Saturday, March 24, 2012

Spring Break

I'm sitting on our balcony in Belize listening to the ocean and thought I would post a couple pictures. There will be more to come.
It is the off season here, why I don't know, and everything is very quiet. A few Belikin beers sure do hit the spot.

We are on an island about an hour and a half boat ride from the mainland. There are very few actual vehicles and most everybody uses golf carts and beach cruisers.

Monday, March 12, 2012

Nice Spring Rain

This was the first weekend that truly felt like spring. We hit 70s on Saturday and 60s in the rain on Sunday. Sunday was a nice spring rain pretty constant and light all day.
Saturday we worked outside all day. The grasses in the front and around the berm in back got cut and beds cleaned up.

Sam spent the day raking out the front yard in attempt to grow grass. Last year we stripped the front yard and completely reseeded. Mid-June mold wiped out a third of the front yard so we ended up with dead spots. Sam broke up the hard spots and in the rain Sunday we seeded. It is supposed to be in the 70s all week and we should have some new grass soon.

Here is a current shot of the garden. Not much happening yet, but soon.

Lettuce and spinach are moving right along in the hoop house. Unfortunately I probably put the peas out a little early and a few got frozen. The first of April the rest of the peas are scheduled to be planted and I will have to catch up then. 

All of the garlic is up and looking good. 

And in trailer news, all of the metal frame painting is completed and we ordered the materials start the putting the floor back on.
We have stuff going on every weekend through Easter and trailer work will resume in April.

Monday, March 5, 2012

Better Than Scratch

This weekend was a watershed for the trailer, it started going back together. We demo'd everything back to the frame. This little 1965 Shasta Compact has an Atwood frame with electric brakes that are in great condition. I think the massive amount of dirt and bee hives protected it from too much damage.
Last weekend I sanded the dirt and rust from the frame. When I moved the trailer outside to wash it, well you can clearly see where it was.
 I have restored a few vehicles and my go to rustproofing always in POR 15. It is a system that requires a good cleaning, coating with zinc phosphate, and rust proof coating. The paint bonds to existing rust and cures with moisture. The unfortunate part is that I slopped a little above my gloves and it really sticks. I will be lecturing this week with black spots on my arms.

So, if we are starting from scratch on the trailer we are slightly better than scratch. Everything looks brand new. The bumper and tongue are getting a couple coats of white paint. 
Next comes new framing and floor, should start resembling a trailer soon.