In the comments to my last post, Tammy asked to see a picture of my traveling rig. As Maria sang, "Let's start at the very beginning - a very good place to start." This was it, loaded up and ready to leave home just a half-hour after my target departure time. I was feeling pretty good, looking forward to getting my sheep settled in plenty of time and going out to eat with the NW Shetlands group for supper.About halfway to West Salem, which is just 15 miles from our house, the truck started to shudder/shimmy - dramatically. I immediately braked and slowed down, thinking there must be something wrong with a tire. But the shudder stopped and there was no good place to pull off, so I carefully accelerated and continued on my way to . . .
The truck made some strange noises as I negotiated the 90° turns into Les Schwab, but when I jumped out, all the tires looked normal. Hmmm. I went in and explained the circumstances to a nice man (all I've ever experienced at Les Schwab stores everywhere), and he came right out to investigate. Jacked up the front end to find that my left front wheel wouldn't rotate. Pulled it off to find a frozen caliper, a slipped shim, and a rotor nearly cut in two - thanks to a failed piston. He said if I'd tried to keep going, it would have started a fire. Instead of being bummed by the abrupt end to my BSG adventure, I was immediately awestruck over God's loving watch-care! I had prayed for His traveling mercies, and He had made sure that the problem showed itself close to help and close to home - not on the Interstate halfway to Eugene, or even worse, up in the wilderness with three horses in that trailer which is where we planned to be in just a week and a half!Les Schwab didn't have parts, so I called Rick to let him know he'd need to come get me and the horse trailer when he could that evening. Then I called Franna to let her know I wouldn't be at BSG to facilitate the transfer of her new ram from Garrett to Laura, who was going to board him for the weekend. Franna asked where I was, and then said she was still in Portland and offered to swing by and get me and my sheep if I didn't mind bunking at the same place she was going to stay. At this point things were changing so fast that I was getting dizzy, but in the end I took her up on her offer and got all my necessities out of the camper and into big yellow Les Schwab tire bags to load into Franna's truck. We arrived in Eugene too late for supper with the NW Shetland group, but we made it. The sunset that graced the sky over the Lane County Fairgrounds that night was another reminder of my amazing day:
Tammy, I was going to take a picture of Franna's truck and topper so you could see the traveling rig that actually got me and my sheep to Black Sheep and back, but never got it taken. Trust me, it looks like a chariot from heaven! :-)More to come from . . .
4 comments:
Wow that sure is more drama than you wanted on the trip there. Can't wait for the rest of the report.
Oh, Michelle - I'm glad the Lord was looking after you. It's rough enough to have trouble on the road, but to have it when you have animals in tow is even more rough. I'm glad all things worked out for you, and you are safe and sound, and your critters, too. Keep us posted on the goings-on. Good to hear all turned out well. Take care, from KY.
Wow. Thank God for guardian angels!
God's abundance grace and mercy was present with you that day. The miracle was that you weren't hurt and then he added the whipped cream - transportation for you and your sheep! I think he was smiling when he did that.
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