We celebrated Labor Day by laboring.

The new engine is finally — after about three months’ effort — in the Explorer.  Three months is a stretch, I guess, since we were out of town for half of July, and HWTFM has been out of town on business a few more times before and since… but it’s been three months since we started rebuilding Beta’s Explorer.

I’m pretty sure that professional mechanics have a better method than sitting perched between the windshield and the engine compartment, but that was the only way that I could see to ensure that we got the engine properly lined up with the transmission.

Delta documented the event.

In the many months that the vehicle has sat idle in our driveway, spiders have been attracted from miles around.  Lying on my back under the truck to align the bell housing bolts with the engine last night, I watched several spiders busily spinning, covering their egg sacs then toting them away into the darkness.

The spiders seem more prolific this year.  I wonder what weather sign that predicts for Fall and Winter?

My hope is that it predicts there will soon be one less vehicle taking up space in my driveway.