Autumn has returned to New England in full force. The leaves are finally turning to red/orange/yellow/brown, the mornings are more than just a little chilly, and the afternoons vary from lovely to brrr!
Although Autumn in New England is probably my favorite time/place - it does bring on a flurry of activity to get ready for what's on-the-way. I started moving in that direction the other day by preparing Winne for winter layup. She is now parked on her wooden blocks with tires covered to minimize sun damage and the fresh water system has been emptied and blown out with air. I still have to add RV Antifreeze to the lines and drain traps and I will probably remove the batteries for storage/maintenance here at home in a few more weeks. I also added some fuel stabilizer to the Chevelle gas tank, filled her up with fuel, and took her for a short ride to get the fresh fuel/stabilizer up into the carburetors. Once I get some polish on the exterior she will also be ready for storage. I also need to get the Yamaha in storage and the Honda taken apart in preparation for its winter resurrection. Whew!! I'm tired already and none of that includes all the leaf raking and snow blower maintenance that awaits! How many more weeks until the snow flies?
Meanwhile -- we are keeping busy going to soccer games, working on streetrods, dealing with medical checkups, shopping for/buying new furniture, and all the other "stuff" that goes along with living our lives. I truly have no idea how I ever had time for a J*O*B!
Apparently we have officially entered election season. With "only" about a year to go until America's next presidential election the "Rs" have had 2 debates, the "Ds" have had 1 debate, the pollsters & pundits are raking in the dough, and we still have over 12 months to go to figure out which of "America's Best and Brightest" we will choose to be our leader for the following 4 years. As you all know - I tend to follow all this activity and try to make sense of it all. At least "make sense" to my ignorant, racist, homophobic, misogynistic, non-sophisticated, gun loving, self. I really don't think I am any of those things - but the self-professed "journalists" seem to think I am. And those are just the "journalists!" Some of the actual candidates must think I'm just plain stupid - since they continue to tell me that up is down, wrong is right, and that "they" know what is best for me.
I am just a simple man. I still have hope that a Leader will show himself/herself among this group of contenders that are supposed to be America's Best and Brightest. Just in case somebody cares ... here is a list of attributes I'm looking for in our next President;
1. Will promote policies that minimize Federal Government incursion into my life.
2. Will not promise me anything that is not within the power of the President to deliver.
3. Will not promise me anything that drives up the national debt.
4. Will work WITH Congress to keep Americans safe.
See - I am but a simple man ... with lots of Autumn chores to complete.
See Ya ...
Time to get caught up once again ...
Our old friends Patty and Jerry Mello arrived as planned a week ago last Tuesday (that would be the 22nd of September). Their arrival was the finish of their 4,000 mile trip across the US in their 1968 Corvair Powered Ultravan. The Ultravan was a specialty made motorhome - manufactured in Kansas back in the late 1960s. They made 380 Ultravans - a unibody construction of mostly aircraft quality aluminum - but the front and part of the rear cap was fiberglass. The Mello's Ultrvan is powered by a 120 HP air cooled Corvair engine built by Jerry - who owns and maintains about every make and model of Corvair ever produced!
The Mellos "camped" in our driveway for several days as we played tourist and visited. Unfortunately I failed to get some pictures of the Ultravan in our driveway -- so the above pic that I "stole" from facebook will have to suffice.
Of course we had to have a lobsterfest to welcome them ...
and we had to visit Portland Head Light, Spring Point Light, and Bug Light ...
and more locally - "Land's End."
It was great seeing Patty and Jerry again ... talk all about the old times ... and the new times ... and maybe even some times in the future. Safe Travels on your homeward trip Mellos!
Since the weather was so nice last week I took advantage of a beautiful Sunday to attend a Vintage Motorcycle show down in Massachusetts. I decided to trailer the Yamaha down to this show to compete in the "Lightweight (up to 500cc) Japanese" Class. There were at least 20 bikes in my class and the little Yamaha took 2nd place. Not too shabby!
As you may know - I have spent a good deal of our "at home" time these past few years working on several Street Rods owned by a friend of mine. My friend Bill is a lobsterman who loves old streetrods, has at least 20 of them, but would rather collect them than work on them -- so I help him with mechanical stuff while another friend of mine helps with the body/paint items. While I was gone this summer Bill purchased 3 more projects. The first project on the list is a very nice 1937 Ford Streetrod with a 327 cu in Chevy Engine. The rear differential was making some noise so that was the first item on the list this week. It turns out that somebody forgot to put grease in the differential when they rebuilt it recently and as a result -- one of the pinion bearings was destroyed. I have been working on that fix this week and should get it done next week after the new gears arrive. Then it will be on to a more fun project ... replacing the stock intake manifold and carburetor with a brand new aluminum manifold and 3 2-barrel carburetor setup ... new capacitive discharge ignition system, and more polished aluminum engine goodies. I love it when I get to play with new go-fast and look-good parts that somebody else purchases!
I guess I'm getting closer and closer to being back to "normal" although many of you would question the sanity of my "normal."
Oh well ... it's better than listening to the news of all the successes of our President and his minions. Gay marriage vs religious freedom, unbridled illegal immigration, and moving towards global nuclear war ... how much better can it get? At the present rate of mismanaged crisis I forsee riots in the streets of the USA before the next presidential election. Dividing Americans into opposing camps is not the way forward folks! Yet we march down that path with eyes wide open -- worrying only about protecting our "free stuff" and trying to figure out how to get more.
But then I suppose I'm just an old geezer whose time is past and not "hip" to the new world.
Time to go work on that old Ford.
