Snowing in New York

We are just hibernating until Spring arrives~!   Not a serious arrival of snow....but there is more to come.  February 14th is Camp-in-Your-Driveway Day, the other National holiday.  =)  Chocolate is nice, too.

Be safe out there and keep it real.

Vintage Rally = Instant Community

Just back from the Vintage Trailer Rally on Seneca Lake and a blast was had by all, even the four-legged attendees.  =)

Making a Pit Stop for a Light Plug

Wings on the Lake

Sweetnessssss

"Well-Behaved Women Rarely Make History."
Hello Norma Jean Baker !

Well Loved Truck and Still in Service

Yes, I do love miniatures too ~!

Need a hubcap?  Mind if they don't match?

Waiting on the No. 67 bus going uptown...

The Good Life 

Pegboard cabinet doors are handy.

Waiting for the tour to start ~ on best behavior.

Nightfall, bonfire time

Sunday Morning Blues

For more rally information, visit TinCanTourists.com.

Planet Earth

GearHead has managed to excite his owner beyond comprehension.  With a lot of help from friends, this ol' vintage trailer is back in the green, green grass of home.  Or rather, the driveway.  He's no longer hangin' mid-air like there's a flood comin'.   =)   Pictures require an explanation or two:

This is real heavy lifting -- not for sissies.

Stabilize the front

After hitching, the tongue was stable enough that the back end could be lowered to the ground.   (This was still an unpredictable project.)  I found myself holding this front passenger corner until I thought my arms would fall off, but I couldn't let go -- it was leaning hard against me.

Needs the logo and tinted windows.

Sharp !!

"The key question to keep asking is, 'Are you spending your time on the right things?'   Because time is all you have." — Randy Pausch (The Last Lecture)

Good Enough

I'm pondering the to-do list in front of me to get trailer ready for a Rally next month.   At what point is the trailer DONE?  Is it ready if there's a place to sleep and room for a cooler?  Are we there YET?   I would like GearHead to be unjackstanded and back on solid Earth.  Ready to tackle that tomorrow.  Long story but I'll have photos to show you how it was done.  The bus seat is ready to be installed, too.  Then, and only then, will I be ready to call it good enough.  Stay tuned.

Rim Shot

The trailer axle has been flipped back but there were a few glitches, namely TWO:

1. Starting out with junk equipment that has been on the trailer for 50 years.
2. Ending with the same junk equipment and hoping for a miracle.

Sooo, I went on a mission to replace the two 13" 5-hole rims, a size/lug combination that is impossible to find anymore.  The closest fit is a Ford rim but most only have the 4-hole pattern.   To buy *new* means you have to visit more than one tractor store because only ONE rim in that size is stocked at a time.  While I was out hunting down rims, the trailer had to remain on jacks until I could get the tires switched out.  The expense was unexpected but I am thankful to Ed @ Alfred Auto Center for making good on the new acorn nuts and for changing over the tires so quickly.  

Gearhead has new shoes and a new lease on life.   

The old rims are where they belong...history.

Rallies

I love old papers and photos.  Anything that refers to the past or can tell a story from a moment in time appeals to me.   Here is a vintage Gulf Tourguide map and an auction catalog of vintage cars that will double as a visitor book during trailer tours @ Rallies.  These events are attended by folks from all walks of life with war stories of how they found and fixed up their trailers.  A variety of brands are in attendance (from Airstream to Yellowstone), and what makes it worthwhile is the feeling of instant community.  Activities include the tours, potluck dinners, chili cookoffs and music each night.  For more information, visit TinCanTourists.com.

Vital Sign

Would you please take a moment and consider this -- the time it took me to post this note and for you to read it represents two patients somewhere.  One who can give something precious and one who can receive a second chance -- a priceless gift that gives meaning to loss and suffering.   Life is truly good.

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