Today is the Beginning...

Today is the beginning...really! The beginning of the renovation of my 1968 Safari Land Yacht. Before moving up to my mother's property where the airstream has been parked since the 80s I had mostly taken lots of photos, fantasized about how I would renovate it, and did a small window repair, which I realized now, I did not really even complete properly. But now that I am living on the property, and pass by the lonely airstream sitting abandoned in the field each day, I woke up this morning and finally said to myself, "if you're going to renovate that thing, you'd better darn well start!" Where to start? I thought to myself....it seems like such a huge task....I looked through the forums a bit, checking into my leaky window issue and glancing at other forums....enough procrastinating! "Get out there and start cleaning that thing!" I said to myself. So I did. I took the shop vac, put on gloves, grabbed a broom, dustpan and trash bags, and went at it. The airstream has barely been used for travel over the years; it has mostly been used for family acquaintances who have needed a place to live. After the earthquake in Northern California in 1989 a family made homeless lived in it on our property for a short time. As it turned out, they were homeless before the earthquake, but that didn't matter in the end for my parents were always willing to lend a helping hand to those in need. My wayward brother often crashed in it over the years, and unfortunately, he was never one to take care of his possessions to well. Later on family friends including, a poet and a Vietnam Vet stayed there, all with their own ideas about what, if anything, to bother fixing, or reporting as broken. Thus, what we've ended up with is a poor little airstream with leaks, former rat housing remnants, rust, dirt, mold, and poorly repaired benches, tables, etc. But! You know what? I've seen a lot worse in some photos of projects people have taken on. As I cleaned and dusted and removed items left there by former tenants, my frustration at their neglect dissipated a little as I began to see a bit clearer through the dirt and grime. I will make it into something it has been longing to be....a shiny, efficient, Traveling Family Memory Making Mobile....I will let go of the past and look to a future of fun and enjoyment!

Attached Thumbnails