Tarp and Dock rash on my boat.

This was caused when the tarp ripped on the way home from Texas, and the soot from the diesel engine entered and etched the varnish.

The same side, starboard, same problem.

While loading my boat at Texas, a dock hand let it get away and it smacked the concrete wall.

A little sanding with a sanding sponge, and a coat of varnish, and all is well.

Well, I may be crazy!!!!!

But I bought another boat.

My Boat in Texas

At K & W 3

This is another concept auto. It is a 1941 Chrysler. I found 3 examples of this car on the Internet, besides this one, so maybe 10 were built. I don't know what this is worth, or what it sold for. It was offered at one of the auctions that took place there.

At Keels & Wheels 2

This is a 1955 Lincoln. It was built for Henry Ford II. It was the only one built. It is called a "concept car". It was not built to drive very much, only as an idea for a possible future design. It is amazing it survived.

This car was purchased by it's present owner in 2001 for $1,300,000, and was then restored over a two or three year period for who knows how much. Of course it is not driven. Think of the responsibility of the people who haul it around the country to show it.

At Keels & Wheels, one

These are pictures of some of the cars that I used to own when I was a youngster.

This is a 1952 Oldsmobile. I owned one like it during 1958.


This is a 1941 Ford. I owned one like it from 1953 thru 1955. It was my second car.

This is a 1954 Austin Healey 100. I bought it in early 1962, and I was T-boned in an intersection by a person who ran a stop sign in July of the same year. It was destroyed, and nearly killed me.

I had many other cars during my life, but these were at the show, and brought back fond memories. I was surprised that not one 1941 thru 1948 Chrysler product was there. Nor a single 1958 Chevrolet. I expected, and hoped, to see a 1948 Tucker but it was absent. Only 53 of them were built.

More on next post.

Final Day Ten

Home at 2:30 PM. Hee Hee Those other days the wind blew? That's because it saw me leave the Motel. This morning I got up early, (2:30 AM) and I snuck out under cover of darkness and it couldn't find me! My Rocket went like the wind, 65 to 75 mph easy, it swallowed hills with ease! It took me 4 hours more to come home than going down. I averaged 61.2 mph going down, 55.2 mph coming home.

It was cold today, 32 degrees when I got up, but on the road in Wyoming it got down to 16 degrees, and only 42 here in Idaho.

So Wheels and Keels boat show is over. Next one is in McCall Idaho in August.....see you then

Day Nine

GRRRRRRRRRR! The wind blowed all day on my left front fender. Forty to fifty miles per hour. That's like trying to drive 100 mph!

Days 7 & 8

Didn't have wi-fi last night in SanAntonio, TX I'm on my way home and I am in Roswell, NM tonight. Only 2 days left, then I can sleep in my own bed, Don't take that the wrong way.....Hee Hee

Would you believe it??????? Head winds going to Texas, Head winds leaving Texas It's like they didn't want me to come, and then they didn't want me to go. It's really frustrating. My car will roll along at 70 miles an hour on the level, even 55-60 up most hills. But put a 40-50 mph wind on the nose, and I can only manage 45 to 55 miles an hour. Grrrrrrrr. And my lowest fuel mileage was today at 13.5 mpg. Without a wind I get 16 to 18.

Day 6, 3rd in Seabrook

My boat must still look pretty good, it took 2nd place at Keels & Wheels.

With a friend of mine from the Dallas area. Michael was the one who suggested I come here.

Day Five, 2nd in Seabrook

Got up early to go clean the boat for Saturday's judging. It had rained a little during the night. Humidity is 100%, all my papers are damp.

There was supposed to be a Motor Tour in old cars to the Houston Space center and to the final Battle grounds of the war between Texas and Mexico. But it was canceled, so I got $100 back.

Then I went to an auction of old cars. Some sold for $3,000. A 1940 Oldsmobile sedan.










This one sold for $395,000. It is a 1935 Auburn, boat tailed speedster.

Then we had a Friday Night Party with free food and a cash bar. Good night all.

Forth Day

I am here, at Seabrook, TX. Car speedo said 1810 miles GPS said 1816, Google Maps said 1813. That was with short side trips. Actual Google is 1770 miles. Any way, it took me four days. If I hadn't stopped to see my grand family, I could do it in 3. It was so much fun to get to know my sweet great grand daughter, Abigail. Born on Lisa's birthday, 5 years old.

It was 70 degrees when I left at 10 AM local. Arrived at the Motel at 3 PM, after a stop for fuel. Wind again, but not as bad. I'll bet there won't be a wind blowing me home! 83 degrees, and a little muggy. Launched the boat and secured it to the dock, did some cleaning, etc. Only a few boats here, but dozens of old cars. Pictures the next 3 days.

Day Number Three

I only had 321 miles to drive today, so I didn't leave Kansas until 9:30 local time. My destination was Dallas. One of my grand children lives just a little east of Dallas. So I spent the night with him and his family, a beautiful great grand daughter. We went to dinner, and had a wonderful visit.

Darn the wind, double darn the wind. It blew 40 to 50 miles an hour into my windshield. Slowed me down and used a lot of fuel. The day started out at 54 degrees, and ended up at 81 degrees.

Day Two

Left Fort Collins, CO at 5:50. Drove 630 miles. I had to scrape frost off the windshield. It didn't warm past 42 degrees until 400 miles later. In Wichita, KN, it was 65 degrees.

The Maroon Rocket is running flawlessly. (Knock on wood) (Hee Hee, My Wooden head.) However, I'm losing brake fluid from the reservoir. That's a puzzle.

Stopped for the night (at 6:15 CTZ) at South Haven, KN, that's just 4 miles from the OK border on I 35. I had to use a toll road....gerrrr! They got $2.75 extra taxes. A toll road should be a choice!

Traffic wasn't too bad thru Denver, a breeze thru Wichita.

Day One

Left home at 5:30 AM. Drove 580 miles to Fort Collins, CO. Arrived there about 3:30 PM. Ran into a snow storm 50 miles west of Laramie, WY. It stayed below freezing until about 10 AM. Here it is 62 degrees.

It was a good day, not much traffic.

ZERO

Yep, in the morning I leave.

Here's a picture of my Maroon Rocket. (1979 Oldsmobile 98 Rocket)

Ten days to follow.

ONE

Today I washed the winter's dust off, took it to the lake and made sure it still ran, and put her cloths on. It's sitting out in the driveway, hooked up to my Maroon tow car, waiting for Sunday to pass.

TWO

Of course, only 2 days left until I leave for Texas and The Keels & Wheels Boat show.

Three Days Left.

Hee Hee, I can hardly wait.

The Countdown Has Begun!

I'm getting ready. Only 4 days left.

Strange People

Bloggers are really strange people. We write a post, post it, and then sit around waiting for some one to comment. Or we wait anxiously for some one else to post so we can be first to comment. It's a BIG CONTEST. GET A LIFE, PEOPLE!!!!

A Wondrous Thing Happened

This was only seen on Idaho Public TV, but last night (March 11) my boat and I (as well as a dozen others)were featured on a show called "OUTDOOR IDAHO" It was named, "Wooden Boats and Wondrous Lakes".

Last summer one of my boat show trips was to Sandpoint, Idaho. While there, I was interviewed and video taped for about 10 minuets by a columnist. I was called by the station and told I would be featured at 8 PM. It was very humbling to receive that honor.

Please, forgive the bragging, but I just can’t help myself. Hee Hee

This Weather Sucks!

When is it going to warm up around here? The last three mornings it has been from 2 to 5 degrees below zero. All the snow, which was starting to melt a week or so ago, has turned to ice, some of it 1 foot deep. It is hazardous to my health to walk out there. Normally by now it is starting to warm up and feel nice outside.

I’m preparing for my next boat show. I’m doing major work on my tow car, the 1979 Oldsmobile, and minor work on my boat. I’m heading to Seabrook, Texas on April 26th. Seabrook is about 30 miles south of Houston near Galveston. The show is called Keels and Wheels. They have an old wooden boat show and an old automobile show. There will be some 50 or 60 boats, and as many old exotic cars. A cruise around a huge lake called Clear Lake which includes Galveston Bay, and a motor trip (in one of those old cars) to the old San Jacinto Museum and Battleground. That is the site of the last battle between Texas and Mexico which settled the boundary between. It took place several years after Alamo. We will also visit the Houston Space Center.

This is going to bean expansive trip, so if any one wants to chip in, now is the time. Hee Hee.

My January 2010 Trip

This is my trip to Arizona, Death Valley and California.

Us three. Ned, 85, Ron, 81, and Yours Truly, 73, the squirt.

These are pictures of Death Valley.

Rock wall with inlaid stones.

More inlaid stones.

Rock wall with little barrel cactus clinging to the side.

We encountered snow at 7000 feet on Hunter Mountain. We had to winch ourselves up the road for about 100 yards.

Tortured rock layers in Titus Canyon.

At Teakettle Junction, on the way to the RaceTrack.

Trails of moving rocks.

A rock that moved.

We had to leave early, because that winter storm that hit CA. was on the way. We then went to Angels Camp to visit Ron, and it rained for 4 days. He got 7 inches at his home. We then headed back to Bagdad, AZ, before my car got stranded on the wrong side of a mountain wash gully. After I left Ned's place, it rained 3 inches in the desert, and washed out his road. I stayed in Cedar City, UT, and woke up to 4 inches of snow. There was 4 inches of snow when I got home.

Until next years trip. But boat show will be coming this summer.

On Vacation

I left for southern climes on Monday, 11th. Got to Bagdad, AZ on Wed, 13th, with my oldest brother. Then we spent the next 4 days in Deathe Valley, now I am in Angels Camp, CA with my other brother. All three of us. The first time we have been together for about 4 years. I'll be home about Monday, 25th. Pictures to follow.

My Gold Buick

There's my Buick.

And there's the Gold.

My Annual January Trip

Ever January I take a trip to see my older brothers in AZ and CA. I'll be leaving on Monday, January 11. I will drop off Idaho spuds to some of my favorite people, and spend a night with my daughter. Then off to southern climes. I will return about two weeks later. I don't know why I am telling y'all about this. Just thought I aught to post once in a blue moon. Which was New Years Eve, by the way.

And if CRASH happens to find the time to read this, (it took her 3 weeks to notice my last post) she can look in her E-mail for a note from me.

'Tis the Season to be Frozen!

When the sun was about to shine forth above the eastern mountains at 7:30 this morning, my outside thermometer read 17 degrees below zero. Coldest night this winter at my house.

Then I got in may car and drove to Spanish Fork, Utah to spend three days with my daughter, and attend 4 recitals of my very talented grand kids AND daughter. Jass Band, Choir, Piano and Clogging.

If we have time, I will baptize (using my grand kids) my dead sister and her husband, and Lisa and I will do their Initiatory and Endowments. Later on we will seal them to each other.

Then I will head home Saturday evening, because I have to coordinate tithing settlement in our ward at 8:30 AM Sunday morning.

Merry Christmas everyone!

Happy Birthday

To my grandson Ryan, happy birthday to you, and to great grand daughter Lexie on Thanksgiving day. Happy birthday to my daughter Brenda. next week. Happy unbirthday to everyone else!

I'm particularly happy today! I only had one polyp! Hee Hee. WOW! What a subject, I could go on, but I think I'll stop here.

I’m thankful for.......

I am thankful for the beauty of this world. It’s beauty helps over shadow the unpleasant things we see and hear.

I’m thankful for mornings, waking up in a new day is so wonderful. I wake up happy, and ready for the day’s challenges.

I’m thankful when the wind doesn’t blow, but I still enjoy the day, even if it rains or blows.

I’m thankful for evenings, especially calm summer evenings, when I can sit on the patio and watch the evening slip away into dusk, listen to the birds as they settle in for the night, and relax with my cat on my lap.



I love beautiful colorful sunrises and sunsets, tall billowing cumulus clouds, deep blue skies. The patter of rain, the rustling of leaves and branches in a soft breeze. Birds reeling through the sky, bunnies hoping around my yard.

I love spring, when the trees wake up and the tiny little leaves start to come out. I love when the robins come back. The world is renewed each spring.



I love hot summer days, watching the crops grow and mature, promising food for a hungry world. And warm water for boating.




I love fall, when the colors come out and the geese head south.

I love the beauty of winter, and the frozen frost on the trees, the white of a new snow fall, how it softens the earth.








I am thankful for all the good and wonderful things that have been invented, to make my life easier. For warm or cool cozy cars, good roads, computers, refrigerators, heating systems.

I am thankful I was born in this era, after the hard part of living, and before the hard part of living.

Most of all, I am thankful for life. For living in this free, even if it is a troubled, USA. For a Heavenly Father who loves me and helps me down the road of life. For my family; sons, daughters and grand children, who love me and are concerned for my welfare.

I am thankful. Happy ThanksGiving!

Love, Dad, Grand Dad, and Friend