Little Truck

It's hard to believe it, but the little truck survived the fire on the  mountain.

Really hard to believe.

Why?  The flames came right up to the truck.  The grass next to the tires was burned, one of the tail lights was just a little bit melted.  But the truck was untouched.

I had left a bag and a half of corn in the truck two years ago.  That was a mistake.  Inside of the truck was nothing but moldy corn and mouse crap.  A year ago they hadn't found their way in, but since then they've owned it. 

Dusted off the driver's seat and tried to turn it over - no go.  Lifted the hood.

Yeah, not ready for what was waiting for me.

Every inch under the hood was packed - I mean PACKED - with rat's nest.   Including a nursing female with two youngins "attached" to her.  She looked at me for a second and jumped down through a hole and disappeared - youngins and all.

I tied a shirt around my head to help filter the dust, and proceeded to pull a couple BUSHELS of rats nest out.

Impressive caches of corn, acorns, and mushrooms.  The mushrooms had done their thing and there were huge blooms of fruit that had grown out and dried up.  Pretty sure they were "those kinds of mushrooms" but who the heck was going to eat them covered in "rat". 

Got Sherri to help pull the little truck out from the carport with the Nissan, threw the jumper cables on, and it fired right up.

It's important to state that after seeing how awful the interior of the truck was, and the horrible mess under the hood.  I honestly knew that I did not deserve such an awesome truck. 

Maybe a testament to Japanese engineering, or just proof that it's far better to be lucky than good.  No headlights or taillights, but running like a champ.  We packed up and took off for the Lake House 100 miles away.

Gotta get back before dark!
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Over the next couple days I washed the dust and ashes off the truck - and the bear tracks and nose prints that it had accumulated since the fire. 

Vacuumed some/most of the rotten corn and mouse crap.  Replaced fuses, got the tire pressure right (all were about 10 lbs low), and did my best to finish digging out the mushrooms and rat collections. 

The vents still have plenty of rat in them - maybe even actual rats - I'm not sure.  It really needs to be pressure washed INSIDE and wet-vac'd out - and probably have a vacuum hose jammed down into the vent system.  

Maybe I'll get to that, maybe not.