Fake springtime in Alaska, it's 40 above!

summer gertee 2009
ceiling and windows made from scraps

It's our early spring and we're loving it. Last year it warmed up and all the snow melted in January, but this year the big teaser is later and a bit milder. Good thing too, can't get too much warmer or the trails will turn to mush. Fred and I are finding ways to get outside, and this weekend Copper Center is hosting sprint dog musher races, but there's no link to it online. Tim's been busy helping drag their trail, and rumor has it a few more old time Redingtons might be at Camp Redington this weekend, with their kennels. Go Team Redington!

Decided to take a position up in Talkeetna for the summer. I can manage a coffee van there and set up a gertee model as a screened-covered sitting area for the customers. I'll finish the gertee book by April and then no matter how the sales go I can be secure in knowing I have a "real" job lined up that is a proven moneymaker. It was a good experience to see what all can be done with very little cash and my reader's support, but now that I've proven to myself and shown my level of commitment to ACL research, I don't feel such a strong compulsion to keep doing it the same hard way. I'd like to start moving gertee up just a tad and with a good summer I can put in hardwood, heated floors and fully plumb the 20 footer. The trick will be installing it so that it can all still be moved. I'm ready for a propane stove top too. And cupboards that close, or even plastic slides to keep the dust out.

It's been a trip seeing all the places that linked to the tinyhouseblog article, I did a google search for it and there's probably a 100 different sites. It's kind of a shame that some people assume it will always look like it does when you start with scraps. Some don't understand that's the emergency version. Gertees can be made out of any materials... why limit the possibilities? Rich people could make them unbelievably beautiful, even if they only use the leftovers from their curtains and couch coverings. ") All those long scraps I bought from the dollmaker on ebay are very nice pieces... the word "garbage" doesn't quite describe them correctly.

How to cook 2 eggs, 6 slices of bacon and 2 slices of toast
on top of a 12x14" wood stove cook space

new shower stool out of a box of scrap wood and rope

winter shower in plastic tub now
waste water dumps into metal pan behind stove

Fred training himself how to "hong on!"

My job this summer! Starting on June 1! Thanks sister!
http://fishtaxi.blogspot.com/2008/06/chitina-candy-van.html

For my family :)

Here's a cute little yurt a lady made for $35 Canadian, in a response to a post on gertee! I knew there had to be more people making their own! http://www.maryostler.com/2009/06/thoughts-on-a-35-yurt/