Day #5
Darwin had to work on Theo alone today. Due to my work schedule I was unable to help. He was able to replace most of the remaining pieces that were water damaged on Theo’s wall. A slow-moving day for him but successful.
Day #6
We popped off the other side of aluminum today and it really wasn’t as bad as expected. I was a pro at pulling out rusty staples from the aluminium which surprisingly, uses a lot of upper body strength.
Unfortunately we have been unable to secure help to weld a few pieces of Theo’s frame. Thus, we have jacked him up in a pathetic attempt to bend the metal back to its proper form. We will need a welder eventually to fix a broken piece by the entry way. That it seems, will have to wait for another day….
Safety First! Rusty staples and nails were just asking to be stepped on as the ground was littered with debris. After a little organization of our work space we now have a pile of “Destined for Dumpster,” “Save for Later,” “Brand New Lumber,” and last but not least “Aluminum.”
Due to Theo’s lack of walls, Darwin found a huge tarp that completely covers the entire camper. We are now able to wrap Theo up like a gift at then end of each work day; our new lumber safely stored inside. Alex and Sierra’s yard is starting to look very colorful with all the blue and green tarps about.
Day #7
Our first real warm sunny day! Woo Hoo!
I totally felt accomplished! Darwin worked a lot on adjusting the jacks that are hopefully bending the frame somewhat back to what it should be. I mean while paid some of our dues of promised yard work. When Alex and Sierra agreed to allow us usage of their yard part of their terms were to assist with much-needed yard work. The sun was out and the sky was blue so I got to it!
You would think in the desert there would not be a need for yard work but you would be wrong. Tumbleweeds although very comical, are a true pain and get stuck every where! You will also find a blend of dry-land grasses/weeds that are tough little bastards to dig up. You’ll only occasionally come across naturally growing green grass. Grass around these parts usually requires lots of dedication and water both of which seem to be in short supply.
I fully let my aggression out digging up roots and in no time was in full sweat mode. It felt good to do this type of work. By mid afternoon I had cleared a decent section of yard and my arms, back, and hands throbbed. I have blisters on me fingers!
Darwin finally finished adjusting the jacks under Theo and I assisted as he measured and cut a large bottom piece. He reattached the side of the metal wheel-well which had completely pulled apart from its base. We then replaced the large bottom piece successfully but as usual the rest of Theo shifted. Pieces were now no longer touching each other as they should. After a few minutes of determining our next step, a piece of the door frame could not longer hold its weight and snapped. With a loud crack and thump, the piece was left pointing at us like and evil witch finger and the roof sagged. Geez Louise!
I pushed up on the piece to relieve some of the weight and Darwin quickly found a few spare pieces to stick willy-nilly to provide support. He then hurriedly measured and cut the broken piece and attempted to replace it. Something was wrong. Everything had seemed to shift to the extreme when the piece snapped; the new piece would not fit. Darwin cut another smaller piece. This one would not line back up either. With the wall somewhat secure he grabbed the door to see if it would fit into place. Nope, there was to much of a gap between wall and door.
Our efforts to replace the snapped piece of door frame continued to no avail. Daylight was fading and the wind was picking up. Darwin secured a few more pieces of lumber to help support the weight of the wall and roof and then we had to wrap Theo up. A successful start to the day ended in only disappointment.
