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Friday Favorite: My Chariot

October 3rd, 2014

Every time I climb into my little black car I realize how much I love it. It’s cozy and cocoon like, perhaps because it’s small, perhaps because I have the windows tinted really dark, maybe it’s just because it’s a nice little car. We originally bought it because it was inexpensive and we could fit all of our equipment in the back, little did I know how much I would grow to love this car.
car
This car is my tractor and my farm truck. I haul hay in the trailer and thousands of pounds of grain in the back for the livestock. It works hard and never complains, well almost never.
grain
christmas_tree_in_car
This car has carried home our Christmas trees and carried us across the country several times. We have headed West and we have traveled South, we have driven East and back again. It has taken us over mountains (just barely when it came to Teton) and through valleys. It’s been a great little car for traveling.
key west
Tiny_Trailer_at_Glacier
tiny trailer camping 2
Tiny_Trailer_at_TDRNP
tiny_trailer_in_badlands
Tiny_Trailer_at_Theodore_roosevelt_national_park
tiny trailer camping 4
Tiny_trailer_at_Devils_tower
My little chariot is getting old, she’s well into the six figures when it comes to mileage. The other day as I was driving around I thought about how I have been in this car for just about ever single one of these miles, most of the time behind the wheel. While Mr Chiots and I drive this car often together, it’s my car and it’s always the one I take. Lucy and I spent countless hours in this car heading to my mom’s house each week (two hours of driving each time). I think Lucy loved this car as much as I did, it was very fitting that her final breaths were taken in the back seat. There was nothing she loved more than hearing “Wanna go to grandma’s?”, she’d hop in the back seat stick her head out the window for a while and then fall asleep in the back seat. I truly believe it was one of the things she loved most in life.
lucy in the car
lucy in the car (2)
chiots in the car
Lately I’ve had to get a few things fixed, struts, fuel line and a few others. I’m glad she’s still going strong and I hope that trent continues. I’m hoping to get 4-5 more years from this lovely little car.

Have you ever had a car you’ve loved? What kind of car was it? How long did you have it?

8 Comments to “Friday Favorite: My Chariot”
  1. Nebraska Dave on October 3, 2014 at 8:22 am

    Susy, yes I have a truck with your same sentiments. His name is Ranger Rick and he has toted me far a wide across the country. I bought him new in May of 2004. In that time we have traveled to Canada twice. Once towing a boat. Other trips include a trip to South Carolina, two trips to Las Vegas, two trips to the gulf of Mexico and several trips to surrounding states. With 179,000 miles under his belt there’s not much he hasn’t hauled. Only one time in all that service did he fail and need surgery. The hydraulics on the clutch failed. Not the clutch itself but the hydraulic cylinder that operates the clutch. I won’t ever give up this little truck. He will be a one owner truck and will be operational as long as they make parts. It was a sad day when Ford decided not to make the Ranger any more. I’m not sure what they were thinking because it was one of their best selling vehicles.

    Have a great day with your little black car.

    Reply to Nebraska Dave's comment

  2. Angela on October 3, 2014 at 8:36 am

    I have a very special 1997 Ford Escort station wagon. She was loved by her first owner, and now by me. I want to drive her forever! She drove from Boulder, Colorado to Pennsylvania, then to Maine and back, to New York a couple of times, and all around. Ford Escorts are great, reliable, easy to drive cars.

    Reply to Angela's comment

  3. Melanie in California on October 3, 2014 at 10:37 am

    My little Volvo S40 took me everywhere, kept me safe through a rear-ender and saw me through over 212,000 miles. When my hips gave out and I could no longer clamber into/out of the car, we sadly let it go to a new home; I see it around town on occasion and its new owners appear to love it as much as I did.

    Reply to Melanie in California's comment

  4. Charlie@Seattle Trekker on October 3, 2014 at 2:44 pm

    It was a 1938 (mint condition) Ford…I still miss it, I don’t think that feeling will ever go away.

    Reply to Charlie@Seattle Trekker's comment

  5. KimH on October 3, 2014 at 8:08 pm

    I had a great little Toyota Corrola that I had for about 10 years.. I bought it used and I put several hundred thousand miles on it burning up the roads in Texas.. It finally gave up the ghost after I moved to Ohio after about 5 years.. :(
    10 years ago I bought a Santa Fe (Hyundai) and I love love love it.. Next car I buy will probably be the same if I can afford it I drove a brand new one recently and man is it nice.. much nicer than they were 10 years ago. ;)

    Reply to KimH's comment

  6. Lucy on October 4, 2014 at 8:48 am

    Lucy is gone? So sorry.

    Reply to Lucy's comment

  7. Kathy Adams on October 11, 2014 at 9:52 am

    Hi Susie,
    Lovely car, but what really caught my eye was the Teardrop Trailer
    That camper is on the “someday” wish list for my husband and me. Any chance you could tell us about your experiences traveling with it?
    Thanks!
    Kathy

    Reply to Kathy Adams's comment

    • Kathy Adams on October 11, 2014 at 10:02 am

      Run Chariot run!
      Hope it keeps on running for a very long time. :-)

      Did you notice my little play on words regarding the Chiots chariot and this chiotsrun site! (insert groan here)

      Sorry, I mis-spelled your name, Susy
      My sister-in-law is Susie, so I must have been on auto-type mode.
      Kathy (or Cathy when others don’t get it quite right)

      Reply to Kathy Adams's comment

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This is a daily journal of my efforts to cultivate a more simple life, through local eating, gardening and so many other things. We used to live in a small suburban neighborhood Ohio but moved to 153 acres in Liberty, Maine in 2012.

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