Preparing the Motorhome for Rainy Season

 And My Window Valance Repair

Jon Caulked Every Place 

Water Could Enter 

The rainy season is due to start in May, maybe early June. This will be the third summer we have owned Minnie Winnie. She hasn't leaked yet, and we want it to stay that way. 

First, Jon Removed Old Caulking

Sitting on a Stool was Perfect for Low Work

Jon is very detailed in his work and has to battle himself not to be too much of a perfectionist. Even in this 85-degree humid weather, he put in seven to eight-hour days for six days! So much for boogie boarding this week.🥺

Jon Found This Clear Caulking is the Best

Jon discovered it was worth the time to tape the lines to be caulked about 1/16+ inch away from the seam, with blue masking tape on the RV body. After applying this clear caulking, he dipped his finger in denatured alcohol, wiped away excess product, and smoothed the line. He removed the masking tape right afterward, leaving a perfectly caulked seam.

Anyone would be proud of the clean job, especially a guy with Parkinson's disease. Shaky hands and muscle cramps made the work difficult, but Jon loves a challenge!

My Window Valance Repair Project

I don't handle the heat as well, so I attacked my window valance repair project. The previous owner's cats shredded all three bedroom window valances.

Time to Fix Bedroom Window #2

First Step: Strip the Foam and Fabric

Taping the Remaining Fabric and 

Valance Cords is Finished

Two Coats of Paint and the Tape Stripped

Looks Good to Me!

Mother's Day in Lo de Marcos was fun! Jon bought flowers for me from a street vendor who was walking by the RV Park. Since we're camping, I had to improvise for a vase. What a wonderful husband!❤️

Mother's Day Flowers from Jon

We celebrated Mother's Day twice. México's Mother's Day was Saturday and the U.S.'s was Sunday. Well, we celebrate every day! I'm grateful for our health and life in México.

Lunch While Camping in Lo de Marcos

Dinner at Oscar's in Lo de Marcos

Thank you for reading 📚 my books and blog articles. I would love to get a few reviews on Just Another Manic Moment: A Novel during May, Mental Health Awareness month. See the book cover in the right margin👉. Click the cover to download it on Amazon, free with KindleUnlimited.

Terry L Turrell, Author 

Planning a Road Trip and 💙 Parkinson’s Awareness Month-April 2024 Newsletter

 My Healthy Living and Traveling in Mexico Newsletter

Has Been Published!

Jon and I spent the weeks before and after Easter in La Peñita de Jaltemba. It was a peaceful place to escape the busy tourist period. We stayed in our motorhome at The Little Rigs RV Park on a quiet stretch of the beach and loved it!

Working on the motorhome has been good for Jon—he loves the projects. We’re almost ready for a road trip! We’ve been working hard to prepare the old Minnie Winnie for a drive to Mazatlan and El Fuerte. We plan to take El Chepe, the Copper Canyon train trip, and some tours in the canyon. 

Read more of the April 2024 newsletter HERE.

Follow our road trip adventure on my Healthy Living and Traveling in Mexico Facebook page. I'll post about it while we're on our way.

Terry L Turrell, Author

And Her Husband, Jonathan

I Treated the RV Ceiling Water Stains—What a Challenge, But It Worked Beautifully!

 That Was A Nasty Water Stain!

How Will I Get That Out? It Surrounded the Skylight!

After Jon had replaced the cracked skylight, it was time to treat the water stains on the motorhome shower ceiling. That was my job, and I was nervous about ruining the carpet-like fabric on the ceiling.

I watched several YouTube videos and tested a 1:1 bleach and water solution in a corner of the shower ceiling. The dark stain was so ugly that I figured I couldn’t make it worse. The good news was that it was just a stain--there was no moldy smell.

After taping around the ceiling and applying plastic to protect the wallpaper, I was ready to start. I masked and gloved for protection, then mixed my bleach solution in a spray bottle--1 cup of bleach with 1 cup of water. My first attempt was to apply the solution with a sponge. It was working but was too slow and drippy.

I Sponged 1:1 Bleach Solution onto the RV Ceiling

Next, I tried painting the bleach solution onto the ceiling with foam paintbrushes. It was still too drippy. I also learned to pat and not rub the ceiling to prevent roughing up the texture of the fabric.

I Tried Painting Bleach Solution On With Foam Brushes

Finally, I resorted to blasting the ceiling with the spray bottle of 1:1 bleach solution. When it was wet enough to drip, I stopped spraying and watched. The stains started disappearing before my eyes! A mysterious yellow stain appeared in one spot—I sopped it away with a paper towel.

I Sprayed a 1:1 Bleach Solution on the Stained RV Ceiling

I waited a day for the ceiling to dry and to see if the stains were gone. Nope. The stains were lighter but still visible. I hit it again with the spray bleach solution. It took four treatments over a week before I was satisfied. Jon says it looks as good as new!

The Stains are Gone After Four Treatments!

We’re almost ready for a road trip in our RV! Follow us on my Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/AuthorTerryLTurrell/.

I hope you enjoy reading about our previous road trips and life in Mexico in my Healthy Living in Mexico 5-book Series. It is available in all Amazon markets and is free with Kindle Unlimited membership.

Download on Amazon. com at 

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B078MRHQLQ

Terry L Turrell, Author

Amazon Author Page

𝗠𝗼𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗵𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗥𝗼𝗼𝗳 𝗥𝗲𝗽𝗮𝗶𝗿𝘀 𝗖𝗮𝗻 𝗕𝗲 𝗗𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗿𝗼𝘂𝘀! 𝗘𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗕𝗮𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲-𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗱 𝗣𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲

 So Jon Devised a Safety Climbing Method in Case He Falls

Parkinson's Disease Causes Poor Balance, Making Ladders a Danger

Jonathan has devised a method to climb a ladder safely, even though he has Parkinson’s disease. His balance is affected by PD, so I was worried that he might fall off the ladder. But he is determined to repair the motorhome roof himself—he’s the best repairman! April is Parkinson's Awareness Month, so this story is fitting.

Jon ordered mountain-climbing gear from Amazon. No, he’s not a mountain climber. But with special gear—a harness, two different ropes, carabiners, and a ladder, Jon was determined that he could motorhome-climb to replace the leaky skylight. He spent hours watching YouTube videos and practicing the technique to tie the necessary unique knots. He won’t hit the ground if he falls off the roof or the ladder.

Jon Attaches the Main Rope to the RV Axle

So He Can Sling the Rope Over the RV Roof

On the Opposite Side Where He will be Working

Using A Heavy-Duty Mountain-Climbing Carabiner

Jon Pulls On The Harness and Adjusts for Fit

While Sophie Keeps An Eye on That Scary Ladder

Jon Tested His Mountain-Climbing Knot

To Make Sure it Won't Slip If He Falls

With The Rope Attached to His Harness, Jon Starts

Climbing the Ladder, Sliding the Special Knot Up 

The Main (Red) Rope Every Two Steps

The Hardest Lesson to Learn was that He had to Remove

His Hand From the Special Knot as He Descended or Climbed--

It's a Slip-Knot That Won't Stop a Fall if His Hand is On It!

Jon Scrapes off the Old Caulking Around the Cracked Skylight

The Cracked Shower Skylight Has Been Removed--

No Wonder There Was a Water Leak into the Shower Ceiling!

Jon is Ready to Install the New Skylight

He Sets the New Skylight into Place--Perfect Fit!

The Skylight has been Caulked with Self-Leveling Sealant

Now Jon is Scraping and Cleaning the Roof Gutters, A Big Job

My job is now to bleach the water stain on the shower ceiling. That's another story. It's a good thing Jon caught and replaced the cracked skylight early.

Jon's rope system and harness work so well that I don't feel like I have to be there while he works. If he loses his balance and slips off the ladder, he won't hit the ground. He's a Parkinson's Warrior!

Read more about life with Parkinson's disease in my book Pickle Jar Test: A Novel, available in all Amazon markets. FREE with KindleUnlimited.

Book #2 of 3 in the Series

The Paperback will be Available Soon!

Terry L Turrell, Author

Amazon Author Page