Aluminitus Runs Rampant In Wisconsin!

I can hear it now. "What did you do?!?"  or "What do you think you're going to do with that?!?"  or "You haven't even finished the first one yet!"

And, these comments would be justified...especially since the person - (name withheld for peaceful home life purposes) - has not read anyone else's blog.  If they had, they'd see this is an addiction.  Or at the very least, an affliction.  And the chances of relapse are great, indeed.  Plus, anyone who knows me knows I cannot let anything suffer. I'd rather drag it home and give it a better place to live.

So is the case with my newest "adoption."  A '70's something Safari. Unmolested but well used.  Worn but not worn out. In need of TLC but previously unmolested and in "original" condition. 

Gotta love fate. While riding a snowmobile trail I kept passing this old girl. I finally worked up the courage to stop in and speak to the property owner. He didn't own the trailer and directed me to the house down the street who did. No answer.

Home to the computer I went. I did a quick reverse look-up of the potential addresses and confirmed the resident names with the county tax record website.  After 3 calls I managed to get the owner...who had just returned home.

His answer:  "Why yes, I am looking to get rid of that piece of junk. We used to travel in it but now it's sat for several years. It was so heavy and unruly behind my Dodge Ram Pickup that I didn't like to tow it far. Now I don't have a big truck, so I can't use it.  Was going to tear it apart for scrap, but if you want it, take it."

Suffice to say I just have to wait for the snow to melt to tow it home...less than 3 miles. 

The history of this Safari is cloudy.  Supposedly, some guy driving through Wisconsin many years ago asked a farmer if he could leave this trailer on his property and pick it up on his way back through.  The guy never came back, believe it or not.  After some time, the farmer offered it to his neighbor, the current owner's uncle.  He applied for a replacement title and enjoyed camping in it for years.  About 10 years ago he sold it to his nephew, the current owner. 

And I didn't mention the best part.  After speaking with the owner he figured out that as teen-agers we worked together Lifeguarding in Milwaukee.  We've had some good talks reminiscing the last two days.  I find it funny that I've been driving past his house for the last 5 years, here in the middle of no-where Wisconsin, and never would have known it if I hadn't spotted an old airstream sitting in a field along a snowmobile trail, less than 3 miles from home. 

What a lucky find. 

Had I not been snowmobiling, for the first time since moving here, I would never have known it existed. And, if that snowmobile wasn't a Vintage (slow) '79 John Deere, I probably would have been moving too fast to notice!  In a few months this Safari may have been melted down in a 6-pack of Miller Lite.

Don't ask me where I'll go with it from here. Just know she's safe and will have a good home as long as I do.

Happy Spring! 

UPDATE: 3-25-2011:  Received 2" of ice, then 4"-6" of heavy wet snow on top on 23rd-24th. This has postponed my retrieval.  What you can't see in the photos is a huge snowbank at the end of the neighbors drive needed to access this property.  C'mon Sun!  Melt me a path.

Holy Cow, What a Winter!

I'll admit it. I LOVE WINTER.

Reasons:
1.  No bugs.
2.  No bugs.
3.  No bugs.
4.  Walking dogs is fun...because there are no bugs...especially ticks!
5.  Snowmobiling is awesome, especially if you ride vintage.


Now the disclaimers.
1.  Must have plenty of snow.
2.  Must have more sunny days than cloudy.
3.  Must have warm fire to keep out the cold.

That's it. And since these items were met with abundance, I've been a happy hibernator.

Here are some updates from the winter.

Some of  our Wild Turkey Visitors.

We have 10-20 birds per group.

Several Groups per Day.

Two of our Guinea Hens taking a sun bath.

Hank (Left) Molly (Right) & Me

Wendy and Molly

'79 John Deere resurected and out on the trail

"Anyone can ride a new machine...

riding an old machine takes tools, skills and

the ability to walk long distances...

if the tools and skills don't work out."

'78 Airens runs like a champ!

Shop Update

Managed to get some south facing windows installed. What a pain...literally. Hacking windows into corrugated metal siding and dealing with pole barn framing in an existing structure is not my idea of a good time. Give me stick built any day over pole buildings!

It turned out nice though. The windows are high, non-opening. Letting in plenty of low winter sunshine. Shielded by the eve's and leafy trees in the summer. Allowing full use of the wall beneath for peg-board and work benches. Perfect for my needs.

A nice little ride

It occurred to me, halfway through the week of August 8th, that once again I was missing my long awaited trip to Sturgis, SD for the annual motorcycle rally. So in typical fashion, I thought about it some more. I was busy on Thursday, then Friday it rained. Crud.

Saturday morning: 5:30am. I made up my mind to ride on out. Heck, it's only 800 miles. I can make it by nightfall. And I did. After 13 hours in the saddle I made downtown Sturgis with 15 minutes to spare before the HOG (Harley Owners Group) display closed down. I got my free pin...and in the process, offered up further proof to my wife that I'm nuts.

Needless to say I missed a great many of the 500,000 bikers that attended during the week. From the steady stream of bikes, both trailered and ridden that I passed heading out, I thought it would be empty out there. It wasn't. It was a lot more subdued than I'd heard about. And having not stepped into one bar I wouldn't know how that scene stacked up. I rode until sunset each day, then stopped to eat, arriving back at my flop spot each night after 11, ready for a hot shower and sleep. Some might call it boring. I call it maximizing my scenic-time.

Met some interesting and friendly people. Saw abundant wildlife: buffalo, prairie dogs, turkeys, white tail deer, antelope, burros, mustang horses, hawks, eagles and all manner of other critters. Rode some agonizingly straight highways and others that are amazing feats of engineering. And took in as much scenery as my mind could process. It's completely different than if I was looking out a windshield hemmed in by a roof and doors.

After five days I returned home with 2000 miles added to the odometer, 450 photos and a slew of memories no one can ever take from me. All good.

There were so many more stops like Deadwood, Boot Hill, Lead (pronounced Leed), Canyons, Mountains, Badlands. Here's a sample.

Downtown Sturgis. And this is the last night of the rally?!?

Some of the "carnival-like" roads out in Mount Rushmore area.

Every tunnel has a view of the presidents. Reading the signs I learned that the tunnels were carved out, then a road was built to connect them. What a feat of engineering. Try doing that today.

A "traffic jam" in Custer park wildlife area.

A photo op everywhere you look.

An equally great monument. Especially since you can fit the entire Mount Rushmore sculpture into Crazy Horse's hair. And this sculpture will be carved on all sides, not just into the flat face of the mountain. Very interesting ongoing story. I don't remember my folks taking my sisters, grandma and I to see this in 1970 during our four week western tour in the Ford Wagon Queen family truckster.

Stavkirk Chapel in the Hills-Rapid City: A replica of a Norwegian church. Had to take a quick tour since we have a similar church on Washington Island off the northern tip of Door County, or Wisconsin's "thumb".

This is typical of the interesting road-side scenery. I just had to stop to check it out. This place has a long and storied history as THE general store on the way to Devil's Tower.

Took a two-lane black top home through Pierre, SD. Hooked up with a scenic by-way, a portion of the Lewis and Clark Trail and traveled through 5 different reservations.

Ever wonder where your sunflower seeds come from? Probably North or South Dakota according to the packages I checked in the gas stations after seeing field after field like this.

Up early. Last morning on the on-ramp. Heading East towards home.

Followed this ride up a month later with a nice leisurely ride to Tomahawk, WI for the annual MDA Fall Color Ride. Short by comparison at 500 miles round trip. Nice weather and great to see old friends and relatives in Northern Wisconsin's fall color display.

Talk about reigniting the travel bug. So many places to see. So little time.

What I did last summer

For those who find this site and expect only Airstream related topics I apologize.

My Airstream has taken a back seat for months at a time and instead of giving the impression I've fallen off the map I've input some alternative activities. Hope that's OK.

After a recent bike trip I came home and tackled the floor with renewed vigor. Must have been the tour of Winnebago...along with the cooler weather.

Airstream Update:

A quick photo of the stuff that needs to be moved in order to get at the Airstream. This doesn't show the amount of rearranging within the barn to accommodate all the "stuff" stored within the Airstream since last year.




Rebuilt the water heater frame work-"While I was at it"


Difficult to see but removing the old flooring revealed somebody's tally. Assume it could have been from production line in 1965?


Finally got the beds out. Shown in rear 4' section is the fiberglass/epoxy flooring installed with plow bolts last year along with a small patch of regular plywood on lower left side. Rest of floor aft of Kitchen is solid. Varied color is due to old glue from original tile floor.


Installed new no-glue vinyl flooring. Neutral beige to match factory interior finishes still in place. It's been through a few heat-cool cycles now with beds and closets in place & screwed down on top of it with no sign of pucker or bumps. I only covered the areas that were covered from factory. Areas unseen aren't covered. This saves on material and weight while allowing me to cover complete trailer with single sheet of 12' x 14' sheet good.

Replaced bed's bulkhead walls and 2 closets. Closed up water heater hole. Rewired converter and got all electrics back up and running. No more blown fuses in the fantastic vent due to rusty ground wire bolt. Gotta love it when a plan comes together. Thank goodness for copious photos taken before disassembly. Printed a cheat sheet with 9 pertinent photos to make sure everything was hooked up the way it should be.

Not sure how I'm going to configure the bath and grey/black tanks yet so with no running water I'm back to my mobile aluminum tent.

Next project, checking the furnace. It's getting cold here in Wisconsin. Still would like to get a trip in to Door County this fall before the colors peter out. But, just in case I don't get it out again I took it for a spin around the farm country to excercise the tires. Pulled like a dream as usual.

Where the summer goes.

The longest day of the year or Summer Solstice is gone. June 21st is the day I both dread and look forward to all year, second only to turning the short day corner on December 21st.

Let me clarify. I dread it because the days start getting shorter again on June 22nd. I look forward to it because it's the day I met my wife in 1986. It was the longest day of the year. It was the longest, strangest and most unforgettable night of my life. The details are still vivid.

A night of dancing at a club which no longer exists. A crazy drive to the beach. A tour of a haunted house. Then, conversation until dawn on a front porch swing. The number of possibilities that were so close to effecting a completely different outcome between four people are mind boggling. What-ifs galore.

Consequently, June 22nd was the longest work day of my life because I drove straight there at 5:30am and worked two jobs until after 6pm. After that my memory fades. It's hell getting old.

Why does it seem like time is speeding up as I get older?

The Airstream is still nestled in the back of the barn, where it was parked last fall. It has, once again, been filled with items I cannot find safe storage for elsewhere. This includes windows, antiques and the like. Funny how every year I vow not to repeat this and every year I do.

I did manage to dust off the motorcycle and take a few rides this year. Which are a few more than last year. I've also managed to complete some fairly major maintenance on two of our vehicles, plant a good garden and make a dent in our landscaping plan.

The hens are now full grown and doing their thing around the yard. I see them eating more grass than bugs though. They must be getting something out of what they eat since they aren't losing weight. Between the bird feeders and the hen's feeder I have fattened up the local squirrel squadron though. I'll cut the feed back until cold weather. Sorry squirrels.

I've also made the commitment to take the drive every other week-end to visit my folks. I'm trying to help them out around the house where I can, share a trip to the store and just spend some quality time visiting.

My first boss out of college said something that I've been trying to apply since that day. Luckily, it seems to be working better lately. He said, "wherever you are, be there." Simple enough right? When you're at work don't spend time thinking about other tasks. Just work. When you're on vacation, forget about work. Completely let go and enjoy. That's what he meant.

Applied to daily life, what good does it do anyone to visit family and friends when you're only half engaged? I've caught myself thinking about the chores I have waiting for me at home or the car that needs repairs or the Airstream I could be working on. How stupid does that sound? These unending to-do lists can drive me up a wall if I let them.

I'm happy to take care of what I can and not let the rest bug me too much. And guess what? My visits have been less stressful and a whole lot more pleasant, insightful and meaningful. Maybe getting older has some benefits after all.

Hot Chicks!

Not what you think. I call them "Natural Pesticide" or what to do about abundant tick populations. Otherwise known as Guinea Hens. Different from chickens as they are actually part of the turkey family. Not great to eat or good egg layers, we chose them for their toughness and ability to eat bugs.

My wife calls them "Francis"...all of them, since we can't tell them apart. She said Francis could be a male or female name and something about her needing St. Francis' help in dealing with my constant animal population additions.

This breed is supposed to function fine out on their own once they have their adult feathers, can fly and know their way back to the coop. Some will choose not to come back to the coop until cold weather sets in, roosting in trees until then.

As they are now 6 weeks, we will soon find out whether they are smarter than the local predators. Not a pleasant thought but one I am determined to get used in order to embrace our homesteading life. We're working to getting them used to coming in every night at dusk for protection.

We'll see how it goes.

Here's a couple photos of the Coop-de-Ville I constructed along with their temporary enclosed exercise yard. Fully insulated with great views. Both are movable to make it easier to give them fresh "eats" daily now while captive and easier to relocate down the road.











I had fun building the coop because I challenged myself to construct it out of only materials I had on hand. Some left by the previous owners of our property: insulation, regular & pressure treated two-by stock, siding that was cut out from window openings and steel roofing-not installed yet. Some from previous projects: roofing felt our previous home roofing project, conduit handle-not installed left over from wiring in Las Vegas. Some from my childhood: wagon wheels from my Radio-Flyer. And some scavenged: two-bys from a neighborhood "curb pick-up" which I had previously used in my basement shelving, paint left over from my Dad's house and a Plexiglas window thrown out by a previous employer.

Average stored lifespan of materials not including 38 year old wagon wheels: 10 years. Some were moved 3 times. Crazy. Ah, the life of a pack-rat.

The only new purchase was door hardware and a great recycled plastic sheeting I found at Menard's. It doesn't have any out gassing smell like Filon or Fiberglass sheeting and was a reasonable $15 per 4x8 sheet. Total of 2 sheets were used to build the luxurious 16 square foot accommodation shown :) Supposedly four birds need 4 square feet each.

Cost savings over $500-$1500 coops seen on-line? Not much when you consider labor. Even with my fancy sliding screen door and cable TV.

But hey, we also won't be moving all that crap next time. And, since I'm hoping my next move won't be until they take me out of here feet first, I've just saved my poor relatives some additional cleaning & aggravation. That makes it priceless ;)




And no, I didn't actually install cable TV. We don't have that out here. And we have too many trees for satellite, so that's out of the question.