Feb 18, 2021

Day 17: Looking Back to Look Forward

Reflections on Struggles & Rear Interior Frame Restoration

For now, as you know, these updates on The Traveling Pheasant are not in real-time, but I look forward to when they soon catch up to our current state of renovation. Looking back on restoration work for today’s post was a needed reflection.

Overcoming Struggles

In complete honesty, this week has been hard. It’s officially been a month since I’ve last been able to physically work on the trailer due to the cold, rain, snow, sleet and generally poor conditions. With progress stagnant, I focus my attention on the other business tasks that need tackling, but sadly I feel like I have hit a plateau with these too. Maybe it’s the weather making me feel grey too, but immobility allows for time to examine my extensive task list that is extremely overwhelming.

My project management-self-protecting mechanism took over the other night and I spent over an hour typing out the epic list – outlining every detail for every task in need of completion for the interior, exterior, branding, permitting and financials to get this mobile coffee bar up and running. Although the end result of the first draft was 9 daunting pages, it was in a way therapeutic to get everything out I have been wrestling with inside. It is also a helpful tool to show to family and friends when they ask me what I have been doing and when will I open. It’s a tangible list I can share to explain all the work I still need to do instead of getting upset and frustrated by my inability to thoroughly communicate all that I am struggling with.

Success takes time and it takes a load of hard work and perseverance and, well- that is the whole reason why I started this coffee company to begin with. I want to provide the fuel and little piece of the puzzle that is needed for others to keep pushing on for another day, week, month, year to achieve their successes too.

Reading the book Clanlands, Sam Heughan shared insight into his struggles before he was skyrocketed to fame with the Outlander series. I really appreciate the stories of struggles. It makes you feel so much better to know you’re not alone with difficulties when all you see being shared by others is sunshine, rainbows and glowing success- without the story of the journey taken to get there. Sam now has other movies, a NY Times bestselling book, a spinoff TV Show and even his own brand of whisky (my other love next to coffee!) but he was in debt and one step away from calling it quits for the need of a more stable income. What he said really resonated with me and is what I have to believe in right now:

“More often than not it’s about hanging in there to achieve your goal and the harder it gets, sometimes, the nearer you are- just like with marathons. You have to keep on keeping on”

- Sam Heughan, Clanlands

This brings me back to my original planned topic of this post – the restoration of the rear frame. While looking back on the photos I remembered what a beautiful fall day it was- clear blue skies and the leaves changing colors.

Seeing of how horrible the frame looked before I started and reaching the end of the photo scroll remembering how amazing it looked when it was finished was a nice pick me up and the boost I needed to get back in the saddle today.

Rear Frame Restoration

I began work on the rear frame after I finished the ramp, working upwards and around the top of the trailer. The sides up to where they begin to curve and meet the roof, were straight forward. However, I did notice there was significant rust, leading me to believe I have leaking issues. I noticed this last week while watching the rain and know that almost every inch of this poor trailer needs to be recalked and properly sealed.

After completing the sides, I touched up the barn door hinges. In my rush last week, they were sadly not up to scratch! Next up was the curved roof portion and this is where things started to get a bit hairy.

The paint on the interior roof framing is rusted and chipping. Instead of sanding, I was able to use a paint scraper to chip off the layers like scratching a Lotto ticket. Unfortunately, I discovered a sticky residue under the paint. I have no clue what it was but I was relieved that it was somewhat easy to remove with 80 grit sandpaper and elbow grease.

On the exterior, the metal panels closing off the curve were terribly rusted and eroded. In fact, most of the top frame had the same issues from water damage. The current state was far beyond anything that could be grind down, but I couldn’t bear to leave it as it was. I knew there would still be grooves, showing character, but at least it would not look completely damaged. So, the Bondo process begins again…

And again, I was having hardening issues. I was really wondering what the H was going on (having not yet discovered that temperature was my culprit). Nonetheless, I powered through and while I waited for it to dry as much as possible, I sanded primed the back of the left barn door and the side of the service side door frame. That area cleaned up spectacularly and I had high hopes for returning to the back frame.

When the sanding was said and done and the primer fumes cleared, I thought the finished result was stellar. You are finally able to see all the hard work that has gone into this restoration/renovation so far. Real progress is taking shape and now, I am going to sit back and be grateful for how far we have come.