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This is the 2nd year hubby and his brother are on this particular deer lease. Last year they had a big awning thing that they covered with huge tarps. I slept out there a time or two and it was very comfortable. Then Hurricane Ike blew through SE Texas and destroyed their camp area, along with several travel trailers in the main camp area. Some of the guys there abandoned their trailers because of the damage.
Hubby and his brother got their hands on two of them. They moved them to our camp area and began to refurbish them this past month. I was gone on vacation when the tear out began but as soon as I got back, I began to take photos of the progress. It helps tremendously that both of these guys are carpenters and have access to leftover materials on job sites. So far, we have very little money in ours.
My brother in law has been working more in the field getting ready for the season, so not much has been done to his at this point. He's supposed to be working on it this weekend.
Our camp is separate from the rest of the lease. The other guys like to stay up late and drink beer as they tell "deer lies". Hubby and his brother are more serious about hunting and like their peace and quiet to sleep in. We've got a new member that the guys work with that is more of a "mudder" (there's lots of places to 4 wheel out there too) than a hunter. He will be in our camp. He's going to put in a well so we have running water. That will be a big improvement on the camp area.
This is a Work in Progress and I'll update the slide show as more work is done. Hubby and I are going to stay in ours this weekend. They still look hideous from the outside, but we're taking some bleach and comet with us to try and get ours a little more respectable looking on the outside.
How right you are about me being blessed. I know it only too well. :-)
Many years ago (1974) my Mom and Dad madeover a big old 1958 church bus that sat there and was so covered with grafitti that my Mom wouldn't even let my Dad bring it home until it was painted. We called it Old Ugly.
I was still in High School and really didn't appreciate at the time the adventure of the project. Oh how I wish there were photos of the old thing when he got ahold of it. I think my Dad paid $25 for the bus. He had a buddy at the body shop paint it for him. Then he bought an 2 year old Argosy (like Airstream) trailer that had gone head over end for $1500. He removed the "stuff" - AC unit, stove, fridge, showers, etc. and put them into the bus. He sold the chassis of the trailer for $500. Between him and my Mom, it was a really cool motor home. Mom did the upholstery work and recycled fabric from a sofa and loveseat that had been in our living room. She also made all of the curtains, etc.
The year I graduated from High School, right afterward, my parents left San Antonio and headed to Virginia in that old bus. From there they went up to Niagra Falls. They had a little truck that they towed along behind it. My Dad said the only problem they had was that the windshield wipers didn't work on Old Ugly. He also said they got about a cup full of rain the entire trip. Talk about blessed people! HAHAHA
Anyhow, I've thought about Old Ugly many times in the past few weeks that we've been working on this. I never did go camping with them in it, but watched my Dad do his thing, transforming a monstrosity into a cool thing.
I just returned from Virginia, visiting with my Mom for a month. That old propane stove that was in Old Ugly is still in use in the old family home that they bought in the 1980's.
Daddy is no longer with us... so this post is in honor of him. He would love the adventure that Rick and Robbin and I have taken on.
Janet, I love that memory you have of your parents. Where in Virginia did you go? I live close to the VA line and I'm going to cry if you were close and I didn't know it.
Faye
I was in Bentonville. It's between Front Royal and Luray.
I spent the whole month with my Mom, just gallivanting around that vicinity, looking at and taking photos of the old family homesteads. Mostly though we just enjoyed each others company with no real plans. It was the most relaxing time I've had in many many years. The most time I've spent with my Mom in over 30 years. A time I will treasure the rest of my life. We went to a family reunion together and I got to meet cousins I had only heard about.
Janet! I have enjoyed your pics of the progress of your camper and the renovation of your home.
Also, so happy for you that you got to spend a month with your Mom. What a gift that was for both of you!!
Great Stories... Thanks for sharing!!!
I'm glad you all have enjoyed the slide shows. We just returned from spending the weekend at the lease. Basically, we "moved in"! I've downloaded the photos and am (even as I type) working updating on the slide show with photos from the inside and outside of the trailers. Robbin got a lot of work done on his too.
We spent most of the morning yesterday in the "field" working on clearing out brush at the newest blind, putting in a game camera and moving a feeder to that same location.
We ate fantastic meals all weekend long and all in all, I can't think of a thing we forgot. I did mess up and bring the wrong air mattress, so we ended up sleeping a bit weird, but otherwise, we're just as pleased as we can be. Now if we can get the outside looking decent...
I'll post another message when the show is ready to be viewed, along with a new starting place, so you don't have to watch the whole show again. I hope that works.
OK, I tested it and it worked for me. If you go to the link and then double click it, Then click on Start Slide Show, it should pick up where we left off last week.
Well folks, we've had several weeks to work on the trailer. We've stayed out there most weekends and had fun repairing more stuff, adding electrical and generally just doing stuff to make it more comfortable and convenient. I've been taking photos as we went along.
In addition to this project, we've built 2 blinds. The second blind is something my husband has been dreaming about for years. We call it the OctoBlind. He did the construction and has given me free reign on the painting. Though I'm no painting artist, I've had a blast trying to make this blind disappear. Each day I get closer to my goal. I'm giving it a 3-D paint job. http://www.uniquetreasures.phanfare.com/4315012#imageID=7992...
I've been a hunting "widow" for many years and am finally enjoying working side by side with my husband to get ready for the upcoming season. I've had a great time and look forward to sitting in our blinds, taking photos. Just "getting away" is such a change of pace for me. I'm all about the comforts of home though, and don't tell hubby I said this, but he is too. He keeps telling me, "Do we really need THAT?" Then when it gets there, he'll ask me for it! HAHAHAHA
Thanks Nanaka. He loves it too. We talked tonight about actually writing up the plans for it and selling the plans on the internet. I've never done anything like that before, but it's a one of a kind and I think with the slide show to go along with it, that ought to be worth something. :-) I'm always looking for ways to make money without leaving home to do it. HAHAHA
Today I got two different sizes of PVC for him to use as slides for windows. We haven't got the glass (or Plexiglas) yet, but we're ready when we do. That's one of my jobs for tomorrow is to hunt down the glass to see how much it will cost. One PVC will slide into the other. One PVC will be mounted along the wall frame and the other will slide up and down inside of that. We still have to build the floor and the stand to mount it on, but we're both very pleased with the progress so far. It will probably be Monday before we can work on it again. We're going to the lease tomorrow afternoon and won't be back until Sunday.
Wow Janet! That blind is awesome! We are in the process of building new shooting houses for this season too. I showed your pics to my husband and he was bowled over. He wants to know how your DH can be so still?! I'm not sure that my squirming bunch of boys have the discipline required. Ha. You should DEFINITELY sell your plans and maybe even build a few extra to sell? Juanita
