Stew's National RV Travel Trailer Restoration

Stew's 2002 National RV Splash Travel Trailer Restoration - The 2013 Little Grass Shack Edition

Let's Start A New Year...

(Thursday, 3 January 2013)
Christmas has come and gone and I still haven't done much else with the trailer. Ever since the time change, it's dark now by the time I get home from work, and since I go back to Orlando every weekend, that doesn't give me any time to do anything, even if I wanted to. I did remove the upper bulkhead and install the long, flat metal support piece a while back, but now the damned thing leaks every time it rains! I figured since it was the dry season, I wouldn't have to worry too much about rain... Wrong! Eventually I get some more butyl caulk, and with Dad's help (and his floor jack to support the slideout), I'm able to get it more or less watertight.

(Friday, 4 January 2013)
I've been putting in extra hours at work recently, leaving early on Fridays back to the shack and waiting until later in the evening to leave for Orlando, so that's given me some daylight to do things. Mainly just getting after the overgrowth with the weed whip. Every little bit I beat back gets me that much closer to getting the buried power put in. It will be nice to have full power to the trailer and I'm curious to see how much it helps with the Vortex fan noise. For now, the new deep cycle battery, crimp ring terminals on the ends of the power supply line for the macerator pump, and just stowing the supply wire in the battery compartment when finished seems to help a lot more than the filter did. It's still very noisy, electrically that is...

(Friday, 11 January 2013)
Last Friday I was able to leave early, but this Friday I already have enough hours to just take the whole day off. I put that time to good use and finally get to fixing that damned leaking toilet valve. I've had the new one since early November but there's never been a good time to replace it. Today's the day... I start by turning off the water to the trailer and disconnecting the supply line to the toilet. Next I remove the nuts and washers holding it to the waste flange and off it comes.

I quickly take it outside and start removing the screws that hold the top and bottom halves together. While the instructions may say I only need to remove the three that hold the cover on over the valve, once I see how this thing's made, I know I'll be taking it apart just to clean it. Unlike a standard toilet where the bowl is all one piece of porcelain all the way to the flange, this one has a slider, kind of like a "trap door" that opens when you operate the flush lever, allowing the waste water to fall through to the exposed bottom half.

And unlike a standard toilet that uses a siphon effect to drain the waste water, this one drains by gravity, running down the funnel shape into the flange connection. It's all open, no trap to prevent the sewer gases from flowing back. You can imagine how nasty that bottom half looked from the "waste" just falling and splashing into that funnel shape... Probably TMI, but that's what I'm dealing with here. I don some nitrile gloves, fill a bucket with hot, soapy water and set about my task.

First I have to remove the old valve, float, and linkage. I set those pieces aside in the cover. Next I separate the two halves, expecting to find an o-ring type gasket that I worried about not having. Wrong. It's just a bead of what looks like gray butyl caulk. A spring falls out and I add that to the pile of parts, noting where it came from. There's an arm that connectes to the slider part and the flush handle, and the spring applies an upward pressure on it. Then another spring pops out...

This one fits between the actuating arm and the slider itself, also applying a constant upward pressure on it against the rubber seal it rides against. It goes in the pile too. Now the fun part... Scrubbing who knows what, from who know when, off the various pieces and parts of the mechanism. I get it as clean as I can, having to really scrub on the slider and the funnel and flange areas. Disgusting, I know, but I relate this experience in case others reading this are thinking about doing it themselves.

With the parts cleaned and rinsed, I set them aside to dry, and begin to remove the old butyl caulk. It's messy and a pain, but once it's done, I put a bead of new butyl caulk in place. Next I reassemble the slider and actuating mechanism, placing the springs back where they go, and mate the two halves. The spring pressure wants to keep separating the two halves, and I have to realign it twice more before I finally manage to get a screw in it to hold it together. The rest of the screws go in quickly and I'm ready to install the new float and valve.

I reattach the linkage, install the new valve, and place the cover in place over it. The last three screws go in and it's time to put the toilet back in. I put the new flange gasket over the bottom of the toilet, but it wants to sit way too high. Try as I may, I can't get it to seat all the way down against the floor without leaning over it and putting my weight on it. I place the washers and nuts over the flange bolts and tighten them down. All I have left to do is connect the supply to the new valve, and that gives me a hard time too, but I get it threaded on.

Now for the big test... I turn the water back on and check for leaks. None. I'll have to keep an eye on it, but for now, it's done. I head in for a shower, then come back out and relax for a bit before I get on the road for Orlando. If I can't get on the road before 3:00, I usually wait until 6:00 to give the traffic time to clear up some. In this case, I wait until 6:30, mainly because it takes me that long to get things put together and loaded into the truck. I didn't get any weed whipping done, but that's okay, at least I finished what I wanted to get done today.

(Saturday, 12 January 2013)
We're celebrating my birthday on Sunday, since I got permission to work remotely on my birthday, which is Monday. I could get used to this real quick. I like the fact that driving back Monday night is a LOT easier than trying to beat the masses on Monday morning. I need to figure out what's wrong with the left rear turn signal on my motorcycle before we take a ride, but Nick's in the middle of yet another project, and I can't even get to it from the mess in the garage. Early on Sunday morning I decide to have a look before everyone's ready to ride, but I can't even find my tools! That's it, I'm cleaning up this mess right now!

(Sunday, 13 January 2013)
This is the second time I have to clean up Nick's mess because he STILL has yet to learn how to do it himself. This time it's different though... He's used my tools and left them somewhere where even I can't find them. Once Ann wakes him up and tells him to get his butt out to the garage, I find out some of them are in his car, some are in a bag, and some we still can't find, like my socket wrench! Not a very nice birthday present, but at least I'm able to fix my bike. Once we're out on two wheels, I soon forget about it and enjoy the ride. We stop for gas, but she won't crank over, so I have to bump start. Once we're home, it's time to make supper and celebrate.

(Monday, 14 January 2013 - Happy Birthday To Me!)
I'm able to remote in to work and get a lot done. Toward the end of the day, I start gathering my things together to load into the truck, when Nick calls. He's frantic, because the 1100 he rode to work today won't start, and he's going to be late for a test. Ann heads out to meet him while I unload my stuff from the truck and load up the bike ramp. As I'm heading out the door, Ann calls to tell me Nick is able to get the bike started, made it to the gas station where he's able to fix the problem, and is on his way to school. Now I just have to wait until class is over and he's home safe before I can leave for Palm Bay.

The suspense is killing me, as they say, but he does make it home okay. Ann told him to come home down Markham Woods Road, a two lane the runs parallel to I-4, but he decides to take I-4 instead, and wins a $285 speeding ticket in the process. Yet another wonderful present for dear old Dad on his birthday. Oh well, maybe next time he'll listen to his Mom. I finish loading up the truck and I'm on my way back to the Grass Shack. I call Mom and Dad to let them know I'm running late, since Mom said something about having cake. She's glad I called, but tells me she didn't make a cake because she didn't think I was coming home until Wednesday? Dunno...

(Friday, 18 January 2013)
We have MLK day off, so I'll be working remotely again come Monday. And again, I get off work early today, but this time I'm able to weed whip some more. I used up the rest of the line except for the last wrap on the spool or I would have kept going. Mom is happy that I'm slowly making my way into the overgrowth she used to call her garden. She's not able to keep up with it like she used to, so I'm trying to get ahead of it for her, albeit little by little. I clean up the inside of the trailer, packing out the trash, and load up the truck for the trip home.

Once home, I settle in for the evening, and promptly fall asleep. Ann and the kids head out to the Flea Market in Mt. Dora Saturday morning without me. About all I've accomplished this weekend is bringing this account up to date. I didn't do much else but watch the NFL playoff games. I thought about doing some more in the garage, even some model railroading, but decide to just get this page up to date. Guess all that work outside Friday really took it out of me.

(Monday, 21 January 2013 - Happy MLK Day!)
I'm working remotely again today, and thankfully get a better understanding of the ethernet switch code I'm working on, mainly the IGMP section I need to get working. IGMP is the Group Management Protocol used with multicast for audio and video streaming. This code I'm working on runs the ethernet switch in every seatbox, which controls up to three seats, in each row of seats onboard the aircraft. I need to add the appropriate pieces to enable an MII port to allow the new daughter card to use the existing ethernet connection to the switch.

While this doesn't have much to do with restoring The Little Grass Shack, it gives an idea of why it's been so difficult to get much done, with it being dark when I get home from work and all... but the fact remains I need to get more of the low spots filled in and get the patio blocks levelled to cut down on the mess getting in and out of the trailer. With the day's work done, I pack up the truck and head back to Palm Bay. Over the course of the week, I add more loads of dirt to the low spots and come up with a plan of how to level the patio blocks.

(Friday, 25 January 2013)
I'm staying at the Grass Shack this weekend to get more done on the patio and more cleanup around the yard. I'm off work early again today and manage to get another swath cleaned out along the other side of the trailer. First I have to fill in the low area where I put in the new water line. It's been a pain in the ankles every time I have to walk along the one by whatever board that's been covering it since backfilling the trench. After removing the board, three loads of dirt just about do it. Another three loads fill in much of the remaining low area next to it. That's about all I can handle for today. A quick shower to clean up and I'm done for the day.

(Saturday, 26 January 2013)
I sleep in and get a late start, but still manage to get about half the way to the next line of roll fencing beat back. The biggest problem is all the damned pepper trees and brambles that like to grab the weed whip and try to destroy it. Armed with the hand snips, I cut the brambles and the branches from the pepper trees as they get in the way. It makes for slow going, but it slows the pace and helps to maintain steady progress. I take a break as necessary and try to keep hydrated as best I can.

(Sunday, 27 January 2013)
Getting another late start this morning, I add a few more loads of dirt to the low area on the other side of the shack, much easier now that I've moved the large planters out of the way. Since I'm in dirt moving mode, I debate pulling up the patio blocks, but decide to just eyeball the area I'll need to fill in. After another five loads of dirt, three more than I think it will take, I'm done for the day. I'm going to need more patio blocks... the 35 I already have don't cover anywhere near what I want to cover.

(Friday, 1 February 2013)
Totally done in by all the work last weekend, I don't get much more done this week, and I'm looking forward to spending some time at home this weekend. I can't wait to see what Ann's done with her flower beds and raised herb bed. I get out of work early, but not early enough, so I wait until later to leave from the shack. Even leaving later, I run into the worst traffic I've encountered so far making this trip... don't know why. I just know I want to be home already.

(Saturday, 2 February 2013)
Our mission is to get the pool under control, taking it out of winter mothballs, so to speak. A trip to the pool store to get the checmicals we'll need is in order. After whipping the pool into shape, it's pretty much a lazy weekend. We grill out Sunday, then I load up the truck, and I'm on my way back to the shack. Busy at work, the week flies by.

(Friday, 8 February 2013)
Yet another Friday I'm leaving work early, but this time I'm spending the weekend at the shack. Once I'm settled in, I get to work beating back the weeds around the shack so I can get this patio levelled and done. I start by defining the outline of the patio, using the level to give me a proper drop from the edge near the shack to the opposite edge, and near level along its length using the landscaping timber near the trailer as a guide.

Once I'm convinced my plan will work, I begin by digging out the landscaping timbers, engulfed by the ground over time. I start with the one closest to the trailer, and it comes out with a fight, but it's enough to let me start moving some dirt. Based on the level readings, I'm surprised by how much more dirt it's going to take, so I put that off for another time... mainly once I get those makeshift forms in place. I hold off on removing the other timber since it's not really in the way of progress.

(Saturday, 9 February 2013)
The next morning I move to the overgrowth along the edge of Mom's garden. I start by weed eating my way close enough to the pepper trees to trim what branches I can with the hand pruners, then take out the rest of the tree with the chain saw... but the chain saw is only running a short while before starving for fuel, about ten to fifteen seconds max, depending on how much I pump the primer bulb. It's long enough to go through all but the biggest of the trees, but having to start the chainsaw over and over again is really taking it out of me.

I make pretty good progress, and there's still much more to go, but need some help with the removal process... Removal of all the pepper tree branches and other debris falling behind me as I work my way closer and closer to the other end of the garden. Tamiko and his friend help out and carry the branches and brush over to the yard trash pile by the woods, then out front for yard trash pickup when that fills up. Meanwhile, I keep going as far as I can, until I hit brambles on the right and Mom's tomatoes on the left.

That's all I can do, but man does it look different! I can actually see the ground, not to mention from one end of the garden to the other. Time to have a seat and admire my work. The shadows are getting long but I still want to get more done on the patio. I get busy and add more loads of dirt around the outside edges of the blocks. That's good enough for now and it's getting dark. It will be there tomorrow.

(Sunday, 10 February 2013)
It's been getting cold at night, cold to enough to run the gas furnace every night. I've used up another bottle of propane, and need to get it filled at Ace. I'll pick up some more pavers while I'm at it. But first I want to get more done on cleaning out along the shed and moving the canoe out of the way of the patio installation. The idea is to clean out along the back of the shed, facing the trailer, and move the canoe there from the side of the shed where it now rests.

I start along the canoe itself, already overgrown in the short amount of time it sat there after moving it there from the yard, where it was in the way and an eyesore to boot. Now that I can get to the canoe to move it, I head around to the back of the shed, and begin to extricate the items stacked againt it, overgrown to about half way up the back wall. After the overgrowth is removed, I discover a number of wooden framed hardware cloth "screens", perhaps from the old rabbit pens? Dunno...

One by one I remove them, and place them in a pile, to later remove the rotted framing and roll up the hardware cloth that's still pretty good shape. All that's left are the aluminum window frames Mom uses as a makeshift greenhouse, which end up at the far side of the shed where they're out of the way. Next is the front side of the shed, also overgrown and in need of clean up. It's slow going, and the blue agave along the ramp to the door makes it even harder to get close to the wall, but I manage.

I make my way toward the back fence, and the now collapsed frame Dad made to roll the cap off the truck onto, like when towing the trailer with the fifth wheel hitch in the bed. Along the way I find another roll of fencing, old planters and the like, slowly cleaning a swath toward the fence. Even with all the spare spools, I'm out of line, until I restring them that is... That much is done, and I move the canoe to it's current resting place, along the back wall of the shed where I wanted it.

The propane tank needs filled, and I want to get more patio blocks while I'm at it, but at least I can be done for the day once that much is done. After a quick change of clothes, and a quick trip to Ace, I'm unloading 30 more patio blocks, a wheelbarrow load at a time. I stack them along the walkway by the patio for now. I decide I want to swap the rear bottle for the front, since I've been able to switch to it once the front bottle is spent, but I have no idea how much I've used so far.

I don't want to be surprised and get caught without gas, plus I noticed they applied a leak check liquid to the filled bottle this time, probably because of the rust around the valve. I rearrange the bottles, connect them up, and head inside and turn on the water heater. As I'm waiting for the water to heat up for my shower, I sit back a relax with a couple beers, knowing I'll need it to help keep my back from knotting up come tomorrow. I enjoy some television while I'm waiting. Four beers later, I'm finally clean and ready for bed. Gotta go back to work tomorrow...

(Friday, 22 February 2013)
Today's the day I get this patio installation levelled. I start by digging along a line, parallel to the landscaping timber next to the trailer, to hold a form. Then I stake the spare 10' 1x4, left over from the slideout rebuild, to create the form along the other long side, to pull a 2x4 over them to screed the dirt level. Using the level, I clamp the 1x4 in place and mark it, then measure down enough to allow for a runoff slope away from the trailer.

I spend the rest of the day moving six loads of dirt from the pile to in between the makeshift forms, compacting it as I go with just my weight. I've had four bags of sand just laying there waiting for me ever since I bought the original 35 blocks, but soon discover fire ants have decided to take up residence beneath and inside some of them. It's a short setback, as I relocate their impromptu home, and poison the shit out of them... They must die!

I have enough dirt in place to start laying the first rows of blocks, so I empty the bags of sand not infested with ants, screed it level, and put the blocks in place. I originally planned on placing all 35, in a 5 x 7 pattern, but only have enough sand for 5 x 6, so 30 it is. That's good enough for today, so I sit down and enjoy the new patio. Dad comes over to have a look, sits down with me, and we chat for a bit before I head in to grab a shower and settle in for the evening.

(Saturday, 23 February 2013)
Today it's time to finish up this patio. I decide to extend it by a block all the way around, two along the side that leads up to the trailer. I didn't stop for sand on the way home, and don't feel like making the trip now, so just the dirt will have to do the trick. More loads of dirt... I've lost count of how many, but the pile of dirt is more than half gone now. I lay in the the two rows of blocks along the side, adding dirt as I go to make them level.

Next is more dirt along the outside of the form along the long edge, then out comes the form and the stakes. My levelling job along that long edge isn't the best, and the blocks look as if they go uphill a bit compared to the existing ones, but I figure they will settle some since the dirt kind of stops at the edge. The last blocks to go in are the ones along the back side, but it takes quite a few loads of dirt to bring the grade up to level since I hadn't planned on extending along that edge.

With the last blocks in place, I move to the pathway leading up to the trailer and the patio. A few more loads of dirt to bring it up and it's good enough for now. It will need more fill, but the job is done, until I get more blocks that is. It's much better than is was, and it more than covers the entire area under the pull out awning. Next I decide to take a look at the large patio umbrella and glass top table I "unburied" when I cleaned out Mom's garden.

The hand crank mechanism to raise and lower the umbrella still works, but it looks like the cording that wraps around the handle that pulls the umbrella open has snapped. I have to take the ratchet mechanism all apart to remove the crank handle to thread a new cord around it, once I get some new cording that is. The umbrella frame itself is still in fair shape, and it still opens and closes, so at least there's some hope of repairing it.

(Sunday, 24 February 2013)
Today is Tamiko's birthday party, so I don't have much planned, except maybe cleaning out some more of the jungle on the other side of the trailer. Working most of the morning, I manage to make it to the next line of roll fencing, at least along the front, but the new weed eater keeps getting caught in the tall sawgrass and all those damned pepper trees. I trim them back as best I can using the hand pruners, making a nick while bending them over until they split, then another, and another, until they snap.

As cold as it's been at night, it's still hot in the afternoon sun, and I can feel I'm pushing myself too hard. So hard I manage to trip over one of the stumps, stepping right on the new weed whip, and snapping the shaft off right at the head. Dammit! I moved that thing just so this wouldn't happen... how the Hell did I manage to do it anyway? That's it. I'm done for today... before I break anything else. That's two of Mom and Dad's weed whackers I've destroyed now. Better add one of those to the list too.

Not today though... time to get cleaned up for the big party. After a couple beers and a quick shower, I'm ready to sit back and relax, or at least enjoy the party and a few more beers. I get dressed, head into the house, and find Tamiko and his friends playing on the Xbox in the living room. One of his friend's sisters are there too, looking bored to tears. I feel bad for them, but find the potato chips, and dig in. I mention to Mom about taking some pictures, and she says she still needs to get the pictures from Haiti off the camera.

I tell her I can do that and ask her where's the cable. She tells me Dad has it, but his door is closed and he's taking a nap, so I decide not to bother him thinking I have one that will fit it in the trailer. I take it and head for the trailer and another beer, but soon realize I don't have the right cable, and turn on the TV instead. I lose track of time time, then Tamiko knocks on the door, with a plate of cake and ice cream, sounding kind of bummed that I've missed his party. I feel bad, and realize I still have the camera, so I head back in.

By now the party's pretty much over and folks are heading out. Now I feel even worse, knowing that not only was I unable to get the pictures off the camera, but also having it out in the trailer all that time kept Mom from taking pictures of the party as well. Oh well... By now Dad's up, but only knows the cable is somewhere, which means he doesn't know where it is and will have to look for it. I hang out and chat, while the kids load up the new Nerf guns with ammo, then head outside for war games as I head back out to settle in for the evening.

I relax for a bit and decide it's time to clean out the rat's nest under the couch. I start by figuring out how to remove the bench seat from the folding mechanism that allows the couch to lay flat and convert to a bed. At first I thought there may be a way to just slide the mechanism off a track or something like that. Upon further inspection, it looks as though the mechanism is secured to a tubing like frame that is bolted to the floor. Four nuts hold the bench to the folding mechanism via studs in the bottom of the bench.

I head in to the garage looking for a socket wrench and some sockets that will fit. No dice. So it's back to the trailer and looking for the all in one tool that has the adjustable wrench. The nuts are the crimped self locking type, the kind that makes it hard to get on, and even harder to get off. After skinning my knuckles more than once, the bench is finally off, only to reveal something I really don't want to see... a rat has chewed through the water line coming from the fresh water tank.

I've wanted to look into what it's going to take to get the water pump working to boost the water pressure. Looks like it's a good thing I waited to see what was going on BEFORE I filled the fresh water tank with chlorine to sanitize the system. I would have been stuck with a tank full of (highly) chlorinated water and no place to drain it, except onto the ground... Under the trailer. Not a good choice. Well, that takes care of that...

Even though I can see the water line goes through an opening in the floor and down to the tank, I can't see the other end of the line where it connects to the tank. At least, not without "dropping" the tank. So much for that idea, at least for now. I figure I'll switch gears and try to figure out what's making that thumping noise when I open the spigot. The water presure drops to next to nothing, something makes a thumping noise, then water pressure returns. I head out to the new fresh water supply line I attached to the trailer to have a look.

I turn off the water supply and disconnect the hose from the trailer. What I see turns my stomach somewhat, but is probably explains the low pressure, a plug of some type of material that is stuck to the filter screen on the trailer inlet connector. I turn the water back on, wash the material from the screen, and flush out the supply line. I'd already done this when I first connected it to the trailer, but apparently there was something left in the line that broke free after soaking in water over time.

After reconnecting the supply line, I head back in and test the water pressure. Excellent! That's what the problem was, and it's a good thing too, since I won't be able to use the water pump any time soon. With that problem solved, I'm back to vacuuming out all the debris left under the bench. Using nitrile gloves, I pick up all the stuff left under there, like a sock, a story book, some Duplo blocks, and anything else you can imagine. Then I finish vacuuming up all the rat generated trash, like fiberglass insulation, and bits and pieces of the water line.

That's good enough, I'll clean out the vacuum later, but I set it outside for now. I've worked up quite a sweat, and Lord knows what I'm covered with after cleaning out beneath the bench. Time to see what a shower with full water pressure feels like. Up to now, it's been nice to use the shower in the trailer in a pinch, but nothing like showering in the house. What a difference! I've decided to take all my showers in the trailer after this one. Another productive weekend comes to a close. I put the bench loosely back on the folding frame and call it a night.

(Thursday, 28 February 2013 - Happy Birthday Mom!)
Sometime between today and tomorrow is Mom's birthday. She was born on a leap year on 29 February... I always kid her that the 28th isn't her birthday, the 1st of March is in these non leap years. So this year, she's still 18 and holding. In any case, I stop at Publix and get her a birthday cake, and we dig right in! I'm heading to Orlando after work tomorrow, so won't get much more accomplished this weekend.

(Friday, 8 March 2013)
Ann's coming over to the shack this weekend to help me spruce up the patio and give it that home away from home touch. The plan is to meet at the shack after I get off work, again early on a Friday. Fortunately, her current job allows her the spare time she hasn't enjoyed in her previous positions. Unfortunately, it is boring and not as fulfilling as she'd like. For now, I'm just glad she has more free time we can enjoy together.

I'm desperately trying to finish up at work when she texts me to tell me she's on her way over from Orlando. I manage to get things to a state of completion I'm satisfied with, and head home to the shack. She texts me as I'm rounding the corner, saying she's close, and I make it there with only a few minutes to spare before she arrives. Nice timing... Once she's unpacked, we head to the store to pick up some steaks to grill out and something for dessert. After a few beers, and some contemplation, we decide on a plan of action for tomorrow and settle in for the evening.

(Saturday, 9 March 2013)
Saturday morning we head out to pick up the things we'll need. At Walmart we pick up some nice patio chairs. Then we get a ton of plants at Home Depot, along with trimmer line, a hose and some nozzles, and a really cheesy looking pink flamingo wind chime. We head back to the grass shack to unload our haul so far and load up the propane tank that needs filled at Ace. At Ace, we get some more patio blocks, some bags of planting soil for all the flowers, and mulch to make a nice area for the new chairs and the glass top table I found buried when cleaning up Mom's garden.

We also picked up some brown hammered finish spray paint to freshen up the metal frame of the table, originally green, to match the new brown patio chairs. The only other thing needed was some cord to replace the rotted and broken cord in the crank up umbrella for the table. Ann gets to work spray painting the table frame and I get to work fixing the umbrella mechanism. I loosen the nut that holds the hand crank and its shaft in place, and disassemble it a piece at a time... And boy, are there a lot of pieces!

The hand crank mechanism is hard to describe, but there is a ratchet mechanism, with a toothed gear and a spring loaded pawl in the hardware that holds the shaft of the crank in place. A cord runs inside the hollow mast, over a pulley at the top, then runs along the outside and through the bottom of the umbrella slider mechanism. The cord wraps around the crank's shaft inside the mast, pulling the cord over the pulley as it winds around the crank, and pulling up on the bottom of the umbrella, opening it.

I clean up the parts best I can, lubricating the mechanism, and replace the broken cording as I reassemble everything. Now for the big test... It works! After all the running around today that's about all we have time for. More grilled out supper, more beer, and we settle in for another evening.

(Sunday, 10 March 2013)
We get started Sunday morning, wondering if we're going to have enough time to get everything done today. I go to work shoveling more of the dirt pile to the places we still need fill, including some nice planters of Mom's we "rescued" from the former jungle, now garden again. Ann goes to work potting the plants while I continue to fill in the low spots, levelling the area for more patio blocks to finish off the main patio, then laying out and levelling a square spot for the table and chairs.

We use the old landscaping timbers I "rescued" from what used to be a planter area Mom had made some time ago. They're all different sizes, but we manage to arrange them in a near square fashion to frame the area. Once I've added enough fill, we spread out the bags of pine mulch, and set up the table, chairs, and now repaired umbrella. I crank it up and we have a seat in our new chairs on our new patio at our new home away from home. I tell it as though it only takes a few hours, but it's taken us all day, and we're ready for a well deserved rest.

We already drank the rest of the beer, so Ann decides to spend the night, and leave for home in the morning. We plan to grill out some burgers for supper, so Ann heads to the store to get some burger, fixin's for homemade mac and cheese, and more beer. Mom asks if we can throw some hot dogs on the grill while we're at it, so we break in the new party spot with an impromptu picnic for all. It's a nice little get together and it really makes everyone feel at home.

We sit out for a bit longer then I clean up as Ann heads in to do up the dishes. We both grab a quick shower and settle in for the evening. We're both beat, and are soon fast asleep. We get up the next morning, put on the coffee, then Ann's on the road for Orlando after we enjoy our first cup together. I finish my morning routine and I'm off to work as well.

What a weekend! We got everything done we wanted to get done, and had a nice family picnic to boot! The shack really looks nice, including new pink flamingos at the edge of the new patio, and a new pink flamingo wind chime hanging from the awning that covers the new patio! About the only thing I didn't get done is taking the hatchet to what's left of the big pepper tree "stump" left in the ground.

(Thursday, 14 March 2013)
Over the week, I realize that because it's still dark by the time I get home, I need some lighting for the path to the patio. It doesn't help having stepping stones if you can't see where you're stepping. Between the lights I picked up at Home Depot and the ones Mom got me, I was able to make a nice inviting pathway to the Little Grass Shack.

(Sunday, 17 March 2013)
Once back to the shack from yet another weekend trip to Longwood, I place some new guardians on the glass table to watch over it while I'm away. I do the typical empty the tanks routine and settle in for another week away from home. The things some poeple will do to make a buck! Oh well, it's still enjoyable, something exciting and new. How often do you get the chance to program software for an aircraft?

(Sunday, 24 March 2013)
Over the next week I am able to get a little done here and there around the shack, but it's starting to warm back up again and it's time to get that dedicated power feed put in before it gets too much hotter. I stayed here this weekend to get more cleanup done. It's pretty windy though as one of the last cold fronts to make it this far South blows through.

As I'm relaxing in the shack, on the phone with Ann, I watch out the window in terror as the dead and rotted pine tree on the other side of the shack slowly begins to fall toward me, the shack, and my truck... WHUMP! Well, that was close! We finish our conversation and I go out to check for damage. It had fallen at just the right angle to land between the shack and the truck. Had it snapped off about ten feet lower, it could have hit either one.

(Saturday, 6 April 2013)
And so it begins, finally getting to that dedicated power feed installation! After spending the day digging the trench to lay the buried feed in, I'm sore and tired, but this is going in this weekend if it kills me! I rented a boring drill for making the hole in the slab for the conduit to pass through. With the majority of the preparation complete by six o'clock, it's time to knock off for the day. The "moat", as we call it, is done. The only thing missing is the caution flags so no one falls in!

(Sunday, 7 April 2013)
Sunday I get a late start (as usual). It's time to pull the feed wire through the conduit and get it buried. Thankfully it's the dry season, so water intrusion into the "moat" is minimal. I start out by pulling the feed wire through from the panel in the garage and out through the soffit to where it enters the conduit that plunges through the slab to the buried part of the feed. From there, with Dad's help, I feed it through the "elbow" and the remaining segments of conduit out to the "elbow" at the post by the shed and the segment into the in use box.

Sounds simple, right? Wrong. Even though we're using the wire pulling lubricant and adding and gluing the segments one at a time, it's near impossible to pull without yanking one's arm out of socket. I know, I know, that's NOT the way you're supposed to do it, but I'm glad we did because I don't think we would have gotten it pulled otherwise. At least, not without a "come-along" to ratchet it through. Even then I fear we would have stretched the wire too thin, or worse yet, to its breaking point!

So now that leaves terminating the wires in the panel and the outside in use box and backfilling the trench - after testing of course! For a 30A feed I probably could have used #10 wire, but since it's fifty feet or more to the shed, I went with #8. That #8 is some pretty tough stuff, especially when you're trying to bend it and make it go where you want it to go. I turn my attention to landing the feed in the garage panel. The toughest part of that is working around the freeezer and all the junk that's in the way. To say Mom is a packrat would be an understatement. I finally manage to get everything done.

Next is the in use box for the trailer itself. The hardest part is trying to get that #8 wire connected to the outlet for the trailer plug AND get it stuffed back into the in use box. Worse yet is knowing that eventually I'll be adding another conduit run for the feed from the in use box into the shed itself. Now the moment of truth... Will it work? I turn on the breaker and it doesn't pop. I head out to the in use box on the post and plug the trailer in. Voila! It works!!! I leave it running and button up the panel. Hours later everything is still fine.

Last is connecting the low voltage lines for cable and ethernet. The shack already has a connector for cable TV, but ethernet, not so much. The cable feed had already been connected through a splitter I added where it comes into the house. I had a cable running out to the shack via the underground tunnel I'd made for all the services so Dad didn't have to worry about disconnecting and avoiding all of them when he mowed the lawn. Well, that cable was now part of the dedicated feed and had been rerouted to one of the inside outlets, rendering the outside splitter I added "obsolete", so to speak.

Until now, I had been trying to use a wireless repeater, connected to Dad's LAN via a hundred foot long CAT 6 cable Nick had installed earlier for me. Well that didn't work so well. By the time the signal made it to the other end of the repeater link in the shack, it was really too weak to maintain the link for any length of time. The Roku was able to get just enough signal to watch things on the bedroom TV, but other than that, nada. Well, now that was all history! I now have a network switch in the garage that feeds another hundred foot long ethernet cable connected to a wireless router just inside the shack.

(Tuesday, 9 April 2013)
With the in use box done, the shack has been on dedicated power for days now, and I'm fairly confident there aren't going to be any problems. So I've finally managed to backfill the trench. It needs some more dirt, but that can wait for the weekend. I also seal the hole in the slab around where the conduit plunges through it.

(Saturday, 13 April 2013)
Another weekend I'm not making it back to Orlando because there's too much work to be done around the shack. I decided to push back the brush frontier to the next roll of wire fencing, getting rid of the brush pile that's been sitting there in the middle of what I'd already cleaned up, and get the dead tree that had fallen out of the way. It was the same kind of slow going, weed whack a little until something got tangled in the line, snip what was fouling the line, weed whack a little until... you get the picture. Well, I was at it ALL day!

I probably had another ten feet or so to do along that second line of roll fencing when the bearings finally melted their way out of the weed whip plastic housing. So much for that! It's already past five, so time to finish up and hit the showers. I really don't think these little made of plastic electric weed whackers are meant for such heavy duty punishment with the saw grass and pepper trees and irrigation tubing and heads and post and wire roll fencing and running ALL DAY long until they get so hot they melt, but I could be wrong... All I know is that's number three, wait, or was it four? Lost count, but at least this one I can take back while still under warranty.

(Sunday, 21 April 2013)
I get back to the shack from a pleasant weekend in Orlando with just enough daylight left to see I should have retracted the awning and stowed the umbrella. We must have had some mighty powerful winds while I was away. One of my Tiki guardians even gave his life trying to protect the shack! Well, at least cracked into a lot of pieces, but thankfully the glass table top landed softly enough in the mulch bed to avoid breaking. I righted the table and umbrella and they were fine. The patio awning, not so much...

A couple days later I manage to remember to get a snap of the awning information so I can do some research on getting a replacement. After discussing it with Ann, she agrees we should get a new one. The old one was ready to give out any day anyway, it helps block the afternoon sun that otherwise bakes the side of the trailer, and we really can't enjoy that nice new patio without it. I will need help replacing it though. After reading the procedure, it's definitely a two man job, and two men on ladders at that!

(Friday, 26 April 2013)
It's another Friday off and I'm back to finishing the march to that second roll of fencing. I do manage to finish up that last ten feet or so and turn my attention to working along the back of the shack toward Dad's shed. That is until I stir up a wasp nest and get stung four times! Probably head to Orlando for the weekend, would have to look at the toll records to see if the truck's transponder hit the booths or not.

(Saturday, 4 May 2013)
More brush fighting, pushing back the frontier beyond the second roll of fencing, as well as part of the front. I get the power feed to the shed completed. I wonder why my water pressure is low again of all of a sudden and realize there is a sprinkler head on the same run as I used for the dedicated water feed that up until now had been totally clogged. Now it's spraying just enough beneath everything to become apparent. So, what to do now? What else? Make it into a dedicated water spigot for watering the flowers, hosing down the patio, and of course, dedicate a hose to watering the chickens. Another story I should probably have told earlier.

(Monday, 6 May 2013)
The new mattress is finally here! The old, thin, worn out mattress that came with the trailer just wasn't providing enough support. I couldn't find a comfortable position, tossing and turning constantly through the night, and would wake up in the morning with hip and back pain. Well, that's all going to change. This bad boy is one of those memory foam mattresses like the one we have in Orlando.

(Monday, 13 May 2013)
I find myself replacing the old analog thermostat with a new digital one.

(Wednesday, 15 May 2013)
The new Zero G chairs arrive

(Saturday, 15 June 2013)
We visit the ocean and enjoy the beautiful sunset

(Monday, 4 November 2013)
Maya has been staying with me at the shack, but I think she misses me just as much here as she did in Orlando, being gone at work all day.

(Wednesday, 8 January 2014)
I hang the party lights I got for Christmas along the awning. Yay. They look swell.

(???day, February 2014)
Lose my contract - fuck that place anyway - I was fed up with all the bullshit that was just like what pissed me off about working at Harris all those years back. Inept management and assinine decisions that set the project back and cost me time and money, only to get blamed for their stupidity.

(Saturday, 14 June 2014)
I haven't been away six months and Mom has already mucked up the patio, tried to put in some kind of planters with palettes and milk crates and who knows what else? Looking back I wonder why did I even bother to try to make this place look nice? When I left to move back home to Orlando I knew I should have found a groundskeeper or paid a service to maintain this place. Now might as well call it the Little Sawgrass Shithole. Sigh.

Starting A New Year...

(2/9/13 - 2/22/13)

(2/23/13 - 2/24/13)

(3/10/13)

(3/14/13 - 3/28/13)

(4/6/13)

(4/6/13 - 4/9/13)

(4/9/13 - 4/13/13)

(4/21/13 - 4/26/13)

(5/4/13)

(5/6/13)

(5/13/13 - 5/15/13)