Classic cars are a common site where we live. There are 3 or 4 car clubs in our little town, and the owners drive their cars around town as though they're nothing special.
Oh, but special they are. I love classic cars. I've always loved and respected a beautifully restored, shiny, old car. My uncle used to restore Model As and Model Ts, and still to this day, seeing a classic car is a special moment for me. My deeper, more personal love started about, 9 years ago, I think. That Christmas I was really proud of myself. I found THE PERFECT gift for my dad, a Denver Broncos fan to the core. I found him a pair of warm-enough, long-enough Denver Broncos sweatpants. They even had POCKETS. Man, I knew I had done it this time. I think I even wrapped them 3 times to heighten the suspence and make the gift
that much more exciting! Serious props for my gift giving abilities that year. Yet, lo and behold, my brother found a better gift. Always has to show off. Always has to be the one-upper. Rob bought Dad a 1941 Chevy truck that year for Christmas. Like, full-size. With wheels, and it worked, and it was gorgeous. So, quick recap...I bought Dad
sweatpants and Rob got Dad a
truck. A TRUCK. Nice. I would like to say, for the record, that I was a teacher, and a newlywed, and Rob was a single, successful stock broker or money-handler, of some sort. He'll tell you that he always knew things could change at any time. His words were, "I could be driving a bread truck tomorrow." So, he wanted to share his good fortune, and, dadgummit, he sure blessed our dad with his good fortune. :o)
Dad loved that truck. Named it Dewey after his father. Said it reminded him of being a kid on the farm, and how Grandpa would get cattle into the back of the truck to...I don't know...take them to where cows go. (Auction, I guess? The butcher?) :o) So, Dad went about the business of restoring Dewey to its previous state of glory. He had the chrome redone. Had the wood panels in the truck bed redone. Had it painted. Shined it every time the wind blew even a wee blade of grass onto it. :o)
Dad entered it into classic car shows, and won many a trophy. Many a trophy. Big ones, too. Not like the ones we got as kids at the end of the soccer season. Real trophies to honor a really stunning truck. :o)
He was right to be proud of his truck.
Then, Hurricane Katrina came, and changed SO MANY lives, including Dad and Jen's. The truck survived (Dad had stored it in a warehouse with some other classic cars), but there was damage to the house, and there was significant damage to the place my dad worked. And even though they kept him on the payroll for a while during the clean-up, things were just never the same. Fast-forward a couple of years, and Dad and Jen decided that what once was a blessing had now become a burden, so they looked for a buyer. :-(
After a bit of time, they found one. Oddly, in Germany. The buyer was willing to pay a good price for the truck, as well as all shipping costs to get it from Mississippi to Germany! He said it reminded him of the days after WWII when the American GIs were there, and there was hope, and there was laughter, and there were Chevy trucks. So, Dad and Jen bid Dewey Auf Wiedersehen. But they still go to the car shows, and are still friends with the classic car owners.
And I still have a love for classic cars, and I still crane my neck whenever I hear the rumble that only a classic car can make. And I still play the game in my head where I try to figure out what model it is as quick as I see it. And I'm still right more often than I'm wrong, thankyouverymuch. :o)
Which is all to say, (whew, who's longwinded tonight???) that there was a big car show in our little town July 4th weekend, and there were quite a few really LAHVELEY cars.
I thought it was just going to be cars in a parking lot like I usually see, but this was BIG. There were representatives from pretty much every era of (US) automobile history. There were overpriced hot dogs being sold by firemen, and long lines for the beer stand and the port-a-potties. :o) There were live bands on two different stages. There was even a show by the LA Fire Department Fire Boat. (Pretty impressive!!) The news crews were out...as well as pretty much everyone else in LA County, I think! It was bu-zizzy! We only stayed a couple of hours because of one sweet little girlie who needed to go to bed to catch up on her Sweetness Rest. :o)
It was crowded and the sun wasn't 100% cooperative, but I took a few fun pictures to remember the day.
1960, Cherry Red Corvette. Mmm, sweet.
The hood of a white Chevy Truck, not as nice as Dewey, though.
I admit, I've got a thing for Thunderbirds.
The Fireboat in all it's glory.
And, Dad and Jen, you need to plan your trip out HERE for July 4th next year! :o)
The Leaf of Golden Goodness.
What happens when I cover Mama's feet with sand?
I can't wait till I figure out how to use this shovel the right way.
Proof that she really DOES have hair!
