I pulled over immediately and called. She was out and came home to find that the huge tree had fallen and was not only blocking most of the driveway but also the front door, and the back slider was locked. She managed to get a ladder up to the back of the front/side porch and break enough branches to get in the house. Very thankfully, neither of us was home when it happened. There would have been significant vehicle damage and almost certainly severe injuries if either of us had been here and either going to or coming from the car. No damage to the house either. We're extremely lucky.
Then, of course, my attention turned to the truck. I couldn't tell from the first photo if it had been hit, and had no idea what I would find when I made my way to the other side of the tree...
The good luck continued when I discovered that other than a small dent in the roof, the cab was fine, as were the front fenders, hood and the bed. The larger branch missed the front of the cab by about 18 inches. The S10 that will provide the new chassis is at the other end of the driveway and was completely untouched.
If the body had still been sitting on the old chassis, the truck would have been completely destroyed. I have to think that Mom had something to do with the tree falling just the way it needed to so the truck would be spared. Once again very lucky and appreciative, especially for the friends who showed up with their chainsaws and manpower to help get the driveway cleared. Thank you so much once again, Jason, Stewart and Michael.
Here's a short Facebook video clip I posted yesterday. I realize these are just old trucks to most people, but this one means the world to me. I can't look at or even think about this truck without also thinking of Mom, which is why this project has always been dedicated to her memory, and why you hear the emotion at the end.
Can't express how relieved I am to still have a reason for readers to keep stopping by. Thanks, as always. See y'all down the road!
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