Letting Go

So last month our 1990 Mazda went on to a new family.

A bittersweet moment as we watched her pull away.

We first got Mary (yes we named our vehicle and it is a she) in January of 2013.

She was in a wreck within a month of her purchase.  And for most people that is where the story would end.  Who would keep a car that the insurance company said would cost more than it was worth to repair?

Us!  That's who.

Along the way we learned a lot about car maintenance and painting cars.  We swapped the engine.  Once out of need and another time for more power.  She started out white and then was gray.  Then we painted her black and white.  Now she's tan and black.

We discovered the joys of driving with the top down in all the seasons.  We auto crossed and met other Miata fans.  My favorite Mary moment was driving through the Norfolk Botanical Gardens for their holiday light display with the top down.  You know you wish you could have been there.

Darby loves the convertible.  What dog wouldn't?  Top down and you feel like you're flying!

We even did a scenic cross country drive in Mary.  That was interesting.  No cruise control, power steering, A/C or radio.  There was only the driver side air bag and it's a manual transmission.

Whew!

However, we are getting older and Mary just isn't a daily driver.  A sad realization for us, but a true one.

Fortunately we have a friend on the west coast who will use her for auto crossing.  Now she's off for more adventures.

 Farewell Mary!  We'll miss you.