For want of a latch

For want of a latch, the bulb was lost…

Isn’t it amazing how little things can be such a big problem.  Yesterday we were just about to run away and visit Shari’s Grandaunts, Mary and Martha, when we discovered that we could no longer close the back van door.  So we unloaded everything in the back and used some bungee cords to keep it all closed as well as we could.  So far so good.

After a good visit we returned home and I headed out to do some errands, including finding some lubricant to see if I could repair the latch.  Nope, these things are apparently beyond me.  But praise the Lord, I stayed out until it was dark, and discovered our next problem.  With the door not closing, the lights in the van weren’t shutting off.  If we hadn’t noticed until the next morning, we would have needed a boost.

No problem, thought I, I’ll just remove the bulb!  For most people, this would be a simple task, but not for me.  In the end, I smashed the bulb by mistake, and found myself cleaning up broken glass in the van in the dark.  Well, not quite dark.  After the one bulb was smashed, I discovered two more.

But, no time to worry about that.  We had an appointment in Toronto, so we headed out for supper at my cousin Jim’s.  I just made sure that I kept starting the van while we were there to make sure the battery didn’t drain.

Once we got back home later last night, I disconnected the van battery and the lights went out.

Being a weekend, we probably won’t be getting it fixed until Monday or Tuesday.  Today, however, we need to pack up the van and move to Beamsville.  This could be tricky, because the van is so packed full it will be a challenge to find a way to keep the back door closed for the duration of the trip.  So if you’re driving in Southern Ontario and you see a purple crate rolling down the road, or a teddy bear bouncing on the centre line, wave!  We’re right in front of you! 😳