Blast off in 10...9...8...

Little man helping Daddy fix up the Shasta.

I've been having phone/camera trouble so apologies for the delay in a follow up post.  I wanted to include pictures of our progress on the Shasta!  I guess we'll have to settle on the two I stole from Mitch's Facebook page.

The company called Mitch a few days ago and told him they've decided to move forward with his employment now rather than later.  We thought we'd have until after Thanksgiving to prepare for this move, but now we need to be ready in about a week.  So much for traveling and camping until February!   (We are very pleased with this development.)

So far Mitch has cleaned and repaired the water/plumbing system in the Shasta, rebuilt part of the main bed area, repaired and treated the floor, installed beautiful mosaic tile in the kitchenette area, painted some spots, etc.

Our new tile backsplash in the kitchenette area.  Installed completely by Mitch, wet saw and all.

We have ordered real Bourbon Hickory hardwood flooring to install, and have chosen and purchased the paints we'll use for the walls and cabinets.

When I say "we" regarding construction, I mean Mitch.  At least I picked the color scheme?

We've also acquired a Tempurpedic mattress and some bedding.  I'm not upset.

Anyway, back to the water/plumbing.  Did you know that people use "food grade" anti freeze in their RV water systems?  It looks like pink slime.  YUCK!

"Food grade antifreeze is a low hazard, propylene glycol-based heat transfer concentrate for closed water systems. This corrosion inhibitor is formulated with different compounds to effectively protect steel, cast iron, copper, cupric alloys, and aluminum against deterioration and freezing. Product is either clear or dyed with pink fluorescence for ease of detection."     

https://foodgradeantifreeze.com/

LOW hazard?  Sounds legit (<---sarcasm).  I'd rather drink from a Life Straw and bathe in freezing cold streams....and I hate me some ice cold mountain stream baths.  I took those while I was pregnant with Cairo and camping with Mitch in the mountains of northern Cali...brrrrr.  Have I mentioned that while shopping for a camper/trailer, a water heater and shower was NON-NEGOTIABLE?  Sun showers are okay when it's warm outside but it gets breezy out there!  (We will also have a sun shower.)

We also ordered and received our non-electric, manual clothes washing machine.  No, it's not a washboard.  I've seen and wanted one of these Wonderwash machines since I first discovered them in high school while perusing a yoga/green lifestyle magazine that came with some yoga something or another I ordered.  High school wasn't that long ago, but I guess long enough that yoga studios weren't really a normal thing around every corner...but I digress.  Here's how I'm not going to look or smell like a bum:

The Wonderwash.

I found other non electric ways to clean clothes, but this is the only one that was small enough to drag around yet large enough to fit some of Mitch's clothes in.  The struggle of being an extra tall man's wifey...  Now, being the online review junkie I am before I purchase things, I discovered some information about this machine that made it superior to others.  It has a pressure sealed lid, very sturdy construction, and you can achieve cleanliness comparable to that of an electric washer if you sit there and properly agitate the crap out of those clothes (you have to hear the "plop") for as long as your electric washer would.  I understand that this will be tedious, but it still beats using my hands on a washboard with Mitch's britches.

The only thing my weak upper body is dreading is that there is no spin cycle on the Wonderwash, so we will have to hand wring items.  Thankfully Mitch has sworn to help me with that.  I've almost completed hand sewing my clothespin apron--it's not taking long, I'm just putting it off because Procrastination is my middle name.  Of course we also still need to get a clothesline set up of sorts, but I've researched this before and it's easy peasy.

Another thing anyone planning to live in nature must consider is the footprint they leave behind.  Unfortunately not everyone cares or even realizes that the shampoo or laundry detergent they're using is full of chemicals that harm the natural flora of the area.  Our family swears to always be conscious of the effect our actions will have on the earth, and will definitely be using safe, biodegradable soaps whenever we bathe in streams or do our laundry out there.

I think a non-electric clothes washing option is a good idea for anyone to consider, camping or not.  Especially our friends in LA and NYC, where blackouts have been known to happen.  It's bad enough you're sweaty and don't have A/C--don't let your drawers get stinky, too!  Have you ever read any/watched any long term survivalist books/shows?  Sanitation is important.  I'm not really a doomsday type, but I guess that book about the aftermath of nuclear war from 9th grade made a small impression.  I think the Wonderwash is a great option for dorms and city apartment dwellers who hate dragging enormous sacks of laundry to the laundromat as much as I did.

Well, it looks like I'm getting stuck on a conversation with myself about a washing machine.  I think it's time to wrap this blog post up.  We will be renovating and packing boxes and our POD all week, as well as dumping a ton of stuff we don't need to drag across the country.  Maybe we'll have a yard sale/giveaway and a Farewell Dirty South party.  I'll keep you posted.