Battening down the hatches

I have 4 skylight vents in the RV and three of them are hooded and screened, and seem to be pretty draught free, however the fourth one is a different story. It does not have a hood, which I actually like so I can see clear to the skies when it's open, and it had been screened when I bought it but due to a malfunction of the crank to bring it back down one day when it started spilling rain, I had to bust through the screen to get at the lid to reattach it to the crank. The wind had caught it and pulled it off the track. Easy fix but that was when I realized what else was going on. But the screen was ruined, as was part of the screen frame too as it was brittle as hell. So I will have to replace the whole window when I get some extra cash. 

Remember the solar panels that took forever to get someone to help me install them? Well my friend who installed them did not take into consideration the closure of that particular lid - it was a nice sunny day when we were at it, so the lid was up. Now the lid will not close all the way because the solar panel is mounted just a couple of inches from the opening, and the lid is flared. 

So with all of this going on in a rainy windy Victorian autumn, it has become rather draughty and it is close to where the furnace is, so the furnace kept cutting in all the time, running the house battery down. I happened to see some quilted inserts for these types of skylights at Wal-mart but did not have the cash to spare on them at the time, so I improvised with my own solution - a pillow case filled with stuffing, just enough to keep it wedged up there. I chose a light yellow pillowcase so it wouldn't take away all of the light as well. The other three skylights are in the other spaces I am not using during the day. There's one in the bedroom, bathroom, and in the over the cab bed chamber. They let in light all the time, closed or open, which is nice. The lids are all white as are the hoods. I fear some may become damaged though, with all the trees I happen to park under/near. So I have to keep an eye on that. 

I have also purchased some dollar store foam mat puzzle pieces to provide a bit of cheap insulation under the table as my feet were cold all the time. The floor is covered in a nasty worn vinyl that is so cold to the touch now. I plan to replace it all with hardwood floors this winter but for now the foam is a start. I'll pick up more now that I know they help and do the rest of the floor under the table and beside the couch. The rest is okay for now. I have a floor mat in the kitchen in front of the sink/stove, and a mat in the bathroom. 

The last bit I want to do is some of that shrink plastic over all of the windows that I won't be opening until spring. I really only open the one above the table now, to get a bit of fresh air. The windows are single paned, so the plastic will help a great deal. The temps have been staying above 0C and below 10C most of the time which is not usual for this time of year in Victoria. I am hoping we will get a warm wind for a few days. My solar panels have been keeping up though, regardless of the temperature. As long as it isn't raining, they charge, even when it's cloudy. The sun is out now, so they are soaking it all in. 

Nash continues to grow, and is evident he will be a very large kitty. He is already as big as Dundee and he is just 5 months old. Still as charming as ever. Except when the little bastard decides 6am is time to play...if he would just play up in his room, I wouldn't mind, but he comes right onto the bed to play and the worst is when he climbs inside of the curtains above my head (they are attached at the top AND bottom) and pokes his paws out of the middle and grabs at my hair, ears, eyelids, whatever is handy...it does not go over well at that time of day. Yes, he has a room. Or even an apartment..as it is two stories. I keep some of his things up in the loft bed which is also my storage. He plays up there all the time and sleeps sometimes in a bed next to the window. He has also taken over the cab of the RV as I curtain it off for privacy and heat conservation. His litter box is up there and he plays on the dash all the time, often standing on the steering wheel and freaking people out as they walk or drive by. I hear them  now and then, talking about the cat in the RV but they don't see me as the curtains are often closed when I'm curbside, depending on the sun. Hilarious. He also enjoys sleeping on the driver's seat, and on the carpeted floor of the cab. He plays in the doorwells with his toys that inevitably end up there. 

So I am still acclimatizing to the weather here at home after four years in Australia. The summer was lovely and I wasn't cold at all but now I find it cold to sit around outside at these temps. Layers have become the key as most peoples homes are quite warm, often too warm for me, so I have to take a few layers off. So today, the temperature outside is 6C and sunny. I had the furnace on, but it ran the battery down quite quickly, so I turned the oven on instead. It doesn't require any electricity. Then I stogged that barn door in the roof and now it's quite toasty in here. I still have on woolen tights, a long skirt, a long sleeved tshirt, and a short sleeved cotton top over that, and my boots. Normally I have a sweater on as well, but since I stogged that damn hole up, I don't think I'll need to at the moment.

It's quite warm at work so I always have to peel off layers there, but if I am biking or taking the bus, I need to dress for the outside as well, with several layers. I have to work later today, and have a few things to get done before then, so must scat, root the cat awake (if I don't get to sleep, neither does he) and frost the cake I made last night, then head over to a friend's house to help her recover her sofa for her luau birthday party this weekend. Fun times!