The Defender has landed —— The Moon at last

Subject: The Defender has landed —— The Moon at last

At 1:28 p.m. PT, on this lovely 16th day of October 2019: NAS Defender 291  has been driven the distance to the moon, the average of 238,885 miles. The exact location of the landing is shown on the map and GPS screen that follows this posting. Photos of the landing location, which could have been taken from central casting, will also be posted after this one. More than half these miles were made over 10 epic road journeys that took the Defender from the highest point in North America l and in two days to the lowest point, among many, many other spectacular locations. As i stepped from the Defender at this historic spot, i tried to think of something original and profound to say, i said in my most solemn voice, "One small ride for Man and Dog, but one hell of a ride for this Defender."

Readers of my 2016/blog will recall thar on September 24, 2016, as i stood next to the humbled Defender on the dark, cold empty Alaskan Highway in the Yukon, in Scarlet O'Hara fashion, i raised my clenched fist to the heavens and vowed,  "This Defender will ride again," and by God it did. 

My thanks to all those mechanics, especially Dean and John, for making this possible, and to my 401k fund manager, too. Now to start the 238,855-mile trip back to earth.

To commemorate the occasion, i turned on The Lion Sleeps Tonight, the theme song i adopted for the Defender on the first day i brought it home, December 31, 1993, at the suggestion of my friend Tina Ament, who was the first person to ride in it.

When i get home, i will treat the Defender to a new speedometer.

Ed and Donner, from the road