April Wamhoff

Now that the wait for ice off is truly upon us, Nibs, Echo, Luna and I are camper bound. It’s not a bad thing at all. We are just living, ummm, small. While the lake is trying to decide if it wants to be soft or hard water, we head to the Herbie Camper for 14 feet of adventure.
I towed Herbie Camper home from Montana a few years ago. She’s a 1959 Mallard tow behind, “canned ham,” camper trailer. She needed some work and I needed a place to stay. It seemed like a good relationship. To be honest, some work may be a slight exaggeration. I took her to the dump in Montana to throw some things out before I left for home. The lady at the dump came running out to tell me I couldn’t just leave her there. Be still my heart! Leave my treasure? At the dump!?!
Herbie’s gone through a pretty serious transformation, though, whenever practical, I’ve tried to make her “vintage.” She’s gotten a new paint job, inside and out. Outside, she’s bright red and white. I painted her back to her original design from the white she sported when I took ownership of her. She’s well, noticeable, and makes a splash! Inside, she boasts rather eclectic decorating. Yes, Lucy, you can, indeed, have too many pictures, knick-knacks, and throw pillows.
Herbie has a new mattress on the twin-sized bed which Nibs and I share. Big, fluffy dog beds go on the new floor for Echo, who sleeps beside the bed, and Luna, who resides under the table. We are all living in 14 feet of space, so no one is too far from anyone else!
The bathroom arrangement allows for a rather tight shower space and will soon have a composting toilet. 
She’s equipped with a new fridge, one burner stove, and a toaster oven. Sufficient for my level of culinary ability.
I think Herbie will always be a work in progress, but she’s good enough for our seasonal abode.
For a couple of years, we stayed in the Herbie Camper in my parents garage during the water changing times. Life can get in the way of big adventure plans. We’ve made one trip back to Montana, after the transformation, and we’ll certainly be back. This spring, we’ve headed to a secluded spot at my sister’s place in Clear Lake, near St. Cloud.
They’re a bit ahead of us in Clear Lake, and spring is in full swing. The pussy willows are popped and the frogs in the pond are making quite a racket! We’re loving our walks in the woods and our evening campfires.
To be sure, we’re back once a week.  I certainly want to be on top of things when the lake is ready to open. Summers are short and I most certainly don’t want to miss a minute when I can get home.
Still, the Herbie Camper, while small, isn’t bad. We’re enjoying our springtime, ice off, adventure.