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Center the air conditioner on the RV roof with 6 inches of side clearance and 8 inches front and back. Align it with the direction of travel to prevent fan damage and maintain airflow. How should an air conditioner be POSITIONED on an RV roof? The air conditioner should be centered on the roof and installed facing the same direction your RV travels. Leave at least 6 inches of clearance on each side, 8 inches at the front and back, and 2 inches of height space for proper airflow. Positioning the Unit Choose a flat, central spot on the roof for even air distribution.The air conditioner should face the same direction as the RV’s travel to prevent outdoor fan damage. Clearance Requirements Allow 150 mm (6 in.) of space on both sides,200 mm (8 in.) at the front and rear, and 50 mm (2 in.) above the unit. Avoid installing near partitions, cabinets, or ceiling lights, as these can restrict airflow. Cooling Capacity If your RV is longer than 7 m (about 23 ft),consider installing two or more rooftop units for better coverage. Final Alignment Check the plenum’s interior position before final placement to ensure proper alignment.The roof angle must not exceed 5°,and the rear of the unit should never be higher than the front. For installations outside these limits, contact Houghton or your local distributor. Corky Lorenz November 4, 2025

Many local dog owners enjoy taking walks along the Mishawaka River walk because of the dog friendly culture. The farmer's market also attracts venders who sell dog treats and accessories. Can you take your dog to the Mishawaka Farmer's Market? After visiting last night, for the "Under the Lights" event and seeing about 30 dogs, I would say yes. The Mishawaka Market and riverwalk seem very dog friendly. I went last night and I was surprised by the sheer number of dogs present! Everywhere I looked, there was another dog. Some were even sporting their halloween costumes. While I was there, I saw a vendor selling hand crafted dog treats that were super cute. It seems like vendors even know to expect a crowd of dog owners, and cater to them. Event details This was the first time they hosted an evening market, on Saturday night, from 7-9pm. Usually, the market is on Sunday's from 10am to 2pm. See updates on their Facebook account . Personally, I enjoy the way the Mishawaka Market is organized later in the morning, so I can still make it before it closed, if I forget about it. Corky Lorenz October 5, 2025

The farmer’s market held its first ever evening event which featured live music and a variety of vendors present for shopping under the string lights. Mishawaka Market Under The Lights For the first time, The Mishawaka Farmers Market was held at night. Vendors and guests enjoyed the overhead string lights along the riverwalk. The Mishawaka farmers market is a very popular event on Sundays throughout the summer season. When they posted on Facebook that they were holding an evening market under the lights, I was intrigued. I just happen to be available that evening so I headed over and hoped to get some pretty pictures with the sun setting and the string lights overhead. Parking was kind of chaotic because there were so many people trying to park at one time. I told my friend that it felt like there was a swarm of cars trying to find parking spots. If you’re going to the farmer’s market, you need to make sure that you don’t park in one of the residential lots that is marked only for those residents. I ended up parking on the street a few blocks away and didn’t mind the walk back to the Riverwalk. It seemed like the two hour event was very popular and people were really enjoying themselves. There were a ton of dogs, which is always fun to see, and there was a live music performance that people enjoyed listening to while watching the sunset. Corky Lorenz October 5, 2025

Learn how to dye wool yarn using acid dye for vivid, glowing color results. Acid dyes bond to protein fibers like wool and create professional-quality colors, especially the fluorescent shades from Dharma Trading Company. What kind of dye to use on wool yarn? Acid dyes bond beautifully to wool, producing vibrant, saturated colors, especially the fluorescent shades from Dharma Trading Company, which seem to glow under natural light. When people want to dye their own wool yarn, they use something called acid dye. The “acid” refers to the mild acid (often vinegar or citric acid) that helps the dye molecules attach to the protein fibers in wool. It’s super fun to work with because the results are so vivid and satisfying. The colors on wool are especially rich, and the fluorescent tones from Dharma Trading Company stand out for how intense they are. They genuinely look like they’re glowing. Watching the color strike on hot yarn in the pot is one of those things that makes dyeing feel like magic. If you want more control, you can experiment with temperature, pH, or how fast you add the dye to the bath. But even a basic setup at home can create professional-level results with these dyes. Corky Lorenz October 23, 2025

Interior and exterior photos of the Elkhart Rubber Works factory at different stages of completion, in Elkhart, Indiana. Elkhart Rubber Works Building Construction Interior and exterior photos of the Elkhart Rubber Works factory at different stages of completion. The Elkhart Rubber Works factory in Elkhart, Indiana, showing the building during construction and early operation. The collection also includes a small set of factory images from the Anchor Packing Company, which seems to have been initally operated by overlaping leadership. See the main Elkhart Rubber page. See machinery . See group portraits . Corky Lorenz December 28, 2025

Crested geckos reach an average length of about 8 inches from head to tail, with some adults growing up to 9 or 10 inches. Their body alone, without the tail, measures around 4 to 5 inches, about palm size. Juveniles start much smaller and grow steadily through their first year, reaching full adult size between 12 and 18 months. How big do crested geckos get? Adult crested geckos usually grow to about 8 inches long from head to tail, though some reach up to 9 or 10 inches. Their body without the tail is roughly 4 to 5 inches, about the size of an adult’s hand. Over the past two years, I’ve gone to several reptile expos, including the Tinley Park Reptile Expo three times, and the Goshen Reptile Expo . Crested geckos are a very common reptile to see at these events, and vendors who bring them will often get one out to show people or have them sitting on a perch just hanging out. They’re so chill that they don’t try to take off or escape. In all of these instances, the geckos I’ve seen are usually palm-sized. When they still have their tail, it can extend past an average man’s hand, but their head and body fit comfortably within an adult’s palm. The gecko in the first image was a young one, probably a juvenile, seen at the Tinley Park Reptile Expo. Corky Lorenz November 10, 2025

Wash new tie dye separately for the first few loads to prevent color bleeding. Learn when to mix colors, how to soak out excess dye, and why fiber reactive dyes like Procion MX stay bright after washing. How to wash tie dye For the first few washes, wash tie dye items separately or with other dark colors to avoid dye transfer. Once excess dye has rinsed out after several washes, they can be washed normally without risk of bleeding or fading if professional fiber reactive dyes were used. First washes and color transfer If you’ve just gotten a new tie dye shirt from someone else, or you’ve dyed your own, the most important thing to remember for the first several washes is not to mix it with light colored items. Just wash it with other dark clothes or other tie-dye pieces that aren’t light. Move it promptly from the washing machine to the dryer. If it sits wet on top of other natural fiber clothes like cotton, rayon, linen, or hemp, the excess dye can bleed onto them and stain permanently, or at least take work to remove. It’s ironic that it can bleed off one item and then bond stubbornly to another, but it happens. Using the washing machine safely You don’t need to be overly anxious about using your washing machine for tie dye. As long as you separate by color intensity, the dye won’t spread around. If you really want to get all the excess dye out of something freshly dyed, you can soak it in hot water with dish soap. That’s a common step sellers use before shipping dyed shirts. Some use dish soap, others use a textile detergent called Synthrapol, which helps carry away loose dye so it doesn’t redeposit on the fabric. I have a lot of tie dye clothing, and after the first five or six washes, I throw everything in together without sorting colors. I don’t notice any color bleeding at that point. If you’re using professional dyes like Procion or MX fiber reactive dyes for cotton, rayon, or hemp, the main concern is only those early washes is bleeding, not fading. Reactive dyes vs cheap dyes Faded tie dye clothing usually happens with non reactive dyes, like the cheap kits used in group projects. Those dyes don’t bond permanently. Professionally dyed textiles, on the other hand, stay vibrant as long as you avoid bleach and long sun exposure. If you’ve recently bought tie dye and you’re unsure how to wash it, most sellers are happy to tell you about their process. Knowing how many times it’s been pre washed helps take the anxiety out of the first wash. Corky Lorenz November 11, 2025

Attach the outlet air duct to the bottom of the RV air conditioner from inside the vehicle. Align the duct with the marked sides and secure it with four truss head screws for a proper fit. How do you attach an outlet air duct on an RV air conditioner? Attach the outlet air duct to the base of the outdoor RV air conditioner from inside the vehicle using four truss head screws. Make sure the duct is positioned with the correct side facing down and that the markings for direction are aligned before tightening the screws. Installing the Outlet Air Duct Cut the four cable ties and position the outlet air duct at the base of the outdoor unit. The duct must be installed from inside the RV using four truss head screws (#10). Align the duct so the up, down, left, and right markings face the correct directions. The side labeled “this face down” should rest against the bottom of the air conditioner. Do not force or twist the duct once aligned. There is only one correct orientation that allows the mounting holes to line up evenly. Tighten the screws until snug to create a secure connection between the duct and the air conditioner base. Corky Lorenz November 5, 2025

Start rinsing tie dye with cold water first to stop excess dye from setting, then finish with hot to release what didn’t bond. This guide covers timing, water temperature, detergent, and why blues linger longer than other colors. How to rinse tie dye Start rinsing with cold water to remove excess dye and soda ash, then switch to hot once the water is mostly clear. Blue takes the longest to rinse out, and any leftover color will wash out in the machine. When to rinse When your tie dyed or ice dyed item is done batching, you'll want to rinse out all of the excess dye. I usually wait 24 hours after applying the procion dye to rinse the shirt. There are ways to speed up batch time if you want to rinse early, but that usually requires heating the shirt to set the colors. How long to rinse I like to put the shirt in the sink and rinse until the water is running mostly clear. I might spend 10 minutes, rinsing each shirt, but it varies quite a bit, depending on each person's process for rinsing. Blue dye takes the longest to fully rinse out and you probably won't get it to completely expel all of the blue dye in your initial rinse. So it's OK if you end up putting it through your washing machine before you got all of the blue out of the water. Just make sure that you move the shirts promptly from the washing machine to the dryer the first few washes. Water temperature When you first start rinsing the shirt, you'll want to use cold water to help get the majority of the excess dye out of the shirt. Since heat is what sets the dye in the fibers, if you use hot water immediately, you risk muddying the colors of your shirt by setting the excess dye as it's running through. Using cold water initially also helps to wash away the soda ash, which is what causes the die to adhere to the fabric. As you rinse, the pH of the shirt is returning to normal. Once the water is running clear, switch it over to hot. The hot water will help release more of the dye that didn't fully bond to the fibers. Since most of the soda, Ash has been rinsed out you don't have to worry as much about the hot water, making excess dye bond to your shirt in places that you don't want it to. Detergent A lot of tie-dyes like to use detergent to help rinse away the dye. It's usually called Synthropol and it is a textile detergent that helps carry away the excess dye molecules and keep them from depositing onto the fabric. In forums for tie-dye, a lot of people also share that they use Dawn dish soap in their rinsing process in place of the textile detergent. Problems when rinsing If you start rinsing and it seems like all of the color is washing out instead of staying in the shirt, this could be two things: Your shirt is either polyester which is a plastic fiber that can't be dyed with fiber reactive procion dye, or you didn't use soda ash to set the color in the fiber. Some tie dyers, who are dyeing a lot of items at one time will throw a bunch of shirts into the washing machine together. This is fast and efficient, but if there's too much excess die in the washing machine, it can muddy the light areas of the shirts Corky Lorenz December 4, 2025

Snake feeding tongs work best when they have blunt, rubber-coated ends and a strong grip so the snake doesn’t injure its mouth during a strike. Here’s what actually matters when choosing tongs and how they help prevent the snake from launching out of the enclosure. Snake feeding tongs for boas Snake feeding tongs work best when they have blunt, rubber-coated ends and a strong grip so the snake doesn’t injure its mouth during a strike. Sturdy tongs keep the feeder animal stable so the snake doesn’t launch out of the enclosure. Tong types My friend was feeding his boa pets. They’re boa imperators. He has three of them. One is a large female. He has a male that is smaller just because he’s a male. And the third one is a female albino boa. She’s the really light-colored one in the photo. Something he mentioned about his feeding tongs is that they’re covered in rubber on one side to protect the snakes when they’re striking their meal. They’re built really solid, so you can hold on to the feeder animal and not worry about dropping it or hurting the snake as it strikes. Rubber-coated ends When a boa sees food, they hit pretty aggressively, and they will launch right out of the enclosure if the item is dangling. They don’t slow themselves down. They just follow the strike. If you have a firm grip on the feeder animal when the boa hits, you can basically catch the snake at the point of contact instead of having the snake fly out of the enclosure with the rat. Then you can set the snake back inside to coil and eat. These tongs have a long reach, and you squeeze a handle at the end. It clamps tight. There are no pointy parts at the end, so the snake isn’t going to hurt its mouth or teeth when it hits. That’s one of the most important things. No skinny sharp metal ends. I want everything to be more like paddles holding the feeder animal. Rubber-coated is helpful. Boa launch He found his on eBay for cheap. The main thing is that they’re sturdy and thick. Nothing flimsy. Nothing with loose hinges or little gripping teeth. Just something that can hold a rat firmly without twisting or slipping, and that won’t injure the snake on contact. After the snake strikes and firmly bites, he uses the tongs to set the snake back onto the enclosure. This wouldn't be possibly with flimsy or pointy tongs. What to look for If someone is shopping for tongs, the most important details are the build quality and the safety of the gripping surface. Rubber padding or silicone padding protects the snake. A thick metal bar and paddle-style grab. Long handles keep your hands out of the strike zone. A strong hinge makes sure the feeder animal doesn’t slip. A lot of tongs look the same in photos, so the easiest way to pick them is to avoid anything thin, sharp, or flimsy. The thicker and blunter the ends are, the better. Corky Lorenz November 23, 2025