Ford Family.

Let's see... 

if

I

can make it through this post...

; )

oh my.

Before I begin, know... I'm leaving some details out.

{still... kinda 'chewin'... on those.}

Here... We Go.

; )

Another...

 Simply Iowa...

'May Day'.

; )

oh...

dear.

{it's all about 'the journey' ; )}

Received a call the other day, from a nice Man.

He, and his... Lovely Wife, visited The Rabbit Hole, last Spring, 

noticed how much we all appreciate 

'Garden'.

<3

They... have decided to move from their Wonderful...

Extremely...

'Hidden Home', and move to Town, where there isn't so much 

'Garden'... to attend.

Gratefully, they thought of me... as they are letting go.

We agreed to meet, yesterday, at noon.

I... had to run to The Bank...  grab a little cash, before heading to 

God's Country, to pick up a Load.

Bailed in The Ford...

Jumped on 151, then... made the turn onto Church Street, a quarter mile, from The Rabbit Hole.

 Rarely use the brakes, in Jethro... or The Ford.

I downshift... to a crawl.

When I turned the corner, went to grab second gear....

Nope.

Couldn't shift The Ford... into any gear.

Couldn't get him out of neutral.

Noticed that the RPM's... weren't dropping just below... 1000, like they should...

with the clutch compressed, which told me, the clutch wasn't engaging properly.

: (

I... pumped, and pumped.... the clutch, double clutched... tried to float the gears, to no avail.

finally,

 shut The Ford down, restarted, and tried... again.

Nope.

: (

Panic...

 was setting in, about then.

Decided to shut him down... again, and try to shift the gears without his engine running.

well...

I could get him in gear, with him shut down.

now...

could I start him... engaged in first gear...?

{shouldn't be able to, with the clutch's 'safety switch'}

but...

By God... The Ford Lunged Forward, and Fired!!

: )

<3

First Gear, Moving Forward, was GREAT!!!

Went on... to The Bank.

{might as well.}

Dear... Kathy, was at The Window.

<3

She said...

"Hey!! Where's That Smile???"

oh my.

<3

Shared the Ford's Sudden 'Issues'... with her, 

Kathy...

 Assured me, Things Would Get Better.

<3

{God... I LOVE my BANK!! <3}

Crippled The Ford, Home.

Jumped on Google, did some troubleshooting.

Popped The Ford's hood... started checking fluids.

Yep... the reservoir for the transmission fluid, was a little low.

{brake fluid, for a manual transmission}

but, I was more concerned... it might be the clutch sensor,

or... a throwout bearing,

{if... these modern {to me} vehicles... even Have a 'throwout bearing'}

 crippled The Ford, on... to John's Shop,

asked Justin...

if he had a thought.

He walked out to The Ford, with brake fluid in hand...

filled the reservoir....

bailed inside, pumped the hell out of the clutch, and...

bingo.

The Ford was back... in action.

; )

Made it to the appointment, exactly... on time.

{how that happened, I'll never know. ; ) }

Something was gnawing at me... concerning The Ford.

Where....

did 

that 

'fluid'

go?

Why... was it 'low' at all??

Loaded... and Loaded... Concrete.

Gratefully... there was help, in the beginning.

Not so much, later.

Heavy... Heavy... Heavy...

Load.

; )

Might not look so 'Big', but... Concrete, doesn't have to look 'Big', to

Be...

'Big'.

; )

I could So.... Tell... The Load was Heavy.

The Ford, asked me to grab a gear, or two... on big hills, he, never would've....

with a lighter load.

: )

<3

Had a Friend... in mind, with this load.

Sold it all... 

and delivered it, on my way home.

Sadly... it was just my Friend, and me... 

'unloading'.

Hahahahahahaha!!!

Mostly my Dear Friend!!

<3

{better think twice... 

before ya mess with Crazy... Garden Lovin'... Women. : ) }

When leaving my Friend's... 'Sanctuary', hittin' the Highway...

enroute...

to meet with Dear Friend, Gail, for supper, 

{Gail's last night in town}

got a whiff of something...

 HOT....

: (

 like, oil... burning on The Ford's manifold.

???

figured...

 it was most likely, the 'fluid', I'd wondered about....

earlier.

Knew... I'd better get him Home.

40 miles.

Figured...

I most likely, wouldn't be able to shift gears, the closer we got to Home.

began...

plotting out our map, when we hit the interstate.

One...

with few, or NO 'stops'.

: )

oh my.

We were Doin' Great... until... we got about 5 miles from Home.

: (

heard 

One Hell of a Mess....

'Vomit'...

from under

 The Ford's Hood.

: ( : ( : (...........

We Kept Rollin'.

Fast.

{Home... Home... Home.}

I'm watchin' The Ford's Gages.

<3

The alternator gage... dropped, to nothing... in a minute, or two, 

after the

 Big...

Vomit.

: (

{no worries, knew we could make it Home... without it. : ) }

but... also, knew...

I'd better not Stop...

 The Ford.

: (

Planned on running every stop sign, until...noticed....

 my safe Exit, to Home... had a Deputy, sitting at it.

: )

<3

Had to Stop.

: )

Gratefully...

The Ford... shifted.

<3

With, only a couple miles to go...

watched the

MOST...

DREADED 

Gage...

Fly High.

: (

The Temperature Gage.

: (.....................

I, put the hammer down, on The Ford...

then, shut him down.

We coasted...

to, the drive, at

'Home, Sweet... Home'.

: )

<3

Popped the Ford's hood, 

noticed... a whole bunch missing.

: (

the...

serpentine belt...

that we just replaced, last year... 

and, oh my...  a pulley,

 is also stripped from The Ford's...

Powerful... 4.0

Bailed in Jethro... 'after' closing... The Ford's Hood, to meet with Gail, last night.

: )

Gail... is such a Blessing.

'Horse Woman'.

; )

<3

I'd like to try and start... The Ford, but... my heart won't let me.

I pushed him pretty hard, last night.

: (.....................

When I speak about our 'Ford Family', trust me on that.

<3

Yes...

Indeed.

Love to Ya...

Prayers for All.

Barb C.

Always.

<3