Helena, Ohio & Freemont, Indiana

For a long time we have wanted to get rid of all the carpeting in our Airstream. We knew that P&S Trailer Refinishing & Repair in Helena, Ohio would do a great job of laying the new laminate. We also had a small dent in a rear corner panel that needed to be replaced. P&S has been doing this kind of work since 1968, and they are nationally known experts in refinishing and replacing aluminum panels. We would also get them to replace a defective sewer valve. There was only one catch in our plan. It would take four days to complete the work, and we could not be in the trailer during that time. In fact most of our stuff had to be unloaded before the work could begin. But a grand solution awaited us. Gloria’s sister, Laurane, and brother-in-law, Dale, rent a cottage each year for a month on Clear Lake right on the Ohio-Indiana Border. The nearest town is Fremont, IN. We had passed near there going from Auburn to Helena, and it would take only a couple hours to get back. Dale, a veterinarian totally immersed in his work, would be at the cottage for one night only. Laurane and her eight year old granddaughter, Maddie, would be alone there except for one night when Maddie’s mother, Angela, and little brother, Jacob, would be staying. This was an ideal opportunity for us to spend a relaxing five days on lovely Clear Lake, and for the sisters to get to have some quality time together. As well, it was fun getting to know Maddie, as we had never spent any time with her.

Laurane is the quintessential hostess who is well-known for her energy and love for sports—especially Ohio State University football. Although she is the youngest of the five Thurston children (Gloria is the middle child), Laurane assumed the role of family matriarch when the parents died in the 1990s. She is the one who keeps up with all of the siblings and their offspring and lets everyone know when significant events are occurring. She also manages the old Northwest Ohio family farm which is owned by four of the siblings to include Gloria. The farm had its origin just after the Civil War when 80 acres was purchased with the great grandfather’s Civil War Army discharge check. He had miraculously survived the hellish Confederate prison in Andersonville, GA, weighing only 67 pounds when the war finally ended in 1865. More land was added to the family farm by Gloria’s father in the years that followed.

At Clear Lake, Laurane made sure that there was always an abundance of food available, and she took us shopping, sightseeing, and to an interesting Buffalo farm. She had her own ski boat at the cottage dock plus a pontoon boat they rent each year for the enjoyment of various family members who visit. Maddie is already an accomplished water skier, but due to a big blister on her toe, her water antics were confined to a raft pulled by the ski boat. We also took several pontoon boat rides around the lake, which is encircled by lovely, high-priced cottages. There were ample opportunities for photography at the lake and at tiny Freemont, which has successfully maintained its quaint, historic nature. We taught Laurane and Maddie how to play joker, and Jerry helped Maddie land her first fish. That was a big evening, as she actually caught eight fish and was extremely excited. She already knew how to bait her hook, but taking the fish off the hook was a new, dreaded experience. After a good bit of resistive squealing and dancing up and down, she finally got the job done.

It was time to leave Clear Lake after four nights and return to Helena, OH to pick up our trailer. P & S had done a great job replacing the aluminum corner panel, and we are delighted with our new flooring, it would be hard for anyone to tell the difference between the laminate and real hardwood. The beauty of laminate is that it does not scratch or stain like hardwood, it is easy to maintain, and it does not add a lot of weight to the trailer. We are so glad to be rid of the original gold carpeting, especially on the floor of our slide-out, which is also our dinette. Reloading all of our gear was a four-hour ordeal, but at least everything has now been sorted and organized.

We pulled our dent-free silver bullet south to Jackson Center, OH, where we stayed at the Airstream factory terraport for the weekend. On Saturday night, we traveled to Lima to have dinner with Laurane and Dale, Gloria’s brother, Lowell, and wife Linda, and niece Dale Ann and husband Gary. On Monday morning we asked the service department to address a 50 amp electrical issue in our trailer. Jerry told them that he thought the problem may be in the shore-power cord, but they ended up replacing a ground fault breaker switch. They also realigned our wheels and found a brake magnet problem that we suspected we had. We had the wheel bearings repacked and decided to replace the brake linings, since only about 1/16th inch remained on two linings. We also had them add a new 22-inch digital TV, along with a heavy-duty, swinging wall bracket. After two full days in the shop, we cheerfully (lying) paid our $2450 bill and headed east toward Virginia. No one ever promised that RVing would be cheap, but it’s not as bad as maintaining a summer cottage.