Goodbye Ragner

I read today that Ford is discontinuing the small Ranger pickup in the United States and closing its Ranger factory in Minnesota.  Sigh...I know they are not top sellers but I have a soft spot for Rangers.  This is because I owned three of them in my teens and early 20s.  They were so cute then with their little flare side boxes! 

The first was a bright red one that I didn't have a scanned photo of although I know I have photos of it somewhere.  It was my first new vehicle.  Each was a two year lease, so after the red one I had my favorite one ever.  It was a deep blue color called sonic blue but sometimes it looked almost purple which was really over the top but I loved it.  Finally, I had a dark grey one. 

Here I am that summer night in 2004 when I had to turn in my favorite blue Ranger.  I was sad but also excited for my new one.  I am in a dress in a hotel parking lot because the trade was made at my grandarents' 50th anniversary dinner.  That is a makeup bag on the hood and I don't remember the story behind that! 

A nice shot of the blue one...

Andrea and I posing with grey ranger in the greek housing parking lot in college.  I was a senior and she was a sophomore and I have my bar mug which indicates that maybe she was giving me and whoever the photographer was a ride...or maybe she had just picked us up...

Roommate Ashley and I on a KD Bid Day. 

One year we used the blue ranger as a scaffolding for our house photograph and it was a very nice picture!  I had someone take my photo while I illegally drove on the sidewalk and the lawn. 

Do you think I was a bit obsessed?  Goodbye Rangers...even though new ones are not being made I know I will still see them on the road and think back fondly!