The Next Adventure

Finally completed the minivan's removable shades for insulation and privacy. It took a bit of effort over a couple of weeks (on and off). First I traced the shape of the windows using cardboard to create templates. Then cut out pieces of Reflectix, go back into the minivan to fit each piece against the windows and adjust as needed. Could have stopped there, but I wanted to make the shades reversible. Thought about using this pretty fabric that would have matched the walls of the minivan. In the end, I decided to stick with grey-black felt. Boring, but more inconspicuous when parked in a public area: the black facing outward would have looked like dark tint from afar. The felt was glued on to the Reflectix. I tried to sew fabric binding to the edges to give it a finished look but my sewing machine did not like the thickness of the layers. The shades should provide privacy and some insulation. Ran out of steam and materials, so I did not make a piece for the windshield....

The portable potty for my mini camper (still need a name) came last week. This is for when it is too dark/cold/rainy to hike over to the campground restrooms. Pretty nifty item, quite well designed (i.e. it did not break when I sat on it) and sanitary when used with disposable bags and commode pad inserts (coming this weekend). I had to make a tiny modification to the inside lid which was too slippery to pull out. The problem was solved by gluing two small strips of scouring pads to provide traction. As it happened, I had a grey pad that matched the toilet. The unit can act as a stool (no pun intended) when not being used for its intended purpose. I can't imagine sitting on top of the commode at the camping table. It was too obvious sitting out, and there would be no place to hide it in the minivan. A camouflage project was in order. I happened to have some upholstery fabric in my quilt stash, a round seat cushion sitting around, and with a bit of sewing, viola! I now have t...

This is my new used minivan which will soon turn into a campervan! I had been going between a Toyota Sienna and a Honda Odyssey but finally settled on the Chrysler Pacifica. I want to give a shout out to Sean, Marcelo (and Joe and Alex) at EchoPark Automotive in Laurel . Their company has an interesting model for selling used vehicles. Sean and Marcelo are experience guides (not salesmen) who are paid salaries (not commissions). I visited the dealership over two weeks ago, Sean patiently showed me three different minivans, provided a lot of information and together we compared the different features. We also talked about traveling, camping and fishing: there was no sales pitch. He and his colleagues were pretty good at client relationship management! I left with a positive impression, it also helped that their prices are very competitive. After looking at the three different minivans, I decided on a Chrsyler Pacifica because of the stow 'n go seats, and the Limited trim becaus...

Glad I did not have to work today, wait, I don't have to work any day, I'm retired! This is my backyard from the sunroom. The bamboo is starting to droop over the wires which is worrying ... What a contrast to yesterday's mid-60s. Went to the Governor's Bridge Pond to check out the fishing, a lot of tiny bites but nothing to take home. Beautiful views of the lake through bare branches.