Nearly the winter Solstice – 2023.

The shortest day is tomorrow. So Colin and I thought we would go for a ride today!

I haven’t ridden much recently due to weather, trailer build and a lump of sun damage taken from my scalp. The stitches were just where one of the helmet webbing straps sits and the amount of skin removed was close to that which would need a skin graft. Good after-surgery care from Sue means it all went well.

I also had a biopsy of another spot which has turned out to be an actual skin cancer. Cutting it out would require a skin graft but it can be dealt with using a good old toxic scouring cream (Efudix). A 4 week process and things will get sore after week two – probably preventing helmet wearing and so riding, for another week or two. Latitude 53° north born red heads aren’t constructed for Australian conditions.

But it’s good here !!

---

Nearly the shortest day ride

The 21st dawned sunny, blue skies and very frosty. The garbage bin lids were frozen to the bin body and several plants looked a bit sad.

Yes, the grass all round was frosted but one intrepid soul was mowing his nature strip!! Not sure that’s good for grass but I suspect he was a garden maintenance business and you can’t get behind schedule.

First order of business for me was to cover the camper trailer as the frost, which forms on the inside of the shed, thaws and then drips over stuff. When I was a boy in England, many houses would have overnight frost forming on the inside of bedroom windows – it was said that Jack Frost had visited. I guess, with all the central heating installed since then, this no longer happens.

Knowing the ride would be cool I dug out several layers to wear and found a packet of hand warmers left over from last year. One in each mitt really does work wonders for my fingers.

We rode over to Bishopsbourne in the wintery sun. It was too cold to stop for pictures but we did have a rest and talk stop in the sunshine at the sports ground. The ride home was even colder as the sun disappeared behind a grey cloudy haze.

At home by 12.30pm and there was still plenty of ice in the birdbath.

PS: the rougher bits of road caused the helmet to bounce onto the repaired scalp. I found wearing a beanie under the helmet helped immensely.

---

The Camper Trailer – Level 2

Just under a month ago I began the build of my version of the Beriault Bicycle Camper. The month has gone quickly and I can say I was working on the camper most days. Not every hour but little and often.

How far have I got? Well, yesterday I attached the hinged Level 2 walls. There are still the push-outs to build, the boxes to go inside the push-outs and several small L1/2 finishing off jobs to do. Then we start on Level 3 – the hood.

I can’t find suitable hasps to join the level 2 sides together as per the plans. I will continue to think about that and do research for several ideas while building the push-outs.

I also need some time to contemplate building the hood – Level 3. I can’t get large enough sheets of 5mm coreflute to build it using single sheets for each side and the roof but it needs to be unbroken for strength. I will test laminating pieces of coreflute with the objective of laminating two layers of 3mm coreflute to get to the right width/length. Then I will co-opt Colin to assist with the lamination of the beams – he is a qualified furniture builder and, not only has he more skill, he has a lot of clamps to add to mine. The beams need a lot !! Altogether this will be the trickiest level to build and has to be right.

Enough with the problems and maybes – here’s the positive stuff :

The most interesting part of the Level 2 build was the left hand side. It’s a wall with windows, fly screens and awnings.

The plans show 3 windows and one outside awning to cover them. My Coreflute is not long enough to do either the wall or the awning in one piece – so I built the wall using two pieces and then 3 mini-awnings; one for each window. The awning openers will be built next week – using welding rod!! The plans show how, as do Robert B’s supporting videos.

Here is a look at the build process for level 2 :

And now, for your interest and amusement – this is how I get into the trailer !

---

As time and work progresses I find myself calling the trailer my Folly.

From Brittanica : folly, (from French folie, “foolishness”), also called EYECATCHER, in architecture, a costly, generally nonfunctional building that was erected to enhance a natural landscape. 

The term “foolishness” is probably appropriate but “costly”, “nonfunctional”, “enhances the landscape” ? Maybe I haven’t thought it through !

---

’til next time ……………………………………………..