Update: Project Egg

It's Pickfish Friday!  And there is so much going on right now.  First off, my heart goes out to all those on Japan's north coast hit by yesterday's earthquake, especially Japan's fishermen.  And everyone on the Pacific coast right now, from Japan to Hawaii, Alaska, BC, Washington, Oregon, California, on down to Mexico.  There are tsunami warnings and advisories all over the place.  Currently, for me here in Anchorage, there is a tsunami advisory.  An advisory means that a tsunami is capable of producing strong currents and waves.  You can gt more information here at NOAA: http://wcatwc.arh.noaa.gov/2011/03/11/lhvpd9/04/messagelhvpd9-04.htm. or at http://ptwc.weather.gov/.   But doesn't look like any immediate danger. Crazy, though, all the destruction from, earthquakes alone, going on between Christchurch and Japan. With all of Alaska's seismic activity, makes me wonder if we are next.  Also makes me wonder if I have earthquake insurance, I can't remember.

Anyway, on a lighter note, it's spring time here in Alaska.  Which doesn't necessarily mean warmer weather (well, ok, yes warmer, but it's still not above freezing) but it does mean more DAYLIGHT!  We are up to 11 hours, 15 minutes and 49 seconds of sunshine! Yes, we are counting.  I like to count until June 21, the longest days of the year.  I stop then when the days start getting shorter. But, I have to say,  I'm always amazed at this time of year, as if, in the dead of winter, I just can't believe it will actually happen and we'll have daylight again. But, we do and  I've made it though another winter.  Schew.

What else is happening?  The northern lights are dancing at night and very visible on these clear, moonless nights. And let's not forget, IDITAROD!  It's day 5 of the 1200 miles race to Nome.  The local paper does a great job at keeping us all updated: http://www.adn.com/.  Go Lance go!  Lance Mackey, the defending champion, is currently in 3rd place.  Updates come in through out the day and can change on a hourly basis.  It's all so exciting!

The other thing happening this morning is there is a moose in my yard. They come into my yard every now and again, they like the foliage.  Plus it's nice and relaxing for them.  Who knew that a condo in the middle of Anchorage would make such a great moose spa?

Moose pruning my lilacs

moose in my yard this morning

don't you just want to scratch those ears?

Those ears do look nice and fuzzy, but I'd curb any impulse to scratch them.  I bet this woman who tried will curb her impulse next time, too. http://www.adn.com/2011/03/07/1742027/moose-kicks-woman-who-came-too.html. Oops

Ok, I'm stalling on giving the Egg update, because, well.....anyone wanna buy an Egg?  The paneling is all hung and looks pretty good, the bunk is made.  I'm working on a little trim today.  It looks good and I like the Egg, that little gutted 12' camper I bought a few months ago to renovate and live in for the summer when I go back to Cordova.  But here's the sitch.  I found out that the lot where I'll be putting the Egg for the summer has a charge of $114/mo for water, sewer, and garbage.  The fact that that sounds outlandishly expensive is beside the point, but, I figure,  hey if I'm paying for it, I may as well use it.  The Egg is set up with a porta-potty and a slop bucket for grey water because I didn't think I'd have access to those hook-ups.   Plus, the lot will accommodate a 40' trailer.   I'm looking for something a little bigger with a few more creature comforts, like running water and a toilet. So, I regret to inform you the Egg is going. It's mostly finished, but I decided to just cut my losses now instead of putting more time and money into it.  It's kinda a bummer, we had great plans to put in a dinette, closet, and a teeny, tiny kitchen.  Its one of those live and learn moments.  One that will, more than likely, cost me money.  Don't they always?  However, not all is gloom and doom.  At least I still have time to look for another trailer and sell this one.  It would have been a real drag to get over to Cordova, then realize I want something bigger.   So, there you have it.  A change of course.  I won't leave you hangin' though.  I'll post Egg pics when it's all finished, before the bidding wars start. Until then, eat fish and I'll catch ya on the flip side.

Putting Humpty Dumpty Back Together Again...

First off, I'm very excited to let you know that I'll be performing at the 14th Annual FisherPoets Gathering in Astoria Oregon next week, February 25th and 26th!!   I'm on both Friday and Saturday night around 7:30 P.M. Pacific Mountain Times.  My Friday night's performance will be broad casted on 91.9 FM KMUN  @ www. coastradio.org.  To give you an idea about this celebration, I've taken the following is taken from their website  http://www.clatsopcc.edu/community/fisherpoets-gathering. I'll have more on this next week but in the mean time, check it out!  The schedule and all that is on their website. 

The FisherPoets Gathering (FPG) is expecting a record number of more than 80 fishing and maritime industry people from several states and British Columbia to bring their original poems, stories and songs to Astoria.  Along with several local musicians who also have strong fishing-industry ties, they will present their readings and music at this 14^th annual weekend program, February 25 to 27. 

"Fisher Poetry" comes from experiences living and working in the industry, and ranges in writing style from fast-moving rhyming couplets to crafted free verse or literary prose, and includes poems, songs, short stories, personal memoirs and essays, along with art.

KMUN-FM community radio broadcasts both evenings live 6 to 10 p.m. from Astoria Event Center at 91.9-FM & www.coastradio.org.  Enjoy!

Now, back to our regularly scheduled blog

Hanging panels

No EGG-zadgeration, putting the Humpty Dumpty back together again is no easy task. That is one term of endearment that I call the Egg, my recently purchased 12'  1955ish camper that I am renovating.  Did I just say I?  I meant to say Vince.  He seems to be currently doing most of the work, for now.  Mostly because he has more patience than I do and, as a result, better carpentry skills.  If left to my own devices, I would be done by now, but it probably wouldn't look too good.  Turns out, remodeling is a big task, a bigger task than I ever imagined possible.  But, I'm committed now and just too stubborn to turn back.  I also did a bit more research on discovering the make and year of the Egg.  I found this website http://www.tincantourists.com/ featuring old, excuse me, vintage camping trailers.  I emailed Ron, the founder of this organization and he speculates that the Egg is from the mid 50's but said that most manufacturers just copied each other back then and couldn't guess on the make.  Thanks for the info Ron! If you're into vintage campers, here is another cool site: http://www.ynotcamperrestoration.com/Index.html
So, its looking more like the Egg is closer to 50 than 30 years old!  Wow.  It'll be eligible for social security soon.  But, I got to tell you, the wooden ribs on the inside of the camper are beautiful!  No knots anywhere and for the most part, with the exception of a few portions of the ribs, they are still all good and solid.  The plywood floor is in a little better shape and again, no knots at all, a sign of older wood.
This week's progress was hanging some of the panels up.  We thought we would just fly through it and be on to installing the bunk by now, but we are still hanging panels.  That's OK though, we are taking out time and it shows.  I think it looks pretty good.  One of the reason its slow going, the main reason, is that the Egg is not symmetrical.  Guess after 50 some odd years of shimmying down the road, I'd be a little off kilter, too.  We've had to accommodate for that.  A panel might be 1/8-1/4 inch off from one end to another. Or ribs will not be aligned and things like that.  Anyway, we are getting there.  We got the two ends covered and the ceiling up.  See our progress below from measuring out the panels in the garage to hanging them.

Cutting panels to fit

One down, many more to go!

Measure twice, cut once

The finished ceiling

Currently, Vince is making forms for the walls.  First, he made them out of poster board to copy the curve of the back wall.  Then he transfered the poster board and copied it onto a left over piece of insulation.  After that is fitted correctly, then he will copy that onto the paneling, cut and install.  Easy peasy.

Making forms for side panels

Tune in next week to see if we are pulling our hair out by then, I mean to see our progress.  And, I'll see you in Astoria!