Bright and (way too) early this morning I headed northeast to Sayre to get the Tundra a thorough check-up and oil change while Terry headed south to Williamsport to have the Jeep's oil changed and a leak around the sun roof taken corrected. (Her Aveo got its oil changed yesterday right here in Mansfield.)
After explaining why I wanted things gone over with a fine tooth comb (got a 12,000 mile trip hauling a trailer coming up guys!) the mechanic at Williams Toyota did just that. Oil change, rotated and balanced tires including removing a bunch of hardened mud that had been causing some vibration in the steering (damn muddy roads!), checked all hoses, checked and topped off all fluids, replaced the air filter (damn dusty roads!), and replaced the cracked serpentine belt.
I got a spare air filter--just in case--and kept the old serpentine belt (they didn't have another in stock) to serve in case of an emergency. I asked about a fuel filter but was told that it's not on the line but inside the tank. Usually they just back flush it. If I get to the point it needs to be replaced, I'm in a whole 'nother world of hurt.
Slowly, but surely, I'm putting together the "emergency" kit you should have for such a long trip. I still need to get some emergency reflectors and flares, a couple of quarts of oil, some engine coolant, and transmission fluid to go in the kit. I hope to never use any of this stuff, but you never know.
Terry's visit to Van Campen Motors was almost as productive, they made the oil change, but then had to completely dismantle the sun roof to correct the blockage that allowed water to get into the dome light. That took over an hour. That and the complete washing of the Jeep when they believed they had fixed the leak. Gotta test for leaks somehow. Anyway, she got her oil changed, the leak fixed and a clean car all for the price of the oil change.
And she brought home a box of Mr. Sticky's buns. Mmmmm Sticky Buns!
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Speaking of leaks, the showers were supposed to end early today. They didn't. Oh, they weren't heavy at any one time, but what they were was persistent. Thinking they had finished, I went out to cut the dandelions at 2:30 this afternoon. The showers returned at 2:50 and continued to spritz me off and on for the remainder of the cutting.
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There's something unsettling about the long, skinny, pale white/green/yellow stalks of dandelions sticking high above the darker green of the lawn/dandelion leaves. The hollow stalks have reached high to produce their puff-ball seed heads. Reaching upward so the slightest breeze can carry the tiny seeds on their parachute to a new, fertile site. The rains had pretty much washed those seeds off the stalks' tips. Today, there were just the stalks reaching for the sky. And I cut them down. Unmercifully.
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After starting the day around 46-47 degrees at 6 AM, it barely got up to 60 degrees around 2:30 this afternoon. They say, that it will be 80 degrees and sunny tomorrow. Maybe Annie is in town.
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Speaking of tomorrow....
I got an email from Gary about a bird walk along the rails-to-trails bike path along Marsh Creek west of Route 287. Since it's supposed to be a nice morning, I'll be meeting him there. At 8 AM.
Terry will be going to the Special Olympics being held at Mansfield University. She and a couple of other gals from Tiadaghton Audubon Society will man (woman?) a table to entertain some of the participants with bird drawings that can be colored.
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20 days to go!
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