Skirting the Issue

Well it was anything but leisurely at the Tall Timber Leisure Park this weekend. I was, with the help of brother in-law Dave, able to build the skirting/storage compartment under the hitch of my trailer. Well most of it anyway. I still have to install the door and side the outside with Vinyl siding. You would think that it would be straight forward now wouldn't you but it turned out that each side was a custom build.


The back wall was only 2 feet tall but had to be built completely and sided before it went in because I could not picture myself trying to crawl under the trailer and finish it. (Well, I could picture it and believe me it was not pretty.) Then the side walls which you would think would be similar weren't because one has a door and the other is solid, so the framing is different. And the front was different again. But we got it framed up in Saturday. And my wife and I were able to get it sheeted on Sunday. Next weekend we will finish it if the rains hold off.



W e did manage to keep in mind that it had to be built to be dismantled. And it is modular. Ten screws and the front wall is off. 6 more and the back is off and the trailer is ready to move. The siding will overlap into the corner bead but will not be attached to the end wall so that when the wall is unfastened the siding will slide free.


But my estimating skills are sure out to lunch. I bought a third too much sheeting, (two sheets can go back. And about that much too much 2X4, six of them to go back. I also have an extra 2X2. Oh well money back in my pocket and a good reason to go back to the hardware store. I don't need anything else I just want to go back to the hardware store. (It's a GUY thing.)


Here are some pictures. The before:












And the after: (OK so not quite after. How about the half way after.)












There is sure going to be a big expanse of white. I hope we don't go snow blind when we are lounging by the camp fire. I bet I would have enough room in there to store a good stack of fire wood and keep it real dry. I will have to see how much space is left after the little storage bin, the chairs and the table go in. We will wonder how we lived without it.


This is something that I probably should have done a few years ago before the squirrels found the storage compartment. But It'll be done soon and I can clean out the compartment and things will be good as new. Everyone will be happy and the squirrels, well who cares. as the tree huggers say they were here before we were so they should know how to fend for themselves.


Only one problem with the weekend was that I was so tired Saturday night I missed the excitement. I completely slept through the wildlife tour. A moose came trampling in off the river and marched straight through the park. And I slept through the Fireworks. A couple of newbies to the park, who didn't use the brains God gave an ice cube, had a fire works war and were back in the woods launching fireworks at one another. They must have thought they were in Gaza or something. The RCMP were called to do the peace keeping in Gaza West. The things you miss when you conk out at 9:00

Ready to hang siding...

Randy


PS: Remember a few posts back I mentioned my niece's little girl Jordan well here is a picture of the whole family, big brother Blake, Momma Samantha, Papa Rob, and the tiny one is Jordan.

Summer's Back

Summer's back. And we were up to the trailer for the weekend. I had to plant those 15 trees Perry gave me. And I did manage to find space for them all. Now if it rains they will be off to a grand start. The trailer park is coming back to life. It sure makes a difference when all the lots are full. There were about half the people there last weekend. Not too crowded nice and quiet. I slept like a log and so did Ellen and the dogs. (The snoring from all of us I suspect was just the proof. I wonder if that voilates the quiet time rules?) It is just so relaxing up there.

The river is high and fast right now and brown. It is cleaning out all the gullies all the way back to Saskatchewan Crossing. If there are fish in it they are eating dirt and going on a the Red Deer's version of a Nantucket Sleigh Ride.

We will be back again next weekend. I have a project. Now much as i like to kick back and do nothing when I am up there i have to do this project. I am going to skirt under the hitch part of the trailer all the way back of the front storage compartment. Hopefully when it is done the squirrels will not be able to get in. Someone was feeding them, probably last fall, because the front compartment is loaded with peanuts. So I am walling the little beggars out.

After that I think it is fair game to kill any that do come back. They can go live with the vermin feeders. Isn't it interesting that the "tree huggers" who get upset when you threaten vermin are the same dough heads who feed the blighters. Which fortunately for my side results in them becoming dependent on people who are not there for them through the winter. Result dead vermin.

They also argue that the squirrels were there first and people who don't like them should learn to live with them. But I ask you, where in their evolution did they find peanuts in Alberta before? Nowhere that's where. But as I said feeding them is good for my side. Well hopefully the problem will be solved by the end of the weekend. For me at least. For the squirrels they have new problems.

Still figuring the details on the skirting...

Randy

PS Better bring the camera for before and after photos. Keep your fingers crossed that it doesn't rain on Saturday. (But the trees can drink their fill during the week)

Sick Puppy

We took a little trip on the weekend. The Victoria Day Weekend is the first camping weekend of the year and the first weekend at the trailer for us usually. But this year my mother in law is hosting a family reunion. So we went up to her cabin at Emma Lake and helped her get it in shape by steam cleaning the carpet. Fortunately we did not miss anything because it was wet an dreary all weekend. It even snowed at the lake the night before we arrived.

While we were there Belle ate or drank something that did not agree with her, and she's been a sick puppy ever since. Now being sick is not a problem everyone gets sick, but she needed to be let out every 4 hours. And she is a Beagle and the yard at the cabin is not fenced so you have to take her out on the lead. At 3:00 am, there I was, three nights running, holding the dog while she tried to poop. She felt that she had to go so out we went. The Victoria day weekend is also getting a reputation as a "Party" weekend at the lake. And I'm sure the RCMP would have wondered what kind of party I was up to at that hour clad as I was in a jacket, runners and fruit of the looms holding a dog. Fortunately they (nor anyone else) came by. (Hey it was O-dark Hundred for Pete sakes.) Had anyone come along I think they would have wondered who was the sick puppy.

We got home two days ago and now Belle is on the road to recovery. She was examined by the vet (quite rudely she would say) and given antibiotics and Pepto Bismal to settle her stomach and she slept through the night last night. She is off food for two days and she is not sure she will survive that. What's more she gets to watch the other dog eat when she can't. That is really cruel and unusual punishment. She will be over that at supper time tonight.

It will take a lot more time to clean up what the really sick puppies did. There was a bush party at the lake (well a few actually) and to celebrate the attendees drove around and overturned garbage bins, pulled out traffic signs, smashed things, tore down cabin signs and generally behaved like a bunch of sickos. Why they have to be so destructive is beyond me. It happened up at the lake and it happened in the back country here as well from what the papers say.

What is it about nature than makes people stupid? In Saskatchewan they were not permitting alcohol into the parks to prevent that sort of thing so the rowdies moved out of the park into the private cabin and camping areas. Out here they went into the back country where the rangers did not patrol and left litter debris and destruction (including burned out cars) in the wilderness. Sure it was a long winter and sure the weather wasn't the best last weekend so burn up buddy's car that will make things better. How were those morons raised?

My sick puppy will be better in a day or two. The ignorant jerks that caused the destruction will never get better they will just get more money so they can destroy more. It makes you wonder who the sick puppies really were. And by the way calling them sick puppies just gives dogs a bad name.

Randy

Baby Boom

Last week we had a mini baby boom around here. A friend from work and his wife had a baby girl on Friday and my niece had a baby girl on Sunday. Quang and Paula had Hillary 6 pounds 6 and a half ounces and Sam's little Jordan Danielle came early on a Sunday morning at seven pounds 8 ounces.

Two little girls at the same place (Foothills Hospital) and just about the same time. But how different. Quang is my age his wife of just over 4 years is 26. A 24 year age difference. And now they have a second child. Their first Ted is just about 3. To start a family at this age, he had more moxie than I have. We are old enough to be grand parents and then some. Well its like I told him, it will work out well by the time the kids are out of diapers he will be back in them. He will be in his seventies by the time they are through college.

Now Sam is just about 23, this is her second one too. Her "little" boy Blake is 2 going on three and a going concern. (I call him Hoss after Hoss Cartwright whom he resembles physically and personality wise.) Now her family is complete with "little sister" Jordan. Sam and Rob are just starting out. There kids will be on there own by the time they reach my age.

Those two little girls will have very different lives and to think they came in so much together. It will be a different life, but hopefully one with promise for both of them.

Good luck Hillary and Jordan and all the best in the world to you.

Randy...

Arbor Day

Apparently it was Arbor day recently. You remember arbor day from back when you were in school. Everyone got a tree, went home, planted it and watered it faithfully for a week then let it die. Well my neighbor is a school custodian and he dropped off a bundle of 15 little trees and I will be taking them up an planting them on my RV lot. Up there they will be on their own but they will have lots of large cousins around. But that is not the point of this post.

My point is with all the interest in a green society and ecology why isn't arbor day a big deal any more. Planting trees should be promoted more than it is. I suppose it is a reflection of the time and the instant society we live in. Time was planting a tree and nurturing it through the years until it could stand on its own was important. Now people want instant landscape. They do not have time to work to make the tree grow. It is easier to buy full grown or trees and just stick them in. Then let it take care of itself. People are too busy and they want instant gratification.

Arbor day could be a good example on a couple of fronts. First it would be good for the environment to plant trees. And second it could teach children and people in general the value of patience and persistence. When we were kids Arbor day was a big deal we looked forward to it and I did try to care for my little tree for more than a few days but I think I planted them in the wrong place where they would get scorched by the sun or winter killed or trampled bu that was poor planning. But in this day and age where the environment is foremost in many people's mind It might be time to make a big deal of Arbor day again.

Thanks for the trees Perry. I will give them a good home and maybe in a few years they will be something to see.

Got my spade and my water bucket and I'm off to plant my forest...

Randy