The Sleuth.

Tuesday, January 15, 2019

I have been meaning to sit down and write this story for a very long time.  Seeing how it is nearly half way through the first month of the new year, I'd be remiss in not taking a moment to reflect on one of our biggest undertakings ever.  If I could think of one word to describe the story of The Sleuth, it would be tenacity.  It is a story of dirt under your nails determination to finish something well.  We questioned our sanity on so many levels most days.  It is a true beauty from ashes tale that we will always hold so tight.  Alas, here it is.  The story of The Sleuth.
If we could give you unsolicited advice.  Don't go perusing Craigslist for campers at the end of the season.  People are all too willing to make you deals that you cannot pass up so that they don't have to store for winter.  Well, we found ourselves staring at this cute 13' 1962 Aristocrat Lo Liner and couldn't pass it up.  She needed a bit of TLC and a certain little boy thought it was the bee's knees that he could drive it with his trusty green tractor. 
We knew we wanted to do a few cosmetic upgrades to the camper.  We thought maybe we would tear up the plush carpet (ack!) and paint the interior.  The 1960's may have been good for some things, but perhaps not the outfitting of Aristocrat Lo Liners.
So, the night we came home we started our mini renovation.
Oh, the naive bliss.  Well, until a curious stench lead us to open the wheel well.  We'll spare you the grotesque happenings next.  Let's just say it demanded a breathing mask.
Suddenly our "mini" project took a turn towards "massive" project and never looked back.
 
 
We ended up tearing the camper down to it's original trailer, only to find that it had stress fractures and needed to be welded back together.  Kerry painstakingly kept all the walls together as a template and our yard boasted his thoroughness...for months.
The rebuild was slow and tedious.
Needless-to-say, this project was intense and demanding and way more taxing than we were anticipating when we hooked her up to bring her home.  But often, it seems, there is much beauty in pushing through the hard.
 
 
 This fall Palette of Light captured these pretty photos of our favorite souls and our favorite project.
The Sleuth, named by our oldest daughter after her beloved Nancy Drew, has been a catalyst for adventure.  It has kept us in the sweetest of places in the craziest of weather.  A safe haven in the woods.  If this girl has taught us anything, it is doing hard things does matter.  It refines you.  Tenacity.  And that some things and some people are so worth the effort.  Whether we keep you forever or not, dear Sleuth, you were the best thing to happen to us in 2018. 

2 comments:

  1. Such a beautiful family and adorable little camper! A great story, I enjoyed reading it and looking at your pictures, the happiness just shines ❤

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  2. For the homeowner a 36"-50" deck will often suffice (Indeed, a larger mower might be impractical given the constraints of a smaller yard). best riding lawn mower

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