MAKE IT SO !





 Bikes tested, everything seems good, time to get ready for the off. Big plan leave Thursday morning
and a quick 200 miles to Palisade stopping at Russel Stover's for some chocies and then park the
bus and get on the bicycles for a bit of wine tasting. My tasks are simple for Tuesday, finish the
weeding by the rose bed which looked awful, mow the lawn before departure, and load the trailer.

 Catching up with the "12 hour behind schedule" the mower is dragged out and mowing begins. 4 cuts
done and then it stops! The last time it did this I threathened the Craftsman heap with replacement
and it then cooperated after some carb cleaning. Once more to the workshop and find all the AF
wrenches. To get where you want on this Harley designed mower you need to dam nearly dismantle
the entire unit. Take off the upper shroud, remove the starting puller assembly, take off the fuel tank
and now the lower engine cover. Finally remove the aircleaner and you have limited access to the carb.
Remove the Mickey Mouse choke springs and  get the wrench on the less than friendly flange nuts.
Last time it did this the inlet valve was stuck up and no fuel in the bowl. Blow everything through, inlet
valve working and slowly put it all back together. More threats about buying a Honda and it fires right
up !

 Lawn finished, dogs walked and now time to load the bikes in the freshly swept out trailer. Getting
dark but the bikes are in so only tools, spares and the new addition of 2 bicycles to go in this morning.
Then its start the bus, check the tires and refuel all the other tanks with dilitheum crystals. In the
meantime Brenda will print out the bus departure checklist and be long gone into town to stock up
with vitals.

 When she gets back drag the loaded trailer round the front and then back the Safari up and dock on
the trailer. At that point it should just be clothes and booze to go as long as I don't forget the chairs, her
bar-b-q smoker thing and the gas tank............all seemed to be going well, a little more coolant added,
about 4 pints of oil in the big CAT engine, bring the jacks up and start checking tire pressures. Some
topping up required so out with the compressor and up they go save for one inner rear which I can't
get on the valve and have get another connector to get air in. Finally all done and off to get the diesel
and propane. Out on the road the God awful noise like the chasis has snapped is still there despite
having removed the flapping panel.


 More crawling under the bus reveals one shock longer than the other! Could this be the problem?
Grab hold of the shorter shock and lo and behold it isn't attached to anything!!!!!! Well that is not strictly
true as it was connected to both shock mounts only the upper one had broken in two. Seems the top
bolt holding the hanger on the chasis had fallen out allowing the unit to flex and eventually it had
fatigued and broken in two.



A big bracket !




Nice clean break!




"He isn't  going to be happy"




 Engineering are summoned to the bridge and starship guru (Howard) Mister Le Forge tells me that as
the fuel tank is in the way  (recently filled of course) we have to either drop the tank and front axle or he
can fabricate a tool to get on the back of the lower bolt. He says he can make one and we may be on
the road on Friday..... I of course am hoping it will be complete on Thursday. Data and Spock confirm
the mission can still go ahead but regrettably our diversion to the wine rich planet of Palisade is out
of the question.



"With a full tank we need to make a griplong gizmo ouja to get on the
bolt and then use trimaxagrite to weld it"



"We need to convert this Romulun Uni tool to a very slim AF"



"Are you f******* mad? it canner be done laddie!"

 Captain's log stardate 02092010, the Enterprise is started and using impulse power only is moved to
Howard's shop where he can continue with his task. We will check in with him this afternoon and
failing any likelyhood of an evening departure the away team  (Brenda and I) will beam down to the
Hollywood as vitals are now all aboard the starship.



Locked in Dolores orbit



The away team beams down to planet Hollywood


 Of course I'm feeling somewhat deflated as I had assumed the flapping panels were causing all the
noise despite my earlier thoughts that the chasis had snapped in two. Perhaps my investigation was
not thorough enough but other than the panel nothing else was obvious. Mean while over on the other
Enterprize the breaking news of Enterprize Safari's demise reaches the bridge.....

 

"...... and then they are going to use trimaxagrite to weld it  !!"


 Engineering annouce that we should be able to come out of Dolores orbit circa 0830 and new shocks
should be fitted by then. The shuttle arrives on time and the ship is ready to go but the shocks that did
make it were 2" too long. Final loading is done and by 1000 we are all aboard and ready to depart.



" Helmsman, plot in a new course for Casper, WARP 6"....... "Mr Data
on screen"



"ETA Walmart at Casper 2200 hours"






TONY DOWN