Summer Summary

Our summer is wrapping up here in Georgia.  Well, that doesn't seem entirely accurate.  What I meant to say is that summer vacation for the school kids is almost over.  Now that "summer is over" (don't tell that to the weatherman) I'll take the opportunity to tell you what we've been doing, starting with Memorial Day weekend:

Indian Springs State Park, in Georgia, claims to be oldest state park in the country.  It is famous for healing spring water (so sulferous you can smell it.   We weren't brave enough to try it.  Not even with a spoonful of sugar.)

It was 100 degrees; That's too hot for Memorial Day weekend, even for Georgia.  We decided to beat the heat by sitting around in our underwear in the air conditioning.  Ok, not really.  We found some shade at the nearby Jarrell Plantation, a Georgia State Historic Site.

 

This was the 1847 home of the Jarrells, family of nine.  

Sherman razed all but the house during the Civil War.  The family rebuilt.

This kitchen was added in 1880.  We thought it particularly interesting that the kitchen was attached to the house.  Most houses we have seen from this era have a detached kitchen because they burned so frequently.  When they built this kitchen they still had fire in mind.  If it caught fire you were supposed to shove it off of its stone foundation, AWAY from the house.

I'm not sure why every school kid in America remembers that Eli Whitney invented the cotton gin.   Elementary school history teachers should be proud. 

It was nice to finally see the actual invention to go with the name.

The cotton gin as well as a saw mill, grist mill, wheat separator, and cane press is powered by a central steam engine.  They still operate this steam engine a few times every year.  (Might have to come back to see that!)

 On our way back from the Jarrell Plantation we stopped in Juliette, GA for some grub at the Whistle Stop Cafe (set for the 1991 movie Fried Green Tomatoes.) 

Juliette has probably has the best people watching in middle Georgia... but don't stop to eat here if you're in a hurry.

One last picture from our Memorial Day weekend:

This sink is full of dirty dishes.  I washed them with the greatest of ease.  All I had to do to get hot water was to rotate the handle on the left.  Hot water magically dispensed from the faucet.  It's the little things!  Hot water from the faucet!

By the way, did you notice the new faucet?  Changing out this faucet was the subject of much debate. It has been so important to us to keep everything as original as possible. A little experience washing dishes in this sink (warming the water outside on a camp stove, of course) made me change my mind about the original faucet. It was nearly impossible to wash or fill large pots because I couldn't get them under the faucet.  I was delighted to find this little all-metal, arching, spray-nozzle faucet in just the right size. 
 
Father's Day Weekend

Our neighbors talked us into going to the lake with them for Father's Day weekend at the last minute.

While we were at Lake Lanier we also got to see some old (wait, that doesn't sound right) longtime friends.  They treated us to a geocaching boat ride. We retrieved three geocaches from one island!  What a thrill for us!  Our boat captain spied one of the caches first.  (Think we'll hook them on a new hobby?)

We broke from the group for a few hours to check out nearby Sawnee Mountain Preserve.  The trail map said the loop hike was "Easy-Strenuous." What could that mean?  We soon found out.  It meant if you went clockwise around the loop the trail was strenuous.  If you went counterclockwise around the loop it was easy.  Guess which way we went.  Oh well, at the top we were rewarded with for our efforts:

The kids bravely tried out these sacred ancient "Indian Seats," what a view!

On the edge, in more ways than one.

After our hike we headed back to camp. It was too hot for a campfire.

 We had one down on the beach anyway.  

It was lovely way to end the weekend.

Haphazard Progress

Time to mark these things off of the "left list!"

windows:
removed (our disgusting) silicone mess from around drip caps
installed lifters and cranks

window screens:
We have had a roll of galvanized steel window screening sitting in our garage for close to two years now.  Not long after we purchased it we tried installing the screens.  They were pretty frustrating so we soon moved on to some other task.   While strolling through the home store recently, a roll of fiberglass screen jumped into our cart when no one was looking.  We tried to kick it out shouting "You're not original! Go away!" but the roll didn't listen.   Instead, it argued with us "Yes, but you can see through me very well.   I'm soft when you brush up against me.  I am easy to install."  Well, it's been warming up here in Georgia.  We started thinking about how lovely it would be to have the windows open on the trailer. We took the fiberglass roll home.  All but two of the screens are installed now.  The astrodome screen is a little tricky because of the embedded holes for the lifters so we haven't done it yet.  Also, our door-within-a-door screen frame is broken and still needs metal screen corners.

polishing:
Did I mention we finally bit the bullet and purchased a Dewalt variable speed polisher and the Cyclo polisher?  Polishing with the atomic-age Cyclo brought fun back to this menial task.  (For the first 20 hours, anyway.)

See that door leaning against the trailer?  The handle is painted and it's polished on the inside.  

(Check two things off the list.)

 
We're not completely finished with the polishing but Brian is ready to take a break.  We sealed our seams and plan to tackle some trouble spots later.

center light fixture:
Not long ago, a little package from Victoria, Canada appeared on my doorstep, adorably addressed to "Someday'59."  (It was for the trailer, after all.)

  In the package was a center light fixture from a 1957 Overlander. 

It's perfect! I'm thrilled with how well it matches the reproduction fiberglass sconce covers we have in the front of the trailer!  For the light fixture, I owe a huge thank-you to Mark and his trailer (who, as far as I know, isn't named yet but is progressing nicely.)

Plumbety, Plumb, Plumb Plumb:

some propane plumbing:
The propane lines under the trailer have been installed.  We cut two holes through the bottom of the trailer for propane access to the appliances.  After a little fiddling, all of our propane fittings passed the soap test.  No leaks!  We hooked up the hot water heater (then did a little happy dance.  Hooray for hot water!!!)

grey water plumbing:

Once upon a time we were excited about getting to the TAC rally at Stone Mountain.  Rather than take the extra 45 seconds to put mine and Brian's clothes in the drawers I put them in a laundry basket in the tub.  (Raise your hand if you know where this story is going.)  Both the laundry basket and most of our clothes were soaked with grey water.  After scrounging for quarters Brian started the rally by telecommuting from the laundry room.   Why was there grey water in the tank?  Earlier in the week, I mopped the floor in the trailer and dumped the mop water down the drain instead of taking it to the house.  (sigh)  So much for shortcuts!  This wasn't the first time we've had grey water in the bathtub.  Hopefully, it will be the last.  Brian installed a Hepvo backflow-proof shower trap.

in fresh water plumbing news:
Brian added the water inlet for the fresh water tank.
[read: Brian made a big scary hole in the front of the trailer while Lynnetta stood by and wrung her hands.]  I'm sure glad it turned out OK.

Yes, we moved it.  Originally, the water inlet was on the curbside of the battery box.  This is where the water inlet had to go in order to accommodate our larger freshwater tank.

more fresh water plumbing:
Speaking of the freshwater tank, we need a water pump to access the water in our tank.  So, we installed the water pump and subsequently made a trip to the home store to make the darned thing quieter.  (Adding flex tubing on either side of the pump and rubber insulating pads beneath really does help with the sound.)

still more fresh water plumbing news:
Installed the faucet for the bathtub.

exterior door latch:

I thought it was weird that the "VTS" on this thing was upside down. No matter.  It works.  It's not rusty.  It doesn't leave a giant rust streak down the side of the trailer!

It's so nice to get these things checked off of the (shrinking) list!

Feeling Sentimental

Two years ago this week we spent our last evening in the warehouse.  It was the end of four months of non-stop work on the trailer.  I was feeling sentimental.  I wrote these words on a scrap piece of packaging with a pencil (probably sharpened by a knife.) 

last night in the warehouse

yowling cats, it is the spring

or summer

how did the spring turn into summer so quickly

when did we begin shedding our jackets and mopping our foreheads instead of layering clothes and moving about just to keep warm

fireflies

a nice reminder that there will be many summers to come where we can sit and relax under the awning and enjoy the evening and the children and our time together on the road or at a park not far from home with friends we love

Someday is today

TAC at Stone Mountain

We've been so excited about the TAC rally at Stone Mountain.
We just couldn't wait to get to the rally on Friday.

So, we came Thursday morning instead.

I spy someone telecommuting

  Thursday night dinner at a German restaurant in Stone Mountain Village

Friday, trailers showed up in a steady stream all day long. 

In the evening, we got together for the first of three occasions.


Friday appetizers, Saturday dinner, and Sunday brunch
We had some delicious food and even better company.

Brian and I weren't the only ones that make fast and easy friends at the rally.  

I found a few groups of Airstreamers scattered around the lawn for Saturday evening's laser show.  Finding Airstreamers in a crowd is nothing like finding Airstreams in a campground, though.  

Can you find the Sanders in this picture?

There were about 30 trailers at the rally.  It was an especially great mix of both new and vintage trailers (including a '78 Argosy, a '68 Avion, a Bambi II, four other 60s Airstreams, and two vintage Shastas.) There were at least eight people/trailers who were at Stone Mountain for their first rally ever.
(Hope we didn't scare them off!)

Oh, and we stopped for dinner on the way home,  too...

at Atlanta's iconic 50's themed restaurant, "OK Cafe."
It was delicious,  "Yes, Ma'am!"

The Left List

This is our "left list"... this stuff is what's left on the list:

clean seams, polish, reseal seams

We need to find a threshold.  Also, rebuild and install the step.

This door needs some polish:

We're not quite sure what to do with the inside door handle.

but we need to either 1) strip it 2) paint it or 3) both

We need to finish removing the seal on the door within a door.

Then, install a new seal.

We still need to clean up our Birmingham scar.  I think we've been putting this one off because we're not quite sure how to deal with it.  Perhaps an Alabama shaped aluminum badge is in order?

Our belly needs a shave.  (A couple of other places too.)

This item is quite possibly the most embarrassing on our "to do" list.  A long time ago, in a land of good intentions, someone (Ok, two someones) used silicone to seal the seams above the windows.  Now, the silicone did keep the water out... but it sure left a nasty mess.  Dirt and polishing residue are only a few of the shady characters this silicone attracted. 

 We need to clean up this (our) terrible mess.

Propane.  We need to plumb for propane. 

When we get that done we'll have a few more things to do:

 install the stove

install the fridge

(If I had known how long I would be looking at the naked side of the pantry then I might have refinished the entire panel instead of just the part that will be exposed.)

install the heater and ducting

We have a few electrical things to clean up too. 

Our back vent needs a new seal.  

We also have a ceiling fan (from Captain Wilson's Overlander) to install.

We need a cover for this light.

We need to finish wiring in the monitor panel, the inverter too.

These hinges need work.  

The screws keep pulling out of cabinet.  It's a problem on the pantry door and also on the cabinet under the sink in the bathroom.

 Find the holy grail. 

I need an original knob for the pantry.  

(In the meantime, this dummy will have to do.)

We also need to install:
window levers
window screens
plumbing fixtures for tub
trim around the bathtub
make a shower curtain
sew a cover for the bunk mattress

... and those are only the the things I can think of.  I'm sure there are more.  The end is in sight (maybe not without binoculars) but it's in sight.

Two Recent-ish Adventures

I think I forgot to mention our whirlwind trip up Asheville, NC on the last weekend before Christmas.  We were hoping to take a four-day weekend but, alas, only 2 days were available, so we were determined to make the best of it.  After work on Friday, we were hitched and ready to go by 6:00pm.  We stopped for Chinese food a little way up the road.  A little farther up the road we found a place stop for the night.  We woke before it was light outside (admittedly, this is something we do rarely do at home) and headed down the road.

We arrived at the historic Grove Park Inn just in time for brunch.  We called ahead to make sure they had parking for us but the parking was still an adventure when we got there.  (I wish I had taken a picture.)  Brian did an amazing job backing the trailer up a steep hill and into the spot on the far right. The parking attendant said she had to get 4 tour buses in the other three spaces.  She managed to do it, too. 

The Grove Park Inn is home to the National Gingerbread Competition.  What a treat to stroll around the hotel and view the entries!

The gingerbread man may have been running as fast as he could, but he took a small break on the bench in the gift shop.  We snapped a picture really quick:

The Grove Park Inn has a charming car museum, too. There were three 50s cars.  I tried not do drool directly over them. (Didn't want to mess up the finish or anything.)

This Edsel, the car everyone loves to hate, is a 1959. 

After brunch we headed to the campground we had picked out ahead of our visit.  It was by the river and the prices were much better than the others in the area.  No one was in the office.  We called the posted number.  No one answered.  We drove in to see what sites might be available.  The road was rough.  Pot holes, mud, permanent residents... When we decided to turn around our tires began slipping in the mud on a hill. (Sliding toward the river!)  I remember thinking "What?!  This can't be happening!  Why do we always get more adventure than we bargain for?"  Anyway... whether the moment was really as perilous as it seemed (or not)... we were glad to get out of there.

Fortunately, I remembered passing a campground on the way in.  We dove up a twisty gravel road to a nice campground with a splendid view.

Before going to bed Brian made sure to unhook the water and sewer.

Our mountaintop campsite was chilly in the morning, below freezing.

This was only the second time we had stayed at a facility with sewer hookup at the campsite.  

In the morning, the cap for the sewer was frozen shut.  Whoops!  I guess we should have wiped it off before we closed it.  After a little rummaging in the trailer for a pipe wrench the cap was loosened and we could empty our trailer.  (Everyone travels with a pipe wrench, right?)

Our trailer empty, we headed down the mountain to the largest house in America, the Biltmore Estate.  We took the meandering 3 mile driveway to the parking lot.  Then, we took the shuttle to the house.

 As an adult, have you ever visited some place that you haven't been to since you were a kid?  When you got there did you find that everything seemed so much smaller than you remembered? I hadn't been to the Biltmore since I was 8 years old.  For me, the Biltmore is a definite exception to the "smaller than I remembered it" rule.  It's size is still overwhelming.  

There's an indoor pool, a bowling alley, a library with some fantastically fussy Victorian (but masculine) furniture, elevators, and a way-before-its-time intercom system.  Maybe the Biltmore just seems big to me as an adult because I couldn't stop thinking about the 43 bathrooms those poor maids had to clean.

House for 5 on the left.  House for 3 on the right.
(Come to think of it, the house doesn't look so big in this picture.)
I'll still take the one on the left, thanks!

-------------------on to the next adventure--------------

Brian had a week off in February.  We planned to work on the trailer for the week.  After a couple days of polishing we had a problem; our feet were itchy.  Again.  (Think we have itchy feet now?  What is it going to be like when we get this thing finished?)  So, on a random Tuesday afternoon in February, we packed up and headed out to Georgia's newest state Park, Chattahoochee Bend.

Wednesday morning we hiked the trail along the river.

We hiked 5 miles and found 6 geocaches.  Did I mention the park was brand-spankin' new?  The hiking trail meandered next to the river and crossed several little creeks along the way.  Many of the crossings still didn't have bridges yet.  We thought it was part of the charm.  

Can you spy the geocache in this picture?

Chattahoochee Bend was just the right amount of adventure. 

Well, all except for that time in the bathhouse when the lights-on-a-timer turned off.  The girls and I were soaped up in the shower.  I'm not sure if I'm ready to talk about that though.