In the past week I have neglected the blog more than any other time in the past three years. \u00a0 I find it curious that as we approach our third anniversary “on the road” next week, I have suddenly run out of things to say. \u00a0 It surprises me more than anyone, I think.<\/p>\n
The dry spell is probably because things have changed for us. \u00a0 Without getting into personal details, we are facing a confluence of events that seem to be telling us that our time for full-time travel is coming to an end. \u00a0 It feels like it is not a choice, but an inevitability — which is also a strange feeling, because I am not a fatalist.<\/p>\n
So we are talking and thinking. Why does it feel like the end of this phase? \u00a0 What will our lives look like next year? \u00a0 What do we want to achieve?<\/p>\n
There are some things we know. \u00a0 We know we still enjoy travel and will continue to go on frequent and extended trips with the Airstream. \u00a0 We know we’ll be together. \u00a0 The rest will follow. \u00a0 More on this later.<\/p>\n
The Caravel project is off to a slow start. \u00a0 Work has interfered, and I have yet to find the appropriate wood to match to the oak in the trailer. \u00a0 Modern oak looks different. \u00a0 Fortunately we have some excellent wood specialists in Vermont and I’m sure eventually they will set me up.<\/p>\n
In the meantime I’ve been getting the workspace ready. \u00a0 I have use of a 20×10 tent shelter with electricity, a tarp floor, and all the tools I should need. \u00a0 The cabinets are spread out so that I can see them all, and I have a long work bench in the middle. \u00a0 This weekend I hope to have some time to start sanding the good pieces of wood, and putting a few test coats of polyurethane on them.<\/p>\n
Polyurethane … There’s a smell I had hoped not to detect again anytime soon. \u00a0 In our last house, Eleanor and I urethaned every single piece of door trim, window trim, baseboard, railing, crown molding, plus all the stairs, about a dozen pine doors, and 17 windows — three to four coats each. \u00a0 (We also built most of the trim ourselves.) \u00a0 We earned our Polyurethane merit badges several times over.<\/p>\n
Our new house has no polyurethane in it at all. \u00a0 In the southwest they go in for paint instead, which suits me fine. \u00a0 But I have a 1968 Airstream and the wood needs to be finished with something other than paint, so out comes the poly …<\/p>\n
The good news is that I have recruited some helpful labor. \u00a0 Brett is coming up in early July to lend a hand. \u00a0 (He thinks he’s coming for a visit and some boat rides.) If you read our Vintage Thunder blog in early 2004<\/a> you know what happens when Brett and I get rolling on a project. \u00a0 Progress should be fast, which will be good because on July 9 we’re leaving for the Vintage Trailer Jam.<\/p>\n
![\"lake-champlain-girl-on-island.jpg\"](\"http:\/\/tour.airstreamlife.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/06\/lake-champlain-girl-on-island.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\n