As determined by the Texas inspection sticker on the radiator (yes the image blows up that big).
A 1926 Home Built Camper Truck
An early tiny house on wheels… and a family selfie.
The Library of Congress has some pretty amazing stuff. I rarely find what I came for but I always find something pretty spectacular. This house (click to enlarge) is quite a piece of woodworking. Shingle siding all glass door, sturdy balcony, beautiful windows, under storage, and what I think is a pull out pan box on the back. The O’Donnell’s were certainly traveling in style.
The amount of joinery that went into the door and windows is probably more than is found in most houses today. I really like the old basement windows used as storage access underneath. As usual, I could find no interior photos but I suspect it was well appointed.
Original files can be found: http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/npc2008007978/and http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/npc2008007936/
If this isn’t inspiring, I don’t know what is.
Oh, and nearby photo caught my eye in the Library:
I’ve never known a woman with a garter flask before…
Letting Go of Accomplishments
This goes against the grain of what so may of us are taught, but it says so much.
Finally…
A perfect rolling home.
And a place for everything!
The details here are remarkable including the decorative framing around the windows and planter boxes … with plants! I believe this sits on solid rubber teeth-rattling tires. You can probably tell from the caption but this is apparently from Germany in 1922. I wish I knew what the function of the trailer was; workshop, spare bedroom, animals, kitchen?
Tennis Racquet Ukulele
NW Workbench-Progress 2-Complete
Yes, yes. Just another workbench right? A project like this is really building a legacy and an optimistic foundation for a future full of successful projects.
Greg Merritt completed his wonderful workbench and posted it online. People like me are vicariously building in our minds, thanks to internet voyeurism, when reality does not allow for our own projects. If and when I ever settle somewhere and get to have a real shop again, this project is likely to be the first on the list. Have a look.
Source: NW Workbench-Progress 2-Complete
A Sunday Musical Meditation
A little Hindustani Guitar played by Manish Pingle, a remarkable musician by any standard. Enjoy!
Letting Go of “Just in Case”
I am guilty. Too many things are kept for “just in case.”
Note to self – № 3
“How we spend our days, is how we spend our lives.”
Annie Dillard
A good daily reminder. What I did today was my choice: Chores, pleasure, work, rest… More of the same tomorrow.
Source: Note to self – № 3
Hamlet, A Tale of the Road Less Traveled
A mid-40s couple restores a tiny canned-ham trailer, leaves their mundane careers, and takes off on a journey across the continent. Sounds pretty good to me.
When it comes to making enough money to get by, the two have a unique system.
“In our ideal setting,” Hutchison explains, “is four months of working somewhere, [or] four months of volunteering somewhere, and then four months of traveling.”
FROM THE VERMONT PUBLIC RADIO ARTICLE:
“Many people spend most of their day in an office, and I was really, really tired of that and being tied to e-mail and my calendar.” Galiardi explains.
“We both had challenging careers,” she says. “The challenges were becoming, ‘How much more can I fit in?’ Rather than [fitting in] what I really want to be doing.”
Now the couple uses the trailer as a home base, spending much of their time outdoors: kayaking, biking and hiking.
On fitting the few things they own into a tiny space:
“It’s a lot like a sailboat. In that, everything has to have its place,” says Hutchison. “When you go look for that thing, it’s there. And then it goes back there when it’s done.”
If you are interested in learning more they have been keeping a blog of their adventures over the past few years. You can read more by clicking here: Tales from a Mid-Lifeventure.
Preindustrial Craftsmanship 