Whatcha Doin’ Pop?

Crystal came running to get me today. She said, “Mom, hurry. The neighbour just found Grandpa on the ground and he’s worried and wants me to stay with him. AND, bring your camera - hurry!”

I knew what Pop was doing, but it had really worried the neighbour seeing Pop lying on the road with his head under the back of his pickup. I grabbed my camera and ran out to catch the action of this nearly 94 year old.

Look how methodical he is - he put a towel on the ground to lay on so he wouldn’t get his good pants dirty. He wasn’t interested in pictures but wanted me to bounce the pickup truck box to see how loose it is in the back end. Then I had to get down there and have a look to see what he was talking about!

The local Ford dealership did some engine repairs and we picked the truck up this afternoon. Apparently the mount which hold the spring which holds the box onto the frame has rusted completely away and the tech at the dealership advised he really shouldn’t be driving it - other than directly to a different shop to have it repaired.

Ya, right - Mr Fixit needed to check it out himself to determine if it was driveable enough to get it back home to Egmont where he and Kent could do the repairs themselves this Spring. After all they have the necessary tools and skills - and of course Pop has the knowhow and the will, just not the physical mobility to DO. He’s 93 9/12 in age but not in spirit. Besides which, he’s been driving it this way for nearly a year and it’s been fine!

Since I’d gotten dirty already lying on the ground, I decided to look under the other side to compare. “Um, Pop - this thing just came off in my hand - is it an important part do ya think?”

Uh, oh - now both sides seem to be rusted away. One side of the box is being held up by the spring, the other is still being held on the piece that hold ‘this’ mount - or whatever… I don’t know the mechanical terms but I do get it - there’s nothing holding the box to the frame and um, it could be very dangerous if the truck was in an accident.

Pop is still determined to drive the truck to Egmont on the 9th of April - hopefully he doesn’t lose the box on his way… but I’ve seen trucks being driven without a box - Rednecks do it all the time and it doesn’t seem to be a big problem.