Regarding the design of the new @venturelibre Guatemalan Bravo Clásico and Seat Poncho. - In no particular order and by no means an exhaustive set of examples, design inspiration comes in many forms. From the obvious, to the tangential, to a general feeling. From the physical materials and the traditional methodology of making; the vehicles we love and their rugged simplicity; the vibe on the way to somewhere - the dusty road, the lush green hills and the trippy murals in various states of newness and decay. All paint a picture to inform the design intent.
Team @venturelibre have done it again! Shane, Karen and I went to southern Mexico and Guatemala in July, in search of new artisans and stylistic inspiration to create something new. We’ve been wanting to expand our textile possibilities for some time now. We are thrilled to show you what we came up with! Rugged Guatemalan leather combined with a hand-woven cotton textile. Strikingly vibrant, built to last, functionally versatile: a new take on our popular Bravo Clásico tool holder for the Vanagon Westfalia, and the Seat Poncho for (almost) any vehicle. We are starting a first production run of these and are taking pre-orders at & @venturelibre
Mogfest was a blast this year! We chiseled out a sweet ‘Orchard’ camp spot with sweet @stitchgirl8 and the @my1987samurai@t3tris dynamic duo (across the way from @overlandchic ‘s tasty pizza party!) The Land Rover was a ton of fun in The Pit, though this year @t3tris did manage to dish out revenge and got me stuck. I rolled backwards on an incline that bogged me down. I bent my tailpipe and clogged it full of dirt, cutting off the engine. An Achilles heel to a capable vehicle. We bent it back to 75% straight. Enough to get me home and run ok. But I’m working on fixing it better than before. My son Orion drove the Rover (steering and pedals) all by himself. There have been many kids that have learned to drive at Mogfest over the years. My daughter @orb_artwork got in on the axe throwing competition, too! The camaraderie and hi jinx are always at a maximum, where even the mighty can falter. Seeing @my1987samurai take confident strides on difficult terrain was fun to watch. That Sammy doesn’t half bob and dip all over the place, kind of like a scary rickety rollercoaster 😂
Adventure on the Guatemalan Pan-American Highway (CA-1): lots of great ‘camioneta’ (‘chicken bus’) along the way. One in particular was spectacularly entertaining. Belching clouds of unburned diesel, it teared along the road like a rally car. We honestly struggled to keep up! The ‘luggage guy’ climbed to the roof with heavy bags while the bus accelerated and swerved! He also had to duck to avoid getting swiped by overhead cables. And then those TukTuks ❤️🌺⚡️🔥🐌 so awesome on so many levels…
Yes, I’m down in southern Mexico on @venturelibre business, but that doesn’t mean we can’t have fun! Thanks @losabuelitoschiapas for allowing us to romp in the TukTuk. It was a blast! ⚡️🛺⚡️😂
It was a great ‘staycation’ weekend with @stitchgirl8 ! A fantastic motorcycle ride to Sauvie Island, leading to a riverbank picnic, followed by a mega multi-mountain panorama, kicked it off. A night out to @mississippistudios to see a personal fave band @lomoon wrapped up Day 1. A strenuous hike in The Columbia Gorge to the top of Angel’s Rest, began Day 2, with the evening finishing up at Providence Park to see @timbersfc trounce the visitors! (Somehow, I didn’t take a single photo of the match. It was riveting). It’s awesome to share days and evenings doing a bit of everything this city has to offer!
Another neato vehicle portrait done! This one is of @roving_mom ‘s LR3. She wanted a Back to the Future flavor, which was fine by me, as it is one one my favorite movies! 🚙🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥 (if you want your portrait done Dm me for details.)
40 years ago today I met Jim Irwin, the eighth man to step foot on the Moon. It was a fantastic thing for me as an avid ‘space-kid’. My mum was very supportive of my enthusiasm and was integral to this event, all those years ago, being such a great memory. @bfdcathedral has just posted a blog about it. It details the evening’s events, as well as my impressions, and also Jim Irwin’s religious awakening while on the Moon. I’d love for you all to read it. A link is in my bio and here: https://bradfordcathedral.blog/2022/05/16/american-astronaut/
