Get to work …

With the relief from winter’s snow comes a time to plant, to fence, to split wood for next year, to well, just to get ready.  Robert frost had a few things to say about this too:

I’m going out to clean the pasture spring;
I’ll only stop to rake the leaves away
(And wait to watch the water clear, I may):
I shan’t be gone long. — You come too. 

I’m going out to fetch the little calf
That’s standing by the mother. It’s so young,
It totters when she licks it with her tongue.
I shan’t be gone long. — You come too.

That’s Clancy, the pup-in-charge.

There’s always a ‘peanut gallery’ …

“…she better slow down …”

Oh oh … feeding time …

… don’t get in the way!

Chickens, turkeys, ducks – all eating fresh stuff!  Chopped greens, berries, apples – they eat good things … and produce good things to eat. A few days in the country, down on the farm, changes the way you think.  ”I shan’t be gone long. – You come too.”

The water is low …

The lake is low … I guess they’re keeping it low for the winter runoff to come.  This is a peaceful time though, and the temperature is mild.  It’s going to be a clear evening – time for some steaming hot tea and a good book.

I never get tired of the sunsets …

Cool lake breezes, sunsets without a lot of color, all pointing toward an evening of relaxation.

I really, really never get tired of the sunsets …

Corned beef hash and eggs …

… served up on those cast iron skillets – very hot!  Yum.

And another day in the West!

Yes, work did get done …

It’s sometimes hard to work with a view like this. We certainly enjoyed winter, and were amazed at the glorious beauty of that time of year … but this budding of spring is pretty astounding too!   Will it last … remember, we are in Washington.  Robert Frost noted in “Spring Pools”,

The trees that have it in their pent-up buds
To darken nature and be summer woods -
Let them think twice before they use their powers
To blot out and drink up and sweep away
These flowery waters and these watery flowers
From snow that melted only yesterday.

Early morning at Schweitzer.

That’s a Western Wilderness on the right … also on a test run!  Let’s join them for breakfast!

Hotcakes right off the stove!

Gotta love the cast iron pans … they sit right on a serving board, and ya eat everything HOT! Even the maple syrup sizzles.  Nice.

We whiled the day away, and the weather went from mild and sunny to instant blizzard.  Skiers kept coming though, getting in that last run of the season.

Windy and cold …

Batteries worked well … only worked off of one bank, and no drain. All the snow is gone in the valley below … it was a nice visit to the mountaintop!

It’s time for “Cabin Fever” …

… where families gather at the end of winter …

… to start with breakfast and cinnamon rolls …

… and enjoy time with the North Idaho Trail Blazers.

4×4′s of all types come to climb the mountain, traverse a variety of obstacles, and enjoy the end of winter.

Some like it cold.

It looks like a cliff from inside!

Some climb under their own power …

… and some get a little help from their friends.

A great outing with lots of time to chat and compare rigs.  Lots of time for the kids to play.  Amazing views for all!

Yup … you can see forever.

Time for lunch! Yay – my favorite part!

Keep one eye out for the weather tho – it’s still winter.

On the way back down, the warmth leaves, the clouds come in, and we’re reminded that winter is not yet done.

Starting to get chilly … but a great place for the kids to play. Great place for the adults to play too!

Does it get any better?  Mud trails to climb, snow pack to drive into, fun for all!

Tanks before the wrap …

… and after the wrap.

Then, the winter snow re-appeared … and the winds howled. We continued on the battery project, but no pictures – way too cold to stand around admiring the work!

Originally, the TC was powered by two batteries: two 12V in parallel … one up front (the second battery under the truck hood) and one in the “bed”. Approximately 170AH.  With our additional batteries, we now tote 460+AH. This comes from 5 batteries: the second 12V under the truck hood, two 12V in parallel in the bed, and two 6V golf cart batteries on the other side of the bed. They’re divided into three banks, controlled by Blue Sea marine switches.

Then, the older converter (it was not a converter/charger) was replaced.

The original 1985 converter …

… replace with new converter/charger.

And an additional 12V Blue Sea marine plug added.

We did a couple of trial camp outs, and there’s plenty of power now!  And today, well, the sun is out.  It did snow a little yesterday, but I think spring is here!

Turned some 2×4′s and 2×6′s into something useful.

When all the dust settles, it looks like we’ve got something useful.  Here they are in action.

Well, I can get to the underneath panels, but it’s a tight fit.

A couple of horsees for $18 tax included … wow, $2 left.  They’re not pretty, but they make me feel a little safer.

We’re still in that in-between weather … snow on the ground, water everywhere, but temperatures are up.  Ya gotta work in the early afternoon though, before the wind and clouds come. OK – now it’s time to pull the panels.

… matches and adds working space …

… and it can be extra counter-top to rest things …

… but it could be more functional.  How about a working area to make pasta, roll out stuff, carve things.  Time to talk to Don, an amazing friend and woodworking genius!

Pick out some hardwoods, he says.

We (he) select and cuts padouk, cherry and European beech-wood.  Padouk is a bright red and very tough wood from Africa.  It looks like rosewood, but is stronger – ya see it in guitars a lot.  It will darken as time goes on.  European beech-wood is a short grained wood that resists compression and splitting – and has a contrasting light color.  The choice of cherry adds that beautiful red/brown color.  Well, we have to get them to the same thickness … 3/4 inch.  Well, Don has a tool for that.

A planer … keep feeding it through until you get the thickness you want.

And get the edges evened off …

Yup, there’s a tool for that too.

Then its design time.  After some thought, some drawing, and breakfast, we (he) cuts.

Don has done this many times … an artist in wood.

Fit it together … hmmm.  What d’ya think?

Mark the places for ‘biscuits’ …

… then cut the slots.  The biscuits and glue will hold everything solid through the years.

Biscuits are on the right … fit ‘em in.

Fitted and glued.  Time to clamp them up, and place it in front of the fire to set.

Squeeze ‘em together …

… and clamp ‘em flat.

Then, of course, it’s time for lunch … and to feed the chickens and turkeys.  This is living indeed!

Fresh cabbage is a treat!

I need to remember to pick up some farm fresh eggs!!  Back to work for now, though.

Get the belt sander out and make it smooth …

Then finish it with ever finer sandpaper.

Add the back, trim the edges, and its starting to look really good!

Now this is a board to make pasta on!

Finishing touches to do … rout a ‘drip catch’ around the edge, oil it up … then see how it looks.

Yup … more useful, and pretty too!

More solid as well!

The woods are cherry, padouk, beech.  This was a good Spring project to start with!

The first step is to unload the camper, get it ready for the projects to come.

The tarp is down, the saw horses ready … the TC is off …

Oh, it is a sad day – no camping for a couple of weeks.  But the prospect of getting all those projects done is appealing!  Let’s see, we’ve got ‘em simple to not-so-simple.  Fridge and water heater service; addition of kitchen work-space; undo the panel beneath the holding tanks and add reflectix to the insulation/reseal; affix heating light to the dump valve area (and rewire); check passenger side seals (and reconstruct the ‘under-area’); add battery/update converter; add inverter and 12V outlet; add drawer under sink; add vent to circulate heat to holding tanks; and more!

Gotta clean and wax too!

Might build a couple of extra saw horses to keep everything steady while I crawl around underneath.  OK … let’s get busy!

This is what we’re greeted with in the first evening …

Time to quickly settle in …

… and watch the sun settle in the west.

Then, finally to come inside.

The view out the door …

Peaceful it is … again at Lake Roosevelt, on our own private island.  I don’t know what it is that keeps everyone else away – but we are alone here.  ”The only other sound’s the sweep of easy wind and downy flake.”

As always, great WiFi connection to get some work done.  Then a candlelight dinner of tender BBQ pork chops (from Ernie … courtesy of our local farming friends.  Actually, Ernie is – was – the name of the pig, not the name of our friends), a giant salad, steaming hot tea and a few hands of gin rummy.  Sleep comes easy.

In the morning, those pesky Canadian Geese are up and at ‘em … hundreds of them all talking at once.

Time for a brisk stroll with a cuppa …

… and watch the fog burn off as it drifts away.

Wintery feel, but the look of spring.

Work continues on inside the house …

… and even though the view is stunning, time passes as we pursue those deadlines …

… over countless cups of tea …

… as lunch turns into dinner, and afternoon to evening again.

Work punctuated by forays into the woods.

… and evening falls again.

With the passing of winter comes those most feared words in the English language: “Spring Cleaning”.  When this trip is done, it’ll be time to prep the TC for the next year … clean and prep all the machinery; check all the insulation, seals, connections; start (and hopefully finish) all those TC related projects that are in the queue.  Oh, that winter would last a little longer!!  But the next day brings that “look” of finality to the winter season.

The bright springtime sunshine …

… the snow receding yet further …

… the early afternoon warmth.

Now ya gotta love the look of spring … it’s just the list of projects that come along with it that make us want to linger in the wintertime.  Robert Frost penned these words:

“O, cease to heed the glamour
That blinds your foolish eyes,
Look upward to the glitter
Of stars in God’s clear skies.”

Well, this is the view ahead … down the road of the unexpected.

Let’s go …

Line ‘em up …

The sun is shining and it’s time to hit the Sportsman Cafe and Lounge on Market … breakfast of hearty fare, served hot in huge proportions   Our fearless leader Rich eloquently outlines the upcoming events (trips to Glacier National Park, Grand Coulee, Schweitzer Ski Resort and more) as well as keeping us up-to-date on the health of the North America Truck Campers Owners Association (NATCOA).

Gotta love breakfast …

It looks like the photographer was so interested in the food that he didn’t even get everyone’s  picture.  Mea maxima culpa!!  It says somewhere: “There is nothing better for a person than that he should eat and drink and find enjoyment in his toil.”  We did.

And afterward?  Well, it’s time to check out a new truck, a flatbed mounted TC, and talk about a new Isuzu flatbed being built for a TC.  Yes, it’s another great day!

A fine day for camping (after breakfast, of course)

Well, gotta go – there’s camping to be done.  See ya next time …