I met Raven in town this morning at Safeway Starbucks for coffee, then to the farmers market. My boss gave me a recipe for fig conserve I want to try so 2 lbs fresh figs, a melon and some lettuce for lunch, lemons for Raven. On the way out was a rose bush loaded with hips, we picked a bunch for Raven. A stop at the hardware store for fine detail brushes and some cauliflower plants for the garden.
Once home I tested a slice of melon, sweet and green inside, yum. water for the roses and plants. Raven continued on the black trim painting.
Then whack. I pulled out the sledge hammer to remove the planks holding the back supports as the vardo is hanging in the air three quarters of a foot up. Whacking on the P side, the big beam support split, not good, Raven go, I used the wonder bar instead, then freed the D side. This is scary, the floor jack is under the vardo, not good, I move it aft so I can get out if it falls over. I pull just a 2×4 from the stack and lower the jack, whump. Across to the other side, I jack it up and remove a 2 by and lower it. The hydraulic jack drops quick, to drop the whole distance would be a bad idea, I work it side to side a little at a time until I get to touch down, whew.
The steps are way tall, but forward is too high, I get out the scissor jack for the car and raise it enough to clear the stack and remove the 2×4 under the crank jack, lowered to level, we’re fully extended on the crank jack (the one welded to the tongue) but without a 2×4 extension. OK.
Hungry, I thaw and recook last weeks pesto burgers with fresh tomato sliced thick from the garden, FM lettuce, a new jar of dill pickle spears dated 7/13/13 (they’re good), wow.
Back to it, the steps are still an inch high. I get out slide ruler set to 1 1/4″ and mark the lower step legs and cut them with the jig saw to the new height, good fit. We can get inside and the door opens again. Raven’s complaining with me inside as the vardo’s rocking while she’s painting detail.
She calls her Mom while I take measurements on the P side aft switch panel. I cut the parts from some mahogany scrap on the table saw, 45 degrees, rubber banded together it’ll fit, I glue 2 corners but leave one side open to slide into place. This works and the wood matches the paneling well, perfect, needs more glue left side.
The running lights still have loose wiring, I break out the multi-tool saw and cut new slots to pack them into. Raven covers the wires with black paint.
Another fine vardo day, we’re close, find the gas leak, counters down, bench down and secured, all secured, weigh and register it, that’ll be a challenge.
8shotoflove8 