Still waiting for Godot

Unfortunately, due to commitments, my North American round-robin tour will not begin until mid December, then will likely stay and celebrate Festiva with the family.  So if you want to ride shotgun with me for a leg of the trip or if you just want me to drop in and visit, then now is the time to make reservations (e-mail me, or comment below).  I plan to head to the southern states on the way west and spend much of the winter looking at Native American sites and natural monuments before heading up the west coast as far as Vancouver.  Then a long trek across Canada to Nova Scotia for the summer, and back to New York for the fall season. Since I can only take one passenger at a time it will be important to plan ahead.

Home Base Camp

Often at dawn a doe will quietly make her way up the creek bed.  Other visitors such as raccoon, skunk, squirrels, chipmunk, and feral cats also visit from time to time. The feral cats have taken on the mission of ridding me of songbirds and small rodents but risk being controlled themselves by my equally quiet and deadly blowgun.  Fortunately I don't eat cat.

  

The new home-owner studying for his Bar Exam 

One of Matilda's young family friends planning sabotage

Something you don't run into every day

In the spirit of posting interesting/amusing/bizarre/educational
things that I run into in my travels...this is 'all of the above'.

This 'stuffed' gentleman's job is to guard the hen house.

A little 'bling'

So today I painted a design on both sides of Matilda and also cut out and mounted two boomerangs cut from diamond plate.  I think it looks like a cross between Malibu and Sydney and no one has yet to say the dreaded:"That looks sooo gay Dad."

Learning how to live with a lot less

The first attempt at sewing up an awning of sorts looked a bit goofy, so back to design on that one. (below)

The rest of the pictures show how my 'office' works, and with the hatchback lifted up, how the back bench becomes usable for a number of functions.  

Learning the meaning of 'trickle-charge'

Matilda used up all the battery power two days ago after her extension cord became unpluged.  So with a new voltage gauge installed I hope to at least monitor my available power resources.  Looking forward to putting in an effective solar panel soon to take advantage of the free power.  Apparently trickle chargers are well-named.  It has taken two days just to get the battery up to 10 volts with what looks like a couple of days left to go to get to a respectable 12.  At least the roof does not leak and I can get wifi where I am situated.

Matilda's back in port

Matilda's back in port for a couple of days getting a rain fly and sun shade sewn-up.  She also needs a battery gauge and a little 'bling'.  So far all the design ideas I have come up with have been referred to as "so seventies" (actually, sixties if you want to know).  But I'm still searching for a winning design so your ideas are welcome. Was thinking of boomerangs...

First camping trip to Cedar Point State Park, Cape Vincent, NY, May/June 2012

First real campsite tested Matilda with two days of rain.  Matilda leaked a little inside from a roof seam, but also was drenched from a window left open.  My good friend Scott Mason (below) from Cape Vincent, was my first guest.

First shakedown cruise to Marie Nichual's house. May 2012

Building Matilda in May 2012, in Dexter, New York