Road Trips 2012 & Real Estate

[Gene]

Originally Posted by ROBERT CROSS

I bugled last night...didn't do any good though.

Stay busy my friend.....

Bob

Try flowers.

Gene

[Gene]

Originally Posted by ROBERT CROSS

I bugled last night...didn't do any good though.

Try flowers.

We sealed many things with Acryl-R. It is very messy, but a messy job and a dry trailer are a decent trade off. The index finger is still the best way to smooth out a bead. Several rags destroyed and much acetone to keep my fingers clean and wipe off the major messes. I kept my nose out of the acetone, but a whiff every once in a while was quite heady.

I did the door frame, lower trim at the bottom of the aluminum body, step light, 4 lower courtesy lights, antenna, patio light, kitchen fan, city water, cable TV cover and what looked like it needed it on rear soil stack and the bathroom and shower fans. Anything else would need me to get on the roof and I have yet to convince Barb that she should do that. There is an assembly on which the antenna rests. It is riveted in place. The plate was not sealed; now it is.

Windows come another time. Beltline seems unnecessary since the top skin overlaps the bottom one and water usually doesn't go up (capillary action wouldn't do enough to worry about).

The threshold now has 4 coats of polyurethane and looks good cleaned up. I have a few more places to cut with the biscuit saw to get the floor underneath. The trim around the exterior door also has to be cut back with a hacksaw. Then I will bring all the flooring into the trailer and dry fit it. I also have to build a jig to cut it with a sabre saw. It looks like it is just wide enough for 3 planks to fit across the hallway with a fraction of an inch to cut off. Since the hallway and the space between the kitchen peninsula and the gaucho are not quite in line, dry fitting will enable me to see just what to do without screwing it up. I can mark each plank on the back and the subfloor too.

Over 4 1/2 years we have had leaks in one vista view, both panos, both Fantastic Fans, the awning support(s), the bathroom fan and the skylight. For the most part when I or others have sealed them, they never leak again and some have held for 3 years. But when they seal them at the factory, they leak pretty soon.

Gene

[Steelegood]

Originally Posted by CrawfordGene

Over 4 1/2 years we have had leaks in one vista view, both panos, both Fantastic Fans, the awning support(s), the bathroom fan and the skylight. For the most part when I or others have sealed them, they never leak again and some have held for 3 years. But when they seal them at the factory, they leak pretty soon.

Gene

Now Gene...., How do you know your sealing all the suspect leaks better than the factory that makes them. The Airstream factory does power test for water leaks don't they?

Terry

[ROBERT CROSS]

"But when they seal them at the factory, they leak pretty soon."

Great tag line Gene.

Sounds like you had a busy day.

Friday we had to have a tree taken down next to the garage, split at the base during the wind storms we've had recently. Couldn't take any chances, what with the Ford and TV inside.

Spent the day doling out the wood to the neighbors and cleaning up.
Finish tomorrow, then it's off to NAPA to get the grease seals for "Cooudsplitter".
If the weather holds we should have an early Spring get ready all done.
Will also be inspecting for leaks and filiform, hoping for negative results as we spent quite awhile last Fall sealing everything that looked suspect.

We don't really have any long distance trips planned for this Season as the MIL's health is still iffy.
I guess most will be shorty's to the Adirondack region. Hoping we all can get up to Piseco Lake, as it sure brings back some great Family memories for her. It's nice to see her light up when she can remember the good times.

Kinda glad we got the little boat two years ago, keeps us busy around here on the weekends when we can't get away in the trailer. So far it's been a lot less of a PITA, and more fun than I remember.
It's about a half hour run from here to "Mickey Rat's/Captain Kidd's" at Sunset Bay. (any memories there?)

Say high to Barb...

Bob

[Steelegood]

Originally Posted by ROBERT CROSS

I bugled last night...didn't do any good though.

Stay busy my friend.....

Bob

Hey Bob: You "bugled"? According to thefreedictionary.com "Bugled:
Any of several creeping Old World herbs of the genus Ajuga in the mint family, having opposite leaves, square stems, and terminal spikes of purplish to white flowers. Also called bugleweed." An old addage: an object at rest tends to stay at rest!, maybe you need to modify you moto "Stay busy my friend"..... Or are you meaning everyone else? whilst your setting roots? Get out there and use that Airstream man!

Terry.

[Gene]

Bob,

I understand how aging parents can keep you close to home. I have to live within a day's drive of my in-laws.

Now that you mention it, I have a vague memory of Mickey Rat's. I think I was there with a law school friend whose parents had a house on the lake where he kept his boat. That would be around 1974. One time in that sailboat was enough for me. He was crazy. He never could pass the NY bar, so he found out what state had the highest pass rate and went to Kentucky. He passed it there. There was a restaurant on the lake south of Buffalo we used to go for seafood in the early to mid-70's. I have no idea of the name. And there was a bar about an hour southeast of Buffalo where they always had a band. Name also gone.

I'm trying to remember your wife's name—Sandy? Hi anyway. If this makes you feel better, I never picked up any women named Sandy in Buffalo.

Gene

[Ag&Au]

There is one other documented report of elk bugling in the spring.

In fact it occured at Mammoth Hot Springs in late September 2009.

Ken

[ROBERT CROSS]

Originally Posted by CrawfordGene

Bob,

I understand how aging parents can keep you close to home. I have to live within a day's drive of my in-laws.

Now that you mention it, I have a vague memory of Mickey Rat's. I think I was there with a law school friend whose parents had a house on the lake where he kept his boat. That would be around 1974. One time in that sailboat was enough for me. He was crazy. He never could pass the NY bar, so he found out what state had the highest pass rate and went to Kentucky. He passed it there. There was a restaurant on the lake south of Buffalo we used to go for seafood in the early to mid-70's. I have no idea of the name. And there was a bar about an hour southeast of Buffalo where they always had a band. Name also gone.

I'm trying to remember your wife's name—Sandy? Hi anyway. If this makes you feel better, I never picked up any women named Sandy in Buffalo.

Gene

Gene,

Yes it's Sandy and if I met her in Mulligan's it's very likely you did too.

That could be Hoak's Restaurant, 3/4 mi down the road from us.

Bob

[Gene]

Bob,

That restaurant does look like it could be it. Mulligan's: there was a really short older guy who used to do strange moves there; later they found he was stealing money or something. Not sure what, but he used to stand in a corner across from the bar in the front room. Maybe more memories will come back, not all of them good probably. No Sandy though. She'll probably deny she ever met me too.

As for bugling elk in March, it could be because this area has unusually vital males of all species. Unlike bull elk, my wife won't let me have a harem.

Gene

[Gene]

Floor work has slowed down. I'll add a photo of the entire subfloor revealed and coated with urethane. You can see water stains to the right of the kitchen sink peninsula. I can't find any source for it. I believe the sheet vinyl was continuous under the sink cabinet, so even when water slops over the side or when the drain leaked, how would it get through the vinyl? I tore out some of the vinyl under the sink and coated that part of the floor; there is no stain there. Maybe water got onto the subfloor when they were building the trailer. It is supposed to rain and then snow, so I'll see if the sealant is working.

I have put 2 coats of Danish oil and 3 of urethane on the quarter round and 6 coats of urethane on the threshold. The more coats, the more depth and thus the better look to the coating. I managed to get most of the dirt out of the oak threshold. I also had to cut it down at the bottom so the new flooring would fit. The factory must have put one coat on and it wore off fast so dirt could get in the grain.

Getting ever closer to listing the house. I took a bunch of new photos and have cropped, straightened and otherwise worked on them. Now I have to figure out how to tell a story with them. Since every website has a different number of photos, I have to create different stories for each.

I don't know where the days go. How can I be retired, not have enough time and be so busy and not feel like I got anything done? Maybe this is the answer: Age-Activated Attention Deficit Disorder - YouTube

Gene

[slowmover]

Good progress. I know it's a sense of satisfaction at days end. Having something to do and being able to do it is rather the essence of the good ol' days.

[Gene]

It snowed about 1 1/2" the night before last and I went to check for the leak below the awning supports yesterday morning and again yesterday afternoon.

Dry! Not much water in that snowfall, but a good sign that I have solved the leak. If I get to wash the 4Runner soon, I'll spray the trailer looking for leaks too. I still have more sealing to do (windows mainly), but that'll come weeks from now.

Gene

[Lily&Me]

Originally Posted by CrawfordGene

Getting ever closer to listing the house. I took a bunch of new photos and have cropped, straightened and otherwise worked on them. Now I have to figure out how to tell a story with them. Since every website has a different number of photos, I have to create different stories for each.

Gene

Now, Gene, if there is anyone who can tell a really fine story---it is you!

Someone's going to grab that house, I just know it.


Maggie

[Gene]

Maggie, thanks for your confidence. We had to write the stuff on the listing because the realtor didn't do it the way we wanted. Then we had to supply photos because his were no good. Then I had to correct misspellings in the listing because the secretary had issues with being careful. We insisted he list it on Loghomes.com and he refused, then agreed, then never did it. I kinda feel like I already have done all this, but we press on, first with the log homes website. The guy who owns it is quite a character—I talked with him for a long time last week.

Gene

[Gene]

After 5 1/2 hours at the computer I got the house listed on Loghomes.com yesterday. I had to re-write a description of the property and the shop, get all the information correct, look for typos and go through usual problems with these things. I had most of the details on the form and it disappeared, never to be found again. I started over and finally got to uploading photos. I had arranged them to tell a story—you see the house as you come up the driveway, go inside and see the major rooms (except for bathrooms because I don't have a wide angle lens for the camera), see the back yard with view of mountains, shop (with Airstream by it) and then a look down the driveway through the trees with a deer (we have lots of deer here). It would not save on their server and I had to call the owner. We finally got it solved. But the deer/driveway photo ended up #2 instead of last and I haven't been able to move it.

But step 1 is done! Next I have to decide just how to do the next steps with FSBO sites, all of which will take time setting up each site. I think I want to go work on the Safari floor today.

I hope this website is popular. It was recommended to me by a friend who browses it because of his desire to someday own a log home (not ours apparently). I also hope our listing attracts buyers. The website suggested not to disclose so much information because it doesn't whet people's interest and they don't call. But I like information and that is how I decide what to look for. I notice many of the listings on this and other websites do not use all the photos they can. I see on other websites realtor have crooked photos, dark photos that make houses look like caves, or do not include any pictures of the interiors—that kind of carelessness turns me off.

Anyone who has any suggestions for improvement would be appreciated. Here's the link: Feels like a log cabin, full sized modern log home for sale on loghomes.com

Gene

[ROBERT CROSS]

Gene,

OUTSTANDING, my friend.

You have a beautiful home, you and your partner should be very proud.

Good luck in the sale it's a sooper listing.

Bob

[SilverRanger]

Great property, and listing. If I wasn't already up to my wazoo in real estate...

[Gene]

Thanks Bob. Make an offer. We have a reservoir nearby for your boat. I installed the two FF pop in covers and they fit well. I have always hated those 8 screws and as a result don't clean the fan very often.

I cut some more things jutting out so I could fit the flooring under them rather than cut the flooring around them. The metal strips on each side of the door were a bit more difficult to cut—ending up using tin snips. Tin snips aren't made for metal this thick, but I got it done and filed down what I couldn't cut. I also resealed under the threshold.

We brought all the flooring down to the trailer and dry fit it (not cut yet, but you get the idea). Towards the end of it I was afraid I wouldn't have enough, but we ended up with 2 extra planks plus there will be a lot of half pieces. When I see how they fit, I may end up with 3 whole ones. There's enough for the bathroom, but I don't know how the toilet fits when raised almost 3/16". It is also more work than I'm up for, but we'll see. Because there are so many different widths along the hallway and down to the kitchen peninsula, I was afraid I'd end up with a narrow strip along one side, but it looks like it'll work out. Usually I start at one end of ae room, but because of these varying widths, it appears the best place to start is in front of the gaucho, work toward the bed along the varying partitions, then come back along the hallway toward the back.

Now that we have an idea how it will look on the floor, it looked good, much better than the sheet vinyl. it is heavier than the sheet, so I suppose I should weigh it to see what we are doing.

Next I have to build a jig for cutting the planks. I need a platform as long at the planks (about 41") with a space to run the jigsaw. I have to clamp the planks and a straight edge to use as a guide for the saw. I'm not sure this is a true jig, but it is a nice short word.

I've been beginning to think I'd never get to this stage, so I'm feeling pretty good. When I finish, then a table for the dinette is next. I checked the thickness of the partition between the bedroom and shower—it is 5/8" with a 7/8" space behind it. This should be enough to attach a TV mounting bracket with mollies. Though a 19" TV is pretty light, I wouldn't want to worry about it falling off. I looked up RV brackets (they lock when we drive) and the only one I found on Amazon was $109, but someone had posted a review saying they were around $65 at CW. I'll have to check when we are in Denver next week. A cheap 19" TV was either $128 or $138 at Best Buy. I'm sure I can get a better one for about the same elsewhere. The other thing I want is a wifi booster for the iPad. It has to be wireless inside the trailer because there's no way to plug in the iPad. I can attach a short antenna to the fridge vent and run the wire through to the fridge compartment to the cabin where a wireless transceiver could be plugged in. Now I have to find one.

Gene

[slowmover]

Originally Posted by ROBERT CROSS

Gene,

OUTSTANDING, my friend.

You have a beautiful home, you and your partner should be very proud.

Good luck in the sale it's a sooper listing.

Bob

X2. And, X3

[Relentless]

Gene;

I assume that since you don't mention the quality of the schools that serve the area, you are not aiming this property toward families with children?

I understand how rural the location is but you might consider spreading the net a little wider.

Just a thought. Really nice pictures.

John