Grandson Fix - QC84-01

October 3, 2008 (Fri) Home to Fayetteville, NY (298/298 miles) - Packing for this short trip wasn't bad, probably because we had the experience of our August trip. Then things fell apart. Q's battery was dead - flat dead. Turning the key to the start position produced a whirring sound some where in the dash where lights flickered weakly but no starter sound - not even a click. Thanking the Chinook designers for thinking to provide a switch to connect the starter to the house batteries, we got Q started and we were one our way (54° high clouds). Well not quite. Before we'd gone a mile we discovered that we'd forgotten Hildene. We went back. We made it almost two miles into our second start when Mark discovered that he didn't have his glasses. No need to go back this time because he has an extra pair in Q for just such emergencies.

Garden State Parkway north. Our first stop was at Trader Joe's on Rt 17 in Paramus, NJ - just a few goodies. Q complained but started but when we stopped for gas a couple of miles on up the road, he complained louder. He started but wouldn't rev over idle speed - much to the irritation of the traffic behind us! We made it to a Walmart parking lot - the engine finally kicked in and ran properly - where Mark checked to water level in the battery - low but only slightly. After lunch at a nearby Wendy's and a boost from the house batteries we got back on the road at about 12:45pm.

A light rain accompanied us most of the rest of the way but stopped a little before we got to Fayetteville. Shane and Dave were out shopping so Jennifer was left to greet us alone. We backed Q onto the lawn where he would spend the weekend and powered down - glad we'd had no more problems.

October 4, 2008 (Sat) Fayetteville, NY (2) - We went apple picking today. Back in grade school we were taught that one of New York States products was (is) apples. At the time this was just one of those obscure useless facts that cluttered our memories and threatened to be the cause of an unpleasant report card if we failed to recall it at the right time. Since, and especially today, we found it to be interestingly true. As we all drove out to Shane's (4 years old) favorite apple orchard - favorite because it has things for him to do in addition to picking apples - we passed many orchards with big signs inviting us to stop in and pick our own. The apple of the day at our orchard, and perhaps others as well, was the Empire. It is a red apple very similar in taste and texture as the more widely know Granny Smith. We filled up a bag with 16 pounds of them and ate a couple along the way. Shane helped his mom and dad - he especially liked climbing the ladder to get them - sampling now and then. He'd take a bit or two of an apple then toss it away. Later he enjoyed age appropriate amusements, although all for kids, such as a bubble bounce (giant inflated jack-o-lantern with inflated floor) and a donkey ride.

Dave fixed a wonderful roast pork dinner to conclude the day.

Q045652 Dave and Jennifer's yard (x2)
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October 5, 2008 (Sun) Fayetteville, NY to Home (297/595 miles) - We got off for home at about 10:00 (clear sky 49°). Q needed a boot start - the battery was so dead that we needed the key to unlock the doors - but started without help or hesitation the rest of the way home. Problem or no problem? Don't know!

The trip was routine. Stops included for gas and lunch. Traffic was light and except for a couple of cowboys on the Garden State Parkway, easy on the nerves. We got home at about 4:00.

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