My lovely wife had the truck washed and detailed the other night to surprise us. The girls have been busy with school and they usually do most of the cleaning with/for me. Well, our youngest wasn't feeling so good this morning and stayed home. If she was up to it, a little Dad and Daughter time would be nice and I was thinking of scouting out a place called Plant Bamboo.
There are few G-Rated links from youtube to post about the place, hence why we went on a weekday!
Once I mentioned it, her stomach ache subsided rather quickly and we were off! The place is on the western end of beautiful and scenic Martin Highway, where oaks overhang the road and provide lots of shade. Couple of seconds and you get the idea:
We get to the place, sign in, fork over some cash and were off on our own with the run of the place. The workers were gearing up for the big event this weekend so pumps were going here and there to flood areas and make mud.
I purposely leave the tires at their regular inflation to see what she can do in 2WD. She does just fine but out back in the woods with only cows around I put it in 4HI to be ready for anything. There was a steep and short hill that we drove around, didn’t want to get high sided, and then came to another stand of water. Go through it or back up? My youngest gets out and says we should go back. I say, look, the cows had to walk through here to get where we want to go and there’s grass sticking up out of the water, how bad could it be? This is the same kid I hit with a mortar on Independence Day and told me not to cross the swamp in J. W. Corbett!
Let’s go I tell her. She climbs back in and I head towards the grass sticking up. We enter the water and get a boat length in and all of a sudden the right side falls away and we’re at a 30 degree list! My daughter later said if her window was open she could have touched the water again. I did what I usually do, panic and floor it! The truck plowed ahead and righted herself as we climbed out with the beeves skedaddling out of our way! Whew!
We drive around for another hour or so, mostly on the trails and staying out of trouble until veering off the beaten path to check out a wrecked and abandoned truck. We drive around it and then on over to look at some colorful beeves so my daughter can take their pictures.
Then the trail seemingly ends and turns to rutted wet grass. We drive right into it and quickly sink and stop! I throw it into reverse, on the first try this time, and back on up until she stopped and started settling again. Then forward and she moves a few feet and stops again. I back up to where she stops, throw it into neutral and shift into 4LO. Then on the gas until we power out of that place but to where? We get out of one spot only to sink into another, in the middle of a soggy bottom marsh! The sidewalls on the KO2s undoubtedly helped get us out of some tight jams. A few yards at a time finding the best way this way and that and after traversing a few acres we were on dry ground. But no road or trail attached!
Another marsh, muck and several flowing irrigation ditches separated us from the safety of the trails. Well, off we went with a running start, got up to speed where the truck shifted into 2nd and we plowed our way through it all and called it a day. The tires quickly shed the mud and once up to speed on the highway there was no vibration as you often get with mud stuck all over your wheels. No, these KO2s pile the mud and cow manure onto the running boards instead!
Back home with supper cooking and the sun coming down we went out and cleaned the old girl. Hit something and popped a “rivet” on the driver’s wheel well and the front bumper was askew. Pushed it back in and reinstalled the rivet, like it never even happened. Well, now there’s a scuff on the air dam. Another story to tell.
Many moons ago I thought it amazing to have a luxury car that one could drive across country in comfort, get great gas mileage and was fast enough to best the quickest sports cars then made. Now I’m thankful that this truck is comfortable and efficient enough to travel across country, can tackle nearly any terrain and still have fun with it at the drag strip.
Shark fin antenna has to be leaking, throws codes for coax cables for the XM/Sirius and Cellular. How does one cheat without dropping the headliner to get at the screw and cables?
More problems related to diabetes. Will know more in another week or so.
