PeeMan’s Projects: Camper #3

True, it is camper refurb no. 3, but who’s counting? Well, my wife probably. But, as she knows, I can’t sit still for long. The Airstream is great for parking in a scenic spot and staying a while but not ideal for hauling across country. So, I set out to find myself a rolling bedroom. img_1497-2 Just someplace the wife and I can rest our weary bones while we are enjoying our golden years scoping out the wonders of these United States of America. When i finally found this next project, I bought her without even looking inside. I was gonna gut her anyway, so I was only concerned with a solid frame and exterior. Well, when I got her home, I was surprised to find that aside from the purple walls, this metal gem contains original cabinetry and fixtures. I don’t think I can let that go, soooo it’s gonna be more than just a gutting job.
This should keep me busy during the winter months. Speaking of winter months, things are not really slowing down in the pee business, just shifting to the protection of vehicles, campers(like mine), and boats from damage that can be caused by rodents looking for a warm place to stay. So as a result, the peeshots are flying out the door as fast as we can manufacture them. BobcatPeeShots for mice, CoyotePeeShots for rats and ‘coons, FoxPeeShots for squirrels, and WolfPeeShots for domestic and feral cats. I will update you on my camper project progress in a few weeks. In the mean time, make sure you protect your rv, boat, antique vehicle etc. with 100% PredatorPee.

Until I find more words. . .The PeeMan

You Load Sixteen Tons . . .

This post is simply a fulfillment of my blogging101 homework – use a blogging prompt.

This is the prompt I chose – Take the third line of the last song you heard, make it your post title, and write for a maximum of 15 minutes.

“You load sixteen tons and what do you get? Another day older and deeper in debt.”

It just so happens that this particular song Sixteen Tons was one that I included on the cd that I recorded for my daughters for Christmas 2015. Entitled, “Dad Sings Country,” the recording included 3 classic country songs. I got some friends with a recording studio to help me out, and I sang over pre-recorded tracks. I thought that this was a pretty unique gift, and I have to admit I was fairly pleased with myself. That is, until I brought it home for my wife to listen to. After the three tracks were over, with a barely suppressed laugh she said something like, “I think that cd might give the girls nightmares.” Well, so much for my country singing aspirations. I still gave the cds to the girls. Obviously, “Dad Sings Country” is a limited edition – they can at least use it as a coaster. Maybe next year I will try rap – “PeeMan Slays” or something like that.

My fifteen minutes is up – not fifteen minutes of fame for my singing – just fifteen minutes of blogging.

Until I find more words . . .The PeeMan

PeeMan’s Gotta Have Hobbies: Airstream #2 continued

Hello!

It is warm and sunny here and the grass is growing like crazy. Mowing has once again become a regular part of my day, although my wife has grown attached to the zero turn mower, so I don’t have to do quite as much. Anyway, this post is the second in my “second” Airstream refinish. Demolition has continued and I have had to take the floor all the way down and build her again. The walls have mold and years of dingy buildup, so those will have to be cleaned and then painted.(I am hoping to recruit some grandchildren for that task-my 6′ 7″ frame makes painting the rounded walls awkward)The old benches and bathroom area have been pulled out as well. There is really not too much that I liked about the dated interior. I just bought it for that beautiful aluminum shell. Well, this was meant to be a short update today. There will be more to come about the camper. The clock is ticking. It needs to be ready no later than mid July, but preferably sooner. If I can keep up with mowing, gardening, oh and the busy pee season, I should be able to finish it up in time. Until I find more words . . . The PeeMan

PeeMan’s Gotta Have Hobbies: 2nd Airstream Refurb

Greetings from the green North woods!

Sunny and warm today. This post will be short on words and long on pictures. Since this is the second time that I have completely redone the inside of a classic Airstream camper, I decided more photo documentation would be good this time around. As to why I would take on such an endeavor. – I mean, I got pee to sell and a farm to manage, right? Well, it is like this – in order for me to do those things well, I need to have a project. Usually, it is more than one project. I want to work with my hands, mull things over in the solitude, and most importantly – see progress! I like results! So many things that we do in our lives either don’t produce clear results or the results may come after we’ve passed on. I may not pay close attention to the little details or do it like a carpenter would, but you bet I will get ‘er done!

The beginning

before: inside view 1

before: inside view 2

before: inside view 4

Well, as you can see, she wasn’t too pretty when I started. I ripped out all of the beds/couches and the table area. I only really kept the kitchen unit. Even the overhead cabinets came out. The outside is really nice to look at but the dated, plastic interior had to go. As soon as it was warm enough to work in the unheated storage area where the camper is kept, I began ripping and tearing and basically gutting the metal beast. Progress has been swift and many more pictures will follow in the weeks to come. This is just to give you a taste and to begin from, well from the beginning. The first step to getting results!

Until I find more words(and pictures). . .The PeeMan

before: inside view 3

Hunting the Airstream – PeeMan’s Gotta Have Hobbies

Greetings from the North Woods!

It is a balmy 57 degrees outside, and even though the weather hasn’t quite made up its mind, the leaves have decided that autumn in Maine is here. Currently, I am spending A LOT of time readying Winterberry Farm for the annual church harvest party. I have been painting the house, mowing, and moving any and all unsightly debris from view. Also, I have put the Scout, the boat, and the new Airstream inside the pee warehouse for the winter.

Yes, I was quite proud of myself for backing the metallic beast into place in the building, but unfortunately no one was around to witness my incredible maneuvering skills. But, the Airstream is in the building, and it didn’t get there by itself! Anyway, the Airstream just happens to be the topic of today’s post. As you may recall, I have completely renovated an Airstream in the not so distant past. Well, I thought that I was going to have more ready access to that particular camper when I was done with it than I actually did. So, this summer began the hunt for an Airstream of my very own.

I soon came to discover that many other baby boomers have also decided that the “silver bullet” campers are desirable, and availability is limited. I spent hours scouring Craigslist, perusing the latest Uncle Henry’s(Maine’s very own paper Craigslist), and ramming back roads in search of THE one that I could refurbish and make my very own. Needless to say, this search led to a few adventures. One example involved a trip in the pouring rain to a remote wooded lot where we were to meet a man who was selling the camper for a friend. Well, when my wife bailed out of the truck in the torrential rain and sought refuge in the sorely neglected camper to wait for the man to show up, the seemingly abandoned Airstream was actually occupied by the very inebriated “friend”! Being the gracious person that she is, my wife tried to make small talk as she backed slowly towards the door. No cash changed hands that day!

Long story short, eventually I was able to secure at an excellent price a camper that is actually bigger than the one I refurbished previously. So, when the snow starts flying and my outside activities are limited, I plan to spend a good deal of time lovingly turning this giant aluminum can once again into a thing of beauty as I daydream about warm summer breezes and reading by the campfire.

Until I find more words. . .The Peeman

Sure Signs of Spring: Chicken Wrangling and PeeMan in the Garden

Greetings!

I hope everyone had an enjoyable Memorial Day weekend. We owe a deepest debt of gratitude to those men and women who have fought and died in the fight to keep our great country free. Thank you.

Well, it is 58 degrees out. No worries about getting the air conditioners in any time soon. I haven’t even thought about getting the pool ready(and I am usually ready for it in April!). Spring is definitely taking her sweet time this year. We have had plenty of moisture but sunshine has been a rare commodity. However, certain events of this past weekend are undeniable indicators of Spring’s return(however reluctant) – the 8 chicks were moved out of their “chickubator” and into the hen house.

First day in hen house

That was the easy part.

New Chicken Run

Getting Brown Betty and The Amish Hen into their new spacious digs was a bit more challenging.

It involved some tricky manuevering, some edible motivation, and a little coaxing with a badminton racket, but I am pleased to announce that the girls are now enjoying a much bigger run and spacious hen condominium.

Secondly, last year’s pig sty(R.I.P Stanley)was disassembled and a new, much more luxurious and commodious pen was built in a new location in anticipation of the arrival of 2 piglets.

New pig digs

The environmentally conscious man that I am, I simply couldn’t let all that rich, nutrient filled earth left behind by pig pen #1 go to waste. So, that is now officially the PeeMan’s garden patch. Since it is mine, and it is hidden so as not to offend my wife’s aesthetic sensibilities, I get to grow what I want in it, so the corn has been planted and squash and pumpkins will soon follow.

PeeMan’s garden

My daughter has also laid claim to some of the land for her own garden this year and the peas and lettuce have already been planted. As soon as the seeds sprout, the WolfPee will be put around the garden plot to protect the tender shoots from any hungry animals.

Pea trellis

Well, that just about brings things up to date here at the PeeMan’s farm. I hope it is warm and sunny where you are, and don’t forget to protect your gardens this summer with 100% PredatorPee – Accept no substitutes!

Until I find more words . . .The PeeMan

Farewell to Stanley the Pig

Happy Epiphany or 12th Day of Christmas!

It is raining and windy today and the melting snow and rain is making walking a bit treacherous and leaking roofs a common occurrence. But, yesterday, before the rain came, Stanley the pig was loaded up in my hand-fashioned mobile pig crate and put on board my truck in preparation for his one way trip to the butcher. He actually enjoyed a longer life than a lot of the other local pigs due to the fact that we couldn’t get the appointment until now. But, as is inevitable for most pigs(except Wilbur, of course)the end had to come for Stanley. I think he may have had a notion of what was coming because all attempts that I had made to entice him into the portable pen had been met with frantic resistance. I was envisioning needing an army of pig wrestlers, but in the end all it took was some firm goading by my son-in-law(guess he missed his calling as a pig whisperer). And, almost as soon as he realized that he was crated, good old Stanley just resigned himself to his certain fate and laid down.

I offer this tribute to Stanley’s final moments for all you non-farming animal lovers out there, but you really must know that all I am thinking about is how much pork I am going to get to put in my freezer. Until I find more words. . .The PeeMan

Yes it is on skiis

Good Old Stanley

portable pig pen

Raising the Roof

Greetings from the FROZEN North Woods! It is currently 28 degrees and while a brief warm up will bring rain instead of snow, it is back to brisk temperatures for Thanksgiving which means ice skating with the grandkids is not outside the realm of possibility.

While my last post feature the first episode of our PredatorPee Unleashed video series(more to come soon), this post is more of an update on the goings on at Winterberry Farm – the PeeMan’s homestead. Before the wife and I headed south for our 40th anniversary celebration trip, I had a few things to get done around the property. My major project of the fall season has been the installation and completion of a heavy duty metal and fabric building meant to house the boat, airstream, chickens, the Scout – oh yeah and maybe some pee related stuff.

The project involved the erection of several metal hoops and then the reinforcement of said hoops. I NEVER EVER want to see another sheet metal screw in my life. I had shards of hot metal flying back toward my face with every single installation. Anyway, while I usually tend to be a loner when it comes to construction projects(I do it my way and I don’t want to have to explain it or answer a hundred questions), the actual installation of the building cover was definitely not a one man job. So, I called in a few select helpers, constructed my own winches and voila got that baby up and over in no time flat. Actually, my daughter was quite impressed that it worked right the first time. I usually get the job done, but not without a little or a lot of trial and error.

Anyway, now Brown Betty and the Amish hen have taken up residence in their new digs along side my metal beauty and some other of my “projects.” Here are some pics. Hope everyone has a Happy Thanksgiving! Until I find more words. . .The PeeMan