VE1BC Spud Roscoe


The 2011 Trip
*Part 14 Wills Point, Texas*
Monday December 13th, 2010 We got up at 0730 and I turned on a Scout radio. I had it tuned to the TPN and I could hear them. I could hear them enough to understand Dave, VE2EDB, the net control. So why not? I will never be able to carry on much of a conversation. VE2OL (I believe it was) heard me and told Dave he heard me and gave him my call sign including the /W5 and asked me if I had something for the net. I gave them my position and heard that they had it okay. I called it quits then. A great feeling to know my little Ten-Tec Scout could reach them. It is a nice sunny morning and looks like another nice day. Now to get ready and get on the road. We brought down the HF antenna and stowed it and the ladder. We untangled and coiled up our extension cord that needed it badly and got ready to go. Joan stood in the road and made sure no one was coming and I backed across the road and dumped the grey tank. Still no Bob so we left him a note and took off at 0957. The truck thermometer recorded 31F but it felt warmer than that. We pulled into the propane outlet at Ruston 38 kilometres down the road and I failed to record the time. They filled both 30 pound bottles and charged me as though both were empty. The one we had been using still had propane but the guy said he did not know how much. This happens a lot and is another tourist rip off as far as I am concerned. We left Ruston west bound on the I-20 and drove to Colfax, Texas, and pulled in for diesel. My U.S. Dollar credit card worked. Or did it? It pumped $75.00 of diesel it said was 23.893 gallons and quit. The pump had nothing written in its window and failed to produce a sales slip. Another damn tourist rip off and one wonders what that bill will bring. There were too many black guys bigger than me around there so I simply left. The truck read a full tank and worked fine so it received good diesel. A straight truck pulled out from filling as I drove in so one had to assume it was okay and three or four large 18-wheelers came and went while we were there. We departed the Shell station and failed to record the time again. We drove another 24 kilometres to Wills Point, Texas, and pulled into the Canton I-20 RV Park for the night at 1416. The truck thermometer read 51F but had been up near 59F in places along the I-20. This gave us 371 kilometres for the days run. It was a beautiful sunny drive with sunglasses all the way. We did not take a photograph so have none to put on here. There were several people sitting outside their RV here in the park. The thermometer reads in the fifties but it feels warmer and I set up including the HF antenna in shirt sleeves. This is another great park. Rick and Karen Tanner own and operate it. Karen told us Rick is in Afghanistan with the Army in an engineer outfit. They advertise the park as animal friendly and to bring your horse, dog or whatever you have. She wanted to know if we had a horse in this rig. I guess this will always be recognized as a horse trailer. We arrived at 2:16 PM as stated and it is now 5:40 PM and we still have not been able to transmit anything via e-mail. If the human race has created anything more frustrating to operate than a computer I would hate to know what it is. That should read I would hate to have to operate it. Whatever it is. Joan had been doing laundry while I tried to send an e-mail. While she was trying to send an e-mail I had a chat with Stan, KZ8G, in Michigan to learn the temperature there is 10F and lots of snow. Joan has the little Christmas tree that Ron gave us set up and a Christmas CD playing on the stereo. Karen lives in a trailer here in the park across from our number 7 site. She has it well decorated for Christmas and it looks very nice. It will soon be bed time and still no e-mail. They have their own internet hook up at Arizona and we intend to get one on arrival. Apparently it works much better than trying to use this wifi or whatever it is.

Click HERE to email Spud

Monday December 13th, 2010

We got up at 0730 and I turned on a Scout radio. I had it tuned to the TPN and I could hear them. I could hear them enough to understand Dave, VE2EDB, the net control. So why not? I will never be able to carry on much of a conversation. VE2OL (I believe it was) heard me and told Dave he heard me and gave him my call sign including the /W5 and asked me if I had something for the net. I gave them my position and heard that they had it okay. I called it quits then. A great feeling to know my little Ten-Tec Scout could reach them.

It is a nice sunny morning and looks like another nice day. Now to get ready and get on the road. We brought down the HF antenna and stowed it and the ladder. We untangled and coiled up our extension cord that needed it badly and got ready to go. Joan stood in the road and made sure no one was coming and I backed across the road and dumped the grey tank. Still no Bob so we left him a note and took off at 0957. The truck thermometer recorded 31F but it felt warmer than that.

We pulled into the propane outlet at Ruston 38 kilometres down the road and I failed to record the time. They filled both 30 pound bottles and charged me as though both were empty. The one we had been using still had propane but the guy said he did not know how much. This happens a lot and is another tourist rip off as far as I am concerned.

We left Ruston west bound on the I-20 and drove to Colfax, Texas, and pulled in for diesel. My U.S. Dollar credit card worked. Or did it? It pumped $75.00 of diesel it said was 23.893 gallons and quit. The pump had nothing written in its window and failed to produce a sales slip. Another damn tourist rip off and one wonders what that bill will bring. There were too many black guys bigger than me around there so I simply left. The truck read a full tank and worked fine so it received good diesel. A straight truck pulled out from filling as I drove in so one had to assume it was okay and three or four large 18-wheelers came and went while we were there.

We departed the Shell station and failed to record the time again. We drove another 24 kilometres to Wills Point, Texas, and pulled into the Canton I-20 RV Park for the night at 1416. The truck thermometer read 51F but had been up near 59F in places along the I-20.

This gave us 371 kilometres for the days run. It was a beautiful sunny drive with sunglasses all the way. We did not take a photograph so have none to put on here. There were several people sitting outside their RV here in the park. The thermometer reads in the fifties but it feels warmer and I set up including the HF antenna in shirt sleeves. This is another great park. Rick and Karen Tanner own and operate it. Karen told us Rick is in Afghanistan with the Army in an engineer outfit. They advertise the park as animal friendly and to bring your horse, dog or whatever you have. She wanted to know if we had a horse in this rig. I guess this will always be recognized as a horse trailer.

We arrived at 2:16 PM as stated and it is now 5:40 PM and we still have not been able to transmit anything via e-mail. If the human race has created anything more frustrating to operate than a computer I would hate to know what it is. That should read I would hate to have to operate it. Whatever it is.

Joan had been doing laundry while I tried to send an e-mail. While she was trying to send an e-mail I had a chat with Stan, KZ8G, in Michigan to learn the temperature there is 10F and lots of snow.

Joan has the little Christmas tree that Ron gave us set up and a Christmas CD playing on the stereo. Karen lives in a trailer here in the park across from our number 7 site. She has it well decorated for Christmas and it looks very nice.

It will soon be bed time and still no e-mail. They have their own internet hook up at Arizona and we intend to get one on arrival. Apparently it works much better than trying to use this wifi or whatever it is.