Author: Jeff Koltoff (Page 1 of 3)

I would rather be in an RV then in the wet city

August 24, 2018 / Jeff Koltoff / 0 Comments

The second weekend away in Chateau Sugaree, our new RV. We were able to capture a spot at our former home away from home – the Delaware Water Gap / Pocono Mountain KOA Holiday. True to form it was a wet weekend. This has been the case just about all summer.

Wet and Wild Ride

Being as we have not secured a “permanent” camping home for Sugaree yet we have been picking her up on Friday afternoon and returning to the storage lot Sunday afternoon. Not that bad, but would love to have a place to go to without the setup and breakdown. This will come in time.

The ride up to East Stroudsburg was a wet and wild ride. Rachel and pugs meet the RV along the PA turnpike and we caravaned up to the KOA. Traffic was heavy but moving. To our West, we could see grey clouds headed our way. As we traveled up route 33 they got closer and darker. We just past the exit for Wind Gap when the rain started. The winds picked up and the rain came down hard. To say it came down in sheets would have been an understatement. You could not see the front of your vehicle, let alone any cars in front of you.

Small branches from trees along the side of the highway broke off and were blown across the road surface. The shoulder of the road is narrow and not a good place for a car to pull over, let alone the RV. Along with the rest of the traffic, we slowed down to about 5 MPH and stayed in the right-hand lane. Before long, the rains eased and we made to our destination with minor periods of lite rain.

Setting up in the rain

It is not fun. That is all I can say.

As we could not get proper alignment of the site we ended up being a little too much to one side of the site. This did not prevent us from hooking up to shore power or the water outlet. We were a little tight to a couple of trees and could not access the sewer connection. The slide had enough room to extend fully, the AC was kicking out cold air, dinner was on the table, and life is good. Tomorrow, weather permitting, we would move the rig to sit in a better position within our campsite.

What to do on a rainy weekend?

As this was our second trip in Chateau Sugaree, we were still in move-in mode. While most things were brought into the rig on our maiden voyage, there were new things to organize and find a proper home. While this did not take too long, it had to be done.

After a long week and a stressful drive in the rainstorm, we spent the rest of the evening relaxing, talking and spending time with the grumble. As we could not sit out by a campfire, we decided to call it an early night. It didn’t take long for the pitter-patter of the rain on the roof to allow us to fall fast asleep.

Saturday morning came and fortunately, the rain was taking a break. This allowed us to get the dogs out for a morning potty run before breakfast. After the dogs ate, bowls and kitchen counter cleaned it was time for coffee and tea. Yes, we got all this done without our morning coffee and tea – and everyone survived. It didn’t take long for the grey clouds to move back in and the rain to start up again.

By this point, the humans were getting hungry. So we made eggs, toast, and turkey sausage. After cleaning up from our breakfast it was time to do the prep work for chili. That was going to be our dinner Saturday night. We heard great things about the Instant Pot, so we bought one last summer and love having it in the RV. We browned the meat and drained off the excess grease. Then cut up the vegetables – did I tell you how nice it is to have a little extra counter top space? Put the Instant Pot into slow cooker mode and dumped everything in, and put the cover on. It was not long before the RV was filled with the wonderful smells of the chili cooking. YUM!

Saturday night the rain had let up enough that we could get a fire going and enjoy the night air.

Entertainment system

The original owners did not replace the old tube style TV. They did, however, install a surround sound system in the living room and a small flat screen TV in the bedroom. The TV antenna, cable feed, etc are housed in a cabinet over the front dash with the TV in front of and over the co-pilot’s seat. The wires in the cabinet next to the TV was a jungle. So I spent a little time trying to trace some the cables and just generally organizing the mess. This is the first step in getting upgrading the entertainment system.

Lesson Learned

Get out of the RV and walk the site prior to trying to back into, especially at twilight or after sunset. The mirrors and backup camera do not give you all of the information you need.

In the end

In the end, we had a great weekend. Learned a lot about our new to us RV and get some time to relax and just enjoy time with each other.

In Memoriam – Sugaree

August 15, 2018 / Jeff Koltoff / 0 Comments

This is a very hard post to write as the wound is still fresh. Two nights before we made settlement on our new RV (1999 Fleetwood Southwind 35S) we said goodbye to Sugaree. This is her story.

At the end of January 2017, a black pug found wandering the streets of Memphis, TN and was turned into the Memphis Animal Services. Memphis Animal Services contacted our friends at Mid-South Pug Rescue (MSPR) to see if they could help her. MSPR agreed to take her in. This little lady was in rough shape. She appeared to have been over breed and was underweight from living on the streets for a while, not just blind; both her eyes had collapsed into their sockets. On January 24, 2017, she had a mass removed from a mammary gland. Through all this, she was so sweet and loving MSPR started to call her Sweetie Pie.

As we follow the pages on Facebooks of the pug rescues that we know, Rachel saw the first picture of Sweetie Pie and said she wanted to adopt her. So we contacted Cheryl at MSPR and made arrangements. We decided that we were going to rename her Sugaree after one of our favorite Grateful Dead songs and from everything we were told about her was more than fitting (and it was). On Friday, February 3, 2017, we left Philadelphia and headed to Memphis to see our good friends, Cheryl and Madeline of Mid-South Pug Rescue, but mostly to adopt and bring home Sweetie Pie.

Rolled into Memphis late Saturday afternoon. We were meet at the door by Cheryl, Madeline, and their grumble and MSPR hospices staying with them. This was also the first time we got to see Sugaree (fka Sweetie Pie) in person. She was in very rough shape. But we were undeterred to give her the best life we could. Early Sunday afternoon we said our fare the wells and headed back on the road to return home.

Shortly after leaving Memphis we came to realize that this was going to be a very long trip home. Sugaree would not sit still. The back seat of the car has a dog sling to over the seats. Somehow, she figured out how to get under the sling and slide down to the floor of the back seat. Then she would manage to climb back up – sometimes under the sling onto the seat, sometimes on top of the sling. Remember, this pug is blind. So at a pit stop, we decided to block the sides of the sling with our suitcases. This did not deter her. She would climb over the suitcases and slide back down to the floor. Yes, we were doomed. By the way, she barked just about the entire time in the car (something she never outgrew).

Shortly after returning to Philly we took her to our regular vet, whom we just started using. Upon exam, it was noted that she was underweight, had skin issues from the flea infestation (that was gone), the eye issues we knew about and that she had some issues in her back end. We also had a full blood panel done. We started on a program to help put on some weight.

A day or two later. the blood test results come back and they did not look good. It was recommended that we have an ultrasound done of her abdomen. Our worst fears were confirmed – cancer. One of the vets at the practice specializes in Eastern veterinary medicine and it was recommended that we consult with her. We were willing to try anything to give her the best life we could for as long as we could. Long story short here, we started Sugaree on a routine of acupuncture and Chinese herbs with the goal of increasing her immune system and help her fight the cancer on her adrenal gland the best she could.

We also consulted with the eye specialist we use for our pugs and the pugs that come into Philly Pug & Short Nose Rescue to see if the eyes should be removed. It was determined that they were not causing her any pain or discomfort, so it was fine to do nothing at this time.

It did not take her long to fall into the daily routine of meals, treats, and walks. She would be at the kitchen gate barking for her meal along with everyone else. When the gate opened she knew just where to go for her bowl. If we were sitting on the sofa, she would find us and demand to be brought up to sit with Jeff if he was there. If Jeff was home and not in the living room, she would hunt him down so she could be nearby. She was Jeff’s little girl.

She would join us along with the rest of the grumble on our RV trips. Loved being outside when the weather permitted or snuggling with her bother and sisters (adoptive and foster) on the sofa.

The routine of treatments was not going to rid her of cancer. We accepted that. It was our hope that it would extend the time and quality of her life with us. Up until the end, she had a good life with us. Sugaree turned downhill very quickly. She could no longer fight the cancer inside her. On July 25, 2018, Sugaree crossed to the Rainbow Bridge in Jeff’s arms.

Be it 6 hours, 6 days, 6 months, 6 or more years we try to give our pugs the best of everything so they can have a long, happy and healthy life.

In loving tribute, we have named our new RV Chateau Sugaree.

“Well shake it up now, Sugaree
(We)‘ll meet you at the Jubilee
And if that Jubilee don’t come
Maybe (We)’ll meet you on the run”
– Jerry Garcia and Robert Hunter

Out with the old In with the new

August 8, 2018 / Jeff Koltoff / 0 Comments

It has been a long while since we added a new post to this site. Honestly, it was too painful to even think about writing. Here is the story.

The beginning of April of this year (2018) we moved our RV from our seasonal location in the Poconos to our RV mechanic just outside of Philadelphia for its annual inspection and some routine maintenance. Somewhere between the Poconos and the mechanic we lost the reverse gear in the transmission. Not a big deal during the transport as we did not have to back up at any point. So we were shocked when the mechanic called to let us know that they could not back the rig into a parking spot on their lot prior to doing any work on it.

Additionally, we saw some signs of leakage in a couple of areas around the RV. Considering the cost of the transmission, unwalled cost of repairing the leak and related damage, and who knows what else was lurking around the corner we decided to sell our beloved 1989 Tiffin Allegro for scrap.

What to do now???

We started to look at used RV’s in the area within our price range. There was just not much out there. So after much consideration, we decided to scape and save our pennies and purchase something in the spring of 2019. YUP! That would mean a whole year out of an RV.

As June rolled into July we all missed our weekends in the RV. So we would look to see what was available. We found a couple that looked interesting. Took a three-hour drive to the Delaware shore only to find out the unit was sold earlier that day. Looked at another unit in Delaware that same day and was in poor shape.

Rachel had foot surgery scheduled for the end of July so we figured the search would be put on hold until after she was mobile again. However, the star must have been falling into line for us. The Saturday before surgery, we looked a 1999 Fleetwood Southwind 35S. It was being offered for sale by its current owner. We were in love. Sunday morning we exchanged a few emails and before long we had a deal. Not only that, but the sellers were coming down to Philly (a four-hour drive) the following weekend and would bring the RV down for us.

Our Southwind will need some minor repairs and replacements. These include tightening some screws, replacing a couple of cabinet door struts, and similar items. We will also be looking into replacing the captains, co-pilot and lounge seats. They are showing their age. We are not planning on doing much with the decor other than to make it our home. All of this will take some time, but we are in no hurry to get everything done at once.

Now that we are into the second week of August, the RV is mostly filled with our stuff and Rachel’s foot is doing well. It is time to hit the road and make some new memories in Home d’Pug v2.

If you should happen to see us at a campground, stop on over and say hi and give the grumble some lovings.

Here is are some pictures.

Do You Have A Disaster Plan?

November 2, 2017 / Jeff Koltoff / 0 Comments

As Hurricane Irma approached Florida we spent a lovely weekend at Home d’Pug RV. However, our thoughts and discussion led to a conversation on what should we do in case of a natural disaster such as a hurricane. The conversation got into much detail.

Unfortunately, neither of us was smart enough to memorialize it on paper. This blog post is part of our effort to memorialize our plan. Hopefully, it will spur you to give it some thought and devise your own plan.

As with any good plan, it is not done once, put on a shelf with the hope of never needing it. It should be reviewed and updated periodically. This is important because things change.

The discussions primarily focused on a predictable event, i.e. a hurricane. We started asking the big picture questions. Where we at home, Home d’Pug RV, or somewhere else? How much time did we have? Are all of the pets with us? What do we need to take with us? These questions ended up in the formation of an outline of a plan that looks like this.

Location – Home

Gather extra food for the cat and dogs along with a bowl for each and water
Clothes for the humans
Important papers – checkbooks, credit cards, titles to vehicles, etc.
Pack both cars
Jeff takes the vehicle that is towable by the RV and heads to get the RV
Rachel takes the pets, foods, etc. and gets her mom and then heads to our pre-designated meeting spot
When Jeff reaches the RV, he secures the best he can the things he cannot take, moves the stuff from the car to the RV, sets up the vehicle to be towed and heads to the designated meeting point
Once we meet up we then decide if we need to move further away from the problem or we can find accommodations close to where we met.
All vehicles and the RV have multiple power adapters for cell phones to keep them charged

Location – Home d’Pug RV

We secure the things we cannot take with us from the campground
Prep the RV to travel
If we have both cars at the campground (a usual occurrence), hook one to the RV and Rachel will follow the RV home
Gather extra food for the cat and dogs along with a bowl for each and water
Clothes for the humans
Important papers – checkbooks, credit cards, titles to vehicles, etc.
Pack the car being driven and the RV
Rachel takes the pets, foods, etc. and gets her mom and then heads to our pre-designated meeting spot
Once we meet up we then decide if we need to move further away from the problem or we can find accommodations close to where we met.
All vehicles and the RV have multiple power adapters for cell phones to keep them charged

While this is our starting point. I have set up an annual reminder in my date book to review and update.

Do you have a Disaster Plan?

Indian Summer And No Air Conditioning

October 4, 2017 / Jeff Koltoff / 0 Comments

It always seems that as autumn comes to Eastern Pennsylvania and the surrounding areas the temperature drops and the leaves start to change color. Then, without warning, the heat and humidity return for one last gasp of summer.

Normally, this would not be a big deal. Except, this year as the temps and humidity head up our AC at home died. We learned this when we returned home on Sunday night after spending a nice weekend at Home d’Pug RV. We could have suffered through the next few days until it was fixed, but the pugs would not have survived the higher temperatures. This was especially true of our two forever fosters – Casey Jones and Maggie – who both have a collapsing larynx.

After the 2-1/2 hour drive home we packed the pugs and Tiger, our cat, (Yes! we also have a cat), additional dog, cat food, litter, litter pan, additional clothing we made the return trip to the Poconos. Finally got back to the RV around 12:30 in the morning. There we stayed the entire week. I drove the two hours each way to work every day.

The AC motor was replaced on Wednesday. We decided since the week as just about over, why not stay until Sunday. This meant we spent 10 days at Home d’Pug RV. Two adults, six pugs and one cat living in a 31-foot motorhome.

Tiger’s Big RV Adventure

Tiger and Casey Jones

Tiger has been with us for over 10 years now. She has moved from one home to the next and just rolled with the punches. As the pugs started to come into our life she would leave them alone for the most part. We did not take her to the RV as we were not sure how she would adapt to the small space with two humans and 6 pugs. Of course, there was also the fear that she would get out which would not be good as she is an indoor only cat. But the situation necessitated that she come along.

Tiger with the grumble

Much to our surprise (it really should not have surprised us), she just rolled with it. We unloaded the cars, set up her litter pan, food and water dishes and let her out. Tiger looked around and gave everything the once over. By this time we were exhausted and I had to get up early to go to work. Throughout the night, you could hear Tiger moving around, but no more than at home.

By early Monday morning, she had staked out the copilot’s seat as her own. This is where you could find her asleep most of the day. Her food and water were up on the covered stove top. This way the pugs could not get to it and she could eat in peace. Before long, she figured out the best way to get there was to hop up on the dining table and then make the short leap to the stove top. She even found time to spend with the pugs on the sofa bed.

It got us thinking that maybe Tiger would do OK coming with us to the RV on our weekend trips. Will need to plan out where to keep her litter pan, etc. so they are not in the way. That will be our winter research project.

Keeping them behind the fence

The campground managers, who live on site, have two Papillons and had a fence built on their site. In talking with Donna and J one quiet Sunday afternoon, they suggested that we do the same. One of the grounds crew built theirs and we were welcome to approach Kevin to do the same on our site.

After talking with Kevin, we made a deal to have a fence built on our site. It is not a normal in a fence as there are no posts dug into the ground. Rather, it sits on top of the ground. This means we need to find another way to support the longer runs. This is still a work in progress.

Having the fenced in area allows us a lot more freedom in allowing the pugs to join us outside – especially as the weather becomes more comfortable for them. The best thing about the fenced in area is at potty time we can just open the door and let the kids run out. Ollie and Ming are a little slow in getting with the program. They are eager to go outside. However, both still look forward to going for a walk to do their business.

Having the fence has become a must for us if we are planning on staying in any one spot for an extended period with the pugs. This fence has sections so it can be unassembled and moved to another site or campground. We still use one of our x-pens to keep the dogs away from the fire ring when we have a campfire going. The fire ring is one corner (not too close) of the fenced in area and we use the x-pen to block off that area. It has worked great. Of course, with any campfire, we keep a close eye on the grumble to make sure they don’t get behind the x-pen and near the fire ring.

Renovations ahead

We have planned an animal-free weekend for the first weekend of October. It will be good to have some quality alone time. The interior is also going to get a couple of renovations we have planned.

The kitchen area is going to get a new backsplash. The carpets in the living room and bathroom are going to be replaced with vinyl flooring. More on the renovations next time.

In Memorium

As we have talked about before, we forever foster two pugs for the rescue we founded. Both have collapsing larynx. Maggie came to the rescue in early June 2017 and underwent major surgery to fix her stomach that slipped past her diaphragm. It was after the surgery that we learned about the collapsing larynx and she became a Philly Pug & Short Nose Rescue Angel pug.

Monday (10/2/17) morning Maggie was having a very difficult time breathing and was in distress. From the beginning, we knew our time with her was limited. With great sadness, we helped her across the bridge. We did all we could for her. Our hearts are shattered.

We hope you are having fun at the bridge our sweet Maggie Moo Moo. We love you so very much.

Til we meet again. ❤️💔😪😪

Fall Comes Early To Home d’Pug RV

September 13, 2017 / Jeff Koltoff / 0 Comments

Here we are the weekend after Labor Day and the mornings have been a bit on the cooler side. Woke up Saturday morning with the temps around 48° F and 50° F Sunday morning. While these are not the coldest temperatures we have gone RVing in, after the hot, humid summer it was a little bit of a surprise. We do expect the heat and humidity to make a return as is usual in this part of the county.

Along with the cooler nights comes shorter days. That means that fall colors cannot be far behind. A couple of trees are already starting to change. We are looking forward to a spectacular fall with tons of colors before the trees shed their leaves.

The crowds leave along with the (unofficial) end of summer

Now that Labor Day has come and gone, so have the crowds at Delaware Water Gap / Pocono Mountain KOA. It very quiet back in our little corner of the campground. After the summer weekends with just about every campsite and cabins filled it is almost spooky at night.

With the cooler weather and lack of neighbors, the grumble was able to enjoy some outside time. We set up the x-pen between our canape and the RV. So long as the sun was not shining directly on them they were fine. Our two Philly Pug & Short Nose Rescue Angle fosters would sit in the sun and start to over heat, so in they went into the cool RV.

Pugs are also enjoying the cooler weather

After spending part of the afternoon outside enjoying the fresh air and the sunshine they were eagerly looking forward to dinner. After dinner, they all decided that they would take over the sofa bed and fall into the ‘post dinner food coma.’ Here are some pictures of the grumble.


The Whole Grumble	Rosie
Maggie	Sugaree
Casey Jones	Ming, Ollie, and Rosie

Labor Day Holiday Weekend – 2017

September 10, 2017 / Jeff Koltoff / 0 Comments

The unofficial end of summer started with a cool blast.

Tuesday we both had to be back in the city for work and early appointments so we could not stay over Monday night, which we would normally do. To enjoy as much of the Labor Day weekend we decided to head up to Home d’Pug RV on Thursday night. By the time we arrived, it was already dark. It was quiet and peaceful. This is what we love about our spot in the Poconos. We settled in and relaxed a little before turning in for bed.

I had to get up early in the morning and drive down to my office for a short day. We had no water in the rig until late Saturday morning. (More on this a little later). So I got up early, went to the shower house and got dress and left for work. The pugs did not get up with me so Rachel and the pugs got to sleep for a little while longer.

About the cool blast. After weeks in the 80’s and 90’s with high humidity, Friday morning was something we were not accustomed to. When I awoke it was 41 degrees. A very brisk way to start the day. This made things nice for the pugs, especially Casey Jones and Maggie who both have collapsing larynx.

Holiday Weekend Officially Starts

The unofficial tradition at my day job is that we get to leave early on Friday between Memorial Day and Labor Day. Generally, I can get out of the office by 3:00 in the afternoon and be with Rachel and the grumble by 6:00~6:30 depending on traffic. This Friday the boss closed the office at 2 and I was up to Delaware Water Gap / Pocono Mountain KOA by a little after 5:00.

Our campsite is next four sites that are generally rented by the night. This means we have different neighbors every weekend. Often, two or three or even all four sites are rented to an extended family or group of friends. This weekend, all four sites were rented to a related group. Well, things did not get off to a good start. They did not show up until very late – sometime after 10 pm. They were tent campers. This means that from 10 pm until almost 1 am they were making all kinds of noise setting up their tents, blowing up air mattresses and shining lights into the windows of our RV.

They were an annoying group for most of the rest of weekend, but we did not complain. Not wanting to start any issues with them, we tried to let it slide. Maybe we were wrong in not saying anything to the group or management. Will have to think about how best to handle this type of situation going forward.

No Water To Start The Weekend

As has been noted in earlier posts, our campsite has water and power, but no sewer hookup. This means two things. First, we have to manage our gray and black tanks levels, and, second, have the tanks pumped out. Normally, we can get through the weekend without overloading the gray and black tanks. However, when we get pumped out or dump our tanks in a sewer connection, the gate to the gray tank would drip a little. We were told about this a couple of times by the guy who does the pump outs. Being as the Tiffin Allegro is an older rig, I was afraid that I would run into something I could not handle. So this weekend we called our mobile RV repair guy to come and replace the black and gray tank gates.

While he was there, I had him replace the water faucets in both the shower and bathroom sink. While these were not major changes, it makes things a little more useful. Our old shower head had a fixed mount. You could point it in any direction within the shower, but could not get everywhere. With the new faucet, we also installed a hand held shower head. This makes rinsing off both yourself and the shower walls so much easier.

The bathroom faucet head was too long for the size of the sink. Would wash your hands or brush your teeth and water would splatter everywhere. The new faucet has a shorter head and the splash stays within the sink for the most part.

These were not major upgrades. However, they make life at Home d’Pug RV a little nicer.

Hope you enjoyed your Labor Day Weekend.

Our Tech Solution – Staying Connected

August 23, 2017 / Jeff Koltoff / 0 Comments

You don’t need to say it! There are 100’s of articles on the internet explaining the “best” ways to improve wifi and cellular service. Well, here is our solution (so far).

Rachel and I run Philly Pug & Short Nose Rescue. We also have an online store, RSQ K9 Products that sells products for canines and raise funds for rescue organizations around the country. One of our key operating Guidestones is to be responsive to our followers, supporters, and customers. This means being connected even at Home d’Pug RV. We do not stay online 24/7, but, try and respond in a timely fashion.

As a general rule, campground wifi is useless unless you are close to the store/office or a repeater (if the campground has installed any). Wifi is a line of sight technology. Our site is relatively close to the camp store where the wifi emanates from. Unfortunately, we are on the down side of a small hill and cannot “see” the Wifi too well. One solution would be a wifi booster. This maybe the route we take at some future time, but for now, we are going to rely on a cellular solution.

So what is in our tech tool kit?

An Apple iPhone (each)
An Apple iPad (each)
Dell laptop computer (Windows 7) (Rachel)
Asus laptop computer (Windows 10) (Jeff)
ZTE Mobley VM6200 4G LTE WIFI Hotspot
weBoost Drive 4G-X RV Cell Phone Signal Booster

Not going to talk about the phones or laptop computers. Will spend the rest of this article talking about the ZTE Mobley and weBoost Drive 4G-X RV Cell Phone Signal Booster.

ZTE Mobley VM6200 4G LTE WIFI Hotspot*

I know your first question is what the heck is this device??? The ZTE Mobley* is a mobile hotspot device that allows you to connect up to ten Wi-Fi devices while on the road. No charging or cables required.

To use as a hotspot in your car just plug the Mobley into your vehicle’s (post-1995) OBD-II port and your Hotspot is live. (You need to get a SIM card and have it activated first.) The device is supposed to be for cars, but with an optional power supply*, you can use it anywhere. This is how we use it in the RV.

After two visits to the AT&T store and a phone call with the vendor from whom we purchased the Mobley, it is up and working like a charm. Spent a Monday at Home d’Pug RV answering email and maintaining several websites all on my laptop. Speeds are not as fast as our cable connection at home. However, it was very workable as both Rachel and I were able to stay connected with no real noticeable slow downs.

AT&T currently offers a special standalone unlimited data plan for the Mobley. It is only $20/month (plus taxes and fees). After 22GB of data use AT&T may slow you down, but will not charge you extra for the data usage. As we don’t stream many video or movies, this should not be a problem. Besides, we have 15GB of shared data on our iPhones we could use if the connection gets to be too slow.

This is a tool that will stay in our tech tool box for some time to come.

weBoost Drive 4G-X RV Cell Phone Signal Booster*

Using the Mobley or our cell phones as hotspots are only effective if we have a good, strong cell signal. To help ensure that we have a strong, reliable signal we decided to investigate a cell phone signal booster. After much research, we decided to try the weBoost Drive 4G-X RV Cell Phone Signal Booster* from Wilson Electronics.

weBoost Drive 4G-X RV Cell Phone Signal Booster* is reported to do exactly what the name implies – boost the 4G cell phone signal. According to the Wilson website: “The weBoost Drive 4G-X RV from Wilson Electronics is the most powerful RV cell phone signal booster in USA & Canada.

Boosts 3G & 4G LTE for any vehicle
Works for all phones & cellular devices, all major US & Canadian carriers.
Complete kit: all parts included, easy install.
Most powerful RV signal booster.
Better talk, text & internet guaranteed.

With up to +50 dB gain of power, it greatly enhances 3G & 4G LTE cell service for all your wireless cellular devices (smartphones, tablets, notebooks, hotspots, etc.) on any carrier in North America.

There are no monthly fees nor does it need to be connected to any internet source (wifi or landline) to work. It simply amplifies your existing in-building cellular service up to 32X for better talk, text, and faster internet.”

Our weBoost Drive was just delivered and will be installed this coming weekend. I will update this post with our thoughts on this device after we have had the chance to use it for a little while.

*Affiliate Link

Mosquito bites – Some Home Remedies

August 16, 2017 / Jeff Koltoff / 0 Comments

In our last article, we talked about how bad the mosquitos have been this summer.

OK, we have come to the conclusion that we cannot get away from them. Having mosquito bites are something that we will have to live with for now. So what to do about these bites when they do occur? We thought that we would look at some home remedies for mosquito bites.

First, what is a mosquito “bite.” Actually, it is not really a bite. Mosquitoes inject a proboscis, a tiny straw looking thing, to suck up tiny amounts of your blood and release anti-clotting agents. The immune system reacts by releasing histamine. It is the histamine that creates a small, itchy bump. So the simple answer is an antihistamine. Best would be a cream or lotion applied directly on the bite. But what if you don’t have any available?

Hold a refrigerated, dampened green tea bag on the bite.
Try a dab of honey because it has an antiseptic ingredient.
Putting Scotch tape (or a bandage) on the site will help remind you not to scratch, especially at night.
Aloe vera has anti-inflammatory properties, so this could help the itch. For even more relief, stash your aloe vera gel in the fridge, since the cold will also help with the itchiness.”
Preparation H takes care of swelling and itching.
Rubbing alcohol (also witch hazel and tea tree oil). If it burns, it just means that it is working!
Rub a basil leaf on a mosquito bite will help stop the itching.
Try using regular Listerine for itchy bug bites.
Soaking in a soothing oatmeal bath.
Eat raw garlic — however, studies claim that a topical blend using garlic and beeswax may be even more effective.
A very hot bath in a tub filled with water and 2 1/2 cups of vinegar.

How do we protect the pugs

As any responsible dog (and even cat owner) should do, all of our dogs receive a monthly oral heartworm preventative. They get this on the first of the month. We chose the first of the month so it is easy to remember. Turn the page on your calendar, the dogs get their heartworm preventative. As for fleas, tick, mosquitos and other insects, we use a combination of ‘natural’ products.

We are making every effort to keep harsh chemicals off of our dogs and out of their food. After researching alternatives to the commercial flea and tick preventatives we have come up with a two prong approach. Everyone gets a few drops, depending on weight of Earth Animal Flea & Tick Program Herbal Drops in their food daily.

First, everyone gets a few drops, depending on weight of Earth Animal Flea & Tick Program Herbal Drops in their food daily. We have found this to be very effective. The grumble started with the Earth Animal Flea & Tick Program Herbal Powder**. This worked well for many months until one of the dogs could not tolerate it. She would puke after eating. We have been using the drops for over a year now with no side effects.

The second prong is the Earth Animal Flea & Tick Program Spray. All of the dogs get sprayed either before we leave for Home d’Pug RV or shortly after we arrive. If it seems “extra buggy” they may get a second spray over the weekend. The pugs may also get a spray at home.

Our two prong approach seems to work for our grumble.

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New Addition To The Grumble

August 9, 2017 / Jeff Koltoff / 0 Comments

As you may know, Rachel and I are the founders of Philly Pug & Short Nose Rescue. PPSNR maintains an Angel program to help unadoptable dogs. These dogs are unadoptable due to medical, age, or other issues that make them unadoptable to the general applicant.

A couple of months ago Maggie came into PPSNR. She was breathing hard and sounded “funny” as-well-as having digestive troubles. Her foster mom took her to the vet who told us that she needs to be seen by a surgeon immediately. So she was rushed to VSEC in South Philadelphia evaluation.

It turns out that her stomach slid past her diaphragm. Maggie went into surgery immediately. She recovered nicely after surgery. On a follow-up visit, the cause of her problems came to light. Maggie suffers from a collapsing larynx (just like Casey Jones). The Board of PPSNR made the decision to have her stay with the rescue in our Angel program.

Rachel and I decided to become Maggies Angel fosters. So on August 1st, Maggie left her foster home and came to us and joined the grumble. She is two years old, cute as a button, and gets along with the rest of the pugs in our home.

Maggie first visit to Home d’Pug RV

Maggie joined us on Tuesday night. Rachel and my first thought were to stay home over the weekend and let her settle in. Saturday, we ran some errands. While we were out, having a bite to eat, we decided to go and spend Saturday and Sunday night at Home d’Pug RV. This decision was mostly based on how well Maggie has been accepted by the rest of the grumble. So off we went.

We got up to Home d’Pug RV just after the grumbles’ normal dinner hour. We quickly unloaded the cars. While Rachel started to get dinner ready, I took each for their pre-dinner walk. As they finished their walk, they went into the rig to find their dinner bowl waiting for them. After dinner, everyone went up to the sofa/bed for a PMN (post meal nap).

Sunday, Day of Rest (Sort of)

Sunday started, as most days with walks and breakfast for the grumble. Then spent a good part of Sunday morning and early afternoon doing little projects around the rig. This included installing a pull strap on the step access cover. It was a pain to get open previously. I installed two small eye-bolts on the underside of the panel. Tied a short piece of rope to each eye bolt. The rope is long enough to peek over the edge of the panel. To keep the rope above the edge I put a couple of staples around the rope on the edge of the panel. Must say, it works great.

A few weeks back we installed silver sun shades in two small windows about the captain chairs. Well, the velcro tabs used to hold them in place were not strong enough. So reinstalled with stronger velcro. Hope it holds. Keeping fingers crossed.

Otter Lake Campground

Otter Lake Camp Resort is in the same area of the Pocono mountains as our current campground. While we are happy here at Delaware Water Gap/Pocono Mountains KOA, but always willing to look at a new campground. Otter Lake is very nice. Looks of activities on and off the large lake that border two sides of the campground. Unfortunately, they only have very few 50 amp sites and a very restrictive dog policy.

Extended One More Day

Normally, I leave very early on Monday morning to go to work. Rachel will pack up the kids and leave after the rush hour and head home. I was not feeling too well Sunday night and there was a major rain storm headed to Eastern Pennsylvania, so we decided to stay one more day.

As we cannot enjoy the out doors on the rainy Monday, I took the time to update a couple of our websites and finish building a new website for Rachel.

That is it for now.