Monday, November 14, 2011


Boxes can be stacked in a number of different configurations and hold a LOT of books.
I bought two sheets of plywood for these boxes. When all was cut up there was one piece left, so I made the little box in the foreground!


notes from last week

There was a chance of snow last night.


We are in Idaho again, and the forecast was for cold in the 20s and a chance for snow. here in the desert cold does not guarantee snow. But tonight it is due to get down to 25 and they are predicting snow again.


I brought Miriam with me on this trip. I won’t get as much work done, but I’ll eat better (It is so easy to snack when alone and not eat real food). Yesterday we got the plywood that will be the center of our work for the week.


There is a list of work that has to be done before we can rent/sell the place. First on the list are book cases for the downstairs bedroom closet. I am also making some book boxes (stackable boxes for book cases) for daughter one.


With the infusion of our furniture into what was already a pretty crowded house, new book cases are in order. Back in the 80’s before we went to BSU full time and then on to Texas, I made a dozen or so of these boxes.


The idea was to fill them with books and the books are ready to move. The problem was that the size I made them (32” long) made them very heavy once filled, but they make great bookcases since they an be stacked so many different ways.


So today, I began cutting wood. I write this in the morning, but since we don’t have internet in the house right now, I’ll post it later in the day. Ahh disjointed technology.



At a rest stop in Oregon.
Note the dusting of snow in the background. Snow is due any time, and while it is possible to pull a trailer in all sorts of nasty weather, it is easier to do it on dry pavement.
I am getting old, I guess!

back in Washington


We are back in Washington State. In Idaho we don’t have internet, so keeping up with a blog is a bit tricky. Sorry about that one.


I pulled our now ancient travel trailer back last trip. We bought it almost 20 years ago. It was quite new then. Miriam had a good job and she paid for it, and lived in it for a year after I returned to Idaho (we would see each other on weekends here and there!).


After Miriam was diagnosed with AD, I gutted the trailer and rebuilt it with the idea that at some point it would provide me a living space. It is a bit small for two people for very long, but I could live there alone with a degree of comfort.


Miriam is starting to have mobility issues, so our lives will continue to evolve. Daughter has a space in her house that was originally set up as a small apartment for us and that will be our next “home” I know.


Meanwhile, I need a bit of studio space, I need a place to go hide. That is more reasons for bringing the trailer up here.


My plan is to build a shelter over the top of the trailer, to close it in tight and thoroughly insulate it so that it will be cool in summer and warmer in winter. That will take a bit, but I’ll make the first steps this week.


Once again we are glad to be here.


About the time we got back to Washington the front brakes on the pickup started making sounds I did not like. After we got the travel trailer in place, son in law looked at the brakes and they were not good. He said he would change the brake pads (disc brake pads are easier to replace than brake shoes) last evening if I would get the parts.


On Sunday evening? Yep. Bought the pads, Sid installed them and we have a pickup again with good brakes. Wow what a son in law.