Last Country Drive in the Truck (Original Photography)

Howdy,

The old Ford Ranger has been traded for something much more reliable. Before heading back to Rochester, though, I took it out for one last spin through the countryside around Mankato.

^{Old Ford Ranger}

My parents purchased another Jeep and I had the option to use my truck as a trade-in and take their old Jeep. While I'll miss driving the little manual transmission Ranger, the Jeep is a huge improvement. The truck had a list of problems including:

• Leaking radiator and slow oil leak
• Shuddering while accelerating and while driving over 60 MPH
• Brake problems and engine revving to 4,000 RPM while braking
• No A/C and broken passenger-side fan
• Broken passenger-side door handle, tail light, license plate lights, quarter panel (held together with Gorilla tape)

^{Long Shadows from Corn Stalks}

As for the drive, I headed out of town toward Triple Falls. There are some beautiful fields and farms out that way, and the setting sun made for perfect lighting. Some farmers seem to be harvesting strange square patches of their corn. This is something I haven't noticed in the past, and I'm not sure if there is any benefit. You would think harvest in a linear path would be much more efficient and cost effective.

^{Mother Nature Wet Her Plants}

It had rained quite a bit earlier in the day, so there were large puddles in the low-lying areas. Some fields still have ponds as a result of the flooding we had this spring.

^{Accidental Paparazzi}

This is one of my favorite little farms in the area. I took the photo, not realizing that the farmer was working in the background. He blends in, and even with the full resolution image, he's a bit hard to spot... When he t urned around, I waved, and he waved back.

^Creek

I hadn't noticed this little stream before, but it caught my attention as I was about to head back to town. The stream cuts across a few fields and there was a small bridge crossing it that made for a great place to take the shot.

^{Bye bye, Ranger}

There are things I will miss about the truck (the control of a manual transmission, crank windows, being able to throw about anything in the back), but the Jeep is a huge improvement. With four-wheel drive, I should be able to get around better in the winter and probably spend less time stuck in the middle of nowhere. It also has a sunroof, which will be great when the bison are along the road. Leaning out a window for a photo can get a person skewered.

Thank you for taking a look! If you enjoy my work, please click the upvote button. Comments are also greatly appreciated.