Magnolia Beach

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Solar Charging WOW

I was down about 15AH when I woke up this morning at 7:00. We had full sun promised for the next week and I needed to charge my laptop. I was doubtful I’d get anywhere near a full charge today, but figured that with the forecast ahead, there was no need to run the engine this morning to give the solar panels a boost.

With the time change, I didn’t start to get much of a charge until well past 8AM. By 11AM, I was down more than 20AH and still wasn’t seeing a positive charge coming in, not even when I turned off the inverter.

I stopped for lunch at 1:00 and was amazing to see that I was now 16.4AH down! In the 20 minutes I took to eat, I saw myself gain a full AH. But that still left me right where I was in the morning.

When I next checked the monitor at 3:00… I got a FULL message! My batteries were charged to maximum capacity!

So it looks like my theory about how the battery monitor works is correct. The amps coming in are only the amps at that moment and every so often, the monitor adds up those amps and adjusts the AH metre up or down as appropriate rather than adjusting the readings in real time.

So the only reading that is truly relevant at any moment is the AH status, and then I can check the amps screen to see if the AH are going to trend up or downwards.

At any rate, full batteries, YAY! Not that I’ve been lacking for power, not by a long shot, but it’s good for the batteries to get a full charge regularly.

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All By Myself

L just pulled out a few minutes ago. I know a few people still here, but not in any sort of close fashion. It’ll be strange to be alone for a full week. Isn’t that something? The norm for me is to be alone with almost no social calendar whatsoever. I’m sure I’ll get back into my groove shortly.

It looks like it will be a gorgeous and sunny last week here on the beach. Of course, they are calling for thundershowers next Monday! Oh, well, as long as it’s just grey and not pouring out, it’ll be a good day to leave.

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Lots ‘o Seafood

L beat me soundly at shuffleboard this afternoon, then we headed into Port Lavaca for one last meal together at Bayside Seafood. Thank you again!

This time, I did not want a deep fried meal, so I chose their grilled platter. It didn’t include the stuffed crab I had so enjoyed the last time, so L insisted that we add the stuffed crab meal meal to our order. Boy was that a lot of seafood!

My grilled plate was incredibly delicious and I’m glad I went with that instead of my original idea of having just the crab. It came with a big piece of delicately seasoned catfish, three big toothsome shrimp, three juicy scallops, a few oysters, dirty rice, and a nice big mound of veggies (squash, onions, broccoli, and red pepper). I do have to say that I have decided I do not and never will like oysters. Or rather, I’ll eat oysters if they are on my plate, but I am not going to seek them out.

The stuffed crabs were even better than the last time! I wound up taking one home with half my catfish and a pile of fries, so I will have a nice lunch tomorrow.

But we weren’t done. L insisted on my ordering dessert if I wanted it and the ‘Turtle mousse cake’ had caught my eye. It was just the right size to end the meal with, especially after L had a sliver and deemed it not be to his liking as he is not a big chocolate fan.

I feel replete, but since I did not have a ton of batter and grease, I am not stuffed!

I’m so glad that I’ve had a chance to partake of the local oceanic delicacies this winter.

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The Calm After the Storm

I awoke to rain that quickly changed to a roaring thunderstorm that whipped the rig badly. The upshot of it is that it cleaned my windows  nicely! The sky has been gradually clearing and I’m hopeful we will get the promised clear skies tomorrow so that I can get my batteries fully recharged (they’re at 94% right now, 15AH down, so power is not a concern!).

I was happy to have an excuse to stay in today and worked contentedly on my ebook and cross-stitch project, a sharp contrast to the restlessness I felt yesterday.

This evening, L and I are heading out for one last game of shuffleboard and then a seafood dinner. I should check in with him and make sure our clocks say the same thing. This has definitely been the least brutal spring time change of my life, since I’m not on a schedule.

When I booked my stay in San Antonio, the 18th felt so far away. Now, I have only one week left on the beach!

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Cabin Fever

Today was a bit of a down day. The weather wasn’t great and the wind picked up in mid afternoon. I witnessed my wisp of a neighbour open her house door and literally fly out of the rig, holding onto the door for dear life! When I had to go out a few moments later, I made sure to exit through the cab!

It’s rare that I have a day where I don’t know what to do with myself at home, and this was one of them. I worked on my book, did some housekeeping, played my recorder, and tried to sit down with a movie and some embroidery. Nothing kept my attention.

I finally decided to just head into town to pick up a few things, coming home with all the fixings for a cozy night at home: a pizza, ice cream, and Liam Neeson (I had beer at home!). I had just finished dessert and the movie (Unknown) was getting good when there came a knock at the door. I knew what that meant!

A few minutes later, L and I were on our way to Indianola for a couple of beers and some live music. He’d also been hit by a wave of cabin fever! We had a good time chatting and watching some kids reel in fish. We didn’t stay long, just enough to shake away some of the blues. I am going to have such fond memories of that pier in my old age.