Content - From Gold to Green

After an anniversary breakfast in Dumas, TX, (the 32nd anniversary is ham and eggs), we headed into OK, then (in the blink of an eye) into Kansas.

Somewhere in Kansas the scenery changed from gold to green, and now we have trees. We are in a lovely Kansas State Park in El Dorado (which despite its name is very green). It borders a reservoir, so a fish cleaning station for each campsite is standard - see Rosa below. We had the beginnings of a wasp's nest in
the electric box here but the nice campground host came over with a can of wasp spray! Pizzzzzt! - problem solved!

We are now over 1,000 miles out with less than 1,500 to go. Alex called this morning to see if we were arriving before or after lunch. He was quite surprised to learn we were still in Texas. Apparently we'd been a little bit optimistic in our ETA.

Rosa immediately spotted a groundhog - see photo.

Dinner tonight courtesy Trader Joe's.

Before dinner we walked up a huge embankment and were rewarded with a view of the huge reservoir with sailboats and powerboats and the aroma of fresh water.

Rosa running down the embankment to Max

No one was around so Rosa had some FREEDOM!

The fish cleaning table

Food looms large when you're on the road 

Rosa makes friends everywhere

Cities

Right across the road from the RV park in Amarillo we found a lovely city park with acres of rolling lawns, a pool, a zoo, a frisbee golf course and an amusement park. It was a delightful surprise.

America

This is the husband writing, my first entry in this blogspot. I'll go straight to the point. After only 700 miles of driving through the heartland of this country, it appears to me that commerce and agriculture have their gears in action. The cows are being milked, the trains are carrying goods and the big rigs are delivering shipments. But then after a day of travel, Susan and I pull into an RV Park, not far off the "Big Road" and find most of the RV sites are occupied by hard working families, transients, away from home, living "on the road." Hard working, decent families, doing what it takes to make a living during difficult times. Makes one feel damn fortunate to have an investment account and a choice to stay home or to travel. We have that choice, wow! So, I have determined that any individual running for President of the USA ought be required to take a month long RV trip across the country, stay in highway RV sites and SEE the country in the raw, not from a campaign bus and a fancy hotel room, seriously! The men and women that we see working from Tucson to Amarillo to Wichita are not understood by our leaders, no matter how much they claim otherwise. No one wants a hand out, but to be understood would go so far.

Amarillo

The broken down picnic table says it all. This RV park has a rating of 7.5/9.5*/8.5 (Hah!) but all we care about is electricity for the A/C because although it is only 92 degrees, it is humid. So, we are cocooning inside the Twinkie. They are also leveling the sites with crushed asphalt - nice for keeping the Twinkie (and Rosa's feet) clean, but the lady who checked us in looks like a former West Texas A & M cheerleader - A bleached blonde "do" and a smile that could disarm a nuclear weapon. Getting here involved lots of cattle (see below) especially in the town of Bovina TX, and the next town, Hereford.  The only thing we saw more of - other than Texas prairie - was silos. (See below!)

Cattle in a huge feedlot

Yes, it is actually asphalt

Where you have miles-long feedlots, you need a lot of grain

We're Off!

After spending the last six weeks working long long long hours (that's for you J & B Mac) on a remodeling project, we are finally on our way. Rosa was exhausted after all her packing and slept soundly in the back seat. Southeastern Arizona is extreme scenery - fantastic rock formations. The Joshua Trees were all in bloom - looking like Dr. Seuss characters - but there were also green spots around Bowie with pecan orchards. Now we are in absolute heaven in the Lincoln National Forest (Apache Campground) at 9000 feet elevation outside Cloudcroft, a ski area in New Mexico. Temps in the low 80s, towering trees, and the smell of pines. Luckily the fires are to our north, although we saw lots of smoke around Alamagordo. With 350 miles under our belt, we are enjoying this peaceful spot, the only disturbance being a noisy little humming bird that keeps buzzing us. I'm afraid her nest may be nearby. Also, there are beautiful monarch butterflies [shades of Mr. Kaplan, the boys 5th grade teacher who banded[?]monarchs).National Forests are the best - no services but only $9 a night (Max gave them a $1 donation also) with a Senior Pass.

Pecan Orchard near Bowie, AZ

Cloudcroft, NM

Joshua Trees at an AZ rest area

Getting Excited!

Tomorrow is "G" day - as in Go! Get Out of Town! Good Times Ahead!  We have put the house on the market (not a pre-requisite) with the best realtor we know, have loaded the Twinkie with everything except for the refrigerated food (it is to be 106 degrees in Tucson today and we feel sorry for the refrigerator), and Rosa is nervous as a cat.

The truck is all loaded also.  After some experimenting with the kayaks, Max opted for the flatter position.  Probably more aero-dynamic.  It's the recreational equipment that takes all the room!

So, see you "in the 'Stream"!

The Clipper, 1936

 The Clipper, 1936, at the Los Angeles Museum of Modern Art

The accompanying note dubs this an "airplane without wings", and says Wally Byam was taking advantage of the burgeoning aircraft industry in Los Angeles which enabled him to hire skilled craftsmen.  This was named after the Pan Am Clipper.

Thanks to CJ for this photo!

Bath Items

Question of the day:  How come toothbrushes don't fit in toothbrush holders anymore?  Did we really need such comfort-contoured handles?  We used to have a nice toothbrush holder that came with the Airstream, but it was outmoded probably the moment it was installed.

We substituted this Ikea (surprised?) holder that had a saucer on one side for soap and a glass on the other side, then substituted 2 stainless steel glasses for those items.  One glass holds the toothpaste tube, the other the toothbrushes.

Also you can see the soap dispenser in this photo. This, I would say, is the single best value investment we ever made - costing about $10 (not Ikea --Faucet.com had them).  It makes life so much easier to not have to deal with soap bottles or bars of soap.

Art

With our new soft blues and greens, the perfect artwork for our Airstream was watercolor paintings by our dear friend Laurie Brooks.  Check out her wonderful paintings at http://lauriebrooks.net/  The colors in the photo don't do justice to the beauty of the paintings! This painting is of our son:

And this one is of a Holstein cow in springtime under a flowering tree:

I will take a better picture soon!

Velcro

When our Airstream had carpeting (ozite) on the walls, we used Velcro hook self-stick tape to attach things.  Just stick it on the back of a decorative badge, a picture, a router, a modem - whatever - and stick it to the wall. 

Now that we have removed the carpeting, we could not give up Velcro.  Here we used it to attach a lamp to our table.

  Just be sure you select a good aggressive Velcro - preferably from a hardware store.

Fake Fur

As a BB (baby boomer) I happily remember when fake fur first (like the alliteration?) came on the scene.  Happy days! 

I am writing about fake fur because, in our version of the Airstream, there is a 4 inch gap between the end of the mattress and the wardrobe - or between the mattress and the end wall.  Sometimes a draft from where the bedframe doesn't quite meet the wall is a little chilly. We decided to slide the mattress toward the wardrobe, and fill in that gap with a couple king size pillows.

I promised to make cases for the pillows, but I wasn't fast enough.  Max took up the challenge, and went to Target and came home with lovely cream colored fake fur body pillow cases.  Wow!  They are that super-silky fake fur. 

And, when I cut them down to fit the king size pillows, there was enough left over to make a couple extra throw pillows.  More happy days!

Kvissle

Another nifty product from Ikea - the Kvissle. It is probably made for files, but we will use it as a magazine rack.   

Chairs - Redux

Our nice new blue plastic Adirondack chairs have now given way to the chairs we wanted originally. We were fortunate to sell some of our model home furniture recently (yay, Craigslist!) and thus had some wherewithal to indulge in the nice Ikea chairs we wanted.  They fit perfectly, and swivel around also. 

We can turn and look out the front window - here at the empty space where our good friends J&C&HG used to store their motor coach before they returned to full-timing.  Or, we can face each other for a meal or a mean game of cribbage.

I know, I know.  We are camping and eggshell might not seem the most practical color, but they are leather and should clean nicely.  We also took the nylon button feet off and will cut a non-skid rug pad to put underneath so they don't slide.  Add a shock cord while traveling so they don't swing around, and we are in chair heaven!  P.S.  Rosa approves.

Adventure Travel - Dust Storm

This blog has so far mostly been about renovation - or retro-vation as we call it. Thus, it has mostly discussed construction and products, which is interesting to us, but we never forget the purpose behind all this and our ultimate goal: TRAVEL.  We are mostly stuck right now for a variety of factors, but we did have a little adventure travel recently.

On a trip (without the Airstream) on Interstate 10 near Casa Grande, AZ, we ran into one of the infamous dust storms there.  The desert develops a hard surface over time, so only disturbed soil generates dust.  In that area, there is a lot of farming (Pima cotton comes from Pima County and Pinal County), and some construction.  Thus, if the wind is strong, there are terrible dust storms, some of which occasionally result in massive pile-ups and shocking death tolls.  No one seems to know what to do about it, including the AZ Dept. of Transportation.  The only advice I've heard is get off the road - like onto the desert - and turn your lights off so no one follows you. 

The problem is, you really have no time to react.  It was that windy kind of day.  The radio had alerts not to use leaf blowers and for people with allergies and respiratory illnesses to stay inside.  We could see lots of dust devils and a brownish haze.  Then, as we were driving south, a dust cloud rolled over us, instantly reducing visibility so we could not see the truck right in front of us.  It was only for 3 seconds or so, but it was amazing to suddenly be so blind.  Luckily, it was that brief and from then on it was fine, and the beautiful Arizona sunshine returned.

Nifty Table

Max made this nifty table for the Airstream.  It has an Ikea tray on top, and the post is the same pedestal table leg from Camping World that we used for the stove.  Since the screws have to come through the top, we used acorn nuts for a decorative and smoother look. And, best yet, the top comes right off and the post comes right out of the base.

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Tow Vehicles - Part 2

Having decided to replace our F250, we - that is, Max - started to look around for a suitable replacement.  There were 3 changes we wanted:  1) better gas mileage, 2) a gas engine, and 3) a blue truck.  There was one change we didn't want: less towing capacity.  We found 2 local vehicles to fit these criteria:  a Toyota Tundra with a double cab that would tow 11,000 GVWR, and a Ford F150 XLT Short Bed Crew Cab with Eco-Boost that would also tow 11,000 GVWR.  (BTW, both are made in the US, a bonus!)  We chose the Ford, mostly because Max was confident in their engines and because they would take the F250 on a trade-in. 

And here it is.  The color is actually darker than it appears here - a Navy Blue.  The coolest thing is the Eco-Boost.  Here is how Ford explains it:

EcoBoost® Engine

Ford engineers drew from their extensive experience using direct injection technology and turbocharging in diesel engine development and created the innovative EcoBoost® engine option that's unsurpassed in combined power, efficiency and capability. Direct injection produces a cooler, denser charge that generates more power per every drop of fuel, while the two small air-to-air intercooled turbochargers spool up much more quickly than a single large turbo. What you experience is instantaneous low-end torque responsiveness with virtually no turbo lag. EcoBoost generates 90 percent of its amazing 420 lb.-ft. of torque from 1,700 to 5,000 rpm. And can it tow? F-150 with EcoBoost has best-in-class maximum towing capability at 11,300 lbs.

The power is instantaneous and incredible - just like a sports car.  That's a huge safety factor and fun to boot! 

It also has the Tow Package and built-in Trailer Brake Controls and Electronic Locking Rear Differential and a Tailgate Step.  The digital control panel gives a constant read-out of average mpg plus "miles until empty".  And, the mirrors even when not extended (which they do) give the best rear view of any truck we've had.

So, all in all, we are delighted with the new F150, and hope to use it for many years and many aluminum adventures!

Tow Vehicles - Part 1

Of course with all the attention on the trailer you're pulling, we don't always focus on the tow vehicle.  But they can make your life either a breeze or, if they are malfunctioning, a misery.  We have had 3 different tow vehicles, all Ford trucks. The Airstream 25' Safari is about 6300 GVWR dry weight and 7000 loaded.  Many tow rigs are right on this cusp -- pretty adequate most of the time, but when you get to those long slogs uphill, they are not happy, which means the owners are sweating it too.  That was certainly the case with our first 2 F150s.
We live in Arizona which, although not directly in the Rocky Mountains, has a lot of topography - the hilly kind that is! Just drive through the Salt River Canyon.  It's about 5,000 feet of upward climbing, then an abrupt 5,000 foot descent, then a steep 6,000 feet of up again to reach Showlow and Pinetop.  It's absolutely gorgeous, but your truck is probably not enjoying the view!

Thus, in 2006 we traded the last F-150 for an F-250 diesel turbo with 11,000 GVWR.  It was one of those loss leader types of advertisements to get you to the dealer, and then you are supposed to find something else you wanted.  But we knew what we wanted - a great price on an F-250 and, arriving first thing the morning of the sale, we got it.  Wow!  It was a wonderful truck.  You didn't even know the trailer was behind it.  And, it was a Lariat, with leather seats, etc. etc. etc.!

But, all good things come to an end.  First the truck had a little adventure.  It was stolen from a Lowe's parking lot.  The thieves, a couple young guys, were caught the same afternoon for speeding, and took off through the desert with a Santa Cruz County Deputy Sheriff right behind.  When they came to a gate, they abandoned the truck, unfortunately leaving it in neutral.  It rolled backward into the Deputy Sheriff's "unit", as she called it.  She soon had them under arrest, and wasn't too pleased about the damage to her vehicle.  Although our truck was returned and did not suffer any major damage, it had some cosmetic scratches (cactus?) and the back bumper was bent.  The thieves are out on probation, and they are supposed to each pay us $50 per month for the damage.  We have received one $50 payment in 6 months. 

We did get a bonus, though.  There were 36 Wendy's hamburgers stuffed in bags (human smuggling?) and a sheet of drywall in the bed (to hide bales of marijuana?).  But, best of all, nothing else in the truck was touched, even some credit cards tucked into the door pocket.  It was a lesson in not living out of your vehicle.

The real negative, however, was that the truck got about 11 mpg while towing, and diesel fuel is about 70 cents more per gallon than gas where we live.  That adds up really fast.  Since the truck is 6 years old, we decided it was time to trade, and that is why I am speaking of this truck is the past tense.  As of today, it is history - a fond memory.

Fabric

I've been sewing since I was a child, so I LOVE fabric.  I have met many women with this ailment, and there is no cure.  "She who dies with the most fabric wins!" 

The dinette cushions were looking a little worn - again the front part of them was pale blue!  Looking for replacement fabric, I checked out my favorite stores, but nothing had that right Retro-vation look.  So, I chanced going online, and found this beauty: 
You always risk the unexpected when you order online, but this turned out to be a nice heavy weight upholstery fabric which I hope will hold up for several years. 

Re-using zippers and cushions, the final result looks like the photo below. The wrinkles are in the original cushions, and give it a little
give without stretching the fabric.  I know it is wild and crazy and not for everyone - just for us wild and crazy types.

Of course we didn't stop there with fabric.  We needed new curtains.  I tried to be a little more subdued with these.  For the "great room", I choose this pretty blue pattern (below).  I bought the tool to put the snaps on so they would be firmly anchored.   And we re-installed the existing sliding rails - both top and bottom - but only ran them over the actual windows (no coffin curtains!).

The store where I purchased this fabric did not have enough for the bedroom curtains also, so it was back to the Internet.  This fabric is slightly heavier that I would have liked, but it is quite visually stunning.

The curtains have Roman Shade type folds instead of the pleats that were in the original curtains.  That means they can fold back into a smaller space.  Instead of the Velcro on the inside fold of the middle edges, they just overlap in the middle. 

A matching duvet cover completes the bedroom fabrics.

The final fabric was for the chairs. The couch was gone, the leather chairs were in our living room, and we coveted some Ikea chairs but they weren't in the budget. So, we settled for plastic Adirondack chairs from Lowes with new cushions.  They have a couple advantages.  Unexpectedly, they are lower than the old chairs, so there is more headroom.  Also, they weigh nothing, and thus any movement during travel won’t cause problems.  And, finally, we can easily take them outside – once we figure out the best way to get them through the door.  This is an interesting fabric from a local store, and is quite soft and comfy! 

A Project

When we tore apart the inside of the Airstream, Max decided it was time to consolidate all the miscellaneous electric stuff that used to be behind the couch. Sorry, I really don't know what it is or what it is called, but here is a photo all consolidated.

As proud as I am of his electrician skills and as fascinating as all these wires are, I decided a cover would be a good thing.  We debated - as we always do - various options.  (A digression.  Our first house - about 150 years old - was a handyman's special.  While we were "debating" whether to remove a small porch on the front of the house, the nice old man across the street came over and we apologized for "debating" in front of him.  He told us, "Anything worth doing is worth arguing about."  We've had many occasions since to follow his sage advice.) 

But, we had a piece of luan already painted blue - the one that broke if you have read earlier posts - so we economically used that.  It needed to have good ventilation, because that grey box has a fan on top.  Thus, the cover had to be open on the top and bottom, and some vent holes in the front seemed a good idea.
I found a pattern for an Art Nouveau Rose online, altered it, and managed to cut it out with a utility knife. For the sides, we needed the shape of the walls. After a few stabs at it, I found the best way was to take a piece of cardboard and cut and test and cut and test.  Because of the curve of the wall, the cover is about 1/2 inch wider on the top than the bottom.

It is all glued together with Liquid Nails, then strengthened with some side pieces. The final touch was decorative screening and aluminum edging. Again, we debated how to fasten it, but when we added the dog leash holder, inspiration struck. We found the same system at Lowe's, and added these little receptacles (right). 
  
To cover the wires on the bottom, a piece of the sticky vinyl wall base made for a neater look: 

And, Tada!  Here is the final cover.