I Have A Lot Of Love For My Jeep ..

I also get a lot of joy from working on it and from driving it here and there. In a previous post I had mentioned that I owned three of them in my lifetime. Of course, this particular one, a 2006 Jeep TJ Wrangler Sport, for many reasons is my favorite out of the bunch. The heater works great, the top is easily put up and down, there are no water leaks, the ride is pretty smooth, and repairs or modifications are easily performed.

My History With Jeeps ..

I had two other Jeeps over the years; a 1982 Jeep CJ7 and a 1989 Jeep YJ. Loved them both for different reasons and also hated them both for different reasons. Those reasons ultimately led to me parting with them. Many years later, after a slew of pickup trucks, I went back to a Jeep and am very pleased I did so.

The 1982 CJ7 is yellow and on the left, while the 1989 YJ is red and on the right

The Jeep stays in our garage most of the time. I have a company truck, so there is no need to use it during the week. I do, however, use it frequently on the weekends and as long as the weather is nice. Otherwise, she sits in the garage, waiting on my attention and keeping my wife's car company. From time to time I use her bumper as a cup/bottle rest when working in, on or around the Jeep. It's the perfect height for it! Coffee or beer, it's all fair game.

On occasion, I like to visit online Jeep vendors and take a look at what they are selling. Like I mentioned, there are thousands upon thousands of original and aftermarket parts for Jeeps. I haven't performed any major modifications or repairs to it in a while, but have been buying a few minor (very minor) parts to repair or replace broken worn out stuff. I feel like working on my Jeep has taught me a bunch about repairing automobiles.

Every once in a while, my wife leaves her baby parked for too long and I get at it too! Shhhhhh... She doesn't know that I take it apart and put it back together.. haha. Just kidding. The last project got a little crazy. I ended up replacing the headlamp fixtures on both sides of her car. I knew it was going to get involved, but it really was not for the novice of home mechanics. I would also NOT recommend that anyone just start tearing the front of their cars apart unless your confident in your abilities.

I did get her put all back together, better than before too!

Back To My Jeep ..

Just a few weeks ago, I decided to replace two broken pieces. I located some replacements on Amazon, and when they came in, I got right to work. Here is a photo of the part.. Any clue what it may be?

Although it looks like a nicely braided pile of string, they are actually door straps. These straps keep the doors from flying too far open when you open the doors. Wind or gravity can make the doors come all the way open and then hit the front corners of the vehicle or someone else's car (even worse). They are easily removed in case I want to remove the entire door, which I do in the summer months.

All I needed to install them was a few tools. I didn't need the socket set, but had it out for another project. The coffee I needed!

Okay, PLEASE don't blink or you may miss the entire installation process. It's a tough one for sure. First I loosened the door strap loop bracket like so.

Then I attached the new strap and re-tightened the loop bracket.

There is no need to loosen anything on the interior of the Jeep. It is designed to slip on and off, so I just slipped the strap over top of the existing open ended bracket.

That's all she wrote! The installation is complete and now I can enjoy opening my door without the fear of it getting caught by a gust of wind or slamming into the front quarter panel.

It Was A Success!!!

What Else Jeep Can I Talk About ..

Well, my wife and I have been married for almost 20 years. Our wedding gift to one another were tattoos. She got hers and a few others. She's still waiting on me to choose an idea and have it inked. I've gone through all sorts of ideas, but can never settle on anything. Lately I have been considering a Jeep themed tattoo. What do you think of these? Of course I will probably draw my own design, but you get the idea with these examples.

NO post is complete without a reference to the puppies. Molly is not much of a "Ride In The Car or Jeep" kind of dog. She imidiatly starts shaking and associating the ride with something horrible.. like a vet visit. Pepper, on the other hand, LOVED rides. He liked sitting up on the center console of the Jeep, high enough to see everything going on.

Coffee Run

With the doors off, he would get strapped into the side seat. This was still okay with him, because the wind was blowing through his hair and right into his face. I have so many fond memories of the little guy getting so excited to go for a ride with his daddy. Sometimes I would just take him around the block for the heck of it and because he loved it so much.

LOVING the air in his little face

I will be thinking of you, Pepper, every time I take a ride in the Jeep and the wind is blowing through my hair (what little I have left).

Thank you for swinging by my blog and checking out the post. Have a great day!

“Pain is a pesky part of being human, I've learned it feels like a stab wound to the heart, something I wish we could all do without, in our lives here. Pain is a sudden hurt that can't be escaped. But then I have also learned that because of pain, I can feel the beauty, tenderness, and freedom of healing. Pain feels like a fast stab wound to the heart. But then healing feels like the wind against your face when you are spreading your wings and flying through the air! We may not have wings growing out of our backs, but healing is the closest thing that will give us that wind against our faces.”

― C. JoyBell C.

All words, pictures and art pieces are the sole property of B D Miller Gallery, unless otherwise noted and credited, and are not to be reproduced or copied without the prior written consent of B D Miller Gallery.

About Me ~ The Artist

My art work incorporates a wide variety of subject matter, including landscape, seascape, cityscape, and still life images. My works are the product of a continuing process of exploration through which I seek to portray personal and visionary interpretations of my surroundings. My paintings are impressions of places and events from everyday life, an interpretation of my imagination, and personal responses to what I see and feel on a daily basis. More recently I have invested generous amounts of time into my landscape painting. I am surrounded by natural and man made beauty, which inherently presents itself in the tri-state area, and almost demands that I paint it.

Not everything is art. Art is not everything, but it comes close. Art is everywhere and all the time. Art makes you experience the beauty of the world, the people in it, and the places we call home. Art itself is so influential that it can tell stories, show feelings, and express passion or fury. Art exists in addition to language; expression of sensations and thoughts, revealing a way of thinking too subtle and delicate for words.

For me art requires love, honesty and perseverance. In return, it reveals some personal, non-analyzable, and creative untamed passion. For the public, art with its magnificent beauty, improves mood and health and builds better human beings and communities. It engages the intellect, softens the heart, strengthens the soul and frees the spirit.

If Your Interested In Purchasing Any Of My Work:

They can be found for sale on

Saatchi Art

Or

Etsy

If you don't see the piece in either shop, It may still be drying. Let me know and I can upload it as soon as possible to be available. Or you can always make me an offer (in HBD, Hive or any other crypto) in the comments section of this post. If we agree on a price, I will then ship the painting to you. (shipping costs will be determined by your location).

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