cord, then into the outlet. (It is now added to the list of substitute tools: butter knives for a screw driver and Candie’s wooden slide sandals whose heal was a hammer.) As panic rose, I searched for another outlet, and blessed be, found one with a cord that reached my hookup with about two feet to spare.

The sister whose driveway I have parked in every year since launching retired and Wednesday she moved to Pennsylvania. Thankfully, her daughter and her husband who moved into the house consider me family and so I am allowed to stay on. About the only thing I’ve done on these hot days is beginning work on “pocket fold ups.” I made 15 as Litha gifts and kinda went crazy when the idea formed to make more for Samhain and Yule with the hopes of selling them. The picture shows my Temu order delivered today. I have another cases full of items I’ve already gathered. The biggest problems are I have no place to store it all, and only a small table to work on … a table Sunshine claims for naps.