Saturday, June 15, 2013

Grace

 P6137459 O God, I have tasted Thy goodness, and it has both satisfied me and made me thirsty for more. I am painfully conscious of my need for further grace.  ― A.W. Tozer

Thursday, June 13, 2013

Daffodil – As She Was

I’m sharing the beginning of Daffodil’s journey with you so you can catch up to what’s happening with her now.  Her transformation journey is picking up speed these days.  But first, you really must see what she looked like when we first brought her home.  As the journey continues you will begin to see where she’s headed.  The photos I’m sharing today won’t give you a clue of the beauty that lies ahead.  Trust me – it will happen.  In the meantime, brace yourself for an astounding tour!  The door will be open when you get there.  Come on over to Daffodil's Journey to see what I mean.P4109313

Wednesday, June 12, 2013

The Grand Lodge

While we’re away at the lake I thought I would share photos I promised to share quite awhile ago.  You may remember that I told you about our winter-time trip up the mountain here and I promised to take you inside the Timberline Lodge.  I started editing photos of the grand lodge and then life took me in some other directions.  So, come with me as I take you for a winter visit to this wonderful historic lodge.  As we walk through the big front doors and cross the main lobby we see a sign that gives us a bit of direction.P3186368Before we go upstairs to enjoy more of the old building let’s walk around the main level where we can see some interesting parts of the lodge.  This is just one of the interesting, old, hand-crafted doors throughout the lodge.P3186369Just beyond the door, inside one of the meeting rooms, you will see huge quilted drapes that are very heavy.  They are lined and insulated with some kind of thick material that helps keep cold drafts out of the room.  The design is the same for drapes all through the building.  I’ve never noticed them before and I suspect they are taken down and carefully stored during the summer months.  P3186372I’d like to take a closer look at the details.  The workmanship is exquisite!  Every detail is perfect!  What a great idea!  Quilts made just to be used as winter drapes – this might is a good idea for anyone who lives where there are extremely low temperatures in the winter.P3186374 Just down the hall there’s another interesting doorway.  The lights are low in the hallways and my photos don’t do justice to the details.P3186375Out in the main lobby, close to where we came in, a multi-sided fireplace waits to warm winter visitors.  I’m always attracted to the incredible workmanship of the fireplaces and other details inside the building. P3186376 There are wooden seats and wood and iron chairs with seats that look like rawhide scattered around the lobby.  Nearby are displays and reader boards with information about the history and the geography of the lodge.  In a small room to the side of these chairs a movie play many times through the day giving visitors a look at the history of the lodge.  Seeing actual film footage of the conditions the workers endured to build this grand, old lodge is pretty incredible.   P3186379 Upstairs on the second level you see how much the snowdrift has begun to melt.  It completely covered the window through much of the winter.  In the summer time you have a great view of the mountain from here.
P3186380 Let’s take a closer look at the snowdrift.  The textures are fascinating.P3186381A warm fire is waiting for us when we reach the third floor.  I love the old handmade wrought iron lamps around the fireplace.  It’s not unusual to see people sitting close to the fire while they rest or visit with friends.P3186395I’d love to sit and enjoy the fire but I can’t stay away from the big windows that give us a view of the peak of the mountain.  In the summertime it seems that the mountain is so close you could reach out and touch it.P3186404 If you turn around and look up you will see the huge hand-hewn timbers that support the roof. P3186401 Enormous lights hang from the timbers high above our heads.  Heavy chains and iron rods hold them in place.P3186400It’s time to start heading downstairs but I can’t resist one more look at the mountain from up here.  Shadows cast a silhouette of the peak of the roof, the cupola and the weathervane high atop the Grand Old Lodge.  I could stay here all day!P3186407We turn and begin to walk around the fireplace.  On the other side you see this sign that gives us interesting information about the lodge and its relationship to the mountain.  I’m sorry the quality of my photo is so poor – it was quite dark on this side of the fireplace. P3186389An interesting handmade door gives access to the elevator.  We’ll pass and take the stairs down. P3186392Let’s take a side staircase.  There’s no traffic there right now and we can stop to look at one of the many hand-carved newel posts in the building.  It’s a beaver, a symbol of our state - Oregon is the Beaver State.P3186428Some day I want to go up and down all the staircases and see them all – they’re all different.
We won’t be far from here while we’re at the lake this week.  I imagine we will take an afternoon drive up to see this grand place – we usually do.  It will look different this time.  Winter has gone.  Summer has arrived.

Tuesday, June 11, 2013

Daffodil Comes Clean

Please come over to Daffodil’s Journey and see more as her journey begins to unfold. You’ll get to see me go to new heights and take on a role I never thought possible. 
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Monday, June 10, 2013

The Lake Is Calling

The lake is calling us – and we are going.  Today we are heading up Mount Hood to one of our favorite lakes.  My sweetheart and I are taking a few days away from the routines of daily living to relax and enjoy time together.  He will fish every day and I will work on some projects I'm taking with me.  Joey is going, too.  He loves the trailer and, at times, he doesn’t mind having his life vest on for a ride in the boat.  He especially loves to sleep in the sun while he rides the waves.

A few weeks ago we drove up to the lake to see if the snow had melted yet and if the season’s fishing had begun.  It was a beautiful day and we wished we could stay.  Oh, how we wished we could stay.  Now we can!P5117210It feels like you’re at the top of the world up here. The cloud formations change constantly.P5117211We’ll be back in a few days.  I have some blog posts ready to share with you while I’m away.P5117225I wish I could take you with me.  I’m sure you would love it at the lake.   

Saturday, June 8, 2013

The Walk Continues

Our walk around the loop where we had our recent campout continues with more camping fun.  One of the nice things about Sisters On The Fly and other similar groups is that having a vintage trailer is not a requirement.  The only requirement is to have a good time together.  One of the Sisters had this sweet chalet.  It folds down for travel and storage and, in just a matter of minutes, she’s up and ready to go.  She had the only trailer with a Dutch door – her door folds in half when the trailer is ‘down’.  I love that she can keep the bottom closed and have the top of the door open (or vice versa, if she prefers).P6017335I was amazed when I stepped inside.  The windows seemed to bring the outdoors in.  Windows high overhead near the peak gave views of the trees and sky.  I loved the thought of lying in bed and watching the clouds go by or enjoying the trees above.  Chalet Trailer And outside, her table was ready to entertain – complete with lace tablecloth (plastic!) and candelabra!P6017342Another cute, little trailer – loved the shade on a warm afternoon!  The Sister ‘rule’ – we leave the door open when it’s OK to come in (even if we’re not at home!).  When the door is closed, we’re either away or don’t want to be disturbed.  This Sister was antiquing – away from camp for awhile.P6017344One of the Sisters had a nice, older motor home.  She told me it had very low miles on it when she bought it.  It was in ship-shape condition.P6017346She had decorated inside to make it a wonderful place for a girl to spend time. There were bits and pieces and touches of her personality and style on the outside – you had no idea how cute it was until you stepped inside.P6017348SOTF Motorhome 2And then – there was ‘Auntie Em’.  You know, ‘follow the yellow brick road’?  I wish I had taken a photo of the other side of this trailer.  She had a custom ‘yellow brick road’ saying on the side.  Next time.  I promise!  Of course you know I approve of a yellow and white trailer!P6017360I paid special attention to details on this one because the floor plan was like Miss Daffodil’s floor plan.  Some details were different but she was laid out the same as mine.  (Miss Daffodil is a bit longer and a bit wider but arranged the same.)  Auntie Em’s owner was getting ready for our Roving Dinner (progressive dinner) and she apologized that her kitchen was ‘a mess’! P6017362Her refrigerator is to the left of her closet (in closet space) – mine will be in the lower cabinet to the left of my stove.  It was hard to get good photos inside this trailer because of the sun.  I’m not complaining, you know. Just saying.P6017364The cozy daybed looks like the perfect place for an afternoon nap.  Above the bed, the folding bunk makes a perfect shelf to display treasures.  Can’t you just see Dorothy and Toto feeling right at home here?P6017365-001Beside the door is a little cabinet.  Miss Daffodil has one of these, too.P6017366-001This sweet trailer is named ‘Road Runner’.  Inside is a beautiful haven – a place for rest and relaxation.  Her owner invited my sweetheart and I in when he towed my trailer out to the campground for me.
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There’s a place to share a bite to eat inside. . .P6017375And a pleasant place for a good, long chat outside.P6017374There’s even a hammock hung between two big trees in the back.  I found Road Runner’s owner relaxing here several times.  She told stories of things she saw overhead as she swayed in the shade on a warm afternoon.  She watched clouds drift by, watched mama squirrel take a wandering baby back to the nest high in the tree overhead and caught a few extra winks of sleep. P6017370Well, my friends – I think I’ll go find me a hammock in the shade somewhere.  Someplace where I can rock and relax and remember a weekend spent with Sisters who spent time together in the woods not far from home.  

Friday, June 7, 2013

A Walk Around The Camp

My weekend away with Sisters On The Fly Sisters was wonderful!  I had such fun, met new Sisters, spent time with dear Sisters I already knew and I learned a lot!  Since my vintage trailer, Miss Daffodil, is undergoing major restoration right now I checked out every single detail possible on the vintage trailers around me!  I looked at the way the trailers were decorated and how things had been ‘stashed’ in nooks and crannies.
P6017296My friend - and neighbor in the space across from me -  made this quilted welcome flag for her trailer.  Her space was a place where we seemed to gather often.  Here’s her cute, little trailer.  She told me to be sure to let you know that she didn’t ‘stage’ her outdoor space this time – this is ‘real’.  This is camping!P6017297A peek inside. . .P6017300And fresh flowers in a vintage water jug on her picnic table.P6017299Another friend – and near neighbor in the campground – has a trailer similar to our ‘big’ trailer.  She is shopping for a vintage trailer but, in the meantime, she enjoys Sister time with her ‘big’ trailer.  She lives very close to the campground so she went home early every morning and again in the evening to feed her dogs.  One morning, when she returned to camp, she brought her cute, little VW Bug.  Believe me, this brought a lot of questions from passers-by.  People wondered how she towed her trailer with this little car!  P6017309
A vintage-style tablecloth covers her propane tanks, a cute vintage-trailer-shaped lunch pail and a old bucket filled with flowers and flags decorates the front of her trailer.  A lot of vintage trailer folks hide or decorate the ‘tongue’ of their vintage trailers.P6017310You probably won’t be surprised when I tell you that I was in awe as this little beauty arrived.  I loved her from the moment I saw her! Yellow Vintage TrailerThe detailing around the window on her little door is amazing!P6017320And next to the little yellow beauty - ‘Bella’.
P6017323Step inside and see her beauty.  The dinette area. . .P6017326 The kitchen area and a peek at the bed in the back. . .P6017327And her ‘dresser’ in the space where the old refrigerator used to be! P6017329On her picnic table outside – another vintage water jug with fresh flowers.P6017325Just down the road - ‘Hoppy Trails’.  I love her little step – it’s message is clear.  Escape!P6017331The window on her door is covered with this gorgeous quilted runner.P6017332One of the gals designed these flags and had them for sale at the campout.P6017314There’s so much more to share.  I’ll save that for another day.   Please come back and we will continue our stroll through the campground.  I’m sure you will enjoy the rest of the tour.

(Many of you have asked to see the renovations on my little, vintage trailer.  Next week I’ll begin to share Miss Daffodil’s journey.  Today my sweetheart begins the ‘putting-her-back-together’ process.  I’m getting excited!  We have a goal to have her ready to make her maiden voyage this fall!)