Yesterday Karmalita came to Ultimate Auto in Cromwell, the only place I trust to take my bus when in Connecticut. Two weeks ago today it took $396 to fix and recharge the dash a/c that I had paid a mechanic in Georgia $689 to fix. For $172 I also go two odd pieces of equipment hanging from the dash removed. Then there was the cost of the visual inspection of the entire vehicle that turned up thousands of dollars more work that will need to be done in the future – including rotted bushings and rear shocks, sagging rear springs missing their insulators, and windshield leaks coming from 12 bent after-body mounts and bolts.

That pothole I hit on the way from here two weeks ago resulted in a pull to the right when braking. It took $1,276 to diagnose the problem, replace the front brake calipers, and the wheel speed sensor. After doing that, they became certain one of the front wheels had the ABS problem they thought they sensed when she was in the first time. So, we camped in the parking lot overnight and today Pye and I are sitting here while that $700 problem gets fixed with a lot of noise from banging and pneumatic tools. When it's quiet for a bit, he sticks his head out from under the $300 scratching post now covered with a $34 quilt that's patchwork on one side and the same gold on the back. So far he has not come all the way out.

"The cards know," I always say. The one I pulled today from "The Witches' Wisdom Tarot" by Phyllis Curott and Danielle Barlow was #8 Healing. This time it applied to Karmalita as much as to me. It talks of wounds, healing, rest, patience and resilience. The Green magic it refers to probably comes from the green money rice I made on the dark moon that appears to be working for Ultimate more so than for me.

When the work is done, I am visiting with a sister witch by the Connecticut River for a bit before driving up to the home of another sister witch which serves as home base when I am in New England. I will scout out two boat launches along the way to see if perhaps they would offer cooling refuge in the coming heat wave. Yeah, it's my nature to have crazy hopes, but it's more likely that I will be moving into her spare room because Pye cannot tolerate temps in the 90s without difficulty breathing. I am still figuring out if I can get a window or a room air conditioner in here, but it's not likely without modifications when I’m back at the homestead in October. And it's even less likely I can pass Pye off as my emotional support animal and take him with me into coffee shops and other climate controlled places.

My years have taught me I most need to do what I most resist, and I am strongly resist the move because I really want to be able to live in my own home. (We skoolie people do not consider ourselves homeless, only houseless.)

May you all stay comfortable in this crazy climate, and do all you can to heal our Mother.