Benefits of small town America.....

I have lived in this area since my first husband moved us here in 1976.  It is a basically rural community.  For the first few years I lived in town.  When my ex and I divorced, I bought the house I am living in now.  It is a mile or so outside of the town, so I really have not gotten to know local people until Rudy died.  Living here full-time and not going away on weekends to play in Maryland, I have joined in classes, organizations and become involved in business groups.  I have also kept going to local businesses to take care of my cars, lawn, trees, etc. so I have kept the friendships and acquaintances from before I became a widow.

Today, that paid off.

I have surgery coming up on December 2nd.  I also need to be preparing for winter.  One of those things is to get the pickup truck set up with the snow plow so that when the bad weather comes, I can plow out the driveway to become mobile as quickly as possible.

The pickup truck is a 2004 Ford F150 4-wheel drive.  It was the only vehicle that Rudy ever had as a brand, new vehicle.  He custom ordered everything he wanted on this truck and was his pride and joy.  He trained me on how to plow snow just before he died and the first two years after his death there was so little snow, that the truck did more sitting than plowing.  But during the good weather I did drive the truck to Maryland from time to time and after selling the house in Maryland, it was the main transportation of 20 years of stuff that needed to come north.  In fact, there is still stuff in the back of the truck that I have just not been able to go through.  Perhaps over the winter....

This year, I bought a van to help me carry stuff around and on trips that gets better mileage than the truck.  As a result, the truck has not moved from the driveway since the snow plow went on last December.

This summer, after I got home from my trip to Chicago & Minneapolis, I decided I should really start up the truck.  The battery was so dead, it would not even let the remote open the door.  I charged the battery and it started.  I ran it, sitting still, for several hours and it would start every week until I got lazy.  I have charged the battery for the last several months and the truck has still not moved out of the driveway.  I really love my van and my Elantra, so the truck has been sorely neglected.

I had to add air to my van tires a few weeks ago, when it first turned chilly.  I noticed that the truck tires were also low.  I pumped up the front tires and went to turn the truck around only to find the battery dead, again.  I began thinking that when I had the truck in for inspection in December, I would get a new battery installed.  I also noticed that the column shifter was very, very stiff.  I realized that my not driving it had been a really bad thing.  And now with the surgery scheduled, I was not going to be able to get the work done in the usual time frame as the earliest I could normally get it inspected was December 1st.

I have stewed about it and worried about it.  I have relied on Danny and Marji so much over the last couple of years, I really hate to be a burden for stupid stuff.  But sometimes you need to ask for help.

I had to drive to Morgantowm today to get approval of an embroidery design and settle on thread color.  While I was out, I decided to head to L C Autibody to see about getting the truck fixed and ready for winter.  I have know Larry Constanble through a business association and have always been impressed by his wonderful spirit and ethical dealings.  He also hired a really wonderful gentleman to help his shop, after locating to a new location, become stronger in the mechanical area in addition to fixing up auto bodies.  John had worked at Hershey Motors for years and I have used them for local repairs over the years.

John knew exactly what vehicle I was talking about.  He understood the basic neglect I had given the poor truck and he helped me decide that I should change the inspection period (which one can do in Pennsylvania) so I could have the work done the rest of this week and into next week.  This way the truck would be back in the driveway, ready for the plow to be installed and set for the winter season while I was having my surgery and going through rehab.  What a relief it was to have that one loose end taken care of.

Not only that, but John suggested that one of his guys go back with me to the house, make sure the truck would start and then he could drive the truck back to the shop, saving me the trip.  I am equally sure that they will deliver the truck back to me, should I need that to happen.  Only in a small town, could I have been comfortable turning over my truck to a stranger, knowing that it will be lovingly cared for and fixed up at a reasonable cost... by friends I trust.

I am blessed!