The bus is getting an oil change and, in the meantime, I’m hanging out at a park of sorts. The falls here at Rondout Creek are gorgeous and probably wonderful to swim in the mostly hidden successive pools which follow.

The area above the falls is further blocked by a dam. I’m told that dams such as this one are miserable for fish and their friends as the stagnant water becomes too hot and as those guys die, bacteria and other goop take over. The downstream impact of this death involves bigger and bigger swimmers until we get to such pals as Flipper and Willie.

The real Guinness candidate here, however, is the sheer quantity of signs ordering us to not do stuff in such a small area.

How many do you see? I count 23.

Yes, back to the oil change. The bus, per the manufacturer, should have the oil and fuel filter changed every 5000 miles. Now we’ve been given advice that 15000 is ok for the oil. How are these things decided? The 15k recommendation was from a friend who maintained diesel engines and, at each interval, sent in oil samples for review. The truck’s oil only showed issues after that much use. The mechanic here suggests every 7500 miles. Hmmm.

A high school teacher bent the rules so something so could happen, gifting me a spectacular time and a memory I continue to cherish over 31 years later. What a fine return on investment for the risk. To this day I thank that person.