It seems fitting somehow that this should happen tonight, on this, our last Thursday night out. This, something so typical of the beginning of the field season. It’s like we’ve come full circle.
It’s been snowing. A wet constant snow which has coated the road and made it slick slick, just the way we like it. Yeah. Sure.
Actually it’s not so bad. I’m driving the Durango up the hill to camp with most of the T-town boys, and I’m pleasantly surprised. I was expecting the road to be much worse. Sure there are spots, slippery sections where Dio’s pointless orange warning light flashes on the dash, letting you know she’s lost traction. As if you couldn’t tell. But Dio’s been surprisingly good on the slippery road, for all her other faults. And she does have good tires, unlike the trucks.
We make it back just fine and I am pleased. But it’s not long before we get the call. The other crew wasn’t so lucky.
If I had thought about it a moment I would have changed out of my town clothes. I would have grabbed some gloves, maybe my headlight. Instead i head right back out to the Durango, armed with the truck’s snow chains and a tow rope, and head back down the road.
It’s already a lot worse. It doesn’t take long out here. A few minutes can make a huge difference.
They didn’t make it very far up the road, so it takes me a while to get there. Poor Gingerballs. It seems his 4-wheel-drive still isn’t functioning quite right.
I won’t get into the details. Suffice it to say, we got the truck out, and slowly slowly made it back to camp. But not before we all got very wet and very cold and very muddy. Of course. Right after showers and laundry. In out nice town clothes. Of course.
Full circle then. Muddy road. Malfunctioning 4-wheel-drive, and Dio, to the rescue once again, kicking the Super Duty’s butt.
I guess I still have a thing for my Dio after all. :-)
