Meet the Canyonero

Long story short, my Jeep Cherokee was costing me way too much in repairs. Not to mention the fact that Jeep are no longer manufacturing parts for it, so it had become necessary to look for second hand parts. Not a great plan when you’re talking about installing a new gear-box at a cost of twelve to fifteen hundred euros just for labour. On top of all that, I had a major falling-out with my mechanic of five years – the Jeep was in his workshop for almost 6 months while searching for some of those unavailable parts and was returned to me with a huge scrape down the side. At the time, scrapping it was not on my mind so I was pretty cross and he was pretty unapologetic, bordering on abusive as we (ahem) discussed it. Two days after that conversation, the final line was crossed when the gearbox went and it was time to say goodbye – to both Jeep and mechanic!

Thanks to a very kind relative, I now have a brand spanking new Toyota HiLux pick-up truck. The idea is that it can haul water for the garden as necessary in the summer, as well as being a towing and utility vehicle for looking after the horses. I’m not sure where I’ll be towing to anymore, but I’ve always felt that you need transport if you have horses. Who knows when a crisis will arise involving an emergency run to a vet clinic.