Blessed by the kindness of others

We had taken a weekend trip to our family ranch. My brother came up with the name ACORNS. A Cabin on the Ranch Near Sisquoc. And so it is. So, we traveled for the weekend to ACORNS. This provides a sort of oasis, a sanctuary, for us all. I love that my two children have already developed such an incredible  appreciation for this place. They love it. They work it. They do much of what I remember doing there as a kid. Last year, we went to the Santa Barbara County Fair for the first time with them. This year, we returned. The poultry barn and ag exhibits were favorites. No surprise there. Afterall, CD is raising chickens and aspires to one day becoming a "farmer cowboy."

CD and Miss Hollywood have developed an affection for Cowboy Roy and Cowboy Bob. The two cowboy friends have started teaching my two children some amazing things and surely have contributed to the affection the kids have for ACORNS. Their patience and understanding and willingness to teach these two young children some of the "ropes," has been appreciated not just by the kids, but by me.

As we headed out on our journey home, I noticed the car overheating terribly. I knew we would not make it very far. In fact, we hadn't even made it to the freeway yet. I called my dad who came to our rescue, along with my uncle. While they ran to get the parts we needed for the first fix on the car, a nice trucker approached me to ask if the kids and I were ok and whether or not we needed anything. I assured him we were fine and my dad would return shortly with the parts we needed to make a repair. The trucker returned a few moments later to chat and double-check that we were ok. He then asked if we liked blackberries.

"Are you kidding?! Blackberries are a favorite!" I replied.

He said he had a full load and would return right away with a box of blackberries. CD, in particular, thought he was in Heaven. The blackberries were chilled from the refrigerated truck. What a treat!

My dad and uncle returned. We made the repair on the car and off we went. We made it less than two miles down the road before the car overheated like crazy again. I found another gas station to park at and this one had a service station. A kind older gentleman listened carefully as I explained my overheating experiences, while holding Miss Hollywood in my arms as CD found a way to keep himself entertained. Unfortunately, the person who could help us would not return until the following morning. Not an option. It was imperative that we return home that night. My dad and uncle once again came our rescue. As we waited for their arrival, a gentleman with a "lunch truck" who had stopped at the service station checked on us. Before he left, he grabbed a large Powerade off of his truck, and handed it to me saying, "Here, for the kids."

To make sure we had everything just right, dad found a mechanic would do the work if we supplied the parts. Off my dad and uncle went to get the parts while the kids and I headed to Bush's Automotive in Santa Maria. We received great service and the car was finished in less than an hour. Not only that, but the charge came in under $100 for the job! We got back on the road much later than we originally set out to, but we were back on the road and headed home. Finally! The car did great the entire way and for that I was most thankful.

Along the way, we stopped here and there for restroom breaks, leg stretches, refueling ourselves and the car. At one stop in Gonzales, we went into a coffeehouse. We received great service and my coffee was perfect! (See related review post on Bek's Bites.)

We always love our trips to ACORNS and many of our trips become full on adventures. This one could have overwhelmed us with frustration and fatigue, but thanks to the kindness of others, we took everything in stride and made it home before midnight. "Our adventures never stop," CD said earlier in the day. Indeed, son, our adventures continue and go on and on. How blessed are we!