Campfire

When I used to camp with Andrew, we sat around the fire and shared thoughts and opinions about everything in the world. We talked about family and friends, ancestors and what brought us to the day. We were generally with a group of friends at the campfire sharing what was on our collective minds . Do you remember the season on NCIS when Gibbs was gone for a while and Tony was running the show? He'd call for a "campfire" which was his way of bringing the members of the team together to discuss the situation at hand.

These thoughts caused me to consider tribal councils of old. The elders of the group gathered to discuss issues and history, and to share the collective intelligence of the group with the next generation. Why don't we do this anymore? I don't mean exactly like the early tribal councils, but more like the "campfire" in NCIS. Why do we not gather to share things we know and have learned with the next generation to make their lives easier? As I thought about this, I came back to the family reunions my grandfather's side used to have. They were on the second Saturday in July (I think) and I looked forward to them like I look forward to going to the dentist. Even going to the event with such a mindset, I will tell you I always learned something. Sometimes it was very specific, but often it was just about being a part of something much bigger, a family.

So, in thinking about what I've provided for my children, and now for my grandchildren, I wonder if change caused me to miss some of this. Have I been so busy with the pieces of life that I wasn't good at showing my kids they were part of something bigger, and teaching them the way the universe connects, giving them power to reach out to friends, family, and acquaintances to solve problems or open opportunities? Some groups get this and it has always been part of who they are. But some of us get so busy with the day-to-day, we lose track of that bigger picture.

A week or so ago I was part of a conversation about how we balance work and life. I will tell you without question, I fell into the group thinking if I were home, even if I was working, I was there with my kids. From this perspective, I know I should have left work at work and gone home and rolled on the floor with the kids and told them how much I loved them. If you have an opportunity to change up how you are doing this at present, I would suggest you make every effort.

As for campfires, to circle back, I told you I would catch you up on the teardrop trailer. I'm including pictures so you know what I have created and how very proud I am of it. I know it will look good sitting in a campsite close, but not too close, to a campfire. I've been working on this project for about three years now, and it has been a labor of love.

I began with a Harbor Freight flat trailer.

The build started from there, adding walls and roof. Then I went to work on the rest of the structure.

From there I moved on to the inside and finishing the galley.

Finally, I learned a bunch about working with aluminum - shaping and sealing to ensure the trailer is watertight and will stand up to the unexpected bumps it will take. I also learned a lot about twelve volt direct current power and how to get it to work.

As I approach the end of this project, I am proud and a little surprised at what I have been able to accomplish. I have created a home to be taken with them when they travel, giving J & K more freedom than they had without it. I also caused them to add a larger vehicle to their fleet to be able to take care of pulling the teardrop. I hope I will remember to take pictures to share when they come to pick it up.

Over the next few weeks, I will add windows in the doors and a box to the tongue to hold what is needed for the electrical system. I don't know what else I will add, but I'm so close I can feel it. Also, the timing is perfect as it looks as though there may be another library project in the future and I suggested a way for Sara to make her sewing room work more effectively. She's still thinking about it. We will see.

I hope all is good for you today. Take care of yourself, and your family.

Hibernate

Iowa is fortunate to have four distinct weather seasons. I love this, but I know there are many in the state who would disagree with me. One of the great things about having all the seasons is that about the time you are tired of one, another appears, or as has been the case lately, a taste of the next season shows itself. We've had a nice break from severe winter weather this last week. In fact, the other day when the temperature was in the thirties one of the weather people reminded us that on the same day last year the windchill was fifty-one degrees below zero. What a contrast. It was fun to watch people walk their dogs and play with their children, like a nice Spring or Summer day. A little nice weather takes us a long way toward a much better overall outlook about the world.

As this was going on, I had occasion to be outside the city in rural Iowa which was what made me think about hibernation. As children, we learned about the bear's life cycle and that they spend several months in their dens in a state of hibernation. While this is interesting, as I traveled across the countryside, a completely different definition came to mind. Our row-crop agriculture shuts down at the end of the harvest season and as farmers come out of the field, they still have work to be accomplished.  Equipment is cleaned and serviced before being put away for the winter. But slowly, the work is completed, machine sheds and barns fill up, and doors are pulled closed. The farmstead begins to hibernate. There might still be work to be accomplished over the winter months, but in large part, things are shut up and put away. Then, much as is the case of the bear in the spring, when the time comes, machine sheds and barns open up and the period of waking occurs. I enjoy watching this part of the cycle of the state and when I lived other places; it was part of what I missed.

Another part of the hibernation seen in Iowa in the winter is the farmland itself. Again, as harvest ends, farmers prepare the land for winter. This may include fall tillage or chemical application, but whatever they do, it makes things ready for winter. For me, looking at snow-covered farmland makes me imagine the land is asleep, waiting for spring to wake it to a new season. From other blogs I have posted, you know I love crops in the late summer, moving and shimmering in the breeze, but this season is a close second.

Enough about all of this. You know I love the state and never want to live anywhere else. I just hope you see the beauty I see. My sister is picking up the teardrop sometime this summer. But she announced that she is coming out earlier to look things over and decide what they need as to initial provisions and equipment. She's also coming to spend time with the grand-kids. I just say "yeah" to all of this activity. We'll take the trailer out for a bit of a shakedown run to make sure it pulls right and all the gear works. I tried to convince her that Maine is an awfully long trip for the maiden voyage, and talked to her regarding the idea of shipping the trailer, but she is not to be deterred. She knows they can and will make the trip to take the trailer home. This is exciting as the first vehicle I have ever built is about to launch. Also, it is very exciting as I retrieve a large chunk of my shop. The space will let me make real progress on kitchen cabinets for the house.

In my next blog I'll show you pictures of the trailer and tell you about the challenges in building it. I am excited to show you what I have done and I will be interested in your thoughts. One thing I have yet to do is purchase initial equipment to help J & K out and get them started. Again, I look forward to your thoughts. Have a great weekend.