Don LeCouteur was "green" long before he became a green senior, following a vegetarian diet and living in a small home in Oregon--a "fifth wheel" type of trailer, to be exact. Don needed a winter getaway from the cold and damp, so he renovated an even smaller home--a tiny travel trailer in an RV park in Southern California. Don gave us some before and after photographs to show what he had accomplished.
This little trailer had seen better days. When Don completed the exterior work, it looked like this:
By renovating instead of buying new, Don kept the bulk of the material in the trailer from ending up in a land fill or abandoned in the desert as a eyesore. But Don didn't stop with the exterior. The worn interior was remodeled to suit his needs. The bed was moved to where an eating booth had been, freeing up one end of the trailer for an office with a computer and a regular office chair.
Don's computer keeps him linked to his many friends and is his means of continuing an active and rich intellectual life. When he learned about Green Seniors via the Internet, he volunteered to pass out Green Senior buttons wherever he found people who would appreciate them.
The Desert Villa is so small, it doesn't include a shower in the little bathroom. For that, Don uses the facilities at his RV campground.
Don's more active winter lifestyle led to quite a change in his physique. This "after" shot shows how regular desert hiking can improve a person. No belly bulge here!
Don's love for the desert grew as he noticed the beauty that could be found there, and he shares photos like these with friends:
Thank you, Don, for sharing your life with us, and making us all that much richer by it. Thanks too for taking care of the environment and making the world better for your grandchildren and the grandchildren of all Green Seniors.
After some severe illness this past winter, Don decided he was better off staying in the desert year round. His desert RV park is fairly close to a major health center where he has gotten good care. His son brought Don's fifth wheel down from Oregon to be his year-round desert home.
Something tells us that even if Don and the little Desert Villa go their separate ways, that new adventures lie ahead for each of them.
Great article!
I'm glad to see seniors involved in making a difference - in whatever arena they choose. Since I'm only a couple of years from senior status this gives me a networking group of others who don't equate senior status with a life in the recliner.
You go, guys!
Posted by: Harry in Houston | August 06, 2009 at 07:53 AM
Harry in Houston, networking is what Green Seniors is all about. Please visit often. No need to wait until you achieve "senior status" to get involved in the movement to reduce our ecological footprint and improve the earth for future generations.
Posted by: Joyce Emery | August 07, 2009 at 07:27 PM