Summer Project

Good afternoon Folks, It is a gray, very warm and humid day. We’ve been having rain off and on for several days now, and for that we are very thankful. Everything is greening up down here, and before long it will be a tropical jungle once again. I thought I’d write more about our restoration/repurposing project. We call this our stationary gypsy wagon. The fiberglass half of this was the camper on an old pickup that had seen better days. We took the camper body off, and sold the truck last autumn. DH used his CAD program to draw up plans and we’ve been using as much materials as we already have either from other projects or curbside shopped. Plus 4 small stained glass windows we bought years ago. We have three tin panels that we are using on the roof. We have some terra cotta colored roofing paint that we found that is great stuff, and will be painting the tin with it. It feels so good to be using up ‘stuff’ from our stash. I’ve already been working on the courtyard garden that is on the back side/east side of the gypsy wagon. On the south side will be a partial view into the ‘secret garden’, DH’s workshop and our screened room where the jacuzzi is. Below is a picture of the front side. DH will be making a door, using the paned glass window, shown at the bottom of my last post. Here is the first of two little stained glass windows that for the front wall. You can see the bougainvillea from our neighbor’s property in the center piece. This is a side view. I know this doesn’t look like much now, and some of you might be running and hiding your eyes, but it will look much better when it is finished. We have two matching top windows that we found curbside many years ago, and have now put them to use above the windows in the original camper. All four of these windows have a sliding glass panel and a screen to let in breezes. The side facing us is where the little refrigerator, tiny stainless steel sink, and the propane stove go, with a small counter. The refrigerator runs on either electricity or propane. Here is a look at the inside as it is right now, well, we do that the window in on the right now. This little space is only 6’x8’. We were given the back window which cranks out and is also tinted for sun and double paned. We installed a frame on the inside of windows space and put in a screen the other morning. We are going to insulate it with foam board and also 2” thick styrofoam. The walls and ceiling will be paneling painted white.DH is going to paint faux tiles on the floor, and then I’ll put an old Oriental rug in there too. We will put a bench under the back window all across the back. We will use the two canvas folding chairs, cleaned up, and a nice couple of solid wood TV trays also. We want to keep it airy looking in here. Once the counter and little appliances are back on the other side where they were originally, it will start feeling cramped .The other night we thought of using this space to sleep in while we remodel our bedroom, with flooring we have stacked in DH’s workshop, and paint the walls. We have an old Army cot that DH will sleep on where the chairs are now sitting and I will sleep on the cushioned bench at the back. Here is the back. We will have two more little stained glass windows on either side of the window in the top wood. I just thought of these two little windows the other night. They were sitting in my scullery window. I told DH my idea and he thought it a good idea. I took a picture of one of the windows which is below this picture. We have siding to go on over the tar papered wall over the window. This is the view of the courtyard in progress from inside. You can see my ‘solar dryer’. This is a pleasant area to hang out the laundry. Butterflies, birds, bees and hummingbirds, foliage, wonderful scents.

The flower below is on my bush Grand Duke Jasmine. It is loaded with these wonderful smelling flowers.

These two are in bloom in the hedge of the ‘secret garden’, which is to the south of the courtyard area. The ‘Incense’ passion bloom fills the air with its sweet scent too.

My friend Nanci, who has the shop next to where I work, gave me 5 orchids that I’ve shown the flowers of before. I was thrilled to say the least. She was going away for a few weeks and didn’t want them to die. She had already lost a couple of plants. I don’t know the name of this orchid or what type it is. I hope and am pretty sure that someone out there will be able to tell me. Here is a picture I took and posted awhile back. They have big oval shaped leaves. They had all seen better days, but I hope to keep them alive and have them thrive.

Ok, that’s it for now. I hope you all are keeping as cool as possible. Don’t work too hard, or too long in the heat and drink plenty of water.

The sky is dark, the wind is blowing, and thunder is rolling.

Bye for now.