Lemons to Lemonade... again

I seem to keep forgetting that often the old platitude about turning lemons into lemonade is absolutely true.  This morning I had that lesson pounded home to me again.  I decided to  oversleep just for about a half hour and then, instead of going to breakfast at a cafe before heading for Afton, I'd grab a donut and newspaper when I stopped for gas and I'd find a place to park to enjoy a quiet morning in the semi-outdoors.

So, I drove to Vinita and pulled into the WalMart parking lot, not the most picturesque place to enjoy nature, but I couldn't find a public park in Vinita.   It was fine.  I finished the paper and the donut and turned the ignition key.  Nothing!  Again.  Nothing!   I found it hard to imagine that a 19-month-old battery would be failing me, but after ruling out all other possibilities, I called AAA and invited them to come and rescue me.  I called Phil and told him I'd be late getting to Afton, and he had no problem staying until I got there.  Forty-five minutes later the AAA guy came, established that it was indeed the battery, and jump started me.  I drove to a small car repair place recommended by him, and that's when the lemons started turning to lemonade. 

I can't say enough good things about a man named Tom Flock of Flock's Auto Repair in Vinita.  He procured a battery and had it in the car in about 20 minutes.  We also had some time to chat, at which time he told me that he has had the business for 35 years and his son has worked for him for 32 years.  What a nice guy!  He didn't even charge me for labor!   I want to recommend anyone who has a problem in the Vinita, OK area to keep Mr. Flock in mind.    I was only about 90 minutes late getting to Afton Station, and what could have been a rotten day turned out to be quite pleasant.

Guests at Afton Station today included folks from Amarillo TX, Forest WI, Collinsville OK, Miami OK, St. Theresa Montreal Canada, Minneapolis MN, and Broken Arrow OK.

This family just moved to Amarillo TX, but were already quite familiar with Route 66, both in Texas and other states, having traveled it a number of times.  They said that they're enjoying Amarillo and have already met "Croc" Lyle and other Texas Route 66 personalities.

 I enjoyed my visit with this gentleman from Montreal, Canada.  He's traveling Route 66 on a Harley from west to east, having shipped his bike to Las Vegas where he picked it up and did some exploration of the west before heading east.  He had a funny story about telling someone along the way that he came from Montreal and the person exclaimed, "Oh, you've come from Europe!"   He found it necessary to educate that person on "that big piece of land just north of the U.S.A."   Ha ha....