Bits and Pieces from the Aerie

Terry's little yellow Aveo got it's timing belt replaced yesterday. The manual (that book almost nobody reads) says it's supposed to be replaced every 60K miles or, should it break, the engine will seize up. It had 80K on the odometer so we got lucky. Our regular mechanic at Mansfield Exxon had one in his lot that was awaiting an engine transplant so when it went in to have an oil change he warned us about the problem. As Terry was paying the bill at the Chevy dealer, she got into a conversation with the clerk who also has an Aveo--with 90K on her odometer. She now is scheduling a belt replacement.

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On the way back from the Chevy dealer's we stopped and picked up some herbs, tomato, and pepper plants for the garden. This morning I spent four hours putting those plants in the ground as well as seeds for cucumbers, zucchini squash and string beans. Then I gave everything a good watering. One of the tomato plants looks a bit stressed and wilted but, hopefully, it will pull through. We start our five weeks of travel on Saturday and I should know whether or not that plant has hydrated by then.
[UPDATE: So, of course, weather.com has posted a frost advisory for tomorrow between 3 and 8 AM.] 

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The rain that we had Monday through Tuesday morning amounted to 1.32 inches. What ever dry spell we went though during the winter certainly ended the end of April. Between the foot of snow and the rain since then, we've gotten almost 4" of liquid precip in about three weeks--and it looks threatening out there as I type.

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Listened to an Indigo Bunting singing his head off at the top of the Poplar trees this morning. One of the many birds singing early this morning. Not that I needed the birds to wake me up. Shadow did that at 5 AM after I rolled over in bed and made some slight noise--probably a groan due to my aching knees. She took this to mean I was going to get up and feed her--NOW! And she wouldn't take now for an answer.

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With my morning with a dose of arthritis strength acetaminophen and a couple of cups of coffee. With all the flavored coffees out there you'd think someone would produce a coffee that contains extra strength pain killers. Not that two tablets are a problem to swallow or anything, but such a pain relieving coffee would be like having an IV drip all morning/day long. And that couldn't hurt!

Smart Car?

While driving along the NY Thruway yesterday I passed a Smart Car. Now I'm sure they get great mileage running on just three cylinders as they do, and this one seemed to be able to tool along quite nicely at 65-70 mph on the flat road, but--and there are actually a few "buts" involved here--it is extremely small. It makes my wife's Aveo and the daughter's Yaris look huge.

So small in fact that is the Smart Car that as I drove by in the Tundra I was tempted to pick it up, put it in the bed of the truck (and I've only got a 6' long bed) and take it home like one would a little lost kitten. I'm sure the semis on the highway could have easily fit a dozen or more in the back of their 53' long trailers. They could have been stacked like eggs in a carton.

I certainly hope the two women inside were very good friends. If they weren't before they set out, I'm sure they were by the time the ride ended.

How would this tiny little car handle travel in the mountains? Can it make it up a slope with as much as a 5% grade? What happens in a crosswind of 30 mph out on the plains? Does it become a new form of tumble weed due to its light weight, high (relatively speaking) profile and narrow little wheel base?

This might make a fine commuter car for an urban metroplex but out in the real world of North America...I don't think so. This is a case where Sinatra was dead wrong. It might make it in NYC but it certainly isn't going to make it everywhere.


(BTW The plates were from Massachusettes.)

Best laid plans, yadda, yadda....

I had intended to drive up to the Bolt Hole this morning for a couple of days of look-see and maintenance but....

I took the Tundra up the mountain to see what conditions the roads were in up there. They have limited to no winter maintenance and are usually pretty muddy right about now. The first leg wasn't bad (the limited maintenance part) but then I started to find mud that was 6 to 12 inches deep and the rear end started to fishtail. Then, without my having done anything, the ABS light came on, and the 4Hi and the VSC off lights started blinking. All while the vehicle was still in 2WD. Not good. I finished my circuit trying to get the lights to go back to normal by stopping, selecting 4Hi and even 4Lo and then going back to 2WD but had no luck.

When I got back to the Aerie, I checked the owner's manual and it said that the blinking 4Hi and VSC off lights might indicate a problem with the brakes and that I should get the vehicle serviced ASAP. I had it in the shop for an oil change and a 28-point inspection just 10 days ago.

So, this morning bright and early, I went down to Mansfield and washed all the mud off the truck paying special attention to the front wheels and when the lights were still blinking, called the dealer's service department. This afternoon they tied the entire thing to the ABS sensor having gone kablooie. Parts are on order and should be in their hands on Monday.

I asked if it was safe to drive and was told, "Sure, if you don't mind those blinking lights and have no need of 4-wheel drive." (It won't switch to either 4Hi or 4Lo under the current conditions.)

I'm still going up to the Bolt Hole tomorrow morning for a couple of days. There's no snow int he forecast and the road is paved right to my yard. I'll just have to be cautious about driving on the lawn to get to the front door. It can get real muddy when all that snow melts.

I'm told there's a good chance the yard will be down to bare grass where it had been plowed/blown clear but to expect 20-30 inches of snow in the fields and woods.

Could be worse, it's -11 degrees in Nome and there are still a slew of mushers on the trail. (Only 28 of 57 have completed their trek as I type.)

About Terry's Aveo...

Well there goes the balance of the tax refund!

The little yellow vehicle went in to have an oil and filter change and to have a general check-up. Terry was complaining of a little shimmy and some rough handling.

The verdict was that it needs four new tires, new rear suspension, and an alignment. The tires have been a P-I-T-A because they are an odd size. When they needed replacement, there was a limited (and expensive) selection. I say "have been" because that is not the case any more. Apparently there are more and more cars with that size tire out there and they are needing new tires. As a result, more companies are making that size and the price has come down while the miles they are rated for has increased. Cooper Tire now has an all season tire for $115 each that is rated to 60K miles. (Compare that to the 20K miles for $175 each we got the last time. And those took three or four days for our mechanic to obtain. The Cooper tires will be there tomorrow.)

Terry may have avoided needing the alignment/tires if she had avoided the curb down in Savannah. A right good thumping along the sidewalls/tires will put all sorts of things out of alignment.

Oh, well. This is the first major repair this vehicle has needed. What is galling, however, is that it has just reached 50K miles on the odometer and this is the last month of our payments to GMAC. Just as I was thinking about the savings of $230 a month in loan payments....

Yeah, that'll work.

I see in today's news that President Obama is going to push to have the automakers produce more cars that American's will not buy. (Obama orders push to cleaner, more efficient cars)

Starting his second week in office, Obama took a major step toward allowing California and other states to target greenhouse gases through more stringent auto emission standards, and he ordered new federal rules directing automakers to start making more fuel-efficient cars as required by law.

The auto industry responded warily. Reducing planet-warming emissions is a great idea, carmakers and dealers said, but they expressed deep concern about costly regulations and conflicting state and federal rules at a time when people already are not buying cars. U.S. auto sales plunged 18 percent in 2008.

And industry analysts said the changes could cost consumers thousands of dollars — for smaller, "greener" cars.

Here's a better idea. Why doesn't the federal government step away from the drawing board and let the automakers produce vehicles that people want to purchase at a price the people can afford.

Or is this a deep rooted plan to keep people off the road? Might work in cities but rural American will cling stubbornly (and correctly) to their workhorses--the larger, four wheel drive SUVs and pickups.

Hey, I'm all for reducing the emissions and raising the MPG, but not at the hands of a government mandate. If I can get a vehicle that will haul and tote the materials I need to haul and tote, one that will have four wheel drive so I can safely and successfully maneuver over and up snow covered roads and hills, one that will have an MPG rating that will make a difference in my wallet, one that is not going to cost me an arm and a leg above the current level, then I'll consider buying it and the automakers may have found a winning formula.

Until then, it seems to me that the government is forcing the manufacturers to produce something that will cost more than I can afford and will, at best be marginally better in the MPG and emissions area while sacrificing the hauling, toting and safety issues. If they continue along this course, I'll be looking for a reliable used vehicle instead of one with all the mandated bells and whistles and they (government and manufacturers) can suck eggs.

Usually they just piss on ‘em

The tires that is.

Dogs trap mail carrier, flatten tires

They flattened three tires and then attacked the police cruiser’s tires when the cops arrived? Sheesh!

We've got a couple of dogs around here that like to wait in their driveway and chase the cars that go past. I like to kid Terry that they want to take her little Aveo home as a toy. Now I don't think that's much of a stretch anymore.

New used car.

So, once we had warmed up a bit this morning and the outside temps “soared” to 0 degrees, I made a phone call to our mechanic friend to see if he had located any studded snow tires for the Aveo. He had just got in and would be making some calls he said. I told him not to commit to purchase any but to just find out the price as Terry and I were going out to look for a used 4x4 under $5K.

Well, Ryan’s ears must have perked up and his eyes bugged out. “Listen,” he says, “I’ve got a 2000 Ford Explorer here on the lot with 76,000 miles on it that’s for sale for $3,400. It belongs to my grandmother. She’s had it for 4 years and put less than 20K miles on it since she only drove it during the winter. Come on down and take a look.”

“We’ll be right there,” says I.

Less than an hour later we’re down at Ryan’s. He tells me he located some 15” snow tires for the Aveo, but they don’t take studs AND they would cost $165 each without additional rims.

We start looking at a white Explorer that’s two years older than Rick’s Blazer with 25K fewer miles on it. It had been in an accident before Grandma purchased it and Ryan and his crew had fixed it up so you couldn’t tell. It, therefore, carries what’s called an “R-title” which merely alerts the purchaser to the previous damage. The metal all around is sound with no rust. There’s some paint peeling around the trim that looks to be due to poor adhesion to the primer and there’s a burn mark or two in the cloth upholstery. We took it for a spin up on Route 15. She rides well with no shimmies or shakes or rattles. It’s got power windows and doors, AC, CD and tape player in the radio. Everything seems to work (especially the heater and defroster). The tires have plenty of tread on them. (Okay, cruise control is an unknown and doesn’t seem to work, but we hardly use it anyway.)

We get back to Ryan’s and tell him to call his Grandma ‘cause she’s sold her car. And is it okay if the Aveo stays in your lot until we get a thaw and can get it up the hill?

While we went to the notary with his Grandma and Grandpa (who live with several sons and daughters, grandsons and granddaughters, including Ryan, in various houses just down the hill from us) to complete the deal, Ryan pulled the Explorer into one of his bays to do and inspection, oil change, and lube. An hour later we had the temporary registration and a new plate (which Ryan attached) and we were on our way. And here I was prepared to spend the day schlepping all over to look at five or six vehicles of about the same vintage but with considerably more miles and costing about $2K more.

So Terry’s got a white winter car now to go along with her bright yellow summer car. At least I won’t need to go play fetch when we get a couple of inches of snow on the road.

Does this count as spurring the local economy?

Oy vey! What a day!

When we woke up this morning to Chester’s insistent caterwauling—insistent demand for breakfast, that is—it was already lightly snowing outside. It wasn’t supposed to do that until this afternoon. That by itself would not be bad except for the fact that Terry had to attend an EGA (Embroiderers’ Guild of America) meeting over in Wellsboro. She would have to take her little Aveo and I would have to go get the mail (the post office is only open 9-11 on Saturday) and run a few other errands down in Mansfield.

She left at 8:30 and I went down the hill around 9:30. There was already about an inch of snow on the ground around the Aerie. Upon descending 3-400 feet however, I found there was no snow on the road or grass. What the heck? Apparently, like that little character in the Lil Abner comics that walked around with a tiny rain cloud over his head, it was only snowing above 1900 feet and the Aerie was at 2100 feet.

Well, I ran my errands and retreated back up the hill confirming that it was indeed snowing over the Aerie and on the slope directly below. I sat and watched it snow and grew increasingly concerned about Terry’s chances at getting back up the hill. Turns out I was right to be concerned.

Her meeting ended around noon and she drove back toward the Aerie along Route 6. The road was wet but there was no snow. She left Route 6 and headed up, and up , and up toward the Aerie. She never made it. About 200 feet from the driveway, the accumulated snow—all 2 inches of it at this point—packed down under the front wheels of her Aveo and became so much ice. Her “all season” tires spun on that ice and that was all she wrote. Once they began spinning and she lost momentum, forward progress ended. That’s when I got a phone call.

“I’m stuck,” she says.

“Really? Try turning around and going down the hill. Then try again.” And I hung up.

I got my boots on and headed for the road to see she was easily within sight (and sound) and was spinning her wheels as she attempted to back out of a neighbors drive and head down the hill. She succeeded and disappeared around the bend before I could get far enough down the road to intercept her. I waited to see if she would try to make it up the road one more time.

After a few minutes, I grew concerned that she might have put the little yellow car in the ditch so I called her cell.

“Where are you?”

“I’m at the log cabin…the other log cabin down the hill. I’ve met the neighbor and he’s going to drive me up the hill in his Jeep. I’ll leave the Aveo here until later.”

“Okay, I’ll try to keep Molly out of the road.” (Molly is a lovable shepherd mix that belongs to another neighbor just below us. She’s quiet as anything and a talented escape artist. When she first wandered into our yard early last summer, I put a rope around her neck and tied her to the front porch railing before I took the telephone number off her tags and called her owner. Molly’s owner apologized and said she would send her husband up as soon as he returned from the post office. He showed up about 45 minutes later and Molly was still curled up on the front porch. But she wasn’t tied to anything anymore. She had chewed through the rope and was happily napping when her owner showed. He laughed about her chewing through the rope saying she had done the same thing to a seat belt in his car ad about a dozen ropes in the yard. I suggested he get a chain—a very thick chain—but since she is so loving and quiet…well. I guess no chain was ever bought.)

A few minutes later a Jeep Wrangler comes up the hill in 4-wheel drive and deposits Terry on the doorstep. I got to meet the new neighbor (he moved in to his place a little after we moved in here) and we showed him around our log home.

After he had gone, Terry and I decided it was time to see about getting some real snow tires or studded tires for her little car. If I had been at the Bolt Hole (where, by the way, there may be a foot of snow or more this weekend) she would have been SOL.

Of course the local tire place in Mansfield is closed by the time we get there and we just managed to find the garage where we take our vehicles open. So, rather than traipse all over, we stopped and told the mechanic what we needed (one pair of rims and snow/studded tires to go on the front) and, “oh, by the way,” could you do an oil change and 35K mile check up on it while you’re at it. We’ll just leave it here, okay?

Did I mention that it was not snowing down on Route 6 or in Mansfield? It didn’t start again until we passed where Terry had been stopped earlier. It lightly snowed all afternoon and when I looked at the radar I could clearly see it was only snowing along the mountain ridge. I would guess it was snowing only above 1800 feet.

Now, with her car in the shop, I’ve got to ferry her down to church in the morning. Oh well, I’ll stop at the Goose and get an apple fritter, coffee and the papers and search the ads for a gently used 4-wheel drive vehicle. Something with reasonable weight and that’s able to climb that last 200 feet of hill. I don’t really want a third vehicle, but it was nice to have Rick’s Blazer here for a while. Hey, it’s only money.

Marooned no more

So, this morning, when there was no sign of the road having been cindered, Terry called the township office and asked that a truck be sent out to cinder the icy segment of the road that passes the Aerie. The person at the other end said the crew was out clearing brush but she would try to get someone out as soon as possible.

About an hour later the big yellow dump truck with its flashing yellow light and a load of cinders came up the hill and spread those little black suckers thickly upon the road.

I was elected to go down and get the mail in the Aveo and ventured out about fifteen minutes after the truck went up the hill. I found lots and lots of cinders on the road which made me feel much more comfortable about driving down and making it back up. Less than a half mile down the road (and after dropping a few hundred feet) I found the road bare of snow and ice. Of course, it was also out of the trees and had pasture on both sides so the wind could sweep the road clean and the sun could get to the surface and melt what was remained. No wonder there was never a though that cindering might be needed. Down in the valley, it wasn't. (In contrast, the section just below the Aerie is shaded by pines on the side of the road that keep the road cooler.)

Coming back from the post office I had no difficulty at all making it up the road and into the driveway.

Terry called the office to say thanks for sending some one out.

Later this afternoon, daughter Jessica, who came out from NJ for a few days' visit and to celebrate her Birthday, was able to drive up in her Yaris with no difficulty.

Still, if I had the cash available--which I don't--I wold be looking for an inexpensive 4x4 or all-wheel drive vehicle.

Of course, if I just had a couple of old K-cars....