Rescued from potential disaster

So I am not rigorous with auto maintenance. Renee, on the other hand, is very good about it. So we had the car thoroughly checked out before we left and the only advice was to change the oil at 5,000 miles and rotate the tires. At 5,000 miles we were ??? going to Ohio and it was still pouring. Renee said, we have to get the oil changed. I said, later.

On our way to Vermont we hit the 6,000 mile mark and Renee said, "Now we have to change the oil." We'd had a couple of interactions with less than friendly Vermonters so I was not at all looking forward to another. Renee called Willie's Village Auto in Stowe , VT.
They had an opening. We asked for an oil change, safety check of fluid levels, and tire rotation. Willy's able mechanic, Kenny, looked at the rear tires and shook his head. "Well, the steel belts are showing and there is no tread. Are you sure you want them rotated?"

We looked at where he pointed and I have NEVER seen balder tires. It was one of those moments when you realize that disaster was narrowly averted. We were pretty bummed as it was Friday afternoon of this glorious weekend when we had thought we'd unhook, and drive around northern Vermont looking for moose and enjoying the colors. Willie allowed as how he would not let us drive 1 more mile on those tires. He thought a blowout was pretty inevitable with the trailer. The irony was the drive to Stowe had been pretty (literally) rocky due to all the road damage from hurricane Irene. He'd fix us up with loaners if he could not locate some new ones that very afternoon.

We went for a wonderful long walk along the river in Stowe, and then got a call from the shop saying the car was ready. His associate, with a tire shop, found four new tires (yes, the down side of an all-wheel drive is that you don't replace just the two that are bad, you put all four new on.  Otherwise your all-wheel drive isn't safe).  While the big expense was not welcome, our safety was. Our deep gratitude to Willy and his band who took such good care of us. 
We left with no sense of being unlucky about finances.  Rather, we left with great gratitude for life and the privilege of travel.

Renee and Leslie