On a chilly, gray day, towering “palm trees” bordered a gas station in Colby, Kansas. Parrots perched on the branches.

The sight of palm trees stirred hopes for warmth, sunshine, and easy living.
We needed that emotional boost when, after filling the tank, the engine wouldn’t start! And the Spirit of Sunrise needed a boost too!
The station attendant called a towing service. A cable was loose! (How did the guys miss that yesterday?) And the battery was dead, dead, DEAD!
Gary, the service guy’s tip: Check your cables and other connections first.
Minutes (and several dollars) later, we were on the road again, with advice to get the alternator checked in the next big town. A few miles down the highway, the sun broke through the clouds.
