Saga of the Deer Crossing oven, part 3

Relief came during the first week of Session 2. Jim called RJB Gas Plumbing Service, a local El Dorado County gas plumber. Owner Roy, a man my age with over 30 years experience, quickly discovered the problem and repaired it.

Roy said that Deer Crossing's oven was in better condition that two well-known El Dorado County eateries, both restaurants that Debbie and I have enjoyed. Roy brought me up-to-date on happenings in local establishments while he repaired the oven pilots and cleaned both burners.

Costly parts precluded replacement of both thermostats. I told Jim that I could live without a thermostat for the season as long as the ovens worked. I manually adjusted the oven temperature for the remainder of the summer.

I put both ovens to the test one day later during my third pizza night of the season. "The oven worked beautifully -- no flame-outs -- took 12 to 15 minutes for each batch," I wrote in my notebook.

As I often did throughout the summer, I expressed my relief in words. With 26 (12-inch) pizzas to bake that evening, pizza night had the potential of being a disaster.

"Music to my ears," I wrote with a feeling of liberation. "I lit both ovens and after a momentary pause, both burners went 'whoosh' as they're supposed to do -- the infamous DCC oven has been conquered!"

I wrote that note on Thursday, July 9, my last recoded comment regarding the ovens for the summer. Three weeks into my summer job the problem was solved.

Deer Crossing Camp's most important piece of culinary equipment was in top shape. Many thanks, Jim!