The Springs - Tuesday

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Tuesday Oct 18 The Springs -
It got cold last night. Down below freezing but it has warmed up to about 46 degrees now which is actually comfortable with a light jacket. I took my truck to a repair shop and looks like I am going to get hammered on the repair but that’s how it goes sometimes. We were aware of the problem on the oil cooler line but I chose to go with it as it is because I needed to get to Albuquerque in time for the balloon fest. It would probably have cost me about the same to fix it at home as both I and my brother in law Bill are getting too old to be working on cars or trucks and I would have had to take it to a mechanic anyway.
A second problem came up…The gasket on the water pump that I had replaced in Silver City, New Mexico on my last trip started leaking antifreeze and so I have to get that fixed as well. Another job Bill and I are getting too old to do.
And the fact is I am getting where I would rather pay someone else to do it than mess with it myself. And when you are traveling no one will let you work on your truck on their lot.
The repair shop gave me a ride back to the motel and they are going to call me when they get it fixed and will come get me, which is nice. It is only about a mile walk from the hotel to the repair shop though so I wouldn’t have minded walking.
So I have invested most of this day in catching up on my computer work, blog etc.
3PM - At 3PM I got a call from the woman at the repair shop and she told me my truck was ready to go and her husband would be coming to pick me up. So I went out front of the motel and her husband got me and took me to the shop.
I got hammered pretty good on the repair cost ($406) and doubt some of it as they said the lower radiator hose had a pinhole and needed to be replaced, at $40 for the hose. I just bought it a few weeks ago in Silver City. But.....no point arguing with a mechanic when they have your truck. So I just grimaced and paid up and got my truck back.
I immediately drove it out to I-25 and up to Monument where I got off on Hwy 105 north towards Sedalia.
At Palmer Lake started to take pictures with one of my good cameras and the lens came out halfway and froze up and would neither open up all the way or close. So I used my backup snapshot camera and I took pictures and then made a Right turn to stay on Hwy 105 to go to Sedalia (if you go straight the road will take you to I-25 at Larkspur). Hwy 105 is always very scenic and this time of year the Fall colors were beautiful. It hugs the Front Range of the Rockies and is well worth a side trip. Hwy 105 changes to county 105 for a bit then back to Hwy 105 again before deadending in Hwy 67 just west of Sedalia.
When I got to Sedalia I could have just went South on Hwy 85 to I-25 north of Castle Rock but decided the scenery was beautiful and I would go up 85 a bit again. As I approached Denver the traffic kept getting worse and worse so I figured if I just go east I would get back to I-25. It didn't work out that way as the roads became a maze and when I did find I-25 the roads I was on just went over it and did not connect and traffic was terrible.
I finally did find my way to a road that connected to the freeway in Denver and started back south towards the springs. Quite an eventful day with a lot of people annoyed at that slow driving Texan in their way. I'm one of those people where if the speed limit says 40 I drive 40 and that annoys some people no end.
When I got back to the springs I figured I deserved a treat so went by and got a bucket of all dark original from the Colonels and went back to my motel and pigged out on chicken and baked potatoes. And went to bed with a very full stomach.

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