Another Month has come and gone, and with it summer has bid it's fond goodbye.  It passed much too quickly this year.   Over this past month, it seems I have done nothing but car repairs.  If its not the Sunbird and it's cooling system, its the Toyota not wanting to start!  Then Krystle lost the catalytic converter off the Cavalier!  UGH!!  So far I have replaced a waterpump, coolent reservior, thermostat, and a radiator in the Sunbird and it still has a tendency to overheat. The only thing left is the heater core...

The Toyota, for those of you new to the story, blew it's engine in June.  Of course I was about 100 miles away from home, too.  I found a used engine at a local Junk Yard and Tony and a friend of his replaced the ruined one.  Ever since the newer engine was put in, the truck was hard (or next to impossible) to start when it was warm.  I had many different ideas from many different people about what it could be.  On Friday I stopped to put gas in the beast and it decided to be an even bigger pain in the ass and not even turn over.  I know now that it was caused by two things...the starter quit on me and the altenator had come undone from its wiring.  I know what any mechanically inclined folks are thinking...two easy fixes.  HAHAHA  Not for this Karma challenged child!  Tony replaced the starter on Saturday.  On Sunday I was back to the parts store to ask them why the starter wouldn't disengage about half the time...and what I could do to fix the problem.  I was told the part was defective and to take it back out and they would replace it.  Took it out on Sunday evening...replaced it on Monday but at the VERY end I dropped the socket wrench and it hit the ground wire pulling it out of its attacher clip.  I couldn't fix it, so now I am heading off to the junk yard for another one on Saturday.  I don't know if these fixes are going to fix the original starting problem or not!  I'm thinking not.....

On a more positive note...I did go up to Glacier over Labor Day weekend.  I hiked up to Ptargiman Lake, which was quite the bun burner most of the way.  I was hoping to make a side hike to Iceburg Lake, but didn't make it.  I know where it is now, so I will get there next summer.  I did get to hike about a mile of the Highline Trail, which starts at Logan Pass and hugs cliff walls over 1000 feet high.  The views along the short hike I took only hightened my disire to hike the entire length down to The Loop and stay at the Chalet there.  I am hoping to make it up to Bowman Lake before the road up there closes for the winter.  I saw a beautiful photo of the lake in the fall and I want to try to replicate it. 

I'll keep you posted!--mm