The Cat Drag'd Inn

Seen at Walmart in Deming, NM.

 I like to think I have some creative juices flowing

but this person has got it going on.

 They definitely have everything with

them to sustain life (somewhere).

 I just had to talk with them but no one answered the door.

I guess they were in Walmart restocking supplies.

The Cat Drag'd Inn!

I thought to myself, 'With a name like that they must have a,  website'.  This is what I found, www.thecatdragdinn.org.  Don't know if it belongs to this bus but it sure looks like it.

Leonard

One More Time, Another Awe Sh#%! moment

 While installing my MAXX AIR 7000 roof fan I just happen to notice another awe Sh#%! moment!  Actually it's a good thing that I was installing the fan as I did not know that I had caused other problems during other conversion projects.

The fan receiver installed in place.

Imagine my surprise while crawling around on the roof when I looked just forward of where I was installing the fan and saw power nails protruding through the roof.

And to my suprise!

Awe Sh#%!

I was really working it.

Awe Sh#%!,   Sh#%!

I was previously installing ceiling paneling and the framing around the shroud for the fan and A/C.  I was using an air nailer and forgot to check the length of the nails before I started shooting.  Oh, well, another AWE SHUCKS moment!

See other AWE SHUCKS moments here.

Stick around, I'm sure there'll be more.

Oops!

Making Simple Cabinet Doors From Scrap Wood

Part of my ongoing school bus conversion project calls for cabinets through the entire bus.  These are the latest cabinets I built from donated scrap wood.

Bedroom cabinets

These were very simple to make. 

A basic 2" X 2' wooden frame and 1/2" OSB board base. 

The doors are as you see here.

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Living room cabinets

A little fancier door was required for the living room.

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Over entry door compound cabinet door

A compound cabinet door.

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Over entry door compound cabinet door

Hinged in the middle and opens up.

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Living room curio cabinets with LED lighting

 Curio cabinets with LED lighting.

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Living room curio cabinets with LED lighting

  Curio cabinets with LED lighting with room lights off.

See entire process at Instructables.com.  

And as usual,

Stick around... There's more to come.

Leonard

leonardsteward.com

Stain Wood With Snapple Iced Tea

This is certainly not a new idea. People have stained wood for years with such things as food coloring, clothing dye, berries and just about any other colored liquid you can imagine.

If you've been following my slow moving school bus conversion project you'll know that I'm converting a school bus to live, work and travel in. Right now I have an OSB board for a kitchen countertop. I've been kicking around what kind of countertop I wanted to make but I knew that I wanted to embed a map of the US in it. A friend donated me a load of 40 year old cedar planking and the wheels started turning. I purchased a map puzzle of the US on Etsy.com and the rest is history.

See entire process at Instructables.com.  

Stick around... There's more to come.

Leonard

leonardsteward.com

A One Man Habitat for Humanity

A man was so upset seeing a homeless woman on the streets that he decided to build her a house.

Everyone can't travel off to build homes for people

or set off and single handedly build a home for someone else.

Many can't even volunteer locally.

"How you can help".

Let's Start Being Human!

(Quote from http://www.gofundme.com/mythpla)

How to have fun when you retire!

Take a break from your work.

Put on some good music.

And be who you really are!

Taking a break from volunteer house building with habitat for humanity.

See more pictures.

A Future Homeowner

Here's a future Habitat home owner and her children standing in what will soon be her living-room.

Below is her own personal ground breaking ceremony!

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What's scarier than a woman with a gun?

A woman with a nail gun!

Way to go Joan!

More pictures

Habitat for Humanity Hobbs, NM Salazar Family Key Ceremony Program

On March 4, 2015 the Salazar family of Hobbs, NM received the key to their new home.

More

More

More about Habitat for Humanity.

More on Habitat for Humanity

The RV Care-A-Vanner 25th anniversary celebration in Springfield, MO

I had the opportunity to attend the RV Care-A-Vanner 25th anniversary celebration in Springfield, MO April 21st - May 5th 2014.

“The RV Care-A-Vanner program is a special part of Habitat’s ministry that has played a significant role in improving the lives of thousands of people across North America,” said Jonathan Reckford, CEO of Habitat for Humanity International. “We thank all the volunteers for their continued support and dedication to this program for the past 25 years.”

During the two-week building event hosted by Habitat for Humanity of Springfield, volunteers and RV Care-A-Vanners will build two new homes and perform critical home repairs in Legacy Trails, a planned Habitat community.

Read more about the event here.

Below are a few pictures from the event.

I had the privilege of working on the above house.  It went to a mother and daughter named Dee and Gypsy Rose, Hurricane Katrina survivors.  You can see Gypsy Rose on the porch in her wheel chair.  She is a very encouraging young lady and has a very bright outlook on life in spite of many obstacles.  You can read some of her story here or here.

Above is Gypsy Rose and her mother Dee.

See more pictures from this event here.

Thanks for looking.

Leonard

Habitat for Humanity

Habitat for Humanity RV CARE-A-VANNERS

I've been volunteering with Habitat for Humanity for the past month in Hobbs, NM.  I will probably be here for an additional four weeks.

The Habitat for Humanity RV CARE-A-VANNERS is a volunteer program for anyone who travels in a recreational vehicle, wants to build Habitat houses and have fun doing it. RV Care-A-Vanners welcomes people of all ages, from all walks of life who want to pick up a hammer and help change lives.  

There are ample opportunities to learn and plenty of meaningful work for everyone. No previous construction experience is necessary!  Find out more at http://www.habitat.org/rv.

Click here to view more pictures of the building projects I precipitated on.

If you aren't having fun whatever you are doing...

You need to be doing something else!

Leonard