RUST and MOLD...

welcome back to the PNW??

'they' say to watch for "rogue waves" - not a word about them photo bombing!

(for the uninitiated... notice the raincoat/sunglasses combo - fog can be both bright and wet.)

  friday, yes - the cat, seems to have the least trouble adjusting to a new climate!  he saunters out for walks apparently equally content whether it's drizzle, rain or shine.

  the house has the most (trouble).  fortunately, i've found a lovely 'handyman' who has already addressed severe leaking in the bedroom window and front door as well as minor leaking in the ceiling!  next up is weatherizing some of the vents, switching out all the exterior screws (brass rusts) and problem solving the black rot spreading near the front door.  also fortunate that his services are very affordable. 😉

  dinga, the dog, and i are somewhere in between.  we walk (off leash - yes, both of us!) on the beach regardless of the weather and frequently watch it rain from the window....

our 'everyday' beach, gearhart, oregon

no, the average day does NOT look like the one pictured above (first visit in September)!

the sky is about right but the ground would be wet - IF we were going for authenticity.

Yeh, but...

What's it actually look like??

An Inside View

So, Judy said she was going to was going to clean her house before our joint Open Houses (most of her relatives had not yet visited her new home and I thought some of the neighbors who had put up with my noticeable presence in the cul-de-sac these past eight weeks might appreciate a peek) yesterday!  Then I thought I'd better clean mine some and realized this could be my best opportunity (while clean AND un-packed) for taking photos for the 'board' down at Rocky Mountain Tiny Houses in Durango where I head - hopefully, with Maryjane on board - this coming Friday for some finishing, finishing, Finishing touches....

If you haven't yet visited - or not when I've been 'permanently' parked - here you go!!

the living-room overlooks the kitchen with the loft/guest room across the way (and the dark zone is the bathroom so one's gets four out of five rooms in just one shot!)....

ruth's rice china is pretty happy here!

just inside the front door = coat rack/shoe shelf/loft stairs/table & stool/storage boxes!

living-room: couch = 3rd bed (for LOTS of guests)!

jeramy did amazing work making the desk (off right end of couch) turn out as I envisioned!

    bathroom - mom's old 'Southern Belle' painting - now on back - as mirror, sink stand built of round table (see living-room) legs....

a 'full-sized' shower for full-sized people.
Nature's Head: the only 'scary' part as it can require scatalogically correct conversation. yikes!

need to rest up from that challenging conversation?  the bed is three steps away. if you draw it out.

SIZE MATTERS!

Here we are again with that age old question:

DOES SIZE MATTER??

When 'they' tell you, "It doesn't matter..." - be skeptical!

1.  It does matter which side of your shed roofed house is the high side (as tree, bridges and other overhead obstacles tend to be much lower on the 'passenger' side which, as you may have guessed, is the high side on my house)....

2.  It does matter which side of your bathroom the window is on (if you plan to have a composting toilet and don't want to smell the natural processes whenever it's humid out or the wind blows in just the right direction)....

3.  It does matter if the overhead lights in your low - and very low - ceiling rooms have knobs on them.  If you don't want to scalp your guests, that is!

So.  When you want to comfort some poor fella (or customer) by saying, "Size doesn't matter!", PLEASE ANSWER RESPONSIBLY and instead say something along the lines of,

"It might make a difference..."

Eugene, OR: 37 days and counting!

this has been our longest stop by far... already over three times that of our runners up - lyons valley and the big sandy!

as you may already know, it (eugene) is very:

• Bike friendly
• Cooperative minded

• Foodie

• Gluten Free amenable

• Homeless tolerant (i'm not the only one in mobile housing!)
• Hot and humid (in the summer, anyway...)
• Scenic

PHOTO TOUR...

Photo Tour Blighted by Loss of Phone on Little Prospect Mountain!

and i had some LOVELY photos of:

big sandy ranch and environs

the salt lake city - durango - albuquerque - manti la sal - salt lake city leg

see 'sleeping around' for stops since....

so, whatta i got?!?

LOVELY ( temporary) LIFE in EUGENE, OREGON!!

yoga... http://www.epyogaeugene.com/

a new bike... 

vero espresso!

oh, and looking for work... most every day... kind of late for school jobs in california... LOTS of good-looking VA jobs from which one may, technically, transfer every three months... looking at select jobs in WA... looking to take any temporary medical social work position now to fluff up my resume in this new field.

enjoying this 'endless summer'!! (memo to self: BUY SOME LOTTERY TICKETS)

Trail angels? Good Samaritans?? BUSINESS darlins!!!

These folks have saved my hide...

mike and joe at MIKE PALMER'S AUTOMOTIVE, salt lake city: a water pump - on a saturday, no less!!  https://mikepalmerautomotive.com/

⛟

maegan (and say it right!) at VERIZON (on front street), evanston: a replacement phone, in a hurry for the one i lost going up 'little prospect mountain'.

📱

the crew at FREEWAY TIRE, evanston: an affordable, quick - and solid - trailer tire fix!

☸

jeremy at NEFF DIESEL REPAIR, elko: a free-be on cutting house bolts that were (sadly, maybe already have) gouging my trailer tires!  also, an informative chat on the odds (high) of replacing my truck and what to get instead....  https://www.neffsdieselrepair.com/

🐏

Sleeping Around...

No (sadly?), not THAT way - and "hook-ups" might not mean what you think, either!

Judy's, Eugene, OR - price, 'handy woman' work: H2O, good company, guided tours - culinary and otherwise - of Eugene, cat and dog friendly

Richardson Park Campground, OR - price, $25/night: H2O and electric (which i do not need/use), treed sites, showers, quiet, big level parking area, cat-friendly at night

Santiam River Rest Area (RA), OR - $0: nice spot by the river with nice dog walking options

Gail's, Woodenville, WA - $20/night: outstanding in my field!

Franney's, Olympia, WA - $0

French Prairie RA, OR - $0: has a GREAT second/back area more removed from I-5

Oakgrove RA, OR - $0: 

Lightening Tree Campground (CG), CA - $50!!!/night: no hook-ups, grill/fire pit (which, of course, leads to roasted marshmellows!), nice hiking trails and lake shore

Chronological Section:
Monticello Fairgrounds, UT - price, $0/night: no hook-ups, quiet, private, organic smells

63 Coalmine Road, WY - price, $0/night: water, shower available, quiet, scenic

(roadside) Moab, UT - price $0/night: no hook-ups, all night street lights, traffic noise

Kane Springs Rest Stop, UT - price $0/night: no hook-ups, noise, scenic, all night lights

Flat Canyon Campground, UT - price $5/night: no hook-ups, quiet, scenic, flat parking

Echo State Park, UT - price $20/night: water, quiet, scenic (lake-side), helpful staff

Big Sandy Ranch, WY - price $0/night: water, quiet, scenic, horses available upon hire

Grassy Mountain Rest Area, UT - price $0/night: no hook-ups, littered

Wadsworth Rest Stop, NV - price $0/night: no hook-ups, noise, cat-friendly

and don't be thinkin' i'm getting rich with all these economic accommodations!  i spend about $150/day in fuel while on the road. 🤑🤑

DISCRIMINATION - REDMOND, WA RV PARK BANS THOW!

Offering no explanation for refusing admittance to this NOAH certified Tiny House On Wheels, Redmond Lake 'Pleasant' RV Park has drawn a line in the sand saying some, traditional RVs, may pass - and others, who look different (too blue?) - may not!  Discrimination IS alive and well in the (liberal?) Greater Seattle Area.

the back story...

so, there i was...

having decided to make this change, i started my process:

• chapter one: research
• chapter two: funding
• chapter three: design
• chapter four: logistics
• chapter five: the fun stuff

CHAPTER ONE:

as you may have noted, i didn't even know there was a TV show about tiny houses....  once i learned that, i stayed many an evening after work (much faster internet than at my land house) and browsed shows and episodes.  of course, having been an innocent to the world of THOWs, this muddied my waters significantly!

about the same time, i began researching - and visiting, when possible - tiny house companies in my area (rocky mountain region/west coast).  this helped me make some essential decisions....

1. https://www.tumbleweedhouses.com/

tumbleweed houses was not the company for me because, as i learned:

a. they do NOT make goose-neck houses and, having spent the past 10 years in the wilds of wyoming, i knew this was essential for my intended lifestyle/flexibility

b. after three contacts (online, by phone, in person), the two sales people were unable to answer ANY of my questions about structure, insulation, plumbing - or anything else other than aesthetics!

2. http://www.alpinetinyhomes.com/

there was nothing wrong with alpine tiny homes, they just didn't stand out when compared with their competition.  (and, now, they seem to be "permanently closed" though i've heard the collapse of a bad lending source hit several companies hard).

3. http://mitchcrafttinyhomes.com/

mitchcraft and my eventual builder both looked/sounded GREAT!  i liked their craftsmanship, philosophy and styles; i could afford their work and both had experience building on goose-necks.  mitchcraft was significantly closer to my land house - which would have allowed for visits during the build - but had not been in business quite as long.  fortunately for me, mitch did not get back with me when i called and emailed to start a contract (there is a very early design stage for which most builders seem to ask $100 - 2,000... at that point, i was planning to start with these two companies and see which designs really resonated with me).  thus, i was not required to choose between mitchcraft and...

4. https://rockymountaintinyhouses.com

this design and build team is amazing!

everything worked.  greg (owner/designer/forward-thinker) freely shared his vast experience and innovative ideas!  jeramy (lead carpenter/magician/saint) "got me" and was essential to building this home that i love!!  the whole team did wonderful work and were great to spend a week with while completing as many finishing touches as possible!!!

more details about what's great about my THOW - built by the awesome gang at ROCKY MOUNTAIN TINY HOUSES to follow.

$2,200 in licensing fees (fremont county, wyoming)!!

$$$ 😆
i budgeted for the house itself...
i budgeted for upgrading my truck...
i budgeted for moving expenses...
i budgeted for staying in durango while working on it...
i budgeted for insuring my THOW...
i budgeted for provisioning my new home...
i did not even think of enormous licensing costs!!!
fortunately, the costs will go down, gradually, over the next five years until they flat-line at $600/year (only $100/year less than my land house's annual taxes)....

"mama, where are we?"

"...are we lost??"

"no, kids, home is where the wheels take us now...."

it was a loonnng drive back to our land house (in lander, wyo) from the birth place (durango, co) - wondering about clearing each and every overpass or fuel stop carport while hoping to make it up every pass - to 'move in'.  a yoga stop in the middle was essential to mental and physical health (above) as well as an overnight stop in a small town fairgrounds to 'catch some zzzs' (below).

it's official! "FOLLOW BY EMAIL"

please see - and use - the "FOLLOW BY EMAIL" link at the bottom of this page to get email notices of my new posts at www.how-thow.blogspot.com!!  YEAH.  thanks for all the coaching/encouragement RR, reb & tee....

Temp Job #1 - Horse Conditioner

SOMEWHERE in 'the BIG SANDY'...

i found my newest clients,

and a 'phone booth' (as in a good spot with a chance at reception)!

email notification of new posts...

'blogger' says that once you 'follow' me, you ought to receive email notification of new posts... if you do not they suggest you check your spam or junk files as some systems mistakenly think email from googleblogger is undesirable!

READ ALL ABOUT IT! World's LARGEST Forceps-Assisted BIRTH in Durango, CO!!!

Oh my gosh, oh my golly - it's coming out!

after months of preparation...

with great anticipation...

and, yes, a few sparks (literally... we bumped the quonset frame and electric wiring on the way out)!

"Waaaiit... did you say 'Tiny HoRse On Wheels'?!?"

We have a mascot!

june walkabout

june walkabout map!

please, someone, let me know if this link does not work....

as far as i can tell, you can follow me and request updates as is, am i wrong??

the beginning...

what i THOUGHT i was doing!

me:  "i'm thinking about building a tiny house on wheels..."
her:  "oh, i love that show!"
me:  "what show?!"
her:  "the one about tiny houses..."
me:  "wait, there's a TV show about tiny houses on wheels?!"
her:  "uh, yeh."

another new venture...

really, so many, so fast!

resigned from the job...
land house up for sale...
thow (Tiny House On Wheels) almost finished...
truck all spiffied up...

after 10 years with fremont county school district 25 - over three times longer than i've been anywhere else - i resigned (no, not retired - i'm neither old enough nor rich enough for that)!  tomorrow's my last day.

my LARGE 1020 sf land house is nearly empty, just a couple of things for my sister and a couple for me/my thow (two futon mattresses, a small bedside table and lamp, a tool box, dishes, clothes and toiletries).  but, as my remaining sister said, i'm "just doing this so [i] can get rid of stuff!"

two days until i head south to durango, co and spend the week after labor day helping with finishing touches - since i want So Many and missed working over spring break as my trailer and SIPs were both late.

the truck... thinks it's a Beauty Queen - with an appointment every week!  unmarred windshield, flip ball hitch installed in bed, deluxe bed cover, new fog light, tune-up and tires still to come.  she's also Big, Blue and Beautiful!