Looking Pretty Again

We have had our 2005 Ford Explorer Limited for about eleven years now, and it has always been a good vehicle for us. We set it up to tow behind our motorhome, and in addition to the 133,000 or so driven miles that it has on the odometer, we probably towed it another 75,000 miles. But we always took care of maintenance, and I wouldn’t hesitate to get in it now and drive across the country and back.

However, it definitely needed a bath, so the other day, I took it to a place in Edgewater called Splash N Dash Car Wash to get it cleaned up. I was really impressed with the job they did, and the Explorer looks like new again. In fact, another customer asked me what year it was, and when I told her and said that we would eventually be selling it and our 1999 Ford F-150 whenever my new Ram pickup arrives, she wanted to buy it right then for $4,500. I was tempted, but since I have no idea if or when the new truck is ever going to actually get here, I said I would have to pass for now. With the demand for used vehicles these days, I’m sure we won’t have any problem finding a new home for it or the pickup when the time comes.

For some time now, the paint at the front edge of the hood has been bubbling, and I took it to a local body shop, where the owner said that it was not uncommon for Fords with aluminum hoods to do that. When I asked about painting it, he said that it would cost more than the vehicle was probably worth, given the price of paint these days, and suggested we just get a bug guard and put on it. So I ordered one, and after I came home from the car wash, Terry and I installed it. I think it looks pretty darn good.

I sometimes joke with Terry, telling her that the Amazon driver came to the door to find out if we were okay because we hadn’t had a delivery in two days, and he was worried about us, but that’s really not all that far from the truth. These days we avoid leaving the house any more than we have to, and we have been ordering a lot of stuff from Amazon. Yesterday’s delivery brought two Waxed Canvas Foraging Pouches, and I can see a lot of ways we will use these, from picking up shells on the beach to holding spent brass if I ever get any time to go shooting again, to geocaching. The pouches fit on your belt and open up to 9.25 in height and 8.25 inches in width, then fold back down to a small size when not in use. I knew when I ordered one for me that  I might as well order one for Terry, too, because I was sure she would like it, and she did.

We’re always looking for something good to watch on television and have no patience for stupid reality shows and such. Lately, we have been watching quite a bit of stuff on Amazon Prime, and last night we watched the first episode of Jamestown, which is the story of the first English settlement in the New World. Later episodes are airing now on PBS, but I wanted to watch it from the start, and so far, we were both impressed with it. If you like historical dramas, you might want to check it out.

Be sure to enter our latest Free Drawing. This week’s prize is an audiobook of The Islet of the Virgin, book 4 in my friend Ken Rossignol’s – Famous Murderous Pirates book series. To enter, click on this Free Drawing link or the tab at the top of this page and enter your name (first and last) in the comments section at the bottom of that page (not this one). Only one entry per person per drawing please, and you must enter with your real name. To prevent spam or multiple entries, the names of cartoon or movie characters are not allowed. The winner will be drawn Sunday evening. Note: Due to the high shipping cost of printed books and Amazon restrictions on e-books to foreign countries, only entries with US addresses and e-mail addresses are allowed.

Thought For The Day – In wine there is wisdom, in beer there is freedom, in water there is bacteria.