Lets see where are we at with the LadyBug!
The last substantial reporting - was just prior to me heading out on my first solo trip, and both Peter and I working day and night just to get her "Road worthy" , all the leaks taken care of - the wiring re done, new stationary skylight and Fantastic Vent installed, along with all new running gear and exterior lights.....
Then the best and worse summer all in one began...I'll tell you all about that over a drink or 10!!
Nevertheless it has been a very trying summer and very stressful - and the only thing that has given us great joy is our Little Airstream - it has in a way kept us semi focused although we have slowed right down on the restoration for various reasons. She is still the focal point of our view out the window.
So this is what we have done since my Solo Trip to Ohio.
Took the walls off again to finish the wiring - of some of the 12 volt accessories. Such as the waterpump, stereo, wire up for the water heater etc.
We were scheduled for the MetDet Rally at Apple Creek - and were rushing again - but turned out that I went by myself and bunked in with Wheel Interested as Peter had to work that weekend. So he had bags of time to get a big jump start on her again - but upon my return from my second week of being AWOL in Michigan - nothing had been done. I should have suspected something then but did not.
With only one week before we were scheduled to leave on our vacation....
.........the trailer had no windows in it (save the back one)
........we almost lost my Mom
.........we had to put one of dogs to sleep
........Peter was not looking too well and had no energy
........and we still did not have a second Bed in the Trailer for Peter to sleep on - as I was not sharing the only couch with 2 dogs and Peter and Me - I had to draw the line somewhere.
Peters single job was to rig up the second couch - and that took him all of a whole week.....there is a trend here happening....
I knew that my windows had issues and were leaking. Everyone has the same issues I think - dried out gasket patched together with silicon
- so I thought I would get the outer window frames done before our Holiday. I broke the big front window OOOOPS
so that had to be replaced - then I figured for what it was worth - nice new glass all round would be money well spent - so we did. and of course the minute I decided to take all the windows out - yep rain has to roll in on a perfectly sunny and clear day - so we had to do that mad dash to tape plastic over the window openings as we had just put the two couches back in!!! and did it poor - but for only 15 minutes then it was fine - but the plastice stayed up for Thursday and balmy hot hot day which melted off the duck tape and left all the tape residu on the trailer - I had no time to deal with that - I had a little brown dog that had to go to the Vet one last time and then I had all the bedding to wash and somewhat clear the sent for when we returned.....
Picking up the windows 2 days before we were leaving to find they had cut all the glass wrong!!! so I had 5 windows to do and do all the gaskets the day before we were leaving.
My work table by day was the Patio Table and by night the dinning room (everything) table...
I had to also give the frames a good clean and a polish close to the gaskets so I did that before installing the new gaskets- I am using Met-All the stuff is great!!! and is what Airstream used and still does....
With new gaskets, new glass and a pretty good polish (fine polisihg to follow next spring)
All that was left was the install - Peter's only job on the morning we were leaving. By now he really looked like he needed a vacation!!
The day before we left - we sent Lucky who had been with us for three years (my Brothers Dog) on his way to "RainBow Bridge". He developed an extremely aggressive Bone tumor that originated from within his sinus. We saved him the excruciating pain just in time - but it did not help the heart!! It was in a way good timing that we were leaving the next day with the two girls Taz and Haily. Haily missed him for a while - but has since began playing again with Taz who is 4 years older than Haily.
Okay back to trailer -
no wait - I must not leave you hanging with my Mom.....She is doing fine NOW....they have taken a year to try and find out what was wrong - basically she was bleeding internally and had to be rushed in twice for blood transfusions. They have diagnosed her with GAVE and have had to basically gas the inside of the stomach several times to stop all the leaking blood vessels.....The last resort effort was to take place on the Friday we were leaving for our Holiday.....so we delayed our departure for the morning until we knew she had got through it fine....She had another procedure two weeks later and now she has had her follow up and all blood and iron levels are back up to normal from being dangerously low all summer.
So we were off on our Holidays with little more than a tin tent (but fully road worthy) - with Porta Potti plug in appliances two couches, nicely sealed windows and two dogs happy dogs......
Quick Links
They are reall really nice.
stay tuned.....
