Wick (D Gillies): Week 20, 9 June

Aftermath.  The day after my trip, I returned the rental, which is conveniently at the garage where my car is serviced;  I’d left it there for diagnosis.  The prognosis wasn’t good – any repairs would be more than the car was worth.  The problem was what I’d expected – a leaking petrol tank.  They confirmed it felt ‘damp’ at the central seam.  It might be o.k. to drive ‘as long as I didn’t fill it up’, and would probably be fine to drive to a dealer to trade it in. It sounds simple, take one tank out and install another, but if the supports and pipework become dislodged, then they too need repair. 

Happy Bee

Well, I’ve been considering a new car for nearly a year, and particularly since I’ve been travelling so much.  Now the search needed to begin in earnest.  There are many choices when searching for cars:  size, fuel type, color, trim level, cost, etc.  Initially, I’d considered a petrol hybrid, but recently I’ve thought of making the switch to electric.  In the past, an EV wasn’t feasible due to cost and limited range.  Now, the range has increased while cost lowered, reaching that sweet spot of affordability and range.

Rosa rugosa

The internet is perfect for things like this.  I’ve scoured it in depth for reviews, opinions, specifications, how-tos, finance options.  Finally, I narrowed the choices to three vehicles, all electric.  Two were slightly larger than the current vehicle in width and length, but taller – more of an SUV than a hatchback shape.  The third was smaller, cheaper, and slightly bonkers.  The final decision of which to test drive came down to two factors:  safety and ‘vibe’.  I felt the smallest might less safe, plus its range wasn’t as great as the others.  Of the other two, one had a better ‘vibe’.  It’s not a rational reason, but it is a reason, and I booked a test drive for last week.

Lichen

The dealership is in Inverness, and, still reluctant to drive my car more than necessary, I commandeered a friend for the road trip.  We were late getting there, due to my fallible memory.  The ‘sales executive’ was pacing outside, and was visibly relieved when we arrived.  After a brief tour of the model in the showroom, the test drive was soon arranged.  I was wrongfooted when we were given the choice to drive on our own or accompanied.  The sales exec remarked that we’d pay more attention to the car if he weren’t there.  A test drive without the distraction of a salesperson sounded ideal, and off we went, through the countryside and along a highway, and thoroughly enjoyed it.  There were no annoying niggles in the car that might rule it out.  And so, feeling very grown-up, I bought it. 

Armeria maritima – sea thrift

‘Slow and steady’ is the principle I’m applying to this gansey.  My progress is relatively slow compared to Gordon’s, but then I don’t knit hours a day the way he did.  After five months, I’m just over halfway up the front.  It’s getting easier as I go along, and I’m remembering to cross the cables consistently.  This has been a slight problem as the crossings are done from the back.  Several times I’ve had to reknit sections where I just didn’t get it right, either in a cable or elsewhere.