I played in the garden until Raven woke up and showered. We headed for town in my truck, coffee and shopping. The farmers market was nice, mushrooms, spring peas and carrots for a stir fry. Raven wants to get the drain plumbing in ASAP, OK, lets go to Restore. We head for Santa Rosa. I find a bunch of drain plastic parts that should work with more leftover parts at home. A stop around the corner to Harbor Freight to price a solar cell battery charger, $15 or $70. I pick up a set of 1/8″ letter number punches for the vardo VIN. Off to Trader Joe’s, Josie tangerines, bubble water, chocolate for work, some Italian bacon for pasta y fagioli soup, the basics quickly. I need gas so a stop across the street from Garret’s then there to price water valves, hmm, not sure yet. They don’t make a valve to turn off a drain, at least not here, research. We’re both hungry, home, skip Sally’s.
At home Raven asks to help, clean and string the peas as I go raid the garden. Pak choy is ready for a few small leaves and a few of my peas are looking ready, tarragon and thyme. I start a batch of rice 2:1 water rice as Raven has prepped the carrots too. Chop it all fancy with onions, garlic, half the mushrooms and Rocky’s chicken breast. Back off the rice to low then off to sit as I break out the wok. On high fry in olive oil, onions first, mushrooms, add the chicken, garlic (two cloves fine), garden herbs, 5 spice, ginger powder (need to get some fresh), then carrots, pak choy stems, later the spring peas and pak choy leaves. A bit of corn starch with water when the veggies are near lightly done to thicken then off and add a good dose of oyster sauce, maybe more. It’s ready, served in the front vardo shade on the TV table as the back yard grape pump is loud. Ozzie’s bone yard music to drown out the pump. This stuff is excellent, seconds required.
Back to work, I piece together the grey water drain plumbing parts, will need a couple more V compression rings, off to Harry’s for 80 cents. I found the smaller hole saws buried under the wood wheel scraps, 1 1/2″ should do it. The flat fire hose fits perfect over the drain. I just need to find a good valve to hold it back and a hose clamp. I test glued a piece of PVC pipe to the scrap I cut from the tank inlet, it should work for a tight seal.
Raven is painting in black. She cleaned the front tongue of rust with the radial drill brush, sprayed.
We bought new chain a foot and a half and a screw link as we were short yesterday. She painted that to match. I removed the cut link with some difficulty, tried the vice and hammer, ultimately used the bolt cutter.
She painted the new wrought iron shutter hook, masked and painted the front gas bottle rack.
With new chalk she worked on the sign board from last week, a good start.
I took off my truck ball hitch and added the new 2″ hitch. With Raven’s help I backed in and secured the vardo to the truck. We filled and back filled until the vardo is back in the right place. I can move it a bit with my truck, but it is over the safe limit for the road.
Next I’ll need to remove the grey water tanks, hole saw drill for the drain plumbing, glue that in sealed, cut holes for the air vents on top and attach 4 foot 1/2″ hoses up the side of the vardo for air venting. I need to find a 1 1/2″ drain valve in PVC. It’s very cool the fire hose will fit with a hose clamp.
A fine day working on a newly registered road legal vardo. That is so cool, we did it yesterday. Now we just need to get it finally ready as a vending rig, in process. Another fine day.
8shotoflove8 