Ok, I haven't been building so much as striping out the stuff if came with and making plans. Today the inside looks like this.

What's in the box? I'll get to that...next post. It's also a pretty good kiddo playhouse. (no rearview mirrors were harmed in taking of the photo)

And good for transporting Christmas Trees.

When last I wrote, I was just starting to remove the wall panels. Well since then, I've removed pretty much everything. Some lovely folks drove up from south of DC and took the shelves and bulkhead, and left me a little cash for them. I ripped out the floor. Well, mostly, the floor mat was riveted(?) grommetted(?) to the metal floor in 5 places. I had to use a razor blade knife to cut it out. There are still tufts of matting at the grommet points. It was not a fun task, but its (mostly) done now.

And I finially figured out how to get the rear sill plate off. First challenge was figuring out what it was called so I could google it. I kinda like the sill plate, and probably will be reinstalling it, so I wanted to remove it gentlely. Turns out, you have to pry off 5 little covers and then unbolt these 5 little hex screws. With a 6mm ratchet of all things. Everything else has been 7/16" or 1/2" nuts. Go figure. Fortunately, I've had many years of acquiring tools, so I had a 6mm ratchet. Yay, me.

There is just a little smattering of rust. I will rustoleum that shortly. Still thinking what to do with the several holes in the floor. Patch them? Plug them (with what??)? Leave them? 

I spend time watching youtube and reading blogs on RVing. Also reading FB groups, but that's less enlightening. I'm in a FB van life build group where every f'ing day someone new posts "What van should I buy?" And there are a bunch of people who just want to snark. I figure I'll be leaving that group soon. Still sticking around for the electrical advice - for now. I'm in ANOTHER FB group for female transit vanlifers. And that group is lovely. Everyone is very helpful and supportive. 

Anywhooo, electrical. I've figure out my shore power approach. It's this, complete with link of power plug to buy: 

Thank you random youtube guy. I like not drilling a hole in my van side!

I ordered a MaxxAir vent fan. Should be here around New Years. Then I'll have to cut a 14" x14" hole in my roof. RV store never called me back, so I have to figure out another option for installation. I'm sure I know someone around here who know someone who knows what they are doing with respect to autobody mods.

I'm still unclear how I will power the vent fan. Thinking it through. Obviously I'm gonna need a battery of some sort. That can charge while I drive or from shore power (and maybe someday from solar). I'll get there, but I have time.

PS: I also made a library with all my van photos. Some of which are copied into my posts, lots of which are not. 

I got the licence plate and it's now registered all legal like in Delaware. Hurray.

But of course it is getting a vanity tag, so this tag is just temporary. I put it on anyway, because I may need to get a Christmas Tree in it this weekend.

I called the local RV store about installing shore power for me. I know I *could* do it myself, but this (and the ceiling vent) I'm quite happy to pay a professional. .. they haven't called me back.

I started removing the inside fluff, err, wall panels. So far no rust! Yay. I'm thinking I may reuse the panels after I put insulation in the walls. I wonder if I can paint/stencil them. ... I don't really want plain black walls.

I ordered insulation. I'm going with Haverlock Wool for the walls/ceiling because reasons. It should get here in 4-6 weeks. Although I'm going with polyiso insulation for the floor, covered probably with 1/4" plywood. Also because reasons. I'll doubtlessly go into the reasons at some point, but this is pretty much the case for wool. 

The resources out there are staggering. Quite the subculture, it's easy to get sucked into "research" for hours on end. MUST RESIST. . . this GreenRV site sucked me in today on my insulation and flooring research. And will likely do so again in the future.

Current effort:

Step NOW: Continue to remove interior fluff and unneeded stuff

Step NEXT: Drag in my camping cots to see how/if they'd fit (I have 3). And the trifold mattresses (I have 2). Nag the RV store on shore power/vent fan installation.

Step AFTER Next: Get moving on the floor.

Pending: Electrical design -beyond Shore Power hookup (Alternator Power Hookup). 

I got a Medium Top Used 150-Ford Transit 2015 Cargo Van. Bought it in Connecticut, picked it up last weekend, getting it tagged at the Delaware DMV today (God willing and the creek don't rise.)

It currently has shelves and a bulkhead divider in it. Which I need to take out. I posted the shelves/bulkhead on FB marketplace and craigslist, no takers yet.

I do NOT plan to live in this van full time. I do plan to take it to parks for a few nights (the type of parks that have bathhouses). I plan to sleep in it at rest stops. I don't expect to be spending more than 5 nights in a row in it. 

I expect it will be just me sleeping in the van 50% of the time; 25% of the time to have my kid with me, 25% of the time to have another adult with me.

My first scheduled trip is to the Delaware Seashore state park (Indian River Inlet) for 3 nights in early April, most likely with my 10yr old. The second trip will be 2 weeks of hiking in Utah with my brother. We'll sleep in the van on the drive out and back, but will be in tents/hotels for the hike. These are guided hikes where the outfitters take care of sleeping accommodations.

So I have 3-1/2 months to get this van into "sleep for 3 nights" in 40degree weather condition. Also to get myself into "hike for 2 weeks" condition.

I've been thinking and dreaming on how to proceed. The blank canvas is a bit daunting, but also exciting. So breaking the build down into smaller and smaller pieces so I can attack them one at a time. 

Step NOW: Get it tagged

Step NEXT: Remove the Shelving & bulkhead (and other interior fluff), which I could use an extra set of hands for. Which I don't have, so it'll be interesting. In non-Covid time I'd get a neighbor to help - in particular the young dad from across the street who is always very helpful when you, say, need a half dead mouse dispatched from under your sink or need help changing a flat. Or I'd throw a deconstruction party of sorts. Stupid plague. Just going to have to figure out how to muddle through from within my bubble.

Step AFTER Next: Figure out Vent Fan installation. Figure out heat and AC (?) options.

Pending: Electrical design - Shore Power hookup, Alternator Power Hookup; Insulation choices;  Sound deadening

Ok, it's apparently to me now that I need a step 0: Start a document to get all my thoughts together. Doing that now.

In a lovely November weekend, I head out to my local winery. While buying a case, I notice there is a photo of a Mason-Dixson crownstone framed on the wall.

I get excited. “You have a Mason-Dixson stone! Can I see it?!!?”

Alas, I was informed, it’s on the owner’s property, and not available for public viewing. Except EXCEPT, occasionally when they do the behind the scenes vineyard tours. Which they aren’t doing now due to Covid, but expect to do so again. As one of the workers there carried my case out, he took me to the side and pointed out where the stone is - in the distance, behind the vines, under a tree. 

I am so going back for the Vineyard tour.

Mason and Dixon and crew placed "crownstones" every 5 miles, way back in 1763. Smaller stone markers were placed in the inbetween miles. The stones were quarried in England, and crown stones were engraved with the crests of the two great houses that commissioned the survey: House Penn and House Cavert. (Calvert was also Lord Baltimore, and the Maryland state flag has this same graphic on two quardrents of its flag)

Five miles north of the Harvest Ridge Winery is the town of Marydel, on the border of Maryland and Delaware. In an unassuming spot by the road is a little chain marked square, with a crownstone inside. My understanding is that this marker was removed and displayed in St. Louis in 1904, and later in Baltimore. It was returned to Marydel in 1954 and was reset in 1964. So it may be a few feet off the original spot. 

The next day, we traveled south to the south western most point of Delaware. I planned the route to take us across on the Woodland Ferry. (Google maps doesn't realize this ferry is an option, so you have to convince it.) Apparently this ferry has been running since 1743ish, by the Cannon family, who were eventually granted “exclusive ferrying rights”. The Cannons ran the ferry for 100 years, among other business ventures. The Deldot brochure on the ferry mentions a jilted groom, strongarm foreclosures, slaving, and honey disputes that end in death. Apparently the Cannons were assholes, and their demise was not mourned. The county and eventually the state took over the ferry, which is free to use today. It’s about a 2 minutes crossing and can fit 4-6 vehicles at a time. (And from my home in Dover to the southwest corner of Delaware, only a 5 minute detour from google’s “fastest route”.)

Anyhow, at the south western most point of Delaware there is - you guessed it - and monument placed by Mason & Dixon. It is another crownstone, called the Transpeninsular Midpoint Marker and it is much better protected than the Marydel one. Also in the protective cage are 2 smaller survey stones done by other surveyors before Mason & Dixon came around. Mason & Dixon verified the earlier survey work. There is ALSO a third smaller stone, which apparently is just there because when they were building the cage, a local had it, thought it looked similar and belonged with the others, so put it with them. Another point for my Delaware is Awesome tally.

People throw change into the cage. Dunno why. We left our 2cents and moseyed on.

My research of Mason-Dixon markers on the Delaware Border. All of which I plan to go see in the near(ish) future.

• Glasgow - Marker on Rt 40 - article from 2016  https://www.newarkpostonline.com/news/historians-trying-to-save-mason-dixon-marker-on-route-40/article_81651878-042b-530d-b757-87cca773fd53.html
• Elkton, MD Mile Marker 1 Tangent Stone This might be the same one as above https://www.waymarking.com/waymarks/WMPG7Q_Mason_Dixon_Tangent_Stone_Elkton_MD
• Marydel Crownstone https://archives.delaware.gov/historical-markers-map/mason-dixon-crownstone/
• Delmar Mason-Dixon Middle Point Marker https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=74130
• Mardela Springs, MD unused stone https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=3847
• Rumor of a stone near MD291/DE6 which would be 10 miles due north of the Marydel one . . . meaning there also should be one on rt 300, which would be 5 miles north . .. And maybe one not to far from the Harvest Ridge (where I'm a member of their wine club!) winery, 5 miles south?
• And of course the well documented Tri-State Monunent with its trail from Delaware's White Clay Creek state park https://www.hikingproject.com/trail/7029135/tri-state-marker-trail

At the northwest corner of Delaware, where it meets Pennslyvania & Maryland, is the “Tri-State Marker”. It was first located by Mason and Dixon back in 1765, though the marker was placed later, in 1849. I learned pretty much everything I know about it from this newspaper article from 2015: https://www.newarkpostonline.com/news/new-trail-provides-first-public-access-to-mason-dixon-tri-state-marker/article_a5ec3a04-fe1a-58d4-a317-93c3e887c863.html

I’ve hiked to the marker twice this year, from Delaware's White Clay Creek State Park starting at the Chambers House Nature Center parking lot. It’s about a 3.5 mile roundtrip, meaning an hour and a half walk for me. I walk slow, and stop to look at things a lot. I had the path mostly to myself when I hiked it Friday afternoon, saw just 6 others in the 1.5 hours I was walking.

I understand you can also walk to the monument through other shorter pathways, but I haven’t done so. That’s an adventure for another time.

Note: The Chambers House nature center is also the location of one of the Selfie spots for the Delaware State Parks passport program. It's still closed due to COVID, but I saw some staff heading in to work. They arehoping to repoen in January. They gave me a map, and seemed to think the walk to the monument was "far". 

Trip start

OUTBOUND

Trail is mostly wooded trees, but it does open up to a field or two upon occasion. You cross from Delaware to Pennsylvania pretty early in the hike. And yeah, I bough hiking boots (Merrells). Last time I hiked this in the Spring, I had just bought hiking sandles (Tevas), which I love. But it's getting too crisp for sandles.

THE MONUMENT

I later learned (from reading that article above) that the monument has no D because in Mason-Dixon's time, Delaware was still part of Pennsylvania. Hence 2 P’s , 2 M’s no D.

THE WAY BACK

On the way back you cross into Delaware, then back into Pennsylvania, then back into Delaware.  Also, there is a peace love & happiness tree (Yo peeps: don't graffiti trees, even with nice sentiments). I understand there is a CAVE near one of these PA/DE borders, on the PA side. Something to look for next time.

So, pretty easy hike, cool historical marker, not crowded. Recommended.

I take myself out and about to expand my horizons on a fairly regular basis. I'm retired, and mom only 50% of the time. Meaning even after house keeping, I have a lot of free time. In this year of not-leaving-the-country, and not willing to risk getting on a domesticc flight, I've been learning about things to do within driving distance.

I've been thinking of my trips as Quests or Missions. These are the ones I'm currently working on:

1. Delaware State Park Passport Quest. One goes to each of 19 state parks, take a self at a designated location in each park, and submit the photos to the park system via an online form. I think you get a free pass for next year if you complete it. I've been to 13, 6 to go!  https://destateparks.com/Passport

2. Delaware Tourism has 5 "Trails" you can complete.

• Delware on Tap, (I'd be 11/34th done if I'd know about this earlier)
  
• Delaware Discoveries (3/9th done!),
  
• Delaware History,
  
• Delaware Outdoor, and
  
• Delaware Culinary trail.
  

Frankly, I just learned that there were 5 of them. Like, today. I've been working on the Delaware Discoveries one, but now I think I'll work on all of them. At once! Yeah! https://www.visitdelaware.com/things-to-do/trails/

3. The Mason-Dixon markers: Ok, I made this one up. But there is the Tri-State Marker in White Clay Creek park (been there! twice!), a Mason-dixon crownstone marker across from a gas station in MaryDel, and a Middle Point Marker on Delaware's southern border near Delmar.  There may be another crownstone 10 miles north of the Marydel stone. It's a bit of a scavenger hunt. There is a site that documents all of the PA-MD stones, but not the Delaware ones.

4. For beyond Delaware: I found out last month that the National Park system has a Passport book. Like a real booklet that is setup for you to collect stamps. I have 4 stamps already! https://americasnationalparks.org/passport-to-your-national-parks/

Are there more quests? I'm sure there are. But theses are the ones I'm keen on just now. 

<since I'm now home all the time, I started playing DnD again after all these years. Stephalorus is my current character, a young fighter. This is a letter to her older sister, who is also a fighter out adventuring somewhere in the other half of the world.>

Dearest Candalorus,

I hope this letter finds you well. I don’t know what adventures you’ve gotten yourself into or where you are just now, so I’m sending this to Da. I hope he can forward it to you, and that this finds you in good health.

As you know, I have been traveling in Vilhon and was in the city of Northbridge as of late. Few weeks ago I fell in with a group of other travelers (ok, we were newly met drinking buddies) and we got ourselves hired as caravan protection heading to Redport. Haha, yes, I know. Me, a caravan guard just like you were! Following in your footsteps, sis! 

I was expecting it to be a dull trek escorting the esteemed Lord Grahm Weylan and entourage to the capital Redport, but it has been anything but. Yeah, that Weylan, the brother to Lord Tomin Weylan, new ruler of the Duchey of Storm Coast! If Da hadn’t dragged us along as kids all those times to see every minor nobility that came to town, I would be cowed by His Greatness. Instead, I just try to keep my own council and let the more charming members of our group do the talking. Mostly.

Word is, if we are judged exceptional over the course of this journey, we may be able to find employment with House Weylan. Then at least you’ll know where to send my care packages!

Apparently Lord Tomin is traveling by ship to the capital as we escort Lord Grahm overland. Lord Grahm is also checking out the local leadership and securing support as he goes, and driving out hostiles (both man and beast) along the way. And things are not as peaceful as they once were. As you know, the succession was initially contested and there is lingering unrest. 

My crew consists of a young priestess of the light (i.e. Goddess Ann Barros) named Keydove, a small fledgling wizard Mertly (who has a pet cat! A very useful pet cat! I never knew pets could be so helpful!), and a spry sneaky roguish sort Drago who is surprisingly good in a fight. We had another woodsman join us for a while, but he got pretty roughed up and has decided being caravan muscle isn’t for him. We’re trying to come up with a crew name. We are using TEAM RIGHTEOUS, but that’s not exactly a fit. Still hoping to come up with something better.

Anyway, we are tasked with scouting ahead, and we weren’t more than a few days into the trek when we came upon a looted farmstead with defiled slaughtered sheep outside. We took a look, and sadly found bodies of the farmers, some funds and notes, and surprisingly a trapped great mountain cat of sorts. A cougar maybe? Anyway, right after we dispatched the vicious cat to kitty heaven, we were attacked by some goblins. I know, goblins, right! Just like you always said, those pesky vermin are always popping up and causing headaches. We kept one alive for questioning. So yes dear Canda, I did listen to your advice of not killing all the vermin, in case one can prove useful.

Back at camp with the main force the goblin was questioned, and it became clear that there was a *great* goblin shaman Scragnar who had a band followers harassing and pillaging the countryside. They were holed up in ruins nearby. So we went in and cleared that place out, killed Shaman Scraggy, and rescued a captured noble Lord Daren Delvo. It’s great to have the gratitude of a Lord, and he saw to it that our gear was upgraded nicely afterwards. And we got some cool loot - including a potion of Enlargement, haha. Oh, and it turns out that these goblins were not random vermin, but encouraged by some nefarious party. We’re still trying to sort that out. Regrettably, this is also where our woodsman friend took some grievous wounds, and decided to give up the dangerous fighting life.

Oh, when we got back to the main caravan, there was an attempt on Lord Gramln’s life - they even got into his lordships private pavilion before they were stopped. We helped defend him, and subsequently learned that not everyone is happy with the current power structure. And that his brother is also threatened. Nothing really we can do from here except hustle on to Redport.

And man, that goblin escapade seems like a walk in the park compared to what has transpired since. And it seems so long ago, even if it was only a few weeks past. After bringing Delvo back and foiling the assassination attempt, we headed on again as advance guard. The next stop was supposed to be the village of Highmeadow. But as we got to the area, we instead found a lake. Apparently there had been a natural dam break that flooded the entire town. Highmeadow was completely submerged. While we were still trying to figure out what had happened, we found some woeful miners camped out in the hills.

The miners told us a strange tale of bizarre happenings in their mine. They had broken through to a lower, more ancient level and to their horror they released a necromancer. Or at least an evil dude with a staff that is raising the dead. Yikes. OF COURSE we decided to deal with that issue. 

So we went, met some faeries on the way, killed a boar and ate oh so well that day, cleared out the undead filled mine with help of a friendly ghost (I killed an undead skeletal Owlbear! I kept its skull as a helmet/trophy. It looks ridiculous. I love it.),  and got some good weaponry from a tomb. Yes, sis, I know. Tomb looting is bad. But we needed the stuff to fight the bigger bad aka undead raising Hekros worshiping staff wielding evil ancient halfling necromancer Tervous Mep. We’ll figure out a way to rebuild the tomb later. Then we killed a Redcap (I HAVE A REDCAP TOOTH NOW!!! I’m gonna mount it on the Owlbear helm.), and we made it back to the lake formerly known as Highmeadow without dying! Even the horses all made it! Well, horses and a dog. Our diminutive wizard Mertly rides a dog. My horse is named Mable. She’s sweet.

I’m writing this from New Highmeadow. They have started rebuilding Highmeadow on higher ground. Maybe they should call it Highermeadow? We just contributed to New Highmeadow’s new temple’s building fund and will have a stone engraved with our names placed there. Tomorrow we’re off to the abandoned Seven Cliffs Monastery, to take care of Necro Mep. I figure if I don’t make it back from attacking this necromancer, at least our names will be remembered in stone. Something to show the grandkids! I mean, assuming. . .

I hope you are well, and hope you are enjoying whatever crazy you’ve gotten yourself into these days. I don’t know when I’ll be in your part of the world again, but I look forward to our reunion someday. I’m sure we’ll both have great tales to share by then. 

You loving sister,

Stephalorus 

I took my 8 year old to Richmond Virgina for a summer roadtrip. We went to the Virginia Fine Arts Museum there - it's free and I'm a big fan.

While in the classical European gallery highlighting 17th and 18th century paintings and tapestries , we see this painting which is clearly not like the others.  So the kiddo asks about it.

I talk to her about how most of the portrait painting here are of (or for) Old Rich Dead White dudes, so a modern artist decided to paint a portrait of a dude who isn't old rich and dead. And we talked a bit about the whys and whatfors.

In the same gallery was this small painting. 

To which my kid exclaimed, "Look mom, and Old Rich Dead White Dog!"

I love that kid.

Ok, the previous Iceland post was all practical overview stuff. Now for some detailed recommendations  on things to do in Reykjavik

1. Hallgrimskirkja - it's a newer catherdral (finished in the 1980s). Iconic building and on a clear day it's cool to take the elevator to the bell tower and look at everything. They ring the bells a lot. Especially on Witt Monday, when jet lagged tourists are trying to nap in a hostel next door.

2. Walk around and shop and eat. In particular, on Laugavegur (which also has the supermarket Bonus) and Skolavordustigur (which deadends into the catherdral plaza) and their side streets are good for tourist shopping.

3. IF YOU HAVE A CAT CRAZY CHILD (or if you are a cat fan yourself) there is a cat cafe called Kattakaffihusid. With good coffee and baked goods.

4. There are public "swimming" pools which are really more lounging around in warm water pools. We went to the one called Sundhöllin. Very clean, and of course great for kids. But also if you just want to hang in the giant hot tub and experiance some local culture. It's like $8 to get in (kids are like $1), and they do rent towels if you forgot yours. But c'mon, didn't you read Hitchhikers? 

5. You can take a boat tour to see Puffins or Whales. I'm scared of whales, so we did the 1-2hr puffin tour. Puffins are cool little birds, but not particularly impressive. Still, getting on the water for an hour or so was good fun. They told me whale cruises are 90% on spotting whales (NO THANK YOU), an even higher precentage of spotting dolphins. 

6. There is a small natural history museum called Perlan with an ice cave a bit out of town. There is a free shuttle (though we didn't know that and took a city bus). The building has a enclosed rooftop cafe with great views of the city - and maybe the northern lights in the winter? Anyway, the cafe was just as good a reason to visit Perlan as the museum.

7. There is this metal sculpture of boat ribs called 'Solfar' aka 'Sun Voyager' right on the harbor. There isn't much to do, but it does make for a great photo. Especially if you happen to catch a sunset sky.

8. There is another iconic building called Harpa right on the harbor. It's the concert hall of everything from opera to rock concerts. There were nightly events and shows but we didn't catch any. You can go in and walk around. It's a brilliant architectural space.

I'm sure there are other things to do in Reykjavik. These are just the ones I experienced and recommend. I was traveling with my 8 year old, so I have nothing to report on nightlife/bars/fancy resturants. I'm sure they have them. These is a place called Chuck Norris Grill that I wish we would have eaten at. But you gotta save something for next time.

Some photos below. More photos in my google photo album here.