Driving Standard

The homeowners here in Roberts Creek have asked me to drive their car down to Vancouver when I leave so that they can pick it up when they return. This works out really well because I have to go to Vancouver in November to work. Except, that the car is a standard transmission.

Now I had a standard for probably 20 years and certainly knew how to drive it. But the last few years I had switched to an automatic, and all of a sudden, my skills have gone out the window.

So I am taking this little beauty out for a short run to the grocery store to get used to it before I take it to Vancouver with all its traffic and highways and scary drivers.

On the subject of cars. We have been left a few cars to use. Mostly we don't need other people's cars because we have our own, but one very nice lady leaves us her "Dogmobile". This is a van specially set up with padding in the back for her three dogs. They love going for long drives, their heads up against the windows and ears flapping in the breeze. But there is no way we could go anywhere in our car with 3 dogs, so it works out well.

In this whole adventure we have never had a problem with our automobile. Sometimes we hardly drive it. In Powell River we lived in the town centre and walked everywhere. Sometimes we need it on a daily basis. In Sooke we were miles out on an acreage in the country.

So, back to my driving lessons and hoping I don't grind the gears.