Update.

We are down to the last week at home for a while.  The kids have been settling in to the house…and we have been…well….settling out.  The trailer has now been our home for a few weeks–parked in the driveway for the most part.  Systems tested and serviced.  A few last minute preparatory tasks to complete.  …Fixing this, cussing at that…watching bank accounts plummet……you know…the typical RV pre-trip experience.  In a sense, staying in here while parked prior to heading out is almost like the plugs-out test of a spacecraft on the launch pad.

In addition to this, in order to make room for the kids who will be occupying our house while we travel, I had to give up my shop space.  This is perhaps among the most distressful things I have had to do in a while–it hurts, even physically–and not just because I slipped and whacked my knee against the chicken coop while carrying something to the storage shed.  (did I mention cussing?)  My interests and hobbies do not fit in a computer or on an easel…..in fact the tools, books, and equipment involved just barely fit into the room I had them in…nor are they the sorts of things you can just go out and buy easily.  Now, sadly, the room full of possibilities is disassembled…packed in boxes, or stacked in places where they will hopefully be safe until our return so that I can use them again.  Scattered about all over the place really…some under the house, some in the shed, some in our ’65 Dodge out back, some large iron items under tarps on pallets–anywhere we could stuff it all.  The fact is, we really just need a one bedroom apartment….on 5 acres …with a barn, a 30×40 shop, a large garden, and a place to park when we are home.  Oh well, a project for another day.

Hopefully, upon our return, I will be able to set-up-shop again.  I have many projects to work on–in fact, I was just given another project today that fortunately the person says he can wait on until my return (hopefully he really will still be interested when I am back and all set up to do it)…..in short, the summer just got away from me much too quickly this year.

All is not lost, however, as I have begun to set up a small workspace in the back of the toyhauler trailer.  I have a couple of WWII vintage field desks and have selected a few tools and some supplies to go into them so that I can do a little tinkering on small stuff as time permits.  These desks are simply wonderful, one was mistreated with an ugly silver paint job but it is perfectly serviceable and was only 20 bucks, so I am not complaining–they make great portable operating desks for HAM radio, as well as good sturdy little workbenches, etc.  This is also related to the work we will be doing anyway, so it is as much a necessity as it is for my mental well being.  I cannot fit my technical library, hit-and-miss engines, or my neon shop in there and I did not get to finish my portable set up before running out of time (yes, I came up with a way to build a functioning neon plant that would stow in a closet when not in use…I’ll have to complete it in the winter or spring I suppose.)  Luckily on the neon front I did reach out to some others and have a few invitations to come visit their shops around the country and do a little glasswork.  This is always a good opportunity to learn and exchange ideas and I am very much looking forward to it!

In addition to this and a couple of other irons in the fire I will also be actively pursuing opportunities to collect, restore, photograph, and research items and topics for publication here.