Day 751, The Terrebonne Cruz-In.

Once again, I was up early and ready to head to Terrebonne at 7 am.  I had left the Packard hooked up to the Traveleze in the back driveway and I had put a cover over it to protect in during the night.  I uncovered the car, secured the trailer and pulled it down the driveway where I could get a good picture of it in the morning light.  It looked awesome and I was ready for the 10 mile trip to Terrebonne.

The Packard and Traveleze together at last.

I got there about 7:30 am and got parked in an "okay" spot, nothing special and no shade, but it was easy in and out.  The show registration started at 8 am and people really started arriving by 9 am.  It was a really big car show with over 270 cars in attendance and lots of spectators.  Everyone enjoyed the car and Traveleze and I had the door open so people could look in side and check it out.  There were lots of questions about the restoration and I had Flyte Camp's cards and a few flyers on their work.  I must have handed out 15 cards and all of the flyers.

2nd Place, or first looser as my friends say.

Around 10 am, Christian and his daughter Stella showed up to check out the show and we walked around and looked at all the cars.  We had a great time looking at all the cars and voting for the many categories.  At 3 pm they had the Awards ceremony and I didn't have a note on my car, so I assumed I didn't win anything.  They had all most all of the cars gathered in the winners circle, when I was asked why I wasn't bringing my car up.  I said I didn't win anything and was told I had, so I went back to the car and sure enough there was note.  I back the car and Traveleze up and joined the others.  I won 2nd place in the Orphan Class, (the parent company is no longer alive).

After a long day in the sun, Christian and Stella came back to my house and we barbequed some burgers.  Stella fed the horses and let the chicken out and it was a nice summer evening.

Day 751, The Packard is ready to be picked up.

Hitch and stinger in place - ready to tow.

The Packard is ready to be picked up and my parents picked me up at my house at 5pm to take me to Prineville.  Rick hooked up the wiring for trailer lights and mounted a hitch to the car.  He was also able to fix a few other things like a sizable vacuum leak, a sticky throttle linkage and more.  He said I should be able to notice a significant difference and on the way home I really could.

I was so excited to see if I could hook up the car to the trailer and to see how it does pulling it.  I needed a new stinger for the car and had to go to three places before I could find anyone open at 7pm on a Friday night.  Fred Meyer's was open and had what I was looking for.  I rushed back home backed the car up and hooked everything up.  I had to do a minor wiring change with Rick on the phone and all was ready.

With the car hooked to the trailer and all the lights working.  I pulled the Traveleze around the block (about a 2 mile loop). The Packard pulled it with easy and I was surprised how well it did.  I did however discover that the extra strain on the car made it flex a little bit more than usual and the drivers side door flew open when I went around a corner.  Obviously there is a bit of body flex that was enough to let the door swing open.

I needed to wash the car and get it ready for tomorrows car show in Terrebonne.  

Day 750, First frost of Fall

Frost on the roof, August 23, 2012.

I don't know what it is about frost and August 23rd, but you can always bet there there will be frost on August 23rd, just enough to damage your garden and then it will warm back up.  Sure enough I woke up to a very cold house with all the windows open and there was frost on the roof.  The temperature was 34 degrees and it was cold.  the high for the day is expected to be 81.  I had to snap a picture of the roof and send it to my friends in Oklahoma, where it has not dropped below 70 for months.

Day 749, Wednesday Concert

This is concert day, so we put up the big tent up at 10:30 am.  The concert starts at 6 pm and goes until 7:30 pm.  The vendors arrive at 5 pm and the die-hard concert goers are there by 5:15 pm.  It's always a fun night and we have lucked out every concert night so far, so we are counting out blessings.

My mom and I at the concert

My parents have attended most of the concerts and they were here for this one.  My mom really like the band, "the Noteables" who played swing and big band music.  It was definitely an older audience but the park was packed. 

By the time the concert is over and we have everything unloaded back at the office I get home around 8:45 pm., so it's a long day.

Day 748, Tuesday up early.

I was up early and had the Traveleze hooked and was ready to go by 7:10 am.  They were only going to need the trailer for a day and could pick it up tomorrow.  I got there before anyone else, and I quickly unhitched and headed to work.

It was a pretty uneventful day and the office was starting to look a little more respectable after the giant mess we had created the week before.

At 5 pm I headed home and my parents were going to follow me to Prineville, so I could drop the 53 Packard off at Rick's and he was going to put a hitch on the car so I can pull the Traveleze.  He was supper busy this week, but  he wanted to get me in so I could be able to pull the trailer to the car show this weekend in Terrebone.  A trip to Rick's is always fun, and my parents get a kick out seeing his amazing collection of cars and automobilia.


Rick said the car would most likely be ready on Thursday.

Day 747, Another Monday

The Office looked like something exploded in it and was a complete mess from the golf tournament.  We spend most of the day cleaning up and putting stuff away.  It was nice to have that event over and to be moving onto the next.   This Wednesday will be the fifth concert of the summer season and our events will slowly be winding down in September.

I loaded up my truck with all the things that needed to go back to Bend and left around 3 pm to drop everything off and to go workout.   I wasn't feeling that energetic, but after the workout I felt better.  I headed over to Flyte Camp to see what they are doing and made arrangements to bring the Traveleze over in the morning.  I really needed to rush home and mow the lawn that was getting really shaggy.

Day 746, Happy Birthday

Hilarious Birthday card from my brother.

I finally got to sleep in and wake up naturally without an alarm.  I woke around 7:30 and laid in bed until 8, it was awesome.  Today's my birthday and I have no plans other than I wanted to take my parents kayaking.  I gave them and call and they said no.  I was a little bummed and thought oh well I'll just stay home and do yard work.  My yard was looking a bit out of control and I had lots of pruning to do and pulled out the hedge trimmer and worked on the boxwood as well as trimmed up the Shasta Daisy's.   It was a great day with no plans and just putting in the yard.

The only thing I was going to do was go to dinner with my folks at 5:30 pm.   They wanted to take me to Black Butte Ranch and eat the lodge.  I love Black Butte Ranch and the view is the best in Central Oregon.  By the time I was done working in the yard, I really wasn't in the mood to get cleaned up and drive into Black Butte, so I called my parents and they said no, they were taking me to dinner.  Ughhh. I jumped in the shower and got cleaned and ready to go.

Black Butte Ranch

It's about a 30 minute drive to the Ranch, and it really is an amazing place.  It's always nice to spend time with parents and the food was excellent.  One thing I was pleased to discover is the color of the walls in the restaurant.  They are exactly what I have been looking for, to repaint my house.  I had just painted my house last fall but it is just too dark and I want something different and lighter.  I asked the host if he could find out and he yes that he could call maintenance and call me tomorrow.  This was the best birthday gift, I had found my new color.

Day 745, The Car Show.

Harris and I enjoying a summer afternoon.

Despite an early morning the day before and this being a Saturday, I was up early once again to get the Packard down to the car show.   I was supposed to meet up with the car club at Fred's and then drive over and they were all hoping to get a good spot in the shade.  As it turned, there were several other car buffs thinking the same thing and we didn't get the good spots in the shade.  I was parked right in the street if full sun, but today was not supposed to be as hot so I wasn't that concerned.  What I was bummed out about, was I had wasted some prime sleeping time, but oh, well I was there.

One happy chicken

Surprisingly the skies were a bet threatening of possible thundershowers and it hurt the turnout for the car show there was about 170 cars and the cloud cover kept the sun's rays from baking everyone.  It wasn't until around 2 pm that the sun came out and it felt hot.  The awards were at 3 pm and I had entered the Packard in the Stock/Original class, knowing that the competition in Best 50's and Convertible would be stiff.  To my surprise all the great cars of the 50's and Convertibles of the era entered in the same class, so I knew I didn't stand a chance.   I really didn't want to stand in the sun so I stay in the shade and didn't pay much attention to the awards.  I could still them, but I didn't want to get hot.  When they got to Stock Original class I heard my number and the Packard took first.  I had to run to get there to accept the award.  Immediately after the awards ceremony the event was over and I had to time to go home and rest.

I got home and let the chickens out and kicked in the yard with Harris and the chickens. It was a nice summer evening and nice to slow down.

At 6 pm Tracy was having a birthday party for me and many of my friends were going to be there.  It was a fun excuse to get everyone together and to see Tracy's newly painted house.

Day 744, Tournament day

The alarm went off at 5:15am and I was in the truck and down the driveway by 5:45 am.  It was a bit cool but I knew today was going to be hot so I enjoyed while I could.  It was really a beautiful morning and the tournament went off without a hitch.  We were a few teams sort of selling out, which was a first for us, but still we had a large tournament.  Around 10 am the temperature was starting to get warm and by noon it was in the 90's.  We were lucky to have a slight breeze and if you stayed in the shade it wasn't too bad.

At 1:30 pm we had our barbeque lunch and award ceremony and everyone had a great time.  By 3pm we were breaking down and loading up all our vehicles and heading back to the office.  Surprisingly we still had a lot of beverages left and my truck looked just as full as it did this morning.  Even my friend Christian showed up to see how the tournament was going and we filled his truck clear full too.

Back at the office the car show people were busy getting ready for their big event and several of the people dieing from the heat so I invited them in the office to cool down.  It took us about an hour to unload everything and we left the building unlocked so the car club could come and go as they needed.

Packard parked next to a 1953 Pontiac.

I ran back home and laid down on the couch for a bit and then got fired up the Packard and headed down to the car show.  I was got down there and the cars were starting to pull in.  They had a great turnout and I got parked next to a 1953 Pontiac convertible.  It was neat to see the two cars parked next to each other.  The Pontiac was in much better shape than my Packard.  I had to drool over the Pontiac and I can only imagine how nice the Packard would look if it was restored. 

Around 8 the car show did a cruise and everyone jumped in their cars and drove around 6th and 5th street, making  a big loop.  It was a lot of fun to see everyone, and all these great cars in action.

Day 743, Tomorrow is the Tournament

Today, is all about setting up and getting ready for the golf tournament.  We will be on the green by 6am and setting everything up on time for the 7 am registration and breakfast.  It really doesn't seem like that big of deal to host a golf tournament, but there are a lot of little details that require attention.  I had to run to bend to pick up cigars, beer, sodas and stand up coolers.  This always fills my pickup clear full and then I take it home and put the truck in the shop to keep everything out of the heat.  And speaking of heat the hottest day of the year is predicted for tomorrow at 101. 

Tonight I have an airport meeting that hope to get done with by 7pm and get a few chores done.

Day 742, Mid week

Still not time to run the Traveleze to Bend, but I did manage to come home for lunch and let the Chickens out.  The poor little guys have not been out much so I wanted to give them an afternoon of freedom.  They have been laying about 6 to 8 eggs a day, so they deserve some free time.  They were in need of some fresh water, so filled their bucket and took it out to them.  Most of the chickens were out on the lawn, so stopped there and let them all have a good long drink.

Day 741, Tuesday

A very cool Traveleze hubcap.

Last week I was looking on eBay and typed in Traveleze hubcap and too my surprise I found one.  I thought I could use it on trailer if I ad a spare tire on back the trailer originally had.  It had a buy it now price of $45 plus shipping which I thought was way too high.  Long story short I made an offer and they had accepted it.  It arrived today in the mail.   It really looks kind of cool.  It won't fit over the end of the axle which sticks through the wheel or I would get new wheels and look for another hubcap. 

Day 740, Monday

I had the best time taking the trailer to Seaview, Washington.  It was just a fun adventure and I think Tracy had fun too.  There was something about the cool coastal air and being all cozy in the trailer that was just so much fun.  I can't wait to take the trailer more place and have many more good times.

But now it's Monday and it's back to work.  This is our golf tournament week, so it will be a busy week.  There is always lots to do before a big event and this week seems to booked with more than usual.  This week should fly by and after our golf tournament is Harvest Run car show.

There are a few more things that were discovered, that will require some tweaking on the trailer and sometime during the week I need to take it back to Flyte Camp.  I also need to wash the it and get the road grime and salty sea air off it.  I'll be lucky if I get the trailer in, but I'll hope to at some point. 

Day 739, Fun weekend comes to an end

Another great Seaview home

With a 6 hour drive a head, you can't help but think about packing up and hitting the road.  I really didn't want to leave, and could easily enjoy several more days exploring the area. I was planing on leaving sometime around noon.  We had time for another walk around the neighborhood to look at the old homes and to see the amazing gardens.  Flowers seem to thrive here and almost all of the yards looked like something out of a gardening magazine.

Heading back over the Astoria Bridge

The Astoria Bridge that we crossed

Before long, the noon hour had rolled around and we had the Traveleze loaded up and ready to hit the road.  We said goodbye to our new friends as they packed up and pulled out too.  We headed back to the Astoria bridge and then took a different route home, taking Hwy, 101 to Seaside and then inland to Beaverton.  My brother and sister-in-law wanted to meet up with us and give me an early birthday gift, so as we got close we called and arranged a meeting location. 

We were shocked to open the door of the truck to step out into 99 degree heat after being in the 70's at the coast all weekend.  Tracy said it was the first time she was warm all weekend.  It was great to see everyone and I had to open my birthday gift.  It was a hilarious trailer, Christmas, music box, that lights up and has a scene that turn inside.  It was too funny.

Tracy and I still had a three hour drive ahead of us, so we said good bye and jumped back into the truck. 

The Traveleze pulls so easy, I would almost forget it was back there.  I could tell on hills that the truck had to work a little harder, but it was a really easy to pull.

After 6 hours of driving I had Tracy back home and I was heading home.  It had been really fun weekend. 

Day 738, Saturday August 11, 2012

Last  nights dinner

Friday night Tracy and I had cooked a pork  loin in the oven and had mashed potato's and of course we couldn't wait to dive into her chocolate cake.  It had been an awesome day.  Neither of slept all that great, but we were eager to start a new day and explore Seaview.  I was shocked at the number of historic homes and buildings there were.  There was obviously a tremendous history to the town and to the Sou'wester lodge.

Some of the great old homes of Seaview, WA

For breakfast we made cinnamon rolls in the oven, which were very tasty and then we put on our shoes and went for a walk to find the beach and to look at the homes. I was so surprised to discover that most of the homes were built around 1880 to 1900 and they were in great shape.

At 1 pm to 3 pm there was an open house of all of our trailers and the community had been invited to come take a look.  It was a lot of fun to see so many people interested in vintage trailers and everyone them.  Of course having so many people coming in and out of a trailer does cause wear and tear and my step into my trailer gave way when a particularly large gentleman stepped out of the trailer and put all of his weight on it.  I was just glad no one was hurt and that it wasn't an elderly person.  With Justin just a few trailers over, Tracy went to see if we could barrow a socket set to see if we could fix the step.

Add caption

Justin, is Mr. Customer Service and came a running.  We tried a few things but realized we would need to repair it back at home in the shop.  It was no big deal to put the step away and just let people step up into the trailer.

Tonight was the big pot luck and it was fun to meet and spend some time with the folks who had the trailer next to us.  They were far more seasoned than us and have hauled their little trailer all over the country.

Day 737, Sou'wester Lodge, here we come.

A quick oil change

In the middle of the night I realized that I needed to change the oil in the truck.  I figured I could get up early and run into the dealer and have it changed quickly and then get ready to leave.  I had a few chores that needed done before leaving, laundry, neighbors cat, etc.  I headed out about 8:30 am, for the oil change and got right in with no waiting.  I was out in 20 minutes and headed back for home.

I texted Tracy that it would probably be 10:20 am before I got over there and she was fine with that.  I ended forgetting to toss my wash in the dryer and quickly tossed it in. I had the sheets in the wash and I needed to make the bed before I go.  The thought of clean sheets when I get home will be a nice way to end the weekend.

Mt. Hood rest stop

My 10:20 am pick time quickly became 10:45 am, but she had no problem and was ready when I got there.  By the time we got Tracy and all of her stuff loaded and packed in the trailer it was 11 am.

Our route was going to take us north up 97, to Madras and then over Mt Hood, to 205, and into Washington.  We would actually be crossing the Columbia three times, going from Oregon into Washington, back to Oregon and finally crossing the Astoria bridge back into Washington to get to Seaview.

Crossing the Astoria bridge

Our first stop was in Madras to get something to eat and a few groceries that we forgot.  We were also not sure if we would have water, so we picked up two big water jugs.  The second stop would be at Mt Hood so Tracy could use the restroom and I used it as an opportunity to take a few pictures of the trailer.

Backed in and ready to set up camp

The total drive was 6 hours, but we made it.  Driving across the Astoria bridge is weird feeling.  It is truly an amazing bridge and I felt like the Traveleze was really on an adventure.

Pulling into the Sou'wester lodge was a flash back in time.  The lodge was once a private home built in 1890 and there were rental cabins and vintage trailers you could rent as well.  It reminded me of a vintage camp where you would spend your summers and escape the heat of the city.  I pulled the Traveleze in and we headed to the trailer camp area.  Many of the rally goers were there and we quickly parked and set up camp.  I could tell this was going to be a great experience.

Day 736, Getting the Traveleze ready

I was eager to get home after work and start packing the trailer.  I ran to the store after work and bought a few supplies.  Tracy had bought a bunch of food and was baking a cake, yum.  I needed to pull the trailer out and reload all the stuff that I had removed when Justin had done a few repairs to it.  I quickly changed cloths and put on shorts and sneakers, moved the car loaded all the basics and then pulled it out to the driveway with the trailer dolly.

Traveleze waiting for tomorrow's trip

My neighbor was turning the drying hay and I went out to help move the wheel lines while he was driving the tractor. It's a lot easier for him to have someone move the wheels and I was happy to help.  I thought the trailer looked neat in front of the house from the viewpoint of out in the field.

I packed all the food and everything I could think of for the trip. I left a few things in the refrigerator and plan to pack them in the trailer refrigerator with ice just before we left and it should keep everything cool.

Day 735, Concert nigth

I had an email back from Don, with links to the Sou'wester Lodge and a blog about their rally.  I made a phone call to the Lodge and talked to the owner.  The blog had indicated that they had sold out, but in talking with owner, she thought she could get me in.  Seaview, Washington is 257 miles away or about 5 hours.  I wasn't exactly sure I wanted to drive that far, and I was cat sitting my neighbors cat for the week, but still it would be fun.  I emailed my friend Tracy to see what she thought.  She was totally on board and ready to go!  I told her my dilemma with the cat, but I had a text into the back up cat sitter.   Within an hour I had a cat sitter and I confirmed with the Sou'wester that we were coming.

A beautiful August sunset

Tonight we have our 4th concert of the summer and it is another warm day.  The high is expected around 93, but there is a slight breeze.  The heat can have a huge impact on the crowd size but luckily we had a large showing and it was a perfect night.  It's amazing how fast summer is going and that we will only have two left after this one.

It was a great day, and I was home by 8:30 pm just in time to see a spectacular sunset.

Day 734, Tuesday and Sou'Wester Rally

hungry happy chickens

Yesterday I talked to Justin at flight camp and he told me about a rally in Seaview, Washington at the Sou'wester Lodge.  I thought it might be fun to check into it, so I sent an email off to trailer buff, Don, who knew more about the event.  It would be fun to have something to do this weekend and possibly take Friday off.

At work we had a ribbon cutting for a new call center moving into town.  It's a really big deal and perfect timing as they are filling an empty space that was vacated in June and will bring back lots of jobs.  It was a very a great event and a little warm.

At home life on the farm is great.  The new chickens are all settled in and I'm averaging about 6-8 eggs a day.  It's nice to have extra eggs to share with friends and family and the new hens love to eat out of my hand and are very friendly.

Day 733, Looking at a bank owned home.

Over the weekend I had spotted a house that I have long admired was for sale and bank owned.  I was shocked to discover that it was over 4,500 square feet, as it doesn't look that large from the street.  At one point the house had sold for over $1.275 million and now was being listed at $550,000.  The house was built in 2002 has a 1,600 square foot barn and sits on 10 acres on the Deschutes river.  It is an awesome property.  A single guy doesn't need a 4,500 sq ft house but I had to see it.

Big living room

I arranged with a realtor to look at the house with my folks who were also intrigued and wanted to see the house.  The house is stunning from the outside and perfectly situated on the property.  The design is lodge like and has a great feel about it.  I was however a little disappointed when I got inside.  It was nice, but nothing spectacular.  There was nothing that was special, it was just large.  In 4,500 sq ft there was only three bedrooms, so where did all the space go.  Upstairs was a maze of spaces and a large family room, with really bad carpet that need to be re-stretched.  The entire house smelled like a wet dog, but I could over look that.  I was just so uninspired I couldn't see spending the money even if it was a really good deal.  I was bummed, but someone will get a nice house on a great piece of property.

On the way home I took the realtor past a home that I have been curious about.  It looks like it might be in distress and she pulled up the records on it and indeed the owners have been having troubles with the mortgage.  The house is not listed, but my realtor was willing to call them and say she had a client who is interested in the house.  The house if 2,400 sq ft with additional living quarters above a detached garage.  I'd like to see the property to see if it is anything that might be worth a move.

Day 732, Sunday

Sunday was another perfect summer morning and I slept much better.  My sister-in-law, however woke me up at 6:48 am with a text saying I should join them at the Buckaroo Breakfast at the fair.  She and my nephew were up early helping break eggs and serving breakfast to the hundreds of people who had nothing better to do than get up.  I have far to sensitive of a stomach to eat early and I love my sleep far more than standing in line to eat.

It was the usual morning, lazy cats sleeping on the bed, the deer out in the yard, birds singing and the sun shining on the snow capped mountains.  I couldn't help but have a smile on my face.  It was the usual Sunday with Church at 11 and lunch with Doug afterwards.  I was able to putter in the yard all afternoon.  The temperatures have been in the mid 90's all week and I finally feel like summer is here in full swing.

Summer storm in Central Oregon, August 4, 2012

As supper time rolled around I was invited over to my folks for another barbecue.  Life just doesn't get any better a barbecue on a summer night.  Have I mentioned I love my parents, they are quit possibly to the most amazing people on the plant.  Okay, I might be a little bias.

With the high heat, it is pretty common to have a thunder storm roll through to cool down the temperature.  Sure enough as predicted a storm started moving in.  It was a full on display of Mother Natures awesome ability to put on a light show.   As the stormed rolled through the temperature dropped 10 degrees, but with all the lightening, there were sure to be several forest fires.

It had been another great weekend.

Day 731, Bad night sleep but lazy morning

August 3rd already and I had a bad night sleep, not sure why, but I was up a lot.  Maybe it had something to do with the huge spider bite I had on my arm.  It didn't really hurt but it got me right in the inside of my elbow right on a vain, which swelled up.  I was keeping an eye on it and it didn't seem to be getting any worse.  It's just one more reason why I hate spiders however.

About 8am I received a text from my friend Christian regarding a piece of property for sale, 2.29 acres with a shop and mobile home on it $35K.  It seemed unbelievable affordable, so we arrange to go look at it.  It was less than two miles from house and was surprisingly a nice property.  We several calls to the realtor and I called my folks (real estate experts) and they wanted to see it.  We all went and looked at it and thought it would be wroth making an offer.

We pretty much spent the day looking at the property and checking out other listings.

That evening we all came to my house and we barbecued chicken on the deck.  It was a fun day, looking at houses and seeing what is out there.

Day 730, The first Friday in August, 2012

Lazy Cat!

I had a heck of time waking up this morning, everything seemed to be running in slow motion.  Outside the deer were eating on the plants and the two fawns were running and jumping.  I guess they had way more energy than I had. 

The windows were all open and the summer morning air was blowing through the house.  I just laid in bed until the last possible moment, before I had to frantically run to get ready for work.  I showered, dressed, put food out for the cats, watered the chickens and made the bed.  My cat Harris, was also having a lazy morning and wouldn't budge as I made the bed with him on it.

It's going to be a nice warm weekend and I'm ready for it.

Day 729, August 2 2012

Wow, two years with the Traveleze.  I can't believe how time flies.  I do hope to have several adventures with the trailer this summer and many more in the years to come.  I'm finding it a little tricky to plan out a weekend in advance and make reservations for a camp ground.  I like to go when I feel like it and sometimes after a particularly long week I might want to just stay home.  I've always been a spur of the moment kind of guy and I'm going to have to change that a little bit if want a camping spot and to be able to take friends long.

There was a spectacular full moon that crept up over the horizon and despite the August 2 date, the night air was a little fall like.  I spent most of the evening out in the yard and enjoyed every minute of it. The rest of the week was supposed to start warming up and was rea

Day 728, August 1, 2012

August 2, 2010

So, I noticed a I got off on my numbers a while back and had to go back and correct the "Day" count, but it will be two years tomorrow that I purchased the Traveleze.  A lot has happened in two years and the Traveleze has definitely been transformed and hopefully preserved for another 60 years.  I was so naive to think I could fix the trailer and that it could be restored for around $13,000.  The time and expense are always more than expected.  It is just like restoring a car, you have to be willing to give the time and financial resources and it's always cheaper to buy a project already done.

August 1, 2012

Looking back over the process of restoring the Traveleze, it really should have been salvaged for parts and crushed up into a landfill.  But, even though it took longer than expected and cost three times more than expected, I can't imagine having crushed up this little trailer.  While little remains that is original, the spirit and design are intact.  The experience of a 1950 trailer have been retained and to walk into the trailer is a flash back in time.  I did opt for some upgrades that increased the "luxury factor" like wood blinds and a stainless steal back splash, but these two items were available in the 50's and easily could have been in a trailer.  The marmoleum flooring was matched almost perfectly and the cabinets were rebuilt nearly to the original.  Light fixtures, windows, the screen door, sink, hinges, roof vent, hardware, trailer frame and dinette cushions were all saved.  Everything else has been replaced with new, matching what was originally there.  New framing, cabinetry, aluminum skin, wiring, gas tanks, stove, refrigerator, counter tops, table, AC (hidden), water system and water heater are all new.

The finishing touches on the outside were the white wall tires, new wheels with center caps (that would fit over the axle) and the three green strips to match what was discovered under years of paint.  A new awning was made to fit in the original awning rail and new metal step was installed.  We also returned the tail lights and license plate holder to period correct.

The Traveleze has been reborn and I hope will be around for generations to come.

Day 727, Last day of July

Here it is the last day of July and tomorrow starts a new month.  On Thursday, August 2, it will be two years since I bought the Traveleze and started this blog.  I'm thinking that two years is probably a good time to call it quits and hang up the typing fingers. "The random life of a middle aged guy, his chickens and restoring a 1950 Traveleze trailer" has had a good run.  It's been fun to look back over the last two years and to read about the daily events that made up each week, month and year.  I had forgotten about some random events, like preparing for a holiday, the loss of a chicken and some of the major milestones in the restoration of the Traveleze.   When one reflect on their life, as disclosed in snippets over 728 days, it is actually quite sobering.  I realize just how fast time has flown.  Our time on this planet is short and appreciating even the most random of moments is important.  For the most part I documented the highlights of the last two years.  There were some sad moments and even heartache, but I like to look past those times and focus on the good.  I know it's important to remember both the good and the bad, but the bad has such a natural way of etching its mark in our heart without having to put it on paper.  I'm so blessed, that nearly all of my days over the last two years have been good. Pulling the plug on this blog will be sad and a loss of the random days that make up my life.  I will contemplate the blog over the next day and figure out what to do and I hope the coming years will be equally as rewarding and random.

Six eggs

My little farm, makes me smile every time I return.  I can't wait to get home each day and spend time in the yard.  My new girls (hens) laid 6 eggs today and all 9 of them were eager to get out into the garden and dig up bugs.  My two cats left me a surprise inside the house today, having caught two magpies and beheaded them in the living room.  I wanted to get upset, but it's life on the farm and it's two less annoying magpies on the planet.  I cleaned up the carnage, shampooed the carpet and headed over to my parents of dinner.

Spending time with my folks is one of my greatest joys.  I love them beyond words and enjoy every minute of my time with them.  As they approach their 80's, I know that time is precious and even though they are far younger than their years, I don't want to have any regrets about not spending time with them.  I am blessed, and my parents are what made it all possible.

The last day of July 2012.

This last day of July was one that you want to capture in your memory forever, a warm summer breeze,  beautiful sunset and a beaming full moon.  I walked down my driveway accompanied by my cat Harris in the twilight.  The air was fresh and the sound of irrigation sprinklers tapped through the air.  There were just a few streams of light jetting into the night sky and Harris and I enjoyed the moment.

Day 726, Costco and Chickens

Ughh not Halloween it's still July!

After my workout in Bend I headed over to do a Costco run.  I always have one or two items I need, but walk out with 5 or 6 items.  I enjoy seeing what they have and usually the unbeatable price that comes with it.  To my chock and surprise, they already have Halloween items out!  Ugh, I'm just not ready to start thinking about Fall.  I know there is all kinds of back of school advertising going on, but I can block that out.  Halloween in July, just say no!

Back home it was time to let the Chickens out.  My original three were ready to fly the coop and when I opened the door they bolted in a flurry of feathers. The new 6 chickens just sat there and were in complete shock.  I could see they were wonder, just what are they doing on the outside.   I left the door open to see if they would venture out and they just stood there.  Finally one ventured out and they all came out.  They enjoyed their freedom, but were slightly cautious about being out in the open.

Happy Chickens

I checked for eggs and there were four!  This was the first time I had a four egg day in almost a 9 months.  I had forgotten what it was like to see so many.  Instead of taking over a week to fill an egg carton I can do it in a matter of days.

Four fresh eggs

With the chickens running free I went to wash the BMW and the truck.  Both of them were very dusty and I was happy to have the time to clean them back up.

With the sun setting and two clean cars in the garage, I went to check on the hens.  They had all found their way back into the pen and were all settled in for the night.

It was a perfect day.

Day 725, Taking the cousins kayaking

From Iowa to Oregon

Today after Church I'm taking my cousins kayaking with my buddy Doug.  I borrowed Tracy's kayak and with a fully loaded truck, we were ready to go by 2pm.  The drive up to the lake takes about 50 minutes to an hour and, which would up us there about 3pm.  This is a great time to go, because a lot people are already heading home and the parking lot is not so full.

My cousins have never kayaked, but I assured them they could do it, however, I wasn't so sure when I saw my cousin tipping from side to side. His wife on the other hand was a natural pro.  After about 10 minutes he had it figured out and we were off to explore the lake.  Sparks lake is a long ways away from the corn fields of Iowa and they thoroughly the experience.  There is so much to see and the scenery is breathtaking.

After a few hours it was time to head home and have the last big family dinner before they head back to Iowa.

Day 724, New Chickens

First thing on my list to do today is put away the Traveleze.  The trailer has been out in the driveway for a week since I brought it home from Flyte Camp.  I don't think I'm going to be using it anytime soon, so it needs to be put away out of the sun. Getting the trailer in the shop isn't that hard but get all the cars parked in around it can be a challenge.

Corn getting tall.

With my chicken population down to 3 I decided to look on Craigslist and see if there were any chickens for sale.  I found one posting in Sisters for 6 chickens that were about 11 months old which is perfect and they were not asking an arm and leg for them.  They Americana's, a Java and a Welsummer.  I made a drive out to Sisters and an hour later I was back home with 6 new chickens.  I had let my three out, so they were running around the yard and not in the pen.  I was easily able to get all six in the pen and they seemed to settle in right away.

I spent the rest of the afternoon working on the yard and come dinner time I needed to put the three hens in with the new girls.  For the most part is was peaceful, until the two dominant  hens of each group decided they needed to establish the pecking order.  The feathers were a flying, but for the most part they kept it civil.

The corn is getting tall with the tallest stalk about 6'.  With any luck the corn should be ready by the end of August and just before the first frost.  With nights already getting down in the high 40's I could see this be an early frost year.

Day 723, The weekend

I'm so ready for Friday.  My cousin from Iowa and his wife are here visiting and are staying with my folks, so tonight we are going out to dinner.  I thought it would be fun to fire up the Rolls and drive them to the restaurant.  It has probably been 20 years since we have seen each other and it was great to have the opportunity to spend time together.

It was great fun to catch up and hear old family stories.  Iowa is where all of my family is from and there is a lot of fond memories of my grandparents and visits with all the cousins.  Now that my grandparents are gone I don't get back there and I feel the grip of family slipping away.  Luckily with Facebook and email I'm able to keep in touch with most of my relatives.

Day 722, Thursday

Cute little bugger as he gets ready to munch my flowers.

I woke up to the sound of deer in the back yard and upon a closer look I saw that there were two deer still in spots.  It was fun to watch them run around while Mom was munching on my flowers.  It was a great way to wake up, but after a while I was tired of watching my flowers get chomped down to knowing to I had to ask them to leave.

Today I had an afternoon ribbon cutting at work and then at 5 a visit to the chiropractor for my neck and then a massage at 6:50pm.  My neck and shoulder have been knotted up for months and I'm finally getting around to getting it fixed.  There is nothing like an elbow in your back to work out the kinks and to make you scream like a little girl.  Man, I was dieing from the massage, but ultimately it was a hurts so good kind of feeling.

Day 721, Music on the Green

Tonight is our third concert of our summer series and will mark the halfway point.  Where has summer gone?  The group tonight is the Soul Benders and they play classic rock with a little R&B and some funk.  They are a great band so everyone should love them.

People enjoying a summer evening concert

At 11am we set up our stage tent and it was a little warm.  The high today is expected to be at 90, so it could be a bit warm for the start of the concert.

The concert starts at 6pm and it was 90 with a slight breeze which made the temperature perfect for a summer concert.  By 6:30 pm the park was full at an estimated 1,300 people.  There was lots of craft and food venders and the kids were enjoying the three bounce castles.

It was a fantastic night, but one of the venders had deep friers that need electricity for cooling down and he was plugged into our power boxes.  I ended up staying until 9:15pm until they were cool enough that I could cut off his power.

It was a long day, but very fun.

Day 720, Time to mow the lawn

Taking a picture while mowing....

I had dinner with my folks and then headed home to mow my lawn before dark.  Tonight at 11:40 pm, my cousins from Iowa are flying in and my parents are picking them up.  I usually mow on Wednesday, but I wanted to have it out of the way so it wouldn't interrupt any visiting time.  As usual it took me about an hour and I then had another 40 minutes of daylight to pull a few weeds.  With 10 acres there is always something to be doing.

With the sun set and the temperature still in the high 70's I actually had a rare burst of energy and went for a much needed run.  There is a perfect 2 mile loop I can run which takes just over 25 minutes and doesn't kill me.

It was a fantastic day!

Day 719, Back to work

I really wished I could have taken the Traveleze out, but it just didn't fall together.  I'm sure there will be more opportunities to take it out and hopefully in August for sure.

One happy cat

The update on the 1942 Packard, it still sits in Prineville awaiting a new main shaft for the overdrive transmission.  The on in the transmission I bought had been welded back together and despite more repair work, it wont hold together.  The Packard guy in Seattle is looking for a replacement and will let me know as soon as he finds one.  Meanwhile the car is sitting unusable and the summer is slipping away.  With the 42 on hold it has also put the 53 on hold.

It was a beautiful summer day and I enjoyed spending the evening at home enjoying the yard.  My cat Harris had discovered a great advantage point at which to pounce down on mice.  He walks the irrigation pipe line and looks for movement.  I think he also enjoys the view.

Day 718, Sunday

The AC cant keep up when with the sun is beating down.

This was one lazy day.  Other than going to Church and having lunch with my buddy Doug, that was about it.

I worked a little more on the trailer and it's pretty much ready for the next outing.  The one thing I wanted to test out was the AC, to see if it was up to the 80 degree day and would it cool the little trailer down.  I closed up all the windows and let the AC run for an hour and half, and when I opened the door it was roasting hot.  I then thought perhaps I needed to provide some method to vent the heat out, so I popped open the roof vent and went away for another hour.  When I came back it was hotter inside then out.  I popped open several more windows and left the AC on for another half hour.  When I came back it was obvious that the little AC, just can't keep up with the heat and it is not capable of cooling the tiny space.  I was a little bummed, but there has got to be a solution to the problem and I'm sure Justin can figure it out.  We might just have to put in a bigger unit, but the space is so tinny it should be able to cool it down.

It was a great weekend and I felt rested for the coming week.

Day 717, Back to Sparks lake.

I had worked hard to get all my chores done before the weekend, so my weekend was free for fun!  Christian and I had planned the night before to go kayaking again, so I tossed the kayaks in the truck and headed to pick him up.

Sparks lake is spectacular and no matter how many times I go there I never get tired of the view.  The water was flat and mirror like and the temperature was perfect.  On the way into the parking area there is a spectacular camp sight where I would love to back the Traveleze into and take pictures.  It's right on the waters edge surrounded by pine trees and it is one of the most scenic campsites in the area.  It would be a awesome spot.

We spent several hours on the water and we were both snapping pictures with our phone. Life just doesn't get any better than this.

Day 716, FRIDAY!

Well the idea of leaving work early and heading to the coast didn't materialize, so I focused on a full days work.  I was bummed out that South Beach in Newport is booked full for every weekend until Labor Day, but know I can get in, in September.  There are also many other campsites out there and I just need to plan to the weekend and book ahead.

Very fine scratches in the aluminum siding before I took them off.

Tracy was at the coast and I was looking at a weekend with no plans.  I called up my buddy Christian, to see if was up for a barbeque and he said sure!  There is nothing better than barbeque chicken, spinach salad and corn on a hot summer evening.  Okay, there are lots of good summer food, but this hit the spot.  After dinner Christian helped me put back some of the stuff I had taken out of the trailer so it could be worked on.  It's amazing how soft aluminum is, and if you use the wrong cloth you can scratch the surface, even when you are just trying to clean it.  Luckily as easy as it is to put them in, it's as easy to take them out.  For the light scratches, 00 steel wool, with a super light touch and stainless steel polish, I was able to get the scratches out.  The brushed aluminum siding makes it easy, I just followed the direction of the aluminum and scrubbed lightly.

It was the start of another great weekend.