Now it was with a heavy heart that I bid farewell to the scrap iron in the driveway this week. Our landlord wanted it gone and well, it was time. So we called Pick Your Part and they took the Camry we had about 2 grand invested in - someone's gonna like the new transmission, new brakes and new power windows on that wreck - my F250 that I bought to replace the F150 and only lasted about two months before the transmission blew, but worst of all was losing my white buffalo, WKNTNKA. And the '72 Arrow camper.
Especially the camper. Man, did we have some good times in that thing. I'm not sure it is replaceable. I got it from my friend Jim, a guy I was working with, in about 2002 or so. He and his wife had gotten a new motor home and just wanted it gone. It was immaculate. We took it on our honeymoon and a bunch of adventures since. Of course, city living hasn't been kind to it and its suffered all kinds of dings and dents since then.
I always picture it as looking just like this, though. Here's Jane and me, sittin' on the tailgate on our honeymoon back in 2003. We were doing a mostly-Arizona trip and ended up camping in a field near Walnut Canyon National Monument. It was an amazing journey, full of new discoveries and happy memories.
Now the truck it's sitting on, WKNTNKA, has had some issues, and they turned out to be terminal. Our truck doctor, Gazo, has kept it going years past its natural life expectancy, but on the last trip to see if the radiator could be replaced, he discovered that it also needed a new water pump and the engine was mostly shot. It crapped out on me about 1,000 yards from home and I had to push it the final block. And shout out to the anonymous kids on the bus bench for helping out. I hate to admit it, but it helped put closure on a very sad day.
So now we've got a big ol' empty driveway, 'cept for my drum trailer, but now that the shock's wearin' off, there are a few perks. For one, we can now get to the woodpile. And I'm feeling like the back yard could use some raised beds...
Farewell, WKNTNKA/Arrow. Sometimes you just need to clear out some old stuff to make room for some new stuff. I can't wait.
Comments