Day 605, Friday and the big Mega Millions

I was so glad it was Friday and the big buzz was the Mega Millions Lottory. I think it is up to $640 million now that would be nice. I wonder what kind of trailer and car you could buy with that kind of money, big grin! Ahh to dream.

I really had no plans for the day or Friday night and tomorrow I have to drive to Portland for a wedding and my nieces 9th birthday. I'm not looking forward to being gone for another weekend and to drive over the mountain but I need to go.

At 5 pm I invited Christian and Tracy over for pizza in the trailer. Tracy was dog sitting but Christian was more than happy to partake in some pizza and beer.

Day 604, Sad day for the chickens.

Today was stormy with strong winds and rain.  This is the part of winter/spring that really starts to get on my nerves and I long for beautiful summer days.

An awesome set of trailer towels

At noon, I came for lunch and I went to check on my chickens.  One of the hens was having breathing problems and I wanted to give her more antibiotics.  When I got to the pen I only saw three hens and thought that's not good.  When I opened the door to the big coop I found the Rhoda Island Red had died.  I really wasn't surprised, she didn't sound good the night before and the medication didn't seem to be helping.  I'm now down to 3 chickens out of the original 14. It was a sad day and I tossed her lifeless body in the trash can.  Oh well such is life on a farm.

I was very happy to find in my mailbox another one of my purchases from eBay, it was a set of dish towels.  I'm not one to get excited about towels, but these are really cool!  They are vintage pictures of canned ham trailers, an old car, a fisherman (with the Seattle area map, including Tukwila where the Packard came from) and one of those old metal chairs.  I think they will be  awesome in the trailer.

Day 603, Taking photos

Traveleze and Packard ready to go.

The weather was actually holding and the sun was  out.  Anna texted around 7:15 am that she would be on her way shortly to take the pictures.  This gave me about 25 minutes to get ready and to have the trailer hooked up to move.  It is so much easier to move the trailer with the John Deere mower than the truck.  When I went to start the mower, the batter was dead.  I quickly tossed on a battery charger and let it charge. By the time Anna arrived the mower was ready to start and I pulled the Traveleze out of the shop and on to the front driveway.  We thought it would be fun to have the Packard in a few of the pictures, so I brought her out too.

Anna has a great camera and I snapped a few pictures with my iPhone.  The lighting was perfect and the clouds in the sky provided some dramatic interest. We spent about an hour playing with the camera angles and positioning the car and in the end I think Anna got some great shots.  I was happy with what I got on my phone.

I got to work a little after 9 am and I shared my photo's with the office.  Everyone thought they looked great and they have been very supportive of my crazy obsession with the restoration and car hunting.

I was pretty focused on the Traveleze at work and I couldn't help but think it would be a lot of fun to pull the Traveleze with the Packard to some of Oregon's great nostalgic camping location and blog about it.  At the Governor's Conference on Tourism last week I actually talked to a few of Oregon's travel people and they liked the idea too.  I followed up with several via email and forwarded some of today's pictures from this morning.

At 4:15 pm I had my workout and I was in sad shape after being gone for a week.  My trainer whipped me into shape and had me do a ton of running up hill on the treadmill. 

A beautiful morning for taking pictures

Following my workout I had time to stop off at Flyte Camp and check on their projects. Now that my trailer is done I really don't want to stop, seeing what they are doing.  They are such great people, and what a fun job, making jewels out of lost treasures. 

At 6:45 pm Tracy was coming to pick me up and we were going to go see a special, 20th anniversary showing of the Bodyguard, in Bend.  I really wasn't sure about this, but Tracy wanted to go and I knew we would have fun.  I bought the tickets at $25 for the two of us and Tracy bought the snack, her water and my pop corn, drink and hot dog, which came to almost another $25.  We had spent $50 to see a movie we could rent for nothing.  The funny part was, when we go into the theater, we were the only people there.  Tracy didn't want to sit in the theater alone and they were having problems getting the movie to run, so they refunded our ticket and we headed home.  Actually, we headed to Macy's so Tracy could do some quick shopping. 

We had a fun even though we didn't get to see the movie and I think we were both happy at the thought of going to bed early.

It had been a fun day!

Day 602, Tuesday

I spent a little time working on the trailer today and I got out the Fiesta wear plates from the 50's that Tracy bought for the trailer in August of 2010.  With the quirky vintage Oregon tablecloth the plates would look great.  I'm not sure if I keep the plates in the trailer, they are heavy and breakable and I would want to bouncy around and break.  I'll have to see if I can figure out a way to pack them and keep them safe.

Bring on the meatloaf!

Tomorrow Anna from Flyte Camp is going to come over and take pictures of the trailer for an article being written for the Oregonian.  The weather forecast is not looking good, but if we want to catch the good light we will have to take the picture in the morning or late evening.  We decided to shot for 8 am and hope that it's not raining.  We were just going to have to play it by ear.

Today in the mail I received to pieces of trim for the Packard.  I don't really need them, but Rick said I should buy up a few extra pieces to have on hand and I was able to get them relatively inexpensively.

Day 601, Back to work

I spent a good part of the morning just sorting through mail, emails, phone calls and other projects that accumulated while I was gone, but by the end of the day I was feeling pretty caught up.  At least I had a good plan of attack for the rest of the week.  At noon I ran home for a late lunch and I had two of my recent eBay purchases waiting for me.  One was a vintage Oregon table cloth for the trailer and the other was a NOS section of the back bumper for the 53 Packard. 

Funky old Oregon table cloth.

Immediately following work I zipped home to spend more time on the Traveleze.  I cleaned the outside of the trailer with aluminum and stainless steel cleaner.  It looked pretty good I really want to take it out and give it a good wash, but for now it looked good.  I spent a few moments getting over-spray off the chrome trim rings on the wheels. I can tell I am going to have years of fun just puttering with the trailer.

I had been wondering how the 42 Packard was coming along and especially the engine rebuild.  I gave Rick a call and he has made a lot of progress getting the 42 back together.  He is currently working getting the new overdrive transmission in and he needs to have the drive line shortened.  The engine rebuild is still moving along but they still had one stuck cylinder when he had check last week.  Rick is putting the car back together keeping the current engine in place and we can replace it once the other engine is rebuilt.

Day 600, Flying home to the Traveleze

Flying home

My brother and I were up bright and early to head to the airport.  At 5:30 am there was no traffic and we hit almost every light right and made it to the airport in 25 minutes.  This normally takes 40 minutes to an hour with traffic.

We breezed through security and had plenty of time to kill before boarding and heading to San Francisco.   The flight from Palm Springs to San Francisco was on hour and we soon boarded the next flight to Portland that would only take one hour and 20 minutes.  We arrived in Portland 30 minutes ahead of schedule and this allowed me to catch a much earlier flight home.  $25 later I had a new ticket and was saying good bye to my brother.  He was able to get home and text me as I was boarding my flight and I got home exactly one hour after he did.

Tracy picked me up at the airport and dropped me off at the front door.  I went side and changed cloths and tossed everything in the wash.  I couldn't wait to head out to the shop and see the Traveleze. 

Flannel sheets

The trailer was just awesome and there was plenty of room in the shop for it.  I spent a lot of time just looking at it and figuring our a few things I needed to buy.  I had several items in the house that I had accumulated for the trailer and brought it all out .  First thing I did was make the bed.  I had red flannel sheets and they looked pretty good.  With a custom mattress it is going to require some creative fitting to make sheets work and stay in place.

I created a substantial list of items I wanted for the trailer, so I fired up the Packard and headed to town.  An hour later after shopping at several stores I  headed back to home and the trailer.

Pendleton Glacier Park Blanket 

After 600 days, I finally have my perfectly restored 14" 1950, Traveleze, canned ham trailer.  I blew my budget but the end result is truly spectacular.  I am so happy with Flyte Camp and the work that Justin, Anna and their team did for me.

This is just the start of many fun adventures to come.

Day 599, Our last day in paradise

1963 Buick La Saber

Saturday is our last day in sunny California.  The weather has been absolutely perfect and I really don't want to leave, but my trailer is calling my name.

Old town La Quinta is hosting an Art Festival today and my mother, brother and I went to see what they have to offer.  There were lots of people there and the parking lots were packed.  Luckily as I pulled in the parking lot attendant directed me to a spot that was just becoming available.  It was good parking karma.   First thing I noticed was a 1963 Buick La Saber convertible for sale.  It looked to be all original and in very presentable shape.  There was no price tag, only a phone number, which I snapped a picture of, so I could call later.

Walking the Old Town La Quinta Art Festival

The art festival was well attended and they had many nice things.  We made a loop and covered all the booths and had a good time.  It was starting to get warm and felt the need for some serious patio time coming.  It had been a fun few days, soaking up the sun and spending time with family.

Tomorrow it's up at 5am and off to the airport by 5:30am.

Day 598, Friday

Humming Bird getting a drink

More of the same, sunshine everywhere, I don't know how people handle it.  There was nothing on the agenda today other than some shopping. We spent several hours just sitting on the patio watching the golfers and the humming birds.  The birds are very entertaining and everyone has humming bird feeders, so there are lots of them. It really was the ideal vacation day just relaxing and spending time with family.  We had a fantastic dinner at a restaurant called Lavender in La Quinta and ran into old friends from Oregon, who I have not seen in over 20 years.

I did do some more shopping online for the trailer and now have several items coming, which should arrive next week.  I am very excited to see the Traveleze and spend sometime with it.

Day 597, More sun

The end of a perfect day

It was another perfect day.  The sun was shining there was a slight breeze and life was about as good as it gets.  Now if I could just move this weather North to Redmond, so I could take the Packard out and the trailer.  I am having a great time with my folks, but I can't help but think of my trailer at home in my garage. While sitting on the patio soaking up sun, I did use my Mom's iPad to shop on eBay for things for the Traveleze.  It seemed to be one way to appease my need to think about the trailer.

The day was very relaxed and managed to get in some pool time and shopping with my parents.  Dinner was on the patio with good friends (Salmon) and the temperature was perfect.  You couldn't get a better atmosphere and we all just enjoyed the good food and company.

Another great day in Paradise.

Day 596, Life in paradise

The sun was shining the expected high temperature was to be in the mid 80's. Breakfasts was on the patio and it was absolutely paradise. It's hard to believe that back home it's snowing and here I am watching the golfers go by.

Great weather

There was nothing on the agenda for the day other than my father and I go car shopping. The selection of every make and model down here is staggering. Back home in Oregon it's hard to find a selection and and you would have to drive all over Portland to to see half the selection. We checked out BMW, Mercedes and of all things the Hyundai Equus. While not quite on par, for the money it is a screaming deal that is loaded with options. While all three cars had heated/cooled reclining rear seats, only the Equus had a rear entertainment system and armrest refrigerator (cooler).

The was was so restful and fun. We went out to dinner and I was in bed bed by 10 pm. It was a great start to a vacation.

Day 595, The Traveleze comes home!

The Traveleze at home!

I spent the night at my brothers house in Aloha, and at 9:20 am we were flying down to sunny Southern California, to spend 5 days with our folks.  Portland traffic can be somewhat unpredictable, so we allowed plenty of time to get to the airport.

The flight was uneventful with an hour layover in San Jose.  While waiting for the plane to plane to takeoff for Palm Springs I received a text from Justin.  He was going to deliver the Traveleze today!  He is running short on room needs the space and I have an empty spot in my shop just waiting for it.  Justin gave the trailer a quick cleaning in the driveway, using his trusty ShamWow and then backed it into the shop.  I can't believe I have to wait to see the Traveleze when it's in my own shop, but what a great thing to come too.

Sunny California

A short 1 hour and 40 minutes later we were in Palm Springs.  The weather was a perfect 74 degrees and with our rented Toyota Yaris, loaded with our luggage we were on our way.  I was so looking forward to just sitting on the patio and enjoying the sun and view.

With a margarita in hand and wearing nothing but shorts, I was officially on vacation.

Day 594, Portland conference

Reception at the Jupiter Hotel

The Governors conference on tourism is an annual conference that brings together Oregon's tourism professionals. It's great opportunity to learn the latest trends in the industry and to meet with colleagues. The program began at 8 am and went until 5:20 pm. At 6 pm the evening entertainment was hosted at the Jupiter Hotel, a retro 1960's property. Local restaurants were serving food and the experience was spectacular and the food even better.

At the conference I talked to several people about the Traveleze and how I plan to pull it around the region and state. It will be fun to blog about great camping spots in Oregon.

It was a fun and educational day.

Day 593, Time to clean

I spent most of the day cleaning the house. I'm going to be having a friend house sit while I'm gone for a week, so I wanted the place looking presentable. I spent most of the day cleaning sinks, toilets, shower and tub, the sheets towels floors and vaccuuming. When I was do e the house looked pretty amazing. It had been snowing off and all day, so it was the perfect day to stay in doors.

I texted Justin my travel plans and said he might bring the trailer over and put it in my shop. I said it would be no problem and that my house sitter would be happy to help coordinate the return of the Traveleze. I had really wanted to be there for the return, but I understand Justin wanting the space.

I will be anxious to return and see the trailer. I remembered that Rick had given me a bumper off a 1950 pickup as possible bumper for the Teaveleze. I had forgotten I put it in the trunk of the Packard. I need to show Justin when I get back and see what he thinks.

Day 592, Driving the Packard

I couldn't wait to drive the Packard to Prineville to show Rick. Rick knows more about cars than anyone else I know. I really wanted him to see the car any give me his honest opinion. I had texted that I was coming and when I got there they had just ran into town and they said they would be right back. I parked the Packard and the. Just walked around and looked all Ricks neat old cars.

I was really surprised to find a 1950's Ranger popup travel trailer in his car pile. I snapped a picture and sent it to Justin. Justin replied back quickly. He wanted to know if he wanted to sell it. I said I would ask. I also knew that Justin liked old trucks, so sent a few pictures and lived one old 1959 pickup. He really wanted to know if Rick wanted to sell it and I said I would check when he got there.

A few minutes later Rick showed up and he gave me a thumbs up as he pulled into the driveway. He parked his truck and said, Wow I really like the car, other than the color. He had me move the car under the carport since it was spitting snow and the top was down. Rick gave the car a full inspection and was very happy with the car. He loved the front end and we talked a lot about what needs to be done. First thing we need to do is change all the fluids and fix the hydrolics. Once that is done we need to look at the body and put in new body mounts.

We talked a long time about the car and he estimated body and paint work at between $18,000 and $22,000. Yikes! He says I can do a lot of the work, remove the trim, interior, bumpers etc and the strip the paint. Rick could see that there was a lot of bondo in the car but he said it was a great car and that I did good. To get the car back to top shape he said I was looking at close to $30,000. That is just a little more than I want to spend, so I'll have to go slow.

I spent a large part of the afternoon hanging out and talking cars. It was a great day!

Day 591, Registering the 53 Packard

At 3 pm, I went home for a late lunch, hoping that I might find the 1953 license plates that I bought in my mail box.  If they were there I could take the Packard to the DMV and get the car registered and licensed.  I stopped at the mailbox and sure enough the plates were there.  I couldn't wait to jump in the Packard and drive in to town. 

The skies were gray and threatening rain, but I was willing to risk it (the top and windows are down on the car). I was confident I could get to the DMV and back before the rain really started.  With the Washington title, 53 plates and my check book in hand I headed out.

This was my third visit to the DMV this week and the lines have been small and I have had excellent customer service.  Today there were a ton of people waiting, but when I got my number I was only 2 away from being called.  I grab the appropriate form to fill out and a clipboard and by the time I finished filling out the application for registration they were calling my number.  We have an awesome DMV and the agent quickly looked up my vintage plates, okay'd them and then went to verify the vin number (vehicle identification number)  on the title with the car.  This is were the trouble started.  There is no vin number on a 53 Packard car body, it's on the engine and this car had the engine replaced in 2006.  I was given a form to fill out and I had to have the Police Department do a Vin number search on the car.  I quickly drove to the Police station, but I needed to stopped to get gas first.

New 1953 vintage plates on the Packard.

Yesterday I was at the Police Department with the Leadership program and I know the department well.  The Chief of Police was there and he personally helped me with my issue.  We called Seattle Packard parts guy, Dave, and he explained the vin number was the engine number.  The Chief signed off that the number was not to be found and a new number should be issued.  With such great documentation and long time ownership of the Packard in Washington, we were all very comfortable that all this car needed was a new number.  Back to the DMV I drove, note from the Police Department in hand.  I didn't have to wait and the agent quickly issued a new number, attached it to the car and I was all set go.  I wrote my check out for the amount told and was know the registered owner of the Packard.  My new title and vehicle registration should come in about two to three weeks.

I had just enough time to drive home before it started raining.

Day 590. Leadership Class

Today is Leadership, so I was out the door at 7:20 am.  I had a horrible night sleep and was wide awake for most of the night.  I was surprised that I was feeling fairly refreshed and ready to start a very long day.  My first stop was to buy fresh donuts from the bakery and I was so tempted to eat one or two on my way out to the truck.

Tracy in the back of a new police cruiser.

The schedule for the day was very interesting, with visits to the Fire Department, Police Department, the County District Attorney, a visit to the Sheriff's Office and then a tour of the County Jail.  I think the participants enjoyed having a personal discussion and tour with each of the facilities and learning first hand what their challenges were.  I even got a pictures of Tracy cuffed and stuffed in the backseat of new patrol car.  Okay, she wasn't cuffed, but it was an awfully tight fit in the back seat.

After our tour of the jail the class was over and I had Tracy and Charlie in the car with me and I asked if it would be okay to go look at the trailer.  They said sure, so we made a stop at Flyte Camp.  The film crew was just finishing up and Justin was standing out front when we pulled up.  He was happy to see and opened up the Traveleze, so Tracy and Charlie could see.  He has been so busy working on his many projects, but every thing he is doing is just getting better and better. I am sure he is going to have a huge TV hit on his hands and be busier than ever.  Tracy and Charlie enjoyed seeing the trailer and we headed back for home.

Later that night I spent a little time working on the Packard.  I fed the leather another round of leather conditioner and it's really starting to soften up.  I think if I keep soaking the leather in conditioner it will be presentable and will last for many more years.  I will just need to take it into and have the seams sewn up to have it looking good.

It was a long day and I was ready for bed!

Day 589, Wednesday

There is not a lot to report today. I had several meetings all day, including an airport commission meeting at 5:30 pm. The meeting got off to a late start and was running long. Naturally I had another appointment at 7 pm, so I had to leave early.

I didn't have time to work on the Packard or do anything related to the trailer. Tomorrow is Leadership, so I need to be up early. I wanted to be in bed early so I could get a good night sleep.

I did get confirmation that my 53 vintage plates have been shipped and they should arrive by Friday at the latest. Once I get them I will drive down to the DMV and get the car registered.

Day 588, A snowy day

Winter is still firmly in place and last weeks 70 degree temperatures were just teaser.  There was snow on the ground and the wind was blowing fiercely.  The hope of spring seemed a long way off.

On my lunch break I was able to get the "month" sticker for the Traveleze license plate.  I was also able to buy 1953 Oregon vintage license plates on eBay from a guy in Portland.  Once I get the plates, which I'm anticipating will be on Friday, I will be able to go register and license the car.

After work I came home and checked on the chickens.  They had knocked one the perches off the wall.  It required a really long screw to fix and then I cleaned out the hen house again.  Man can those hens poop!  After cleaning up the coop I had time to spend tinkering on the 53.  I gave the leather seats another feeding of leather conditioner and they drank up the conditioner like crazy.  It will probably take a couple weeks to get them fully conditioned.  If I can get them soft enough an upholster will be able to sew the seams back up.
 
 It was a little cool out but I couldn't help but take the car our and just drive it around the block.

Day 587, Back to work

All night long I heard the wind howling over the house and I couldn't help but hunker down in my bed and enjoy the moment.  Harris and Scrappy were sound asleep at the foot of the bed.  They are happy to be on the bed with me sleeping safe and sound.   In the morning the wind was still blowing and it was snowing lightly.  Winter is not wanting to let go and spring would have to wait another day.

The beautiful weekend was now over, it was time to get up and go to work.  After being gone on Friday I knew I would have some catching up work to do, but I was ready for it.  It was actually a very nice Monday and the day moved quickly.  I had lots of people ask about the Packard and wondered if I drove it to work.  With the windows stuck down and the fact that it was snowing the answer was a most definite, no.   I did manage to call a place that restores license plates here in town and they do have 1953 Oregon plates, but they are just a little pricey.  I told them I have two 1956 plates and they were interested in a part trade.  I'll have to see what kind of deal they want to make.  I really want 1953 plates on the car and I can go register the car tomorrow afternoon.  In Oregon you only have to register a classic car once.

Just waiting to go for a drive.

I did have the opportunity to stop by Flyte Camp to check on the Traveleze. They had moved it to another location to make room in their shop.  They are getting ready to film another TV show for the Travel Channel on Thursday and they are possibly going to use the Traveleze.  It sounded like they would be done with it this week and I would be getting it home either Friday or Saturday!  The end is near.

Back home the 53 Packard would have to wait for better weather and license plates before we can go for a ride.  I would only imagine that the car is so ready to get out on the road again after being in storage for so long.  I can't wait to see the 53 and Traveleze together.  It will be the start of many new adventures.

Life is good.

Day 586, Sunday Church and Car

The change to Standard Time had me laying in bed longer than normal and I stayed in bed until 8:30 am.  It was so nice to just lay in bed and just enjoy the morning.  However, I really needed to do a little cleaning of the house and atleast get a few of my weekend chores accomplished, before heading off to church.  The weather was a lot colder than yesterday and it was actually spiting snow.  Any work I do today on the car after church will have to be done inside the shop.

Door step plate needing polished.

Following church I stopped off at my brothers house to pick up two cases of mixed Dremel bits, so I could polish the stainless side moldings and make them shine like chrome.  The little buffing bits are tiny and with metal polish I was able to get in all the little curves and groves.  I was really happy with the results, but it took me nearly 4 hours to do one side of the car.  I also spent an hour working on the door step plate.  These plates are made of aluminum and they always look dirty and flat, but with a little work they can have a nice shine. 

It has been an amazing weekend.  Taking Friday off and driving to Takwila and getting the car was so much fun.  On Saturday I was on cloud 9, just cleaning on the car.  For me there is something so special about each old car, each one has story.  Some of these stories are well know and some are lost for ever.  I plan to help preserve as much information about the 53 as I can by creating book to hold its records and life story.

Tomorrow I will attempt to buy 1953 Oregon license plats and then go register the car with classic plates.  There used to be a company in Redmond who sold plates and I think they have new owners, but are still in business.  It will be nice to have the car registered and plated for Oregon.  Then all I will need is a little warm weather.

Day 585, Sunshine and a little detail work.

Wide whitewalls scrubbed clean

I couldn't wait to get up and work on the Packard.  There was so much to do and I wanted to jump in get to work.  Christian came to help and the first thing we did was start unloading the car to see what was there.  We emptied the trunk, carefully examining exactly what we had.  The last thing to took out of the trunk was the carpeting.  The carpet was from a house and with everything out, I could examine the floors.  There are numerous rust holes and a new floor pan is going to be in order at some point, but it's not too bad.

Visor hinge before polishing

The one thing I was very concerned about was the yellowed whitewall tires.  I was pretty sure they were not going to be brought back to white and they would have a yellow cast to them, no matter how hard I scrubbed them.  To my surprise, with my trusty SOS soap pads, I was able to get them white.  With the wire wheels the whitewalls looked spectacular.

Visor hinge after polishing

Christian went through the glove box and examined everything carefully.  There is a lot of miscellaneous spare parts, screws and knobs.  I grabbed a rag and some chrome polish and just started in on the dash.  There was just so much to do, it was hard to focus on one small piece at a time, but that is what I did.  I started with horn ring and got it looking like new and then moved on to each knob, the radio, mirror, window trim, sun visor hinges, ash tray doors, step plates, wing windows and on and on. 

Ashtray before polishing

Ashtray after polishing.

Christian left around 1 pm to get some of his own work done. I spent the entire day polishing and cleaning.  I vacuumed out the trunk and the rest of the car.  I even removed the back seats, so I could clean out a large mouse nest  With each project I would see ten more things that needed to be done and I just focused on cleaning the car one project at a time.  I love the mindless detail work and the gratification of making one little part look like new.  The most dramatic transformation were the hinges on the sun visors and the rear ash trays.  What I had thought would be impossible to clean turned out to look incredible and very presentable when I was finished.

The weather was perfect for working outside and even though the top wasn't working on its own, I was still able to put it down by hand.  The car looks awesome from about 20 feet and I was happy to have it.  There is something very unique about 50's car styling.  They have a grace, simplicity and elegance all to their own.  The 53 Packard is a very tall car and the stance of the car is very pronounced.

With the top down, it was easy to get in and out of the back seat, and I started the process of conditioning the original leather seats.  I have a fantastic leather conditioner that I use on the F150's King Ranch leather and I knew it would work on this old dried out leather.  I could tell the leather was drinking it up and I continued to feed it several times to soften it up.  The seats are going to need some attention with many of the seams pulling apart, but for the most part the seats are still very usable.

Packard looking good.

By 5 pm the car was looking amazing and I couldn't help but think of how much fun it is going to be to see it with the Traveleze.

Day 584, The road trip to Seattle.

Heading up over Mt Hood.

Christian and I departed my house at 5:40 am, with Jon's truck and trailer for our our second trip to Tukwila, WA, just south of Seattle.  We had water, a thermos of coffee, my moms frozen cookies from Christmas, a box of crackers and a bag of Trail Mix bars.  We were all set and on the road.

Our route takes us up Highway 97 to Madras and then Highway 26 to Portland up over Mt. Hood. It takes about 2 hours to get to Mt Hood and then another hour to get on into Portland.  We connect onto Interstate 84 at Gresham, then onto Interstate 205 and cross over the Columbia River into the State of Washington were we connect with Interstate 5 and drive 180 miles north to Takwila.

The hydroplane tilted and ready to be moved out the door.

At Olympia, I called our contact, Barbara, who would be helping us get the car out of the storage space.  She has a vintage hydroplane boat that is blocking the only garage door and she had a friend ready to come help move the boat.  Olympia is about 40 minutes from Takwila and it should give her enough time to have the boat moved.  When we got there Barbara was still waiting for her friend to come move the boat.  This gave us some time to hear her fascinating story about her hydroplaning and her collection of Packard built Rolls Royce Merlin engines, she has three of them.  She is a fascinating and very interesting woman.  In order to get the boat we had to push a vintage MG out of the shop, then move the boat and the car would be free to move.

The Packard outside and ready to load

We were there only 10 minutes when her help showed up to move the boat.  With the boat tilted on the trailer it was able to fit out the door.  With a turn of a key and a push of a button the old Packard fired right up.  Christian was there filming it and I was so excited to be getting the car.  The weather had been perfect all the way, with the mountain passes being clear and dry.  When we got to Tacoma it was misting and it was misting in Takwila.   The plan had been to wrap the car in Shrink wrap, since the windows would not go up.  I figured the mist wasn't going to hurt the car once we got moving and the weather should be fine once we get past Tacoma.  So we opted not to use the shrink wrap.

The Packard load on the trailer and ready to head home.

Christian and I got the car loaded on the trailer in no time flat.  We were back on the road and heading for home by 12:30 pm.  We both wanted to get out of the Seattle area before rush hour.  With all of our snack, neither one of us was particularly hungry, so we headed full speed (70 mph) down I-5.  Jon's truck was awesome.  It has so much power I had no idea I was pulling a car on trailer.

I felt so much better than the last time I went to Seattle.  We got to Portland around 3 pm and we stopped to get gas in Gresham.  The truck was on empty and the computer was saying we had 30 miles to go until empty when we stopped. A little over 30 gallons later and $124 sucked out of my wallet, we were back on the road.  The truck only burns premium, which was painful at the pump, but the truck was so comfortable it was nice to have it.

Getting gas in a very thirsty pickup.

A quick rinse and the top put down.

We pulled into Redmond around 6 pm and it was great to be home with daylight still remaining.  I stopped one more time to fill up Jon's truck.  This time it was only a half tank and it didn't cost an arm and leg.  Ten minutes later the Packard was home.  Christian and I unloaded the car and then washed the trailer and truck and took them back to Jon and I got my truck back.  When we got back, we washed Christian's truck and then the Packard.  I parked the Packard in the shop and Christian and I just stood there and admired the car and talked about what we had just accomplished. 

Christian and I had made the round trip in 12 hours and I had driven the entire time and we covered a little over 600 miles.  With four vehicles now washed and the Packard safe in the garage, we were done.   It was an amazing day.

Day 583, A beautiful spring day.

Today we actually reach 70 degrees and it was a beautiful spring day.  I was so nice to see the sun and to have the warm temperatures.  It's hard to believe that we started the week off snow and temperatures around 9 degrees for a low.  The good news is that the weather is supposed to hold until Saturday night, which will give me enough time to drive up to Tukwila, WA on Friday and pick up the 53 Packard.

Prineville's best restaurant, the Tastee Treet.

At work today I had to drive to Prineville to film a commercial for an upcoming event.  The filming went great and we were done a little after 12 noon.  One of my favorite spots to eat in all of Central Oregon is a little hamburger joint called the Tastee Treet.  I promised my two co workers that I would take them there afterwards.  We stopped and had lunch and ice cream to go.  It was fantastic.

After work I had a Sons of Norway Potluck for new members, with the only problem being, we didn't have any new members show up.  It was still a good time, but I had to leave early to go home and get ready for the big drive to Seattle.

I'm borrowing my good friend Jon's truck and trailer to go get the 53.  He has a full size Chevy with a huge motor and an awesome aluminum car trailer.  I have everything I need and it should be a great trip.  I loaded the two rolls of shrink wrap, tie-down straps, phone chargers and bottles of water.  I'll pack a little food and all should be good.

Day 582, The Traveleze outside

The Traveleze outside in the sun.

The morning got off to one of those spectacular starts where the sun was shinning and the frost sparkled across the landscape.  I laid in bed for several minutes just watching the earth waking up, it was beautiful.  I am so blessed to live in Central Oregon.

At the end of my work day I left the office a little early and headed to Flyte Camp.  I wanted to check on the Traveleze and to pick up the registration.  Tomorrow on my lunch break I am going to get it licensed, so it is legal to tow.  When I got there, Justin had the Travleze parked outside and this was my first chance to see it outside.  It was a little dusty, but it look fantastic!  I help but see why I began this journey in the first place, the shape is just awesome.  The little trailer speaks to me as much today as it did on that first day I brought her home.  I'm in love with this little canned ham.

The Traveleze I.D. tag back on the trailer.

I had also, brought back the Traveleze identification tag and Justin put the tag back on the trailer in it's rightful place of honer, right next to the door handle to the trailer.  I have been waiting for this moment for a long time.  The I.D. tag was one of the first thing I took off and cleaned the paint off of back on August 2, 2010.  When I had finished polishing it up I put the tag away in a Zip Lock bag for safe keeping.  I don't know what it is about the little tag, but seeing it back on the trailer made me feel that the trailer is ready to go again.  Traveleze number 4203 is back and ready to see the world and share the story of 1950's camping.

I had a very nice chat with Justin and I just couldn't be more pleased with his work and how the trailer turned out.  He had several visitor today and they all had spotted the Traveleze at the end of the parking lot.  Justin said the satin finish on the aluminum has been receiving favorable praise and perhaps we should not polish the trailer and just leave it like it is.  This is what it would have looked like from the Traveleze company, I just need to get the three stripes put on now and it will be done.

It was a great day!

Day 581, let it snow

A dusting of snow on March 6, 2012.

It was another snowy start to the day, with a light dusting of snow on the ground and just a few flakes floating through the air.  These are actually some of my favorite mornings and even though it's March, I still enjoy seeing the snow.  Come May, however, my tune will probably change if it is still white on the ground.

There was nothing out of the ordinary with work and the day steadily moved along.  After work I drove to the Home Depot and bought two rolls of shrink wrap to cover the 53 Packard when we pick the car up in Seattle on Friday.  There is 1,000 feet of shrink wrap, 20" wide on a roll and I know one roll is more than plenty, but I bought a second roll just to be sure.  I figured I can always return if I don't use it, but it would be nice to have it if I need it.

After Home Depot I stopped off at the Feed Barn and picked up a sack of layer pellets for the chickens.  The girls have been eating up a ton of feed and only laying two eggs a day.  I'm not sure they are earning their keep, but they are still fun to have.

With today's snow on the road I didn't hear anything about bring the Traveleze home.  I"m going to see if I can pick up the license plate tomorrow and then get the trailer registered, so it is legal to move.  The next few days are supposed to beautiful and I want to have the trailer ready to go when the roads are clear.  My hope is that this weekend I will have the 53 Mayfair and the Traveleze home together.  What an awesome weekend if this actually happens. 

After months of dreaming about the trailer and hours of looking and searching for the perfect tow vehicle, this might be the weekend it all comes together.

I did have some time to look at cars on eBay and I came across this awesome 1950 Nash.  I emailed a link to my brother and he thought I should trade the Packard in for this amazing car.  I might just have to keep my eye on the auction and see where the price ends up.  This is the car I had originally envisioned to pull the Traveleze over a year ago.  The car is incredible!

1950 Nash Statesman Custom Brougham on eBay.

Day 580, The return of winter

After a spectacular spring like day yesterday, today blew like crazy and the clouds started to come in over the mountains. Yesterday I was enjoying cleaning up the yard and soaking up the sun, but that was gone today.

Today was a fun day at work and I got to meet an old friend in from Portland who was looking at the possible purchase of building.  It was fun to meet up and talk about his plans and to learn what has been going on in his life over the last year.  The change in routine was greatly appreciated and it made the day fly by.

Frozen bed cover on my truck

At 5:30 pm I had a budget committee meeting in Bend for the Sons of Norway.  Tracy came to my house, so we could car pool in and she drove.  We got to Bend right on time and had dinner first with the budget committee and then we got down to figuring out the budget.  We looked over the budget line by line and we finally finished around 8pm.  When we went to get in the car we discovered that it had snowed, winter was back.  The roads were starting to ice over, so Tracy drove extra careful as to not put us in a ditch.

When I got home my folks had returned my truck and took their nicely washed BMW back home.  They had encountered heavy snow and my truck was covered in winter grime.  Even though the temperature was right at 32, I still had enough time and energy, so I thought I should quickly rinse the truck.  With soapy bucket and garden hose at hand I washed the truck.  There was a slight breeze and the water started to freeze.  I had the truck washed in 10 minutes and quickly moved it into the shop for the night.  Once I  had the hose and bucket put away I went back out to the shop and dried off what I could and I would have to let the frozen surfaces thaw out.

One tiny egg!

Since I was dressed warmly I figured I should go check on the chickens and make sure they had fresh water and feed.  I check for eggs and there three, well actually, 2 and half.  One of the girls had laid the smallest egg I had ever seen.  It was perfect in shape just tiny.  With fresh food and water and a bag of old bread from one of the ladies at the lodge, the chickens were set for the night.

With a light snow falling I headed indoors to call it a night.

Day 579, A Spring like day.

Lazy cats

Another day in paradise, even the cats didn't want to get up this morning.  I laid in bed until 8 am and then got up and had breakfast, consisting of glass of fiber (yum), a multivitamin, vitamin D and two farm fresh scrambled eggs and toast. It sounds like a Senior Special at Sherri's.

At church, Doug and I are ushering.  I texted him that I would be by to pick him up early.  As it turned out we were way too early, but we just hung out and talked to the many church members.  We lit the candles,  ushered, passed the collection plates, cleaned up after service and called it good.  On our way home, since it was noon, we stopped off at Mazatlan for lunch.  We were both starving, I guess my fiber and eggs didn't last long.

It was a beautiful day with the temperature around 62 degrees.  It was the perfect time to do a little yard clean up.  With wheelbarrow in hand, I picked up a load of pine cones and needles and fired up the John Deere to mow up what I couldn't rake up.  It was a beautiful spring day, but we all know it won't last long and there is still more snow surely to head our way.

I even had the itch to wash a car, so I backed the BMW out and gave it a quick bath.  My parents will be heading over to Portland tomorrow, so I loaned them my truck to assure they will get over the mountain pass with no problems.  This means I get to drive their 750 Li for the day which is quite a treat.  I have clients to pick up at the airport tomorrow, so the extended wheel base and massive back seat leg room will perfect for tomorrow chauffeuring.  Their car also needed a good washing, so I its turn was next and I had it already for tomorrow.

The dilemma I had today was working out the details on how to pick up the 53 Mayfair.  After several phone calls and texts, it was determined that Friday will be the best day to go get the car.  My friend Jon will be heading out of town, but he said I could use his full sized Chevy pickup and car trailer.  I texted Christian to see if he was up for another road trip and said yes.  Tracy has to work, and I'm sure the last trip up and back was enough for her.  The now previous owner of the 53, worked it out with lady who owns the warehouse space to be there to let us get at the car, so everything should be ready.

I am so excited about getting the car the trailer this week, both should be coming home.  Even my 42 undergoing major mechanical restoration work has got me excited.  It seems like I waited for so long to move these projects all forward and now they are all happening at the same time.

Day 578, A visit to the Traveleze.

The morning started off perfect, I slept like a rock, the sun was shining, the cats were happy and neither one of them coughed up a hairball during the night.

I spent the morning doing the routine chores, cleaning up the kitchen, dusting, watering the plants, winding the clocks and vacuuming the house.  I had finished the laundry Friday night and other than some folding and ironing that chore was done.

At around 11 am I started the very needed task of washing the truck.  It was covered with glycol and it looked horrible.  At 12:30 pm my folks came over and we went to look at the Traveleze.  They have not seen the final results other than in pictures and they were anxious to see it.  Even my Father was amazed and impressed with it.  My Mom loved it and was excited about the opportunity to take it out camping.  I actually think they might go camping with me!  Justin then showed them a real trailer,  his 31' Anderson, that he is working on.  It is a huge project, but will be spectacular when finished. It has been a fun journey and I'm anxious to get the Traveleze home so I can putter with it.

A clean chicken coop.

Back home I wanted to take advantage of the nice weather and I really needed to clean out the chicken coop.  The nesting boxes needed new paper and roosting area needed to be shoveled out.  I tossed buckets of chicken poo on the garden and by planting time in May, the soil should be nice and rich.  Chicken poo, goes a long way as far as fertilizer and you can burn your plants up with too much.  The chickens enjoyed the extra attention and were happy to have a clean home.  With a Red Tail Hawk circling overhead I left the chickens inside all day.

For some strange reason I wanted meatloaf for dinner, so I went shopping for all the ingredients  I used to make a mean meatloaf, but it has been some time since I had made one.  As it turned out, I hadn't lost my touch and it was fantastic.  I ate so much, I had that post Thanksgiving dinner coma feeling.  My eyes were way bigger than my stomach and I was in misery.

We can't get the car out until the boat next to it is moved.

I had several texts with the guy from Seattle regarding picking up the 53 Packard. The best days for me were Tuesday or Wednesday, but as it turns out the guy who needs to move the boat out of the way isn't available on those days.  The next option is Thursday after 1pm or Friday, but he wouldn't be able to be there.  At this point I need to do a lot of communicating and planning to figure out how this is all going to work out, for all those  involved.   This might be a bit of a logistical challenge, but I will make it work one way or another.

Day 577, A surprising Friday.

I  had one of those nights where I was awake most of the night, but I was so comfortable it didn't really seem to matter.  At 4 am I was really awakened by the sound of my cat trying to vomit.  For of those with cats it's a wonderful very distinctive sound.  I got up to clean up the mess.  Luckily, whatever is wrong with the cat it's just water, so there is no real nasty mess and it was on the tile.

My new 1953 Packard Mayfair convertible

As I laid in bed, I couldn't help but think about the 1953 Packard Mayfair convertible.  I wondered why I hadn't heard from the owner regarding my offer earlier in the week.  Even though I had only met him once and communicated via email, I couldn't imagine him being upset over my offer.  So why hadn't he responded?  I figured I would send him a text later in the morning to check on him.   I wondered if he didn't receive my emails?  Around 7:45 am I sent a text to see how he was doing and I shortly got one back asking if I had been trying to email him.  I said I had earlier in the week and I hadn't heard back.  We quickly called each other and discussed my emails and my offer.  He didn't hang up on me, which was a good sign and he wanted to think about my offer and he would let me know by the end of the day.

Around three in the after noon he sent me a test email to see if I was getting his email.  I quickly responded yes.  About 40 minutes later I got a text saying, did I get his email?  I thought, wow, he's not get my reply back.  I then looked at his email and realized that he had written quite a long email and had countered my offer.  I felt so bad, for not reading it.  I quickly texted him back and said I just now realized he had countered and I accepted his offer.  We were both happy and we made the necessary arrangements for the transaction. 

It was so nice to be doing business with someone you can trust and who is a genuinely nice person.  We both bank with the same bank and I was able to transfer the funds automatically and I was now the owner of a 1953 Packard Mayfair convertible in pumpkin orange!

My entire office was so excited for me and I was extremely happy.  What a great day.  I sent out texts to Tracy and Christian and they were both super excited.  It was one week ago today that we made our epic trip up to see the car and now it had paid off.

Now I need to make arrangements to pick the car up. I did a quick search and found a few people who do car hauling and the cheapest I could find was $680.   I then talked a super good friend with a big powerful pickup and a car trailer to go with me on Wednesday to pick the car up.  Since the windows are stuck down I figured I could buy a roll of shrink wrap and cover the car from top to bottom in shrink wrap and keep the majority of water out of it.  It almost sounds like a recipe for disaster, but it will be worth a try.  The worst that could happen is it gets wet.  There is already rust in the floors, so I'm not too concerned.

Tonight is dinner with my folks and I get to tell them the news.  They love watching me do crazy things and are always very supportive.  Luckily I tend to do very well with my endeavors, so their worries are not of a financial nature if they have them.  They were very excited about the car and honestly so am I.

Day 576, Thursday and the Lodge

The work day was about as routine as it gets. At lunch I ran a few errands and manage to get my hair cut, stopped at an engraving shop to see about a plaque for the Traveleze, then to the Vet for medication for the cat and finally to Safeway for a sandwich for me.  It was a late lunch, so by the time I had all the errands done it was 3:15 pm exactly one hour.  The rest of the day went quickly and soon it was time to go home.

At 7 pm I had a Sons of Norway Board meeting and I figured I should get there at 6:30 and help set up.  I don't have a key to the building and no one else showed up until 5 minutes till.  Oh well, so much for showing up early.  There was a small turnout, so we got the meeting done and moved onto the social part of the evening.  By the time the evening was over it was a little after 9 pm.  I had to take one of the lodge members home, so I didn't get home until 10 pm.

It was a long day and I was ready for bed.