R.I.P Little Mazda 5

If you are going to die, you might as well go out with a bang.

It is with a sense of closure that I announce the passing of our Mazda.

Over the weekend, we had a bit of flash flooding near our home. This was thanks to some of the coolest weather I have ever seen, which produced buckets and buckets of downpour in the mountains around our house in just a short time. 

Later that night, Ryan needed to go to work. He took the Mazda, and there were several spots within several miles that were kind of bad by most people's definition. The firemen were on scene, working to clear up the road to make is passable. The extreme danger of flash flooding had already subsided. He got through the first part after talking to the firemen, and the road was as slick as could be. Farther down the road, on his way through the mountains, was a spot (pictured above) that was unexpected, as it is a dip right after a hill that you can't see over the top of. This kind of "dip" is normal out here. What is NOT normal is to have the dip filled with a MUD SLIDE. Not a flash flood with water and debris, but an actual mud or land slide. That dirt is at least two and a half feet thick, and as solid as can be.

Never a good sign when your husband, who is supposed to be on his way to work, comes home 30 minutes later. Luckily, a fireman gave him a ride home. 

Let's just say that the Mazda, as much as I took it off roading, is NOT a true rally car. 

When we went to get it on Monday, there were some pieces of "stuff" in the road. In the dark of the night it happened, Ryan thought maybe the CV joint was busted, and a $40 part would fix that.

No.

In the day, we popped the hood, and this is why I LOVE MY HUSBAND because he instantly saw the damage but made it funny. I lift the hood and prop it up, and did my head tilt with scrunchy eyebrows because the ENGINE looked like it was listing. And, sure enough, Ryan said, "Does it look like the engine is leaning to the left over there to you?" 

Basically, for a car worth very little, it has been totaled. 

It looks "okay" from the outside. The tow hook is still connected on the front from the last time I had to help Ryan tow the Bronco home (on the same road...that took 4.5 hours in the middle of the night...up hill...). My little grill on the front was smashed out a few years ago when I hit a coyote and drug his carcass about a quarter mile. The front bumper is bent a little and flares on the sides because of that time explosives were "found" on the side of the road and I had to take an alternate route to get the the kids' school to pick them up...and the alternate route was all dirt and I had a little too much fun with it. (Basically, I got a little off roady and when my front end came down, it sort of hit the earth.) The back bumper has rope burns and cracks from all the times we used this car as a towing vehicle in the mountains. It has been very reliable. So reliable.

The Mazda has over 210,000 miles on it, all of which are our miles in the last 7 years. I recently evicted 9 mice out of it. It also recently had a blower fan go out, due to a small fire of a mouse nest in the fan. 

This car has served us well. We were outgrowing it and have recently purchased a new to me replacement car.  

I always wondered what it was like to drive a car until it literally gives out on you. Now I know. 

Here's the zinger though: I literally paid the registration with the DMV one hour before its death.  

So long, farewell, auf Weidersehen, adieu.