Dear deer.

Larry, the service manager of the Mitsubishi Fuso dealership in Stockton, California, USA, claimed he had seen this problem before.
Four wheel drive Fuso’s developing a problem in the front axle.
Several of the 4x4 Fuso’s his dealership had been selling came back with exactly the same problem.
According to Larry it was because an additive was missing in the oil of the differential.
Therefore the solution was simple.
Change the oil in the differential of the front axle and add the special synthetic additive.
Within 100 miles the problem should have disappeared, according to Larry.
And what about all that friction inside the axle and wheels of the recent days?
All that banging and other fearful sounds?
No, that would not have caused any damage, Larry claimed.

OK.
If the doctor says so…

The Fuso Szulc was parked inside and a busy mechanic replaced the oil in the differential of the front axle.



Within 45 minutes the Fuso Szulc was back on the road.

The change of oil and the labour had been free of charge.
Even a nice key holder was presented as a gift.

Is the problem gone now?
No, it is not.
Sometimes there are still frictions building up inside the front axle, resulting in cranking sounds and bangs when curves are made at slow speed.
When driving at 55 miles per hour the vehicle pulls to the right like if the front end needs alignment.
And at higher speeds sometimes the whole front end starts to vibrate.
Moving quickly from left to right.

Obviously only changing the oil was not the final and ultimate solution.
The Fuso Szulc will do now the prescribed 100 miles and if those three phenomenons are still occurring Larry in Stockton will be paid another visit.

Next stage in the fantastic and exciting journey was a visit to friends Roland and Kathy who have a marvellous house in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains east of Sacramento.
A house that was designed and build by the famous David Easton, the founder of Rammed Earth Works.
The walls of the house are made of rammed earth that offers minimal use of energy for heating and cooling the rooms.
The rammed earth is in between large wooden beams that also make the roof construction.
Inside the house the use of these natural materials give a very specific feeling.
Like if one can spread safely the arms, close the eyes and be free of pressure and gravity.
Standing up becomes an effortless act as if the energy coming from the walls and the wood surrounds like space carries the astronaut.

Sitting next to the swimming pool while the sun was shining brightly and the temperature was around 30 degrees Centigrade (86F) several deer came out of the forest to have a drink from a water basin specially made available to them.
What a beautiful, noble and elegant animals deer are.
To be hunted and killed later in the year.

The conversation turned therefore on existential matters.
Issues concerning life and death.
A conversation like a shared thought experiment.
Taking thoughts and ideas into the hands and turning them over and over in every possible direction.
Seeing all the different sides and angles and perspectives.
Coming to the conclusion that there is a major difference between philosophizing about life in comfortable chairs in the warm sun next to a swimming pool in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains and the naked realities of life when essential and crucial things actually happen.

The complexity of the syncing of the “I shall, I will and I would” with the “I did”.
As complex as a Mitsubishi Fuso front axle.




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