Gratitude Monday–Bursting With Thanks Edition

 The cold water valve in our RPOD burst.  After reviewing a few choices including using it without running water or giving it away my husband decided to fix it himself.
He insisted far and wide he was no good with plumbing and noted the area he had to work in was tight. After plenty of consideration and muttering he decided to replace several pipes and parts.
It took a few hours and involved buying rings and valves and pipes and a crimper, but he did it. The replacement parts are of superior quality to the original cheap plastic. We tested it. No leaks, and the pump cut in and out as it should.
His determination saved us hundreds of dollars, incalculable frustration, and the use of  the RPOD next weekend as opposed to next month if we'd taken it away to be fixed.
I am grateful my husband has fixed our  RPOD.

Gratitude Monday --Water Water Everywhere

Would you drink this water?

We had a glorious time camping on the long weekend.
We learned a great deal about out RPOD including how long a full tank of fresh water lasts.
By Sunday we were down to one-third of a tank. I believe it holds 35 litres (9.24 gal. US or 7.69 CAN) and we had an extra 20 litre jug of filtered drinking water with us so we weren't in any danger, but still, one needs tap water.
The North Saskatchewan River/Abraham Lake was  a few feet away. It's the river that supplies the drinking water for Rocky Mountain House and that means the only difference between the sparkling waters before us and what we had in the tank was a whole whack of chemicals that rendered it fit for human consumption.
We had a two gallon bucket for collecting the water. We needed a funnel to get in into the tank.
A Coke bottle* and a sharp knife solved that problem and we filled it to two-thirds. We needed a bucket or two extra the next day, but that was fine. We were low enough on drinking water that we boiled some of it to mix our instant porridge and Mike had some to drink.
We were fine. We drank the Coke to make sure. That's why we had it.
I am grateful for the camping adventure, grateful that fresh water is plentiful in this country, and especially grateful that when presented with a problem we found a quick viable solution.

*Let the record show the Coke bottle as funnel was my idea. Coca-Cola Ltd. has not told me to talk up its product nor its usefulness, nor am I being compensated in any way for my above claims. If the Co. would like to compensate me, then I am woman enough to accept. 

Gratitude Monday - Helping Friends

Yesterday one of my husband's friends came by and winterized our RPOD for us.
My husband is away working. He'll be home briefly on Friday to take said RPOD in for a safety recall to put some lights on it.  It'll stay at the shop for a week or two until he can get back in to Red Deer to collect it.
I did what I could to the trailer, but I have neither the physical strength nor the right wrench to open the hot water valve, and neither do I know how to pump anti-freeze through the pipes.
The friend stopped by and took care of it in about 10 minutes. I watched, I fetched, I tried to learn, and I am very grateful.