The Jeep

In two days I will return my Jeep to the dealer. I won a two year lease on a Jeep Wrangler - with removable top and windows. It's the biggest toy I ever had.

I wanted a Jeep all my life, and I think the Lord let me have one for two years to get that longing out of my system.

Although I'd like to keep it, I can't. It only gets 16 miles to the gallon, and as I filled it up this morning at $2.099 per I realized again one of the main reasons why it's going back where it came from.

I've enjoyed my trips to the mountains in it, riding around with the top down, 4-wheeling in last year's snowstorm, trips to bluegrass concerts with Mary, and my short hair cut which doesn't get blown around so much in the wind.

By driving with the top and windows down I felt a more immediate contact with my surroundings - the smell of new-mown grass and honeysuckle along the road, the feel of a sultry North Carolina summer evening under a full moon, the feel of a summer afternoon under a Carolina blue sky, the smell of barbeque driving past Sonny's, the smell of fresh road kill (yuck!!!!!).

I 'm looking at a great picture of me sitting in the jeep with my grandson Danny. I'm keeping Danny (and my other grands) and returning the Jeep.