6 - 8 September 2011

Back to Fern Lake via CT.  Eight loooooong hours in heavy rain from VA to Old Saybrook… including 22 miles of stop and go traffic from the NY / CT state line to Bridgeport! While enjoying their always generous hospitality, cut down a couple of dead / dying trees that, left to Mother Nature, would have fallen on the Tarrio’s backyard shed.  From CT to VT with no difficulties… rain stopped as soon as I got away from the coast and VT 103 was very passable, though flood damage from Hurricane Irene in the Ludlow area was plain to see.  Perry called soon after I left the Tarrio’s to tell me that Lynne had suffered a complete brake failure in the Ranger as she was taking it back to Fern Lake.  Then smoke started coming from under the truck.  She was, needless to say, a bit freaked out!  Fortunately, she was at Kampersville Campground getting gas when the brakes went, so moving very slowly.  Perry went to Lynne’s rescue, discovering that one of the brake lines was rusted through (shades of my adventures with Delores a year ago), was spraying brake fluid on the muffler (hence the smoke), and the brake fluid reservoir was empty.  Once I got back in the area, Perry and I filled the brake reservoir and verrrry slowly and without-using-the-brakes-no-matter-what-happens drove it back to Fern Lake, where it will stay parked until Junction Auto’s wreck retriever can haul it away next week.  The fun just NEVER stops!