>  hi all:
>
>  What a week.  The lovely '82 deisel westy we bought just 7 months ago
>  and have treated like a 3rd child is in really bad shape.  Oil light
>  came on at idle the other day and after much panic and dealing with
>  our wonderful mechanic we realized that the engine is going.  I still
>  have hope that the person we bought it from will help us through
>  this, but for now, we are westy-less.
>
>  The broken dream part of this equation is that we have been saving
>  like mad to go on a family vacation in February down to the Baja.  We
>  were going to camp the whole way down and while there, of course.  I
>  don't think we'll be able to take the westy, even if the previous
>  owner does help us fix it, because I'm not sure I feel ok about
>  taking an unproven engine down all that way (we're from Canada) with
>  the two small kids.
>
>  The new dreams part is a real stretch, but I thought I'd throw it out
>  there:  we are 4, 2 small kids 1 and 3.5.  We can't afford motels.
>  When we get to the Baja, we can tent camp.  Anyone along the way
>  interested in meeting us and putting us up?  We would be quiet like
>  mice and unlike mice, we wouldn't expect to be fed.  We were going to
>  be travelling in the month of February, one week down, two weeks
>  there, one week back.
>
>  Crazy, huh?  I just had to ask though.  In a few years, when we do
>  have a reliable westy, i am going to be planing a cross Canada
>  "friend of a friend" tour as a learning experience for our kids (and
>  us).  Maybe I could learn some from this model, though I will be
>  intruding on folks more than I would in a westy.
>
>  Take care
>
>  Christa
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Christa M. Ovenell
Guest Services Manager
The Vineyard at Bowen Island

Vineyard phone: (604) 947-0028
   Vineyard fax: (604) 947-0693
     Home phone: (604) 947-2642
       Home fax: (604) 947-0188
          email: <tcopley@sfu.ca>
            www: http://www.vineyard.com/
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