In a very curious turn of events, a squirrel killed my car! (although it did lose its life as well, sadly).

My daughter frequently borrows my car, sometimes for days at a time.  She lives in an area where there are tons of squirrels.

She can also let her cats out into her yard and for the squirrels,that is not a good happenstance. 

Apparently, her cats were out, they chased a squirrel that was in their yard, the squirrel hid under my car, then jumped up into the engine compartment. (At least that's the only scenario I could come up with, since it was warm and not raining, there was no reason for a squirrel to be under the hood).

After calling her cats back into the house not knowing about the squirrel.................she started the car and proceeded to drive to my place! Luckily I don't live very far or the damage could have been even worse!

When she arrived here, the car made a loud screech and quit!  Her husband looked under the hood to see what was wrong and saw the squirrel.  Sadly, it had gotten grabbed by the Serpentine belt somehow and was stuck between the belt and one of the moving parts. The belt is called a Serpentine, because it winds over, under, and onto many different moving parts, in fact, it runs the whole motor!

I know.........ick and yuck! Well her husband managed to get the poor thing's corpse out, but by doing so, caused the belt to come off, and checking it over he thought it was probably damaged and shouldn't be used again.

So now, we were really stuck!  I certainly didn't have the right tools to be able to put the belt back on, and it was almost dark, so we had to leave the car as it was.

For days I wracked my brains trying to figure out what to do, and I have to say I prayed A LOT! I am disabled and a disability check once a month is all the income I have.  The car is paid for and I had just paid $50. to get the license tabs! I also had paid my car insurance, and there was 1/2 a tank of gas! I was really strapped for what to do.

In one way, I felt my daughter and her hubby should volunteer to repair the car.  But in another way, he hasn't been working long, (he just graduated the University), and she is expecting. So, what to do?  My poor brain was just stumped.

Fortunately, for me, I have lived in this town over 27 years, so I have worked with, and know a lot of good people. But as I thought of, and discarded many of them for various reasons, I remembered a couple I know.   I worked with the man in two different jobs, for quite awhile, and I had been friends with the woman almost the whole time our kids were growing up together.

My oldest son took her oldest daughter to the Prom, her son went to the same classes as my middle son, and her youngest daughter was always "sleeping over" with my daughter. (Yay for small towns, sometimes!) As a matter of fact, I had introduced the man to her and they later married!

I know he used to always work on cars, so I figured he'd have the right tools, but the problem was, we really hadn't kept in close touch, just Christmas Cards and her son coming to me when he needed things he didn't want to ask them for. (like cigarettes, he's 32 now, so don't get preachy! LOL)  But I figured it wouldn't hurt to call him and just ask. In the meantime, I had ordered a new belt from the Auto parts store, only to find out it would cost $50! I figured I would call him anyway, and give him a week (until my payday), to make up his mind.  B U T................................

When I picked up the phone to call him, MY PHONE WAS DEAD! Guess my cat had knocked it loose from the charger.  Well, now I really was frustrated.  Then I remembered she is on facebook, and here is where the REALLY good news starts! (I believe in miracles).

I found her on facebook, and she was actually on her computer at that exact time!  She asked what the problem was, and I told her about it and  that I was so upset because I didn't know what to do and I thought her husband might be able to help me. She  told me to hold on, as he was home too.  He came on, had me explain it all again and said "Next Week?  Nope, I'll be over in about an hour, is the belt under your name at the parts store?"

When he showed up, he was in a big truck, with all the tools in the world.  He had paid for and picked up the belt, and proceeded to fix my car!  He had to jack up one side of the motor, undo all kinds of big bolts, cut off the old belt, and I don't know what all. It took him about 2 1/2 hours! (my gosh a mechanic would have charged $50 an hour, at least!).  He not only replaced the belt, he checked and aired all the tires!  When he came in to wash, black up to his elbows, he gave me a big hug and said not to worry about paying him for the belt  until I had some extra money, and he wasn't going to charge me anything for labor!! He said that's what friends are for, we had all "been there before", and that I had done things for him and his family, so just not to worry!

When he left, I just cried, truly stunned by his kindness.  I fully DO intend to pay him back, and also a little over for labor.

This is one of those wonderful occurences that fill one's heart and makes one truly believe in miracles and paying it forward! Don't you agree? ♥