It's Time For A Checkup

 Sometimes you just have to go to the doctor.  Oh not me, I'm hunky dory, but my faithful truck had a drip-drip-drip that was bothering me more than her!  

Not long after I bought this place in Arizona, new neighbors moved in upstairs, meaning up the hill.  They did a quick overhaul on the house and yard that brought oohs and aahs from all us neighbors.  Come to find out, they own a truck/car repair shop in Tucson AND they have an RV.  That alone was a good recommendation.

I stopped by one day when I caught them outside and asked if they worked on diesel trucks.  Yes they do!!   I'll be there bright and early in the morning.

Let me just say THESE guys know what the word SERVICE means.  Since I had no transportation, they took her right in, even though every bay was full.  I also asked they check the brakes.  She has 112,000 miles on her and I've never replaced the brakes.

One hour later they let me know the oil plug had been leaking, so they replaced it, along with a little oil.  They checked my brakes and they were 80% all around.  With THAT MANY MILES?  I was shocked.  

Here comes the best part EVER!!  The bill came to $34.33 and I was out the door.  That's pretty cheap for the relief I got from knowing I'll be pulling a trailer with good brakes on my truck.

Mr. Chance said I should quit dragging my foot out the door to stop.  I should actually be using the brakes.  Two things ..... they don't make trucks like they used to and I have a game I play.  When you are driving back and forth two hours to Yosemite National Park every day for work, you have to do something to pass the time.

My favorite game was to see if I could go the entire way without using my brakes.  Back in the day we all had manual transmissions, which made it a little easier.  I still play that game to this day.  I try to see just how far I can go using the engine to slow down instead of always hitting the brakes.  The good news is I haven't hit anyone or anything  ..... YET!!!  

That's what happens when you're single with no one to talk to!!!  

Amazingly, just as I pulled in the driveway, FedEx pulled up behind me.  Gosh ... that was nice of Camping World to let me know when they would arrive.  I handed over the broken generator and he was gone in a flash.  One less thing to worry about.

I haven't been picking up much on my game camera.  Everyone seems to have disappeared.  It's no surprise since the weather has been so weird.  Freezing cold, snow, 80 degrees, freezing again.  Yesterday the August monsoons came into town soaking everything.  Boy do I love the smell of a really wet desert!  It also helps to hold down the pollen which has been off the charts.

This guy seems to have been in a really big hurry.  Maybe something was chasing him?  By now we are usually inundated with gamble quail, morning dove and bunnies.  So far they have been few and far between.  They must be up at the Chance house chowing down at their feeding station!!

I've got several errands to run today, so I'll be off to deep in the heart.  But first, I'm fascinated by the conversation Cooper is having with the coyote just outside my fence. 

 It seems they yip to notify other members of their family of their exact location, usually because they have found an interloper in their territory.  This guy may have been the interloper.  The long howling and group howling is always started by the alpha male and female, telling everyone they are a big family and this is their territory.  Fascinating stuff the talk of coyotes.