The life of our Volvo XC-90
After Francis purchased their Volvo XC-90 in Arizona years ago, it served the family well on adventures throughout the southwest and then brought them back to Oregon.
It then became a workhorse while they renovated their current house — carrying sheets of drywall, pocket doors and lumber on the roof racks, bags of concrete, mortar and thin-set, and tools, tiles, paint, and other supplies when needed.
When there was time to play, the Volvo carried kayaks to the river, brought the family to the mountains for hikes, and withstood winter weather in the Cascades and during off-season trips to the coast.
It’s last adventure was a clamming date with friends. The chosen day was rainy, windy and raw, but the family drove out onto the beach, dressed in layers of warm clothing, oilskins, gloves, and boots, and went in search of razor clams. Alas, the group was completely “skunked” and chilled to the bone, so they retired to a local restaurant for breakfast after a couple of hours. That day, the Volvo was the group’s sanctuary from the weather, waiting on the beach to shelter, warm, and transport them away from the wind and rain. It also brought them back the following day, on which they had much better luck…
When age and mileage finally caught up with the Volvo, Francis and their family decided to donate the car to support Habitat for Humanity.
