Hello, from B.C. Canada

[Tango]

Love those Vardos! Please do keep us posted as you build. There are some great research & reference sites online and of course, the book "Rolling Homes", if you can still find it. Best of luck with the buildout and have fun.

[yugogypsy]

Hi Tango,

I have a copy of Rolling Homes, the "Turtles" book by Roger Beck and I just got "The New Gypsy Caravan" http://www.amvardo.com if you want to check that out.

Only problem I have at the moment is that the plans in the Caravan book don't fit my trailer base, being designed for a 4X8 unit and mine is 6ft 6 in X 8+.

My pattern adjuster passed away last year so I'm on my own for this project and doing a lot of thinking about it.

Knitting and thinking, it's been raining a lot here so I'm knitting, thinking, and knitting some more.

Timbuk, when you move out here, bring rain gear and boots, Lake Cowichan gets more rain than we do. It also gets more snow, so be sure to pack your snowshovel!!

Cheers
Lois

[yugogypsy]

A new picture

[yugogypsy]

See Timbuk,

It's a Penny Parker, great mileage because it never moves!!! Grows kale well in that white tub though!

Lois

[yugogypsy]

Hi Gang,

Well we used up the bit of good weather we had on the garden. I did get some stuff cleaned out of Pit Stop and got Rick to have a bonfire so the yard got cleaner.

Pit Stop is all ready for her new door, just have to build a door frame and find a door the right width and length.

We've been doing that in the house too because the bathroom door warped and fell apart (hollow core door)

Tomorrow we get an improvement in power. All these years I've lived here I've put up with 70 amp service, tomorrow it jumps to 200.

Nothing else new. Just wish it would stop raining so I could get more done.

Take Care All
Lois

[yugogypsy]

All is well here, the garden is growing, Pit Stop is being a shed and my Mercedes van is too, this home renovation stuff is the pits.

Still have to get hot water tank installed and shower plumbed in.

Been helping some friends move since I got my van back on the road and got quite a few things given to me that will be useful for my various projects. I'm also baby-sitting a 24 ft Riviera Star sailboat. Would love to buy it if I had more money!

Otherwise, nothing much new.

I hope everyone is doing well

Take Care
Lois

[chev49]

prob raining there as much as on ore coast...

[yugogypsy]

We've had gorgeous weather this week and I went out sailing with my friend that owns the boat I'm baby-sitting. Rick has been gardening and besides sailing I've been helping my friend clean house because he's moving to the Kootenays but will come down to sail and just visit sometimes.

That little boat sure flies along since we got the bottom cleaned, however we did get becalmed at one point and took advantage of the no wind situation to eat lunch.

Then we picked up a BIG gust of wind and the boat leaned and a bunch of stuff in the cabin went flying so I had to clean up when the wind passed us.

Pit Stop is still being a shed for the moment and so is Mercy and my silly old van is having wiper motor trouble.

The joys of owning a vehicle, fix that next I guess and my friend and I are going to do some work on the boat next month, she needs rust retardant on the keel and anti fouling paint

Cheers
Lois

[mightybus]

I feel it would be prudent to buy a geiger counter if I were on the west coast so you will have peace of mind. Iodine tablets and an exit plan. Probably me being persnickety, but that's just the way the world is.

[yugogypsy]

I'm not really religious but if it is God's will that this Island sinks, so be it.

This is my home and for the moment, I don't intend to leave it

Lois

[roach711]

Did I miss something? Are you guys expecting a nuke attack/#10 earthquake up there?

[ol trunt]

Ditto 'Ol Trunt

[yugogypsy]

No, but we've had all sorts of junk from the tsunami in Japan turning up along our West coast.

As far as I know, the end of the world is NOT coming to B.C.!

Lois

[yugogypsy]

Hey Everyone,

I DID clean out Pit Stop once this year---and Rick filled her up with stuff from the house because we're now full on into our renovation project, the bathroom is apart, only have sink and toilet so it's back to the old tin tub and sponge baths until we get the new shower in.

The living room is apart and my bedroom, life gets quite crazy some days.

Still cleaning out extra stuff left behind by ten years of assorted single tenants and the overload of stuff we've had given to us by other people cleaning house.

My old horse was put to sleep just before Christmas and exactly a month later, I found a new horse, her name is Topanga, different kind of horsepower but she can go where a bus can't and she's only 8 years old--will be the last horse I ever need.

Never did fix my "friends" boat, he gave up after I found out the materials to fix it plus the haul out was worth more than the boat, now the marina is hounding him for moorage since I quit paying it. No use paying it if I'm not getting the sailing lessons I was promised!

Feeling like Spring here so I'm going to plant some spinach in the greenhouse tomorrow and get Rick to fix my cold frame.

Pit Stop's planter will have to wait for chard seeds and Mercy is doing great, holding all the garden stuff and she isn't leaking this year because we got a new tarp.

I hope everyone is well,
Take Care All
Lois

[bansil]

Spring? Already?....we just got more ice and snow.....been putting up seeds in the basement planters.....good luck getting renovations done.
And maybe a fire pit so you can look out pitstop and see the glow

To bad on sailing lessons,it"l work out for you

[yugogypsy]

Yup, SPRING--snowdrops blooming, turned some garden soil, not so much frost--definitely Spring.

They don't call the Cowichan Valley The Warmland for nothing

Some of my neighbours have mini palm trees, and NO I am NOT kidding!!

We've got lots of rain forecast, but no snow. We only had snow ONCE this winter.

Come live in the warmland if it gets too cold where you are

Cheers, Lois
PS: Do have another friend who can teach me to sail, bigger boat though.

[yugogypsy]

Well Folks, since my last post, things suddenly took a strange turn and I now have a 24ft sailboat in my yard.

Because I put so much into it I claimed it before the marina could start proceedings to do the abandoned boat and Possessory Lien thing.

Now I have her under lien, and will be doing the repairs, which turned out to be much less extensive than I thought.

Pit Stop is still storing things, I'm STILL getting rid of things, found 2 more boxes when we started cleaning the carport attic

We're building a storage room in the carport and planning to send away another load of scrap, so things are getting cleaner around here.

I'm hoping to get enough cleared out of Pit Stop that I can sit out there and read when the house is too hot.

We may have a new house mate soon who is used to farm life, so another pair of hands will be a big help.

Hope all is well with All of You
Lois

[bansil]

Cool you have a boat now....told you it would work out now the next baby step....driving her...you'll get it done,congrates
Remember 3 steps forward and 2 steps back....is still better than 5 steps back

[westernflyer]

Good job on getting the boat... too many derelict boats already sitting around the island. I bet she'll make an excellent gulf islands cruiser. Hope to see some more progress on 'pit stop'. I have a couple of old 'stationery buses' on site up here in the Parksville area and they have saved my bacon a few times. Hands down the best storage shed there could be.... however they seem to weather much better when they're being lived in, especially in the moist island climate.

[yugogypsy]

She's already circumnavigated Saltspring Island and my plans for her are much the same, maybe take a trip over to Friday Harbour when I get my passport. She's a great little boat, speedy too, she has the same basic design as the Star class Olympic boats.

I plan to do a bit of racing at the local yacht club, including the "Lady Skipper" race, not for my own satisfaction, but in memory of the dear lady who used to own her and love her.

In the meantime she's a great hideout to read a book and a cool spot to hang out when the house is too hot.

I think she's the last big thing I'd better bring home, I have a feeling my neighbours wonder about my taste in lawn ornaments with the boat, the Fleury, Mercy and Pit Stop all taking up space as well as a tiny camper and a 22 ft travel trailer, plus my horse. (aka as the lawnmower)

Cheers
Lois