Thinking ahead

As is usually the case, the snow is still melting, yet I am thinking ahead to the summer. I already know that I will have severely limited free time this year (due to work stuff) so I will have to plan carefully to maximize my time. There are two big projects. First, I really do need to get on with building the wall in my front yard. Once it is done I can put in some white lavender. Second, I need to take the front aluminum "skin" off my trailer and fix the rotted wood around the front window. Since I have absolutely no idea what I am doing, this will be a big job for me. I suspect there will be some 2-person moments, such as when I take out the window. I have been browsing the internet for advice. On one site they describe taking the skin panels off and screwing them to the side of their barn so they don't get wrinkled. I don't have a barn and I can't screw through the asbestos siding on my garage. I'm glad I found this site because it never occurred to me that I need a place to store the panels. I wonder if they are too big to layer with blankets and store in the back of my truck? I'll have to measure.

Until yesterday I had been slightly torn about how much effort to put into my trailer. Despite still loving her compactness, it became clear on her first trip that having a single dinette that converts to a bed is awkward. It requires finding someplace to stow the bedding during the day, and makes taking a quick nap a production. Also, her lack of storage space convinced me to remove the port-a-potty to make room for somewhere to stow my clothes (and the bedding). I had pretty much concluded that I would eventually trade up to a slightly larger model.

No longer the case. I spent part of yesterday morning in the trailer measuring and plotting. The key is to give up on my fancy wood-burned table. I never used it much anyway. Instead I will leave the bed set up at all times. My duffel (or baskets of clothes) will slide under the bed. I will make seat pillows for the exposed ends of the benches. I will build a drop-down desk top and attach it to the wall below the coat rack. I will find a wooden TV tray-style folding table that can be set out when I want a place to eat (the 2 bench ends will provide seating for 2). I will cut the bench lids so that it is easier to access the under-bench storage. And, since the bedding will stay on the bed and the clothes will be under the bed, I will be able to restore the potty closet to its former purpose. Tada! Still small and cute, but more practical.

Of course this means that I will no longer have my fancy table as a focal point. Maybe I can do something interesting with the bedding. I have some fiber-reactive dyes I have never tried. Tie-dyed bed sheets, maybe?....