Vintage Trailer Rally - Woodstock, IL - Oct 6-9, 2011



Woodstock Rally 2011

Whew, what a fantastic rally. BJ really knows how to throw a party! To top it off we had the best weather that we have ever had at Woodstock. Beautiful, sunny, warm days, perfectly cool nights, a light breeze and a great group of friends. I can't think of a better way to close out the rally season.

Because the weather was so great I slept in my tent rather than in the trailer. I had my watch bug on guard just in case any critters came around though.

As I mentioned, old friends. The naughty gnomes of Northern Indiana were in attendance. I felt bad though because the one is still in a cast from an injury he suffered at the rally in South Bend, so he didn't get around like he usually does.

BJ even had a movie screen this year. It was nearly as big as Bee Bee, her camper. I love movies that have trailers in them. We watched a movie about a tooth fairy (with Kirsti Alley) whose home base was a bunch of Airstreams.



(This was taken Sunday morning, but fit better here)


During the day everyone pretty much did whatever. Nothing planned. Some went into town shopping at garage sales and antique stores. I tended to hang out at the campground, drink coffee and chat with whomever was around.

The evenings however were much different!

Movie one night, the infamous progressive cocktail party another and the pot luck dinner the third.

The progressive cocktail party was a much tamer event this year. The campers were set up in "pods" which is a group of two or more campers. Rather than having a cocktail at every camper (I think there were 17) we had a beverage at each pod (six) along with snacks. It made the following morning much more pleasant..

I said snacks right? How about pulled pork sandwiches at one stop! They were fantastic and were awarded a special recognition as the best snacks.

Each pod was organized with a separate theme. My favorite was the Indiana coalition's Hawaiian theme.

Everyone got lei-ed when they arrived. I wasn't sure what all the laughing was about with this sign, since I don't speak Hawaiian, but it was a big hit.

Where do they make all this food? These campers aren't that big.

I was having a blast when I sort of got on BJ's nerves. She wasn't a big fan of having ice put down the back of her shirt. I apologized. Then I put the ice down someone else's shirt.

I'm not sure what is up with Roger though. Ever since the southern Illinois rally when he won the trailer trash king of queens contest he has had a bunch of the guys wearing ladies clothing. Woodstock was no different when he handed out grass skirts and coconut shell bras to a few of the guys. That's Bill behind me in his party clothes.

At the "Italian" pod they had cannoli! OK, maybe I should explain the Italian reference. The Italians, as they are lovingly referred to at the rallies, are two sisters and a cousin, all of Italian descent, from Illinois. They are Lori, Dori & Natalie. They always camp as a group with their husbands (Scott, Joe & Jeff) and are a lot of fun!

Everyone was checking out a photo album on Lori's laptop.

While going from pod to pod we also got to peek inside everyone's campers. It is a quieter version of the show & shine at some other rallies.

Sometimes you just had to wait in line.

Saturday morning was special too. I was given a new tent! Jules' friend from high school, Ann, had it. She said she wasn't going to use it anymore and asked if I would like to have it. Of course I said yes!

Now I keep one in each of the campers so I don't have to worry about forgetting it if we take Bob or Walter. I also got a new flamingo yard decoration.

The pot luck dinner was exceptional! I stuffed myself with all kinds of good eats. I don't think I have been to a pot luck dinner, at a rally, where there wasn't more food than everyone could eat.

Everyone is extremely generous.

After dinner is BJ's (getting famous) garage sale grab bag. She looks around all year long for different things and brings them to the Woodstock rally. She then has everyone put their name and camper on a piece of paper. When she draws your name out of the hat you pick something from the table. She only has one rule; EVERYTHING must go!

Saturday night is the big group campfire too.

Sunday morning is fun, but also a bit sad. The fun is that BJ has coffee, juice and pastries for everyone at her trailer. The sad part is its the last day and after breakfast it is time to pack up and head home.

But before its time to go we get to sit and enjoy each others company a bit longer, even in our pajamas.

If you would like to see all of the pictures from the rally, here is the link to my album

Woodstock Rally 2011 Photo Album

Enjoy,

Travis

Ilean - Starting inside and painting the outside. - Oct 2011

I know I have been telling you about Ilean and I realized I hadn't shown you very many pictures of the inside. Well let me remedy that problem. THIS is Ilean!

The kitchen. Don't you just love the dark brown cabinets? Me neither.

Jules said that the kitchen was going to get much better in time. I know she has a way of seeing things when they are done, while looking at the starting point, but HOW do you fix this?

The living room. The little side room is what we call the goiter. Its just a spot that seems attached at random to the side of Ilean.

I really dig the linoleum and carpeted floor. Again, NOT!
I know it looks like its going to be a lot of work to get it looking nice. You clearly are very astute.

I wondered at the time what timeline Jules had for making Ilean nice. Maybe a year or two? I'm glad I didn't ask because the answer would have killed Norm and me. Norm jokes with Jules sometimes that she is a slave driver. I have to wonder now if he is sometimes serious when he says he is joking.

The hallway leading to the bedrooms and bathroom. Considering that Ilean is a 1969 mobile home explains why the hallway is more like a tunnel.




 





The bathroom was all done up in a nautical theme. Check out the stylish wallpaper and faux brickwork.
Lovely right? You got it - NOT!
I'm sure the decorating that was done before we bought Ilean worked for the other people. It just doesn't work for us. I'm glad Jules is going to be decorating Ilean.

 It was all that I could do to not scream when I realized the wallpaper was covering more wallpaper AND panelling. Who does that?

Time to get to work. I think Norm needs to start wearing a hat like I do. It'll cover up that follically challenged area.


That was what we started with on the inside.







Jules granted me special dispensation and said I can show you the changes to the outside now instead of waiting until Ilean is completely done!



Outside Ilean - Before



You remember what the outside looked like when we started. All hermetically sealed and nasty.

After opening up the patio area, Ilean's outside just sat for a while. When we finally got going on the outside again we started by scrubbing her down. Then Ilean got a new coat of white paint. Norm III does an excellent job with the sprayer. Even Rosie was impressed.

  

 

Everyone that knows us also would know that an all white house is not painted. It needs color. 

 We painted the trim next.

The purple is a tribute to Norm's mom. Purple was Joanne's signature color. Under the awning, after we started painting, Jules changed her mind. Instead of purple on the top and blue accents she reversed them for the rest of the house.

Blue for the top stripe all the way around.

I think Norm should have been up here painting but he was off building a flower box and shutters.

The awning had this really cool looking trim. When it was all white you didn't notice it. I really liked they way it turned out. Jules has an eye for things like that.

Under the awning had to get painted too. Norm III ran out of paint when he was spraying, which was a good thing or I wouldn't have had any before shots. The part behind me is what we started with.

With Jules its all about the details. Norm thought it was done when it was all painted white. I think he was WISHING Jules would feel the same way, but Jules doesn't care if we were tired of painting. She wanted the support brackets painted silver. This is how it turned out. (By the way, Jules painted most of the silver anyhow!)

After Norm built the shutters they were painted purple.

Of course when Norm makes shutters for Jules he has to put a heart in them because he loves her. I do like they way they look, I just don't want to tell Norm that.

The final step was adding the flower box. Norm copied the trim from the awning and added it to the front of the flower box.

Jules and Norm may be magical people, but the flowers did not grow instantly in the flower box. They're silk flowers. Jules said they look better longer and are a lot less work than real flowers. I couldn't agree more.


OK, drum roll please......

We are proud to present;  Ilean



Ilean Outside - After



Besides replacing a few broken windows that about covers what we did to the outside. I hope to be able to show you some inside changes soon. Maybe I can sneak in a few shots of what we were doing without giving away the final product. I'll have to discuss it with Jules.

Take care,

Travis

Malden and Princeton - Sept - Oct 2011

Well now... Even though Jules won't let me tell you everything (ok, hardly anything) about the changes that have been occurring to Ilean I can tell you this, the property has become a great little campground!

Staying in the campers is one of the highlights of going to Malden. Of course even as Ilean progresses into a more habitable abode the campers remain the reason that Norm and Jules bought the property.  I think Norm needs to set the campers up more like he does for the rallies though. I think he is being lazy but Jules says he is just tired from working on Ilean.

There are plans afoot to actually bring the other campers to Malden. I can see it now, Norm and Jules' four campers, Joni & Jason's camper and my camper, all parked in a semi-circle with a little campfire ring in the middle, Norm III's hammock hanging in the trees, a cooler full of ice cold tasty beverages, and Brock getting all excited every time a train goes by.

Brock is really into trains right now. He talks about them all the time.

The image of six or seven campers of friends and family all parked on the property for a weekend and everyone sitting around a campfire is something I hope we can accomplish next summer. Ilean will be done by then and hopefully the shop building will be built in spring. Clearly there is enough room for those dreams to become a reality.

Having Bob & Walter parked the way they are has drawn some attention from a few of the Malden residents. One woman stopped by and said her sister is an artist and after seeing Bob & Walter wanted to make a painting using the campers and property as the subject matter. Of course I said yes immediately and invited her and her sister to stop by anytime. Then I went in and told Norm and Jules about the encounter.

I HAVE to tell you about what happened when we went to Princeton for supplies. A guy wanted to thump me! Can you believe it? Scared the pellets out of me!

Princeton is the "big" city compared to Malden. While there I saw a gorgeous woman standing near the door of a local spa. I of course approached her and complimented her on how great she looked. I have a way with the ladies as you well know. I was just about to bust a move when this guy cleared his throat. I told him he probably needed some lozenges, but I didn't pay him much attention. He did it again and when I turned around I couldn't help but giggle a bit.

He was wearing grape vines instead of clothes!

I think he thought he was all that and a bag of chips. He said I was talking to "his" girl. I told him if he was trying to make time with the ladies the proper way is to wear clothes, not vines. That was when he threatened to stomp the stuffings out of me. I told him he would look funny with his grapes laying on the sidewalk. He didn't get the joke and actually tried to stomp on me. I made like a banana and split. I couldn't believe how testy he was. Since I'm a lover, not a fighter, I thought it best to skedaddle.

When I told Norm about the encounter he told me sooner or later I was going to put a move on some lady and her significant other was going to make a grease spot out of me. I thought he would be supportive and maybe go talk to the guy. I really don't know why I hang out with him.

We went back to Malden and back to work. I told Jules about the incident and Norm's reaction. Jules told me I shouldn't worry so much, that Norm actually likes me. You could have fooled me.

Till next time,

Travis

Vintage Trailer Rally - Montello, Wisconsin - Sept 14-18, 2011

Whew, what a weekend! I'm telling you these vintage trailer rallies are a blast. Last week we took a break from working on Ilean at Aluminum Acres to go to the rally in Montello, Wisconsin. The wagon masters, Kimberly & Gibb, really put on quite a deal. It is held at Buffalo Lake Camping Resort, in Montello, Wisconsin and was the first rally that Norm & Jules had ever attended and that was in 2007. The paint on Bob was still wet. This year marked the tenth anniversary of the rally.

The first night is the progressive cocktail party.

What better way to start a rally than to go from camper to camper with everyone, enjoy a tasty beverage and some appetizers and to catch up with old friends while making new friends?

We brought Bob this year. Norm & Jules "rotate" campers each year for each rally so nobody feels left out.

I was just chilling in the morning when I made a new friend. I thought it was a baby dinosaur at first. He said his name was Barney. Since he wasn't a strange shade of fuzzy purple I figured he was ok.

He asked if we had any flies around 'cuz he was hungry. I told him we might have fries and he corrected  me and said, "No, flies." He said he ate flies. How weird is that? I told him we didn't have any in the fridge.

Norm said that it was a baby snapping turtle. During the weekend they were spotted all over the campground. Anytime someone found one crawling around we picked it up so they would be safe. Gibb collected them throughout the weekend and had 13 of them. He planned to take them down to the lake before we left and release them. 

I really think these little guys are direct descendants of the dinosaurs.

Enough about the critters. The campers are a bit more spread out in Montello than some of the other rallies. I think there were nearly 40 different campers this year.

This year there were even four big vintage buses and a pop-up.

Some trailers arrive being pulled by vintage cars & trucks.

Of course Gunther was there with his family. The girls, Holly & Gabriella, wanted a picture with us good looking guys. (Or was it the other way around with good looking girls, I don't remember.)

One of the many highlights of any rally is the pot-luck dinner. Kimberly puts a different spin on it and has a burger contest one night and the pot-luck dinner the next. The entered burgers are cut up and everyone samples them. Then everyone votes on which one is the best.

Jello deserts were also entered into the competition this year. Jello scares me so I used Julia's famed recipe for M&M salad for my dish to pass, but I modified it a little. I added tootsie rolls for visual enhancement.

It was a BIG HIT too!

This was the burger table with the competitors getting ready to be carved up for sampling. Its a lot of fun to see what everyone does to make their burgers special.

This was the Jello table. One of the jellos actually was moving all the time! It kept spinning like it was possessed or something. It should stop moving at some point, RIGHT? One of them even had Spam in it. I didn't try that one! I told you that stuff scares me.

During dinner I was assaulted by a Packer. I kept my cool and didn't punt his scrawny bottom across the room. He thought he was all that and a bag of chips. I never understood what set him off or why he chose to attack me. Considering that I towered over him I figured he was just not right. Who would pick a fight with a giant? (How cool is that? ME, a giant!) I just couldn't hurt the little guy, he was so confused and full of himself. Favre was the name on his shirt. I could only guess that he was starving for attention.

Dinner BOTH nights was fantastic. This plate of yummies was Saturday night's pot luck. Just bring meat to grill & a dish to pass. I love steak.

Ok, Holly is going to choke me for this photo, but Alex would be happy. The other photo, where Holly is smiling nice only had Alex's ear. Sorry Holly. Your other photo was stunning though. I guess you could blame Gabriella 'cuz she took the picture.

After dinner Saturday was the big fun. Not only did we get to pick some cool stuff during the door prize part when our names were called we got to be entertained too!



We got bubbles for Brock



The entertainment was special. To celebrate the tenth anniversary of the rally in Montello a couple that went by the stage names of KG and The Ranger performed. They were really good. I thought for sure during the rope trick part someone was going to get tangled up and fall. But they didn't. If you like old time movie songs about cowboys it would be right up your alley. I enjoyed it.  I thought about adding a video, and YES smarty pants I got permission from KG, but the quality of it wasn't that great. I didn't want to do them an injustice. This is their website http://www.kgandtheranger.com/

I felt like such a grouper.

Oh, sorry, groupie. Grouper is a fish according to Norm.

Duh, everyone knows that. I just had a moment, that's all.

Hokey smokes I almost forgot and missed this picture. How silly of me.

During Saturday's show & shine I met Jean. I really liked her hat! I am a big fan of hats. Jules on the other hand does not like them. I think that is the only point that we disagree on.

It turned out that Jean was "The Birthday Girl" and since she was celebrating her birthday at the rally some of her other friends got her a hat to wear. What would we do without good friends? 

I better get to scooting. This rally stuff is too much fun.



Caught with the lampshade on my head.
Too many beverages at BJ's campsite will do that.



Until the next rally!

Travis