Chevy Step-side

Well, the house is in good order with no major projects slated for this year. We enjoyed the studio and we got to make some built-in furniture in the space. The fire and southern light through the windows made it a lovely space to work in. I thoroughly enjoyed reading Doris Kearns Goodwin's masterpiece, "Team of Rivals", about Abraham Lincoln's cabinet, while sitting in the old rust-colored hand-me-down chair, feet propped on the kindling splitting log.

We get restless with the idea of no projects of our own. Because we had to sell the quite new Silverado to get through the winter after a difficult year last year Cicely was left without transportation of her own when I had the big Ford on a job. Her father is a mechanic and a Jeep racer so she has a good dose of that love for four-wheeled things in her blood. This spring we snapped up an '84 Chevy step-side in fair shape and in need of some sweat, love, and craftsmanship. I have never been accused of being a mechanic, so when the motor checked out we thought we could all pitch in and give the pick-up it's due over time.

Cicely and I pulled into the drive late one evening and it was immediately more beloved than the newer model that preceded it. Veronika's favorite feature was the rust on the body, particularly the doors. This comes as no surpise because at eleven she loves clothes from "The Red Hen" second hand store more than any of the commercial clothing stores. Noble, at thirteen, had driven the family pick-ups around the neighborhood from time to time, and without seeking permission he turned the key and peeled out in reverse into the street. He and Veronika disappeard for a few minutes on a test drive. They came back safe and sound with smiles stretched from the corners of their face. Then they put on safety glasses and started to rip up the rotted wood bed, and then to clean the windows and to go over each inch assessing projects for later days.

It has never been on my list to restore a vehicle but I have really started to understand the appeal, in the same way dilapidated buildings appeal to me. Since then we have gotten the pickup more road worthy and have spent many times the hours on shaping up an old commercial building in Twisp. Versus buying a new vehicle, this Chevy is already so much more fun at a mere fraction of the cost. I suppose that by the time Noble and Veronika are able to drive legally they will have a true sense of ownership of it, as they should.