This morning, I leave my home in Washington state, fly to Nashville, Tennessee so that I may purchase a van that Joe, a friend of mine has. After arriving in Nashville, Joe picks me up at the air port and soon, we had transferred the title into my name.

So that he could sell the van, Joe had rebuilt the engine and replaced several parts. He sold it to me $2000.00 which I felt was a really good price.

Soon after that, I begin my drive back to Washington where I may continue my preparation for my retirement and journey on.

The Aerostar has a 3.0 liter vulcan engine with automatic transmission. Too, this particular van is also the extended version which is about eighteen inches longer than the standard version. Furthermore, the extended version has in the extreme rear of the van, two under floor storage compartment, which compartment are not available in the shorter van. These compartments are just the right size to each hold a full size car battery.

Further, in the location where the spare tire hangs under the rear of the vehicle, the extended van has enough room to hold a full size tire. However, the shorter van will hold the compact donut spare tire but is not big enough for a full size tire.

This 1984 Green Aerostar which had 153,000 miles on the odometer when I acquired it became the first one to be called the windjammer and was the van in which I began my Journey On.

Although it had a rebuilt engine in it when I acquire it, during my time driving this van, I had the transmission rebuilt, had a third (used) engine installed, replaced most all replaceable parts and added another 171,000 to the van. When the third engine finally died, there was 324,000 miles showing on the odometer.

This windjammer continued running until April 02, 2017 when that third engine died after completing it′s last 500 mile trip up from the California-Oregon border to Whidbey Island in Washington. Still, I came to like the Aerostar so much that I decided to look for another Ford Aerostar with which to replace the green one.

Upon arriving in Oak Harbor, Washington with the Green Aerostar, I quickly began to look online for a replacement, which did not take long for me to find.

On Day 498 TB, I call a man who tells me his name is Ken, one who is advertising a 1989 Blue Ford Aerostar for one thousand dollars. When I tell him that I do not transportation, he offers to drive it to where I am.

As I am waiting for Ken to arrive, suddenly it comes to me that so much more is involved in what is happening on this day than just the purchase of a replacement vehicle. I think back to when I began to prayerfully supplement Jehovah for help in this matter and now can clearly see that he has been helping me all along, yes, me, one of such little faith.

To read the full story of the last 500 miles of the Green Aerostar before the engine died, (500 miles that took three week to drive), please go to Day 472 TB, and read from the story after the engine had died on IH 5 near Grants Pass, Oregon and I had it towed to a parking lot in town.

The 1994 Aerostar was sold to a wrecking yard to be used for parts. Still, methinks that it served me faithfully for those 174,000 miles during the more than eight years that I was to call the 1994 Aerostar my windjammer.