We're growing quite attached to New Jersey and seem to be finding it VERY difficult to leave. However, John & Judy's woodshed seems to be getting a bit low on wood so we better start heading south soon!The Johns put in the new alternator with the extra "something" on it yesterday afternoon. The snow & ice had let up so John G. drove "the beast" all over town picking up goodies (valentine cookies, a movie, etc.) and it ran fine. This morning we load everything in "the beast" and it has the same problem it had two days ago. (Tillie is looking better all the time - so what if she doesn't have heat or a toilet!) This time Cousin John takes "the beast" down the road to the electrical expert... diagnosis - voltage regulator. A new one is expected in this afternoon so we're keeping our fingers crossed.
This may sound unlucky to you, but it turns out it may have been lucky. If we had started out as planned we would have gotten stuck in one of the worst traffic situations ever created. The main road between here and Harrisburg was completely closed down (not expected to clear until this afternoon) which means John & I would have been sitting there for hours with a "flaky" voltage regulator in wind chill temps below zero and probably getting towed. As it is the Johns are entertaining themselves at the shop and Judy & I got to go shopping. Downtown Hackettstown is really kind of fun... especially in comparison to the alternative!
