"Spring won't let me stay in this house any longer!
I must get out and breath the air deeply again.'
~ Gustav Mahler ~
While the outside temps stay confused this time of year, with frost two days ago which isn't unusual as frost date is May 15, the calendar says
SPRING and my vote is with the calendar. The farm is looking mighty fine...all but two vehicles are under/behind locked shelter, gates re-hung, horses turned loose in the yard to
mow graze and a slew of other chores started and finished. John or Daniel are going to plow the garden, clothes need hanging on the line and the list of chores
g r o w s but... I took time to play in the Scotty.
Some have read my Scotty story,
here, which continues in the making and in the decorating. For some time, I've been thinking it's a 1967 but checked the title,
finally, and it's a 1965...funny how the memory plays tricks. It's stored in the barn, under a tarp and has a few minor booboo's and a lot of
dirt dust on it. I'm hoping to find someone to
help fix things like the electrical which needs to be done correctly because it looks like I did it (extremely frightening thought!) but I didn't and there's a small leak at the front top window. While camping, that's easily remedied by tying down a tarp over the front upper half and should I be caught in a rain storm while traveling down the highway, I'll seek shelter.
The welcome mat will be placed outside the door while the sunflower mat will stay inside. Camper 'theme' is sunflowers and, eventually, will have happy sunflowers painted on the outside. Before someone starts in on "that's not original" neither is the
nasty pink paint someone used to cover the beautiful birch paneling...ugh! I've bought a lovely linen colored paint and cannot wait for warmer weather to begin.
The sunflower mat is in the middle of the camper...stove behind farm name and bathroom behind red rocker.
The living/bedroom area is under the storage area and back in the day, a small child could sleep in the upper bunk, now a storage area.
I keep a cute towel draped over the upper bunk which helps protect my noggin from being cracked on the board. I'm a short woman and this upper bunk, even when raised, is still about forehead high. My bedding...down duvet center with feather pillows right, foam memory mattress and feather top along with the outside rug, left, is stored on the upper bunk.
Lots of pillows...mostly vintage but some picked up in travels with Dave -
Armenia,
Georgia (the country),
Spain,
Morocco - and others at thrift stores in the USA. The small black fan is a Tornado brand fan and really stirs the air.
My nightstand fits perfectly and with two shelves holds living room and bedroom things. It all needs a bit of tidying but still serviceable and picture worthy; don't you agree?
Oh yes, I'm a huge believer in good mattresses and good shoes; we spend one third of our lives on one and the other two thirds in the other and all needs to be superior. Above is a five inch foam mattress atop the original mattress
and will be topped by a three inch memory foam mattress which will then be topped with the above feather top.
What pea? smile
The small fridge is electric but as soon as I can find something that fits and works better, will be replaced. The ice bucket and tongs are aluminium and antique/vintage. They were part of my MIL's wedding gifts back in the 1930's.
The cupboard above the stove is a bit of a jumble and my vintage Mikassa dinner ware with a sunflower motif is peeking over the top shelf. I'd like to buy matching dishes but it's
difficult impossible to find this particular pattern. The
Pusser's Rum mugs are a souvenir from the
British Virgin Islands; that was the first trip Dave and I took, back when one needed only a legal driver's license, no passport. We rented a thirty-six foot yacht and, for a week, sailed around the islands. The little Scotty dog mug is new.
The original Scotty colors were tuquoise, like the outside, and the stove will be kept turquoise but the pink
(shudder!) walls, cupboards and door will be painted a lovely soft, gentle linen, sooooo much more relaxing and calming and will make this little thirteen foot camper, ball hitch to bumper, seem larger. Living space is around eleven feet, I believe.
Most everything is original... two electric and one propane lights, the table, cushions, stove. The kitchen table is perfect for two people and again with the vintage pillows! The tea set is vintage
Laura Ashley with antique/vintage mismatching creamer and sugar bowl. I'll probably trade out the tea pot for another one that's prissier...a wonderful thing about having this big house...I go shopping and it's free! Susan Branch calendars hang in the window.
It's true most dishes are pottery and could break but some are enamel and used for storage, holding food, washing up, etc.
Here's a great story about the sunflower cup, saucer, napkins and table cloth...while at a thrift store, I started talking to the gent standing behind me (no one is safe from my mouth; I live alone and will talk to a
donkey thinking it could happen again) who was looking at something (??) and mentioned it was similar to what he used while in the Army. I thanked him for serving and he asked about the sunflower goodies. I told him I was buying sunflower "stuff" for my antique/vintage camper and when it was my turn to step up and pay, I found I'd left my wallet in the car. I asked the clerk to put my stuff aside and scooted out of line; when I returned...
surprise!...that gent was paying for my sunflower goodies. He said, "Pay it forward" and made my day...such lovely kindness and when I remember him, he's tucked into prayer. I've always paid it forward but this was the first time someone treated me...
lovely!
The four burner gas stove with oven is beside a smallish sink and the
Eveready light is one Daddy gave me and is so old the battery has to be special ordered! The
Jagermeister bucket does double duty as a wine cooler and utensil holder.
Behind this door is the bathroom/closet/storage room.
The bedside potty chair works just fine, especially with the addition of a heavy duty trash bag and kitty litter (a camping tip).
A hanging wicker mirror matches the bedside table and trash can and can be removed and placed elsewhere. The "I love Lucy" sign came with the camper and as soon as I find someone who has a Lucy theme, will go live with them. That metal contraption is a sofa side table, has a black vinyl top and is the perfect size for sitting outside, beside my red rocking chair...or hammock when I buy one.
My bathroom battery candle nightlight.
As
Jack instructs us, "choose joy." This basket holds my bathroom necessities...towels, washcloths, hand mirror, bath gel, slippers, etc.
This room is also a broom closet where I store the water hose and a few other camping necessities.
The beach umbrella is the perfect size, came with a heavy duty metal holder and can be moved as the sun demands. "Not all who wander are lost" hangs alongside a metal S with encouraging statements on magnets.
If you want to see other vintage campers, click
here then
here. There's still a Part 3 for
Sisters On The Fly Saddle Up so the vintage cuteness isn't over with this post. Thanks for reading; do you have the vintage camper bug now?
"All that is gold does not glitter,
Not all those who wander are lost;
The old that is strong does not wither,
Deep roots are not reached by the frost.
From the ashes a fire shall be woken,
A light from the shadows shall spring;
Renewed shall be blade that was broken,
The crownless again shall be king."
