86 ST Augustine

Didn't see this last night.

     We slept well and awoke to sounds in the kitchen,  Rat may be a skilled Harley technician but when he is in front of the stove you would swear he is a chef.  I have never seen anybody so methodical preparing a meal.  Some may even say he is anal about it, but who am I to talk.  At home we always seem to be in a rush and Ruthie can have a meal on the table in less than 15 minutes.  I believe the tomatoes were diced into measured cubes as well as the rest of the breakfast ingredients.  It was well worth the wait.   Elaine asked if I would like a cup of coffee?  Unsuspecting (I'm such a babe in the woods.) I said yes, then she asked "how do you like your women?"  Careful Vern, try to answer appropriately.  (never been asked that before.)   We left Rats and Elaine under the most protest we had seen,  They had room they had food, (what more could we ask for). and

Elaine wanted us to stay,  she could not believe we were leaving in weather like this.  It would be nice to stay.  Actually the weather wasn't that bad, 43 and overcast our friends in Minnesota were dealing with wind-chills, 63 below in Grand Marais MN and as always good old Embarrass MN proudly displays the "cold spot" on their city web page and gets national recognition as the coldest spot.  We were dressed in layers and would feel quite comfortable.

Also we were trying to keep ahead of the frigid weather train heading our way.   Wishing our new friends well we donned our new buffs, (Dale in Ocean isle had gave us the scoop on these.) Elaine said I looked like a girl in mine.  It felt good on our face and neck against the cold wind.  Time to hit the road.   The official time was 9 AM January 6, 2014 when we finally crossed the Florida line, it should warm up now, still 43 degrees?

  How much further south do we have to go.   We enjoyed the ride in several places the ancient trees arched across the road touching in the center.    We crossed the Suwannee river, that didn't look right, we did a U-turn to check the spelling.  It seems Stephen Foster had misspelled the river in his  famous song.   

    The last time we were in St Augustine We had been here Bandanas by Michelle was a toddler.   I had been stationed there temporarily for a Navy radiography school learning to x-ray airplanes.  The GPS took us to the center of town, we were very hungry and it was hard to find a parking spot for our rig near food.   We like to find a spot that is easy to back out of or a pull thru.  We rode up and down the main drag a couple of times.  I said I had seen a Italian place with a nice parking lot.  Le Pavillon, silly me, turned out to be French with hints of German and Norwegian.

   Adventurous we ordered a brie round baked in a pastry puff.  While it was baking Ruthie made an expensive trip to the bathroom.   A wise entrepreneur had placed a sample of some kind of coconut oil laden exfoliate where the soap should have been.   Guess we will make room for it.  The brie was served with fresh fruit, yum, we will have this again.  Our servers Allison and Laurel made sure we had the recipe and were well taken care of.  We found a motel and while Ruthie was checking us in she inquired about the hot tub, after all people in Minnesota use their out door hot tubs all year round, something about the Scandinavians.  She was assured it was ready to go.  It was several blocks from the historic part of town.    Ruthie was determined to visit Aviles Street the narrowest and oldest street in the United States, many of the homes and shops are over 200 years old, Even though we were tired we decided to walk rather than try and find a parking spot.  After walking down the street we went down Saint George Street which is more popular because of the shops and cafe's.  We stopped in a candy shop and tasted a truffle with a hot pepper in it, won't do that again.  

A sample of wine helped to get the heat out of my mouth and this tasty treat finished the job.  It was dark by the time we walked back to the motel so we were able to enjoy the Christmas lighting as we walked, 
     Back at the motel we were looking forward to using the hot tub. We were still chilled from the cool ride in and it would help our muscles to relax.  Almost to the gate we were met by a maintenance person, "Please don't tell me your going in the pool?".  We told him our plans, he said let me check it out I don't think it is turned on.  Sticking his hand in he said "you don't want to go in there."  He turned it on and said give it 45 minutes
   We watched a little college football, Charles in Midland had gotten us interested in the college games and we have a friend back home that is a Buckeye fan, felt bad for her as we were emailing back and forth during the game.  Evidently the maintenance man over estimated the heating capability of the hot tub.  A hour wasn't enough, more like Luke warm bath water, deciding to tough it out we were able to enjoy it as it fought to heat up against the outside air and cold cement surroundings.  

  It turned out to be quite pleasant as normally they are too hot for me to stay in very long.  Our riding muscles needed this therapy.    Unfortunately because the hot tub was filled to the top some of the water spilling over the edge soaked Ruthie's phone, no rice available so we disassembled it and used the hair dryer, we will let it dry overnight in front of the wall heater.  We received some upsetting medical news from our friends in Midland and would be in touch with them as they went thru this challenge.  

 

85. Good versus Evil!

Charles and Joyce, Ruthie putting on her new buff.



January 2, 2014 The flight from  Minneapolis to Atlanta turned bumpy as we started the descent, it would descend, level off, now climb, tilt left, tilt right, then repeat enough times that it was getting a little disconcerting, I for one was very happy when we were on the ground.  Another plane train ride across the airport to catch a shuttle back to Midland.  Could not believe how cold it was, I heard 16 with a bitter wind, we were not dressed for this.  The shuttle was almost full but two very nice young servicemen gave up their seats so we could both get in the same van, saying they would ride with their buddies.  The van ride home was almost as rough as the flight.  Charles and Joyce had the patio lights on for us.    

I'll huff and I'll puff!

     The next morning I tested the trike and the battery was dead, I'm thinking the LED tech was wrong about the amplifier not drawing any current when the lights were off.  No problem Charles has a good charger so we should be ready to pull out on the fifth, something I will have to watch and modify when time permits.     The weather channel was warning of colder weather moving in to the area.  It was time to start our migration South.  We never know what lays ahead of us.

     Sunday we loaded up and left Charles and Joyce's.  She picks on me but I think she is going to miss me, she even sent some of her wonderful home made fudge along for the trip.   So what is she doing in the picture?  Of course with Joyce I'm never quite sure, it could have been her impression of a terrorist or a way to inflate my

riding outfit.  She grabbed the cord from my helmet and pretended she was blowing in it. (I think I feel a draft) Three goals today Plains GA, Andersonville and The Hogg farm. 

     Charles had gave us some excellent information on roads and routes.  However with the GPS set on shortest route within a mile of their house we were heading down a wonderful Georgia back road.  Ruthie says I just don't listen.  

campaign headquarters

     Around 10:30 we arrived in Plains, a very small but important town in our history.  Jimmy Carter's birth place.   I was surprised to learn he was the first president born in a hospital, although it was a mental sanitarium.  The school he and Rosalyn attended was now a museum to honor both of them, it also pays homage to another important influence in his life, Miss Julia Coleman was his teacher.  Along with an education she managed to introduce art and literature into the students lives.  Jimmy thought she treated him special because he was a gifted student, she didn't, he wasn't, he found out later that she had a way of making all her students feel extraordinary, have you made someone feel that way today?  "You could be president someday!"    They say he knew he wanted to go to the Naval academy when he was eight years old, how does that happen?  Who thinks that far ahead?   His goal came true and he was well on his way to a successful Navy career.  When his father passed away his life changed, he was needed to run the family farming business and he couldn't stop thinking about the people that paid their respect at his passing, here was a man that had never left Plains Georgia and still had influenced so many lives in a positive way, he

Can anyone tell me what this machine is?

started thinking what his legacy would be.  "If I died today what would people say about me?"  I'm starting to like this guy, he seemed to be a man of high standards.  His wife Rosalyn said she pouted for about a year after they left their comfortable military life and moved back to Plains.  The first year they cleared about 300 dollars and lived in public assisted housing while he learned agriculture and she studied accounting to run the family business.  Quite a start to where he ended up.  In a speech following his election to the Governorship.  "I've traveled the state more than any other person in history and I say to you quite frankly that the time for racial discrimination is over. Never again should a black child be deprived of an equal right to health care, education, or the other privileges of society." Probably an attitude derived from seeing the way his childhood friends were treated.   It was fun pushing a information button at his birthplace and "his" voice giving the answer.  He said he didn't think he ever ate a meal without being interrupted to wait on someone in the family store.

Store on the Carter farm,

     We then traveled to the Andersonville prison and Prisoner of war museum.  We did a quick tour of the museum while waiting for two documentary films, one on Prisoners of War and their treatment, the other on Andersonville.   The tour and films had taken their toll, The suffering, loneliness and feeling of isolation endured by prisoners of war left us feeling depressed.  Your first thought is to think those foreign b------- and then you have to remember this prison was our own imprisoning our own on their own soil.  Think about it.  

      Andersonville was the site of the confederate prison housing the Union civil war prisoners of war, it was named Camp Sumter and was built by local slaves, (how ironic) 16 acres to house around 10,000 prisoners.  For some time the North and South did prisoner exchanges to keep the population in check however when Confederates massacred black union prisoners and their white officers.  Lincoln demanded that black prisoners of war be treated the same as whites.  When the Confederates refused the prisoner exchange was stopped.  This resulted in the prison swelling to over 20,000 prisoners, they increased the size of the stockade and it grew to 33,000 prisoners.  A literal wall of pine poles, with no view of the outside world, a dead zone to keep prisoners a distance from the wall, cross and be shot, a creek down stream from their captors and livestock.  To make it worse, a group of prisoners known as the "Raiders" preyed on the

other prisoners.  I guess you have to look on it as just a mini society.  whether it is a Country, a City or a Prison, people are guided by the same principals they grew to hold. To help, grow, defend or take what they can, they follow their own  inner compass.   Malnutrition, disease, the harsh elements and corporal punishment led to a mortality rate of 3000 deaths a month, buried in mass graves outside the prison walls.  Over 13,700 died within thirteen months.  The graves of these men would never be known except for the bravery of one man.  Dorence Atwater was one of the first group of prisoners brought to the stockade.  Eighteen years old, hospitalized, it was discovered he could write well he was ordered to keep a list of the dead, supposedly to be given to the federal government at the end of the war.  At risk to his own life he kept a secret copy and working with Clara Barton marked the graves of many of the deceased soldiers.  Heard her name before?  That's right founder of the American Red Cross.   Adversity brings out the true nature of a human being there are those that prey on the weak and those that come to their aid, the heros that live amongst us.  I recently heard about this angel.  Irena Sendler , I encourage you to consider her life and contributions, click on the links.  Life in a jar project  

     Trying to clear our thoughts so we could be alert and enjoy the rest of the day we rode to Cordell Georgia, on the way we passed several pecan groves.  It was interesting to see the way the trees had been planted so they were in a row when viewed from any direction.   The Plan:  A good meal at Capt' D"s, back on the trike and we should be okay.  Wrong!  One of us made eye contact, I'm going to blame Ruthie.  The first couple exchanged a couple of pleasantries about their day and where we were from and what we were doing in the area.  The other couple must have overheard, the husband, I would like to say he got up on his soap box but no he sat down at our table and started berating Abraham Lincoln, he didn't take a breath, I couldn't handle it and I was in no mood to talk about it, I got up from the table without saying a word, called our next stop to confirm directions and time.  Cleared the table and Ruthie followed me out.  I don't know how he got this old with his demeanor.   Felt sorry for his wife, she followed him to our table, seemed uncomfortable and like myself never said a word, difference, she went with him and we were on the trike riding, this will clear our mind.

     We headed down interstate 75 on our way to Valdosta and Rat.  Background:  I have introduced you to our friend and sometimes trike builder Tom, Rat is his cousin.  Many times when we are working together on a trike I will hear of the escapades of Rat.  Sounded like a fun guy.  (this is better written or it comes out bacteria).  

You didn't expect a Gold Wing night light here, did you?

     Evidently Tom had mentioned about our upcoming trip to the South East.  "Tell them to stop by on their way down and they can camp here."  Enough said, we were on our way.  Thanks to his good directions we found "the Hogg Farm,  It was a little South of Valdosta and set a ways back off the road.  It was close to six PM as we rode in.  We seen lights on in what we thought was the garage and thought Rat was working in the shop.  He has a busy motorcycle shop and as you can tell by the name of the farm his priority is Harley's.  He came out to meet us and took us into the garage.  As it turned out the working shop was a much bigger building. 

This was the ultimate man cave, neon bar lights, beer signs, Christmas lights, memorabilia from road trips, a refrigerator, crock pot, pool table, bar stools, beverages of all kinds, condiments and a model "Harley"



 MIA-POW "Yes, I will NEVER FORGET!

train that traveled around the ceiling.   A stint as an over the road trucker, motorcycle road trips had allowed the opportunity to add to his collection.   I can only imagine the stories that have been shared here.   I got the hint that he might be a bit of a rebel when in telling us of some of his adventures he would mention an incident involving a buddy and add "his wife doesn't like me very much."   We met Elaine and since the weather was turning colder they invited us to spend the night in their home, grateful we had a bowl of Chili before heading to bed.  A unique nightlight kept us company.

84 Home for Christmas

Atlanta

      December 14th It was overcast as we drove thru Charlotte, the mist started on the outskirts.   As the highway speed increased so did the intensity of the rain. For the most part it was annoying but not dangerous.   Then the skies opened up, when you ride like we do you expect some discomfort but while it is going on you start to question your judgment.  A little over an hour out it was raining harder, no wipers of course I raised the visor on my helmet to help with visibility, the cold wind on my face was starting to chill me.  We were trying to keep a safe distance from the traffic around us and at points the standing water was causing some hydroplaning.   I think towing the camper was

Lucky enough to see the capital, see it under the street light.

an aid acting like an anchor and keeping the trike from being to unstable when it started to float on the cushion of water.  Still it tightens your stomach muscles.  Ruthie and I agreed we didn't have to be out here and I suggested we stop at exit 75, no special reason except by New Bern and now on this highway I had seen advertisements for "Cook out" restaurant.  Evidently some type of very well promoted hamburger stand,  Had to check it out.  Exit 75 turned out to be a bad choice.  The highway construction crew must have did this exit on a Friday or Monday.  Not thinking that a 2 to 3 inch dip would cause a big problem we hit the highway lake as we exited the freeway.  A wall of water rose from the highway, came up soaked my feet and legs, and the trike started to weave, fortunately the water also slowed the trike 

Charles and Joyce, Ruthie!

and I was able to keep it directed up the exit.  Even though we had originally exited to eat and allow the rain to subside.  I was now soaked and cold.  I don't think we will be going any further today.  I know the burger was good but I think the stress of the day kept me from enjoying it more.  We will try it again someday.  Ruthie had a chicken something or other, who does that, chicken in a new hamburger place.   We both agreed the malts were good, (I know we are wet and cold but had to try them.).   We voted and decided to spend the night.  We even had offers from patrons to give us a ride to a motel, we were getting a lot of sympathy.  One lady asked if it was raining when we started our trip today, When I said "No" she seemed relieved like we had some common sense.   I didn't think it was necessary to let her know we were going to start out today even if it was raining.  We found out later they had gotten an inch and half of rain today.  In the room drying clothes over the heater, left

Chattahoochee River

over ramen noodles from when I was sick, popcorn and dried fruit, neither of us wanted to go out.  Dec 15 looked dry outside, lets try this again.  Midland Georgia we are on our way.  41 degrees at 75 mph = don't care we are riding!
We were promised 50 today but it never materialized.  41-43 was the best it could do all day,  Plus's the road was clear and dry, the sun was shining and we were on the trike going to friends.  It's all good.  It was Sunday and Atlanta traffic was manageable.  Looking back we were very happy we hadn't came thru here yesterday in the pouring rain.   An exit or two after the traffic picture was taken there was an accident just before the off ramp.  The cars were starting to back up very rapidly.  Fortunately we were close to the center lanes, a quick glance back, a two lane move to the outside and we squeaked by.  That could have been a long morning waiting for the jam to clear.  Once we cleared Atlanta the speed crept up just to keep up with traffic.   We arrived at Midland, a suburb of Columbus.   

Even Airport security is going with Three wheels.

     Charles and Joyce are friends from our Navy days in Pensacola Florida.  They had kindly agreed to babysit our trike and camper while we flew home for Christmas with the family.  Charles had went above and beyond the call and made a place in his storage shed for them.  It was great to reconnect with them and Reminisce about Navy and friends,  I could tell you some humorous stories about them, however they have some on me also.   We spent the next couple of days relaxing and checking out the local area.  They took us to see the river walk.  Columbus now has the longest urban white water rafting in the world.  You can see Alabama across the Chattahoochee River. 

Tom's shirt


     Dec 18th. We had planned to take the shuttle bus to the airport but were pleasantly surprised when our hosts volunteered to take us.  Joyce who had been poking some fun at me said it was because she wanted to make sure Vernon got on the airplane.  Atlanta airport, huge place, got there in plenty of time.  Don't think I have ever been on a plane train before, a computer ran train, door opens walk in, door closes, computer voice tells you this train is pulling out, rush of speed, better brace, computer voice, this train is stopping, better brace.  Repeat, repeat. Alarm, "someone is blocking the door". Cool. Saves walking.  We have not flown for years, take off belt, shoes, everything out of pockets, full body scan, Ruthie had to do a GSR (gunshot or gunpowder residue) test.  Don't know if it was random or she looked the type?  Glad she hadn't went to the range this morning.   Our plane was about 20 minutes behind schedule.  I rested for most of the two hour and 20 minute flight.  I spent some time thinking about how relaxing it was going to be at home.  Christmas at home fun and relaxing, you

Midnight New Years Eve, 12 below zero!

know what they say about the best laid plans.
     Our daughter Michelle (Bandana's by Michelle) picked us up at the airport.  Our sewer had froze the night before and she had to pull the top off the inspection pipe to get by,  My plans have now changed.   I spent the next few days before and after Christmas having the pipe thawed and steamed out.  Now preventative maintenance: digging to find the pipe path, and then shoveling enough snow to cover the pipe with at least three feet of snow.  First time I have ever used a wheel barrow to haul snow.  The neighbors probably wonder where I was going with it.   So why did it freeze?  It was a early freeze in Minnesota, the plumber didn't bury the pipe deep enough and their is a possibility that it wasn't installed at the correct angle to drain properly. (I went easy on the last one in case I have to apologize next year). The lack of depth is the key.  We don't want to be surprised again.  Taking the inspection pipe cover off (another point of contention, the plumber said it is normal to see water standing in the bottom of the pipe, everyone one else says you shouldn't.  Plumber = 1 general public = approximately 30,  I cooled down and stopped asking people not a great conversation starter)   I did some preventive maintenance, modified the cover with a float so it will come off instead of forcing the water into the house, made a sensor and wired it into our home sitter alarm so it will call us if it backs up and can now sleep at night. Back to Christmas:  Before our winter trip of 2012 we tried to have a celebration with Thanksgiving,  however you can't fool me, it just wasn't the same.  So purchasing some cheap tickets in October we thought we would try this, fly home for a couple of weeks and then rejoin our trike somewhere down South.  
.     We loved it!  Christmas with children and family Christmas Eve, watching them open

Christmas 2009 from left, Ruthie, Me, Jessie (who we
lost last year) Etta Mae, Floyd, Arvilla.

presents.  A get together with Ruthie's brothers, sisters and their spouses.  Several get together at the Pioneer Club Wabasha MN to see neighbors and friends.  I had a pretty simple Christmas list, some chocolate items and black socks.  (got 16 pair, should last me)  We gave Tom his gift we had gotten in West Virginia, Enough snow and below zero weather to know why we travel in the winter.   Ruthie's present?  Still in the works, hope it turns out well, will let you know.
     Update:  At least I know of one person reading the blog.   February 10, 2014 A phone call from sister Arvilla and the conversation led to the blog and I said I needed to change something.  Oh you can change things? (hmmm wonder where this is going) Why is there something I need to correct?   "You mentioned all the people you visited at Christmas and she lists them (good recall). Yes I said!  Well you visited your sisters and you didn't mention it!  Arvilla visiting with Etta said Vernon is probably mad at me because he claims I wrecked his bike by hitting the rock pile beside the barn, but what did you do to him?  I've got to fix this.   While we were home for Christmas we had lunch with Arvilla, her husband Floyd and Etta Mae.   We visited and had dinner.  On New Years day we stopped by and had snacks while we played cards, I'm sure some mention was made of my father who would have been 114 on this date.  It was great to see them again.  (there I think that should fix everything except my bicycle, I think it was a JC Higgins Huffy model) Come to think about it the front wheel may have gotten tweaked a little when I laid boards over hay bales to do jumps.
     This is starting to remind me of the St Charles Press when I was little, they would call ladies in the area and the next week you would read.  Dover news: Minnie stopped by the Frank Polzin's Tuesday for coffee.   Or Mildred, Edith, Maxine, Olive, Meta, Marie, Dorothy, and Violet met in the Elmira Church basement on Thursday evening, coffee and bars were served.  (These are the actual names of the ladies in the Elmira area, It is just 4 miles south of Dover MN)  Trying for extra points by including a family picture.  I think I'm back in the family circle, Ruthie has her doubts. 

"My grandparents ride a WHAT?"

     The picture on the right will show you that abuse does not take a holiday.  Not realizing the evil that lurks out there our daughter Katrina posted it on Facebook, it seems that little Aryia had been in line for over 1/2 hour chanting Santa HO HO HO the entire time.  However when she hit the gentlemen's lap here are the results.  Abuse not evident yet.  Our other daughter Michelle (Bandana's by Michelle) added a comment (remember she rides a Harley) "This is my niece and nephews getting their picture taken with Santa.  I laughed so hard when I saw poor Aryia's reaction, but then I heard what Santa whispered in her ear that made her cry.  He told her that her grandparents ride a Goldwing!!!"   I guess her Harley lovin' aunt will have to comfort her. 
     There was a wonderful New years dinner and celebration at Club, dinner and dancing and with a special treat at midnight.  Remember it is Minnesota, snow and over 12 below zero without the wind chill.  We stepped outside and Gary had arranged fireworks, what fun!  Some stepped inside before the finale, however knowing in two days I would be back in Georgia I stayed until the end. 
     Snapped a picture by Frontenac of the ice fishing village as we drove by on the way to the airport.  

83 Dennis!

Thursday Dec 12, 2013

A test of Faith

      While packing the camper to leave I seen some movement in the channel that came up beside the drive way.  I kept my eye on it and took some pictures,  Looked like otters to me.  When I talked with Dale on the phone she said she had been told there were otter there, she asked what time I had seen them?  Six thirty I replied, guess we will never see them, not an early riser I guess.   Our ride today would take us to Charlotte NC.  A chilly clear morning, we made sure the home was locked and Wolfie was safe and we were on our way.      We had been on the road for a short time when we seen a group of people walking along the roadside, it seemed to be a mixed group of people and at the front they were carrying a sign or poster in the air.  We were rubbernecking as we passed trying to figure out what was going on.  It got the best of us and a mile down the road we did a U-turn to get the story.   I'm sure they wondered why we turned and were coming back.  One of the young people spoke better English than the adult we approached.  We gathered it was a religious pilgrimage that would take nine hours to complete.   Later at our destination Patti gave us the full story.  Today Dec 12 is one of the most important dates on the Mexican calendar. 
The faithful make a pilgrimage to honor "Our Lady of Guadalupe" the spiritual mother of all Mexicans.  They travel for miles often finishing on their knees to show their faith.  You learn some interesting things on the road if your curious enough.      
     A few years ago one of my sisters had brought a catalog to one of our breakfast get together's in Lake City Minnesota.   The catalog seemed to focus on restoration parts for Ford tractor and Cushman scooter's.  She said it was Dennis Carpenter's business.  I was impressed, I had heard he had built some kind of business down South.    A few weeks later we were riding by Albert lea Minnesota and we got behind one of his transport vehicles.  If I hadn't seen the catalog, would I have recognized the logo?  Just how big was his company anyway?  Coincidence?   I was getting curious.  I would find out today!   A couple of miles down the road we arrived at Carpenter Industry's. 
     Dennis, is at the employee Christmas party at the moment.  While we wait I will try and explain our connection.   His parents Clarence and Maxine farmed in the same

Thanks for the wonderful tour!

community with my parents, threshing crew, 4-H, we all went to the same Country Church " Elmira" As a young man Dennis liked to tip my mothers hat forward as he went past her in the Church pew.  It became such a ritual that she thought something was wrong if he didn't.  His sister Sylvia and I went to a one room (not counting the coat and supply) country school.   One of my predominant recollections of Dennis, he was in the upper level of a granary on his fathers farm.  

Got carburetors?

Showing me a one cylinder model airplane engine he was working on.  Approximately eight years my senior he was starting on a life path that is hard to comprehend.   How did he get from that farm to the nine building 300,000square foot production and retail facility that we just pulled into?  Was it his University of Minnesota college education shortened to 3 days when called home to run the farm for his injured father?  Was it a move to North Carolina?  Was it his hobby of restoring old automobiles?  Or was it Henry Ford himself?  Who knows if it would have even happened except for Henry Ford and his fascination with soybeans and their uses, Dennis said that Ford had soybeans growing around the automotive plants.  In 1935 they had over  five million acres dedicated to growing soybeans and used them to produce the plastic parts for their cars, from distributor caps to dash knobs.   And there in lies the problem, with age the knobs deteriorated and Dennis wanted his 1940 Ford restore to be perfect.  In 1970 he started producing his own.   By hand first and then a plastic injection machine and now
     It was good to see Dennis and as a bonus we found that Sylvia was also here.   Hard to bridge the gap of fifty some years in a few moments.  We had not seen each other since their fathers funeral a few years ago.   A plant tour had been arranged for us.  Wayne was our guide and he had an interesting association with Dennis also.  It seems he was doing some carpentry work nearby and Dennis stopped by to visit with him.  For the next twenty years he constructed buildings for him.  It worked out great as they were not in production this time of the day so we could take our time without the noise of the machines.  I thought we had stepped into a Ford production plant.  Thru the years it has grown from producing plastic auto parts to metal stamping machines and rubber extrusion production.  Another plus with the timing of our tour, we had a chance to meet and visit with some of the employees as we passed thru their area.  It was obvious they liked working with the Carpenter's. 

  Amazing, even carburetors, Ruthie will tell you there are over a 110 parts in a carburetor and they test each and everyone on an engine before it is shipped.  She was enjoying this as much as I was.  I think the other thing that intrigued her was the progressive stamping machines that took a flat piece of metal and with each stamp formed it a little more to the desired product like a hubcap.  I'm beginning to appreciate the cost of finished parts.  Some of these machines are two story's tall.  She also loves to tell the story of how Dennis got into the rubber extrusion business and the 62 foot long machine that produces it. But enough already.  Obviously we were impressed.   Are we done?  Not even close.  From here our tour took us to "The Museum"

a large building housing Dennis's collection.  Cars: 30-40 I would guess, from the 1940 Ford convertible that started it all, to model "T"s, a Mario Andretti race car, his Aunts antique car with only a front seat so she didn't have to take the neighbors to church.   Ford Tractors,  Hundreds of Cushman scooters, (I could have spent hours here, I think our patient guide thought we did.)  and then collections of every kind including the Avon collection his mother had.  I spent hours at their home (Maxine was trying to teach me guitar, bless her heart.)  and didn't even know she had one.  The couch where his father proposed to his mother. 

At the conclusion, (we had to let this poor man get home) our guide called Dennis.  Dennis had one more thing to show us before we left the museum,   There was a framed newspaper clipping of his father Clarence presenting my father with a conservation award.   And just below it was another article of the Elmira school building being moved to his fathers farm and turned into a hog farrowing building.  That's right, the building that Sylvia, I, and countless others went to school was now a pig barn.  

     Introducing us to Patti, I think she has many jobs here, her husband assembles the  carburetors and at the moment she is 




A 1978 Gold Wing!

sorting, identifying and cataloging miscellaneous automotive parts.  One of Dennis's warehouses is what they call "new old parts" old stock found in warehouses that had never been sold.  Patti made sure we were settled in "Mom and Dads" house and to call her if there was anything we needed.  Giving us the keys to a Bronco (ford of course) and a "we will do lunch tomorrow" he was on his

1976 Gold Wing still in the box!

way.  Patti was our source for our information on the Pilgrimage we had seen this morning.  She made sure we were comfortable in the home located on the property.   Our living quarters was another experience for us.   In their later years Clarence and Maxine lived here in the winter until Maxine passed away, Clarence returned every winter keeping busy with odd jobs around the plant and clearing wood from the factory grounds.  (made room for more buildings) He would cord up the wood and sell it locally delivering it in the pickup that still sits under the carport.  Dennis said if someone looked strapped for cash his dad would just give them the wood.   I have fond memories of them and
remember Clarence loved to sing at our little church with Maxine playing the piano.  Good memories.   The strange thing is hearing Dennis's memories of my parents.  Is it possible that we are to hard on those we love the most and they don't know it?  Sorry, you will think I'm sensitive or something.  That's not the way my father raised me!  

     It was like Clarence and Maxine stepped out of the house this morning and we entered tonight.

The car that started it all, 1940 Ford Deluxe Convertible

 It was just the way they left it, Maxine's apron and a shadow box I remember from the farm, Clarence's cap still hanging on the hall tree.  We would
 be comfortable here.  It took my thoughts back to the farm neighborhood, coupled with Dennis's mention of his fathers horrible farm accident that had cut his education short.  Evidently I was young enough that I wasn't aware of it and his recovery was such that it was never brought to my attention.  It got me thinking deaths suffered by farmers my fathers age as they transitioned from horse and hand labor to mechanized farming.  We had lost our closest neighbor to a tractor accident, another was run over by his tractor my father had broke both his arms falling off a silo.     I was in a coma for sometime (all I know is when I came out of it my Mother said I gave her the nicest smile.) when I fell off a work horse, startled when our neighbor

Walter started his John Deere tractor.  In the beginning the machines had almost no safety provisions.  On our first tractor a John Deere model "B" usable power was transferred to another machine either by means of a pulley coming out I believe the right side of the tractor via a 8-10 inch wide belt.   We used it often on our farm, to grind feed, power the threshing machine and since our home was heated with a pot belly wood stove in the
living room we used it to cut wood.  Here is how it worked, the belt went from the pulley to the front of the tractor and another large pulley, the shaft from the pulley went across the front of the tractor, on that side was a 24 inch round saw blade (maybe it was smaller, remember I was very little) was mounted.  Working together my parents lifted a log on to a wooden frame by the blade, the log could be quite long if it was
a smaller branch or six to eight feet if it was larger 8 to 12 inches.   Sliding it past the blade to a length that would fit in our stove they started the cut, if they didn't move the entire log smoothly parallel to the blade it would bind the saw blade.  (resulting in many dangerous and unpleasant moments) My job was to stand between the saw blade and the belt/pulley and push/throw the wood chunks away as they exited the blade.  The other power source was a PTO (had to think for a moment, Power take off.  Makes sense).  In the beginning they were just connected to the machine via a shaft with a u-joint on both ends, we climbed on and off the tractor, straddled and stepped over them all the while it was spinning.   It caught and entwined many a farm member with its unforgiving force.  It is sad to think of the lives lost and suffering dealt to farm families as they worked to provide for their loved ones.  Sorry, a tangent I know, but who knows maybe my great grandchild will read this some day with no clue of the way farming was back then.

      Wayne mentioned we should visit Hendrix motorsports and their contribution to the racing industry, he said you could see them build race cars there.   When you are told something you (at least I do) form a mental image of what you are going to see.  How far off could I be?  My picture was a rather large garage where you could stand behind a pipe rail and watch a couple of mechanics work on a car.   Wayne had suggested it, we were close, we had time before  lunch and we had the trusty Bronco, good thing as there was a hard frost to scrape off the window.  What we actually seen.  A very large complex devoted to designing and building cars for the track.  They had one building devoted to engines, that one had extra security involved.  I had no idea how big this sport was.   We toured the museum and store that housed over twenty special race cars.  We cut our tour short when Dennis called to meet us for lunch.    Dennis didn't say where we were meeting, just gave us
some directions.  After a few misguided turns we figured out we were actually going inside the Charlotte speedway.  We met Dennis in the parking lot, he was accompanied by Patti and her son Daniel.  Lunch was in the "Speedway club" a restaurant on the top floor that overlooked the speedway. 

We thought it looked big as we drove by, I'm sure the restaurant staff wondered where

                    Similar to what it says in your rearview mirror,

                   objects  maybe closer than they appear   In this

                      case the lens made it  appear that Dennis was

                                     taller than us.

these two small town visitors lived as we stood at the windows and took pictures of the track below.  

More like it, we all look the same size, Patti and Daniel.

     Every time we had went by the speedway we had seen the advertisement to join them for a "Speedway Christmas" with over three million (just an estimate I'm sure) lights.  We asked some of the people we met if it was worth seeing and know one seemed to know.  Why not?  We will never be this close, we figure a half hour most driving thru some pretty lights and back to Clarence and Maxine's home. 

  Saturday morning there was rain forecast for the entire day.  We packed and stopped by the Speedway for a tour that had been sold out yesterday. It was hard to believe the feeling when the van was sitting on the 24 degree incline on the speed way corners.   It was fun to see the four lane drag strip they had built across the street from the speedway.  Anxious to get on the road since the rain had not started it didn't take us long to mount up and leave.   A little over 200 pictures taken in three days, it must have been a special stop for us! 

  A special memory, thank you Dennis and friends!