tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-68873622138943116412024-02-22T08:33:45.118-08:00Nick's Garage BlogAnother step into social networking for someone who isn't very social.<br>At least it still limits actual human contact.NicksGaragehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10919811551643291390noreply@blogger.comBlogger29125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6887362213894311641.post-42466766469805701902013-02-28T15:55:00.000-08:002013-03-04T07:41:29.974-08:00One Thing Leads to Another - A Bicycle StoryHave you ever tried to save money by doing one thing and end up spending more than you would have if you'd just done what you should have done in the first place? Well that's the story of my life. I always think I can't afford something but I can do something cheaper that will be almost as good. Generally it ends up costing as much or more as what I wanted in the first place.<br />
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I've had an off and on history with bicycles since I was a kid. I remember that my oldest brother had a cool bike with a stick shift that we weren't allowed to touch. Don't know if it was a Schwinn Stingray or some other brand, or maybe I imagined the whole thing. I do know that my dad used to buy bicycles at the police auction to fix up. My first memory of actually riding a bike was being pushed down a hill by one of my brothers at the church yard. Kind of like teaching someone to swim by pushing them into the water. I don't remember how that worked out but it must have worked and I didn't have any broken bones. After that, I don't remember riding bikes much until we moved to Pine Valley in 1972. There we had miles of roads with little to no traffic and lots of space to explore. Then one time we were jumping off a homemade ramp and I crashed and hit my head on the pavement (which might explain a lot today). I don't remember riding so much after that. Our friend that lived up the street did the same thing but ended up in the hospital and permanently disabled.<br />
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My next memory of bike riding came in 1978 when I got a job at Christmas working at Toys-R-Us selling of all things, bicycles. Seems you didn't need to know anything about them, you just had to be tall enough to get them off the racks. I basically handled anything too big to put on a shelf. I bought a 10 speed bike when I worked there. I rode that bike for a while and at some point my brother John got it and used to ride it to work. One time I asked about the bike and he said that at some point he had gotten a flat tire and chained the bike to something and never went back to get it.<br />
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My next bicycle encounter came along in 1994. In 1992 I got an office job and started putting on excess weight from sitting around and all the food available in an office environment at the time, especially all the birthday cakes. The office was in the middle of a wooded park-like property with walking trails and many coworkers would walk on their breaks. I started doing that and would walk the 1-mile route twice a day. That started making a difference and I started dropping pounds. A couple months into it, I started walking around a local lake after work which was an additional 6 miles. Unfortunately I developed a problem with my feet and had to cut back the walking and this is when my next bicycle came into the picture. I checked around and went to a local bicycle shop to look for a mountain/road bike. I wanted something comfortable and versatile. I bought a Specialized Hard Rock that had a special large frame for tall riders. I rode that around the lake every day (except for heavy rain days which there weren't many in that period) for 6 months. I would go around 4 times each day. In the end, I lost 80 pounds in 9 months.<br />
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Anyway, life changes and I gradually rode less and less. Still have the office job (less the birthday cake bonanza) and the weight slowly came back on. Every couple years I'd get the old mountain bike out and try to get back to riding. I tried the gym too but not my thing and couldn't stick to it. <br />
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<strong>I know, I know, get to the point! It's coming, I promise...</strong><br />
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So fast forward to now, if you're still actually reading this drivel. For the past 10 years or so I've been camping with my <a href="http://www.kenskill.com/">1947 Ken-Skill teardrop trailer</a>. Mostly at teardrop and vintage trailer rallies. At some of these rallies there would be more bicycles than trailers. I thought about taking my mountain bike but didn't really have a way to haul it with the trailer. Plus people were mostly riding cool beach cruisers. Especially at Pismo and Buellton. The Buellton meet even has a morning pajama ride that looked to be fun. At the last Buellton meet I saw one of the coolest bicycles I'd ever seen. It was a <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/f9oDck67q45IVaxxVRd6GNMTjNZETYmyPJy0liipFm0?feat=directlink">Felt Chief</a>. Red bike with gold lettering and big fat cream colored tires. <br />
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When I got home from the campout, I decided I was going to find me a cool cruiser to bring to the next event. First thing I looked for was the Felt Chief. Turns out it was an $500+ bicycle that was no longer in production. Also because of my height it was probably too small. Same problem with vintage cruisers or those sold at local stores. After more searching I found several styles that work for taller riders but most of these bikes were fairly expensive new. One of the ones that I found that was really cool was the <a href="http://www.project346.nl/">Project 346 Basman</a>, but they started at over $1000 and being a Dutch bike, are fairly rare in the U.S. This bike is long and the pedals are further forward than normal. Most bikes have the pedals at the bottom of the seat post. So now that became the dream bike but I had to look for something I could actually afford.<br />
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I started looking on Craigslist for used bikes hoping I'd find a cheap Basman. Basically I couldn't find any at all at any price. But in November I did find a bike that might work. This bike is called a Sixthreezero In The Barrel (where do they come up with this stuff?). This bike is like a regular cruiser but with a longer frame and the pedals moved forward about 6 inches. It also had a 3 speed rear axle. I got an OK deal on it but knew I would want to customize it. This is where the concept of buying something cheap to save money falls apart. Bicycles can be money pits just like old cars. I signed up for a forum called <a href="http://www.ratrodbikes.com/forum/">Rat Rod Bikes</a> because the members there have so many cool bikes and cool ideas, I figured I could learn something and get some ideas for my own bike. I also joined a second forum called <a href="http://forum.slownlow.com/">The Scrapers Forum</a>. Soon I had changed the fork, handlebars, tires, seat, handlebars, tires again, added a rear fender and a motorcycle headlight converted to LEDs and some other small stuff. So now I could have bought that Felt Chief for what I spent after all. Oh well, the bike is fun to ride and I like it.<br />
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Before:<br />
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<tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/oZFfZtpREOivlU3WlVypSNMTjNZETYmyPJy0liipFm0?feat=embedwebsite"><img height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8ocbp_wtO6g-oNd-37nnKSmKVqKaGK7mHtyQNLV-4zisqbp3AquX60ANzs8123KnnAXDghbvWFK5b_-nrzVyNn2jAPVWPXgKICMTFGZSS1q9sUpYdoF9VvlSPPlFaNHh7W1WQhcJhiFZP/s400/630_00.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td style="font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: right;">From <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/100783584601864881631/SixthreezeroInTheBarrel?authuser=0&feat=embedwebsite">Sixthreezero In The Barrel</a></td></tr>
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After:<br />
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<tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/jOuhYiHTXV6UYvFDL2kZPNMTjNZETYmyPJy0liipFm0?feat=embedwebsite"><img height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyeUxUCR31GGsqOd2O_tK5nWcq7jy6St7FFcGiK_Uuzn6IaFx3b4PYo76P0s9qEJLX8vPhV0k8HiQ5USoHJxPoC-27hCzjfDhau9Xt2C-wS9ucUHEB3n6xooZ7RB0hpZGtgCw6GlmNWyGc/s400/630_056.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td style="font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: right;">From <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/100783584601864881631/SixthreezeroInTheBarrel?authuser=0&feat=embedwebsite">Sixthreezero In The Barrel</a></td></tr>
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I kept looking at bikes on Craigslist just in case something interesting came up. One day I found an interesting stretch cruiser at a great price. A stretch cruiser is a different style where the frame is extra long and the lines are exaggerated. The pedals are really far forward so you can sit lower. This one was a 2005 American Flyer Coupe Deluxe and 7 feet long. Wouldn't fit well on my bike rack but I got it home. I actually got it before I finished the first one so it sat around for a while. I figured if I didn't like it I could always resell it. But it turns out it's actually really fun to ride and comfortable. So again I started changing things. I ended up changing the forks (twice), seat, fenders, tires, wheels, tires again, kickstand, chain, handlebars and again added a motorcycle headlight converted to LEDs.
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Before:<br />
<table style="width: auto;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/uMwm08unCe6-6w3vhFoRxtMTjNZETYmyPJy0liipFm0?feat=embedwebsite"><img height="305" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj541-eNBO9VQlotji58DVL-u2KRFG2OGTMEPC0Az5AUBf1QAIhRYyMLiE6NRlh4fbMIdxcmiBFJP7qp_jT8_Kqx8EGLLDMz0tVxEuCW0O8nf65t0UN9wG5sKdBYtwsKxTA0zLtHnUrWxD/s400/af_01.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td style="font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: right;">From <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/100783584601864881631/AmericanFlyerCoupeDeluxe?authuser=0&feat=embedwebsite">American Flyer Coupe Deluxe</a></td></tr>
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After:<br />
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<tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/zqNi8TOeAhSGptUHeoY8G9MTjNZETYmyPJy0liipFm0?feat=embedwebsite"><img height="251" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2OKPCFRDnhTxf2nv1hf3sFBvQEqRX0QUJhIWf7jSycPmdacKbn2r0wJjEmaig9krBu-i9_JqSRb-lPd9G-eZve5ZjQHkVZ42W6y0fACAnd37U5wZiGZi_RTvg0S9AnYny17ZFKFVeK2vM/s400/af_047.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td style="font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: right;">From <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/100783584601864881631/AmericanFlyerCoupeDeluxe?authuser=0&feat=embedwebsite">American Flyer Coupe Deluxe</a></td></tr>
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Ok, so now I have two nice bikes customized to my taste and still spent less than my dream Basman, but I might have been able to buy something else nice already done. I also now have a supply of extra wheels, tires, handlebars, seats and other stuff. Oh, and a cheap Huffy bike I bought to get the wheels for the American Flyer. Oops I forgot the new bike rack I had to buy because the stretch wouldn't fit on my old one. I think I stopped counting. I need to sell the Huffy and some of the extra parts so maybe I'll get a few bucks back. At least I'm now ready to go cruising at the next trailer meet and also have been riding around the neighborhood as well as down at the beach. So you think I'd be all set and no longer need to look at bikes for sale, right? Well...
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Every time I'd see someone on the forum post a picture of a Basman or I'd look at the collection of pictures of them that I saved off the net, I'd get the itch to look for one again. There has been one for sale in L.A. for a long time but it was the shorter model they made and I really wanted the longer one. Last Friday I was on the bike forum during my lunch break and plugged in my usual Craigslist Basman search. The L.A. one came up again but there was a new add for one in Orange County. The ad was confusing because the description said they had the short model but they had pictures of both styles. And they had a great price listed. So I sent them an e-mail and found out it was bicycle shop selling it. She sent me pictures of the actual bike and it turns out it was the long model afterall. <br />
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Now I'm thinking I shouldn't be spending money on another bike since I already have two but I started thinking that if I got it and didn't like it, I could at least get my money back out of it. After a couple phone calls the deal was done and the bike was mine. Just had to drive 100 miles the next day to pick it up.
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<table style="width: auto;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/ZQstpqC_YCJtdL7rP1CpOtMTjNZETYmyPJy0liipFm0?feat=embedwebsite"><img height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu0njNvxj0ZuckgeXtGfwDig_eR1-EddoQBJlM8O7x3B9ZKROAb8r19_Qfx0kfq5C9seKK2nBN_o7qybVx3p3sGPnwbWaV6dYoPEldSljyGyE_VcHBFjvF20zE8q7ECgjoGiHbMKcRXlyJ/s400/basman010.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td style="font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: right;">From <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/100783584601864881631/Project346Basman?authuser=0&feat=embedwebsite">Project 346 Basman</a></td></tr>
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I picked it up on Saturday and on the way home stopped in Oceanside for a ride along the beach (picture above). Then headed south for home and stopped at my normal riding spot at the Mission Beach boardwalk in San Diego. Great riding bike and hopefully I won't go crazy customizing it. Not going to change much but I will be adding a motorcycle headlight to it before too long. And I need to decide if (and where) I'm going to keep 3 bikes. They're in the living room now. The mountain bike is hanging in the garage. Also need to decide which bike to take to which campout. I can probably only take one even though I have the van now.
Oh and I need to find some funny pajamas for the pajama ride in September.<br />
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If you read all of this, I congratulate you on having so much free time available.<br />
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<img height="255" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6zbEEzogIQI21VZQSwdIauXchIoiqH1Ql_8w2KUZIS7gAb0Tsu-L5Q2Q4hWCjsml6ad6hHkETHyXfmUth7Io5UEem2E-E91b0PCRDnKtn7h96UpQdU60CYG_yx1Z7LsKTXmaZ5u5TppXu/s400/bikes002.jpg" width="400" />NicksGaragehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10919811551643291390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6887362213894311641.post-33635406243837846382012-09-18T12:34:00.002-07:002012-09-18T18:18:29.645-07:00Buellton Vintage Trailer Bash 2012<table style="width: auto;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/fwwdfL44Cg-VP99BcH1iT9MTjNZETYmyPJy0liipFm0?feat=embedwebsite"><img height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPk2dGdyuDOPioMgoQLjAlNsoTZ0LOyq3f7zY_hECINW3cZ7BdeJpU9bGDDM6z8-CN_4qZ1_H-ayiSRwbi0G-_AM25SIn181hihYK8MLIbWT5NbGDP3K585qqkQrOKdaKwio9YNsmA4GS4/s400/IMAG0212.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td style="font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: right;">From <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/100783584601864881631/BuelltonVintageTrailerBash2012?authuser=0&feat=embedwebsite">Buellton Vintage Trailer Bash 2012</a></td></tr>
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Another fun weekend camping with old trailers. This time in Buellton California which is just north of Santa Barbara. This was the first time towing with <a href="http://www.nicksgarage.com/95tandc.htm">my new tow vehicle</a>, which worked out great. Click on one of the photos here to see more. And you can see quite a few on the <a href="http://www.facebook.com/NicksGarage#!/groups/212541212164524/">Vintage Trailer Bash Facebook page (requires Facebook account).</a>
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<table style="width: auto;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/-AZGXi-1CCxNfCNu_QSErdMTjNZETYmyPJy0liipFm0?feat=embedwebsite"><img height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirLdT6nChzKhk4nnQNqIacJtbV4TF5Yg7f11ekvpyhTLgqD3G5m2z3POqCflFe2fso5WMYDZqmUUmRb14xx7bGNvu6LjPA3Lr07dwP8WJYW9aZOXADx2MRnms6fFH2af1SfOxWkkgB2gIK/s400/P1040728.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td style="font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: right;">From <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/100783584601864881631/BuelltonVintageTrailerBash2012?authuser=0&feat=embedwebsite">Buellton Vintage Trailer Bash 2012</a></td></tr>
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NicksGaragehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10919811551643291390noreply@blogger.com0Buellton, CA, USA34.613597 -120.192650534.600529 -120.2123915 34.626664999999996 -120.1729095tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6887362213894311641.post-5617145812373097462012-05-08T20:56:00.000-07:002012-05-08T20:59:17.460-07:00Why free water isn't cheap.<div align=center>
<table style="width:auto;"><tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/5T62EmiwZMftyWChbx1JFtMTjNZETYmyPJy0liipFm0?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyDOoFnY7zCxklCGjZCRLp_Lefcy7CWVb2IrUteNUFjC1WyNK48RBX_MEMIolW7Tm5u70HqyCjQy8yE0gRxQWIa45ofQmpfCI1vkrkgoGgseyaJEqKGFX4iQ8pStyeJnKwek4_9ZFmY9CO/s400/rain01.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/100783584601864881631/RainBarrels?authuser=0&feat=embedwebsite">Rain Barrels</a></td></tr></table>
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<p>For many years I've been growing orchids and other plants as a hobby. Over the years I've killed many plants for various reasons but one of the worst reasons is that city water is bad for some plants. Now some plants really don't care and do quite well but the minerals and chemicals in city water can be very harsh for delicate plants like orchids and eventually can kill them. In some cases you will quickly kill some species by just watering them a few times with city water. A lot of people will use distilled water or reverse osmosis water systems just so they can grow those types.</p>
<p>Another thing about city water is that it's expensive and not getting cheaper. Also in San Diego where I live, the more water you use for any reason increases your sewer bill. So as a single person with a garden, I'm paying sewer rates as high as a family with no garden. So for many years I've thought about collecting rainwater to water my plants. Rainwater is naturally clean and free from harmful chemicals and minerals. San Diego is basically a coastal desert that has been turned green with irrigation. We get a good amount of rain but almost all of it comes during winter and then it can be dry for many months. We can go all summer without a rain storm of any consequence. This means that collecting rainwater is not a very common thing here. You kind of think about it when it's raining but then you think it won't rain for a long time so is it really going to work?</p>
<p>So you think you would just stick some barrels out in the yard and point the downspout at them. Well it can be that simple but and that is fine for pouring water on trees or lawns but not what I needed to water my orchids. I did a lot or research online into what people were doing for rain collection and also looked at various commercial products available. As it turns out, it's not cheap to collect free water. I decided I was going to try and do as much of the design myself.</p>
<p><strong>The first flush is very important.</strong></p>
<p>One of the first things you learn about rain harvesting is that the surface you're collecting the rain from is very important. In my case, I'm collecting the rain from the roof of a room addition on the back of my house. This roof is only about 240 square feet. As you can imagine a roof gets dirty between rain storms. So when it first starts raining, you don't want to collect that water as it will have dirt and contaminants that can undo what you're trying to accomplish. Because of this, you need to install some sort of diverter to let the first amount of water bypass your rain barrels.</p>
<p>There are multiple ways to do this. The simplest system is a manual bypass in your downspout that just diverts the dirty water past your barrels. Once it has rained for a while, you switch it over so the water goes into the barrels. Beyond that, there are many systems that have been devised to automatically perform this task. I was originally going to use a design that has a pipe that the first water goes into and there is a ball that floats up and then causes the water to be diverted to the barrels. After adding up how much it was going to cost to put this together, I decided to use a commercial diverter made in Australia called the <a href="http://www.rainharvest.com/rain-harvesting-pty-ddcr99-clean-rain-ultra-downspout-filter-and-diverter.asp">Clean Rain Ultra</a>. This system works pretty well.</p>
<p>The next important part is the barrels. Again there are a lot of choices. I decided I wanted to use recycled barrels since they are readily available and reasonably priced. After doing a lot of research, I settled on some 50 gallon terra cotta colored plastic food grade barrels. I found <a href="http://www.sddrums.com">San Diego Drums & Totes</a> through a craigslist ad. They have various types of barrels. You have to stay away from white barrels to avoid algae problems. Originally I bought two barrels to get my system going and then decided to expand to six. Or course when I went back to get more, the ones they had were different from the first ones. So in the end, I bought six new ones so that they would all match and work together. The first two will be added on later.</p>
<p>As you can see in the pictures, I've lined up the barrels behind my lath house so that they'll be close to the plants. I ran piping below ground to get the water from the house to the barrels. I also connected the downspout into the yard drain so that the first flush water goes there instead of onto the ground. I had to install a new gutter on the house as well and added screens on top to keep large debris out. I first started my system in January and finished it in the middle of March. Since the middle of January, I've only watered my Orchids and other potted plants with rain water. So far I haven't killed anything and the plants are doing well. So far I'm very happy with how it's going. I may expand the system to collect rain from the main house roof so that I can do all my landscape watering without city water. Below is a video showing how the system works and additional pictures.</p>
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<iframe width="420" height="243" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/z59TxkcxNk8" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
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<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/XR00YxqbFs8CzAdzMRzSqdMTjNZETYmyPJy0liipFm0?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYIEImkutTlNa8Oq5igel0TpCaNe3Q4v4CbIsfhhPIE_atcAOOv_mUaGAbtgXDcidetyIUcTMTPJcV148-m3nLhnoqlmb5F-8dZdiSWzNbuP-5DgPFMxN9tbXOit6qskDXN94lTmt7jhF6/s144/rain05.jpg" height="144" width="108" /></a>
<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/UV6c2xF-IgNAS7yWt02MwNMTjNZETYmyPJy0liipFm0?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib3rzJNJ_acuAtc-LgG9C16yVvKOZ2MXpXwA0mcRGJ0QrYopvIuGUQFsACrNEWi1Q2IQhEYT-kCwFeEHPt7LdxFgwff_PQrV5sVP13ItWJ7HSQGHQTNummB2TRtEPccRiI363Qk_4O-ri4/s144/rain06.jpg" height="144" width="108" /></a>
<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/EfAtyaaqMMmZg7H_3P9redMTjNZETYmyPJy0liipFm0?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUHfBKCg5E9p410eX2xd8yaNi9jUkt7GynNen3_41aV20o-gD0Lmm75ua7zl75cyqHqY5bsevO1_TRtSIJcIUnZ42aBfZ2fL62dsB8JKGQqWFCUWtCt1TVbWJ_6wj1nXmp2Pn6TG7hVXn0/s144/rain07.jpg" height="144" width="108" /></a>
<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/wDa_eHAkZvLWajNpj0Aag9MTjNZETYmyPJy0liipFm0?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjROtGSgMkEso8r4QiNtDiiB8atXV9Ht-3dpUa25Bspqy8pVitnzAbrng2qsQ4QD2xb4q1u7iU7vIx9gqxy3edyLkgh121GIUjwjrn-PklGAcjb3ch8At-IRpkaS7DBW056lrTGMYEEExfO/s144/rain08.jpg" height="108" width="144" /></a>
<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/Ns1mEOoLPOSLxTx28j9ZctMTjNZETYmyPJy0liipFm0?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitpRc7sSTZub6kOFN_Sbhu_exfeZCiA7bDCZ0-pBCkifbkHos95VaNHo3W6ScDfdCSMv2v0JUV9GCv9WN94PqR03-Bm28s4qVhaQHBmEVHUJSbhGpuwyKWeVOk0nXnvmxlL_ZNWyEgL7MC/s144/rain02.jpg" height="144" width="108" /></a>
<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/WWFxNr_T9hm0Get0FxUqrtMTjNZETYmyPJy0liipFm0?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWH5kMq87iz_ffemm_NDdID6W1HTxUY3e3kOWNIm9C3xAcrCK3wB8kI0d5kTTUSqXa0sqqiTPo8H0JVAGPgLb2FLUrF175BZCSE49Wfe2pfdk5vvZv1uDzAd0nNexPMlQHDyR-NyALgprf/s144/rain03.jpg" height="144" width="108" /></a>
<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/RjfBSsKVTY2KgPfkgiYSmdMTjNZETYmyPJy0liipFm0?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUc2UyUn0gXTWowBD9ghLvLlr537KcLFHkfVJbnJIHKPwrXtSqjDnodGDP2Y1cPED_KCr9ppYiIajd97fZYcVe8zu0m6FcpoeXi_k5wzepR331dFKQgi1WG2gX4AkJo5Mi3TWxrseQ14Ds/s144/rain04.jpg" height="144" width="108" /></a>
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<p><strong>A note about rebates.</strong></p>
<p>As I was working on my system, I found out that the City of San Diego has a <a href="http://www.sandiego.gov/water/conservation/resrainwaterharvesting.shtml">Rain Harvesting Rebate Program</a>. I thought great, this will help me offset the cost of my system. Well it turns out there is a slight hitch. Homemade rain barrels are not eligible. That's not to say that you can't use recycled barrels, they just have to be sold by business that has converted them into rain barrels. Basically if you pay someone else to drill a hole in the bottom, they qualify. I appealed to the city and they didn't seem to care. But if you want to buy commercial rain barrels in San Diego, please do take advantage of the rebate. At least it will help someone. For me, the rebate doesn't bring down the cost of barrels cheaper than what I paid.NicksGaragehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10919811551643291390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6887362213894311641.post-16801052087895587782012-01-17T21:05:00.000-08:002012-01-26T20:34:21.215-08:00Goodbye My Sweet Julie...<center><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/nicksgaragesd/Julie?authuser=0&authkey=Gv1sRgCLDA9cG43o_eygE&feat=directlink"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh93fCeqRnLZYSVWyE5okqMt2e0OvAUmLFqt1YdjuCTXJRTFWuGdqexvC7xQCmCbypEd1VJ7WtZRN79kVaSltsXnXmyYdcb_BsZb9AtGVyNGU2KUxJiu3OcBRg5j6klRq5S0ZJK07c8uSzS/s288/julie1.gif" height="288" width="194" /></a><br />
<br />
<strong>1991 - 2012</strong><br />
</center><br />
<p>Today was one of the hardest days I've had to endure in a long time. Today was the day I had to decide to have my Julie put to rest due to her failing health. She's been dealing with canine Cognitive Dysfunction Syndrome (CDS) for at least the last year and a half. This is basically doggie Alzheimers with all of the same symptoms and problems. In the past few months she has rapidly deteriorated to the point where she was having problems walking or standing. She lost her hearing a couple years ago and now her eyesight was almost gone. She'd lost most of her muscle mass and her heart was also failing. While she didn't seem to be in any physical pain, at times she would get very confused and somewhat frightened.</p><p>My close friends know I've been putting this off for a while but I was afraid in her current condition she might get into a situation when I wasn't at home that would have her trapped outside somewhere and die in a panic. I had to decide that it was better for her to go peacefully, but anyone who has gone through this before knows how agonizing a decision this is. Selfishly you want them to live forever but it just isn't possible. I spent the day with her today giving her lots of love and plenty of her favorite cookies. I was a blubbering idiot at the vet but they were very kind as usual and I know that they made it as peaceful and painless as they could. I was too big of a coward to be there for it. In the end I hope I made the right decision.</p><p>Julie came into my life in April of 1998. She was supposed to be 7 years old at the time but I did not know her exact birth date. She had three homes before mine and was a wonderful companion the entire time. She was smart and loving and the most important thing in my life all this time, and I was grateful to have her every day. I'll miss her every day and hope I gave as much to her life as she gave to mine.</p>NicksGaragehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10919811551643291390noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6887362213894311641.post-53187903610813955892011-12-04T22:42:00.000-08:002011-12-04T22:44:12.465-08:00Buckskin Mountain Camping<table style="width:auto;"><tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/nicksgaragesd/BuckskinMountain2011?authuser=0&feat=directlink"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQu5G-Iz5cEJWH5e8if-17it0zKoNiLnS3Pu9rlO-iKnQVxwop4WOdZdUb2LwJJAu15NRCrtoyD7ZfygHaCz3q9o9fDhDZIIqfnEsGjJgSQ9L-Gq5XCzq3JKx_AGSPFP3d6NsQfxjB_4VJ/s400/P1030928.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/nicksgaragesd/BuckskinMountain2011?authuser=0&feat=embedwebsite">Buckskin Mountain 2011</a></td></tr>
</table><br />
<p>This weekend I went camping in Arizona at a vintage trailer and teardrop gathering. This was at <a href="http://azstateparks.com/Parks/BUMO/index.html">Buckskin Mountain State Park</a> on the Colorado River in Arizona. My friend John Drake from Ventura brought his <a href="http://youtu.be/J5Df-oZbGWs">1940 Ratzlaff tent trailer</a> although his wife Debbie wasn't able to attend because of work obiligations. There were quite a few teardrop trailers as well as various larger trailers.</p><p>As you can see by the picture above I had my 1979 Brougham motorhome and my Ken-Skill teardrop trailer. I didn't intend on driving the motorhome but my PT Cruiser broke down about 45 miles from home. This happens to be near where my parents live in Pine Valley so I limped to their house. The car was overheating when going up hills and since there were a lot of hills between home and the campground I wasn't going to be able to continue with that. My first thought was to borrow my dad's Ford Explorer which he doesn't drive much anymore. Of course the battery was dead in that plus it has a big wheelchair lift on the back I would have had to remove. I've had my Brougham parked at their house for a while so I decided to take that. Of course even that wasn't a simple affair.</p><p>At some point I needed some towing stuff out of the Brougham so I had brought home the box that also contained the draw bar and other stuff. Well my dad had a draw bar in the back of his Explorer I could use but it had the wrong size ball and the ball from the PT Cruiser wouldn't fit that draw bar. My parents live in a small town without a hardware store but a few miles away is a small one so I gave them a call. They assured me they had what I needed. I hopped in my dad's Impala and headed off. When I get there, of course they don't have the right thing. I figured I'd have to go 15 miles to the next town but then decided to take another look. They happened to have a drawbar that might fit the ball from the PT Cruiser. Well it kind of fit.</p><p>So I get the hitch situation taken care of and now have to hook up the trailer and transfer all my stuff from the car to the motorhome. All this puts me a couple of hours behind. So much for getting to the campground way before dark. Next thing I have to do is get gas. The station in town charges $4.17 a gallon for regular so I head east thinking I'll find something more reasonable along the highway. Since the gas gauge in the motorhome isn't that accurate I decide to opt for the station at the Golden Acorn casino. It's only 4 bucks a gallon and the motorhome took 15 gallons. Other than some rain and a whole lot of wind, the rest of the drive was uneventful. I stopped at a truck stop just over the border in Arizona and filled up at $3.299 a gallon. Another 56 miles to go to get to the campground.</p><p>I got to the campground about 5:30 Arizona time. John was already there and setting up his trailer. I backed into my spot and unhooked the teardrop and pulled the stuff out of it and set up a bit. After saying hello to a few people and kind of checking out the campground we decided to watch a movie in John's trailer. Now the Ratzlaff is a tent trailer and one with several holes in the old canvas. John had a big tarp covering up the trailer to keep the wind and any rain out. He had two heaters in there and I brought him an oil radiator to help out. It was actually quite comfortable in there. After a while we could hear it starting to rain outside. It was forecasted so not a surprise and as long as it wasn't a hard rain, my teardrop would be ok. Well when it was time for bed I went out and it was still raining and I decided I would open the awning on the motorhome and put the teardrop under it. Good thing I did because it ended up raining most of the night.</p><p>Of course people thought I had slept in the motorhome but the teardrop trailer is more comfortable to sleep in and since I hadn't planned on taking it, all the bedding and such was at home in San Diego. The rest of the weekend was pretty lazy. We went for a drive to Lake Havasu and over Parker Dam. We got back late on Saturday and missed the potluck although we could have showed up late anyway. Watched a few more movies and just hung out. John offered to straighten out my Ken-Skill fenders so we took them off Sunday before heading home. My little trailer had to go all the way back to San Diego with uncovered tires but it didn't seem to be a problem. I stopped at my parent's house to switch vehicles, which of course meant transferring all the camping stuff and trailer again. The car still is still getting hot going up hills but it's mostly down hill to get home so I decided to drive it. It made it home OK. I'm going to change the thermostat and see if that fixes it.</p><p>I didn't take many pictures this trip but you can click on the one above to see the ones I did take. For some reason I didn't take any of the other trailers at the gathering. Other people did and I'll add a link or two later.</p>NicksGaragehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10919811551643291390noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6887362213894311641.post-43232373916825040482011-10-15T19:43:00.000-07:002011-10-15T19:44:35.921-07:00You never know what's going to happen when you fly kites...<p>So this weekend is the first weekend I've been home in a couple months and the chores have piled up. I started out at breakfast with the family, then over to Harbor Freight to pick up some good deals and then to get dog food. After getting home I started looking at the list of things needing to be done. The first thing needing done was to pot some plants and then I needed to mow in the back. While I was out there I noticed that it was getting a bit windy. Of course that gave me the itch to go to the park and fly some kites. I had to go get my hair cut anyway so I was going to be half way there.</p><p>There weren't a lot of people at the park, which is a good thing. Only one guy flying a kite so I got out my <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003H34NBO/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=nicksteardro-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399373&creativeASIN=B003H34NBO">Prism Quantum Stunt Kite</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=nicksteardro-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B003H34NBO&camp=217145&creative=399373" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" /> and the 100 foot Gomberg tube tail. There was just enough wind to fly with the long tail. After I started flying, a guy showed up with his two daughters and they got out some classic plastic Gayla delta kites. After a while, the dad came over to talk to me about my kite. He was telling me that he had found the Gayla delta kites at a discount store for a dollar a piece. He got 13 of them! The Gayla Sky Spy kite was one of my favorites when I was a kid and that's what he was flying. He had an extra one with him and actually gave it to me. It happens to be my birthday and that was one pretty cool birthday present. I'll probably leave it in the package and never fly it. The date on the package is 1975. Like I said, you never know what's going to happen when you fly kites.</p><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/KN9t7yhOPcvhFKHs-KM7qG8IRqsOy6SZo5snt6DKpVY?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4VGl_vGNPlU-3_8JthE3vsEQmp79Af8jHRjY0qJ1tnL9cUAHl9ZiGoesyTmTxuSOTFoRBk-Nfok34QLqGnj0g-SXmNuXkStt4AkJRM7EiDTqSpFswlJ0snrKWFzfkT4rowf2LhNeILWWO/s400/gayla_spy.jpg" height="379" width="400" /></a>NicksGaragehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10919811551643291390noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6887362213894311641.post-88389003029905647932011-09-26T10:23:00.000-07:002011-09-29T20:37:35.660-07:00Buellton Vintage Trailer Bash 2011<table style="width:auto;"><tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/QNqJ9ihGKi6AkZGIrhSRng?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4XfeQJu0THeim-nRxU0z88l-dXTChgjBsqDqZkz8ktTRSzkPfyrddQgtnoZynzEr9JCVEJ7esW2mPbDC-zol74OzX5egPwMkLX8O_Bayx0g2Y0fk36WSVTagW1gDHNiYeS2nRaJPEE5df/s400/DSC_1137.JPG" height="265" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/nicksgaragesd/BuelltonVintageTrailerBash2011?authuser=0&feat=embedwebsite">Buellton Vintage Trailer Bash 2011</a></td></tr>
</table><p>Julie and I attended the 2nd Annual Vintage Trailer Bash in Buellton, CA at the <a href="http://www.flyingflags.com/">Flying Flags RV Resort</a>. We didn't go to this last year because it conflicted with the Spam Rehab meet. They had about 150 spots and there was a wide variety of campers. We camped with friends John and Debra from Ventura and Steve and Tony from Pomona. John and Debra brought their new Ratzlaff Camp Trailer (picture above), which they had bought the previous weekend. Steve and Tony brought their 1948 home built trailer.</p><p>I posted a picture and video of the Ratzlaff since everyone has already seen my trailer before. John and Debra also have a 1956 VW with a custom made matching teardrop trailer but due to circumstances beyond their control, they needed a trailer older than 1985. They've looked at a variety of trailers and last weekend I thought they were on their way to buy a Cardinal canned ham style trailer. I was camping at Woods Valley last weekend and John was having me look at several trailers online. They went to look at a Cardinal but it was rotten and would have had to have been rebuilt. Then I got a call from John that he had bought a trailer and that it was a 1940 Ratzlaff. A what???</p><p>It turns out that the Ratzlaff is a folding tent trailer and that we had seen a similar version of at <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/OLkcQS2f7pmbi-WAD-03QA?feat=directlink">the Pismo Beach rally</a> in May. The trailer has many clever features and to set it up you crank up the top and then fold out the beds. This trailer is very complete and in decent shape. The biggest thing it needs right away is new canvas. View the video below to see how it works.</p><iframe width="400" height="233" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/J5Df-oZbGWs" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br />
<p>Because we were only camping at the event for two nights, I drove to John and Debra's house in Ventura the day before and camped in their driveway. This also let me get an early look at their new trailer and I'd get to the campground much earlier. The next morning we packed up and headed for Buellton. When we got there the place was already full of vintage trailers, we checked in, found our spots, and started setting up. Steve and Tony were already there and our spots were very nice. Next to the road but well separated from it with a green space. Nice shade and big spots.</p><p>We had a great time checking out all the old rigs and just hanging out for the weekend. One of my favorites was a 1948 GMC bus conversion that was done in 1959. One of the best old bus conversions I've seen. There was a big potluck on Saturday. The weather was pretty nice. A bit on the breezy side and cool at night but about perfect during the day. On Friday there was a spectacular lightning show in the sky to the east and north. Fortunately no rain.</p><p>Julie at 20 years old is dealing with canine Cognitive Dysfunction Syndrome (CDS) which is basically doggy alzheimers. She kept getting tangled up in stuff on her leash and would also wake up early in the morning jumping around the trailer wanting to pace. Her eyesight is also fading so any time you get near her she thinks you're going to give her a treat so it looks like she's trying to bite you. She's not really enjoying camping anymore so this will be her last trip. She also is not doing well in the car anymore. She constantly tries to jump out of her car bed and doesn't know where she's going. She's been a great camping companion but it's not fair to her to make her go through it when she's just happier to be at home where she knows the surroundings.</p><p>We're already planning to return to Buellton next year and get the same spots. <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/100783584601864881631/BuelltonVintageTrailerBash2011?authuser=0&feat=embedwebsite#">Click here for more pictures from the event</a>.</p><embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="https://picasaweb.google.com/s/c/bin/slideshow.swf" width="400" height="267" flashvars="host=picasaweb.google.com&captions=1&hl=en_US&feat=flashalbum&RGB=0x000000&feed=https%3A%2F%2Fpicasaweb.google.com%2Fdata%2Ffeed%2Fapi%2Fuser%2Fnicksgaragesd%2Falbumid%2F5656533893438960465%3Falt%3Drss%26kind%3Dphoto%26hl%3Den_US" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer"></embed>NicksGaragehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10919811551643291390noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6887362213894311641.post-1279338719615597642011-08-24T12:35:00.000-07:002011-09-04T09:19:14.412-07:00Washington State International Kite Festival (WSIKF) 2011<table style="width:auto;"><tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/-JMOMD8QOJKwhtz4oSTCig?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqMyU2sIVaJoe8JsgBvyF9UbkXLrTaRyWp_5EzM7jWIqkVEnmNF1ijFG3x8PJzzMUt-5Tf8XigC4TQJ9MzZA9F51BNv8A2NEiJaSBvfb-f5isT077QRSyf7JPKVOlOf4VGps1y07qnx5VK/s400/P1030477.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/nicksgaragesd/WSIKF2011?authuser=0&feat=embedwebsite">WSIKF 2011</a></td></tr>
</table><p>I'm currently on a two week trip to the Northwest to visit my sister Debbie and her husband Mason in Portland and attend the Washington State International Kite Festival which was held last week in Long Beach Washington.</p><p>Click the picture above for more from the kite festival.</p><p>We spent 3 days over the weekend at the kite festival. When we got there, the beach was cold and windy with low clouds, so low that many of the kites were up in the mist. We walked around to check out what was going on and then I got a couple kites out and found a spot to fly. I put up my Gomberg Super Sled with a couple of taper tube windsocks and my 12 foot grinder spinsock. I anchored this to a sand anchor and then got out my Prism Quantum stunt kite and 100 foot tube tail. The wind was very strong so getting the stunt kite up with the tube tail was very easy. Even though the weather wasn't the greatest the beach was very crowded with fliers. Mason even took a shot at flying my stunt kite.</p><p>On Saturday the weather was beautiful but from the hotel it didn't look very windy. It was much different on the beach. Clear skies and strong wind. This time I decided to find a spot in the official flying fields. Once I found a small spot, I put up the super sled so that Debbie and Mason could find me. Besides one crabby Rev flyer who thought I was crowding their spot, everyone there was very friendly. I wanted to get my 12 stack of Dyna Kites up which take a lot of room. Also, I don't think I've ever flown them in as much wind as there was. My ground stake was too short for the beach sand so I had a little trouble setting up but one strong yank and the stack hit the sky.</p><p>These kites pull a lot in normal winds but this was crazy. I had a hard time keeping my footing while in the strongest part of the wind window. I flew them for a while and then Debbie and Mason came down to the beach. They were able to see the Dyna Kites from quite a distance down the beach. Mason took a bit of video of me flying them which is part of the video below. After a while I took a break from the Dyna Kites and switch to the Prism and long tail. Once again, Mason gave it a shot and did better this time. I think with lighter winds he'd pick it up quite well. With the strong winds the kite just reacts too fast and is easy to crash.</p><p>While I was flying the Prism, I looked over and saw my anchored kite acting up, I looked down and a Rev kite flyers had gotten his lines tangled up in my Grinder wind sock. I guess that's why they call it a grinder. It took a bit of work to get them untagled as the spikes on the grinder had hit different lines. Things like that happen when you're flying. The Rev kite flier was Brett from Eugene Oregon and they were happy they crashed into someone mellow. After getting his kite untanged he offered to let me try it out. I've resisted trying them because I don't need another expensive kite addiction. I actually have another brand of four-line kite but I've only tried to fly it once. I've been told that it's hard for two-line kite fliers to pick up the four-line style. Brett was very helpful in showing me the basics. It looks like I'll be getting mine out again.</p><p>After that, the wind seemed a bit lighter so I decided to get out the big stack again. Of course once I did the wind was stronger than ever. I flew them for a couple hours but had to take several breaks. One time I landed the stack, applause broke out behind me. I hadn't noticed that a croud had formed. Kind of embarassing. If I'd known, I would have tried some fancier stuff with them.</p><iframe width="420" height="345" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/h6gxOLzUA10" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br />
<p>My trip to Portland continues until the 29th. Other things I've done is to travel quite a bit on the local public transit to see the sites. I also met up with an old friend who used to live in Atlanta and now lives in Portland. This coming weekend we're going out to the Coumbia Gorge before I return home. Overall it's been a great trip and it's been great to spend a lot of time with Debbie and Mason.</p><p>Click the picture below for more that I've taken during the trip.</p><table style="width:194px;"><tr><td align="center" style="height:194px;background:url(https://picasaweb.google.com/s/c/transparent_album_background.gif) no-repeat left"><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/nicksgaragesd/Portland2011?authuser=0&feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-XLGkLZvy1K0/Tk8hsRQH0UE/AAAAAAAABhM/4S3HSRf9UBc/s160-c/Portland2011.jpg" width="160" height="160" style="margin:1px 0 0 4px;"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td style="text-align:center;font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:11px"><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/nicksgaragesd/Portland2011?authuser=0&feat=embedwebsite" style="color:#4D4D4D;font-weight:bold;text-decoration:none;">Portland 2011</a></td></tr>
</table>NicksGaragehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10919811551643291390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6887362213894311641.post-10722182891766767492011-08-16T10:00:00.000-07:002011-08-16T10:00:48.822-07:00Hurkey Creek Campout 2011<table style="width:auto;"><tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/ZutfXj6UfrRsy7MJh5YAZQ?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZBEWsGNRI6i9vSNl_FNkavnKC6NrZgDuJDb6D1fl22BWxZQujY48pqBzNMGHedgRD0ClqhjOYH74wbHhYz8oRXd7NLrBknibc1dV7yEjrkagORVutNgG2RugLNFtl6J4eCU7TwvFH9duw/s400/P1030392.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/nicksgaragesd/HurkeyCreek2011?authuser=0&feat=embedwebsite">Hurkey Creek 2011</a></td></tr></table><br />
<p>Julie and I made the trek to Hurkey Creek again for the second annual teardrop and vintage trailer gathering. This is group dry camping at its best. Great people and great weather all set under tall pine trees. We got there on Thursday and there were already quite a few campers set up. The temperature was in the 80s during the day and nice and cool at night. I set up my campsite next to John Samarin who I know from other campouts. He already had his canopy set up so I didn't need to set mine up this time. We had a good time hanging out during the weekend. I also met Mary from Scottsdale, Arizona, who creates wonderful pottery. The ones she had on display featured teardrop trailers.</p><br />
<p>On Saturday there was a big potluck dinner where the dutch ovens were lined up ready for everyone to sample what was made. I made my usual spicy meatballs which are super easy and people seem to like. They were all gone. Each night there was a big central campfire where you could sit around and talk and enjoy the night air and the stars. There were quite a few shooting stars over the weekend. As usual it was a relaxing time and I thank Carrousel and Ray Corliss for putting it on and look forward to next year. Click on the picture above for more.</p>NicksGaragehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10919811551643291390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6887362213894311641.post-76986443790357856082011-07-31T22:43:00.000-07:002011-07-31T23:00:29.694-07:00A day wasted...<table style="width:auto;"><tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/0Pv0z7NIwi8I-hfexNUyDQ?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP6eWBG2KN02rOok3LQX6Trx6kR9c8_FR8Vx_F-HCHpmQAnBC8pVC6rkd1uWjTOq1St_zH29LOIA9xV7n9OC8X0AvExK_DKu9febpN87mrEyeD7Afpun-9r_g3dk4X2xrYlDpByliPmFFA/s400/P1030341.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/nicksgaragesd/KenSkillFenders?authuser=0&feat=embedwebsite">Ken-Skill Fenders</a></td></tr>
</table><br />
<p>You ever start the day thinking you're going to get something done and every step along the way things just start happening to foil your progress? Well that's what happened to me when I planned to replace the fenders on my <a href="http://www.kenskill.com">1947 Ken-Skill teardrop trailer</a>. Now of course I have to back up to the process of acquiring the new fenders. The original fenders on the trailer are stamped aluminum and fairly fragile. Mine have dents and dings and cracks and even some bondo. The only replacements available are made out of fiberglass. I've seen these fenders on other people's trailers and they looked nice enough. The guy that sells them is in Montana so I give him a call to find out about getting a pair. He's a real crotchety guy and has a reputation for not being too easy to deal with, I've experienced this myself in the past. He tells me he I need to send him an e-mail with my address and that he'll send me the fenders and then tell me how much the total with shipping is so I can send him a check (doesn't take credit cards anymore because he doesn't want the government knowing what he's doing). I think this is kind of odd but ok, I need the fenders so I'll do whatever he needs. About a week later he sends me an e-mail telling me the fenders are on their way so I put a check in the mail and wait. And wait. And wait...</p><br />
<p>I thought I was going to get the fenders before I went on my <a href="http://nicksgarage-sd.blogspot.com/2011/06/wrightwood-camping-trip-2011.html">camping trip to Wrightwood</a> but they didn't show up. I left a message for the guy telling him I hadn't gotten them and that he probably needs to file a claim with the shipper. Shouldn't take two weeks to get here from Montana. Got back from my camping trip and didn't get a reply. Well next I get a call from him asking if I got the fenders and of course I hadn't, he seems confused and says he'll check on it and oh by the way, could I send him a check. I had already seen that he had cashed the check. A few days later he calls me and says that there had been a problem with the box and that they hadn't actually been shipped but would soon, and guess what, would I send him a check. This is getting old explaining that I already paid for the darned things. I asked for a tracking number and he says he'll get it for me but never does. He doesn't actually handle the shipping, the place that makes the fenders sends them. Anyway, they finally show up, oh and could I send him a check. Really, that again?</p><br />
<p>Well the fenders are pretty nice. Heavy fiberglass and gel-coated in white which is good since I can't easily match the teal paint on my trailer. The only thing I did to get ready to mount them was to spray some rubberized undercoating on the inside to cut down on the white color and also to protect the inside from rocks. I thought about drilling the mounting holes and the holes for the new <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/ztoGZwC3vHz-TcajFG5ncA?feat=directlink">LED Lincoln Zephyr taillights</a> I got but it's a good thing I didn't. This is where the day started going wrong. I went to get the trailer out of my friend's garage where I store it and of course I can't get into the garage using the keypad, looks like the battery might be dead. I tried the house keys he gave me but they didn't work in his front door. My friend is out of town so I gave him a call and left a message and then went back home. A couple hours later he calls me and said that he had changed the locks but forgot to give me new keys. His neighbor has a set so he called her to tell her I'd be over again. I took a battery with me for the garage door keypad. That actually fixed it so I was able to get the trailer.</p><br />
<p>So I bring the trailer over and jack it up and remove one of the wheels so I can remove the fender. I cut the taillight wires since I was going to redo them anyway. Of course the bolts that have been on there since 1947 aren't going to cooperate so I ended up breaking them off. There were some other screws in there as well since some of the original bolts were missing. Anyway, the fender is off fairly quickly. I'm thinking this is going ok so I go get the replacement fender and as soon as I get it near the trailer I'm thinking there is something wrong. I line up the front of the fender where the old one mounted but the back end isn't anywhere near lining up. I tried several different positions and nothing is working. I compare it to the old fender and they are a different shape. The aluminum fender is fairly flexible but the fiberglass one is very stiff and can't be moved into shape. I measure across the bottom of the fender and the fiberglass one is two inches longer. So guess what my next step is...</p><br />
<table style="width:auto;"><tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/m6Rq-8v3lAgDr5cevLEFdg?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRb5RdAwFGSFSW5WIExgCEPfvNB__jvhKJ8M3_nsm7MIu0g2w3YpvfZx2oSktDjoficaX_4RZjHHqZZkY1DYtpnu8tGe6-9eq2mE6_Og0mpbNAIUJTnBJgSERseyjrwidGyn9ZzDXcY4bO/s400/P1030348.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/nicksgaragesd/KenSkillFenders?authuser=0&feat=embedwebsite">Ken-Skill Fenders</a></td></tr>
</table><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/7ljGEIDgrl3-ubphRKzsoQ?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeX_PdJAlhdYWA63_R-nioRQKEhyphenhyphen5tY483989YK3BMatrf2zwiMKHRQTpDJtu8hQdqiMGZ_G9y0mVAlrqLHAExni8uverI6Cno6Qg-oeQN_Wc6xaNIoIplFnolKEC0ddBxufGXK4XtFJQZ/s400/P1030358.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a><br />
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<p>Time to call the guy in Montana. I give him call and he actually answers. He says he's never heard of this problem before. Now keep in mind that if you are building a trailer or redoing one and replacing the sides, you probably wouldn't notice the difference but I have to fit these to the exact spot where the original 1947 fenders were. He suggests several things including taking them to a fiberglass place and having them reshaped. That's a bit much. I told him I'd try a few things and see what happens. After about an hour of wrangling these things every which way I can think of I pretty much figure that they will not fit in an acceptable manner and that I'll have to stick with my originals. Of course now I have to fix the cut taillight wires and replace the broken bolts. At least I have the new hardware I was going to use with the fiberglass ones. Didn't get to all the other things I needed to do other than a fix to the windows which took two trips to the hardware store to get the right fasteners.</p><br />
<p>Now to deal with the bad fenders. He says he'll take them back. I'll be sure to get a tracking number and call him a bunch of times asking for a check.</p><br />
<table style="width:auto;"><tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/jUOt7Z5cqWQcoMlyNEQI3w?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKzSJPWB1T2VJA2oHZ3VcHzoNnppbLrb6LZUz7Z6jccuvMX-bUW4Jn5kp8cmNZ4-3_Cgs_BeA4TYafQ7jtRCNqsxSDHq5sUS5lb_mQQl1DVU4AmJnn9Bj-7D9GBR6Q5_QbQWahUJW10PpU/s400/P1030352.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/nicksgaragesd/KenSkillFenders?authuser=0&feat=embedwebsite">Ken-Skill Fenders</a></td></tr>
</table>NicksGaragehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10919811551643291390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6887362213894311641.post-41767830076298049952011-07-05T07:58:00.000-07:002011-07-28T13:29:44.181-07:00Fourth of July Weekend<a href="http://inlinethumb30.webshots.com/47453/2190242000088776199S600x600Q85.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYLz-9DhLBcHp315z8fcPb0dwlZJaG4xssK7g6zcPoin8Ujj_iwGw5XkGnkHusr2SJEWK_JSl_JQVNuD-x6xesQKoZL4gMl62g9bcYcgwSArwd0d8sd-tfq-pB_6a7wJZ9ZYZIbLHy0LZn/s800/marston01.jpg" width=400 height=300 border=0 alt="Click here for larger view."></a><p>This past weekend my friends Jim and Alan came down from Long Beach for a visit. One of the reasons for the visit was to check out the <a href="http://www.sdmart.org/art/exhibit/gustav-stickley">Gustav Stickley exhibit</a> at the <a href="http://www.sdmart.org">San Diego Museum of Art</a> in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Balboa_Park_(San_Diego)">Balboa Park</a>. We also went to the <a href="http://marstonhouse.org/">Marston House</a> which is also in Balboa Park. I've been to the Marston House several times but this is the first time since <a href="http://sohosandiego.org/">SOHO</a> had taken it over. The tour was much longer and went in areas that you didn't see before. They also moved the gift shop out to the carriage house. The place needs a lot of work but hopefully the new management of it by SOHO will allow that to happen. I'm still hoping they can take over the <a href="http://villamontezuma.org/">Villa Montezuma</a> before it's too late.<p><a href="http://inlinethumb48.webshots.com/47343/2944183130088776199S600x600Q85.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxb-uvaZ7jjcxpY6rLaBj1EelzChnNOsfdw8C5IehNXBULsfn-DaRLwjdSue5f8RcJlbJSJUfy7II400kGj_TOhC7FDqsCEmW74czsV5Cue8i07jro4g1YguHu9RWHc9j2okt7IHHpwU2I/s800/marston02.jpg" width=400 height=300 border=0 alt="Click here for larger view."></a><p><a href="http://inlinethumb19.webshots.com/8722/2132099810088776199S600x600Q85.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-PTPnZ58YStZ63T4cg_KU4mjrkNmLZiXAwt_ygUwvQ7kRixr-pxVOdRUxdCmvoruZ-imCnvIXX8AC3n2sg7A9ysu9G9z0JrDSl7cqXdFJmSLhPpJfQa3xxTq_9tyDHH6bbXA77byxWrEh/s800/marston03.jpg" width=400 height=300 border=0 alt="Click here for larger view."></a><p>The exhibit at the museum was great. Very diverse collection of items and well displayed. They didn't allow photos to be taken. I had my camera with me but I'm respectful of rules, and anyway there was some staff member tailing us to make sure we didn't snap any photos. After the visit to the museum, we walked over to the <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/nicksgaragesd/BalboaParkBotanicalGarden#">Botanical Building</a> to check out the plants. There were quite a few orchids in bloom there. After that it was time for lunch so we walked back through the park to the car with a stop by the <a href="http://sosorgan.com/">Spreckels Organ Pavilion</a> which houses the world's largest outdoor musical instrument.<p><a href="http://inlinethumb38.webshots.com/48805/2954856920088776199S600x600Q85.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNaWpDhi9GQdMtWM_wC8Td7T7ylDDN5qBV4TN4pt4XhjZkhZusVjU0kRoLLD8H4BsjbUVIP_hNQMnfJ8z5X-6AX6JiVQAwF4uw6WQ4BlLz_0aSaewqIlH291R8BNrUMNcGhqZsoc1EXlRA/s800/marston05.jpg" width=400 height=265 border=0 alt="Click here for larger view."></a><p>After lunch we went for a drive to see a couple more San Diego landmarks. The first was the <a href="http://www.sdcounty.ca.gov/cob/cacs/index.html">San Diego Administration Building</a>. This building that serves both the city and the county of San Diego was built in the 1930s as a Works Progress Administration (WPA) project. It has amazing tile work and plenty of WPA symbolism in its details. Next we went to the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Union_Station_(San_Diego,_California)">1915 Santa Fe depot</a> to look at the impressive tile work it has. A lot of running around but I enjoy being the tour guide when it's places like that.<p><a href="http://inlinethumb19.webshots.com/46098/2526193980088776199S600x600Q85.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUAgTVAxB2VfqXLyd4_9833eW5Uu1rP9c58I0-EhU0MkPFgh2tp7QdOpoBJ1LV1jmEESidYu_69ViBdD7JVDH2-plK4VCpCvSIDYGPFAZmZi84wuHaypQoF78EV9i9IgrqNgw4E7JuAGnq/s800/marston08.jpg" width=400 height=265 border=0 alt="Click here for larger view."></a><p><a href="http://inlinethumb45.webshots.com/48620/2519113030088776199S600x600Q85.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ6GTre7ZXg6DT1BAsIitsUeIsxVpDBttoof_Mt2sweUUt1Q-TRsuBX8RzfrMx_xpbO10MgRmhjVNlGdPitXs63vlIxMMfpmwRKbh6sByHHAwtJoUqgylknS1AUxg12HdLx_pPppBtCbjR/s800/marston12.jpg" width=400 height=265 border=0 alt="Click here for larger view."></a><p>Jim and Alan left early Monday to head back to Long Beach. I headed off to the junkyard to get some parts for my <a href="http://www.hallgtc.com">Hall GTC</a> and then went to dinner with my friend Max and his partner Jim. We walked down the street from his place to watch the fireworks over the harbor and then back home. Overall a relaxing weekend.<br />
<ul><li><a href="http://entertainment.webshots.com/album/580466182PInzKP">Click here for more pictures.</a><br />
</ul>NicksGaragehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10919811551643291390noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6887362213894311641.post-65710189935031943202011-07-01T10:55:00.000-07:002012-05-06T09:14:36.399-07:00What Motorhome Dreams Are Made Of<a href="http://www.blastolene.com/Work_in_Progress/deco.htm"><img alt="Click here to see the Decoliner construction page." border="0" height="206" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwyebBlMDjj6IdAcgRPmehCn9siG5TJhZTPw19AbNjiu4OaTzeJ_mavGluPYMI3PiaM0OZsd2vd2HulfqsS_MOGew7G8cNoQ7IxDTl3FpeQckfdTAjDdD7au-Yr6E-IE9zmY0Tz1tSdSzl/s400/Image21.jpg" width="400" /></a><br />
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I don't know if you've ever heard of the <a href="http://www.blastolene.com/Blastolene_Cars.htm">Blastolene Brothers</a> but over the years they have made some incredibly outrageous automotive creations based on anything from semi trucks to tanks. I've seen a couple of them in person and they are even more awesome in the flesh. Jay Leno has brought his <a href="http://www.jaylenosgarage.com/segment/under-the-hood/tank-car-1/">Tank Car</a> to the Spring Fling Mopar show in Van Nuys a couple of times.<br />
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Randy Grubb is now working on a new project which tickles my vintage motorhome heart. Based on a GMC motorhome chassis with a White COE cab and even a flying bridge where he'll be able to drive the coach from in the open air. All that Art Deco goodness in the shape is droolworthy as well. Doesn't look like there will be much room for camping on the inside but I'm sure it will be decked out in high style like the outside. This is one rig I've definitely got to check out in person some day.<br />
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<a href="http://www.blastolene.com/Work_in_Progress/deco.htm"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoHOC989EemTEjieVjZ1mDXB0WuNaa9JqhCj4SWfbONXjuwPO_GNZuoUy96R1L6_fIYRkSaY5O9hfT_e8ZnrSlkTK5JgdjCwJbJYLgh1t6gUozwcNLi1DFG_Ktvqf3TFsQVKsdWLJ7CA1w/s400/Image22.jpg" width="400" /></a><br />
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<a href="http://www.blastolene.com/Work_in_Progress/deco.htm"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5kEn9dDU6nkGDcjzIiOBok8yhMK_i6MWKxmiB6sG47uOFOshnK5V4k4SL_gdqJpfXtt5tKN-nP8rkgcE0CrbFX3caQ7pJ130-WTioNmoyXSNq2PwBlpmC2uw_SnL71uiv52n18xcLmDlN/s400/Image23.jpg" width="400" /></a><br />
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UPDATE: The Decoliner is finished!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.blastolene.com/Work_in_Progress/deco.htm" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEienUfICBiqheUgCdd2erqqZEzu4JOfpD2wyB00R_hAQ0saYKBz1LDKK-uJ0o9oLiZxEI2KxPzqbkXHk9AP0EXMsmfEhClR4ZmKKaDJgqJqPh9MLJn2W3BBC2D0aFoxSiKoTGgyuBPzW8xT/s320/decoliner_t.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
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<ul><li><a href="http://youtu.be/L-bkq0CSzjQ">YouTube Video of the Decoliner</a></li><li><a href="http://www.blastolene.com/Work_in_Progress/deco.htm">Decoliner Work In Progress Page</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.jaylenosgarage.com/segment/under-the-hood/tank-car-1/">Jay Leno's Tank Car</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.jaylenosgarage.com/video/blastolenes-pissd-off-pete/1136500/">Blastolene Piss'd Off Pete at Jay Leno's Garage Site.</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.blastolene.com/Blastolene_Cars.htm">More Blastolene Vehicles on the Blastolene site</a></li>
</ul>NicksGaragehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10919811551643291390noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6887362213894311641.post-5196953994491642062011-06-27T15:59:00.000-07:002011-06-27T18:41:26.768-07:00Wrightwood Camping Trip 2011<table style="width:auto;"><tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/mTRl4Ce-132KYjNOtyEwZw?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxfFSeaZ3u51jg32yWR3V0zktvJAha9QXczWh21PwHIdc5nbO-GYYdwBTWtdBOvBdzYHO3tTAeubiP-6cC_qLvidbJ_8LGmLPFgA3-y1pvI_qWOie14b8LyJdwie2X8wi_HcoaaQ_tEmU4/s400/wrightwood_2011_01.jpg" height="248" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/nicksgaragesd/20110622_wrightwood?feat=embedwebsite">2011-06-22_wrightwood</a></td></tr>
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<p>Julie and I took our annual camping trip to <a href="http://www.recreation.gov/camping/Table_Mountain_Angeles_Ca/r/campgroundDetails.do?contractCode=NRSO&parkId=73585">Table Mountain Campground</a> near <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wrightwood,_California">Wrightwood, California</a> this past weekend. Normally this is a vintage trailer rally but the guy who normally organizes it had health issues so he didn't promote it. Not that many people showed up. I would have gone anyway since it's such a nice place to camp and get away from everything (well everything but noisy kids). The picture above is from Highway 38 where you turn off from the 15 freeway. The area is called <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cajon_Pass">Mormon Rocks</a> for the sandstone formations that jut out of the ground in the area of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Andreas_Fault">San Andreas Fault</a>. Click on the link below the picture above for more pictures.</p><br />
<p>The first two nights we were in our reserved spot across the road from the spot I always want to get because of its spectacular view. Unfortunately that spot is not reservable and every time I've been there, someone has been in it when I got there. The past two years it has been a family with a lot of tents, stuff and kids. Kind of spoils the view but I was able to hike around them to see the view and the sunset over the horizon. They left Saturday morning so I quickly commandeered the site. In the picture below you can see my trailer in the good site and the site I had earlier in the left background.</p><br />
<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/AtUqTe0D01rvrZwqu12v_Q?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-Yzyu_0iHyTIzkQQhjX04PYubzfP7WWz08HyXi_qEWzm9xBZliC78mQ0TfRQdoV4j1wAUad_mbnFhtiTjOxBHbs20dJpD0l5x59sNK6rDJg4_btzcMRs8sgbXxAfdxneQ2GAdocyB4Phn/s400/wrightwood_2011_02.jpg" height="297" width="400" /></a><br />
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<p>As you can see there are lots of tall pine trees with lots of shade. The campground is all dry camping, no electric and no water at the sites but water is close enough and there are clean potties around the area. Heck, I can go three or four days without a shower as long as everyone else is in the same boat. Below is the view from the campsite. This view looks down to the west to Palmdale about 4000 feet below. The campsite is at about 7200 feet. The sun sets due west of the site. </p><br />
<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/Lvo-8et1-YbMDIk1TdX_uA?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB4kbjUdKb_Bd5yOfpDYOT7JkYgeUqbNg-4FztCJxW2N0fTsOQoTw3Jknrizts6ELPrwhwg9rDwXaV0h494jnm2STdUDlyBbP_wUdOai7sUQQfoNatAh6hWBgc3miKVe7MpFYJUcpRsZht/s400/wrightwood_2011_03.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a><br />
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<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/hdLtgv8-7WzXw6xiQqmAqg?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoiRvHRfGJ_nmg0IqblBlV7vmRE97tRHNsAAQ8humD7ROTBDW9_mIjJlaI1gR-CXROLShvq23rrpTqpd7tgZy-afppDgB7e3jB6KzJbiIeSj_XrbSNQGWBpVuaP77fc2od-iAnwsaDsS-c/s400/wrightwood_2011_04.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a><br />
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<p>On Saturday, Roly Nelson, his son Scotty, daughter Susie and her granddaughter Brianna arrived and were at the next site over. Roly is an incredible woodworker and has the neatest ideas for trailers. This super lightweight one he made actually stands up on end to store against the wall in his garage. The wings hold it up when stored. He's actually building an even smaller one that will be interesting to see.</p><br />
<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/7Rc4wa3Viq5aQEe07PyFig?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjakZs5NOMcS6LdbydfW1fZ4V0JhV0Jfw98W-IDfsNozyEU9ADo_iOKpPbUshxepUpHhgnbJ1hgiuoczj8ZVwg4Uq5v58I_SbnDani_TwHacijbG6-K2DZNFbKb7SD_7B1W1e86blRlHwV/s400/wrightwood_2011_07.jpg" height="265" width="400" /></a><br />
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<p>They invited me to share dinner with them and I invited them to my spot for the evening. We got a campfire going and roasted corn and potatoes over the fire and Scotty made steaks on his grill. After dinner we enjoyed the sunset and then it was time for dessert which consisted of s'mores, BBQ bananas and gingerbread in orange cups. An awful lot of food. I ate way too much but was a lot of fun hanging out with them.</p><br />
<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/yNCb8HKMvFRTO0MNuuPbBQ?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcCh1QSm_akE7soBHc3d4MWDQv_mQ0Hb1bBL9hAs6_trVH8fAmXsFXfhRXuFruWsGESjFRBtOlGjtN4dq6WHqiuq9bFmq8oQ7N-QgjDX_uv6pOIexKQWcb2t0sub-fLubuAivZFMtz7Brb/s400/wrightwood_2011_06.jpg" height="265" width="400" /></a><br />
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<p>...of course Adam and Steve came along on the trip as they always do. Nothing like bringing a little tropical flair to a woodsy location.</p><br />
<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/Af4gkmhE-im3rFwXd6ybNg?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja4fuk0EffOfkkBG1ZCoMzgkmhyphenhyphenpNtrm6FxO6hKG4FqN1yUepSg_OIZ5e0uJGjE2A5azZFExe5lq-e8ZbKIBMGg2gvn1HbTi7IucOy_eraZ-ZCdRthbLhZO51gUE8kPAKwUIqRf1cnhp4p/s400/wrightwood_2011_05.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a>NicksGaragehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10919811551643291390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6887362213894311641.post-42188242856239886202011-06-19T23:31:00.000-07:002011-06-19T23:33:05.524-07:00Spring Tractor Show<a href="http://youtu.be/Wzeg2IEacek"><img border="0" height="360" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsBUZAKcRWeoXqO0lfjOGUQZA0i3y3FQIkr-fdSi18YE2BxE4wLeSkVsHvIU9z6LdA3ddBdWEUg70QZr1nqSGlj81VcQmFsqaw5yF1aP_ensMauQDkI3GPDkOOdMINJaTw7kMnqQsMWY23/s400/tractor.jpg" /></a><p><br />
Today I went with my dad and a couple brothers to the <a href="http://www.agsem.com/">Antique Gas & Steam Engine Museum</a> in Vista, CA for their Spring Tractor show. This is one of those things that I always think I'm going to go to but then I forget and miss it. This time I planned ahead to make sure it was on my calendar. The museum is in the northern part of San Diego County and the site is quite large. There are a lot of permanent installations and a lot going on. People had all kinds of engines on display, most running and some in various states of repair. A lot of interesting designs. There were lots of demonstrations and interesting tractors driving around. As soon as we got in the gate it was easy to tell that my dad was going to have a good time. Being an engineer and inventor, not to mention coming from a farming family, he really enjoys seeing how things work. It's amazing that people have the patience to restore some of these machines. Several displays had before pictures basically showing a rusty pile of parts. My favorite thing was probably the big steam powered tractors. They were basically like your own personal locomotive. We didn't get to see everything in this trip but it was well worth it. Click on the picture above for a video I put together.NicksGaragehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10919811551643291390noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6887362213894311641.post-8585432505995070872011-06-06T08:03:00.000-07:002011-06-06T08:03:07.946-07:00Wings over Gillespie 2011<a href="http://community.webshots.com/album/580298249WIDDrw"><img border="0" height="291" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjalYFN02t-hCOzihquPzIAFg5dte2m6qlkD99GvCQhTdtOS0Rl0z_b1IO8RGjIiohK7hxKsMae4WD8E11cF22DdenmxHy0wjht1pK0wItbBZAbPeLU9LRdwpePlU36ERjE4pS4fd3Lo9Xl/s400/blog.jpg" /></a><p><br />
Spent Sunday at the small air show in El Cajon, CA. Big draw was the small flying wing from the 1940s. It made a few passes late in the day and then left. I got to try out my new Nikon D5100 for both stills and video.<p><br />
<a href="http://community.webshots.com/album/580298249WIDDrw">Click here to see more photos.</a><p><br />
<a href="http://youtu.be/vTvZPKy_TWk?hd=1">Click here for video from the event.</a><p>NicksGaragehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10919811551643291390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6887362213894311641.post-72339916736042589192011-05-19T20:39:00.000-07:002011-05-24T08:00:53.909-07:00Pismo Beach 2011<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/nicksgaragesd/PismoBeach2011?authkey=Gv1sRgCNaG__y73uSY5AE&feat=directlink"><img border="0" height="357" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiEeNiD4y3Ijh0w53v55Wv-mJyZE5PLIOArc3vu-TYVFnFt-d2UTWrxSxZXVaJyA9f2ORxeAiqHq5K-UQYBw7bXKUoetwdAP7kmZQ83Rr-ZWRTNP-Ep6kdZmGXKUgyBuaX72zO3gCT2paX/s400/pismo2011.jpg" /></a><p><br />
Here we are once again at Pismo Beach for the big vintage trailer rally. The weather was great. A bit breezy at times and cold but dry and sunny. Breezy should be good since I was planning to fly kites a lot but there is a technical problem. The beach access from the RV park has been cut off my a slew that is normally quite small but now has cut a wide path right across the beach access. I didn't get to fly kites at all, mostly because I was just busy hanging out with camping friends and just enjoying a relaxing time. Julie did pretty well although her age is definitely affecting her. She can't walk very far or very fast so I ended up carrying her a lot. My friends Debra and John were there again with their <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/a-mfm0fFWaKsSqYWpXsAnQ?feat=directlink">1957 VW Beetle and custom matching teardrop trailer</a>. We spent a lot of time hanging out.<p><br />
I did get to meet up with my new friend Matt Tritt who I've been talking to through e-mail since I got my <a href="http://www.hallgtc.com/hall_001.htm">Hall GTC</a> motorhome. He has one as well. He came down to the RV park on Sunday to see what trailers remained. Later that day I drove to his house to check out <a href="http://www.hallgtc.com/hall_002.htm">his Hall GTC</a>.<p><br />
Click on the picture above for more pictures.NicksGaragehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10919811551643291390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6887362213894311641.post-45497371568615780312011-05-13T10:17:00.000-07:002011-05-15T09:55:07.131-07:00Hall GTC Forum<a href="http://www.hallgtc.com/forum/"><img border="0" height="363" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg-TZ05NEwNb6-3Ree9km-oErzyPXAL1f1DrZQ4Mf9UE_FDbA6HXMmqIFt3Of4yJ0a4NrPJuPjuxI0wzyJOagE3fhNrCH3vXb7YqWMz91Hzp-eEY3MxE9qt5fG_DHYgXxl3vW-2O4nT-LY/s320/htcforum.jpg" /></a><p><br />
While I haven't been working much on my Hall GTC motorhome I have been working on the web site I created about them. At least I don't get so greasy doing that. The latest addition is a new forum where owners can discuss their projects. <a href="http://hallgtc.com/forum/">Click here to check out the forum.</a> While I haven't found that many owner's of these rigs out there, this will be a good way to archive conversations that might be useful for new owners that show up. Also this is good practice for the social media project I'm working on at work. I've also added more content to the rest of the site. Now to get to work on the actual motorhome...<br />
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Also be sure to check out <a href="http://hallgtc.blogspot.com/">Eric's Hall GTC blog</a>.NicksGaragehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10919811551643291390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6887362213894311641.post-16481692327081239922011-04-12T22:23:00.003-07:002011-04-12T22:28:54.305-07:00Desert Trip April 12, 2011Took my parents on a drive to the desert east of San Diego to see what was blooming. Click on the picture below for more pictures.<br />
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<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/nicksgaragesd/DesertTripApr122011?feat=directlink" imageanchor="1" style="clear:right;margin-bottom:1em;margin-left:1em"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1ymsAoFelRtn1_Z2yYvZM4al891L9gDk-3vgBAtlw-lTBLuNsgS0l5KeLZ3TC9CwZfGPvOXT63LGrkV4IYfTKMLdTksdObWeofvxP-00wY1CwSiq6qqdmVZqygiptdDz-1nbXut8IL8wd/s512/IMG_2797.JPG"></a>NicksGaragehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10919811551643291390noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6887362213894311641.post-69504634547702939172011-01-21T19:50:00.000-08:002011-01-21T19:50:08.234-08:00A New Addition To The FamilyWell it's official. I'm totally nutty for flying kites again. The newest addition to the collection is this 8 foot wide Triton kite from <a href="http://www.intothewind.com">Into The Wind</a> in Colorado. I "needed" another low wind kite and this one appealed to me and I'm not disappointed. I went to the park after work late in the day and there was barely a breeze. The kite took right off and flew almost straight overhead. Everyone else gave up due to the lack of wind but I just kept going until it got dark. Here's a short video I shot with my HTC EVO - <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=thcuE8HTe-Q">ITW Triton on YouTube</a>.<br />
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<table style="width:auto;"><tr><td><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/0jwnFxE-6V4BNCoMLHYQ5m8IRqsOy6SZo5snt6DKpVY?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIAG07jIMdfQFd7BQ0-thPQu73MkiSMgkgh-Tfo2RmtVvG_mSNxTPQT2f9fauGiJTRnORdBvZvW2MiLZ8raao4o_YrcXtbIq0eou8MeczDVKb4yFwONRyZPmjx2zEWwU2c3h7W5dGnkb59/s400/triton_01.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From <a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/nicksgaragesd/Kites?authkey=Gv1sRgCLClo7Huz9WC-QE&feat=embedwebsite">Kites</a></td></tr></table>NicksGaragehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10919811551643291390noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6887362213894311641.post-10485544220347211662010-11-18T10:04:00.000-08:002010-12-08T20:41:11.429-08:00What do they say about holes in your head???Well here I go again. Bought another vehicle I have no place to park. And it's a big one. This is a 1974 Hall GTC class B+ camper. Got it cheap on Craigslist but it needs a lot of work to clean it up and make it ready for camping. I'd seen these when I was looking for my first motorhome but they're so rare that I didn't think I'd find one. Of course now that I've spent all that money on the other one, this one pops up. This would have been a better starting point for me. For now I'm going to just clean it up and get everything working and then figure out where to go next. I created a web site to share information about about these campers. <a href="http://www.hallgtc.com">www.HallGTC.com</a>.<br />
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<table style="width:auto;"><tr><td><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/HbGa2BdomT87vmEwZ_x3UQ?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggKPwwoBgACtGfgCiA1K2-9DIRUt-g3z1HtVOdyNwxxIADwcrGppfYzJ5tKLzvmrOUmQmngIcZ6ui94ejPK2zujt9I2kNAljtd0Xl4PAfPU7fvRkpgHzPD6l9tA_mQR55DO4WGzpIwrBrn/s400/hall_001_01.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From <a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/nicksgaragesd/HallGTC?feat=embedwebsite">Hall GTC</a></td></tr>
</table>NicksGaragehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10919811551643291390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6887362213894311641.post-42370734398553727172010-10-17T22:28:00.000-07:002011-06-21T16:52:07.900-07:00Jalama Beach Camping<table style="width:auto;"><tr><td><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/wtekXzIgPg8drDxgyFKXGickMDJvv1g_xx4ZXJe_-Ns?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-8ggul0qBW_OOXXIeoUbHybBh-m2iR16RG42wIXSgRRPEgGwxzJwY_0B4oa-iOuX-9COr4wzGw_RdgpUtbgp1pZoAf8iFjxPJLjYeCZ421MbYkKGLiE3ezL2vuhiQqm6N2i-boTjWqMoT/s400/jalama_2010_04.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From <a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/nicksgaragesd/Jalama2010?authkey=Gv1sRgCJy7iNXq4O3mQQ&feat=embedwebsite">Jalama 2010</a></td></tr>
</table><br />
Julie and I took a trip to Jalama Beach near Lompoc this weekend. Was hoping to do some kite flying and to try out my new KAP camera. Unfortunately the weather didn't cooperate. No wind and it was dreary and wet most of the time. Didn't even try to fly a kite. Spent a lot of time sitting around in the motorhome wondering if the sun would ever come out. It didn't so we came home a day early. I don't normally camp at the beach so I learned a few things. On the first night, a band of raccoons came through and raided everyone's cooler. They got in mine and ate all my eggs and messed up everything else. Now I don't know if raccoons are necessarily a beach critter but never had them attack before. Also the seabirds, while quaint, are really annoying. I never really had a problem with them at Pismo Beach. Oh well, I got to really catch up on my sleep. The <a href="http://www.nicksgarage.com/brougham.htm">Brougham motorhome</a> worked out really well. Still need to get the couch redone so that the sleeping accommodations are more comfortable.<br />
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<table style="width:auto;"><tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/2qVXHUKTLQiA4NcnfixZ3ickMDJvv1g_xx4ZXJe_-Ns?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii5MmOHYqMmB5S47-wdloVb_QBMb7DUv8-ifdwXxlON8UvYTyLIoPkrF_zYuBh3Zh2CNz7Kg0MCbEz_tLK4aMfczGMPKfgIEPndNxxKN0JnEjaWGLR1yAcx-0UCTxMA9AD1VLtE7Cbbo9i/s400/jalama_2010_05.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/nicksgaragesd/Jalama2010?authkey=Gv1sRgCJy7iNXq4O3mQQ&feat=embedwebsite">Jalama 2010</a></td></tr>
</table>NicksGaragehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10919811551643291390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6887362213894311641.post-88964775799213715492010-09-23T15:41:00.001-07:002010-09-28T18:29:18.578-07:00More Camping Adventures<p><a href='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiOUbn4v2suvyE6W4Erwa2nZe0T3iuyICsUils3phSgiZ-DKeJarBaia1kGUD7bWWpCIk5xXD9ypgHMExAIQ-6LrRZmGhYH1UbSNTdWvXl2CG8Tt39Xm77akg81x0JI1wOvaqKBgHLw7vz/'><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiOUbn4v2suvyE6W4Erwa2nZe0T3iuyICsUils3phSgiZ-DKeJarBaia1kGUD7bWWpCIk5xXD9ypgHMExAIQ-6LrRZmGhYH1UbSNTdWvXl2CG8Tt39Xm77akg81x0JI1wOvaqKBgHLw7vz/s400/IMAG0196.jpg' /></a></p>Another camping trip, another adventure. We are camping at Woods Valley Kampground in Valley Center this weekend. As casual vintage trailer meet that we're calling the Spam Rehab. Same weekend as the old annual Spamboree. A bunch of us just decided to show up again this year. Brought the old wagon and teardrop trailer. Pulled into the campground and the car died. No spark. Will have plenty of time to mess with it I guess. <div style='clear: both; text-align: center; font-size: xx-small;'>Published with Blogger-droid v1.5.9</div>NicksGaragehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10919811551643291390noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6887362213894311641.post-79603041311251819032010-08-20T09:01:00.001-07:002010-08-26T20:00:46.150-07:00Hurkey Creek Vintage Trailer Campout<p><a href='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL4Uavj3WRTNxNRPg098cisGAwrenkF1UpfVy3gsPTcJ0bVo-imad0f640z10GuCFvCWC901PqmlCqbUR1m8ap4WuEUGRlX0_RU4WD33TWGSv2_j2qr3luUkzDD4yAstY9zlq2eyGIKtjW/'><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL4Uavj3WRTNxNRPg098cisGAwrenkF1UpfVy3gsPTcJ0bVo-imad0f640z10GuCFvCWC901PqmlCqbUR1m8ap4WuEUGRlX0_RU4WD33TWGSv2_j2qr3luUkzDD4yAstY9zlq2eyGIKtjW/s400/IMAG0172.jpg' /></a></p>Here we are at Hurkey Creek campground near Lake Hemet, California. This is a vintage trailer rally, first time at this location. We were all in one big group site, about 40 trailers. There were mostly teardrop trailers but also regular trailers as well as tent trailers. Temperatures were hot but there was a nice breeze and the nights were nice and cool. Had a big potluck on Saturday. Good food and good friends is always a good thing. Note that the date of the post is actually the first day of the campout. I updated this blog posting after getting back home.<div style='clear: both; text-align: center; font-size: xx-small;'>Published with Blogger-droid v1.5.3.1</div>NicksGaragehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10919811551643291390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6887362213894311641.post-51331364165200411222010-08-09T13:21:00.001-07:002010-08-09T13:40:37.781-07:00Adventures in KAP<p><a href='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSPdvYBdEj43-RhLgZjL8dxVsKzgvthJeVBFdZ6Pz7q-WMc_PiwC5sGpl6QmIvs_G6TNkQ9Zwet2NzQjHj_MeIcXPafpSJtrt93IMOpUDX6x-Uf1SsqDBs_hau3Yp8At3hjRs97TGC-g02/'><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSPdvYBdEj43-RhLgZjL8dxVsKzgvthJeVBFdZ6Pz7q-WMc_PiwC5sGpl6QmIvs_G6TNkQ9Zwet2NzQjHj_MeIcXPafpSJtrt93IMOpUDX6x-Uf1SsqDBs_hau3Yp8At3hjRs97TGC-g02/s400/kap_rig.jpg' /></a></p>What the heck is KAP? KAP stands for Kite Arial Photography. As soon as there were cameras, people started trying to send them up on kites to get a view of the world they couldn't get from the ground. This is the beginning of my adventures in this field. My brother John actually built this rig for me. It uses a <a href="http://www.kaper.us/basics/BASICS_picavet.html">Picavet suspension system</a> to keep the camera level and to keep it from spinning around. <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ns_YZNntKw">Click here</a> for a short video showing the rig in action. The camera I'm using is a small Kodak PlaySport video camera. I'm trying to keep this as light as possible. this past weekend there wasn't much wind and what was available was "bumpy" so I didn't get any great video. I did upload part of one I did take where the camera rig goes for a spin when my kit overflew. <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ilgEefvqAjI">Click here</a> to see it. Will probably end up making a new rig as I think I want to make the angle of the camera adjustable. Some of the rigs people have made are pretty fancy and even include remote control for pan and tilt and camera functions. I don't think I'll be going down that path.<div style='clear: both; text-align: center; font-size: xx-small;'>Published with Blogger-droid v1.5</div>NicksGaragehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10919811551643291390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6887362213894311641.post-28671304340021510962010-07-31T12:10:00.001-07:002010-07-31T12:51:08.563-07:00Lighting score<a href='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh59UYgF4XRq18gJl6wtD-z9VGpv1cWlVsCAdTJJ64lKkY7Z6VROg17D_KTQurse3upIvJYGZOFOQg8DOZzwVjjQrv9i7IJyJwvMOepyFlX2q8ycTxjTigyP6evDzfUbSHBdZ_l_HEZLbbG/s912/lighting.jpg'><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh59UYgF4XRq18gJl6wtD-z9VGpv1cWlVsCAdTJJ64lKkY7Z6VROg17D_KTQurse3upIvJYGZOFOQg8DOZzwVjjQrv9i7IJyJwvMOepyFlX2q8ycTxjTigyP6evDzfUbSHBdZ_l_HEZLbbG/s400/lighting.jpg' /></a><p>Here are the light fixtures that came from my neighbor's house. The people flipping it removed them all and replaced them with modern ones. Fortunately they didn't throw them away and I was able to buy them. My house is missing all its original fixtures so I'll be able to replace them.</p><div style='clear: both; text-align: center; font-size: xx-small;'>Published with Blogger-droid v1.4.8</div>NicksGaragehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10919811551643291390noreply@blogger.com0