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
Sure, why not? We have mobile phones, mobile computers...why not a mobile villa. I think, however, I might miss the indoor plumbing...one of the few modern inventions that has really made life better.
Posted by: Robin en Espagne | January 29, 2010 at 08:49 AM
Say Robin, while Don's Desert Villa is moveable, it remains at one location as a rule, as does my own trailer. Personal transportation is left to more energy efficient methods than moving the trailer!
As for indoor plumbing, most RVs that are a little bigger than the Desert Villa have a complete bathroom. Mine has a shower with a built-in seat, and a small tub to plug and soak my feet. It makes the most of every drop of water used, so the water can be as hot as I like it. I don't use it every day, prefering cloth washes some days as a further way to reduce consumption.
Some people fret about the type of toilet RVs have, but there's a product you add to the black water tank after the weekly sewer dump, so it doesn't smell.
Posted by: Joyce a.k.a. Greengranny | January 29, 2010 at 09:22 AM
I've heard about Don's early years from my neighbors near La Honda. He wrote a history of our neighborhood, the "Middleton Tract". I am doing the same. Would love to contact him!
Posted by: Sheri Jansen-Olliges | March 26, 2011 at 11:19 AM
Sheri, I have not heard from Don for months. I hope he has just decided to reduce his email and is not ill.
Posted by: Joyce | May 17, 2011 at 07:32 PM
Joyce, Sheri, Robin, Harry, et all,
Sorry to have been away so long. I was ill, but I got over it and then I got busy, writing and painting (a new hobby for me)and stuff like that. My son alerted me to these notes so I thought I'd drop by and at least 'say howdy'. If any of you would like to contact me directly (I've reduced my internet time but I check my email often) please feel free to do so. My addy: [email protected]
I'm especially interested to hear from Sheri from the Middleton Tract given my current involvement in writing more seriously again. Joyce, I'll write to you separately with all the gory details of where I've been.
Happy Greening!
Don
Posted by: Don Le Couteur | February 21, 2012 at 06:53 AM
Don, so glad to hear from you! We'll look forward to further correspondence.
I am so very glad you have recovered and are back to living life again.
Posted by: Joyce | February 21, 2012 at 09:23 AM