Dear Isaac and Maia,

Today, Mini Pearl broke down. We are about 80 miles from home. We went ruins hunting. It’s funny, because I didn’t feel great this AM, just road fatigue. I almost went straight home. But, no, the weather was good (finally) and I didn’t want to waste the day.

We started at the local nursery to celebrate spring. Then, we had a good time checking out ruins and taking the rural route home. But, suddenly something happened with the electric system in the car. I pulled over to talk to my mechanic and the car was dead.

What an adventure. AAA wants you to put in where you are towing to to even submit. And, you have to submit online. What if there was no cell? That’s why i carry my garmin, i guess. It’s rural, no dealer in 100 miles. I’m calling my connections up here (I use to work up here) to see what shops might be able to do the repair. No luck. I finally just plugged in my mechanic from home.

After talking with the tow driver, we decided a roadside repair might work but he needs to wait until noon tomorrow for the part. The local shops couldn’t get the part for 2 days. All this required a zillion calls. Fortunately, it wasn’t super hot for the dogs. But, stressful for everyone.

Somewhere in all the calls, I made a gamble to call the closest hotel (about 8 miles) to see if they took pets. They did – I took the risk and booked way before the plan unfolded. I also called local LE to notify them that my car would be left on the roadside. They offered me a ride to the hotel. 🙂

Right now, I’m still a bit shaken but warm and safe. The motel room is awesome with a leather chair for Koko. So many people offered to help today. I’m grateful. Hopefully tomorrow I can add a happy ending.

PS I worry that my faith in Mini Pearl will waiver and make me less adventurous. Or, maybe I’ll just get more resilient. Im just not sure what that looks like tonight. Enjoy the ruins photos. Tomorrow, another adventure.

Love ya’ll, Cathy Hartt