More Agony....

....with a few little successes thrown in.


First I painted the end-cap. Then I decided the plastic roll-up Tambour cupboard doors needed to be painted too. They had yellowed too much over the years.




So Mom and I masked them off. Then I primed them with Gripper, and painted them with the same color as the end-cap. I had used spray paint on the end-cap but I used a brush on the Tambour roll-up doors.
The one on the left is primed. The one on the right has been primed and painted.





Here's the end results. The picture is deceiving, but they really are the same color as the end-cap.
I still have to mask off and paint the small center section.


Meanwhile back at the ranch (actually it's just a house) I had another leaky sprinkler line. I dug down to it, which was very difficult because there was a maze of grapefruit tree roots lurking down there. In fact that's what caused the problem. A very large root pushed on a Tee in the line, which had a capped off sprinkler head on it, and caused the Tee to separate from the 3/4" PVC pipe. I cut off the Tee and installed a repair, compression coupling. They say 3rd times a charm, well, in this case it was the 6Th or 7Th try to finally get the nifty repair coupling to not leak.
The root was almost as large as the pipe.









I've spent two years in a dilemma over my green tile kitchen counter tops. One day recently I had an epiphany and realized the worse thing about the green tile was my beloved red kitchen accessories. So, I decided to 86 everything red and just go with green and white.

Here's my new green checked window valance. And to add a little spice I have a black coffee maker, tea kettle and toaster. Next is some more painting and new (or slightly used) white appliances.

New Computer

One week after my dog Murphy went to heaven, my computer went to where ever dead computers go. I lost a lot of important stuff like my good Blogger friend's Blog addresses. So, could all of my Blogger friends please send me their Blog addresses?

Thanks!!

The Agony and the Argosy continues...

We hired Jim to do the hard stuff. The new bathroom floor is just about ready to be screwed down. But first I have to clean the rusty metal underneath the new floor, then paint it with rust inhibitor paint.




Meanwhile, Mom and I prep and paint the front PVC end cap that used to be off-white but turned kind of an orange color through the years. Just to the right of Mom's hand you can get an idea of what color it used to be. That little section of off-white has been covered by trim caps.





Here's the little end cap trim pieces. I painted them first, sort of a trial run.



I sprayed on 2 coats of Krylon Fusion paint. The end cap needs one more coat. Then it will be almost perfect. Almost.



Meanwhile back at the house, here's my new guestroom bed. It was almost free. Now I need some new bedding worthy of the new headboard and matching foot board.


Here's Little Annie, napping. She seems to be pretty happy being an only dog. I miss Murphy. Annie likes having me all to herself. It's been almost 20 years since I've been a one-dog dog mom. But Annie and I both agree that a one-dog house at this time is probably a good thing.

Rest in Peace, Murphy

My beloved little Murphy went to heaven today. He will be missed. He was such a sweet little guy. I know he's already found his long time buddy Oliver. I know he's busy taking care of Oliver. I remember several years ago somewhere in Montana when Oliver ran up a hill barking and giving heck to a skunk. Murphy ran up the hill after Oliver, trying to tell little Oliver DANGER!! STOP!! Well, Oliver came out unscathed while Murphy got "skunked" full on, right in the face. I cleaned Murphy up as best I could but two months later I could still smell remnants of the episode.

Murphy had a good, long life. He made it to 14 1/2. He was born in Bakersfield, CA. He came to live with Oliver and me when he was 3 months old. It took him about 10 minutes to convince 5 y/o Oliver that he was alpha dog. But Ollie and I knew better!!

Murhpy was well traveled. He accompanied me to Alaska, Maine, Florida and the Southern border of California and many, many points in between. He hiked part way up Mt. Whitney with me when he was just 1 1/2. He loved lying in the sun and having his ears scratched.

Rest in Peace, Muph!! I miss you!!




A Pet's Prayer
Treat me kindly, my beloved master, for no heart in all the world is more grateful for kindness than the loving heart of me.

Do not break my spirit with a stick, for though I should lick your hand between the blows, your patience and understanding will more quickly teach me the things you would have me do.

Speak to me often, for your voice is the world's sweetest music, as you must know by the fierce wagging of my tail when your footstep falls upon my waiting ear.

When it is cold and wet, please take me inside, for I am now a domesticated animal, no longer used to bitter elements. And I ask no greater glory than the privilege of sitting at your feet beside the hearth. Though had you no home, I would rather follow you through ice and snow than rest upon the softest pillow in the warmest home in all the land, for you are my god and I am your devoted worshiper.

Keep my pan filled with fresh water, for although I should not reproach you were it dry, I cannot tell you when I suffer thirst. Feed me clean food, that I may stay well, to romp and play and do your bidding, to walk by your side, and stand ready, willing and able to protect you with my life should your life be in danger.

And, beloved master, should the great Master see fit to deprive me of my health or sight, do not turn me away from you. Rather, hold me gently in your arms as skilled hands grant me the merciful boon of eternal rest and I will leave you knowing the last breath I drew, my fate was ever safest in your hands.

Written by Beth Norman Harris

New screen on the screen door

This project turned out really well. Mom cut the new screen material and I installed it, with her help. The little spline fit just perfectly into the little slot and the screen came out nice and taut. I didn't slice into the screen material even once. I wish all the Argosy projects went this well.



It's hard to tell, but the new screen is there. The next project is new weather stripping on the screen door and new light fixture installation.

The Agony and the Argosy

I stole the title from someone else, but I like it because it really fits!!


Here's the worst of the worst of the rotted bathroom floor in the little Argosy. I spend sleepless nights trying to figure out what to do about it. Then I remind myself that someone else is going to figure out what to do about it. I just have to figure out how to pay for it.




Occasionally a project comes out really well, like the one below. I removed the screen door grill, took it home and spent two afternoons rubbing and scrubbing and polishing it. It's not perfect but it's 99% better. I had to repair a few broken rivets with tiny little nuts and bolts, and then I riveted the whole thing back in place. Also, I finally got the little white slide thing cut down and filed down just right so it would squeeze into the tiny little grooves and actually slide. Those two projects helped a lot to make up for the many projects that have not turned out so well.


There are at least 4 more projects on the regular door and the screen door before that area is finished with. It seems like every project that is started leads to 4 or 5 more projects, and just as many trips to the hardware store.

I know I'm way behind.......

...but I'm just going to jump to October.

Mom and I set out early one Saturday morning from Sun City and headed to Oklahoma to purchase a 1976 24' Airstream Argosy. It took us two days to get there. After carefully looking over the trailer we decided to take her home with us. She had a lot of issues but nothing that seemed insurmountable. We headed back west around noon on Monday, with the little Argosy in tow. We drove and drove and drove and drove. We spent Monday night at a fairly quiet rest stop somewhere in Texas along HWY. 40. The next day we drove and drove and drove and then spent the second night at a fairly noisy (due to the constant passing and horn blasting of trains) rest stop just west of the NM/AZ border. It started raining sometime during the night. The next morning we drove and drove and drove in pouring rain. The rain finally stopped when we turned south on HWY 17 in Flagstaff. We were on the final leg of our journey. = )

The little Argosy pulled well, weighing way less than half of what my 28' Toy Hauler weighs all loaded up.


I parked in front of my house in Sun City and discovered water dripping down from the underside of the trailer. HMMM!! The whole outside of the trailer is practically smeared with silicone caulking so where could the water have leaked in? I don't know yet, but hopefully I'll figure it out before the next rainy day. **UPDATE-- It just started to rain!!!*** Mom and I have been busy updating the little Argosy. Mom is working on new drapes for the windows and I am tearing out the bathroom. I started out just wanting to put in a new toilet in the rear bathroom. Well, one thing led to another and now I am removing the shower pan, the sink and cabinet and black tank, so I can (or hire someone else to) replace the rotting wood floor across the back wall of the trailer.

This past week I learned how to remove old rivets and install new rivets. And today I bought a jig saw that should come in handy for a few upcoming projects.

I found an invaluable web site which has posts and links to almost anything you ever wanted to know about new, old and Vintage Airstreams - http://www.airforums.com/forums/ (copy and paste if you want to check it out)

Here's my truck all ready for the trip to Oklahoma.


We stopped in Gallup for lunch on our first day.


This is a Visitor's Center in Texas.


After spending Sunday night in Tulsa, bright and early Monday morning we pulled into Wade's RV Clinic.



Here's the crew at Wade's who were most helpful.




Here's the little Argosy all hitched up and ready to head west.






Mom and the little Argosy.



I was happy to find speaker wire hiding behind some plastic covers. I hope to install a radio soon.



This orange ring and black ABS flange were very difficult to remove!!



This is inside the sink cabinet, all rotted out, one of the places the toilet leaked into.





I thought the toilet flange was hard to remove. The shower drain was even harder. I cut into the threads on the ABS pipe coming up from the shower drain pipe. That will have to be replaced. = (


Removal of the shower pan, the black tank and sink and cabinet is next on the agenda.