Still Bodes Well

Remember Mitch's post a couple of months ago, mentioning this blog? From the get-go Mitch wanted to invite the BodesWell crew to Missoula. It's always inspiring to see people quitting their jobs and driving all over the place in their buses. More than once I've heard couples talking about how they want to travel before they have kids, since they won't be able to travel after kids. Frankly, I've never understood that rationale. So this crew seemed more interesting to me than average ACVW freaks since they travel with child.

The bus is a '71 Westy christened "Red Beard" by Bode, the child in question. The front brakes had made a bad bad noise just before they arrived at our house Saturday evening. It was too late to do anything besides hang out, with some pizza from The Bridge and some Rainier. Bode acted as our DJ, selecting tunes by the Stones and Pavement, among others. The next morning Jason pulled Red Beard around back to tear into the brakes.

Going over Sonora Pass in the Sierra Nevadas (A 26% grade in some spots! That's over a foot and three quarters up for every four feet forward!), Red Beard's brakes got hot--really, really hot--hot enough to send the brake fluid into a boil. All that heat also did a number on the lug nuts which could only be undone through material sacrifice. This bar and socket I had fit the bill nicely. It used to be straight. The guys were already starting on Red Beard while the rest of the house was waking up. I remember telling Angela I had no idea what they were doing, all I saw was a lot of jumping up and down on the bus. Upon further investigation, she reported back that they were working on the brakes. Hmmm, the jumping must have had something to do with the bending.

My cheapo floor jack lacked the height to get the passenger tire off the ground, so I got out our ATV jack. Gotta love the ATV jack, except when it has to be moved.

It's always nice working on something when suddenly the Bentley tells you to use some special tool or other that no one besides a real mechanic owns. I mean, who has a brake piston compressor just laying around? Not me. Jason just pressed the pistons in with the non-business end (the pleasure end?) of a crescent wrench while relieving pressure at the bleeder.

They really got their money's worth out of that brake pad on the left, the primary complainant.

Ludwig always enjoys company. It confuses Esmé when she sees Ludwig near another bus though. Eh, I don't think it confuses her so much as she just calls all Baywindow Buses "Loooo-dweeg!".

Later we took them downtown to the Carousel but it was not to be--closed for unscheduled repairs. Luckily there's a huge playground right next door. Gertie enjoyed the exotic company as well. 

All told, it was great times with the Rehms. It really was nice. They seem just the sort of people we'd camp with regularly if they lived in these parts. They headed off for Philipsburg late in the afternoon, with visions of fist-sized sapphires dancing in their heads. Maybe. I might've just made that up. Anyway, their version of the visit is here.

Best of luck, Angela, Jason, and Bode! And thanks a heap for visiting us! Follow their travels at bodeswell.org, linked at right.