Sa Wheat...

If you go way back to the beginning of my blog you will read me mention Sam. He was kind enough to help me with some parts for Anna. We have never met face to face, but what I do know about him I do not just like, I envy. He has sent me pictures of his strip canoes and many of him hiking in some extreme mountain setting. But what always takes me by short and curlies is photos of his 1948 Boles. He sends me photos of this trailer in places only God, mountain goats, and winter blizzards belong.

He posted this photo on Airforums and my commentary got me a stack of photos of the nine week complete restoration he just did on that sexy little Boles. I asked him if it would be alright to share them with you, and in a usual Sam response he saw "no problem in that. " Folks enjoy, this is a super sweet little trailer.

I cannot find the first set he sent that show the exterior and new flooring, but there she sits in his barn.

Take note, that is all new wood you are looking at there. Very tight crisp construction.

New plumbing and cushions on top of all new wood fixtures.

Refer cabinet and wardrobe...

That is all spalted birch. I am telling you that is very tight! Not just run of the mill birch, he used spalted. Sam is a man that loves wood.

Sam is a man that knows how to work with wood. I have very inappropriate expletives I want to insert, but I am trying to keep it clean.

I would love to sit there and eat a plate of bacon and eggs... cream in the coffee...

Big snow Big show

Many of you will read this and say 20+ inches? What is the big deal? But here in Maryland 20 inches of snow is our normal snow fall totals. Where I live we felt the brunt of the storm and got the most of all surrounding areas. My unofficial yard stick in the snow just outside the shop door read 26". The airport, where weather is made official is about 4 miles away said it was 20.5".

Not sure how you see it but that looks like a lot more than 20.5" sitting on top of LuLu.

I love a big snow because all the neighbors pull together and work toward getting us cleared out. In Baltimore, when we get an inch the entire city comes to a grinding halt. Schools are closed and will most likely be for the rest of the week. My oldest has been saying "Christmas break came early this year, there really is a Santa Claus."

My youngest has been saying "Daddy I have stepped into the snow and I can't get out!!!"

Something that did warm my heart during the blizzard was my Mail Man coming on foot to bring the mail. He is getting a big gift this year. In his hand among the bills and junk mail was a copy of the Vintage Advantage. This is my last issue due to me resigning from the WBCCI. I really like the Vintage Advantage. This issue contained a very special photo.

Tim had been talking about how difficult it was to find a real beret. All he had been able to find were the polyester one that the Club now sells. I had bought vintage ones for Beth and I but she refused to wear it. It had been riding around in Anna for a few rallies. I went in the closet and presented it to Tim. There was a need and I was able to fill it. I made his day and his gratitude made mine. I really love that photo. I was riding on cloud nine at that moment. I had spent five days caravanning to Madison with very good friends. Dale Schwamborne had been riding with me telling me all kinds of great stories about his life, and it had been one super adventure up till this moment. We were all lined up to parade through the International rally grounds. It was 11 in the morning and we were all so glad to be there. This photo was taken a half hour before I went from club zealot to a disillusioned member.

Sunday Driver

I have always been the type that works just about seven days a week. Often the family just has to deal with this fact. Recently, I have been trying hard to make Sunday, family day. This past Sunday was family day for sure. We hopped in the car and went for a Sunday drive. It sounds so spontaneous as I write it, but it was actually very premeditated. We were to meet our very dear friends Jenny and Robert at the Museum of Natural History. Washington DC is about 45 minutes drive from my door to the door of the President, so going to DC is a piece of cake. Jenny is Beth's oldest and dearest friend. She is called Auntie Jenny by both our daughters and her new man Robert is an awesome guy.

Seeing your kid enjoying what they are seeing is an awesome sight, especially if they are learning something in the process. Ava is very bright and knew a lot about the fossils and dinosaurs we were looking at. She made honor role this quarter. I am still waiting for my bumper sticker that reads " my kid is an honor student at..." I told her I would put it on my truck with pride. The sticker I really have my heart set on is "my kid is the smartest kid in the whole damn school" Hey now, a father can dream.

Halle was even learning some stuff about whales. Did you know how the right whale got it's name? I do. They had a good deal of oil to them. The Whalers(not Bob Marley and Peter Tosh) sought them out due this and they were then called the right whale.

The museum was unusually quiet for a Sunday. That made the entire experience so nice. Last time we were here it was so packed you could barely move.

Since the day was so nice, we decided to walk to our next destination instead of driving and dealing with parking. If you ever go to DC the parking of the car is ten times worse than negotiating all the one way and angled streets. Being able to walk and just leave the car parked was indeed a luxury.

We took a short cut through the sculpture garden at the National Gallery of Art(short cut, yeah right, we spent a half hour there. We would have stayed longer had the security guy not gotten so upset with Halle walking on the grass so I could take he picture next to a Roy Lichtenstien sculpture).

I was most enamored by this new piece that just was added. It is full size tree made of aluminum. I was so captivated I never say who it was by.

We walked up to Chinatown for a Chinese( and Yensan) family tradition of Dim Sum. For many years we have topped off a museum visit with a meal in China town. Unfortunately real estate is so hot in this area that China town has become one block long. At one time is was very large, but now it has been condensed down to just this one section of G street.

The place we usually go to has the best roast pork. I always get a plate of roast pork when we come here. Two years ago I forced some upon a friends son. He is a big fan now too. From what I understand they do not serve pork like this in Wisconsin.

For those who do not know, Dim Sum is a traditional Sunday meal in China. It is little plates of food served to you from a cart. Women push the carts around to the tables and you choose what you want to eat. At the end you pay for what you had. The meal can go on for a long time. There is always something new to try.

If anyone is looking to go try Dim Sum while at the Cherry Blossom Rally next April, I would be glad to take you. I would tell you how to get there, but then I might miss out.

A plug

To the left of this post, you will see my blog list. One of the blogs is by my internet friend Chris Vile. I have plugged his blog before due to it being an excellent read filled with vivid photos of his Airstream restoration. I am sure that most of you reading this have seen his blog and enjoyed it. Chris is a professional cinematographer that specializes in documentary work. His Most recent project is called Airmen and Headhunter. It aired on PBS's Secrets of the Dead. I hope will take some time out of your day to watch it. The documentary examines a part of World War II history very few people know about.

I do not want to spoil anything for you, but it involves a plane crash, a rescue, and some decapitations followed by guerrilla warfare, more headhunting and more rescuing.

Chris is one lucky guy to have a job that takes him to such wonderful locations. Maybe he will take on the real exotic local of Jackson Center and tell the story of Wally Byam someday. Oh, Chris, if you need someone to clean your camera lens or fetch your coffee for you when you do your next project, well, I could be hired cheap.

It was an early morning yesterday, I was up before the dawn

To most getting up early and getting on the road is very difficult. For me it is second hat. There is something about those wee hours of the night that make knocking down the miles so much easier.

The view from the mirror always allows glimpses that one usually does not get during the day. So what has me on the road so early? A recovery, what else. This recovery however is not a trailer in some distant state. This recovery is of some paintings done by Beth's Uncle. Beth had an Uncle named Howard Hardy that was a painter and illustrator from the 1930's until the his death in the 1980's. Howard's wife Bea has been promoting his paintings since his death and recently she passed on too. We were asked by the family to go up to Long Island and retrieve the remaining paintings from her Estate. We dropped the kids off with their Grandparents and headed out the next morning.

There were many bridge crossing. Unfortunately, on the East Coast, to cross a bridge one must pay a heavy toll. I am amazed that I can drive all the way to California without paying a toll, but to just go through the state of New Jersey it costs me close to $10. I think this was the $9 bridge. There were so many, as you will see, that I lost count.

After we loaded all the paintings into the truck we decided to turn the work aspect of this trip into fun. What better way to enjoy one's day than to go for a boat ride. So we headed to the very end of Long Island and took the Cross Sound Ferry to New London Connecticut.

Being the truck in the group has it advantages on the ferry. I might not be the first on, but I will be the first off. I so wish my trailer had been in tow. This is the exact type of journey I would love to have my trailer with me for.

I do not know what it is, but every time I ride a ferry I feel like a little kid. The smell if the sea, the rumble of the motors, the thick diesel smell. All those things combine for a sensory explosion.

Fortunately it was a smooth day on the Sound. The wind was very cold and biting but the views were spectacular. At the very right of this photo are some little dots. Those dots are small fishing boats all huddled together over some bar or underwater structure. They are most likely hoping for a nice stripped bass. Half way between us and them were thousands of sea birds diving into the water at bait fish. Under those birds and bait fish, yep, big stripped bass. The water was boiling with fish and birds in a feeding frenzy.

Once the cold wind got to me I decided to go in and join Beth reading in the cabin. She was easily convinced to take her book into the bar. Yes, there is a bar on the ferry. A double Beam and Coke for me and Blue Moon for Beth. Very smart of the ferry line to have a bar on the boat.

The ferry goes to New London. Across the river from New London is where they build submarines for the Navy. Beth's cousin took command of a submarine just like that last week. Now that is job for some one besides me. I could not take being cooped up in that little tube.

Now they are sure to object to this photo, but the Collimore's were kind enough to put us up for the night. We met Don and Amanda at our third rally and we have been good friends ever since. We really didn't need to go to Connecticut, but that is where they live, so we made a detour there. We sat around the campfire in their yard and just enjoyed their company. It was nice to just talk and laugh a lot with them. They were very gracious hosts and sent us on our way the next morning with a belly full of excellent breakfast. My only regret about visiting them is that they live five hours away. I am very fortunate to have such excellent friends. I am truly blessed.

More bridges and more tolls. Last time I crossed this one it took over three hours. This time around it was smooth sailing.

And smooth sailing over this one too. I just wish Anna had been in this picture also.

All right Tom. I know you have been waiting.

Today I winterized Anna. Yes, this is a form of admitting the camping season is over. I wish it were not true, but it is.

I didn't want to just blow it out with air like I did last year. I had one fitting freeze and break last year and did not want a repeat. I want the lines to be anti freeze filled so no more problems. My big problem is I do not want the anti freeze in my tank. I needed a way to keep it out of the tank and it was so simple I laugh. I just took out that valve at the tank and put in a three way.

A soft rubber hose installed on the leg of the three way valve and the pump does all the work. I think peace of mind is worth the few dollars three gallons of anti freeze cost.

My friend Tom has been waiting patiently. I am lying he has been bugging me to see how the deck came out. I do not want to disappoint Tom, so here you go...

I am not all done with the landscaping around it but the deck itself is complete. In the Spring I will stain it.

We enjoy the sound of the rain on the roof. This roof has created an entire new room we did not have before.

A brother needs your help

Down in deep, dark, Devon, England(Okay, it is probably not dark, just damp and dreary due the fact that it is Fall and Fall is always damp and dreary in the UK) lives a man named Chris Vile. Chris has an excellent blog called Fiftythree Flying Cloud. For a matter of fact, it is one of my favorite blogs to read. You can read it by following THIS link. Chris is having trouble with his blog looking as if it is updated. If you have a list that automatically updates like I do on the left, it does not come to the top as it should. Please go to his blog and read it. Please leave him comments so he knows folks are seeing it. I promise it is a good read and you will truly enjoy his photography. I suspect Chris has some kind of formal training with a camera, for he pulls it off way too well.

Even Halle thinks it is brilliant.

NOTHING TO TALK ABOUT

Sorry about not posting. The swine flu or the common seasonal flu has been the only thing happening around here lately.

Final Rally of the year Part 3 (final post)

The campground was nice enough to have some kids activities. They were shutting down shortly after our weekend there, so it was Halloween a little early around the campground. I wish we had looked at the calender so we could have brought the girls costumes. Ava and Donal got very serious about their pumpkins.

The scrapping of guts seemed to be a very popular part of the carving.

Even Don got into the act. Nice shirt Don, where did you get that?

Halle didn't want to carve a yucky pumpkin. She was too busy working on her thumb. She takes her thumb sucking very seriously.

Donal just might have to go professional. He had a great time carving his pumpkin.

But the thing that I was most serious about was relaxing around the camp site. Talking with Ace and sipping a cold one was the perfect fit for me.

A little later in the day we went out to lunch at Haag's Hotel.

This place is a serious institution in Shartlesville. They serve Pennsylvania Dutch meals family style.

So what is a Pennsylvania Dutch meal? It is eaten family style. They serve you fried chicken, ham, sausage, potatoes, gravy, green beans, dried corn, carrots, pot pie, tapioca pudding, cottage cheese, apple butter, and bread. I know I forgot something, but you get the jest. We ate till we were too full and then we had a choice of shoo fly, apple, or cherry pie. Then there was also vanilla, strawberry, chocolate, or cookies and cream ice cream on the side or separate.

There was an Installation Rally going on. I thought it was special that recognition was given to some of the founding fathers of the club. I apologize but right after this my camera battery went dead and I did not get any photos of the new officers taking their positions. All of our officers are women now. That is what the pink bags are all about behind Tom and Don. They call it "the reign of pink. " Good luck with that campaign.

You cannot have a WDCU event without a potluck. Campbell are you eating you dinner? Saving room for that giant WDCU Tenth Anniversary Cake?

All good rallies come to an end and Sunday after I cooked breakfast we headed for home. Everyone seemed to depart at the same time. I had to go to the dump station and empty my tanks. My site was on a good sized hill and my trailer being vintage and the hook up on the site being the wrong side for me, caused the inlet to be higher than my outlet. I just used the tank all weekend. Going to the dump station had me near the end of the pack leaving. It was cool seeing the Airstreams going down the highway as far as I could see.

They dotted the highway as far as I could see heading West on I 78.

Hey, who is that? It's Ace....

It was Ace that is. Sorry brother, Anna is much faster on the road than that 1966 you tow. In all truth, Ace caught up to me and we traded a few photo opportunities back and forth as we caravanned together on I78 w then I81 s. That photo was taken as we parted ways at the turn off to the Pennsylvania Turnpike he had to take home. Ace, thanks for a great time. You are indeed a fun guy to hang out with.