We stopped so Kim could do the draining…got
back on the road and 10 minutes later we hear a ‘ding’ and the same warning
pops up. Dang! And now the truck is pumping out cool air
again which means the small leak has possibly become larger. Kim now wants to stop at a dealership in
Phoenix…however, phone service is spotty and the calls keep dropping. As we continue onward to Phoenix with me
keeping a close eye on the phone signal, I see a Ford dealer…it has a service
department and there’s no time like the present to get this checked out. At this point neither of us even know the
name of the town but the service manager says they can look at the truck after
lunch, so we unhooked the trailer, took off the bike rack in front, parked the
truck and came inside to wait….which is how I came to be writing this update at
about noon while sitting in a Ford dealership somewhere in the mountains
between Holbrook and Phoenix.
Just part of the adventure, right?😏
Update
at 5 pm: Now I’m sitting in a motel about ¼ to ½ mile from
the Ford dealership. It’s a nice room and
fairly inexpensive but it’s not in Quartzsite, AZ…and we didn’t drive in our
truck to get here, either. Found out the
name of where we are is Star Valley. We
also found out that the repair that the truck needs requires parts that the service manager doesn’t
have in stock. However, parts will be here first
thing in the morning…repairs should be done by afternoon. Earlier, just on a lark, Kim had asked someone
if there was a nearby motel. “Yes, it’s about a ¼ mile up the road, just
past the Circle K gas station. It’s nice...and
cheap, too.” The dealership doesn’t have any loaner cars but the service
manager did offer us a ride. We declined…the
weather is beautiful and we could use the exercise. So, we took what we might need for a
sleepover and started walking. I put all
my technology in my computer bag which made it a bit bulky and slightly heavy; I
was looking forward to getting to that motel so I could set it down…because, by
the way, the hotel was more than a ¼ mile from the dealership. Anyway, we reach the motel and there is a sign
on the door that reads: Went to town! Please call 928-970-XXXX…Manager. I dutifully
called the number, explained that we needed a room, and the very accommodating
woman said to hang tight, she’d be there in 5 to 7 minutes…turns out she was on
a pre-school pickup run. Thankfully,
there were chairs so we could sit in the warm sunshine while we waited. The manager arrived, we got a room, deposited
our bags and walked to the pub on the other side of the Circle K to get
something to eat. We stopped at the Circle K on the way back to the room to get
water and pop. So now here we are,
waiting.
 |
| A beautiful day for walking *big sigh* |
Update
at 7 pm: Yes, this is a nice room. It has a table with chairs, a sink,
refrigerator, microwave, and TV…everything you’d need if you were going to rent
it for an extended stay. Well, everything
but adequate lighting and enough outlets. But we’re making it work…I opened the curtains
to let light in and I’ve managed to get my technology charged by unplugging the
microwave. The television is not on the
wall…it’s not a flat screen…it’s not HD.
It’s an old style tube TV but it gets good reception…NCIS is on and we’ve
made ourselves comfy. It’s still a dark
room but if I suspend reality, I can imagine I’m watching one of my favorite
shows in a theater…the screen is just a bit smaller. 😏 Kim went to the pub for pizza… so we have each other for company, food
to eat, television to watch, Kindles for reading or playing cribbage, and the
Mobile Command Center has been set up so we can access the outside world. What more could we want? Hmmm….maybe our truck?
 |
| Room #7 at the Star Valley Motel There's no one I'd rather be on this adventure with than Kim! |
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