Free In Idaho!

Youngest kidlet is in town visiting, so we spent yesterday doing “summer day off”.  Fresh fruit breakfast on the deck, long bike ride beside the river into town, foo foo coffee downtown, followed by dinner on the deck, and a ride in the toy car to the Fanci Freez for hand dipped ice cream!  Life is good, and we are so blessed.

Light blogging for the next couple of days… planetary alignment, blah blah, cosmic rip, blah blah, enemy territory, blah blah.

After all the snow we had a week ago, the last couple days have been fantastic!  Today it was sunny, no wind, 50 degrees.  Finished my chores and went for a walk by the river.  Just got that spring feeling, you know what I mean?  That early spring tease, just a hint of what is to come… you could almost forget that by tomorrow we could be right back into winter with snow, 30 mph winds, and temps in the 20’s.  It won’t really be spring for weeks.

But today, it was a glorious, no coat kind of day.  Nothing else to do but open the third garage bay and see if the toy car still wants to play.  Yup.  Despite a couple months’ layer of dust, the ‘56 fired right up.  Backed her out onto the drive, wiped off enough dust so it didn’t look like I found it in a barn, and took her up for some fresh gas and a four-pack of air.

“Nice car mister.”

Took a little longer getting home than I might have in one of the other vehicles.  Over the freeway… it’s backed up like that at 4pm?  Wow, everybody had a touch of spring fever today I guess.  Turn right again, into the sun, and slow cruise west a couple miles, before turning back over the freeway.  Through downtown, past the barber shop and the post office, just enjoying the old car and the small town on a sunny day.

Honk honk.  Wave back and smile.  It’s hard not to grin too big on a day like today.  Window down, arm on the seat.  Wish my sweetie was with me for this one.  Well, there’ll be a lot of days… maybe if the weather doesn’t break down too badly I can talk her into going to the Westside for some fingersteaks?  Nothing better than going cruising on a sunny evening, just me and my sweetie, driving into town for some fingersteaks.  Such a gift.

Car’s running good, the sun was out today, and I’m ready for spring.

OOOHHH… THIS window envelope looks important!  And official. 

The Offices of
Records of Declaration/Disbursments Division
-National Correpondences Official Records-
116B Riverside Industrial Parkway
Portland, ME 04103

And it looks like it could be a check in there.  Now that gets my attention, doesn’t it?!  See the bank-blue paper and the little crosshatching pattern on the paper… just like a real check.  I’ve never seen this before, have I?  I’m getting excited.

Yup.  It’s an “Official Notice of Intent to Award A Prize”.  Be still my heart!  I’ve really been wanting one of these.  All I have to do is show up at my friendly Dennis Dillon Auto Park next weekend.  I’m already approved.  And it says “This is NOT a joke, prank, or gimmick.”  That’s reassuring.  Because you know what that means?  The only joke here is Dennis Dillon Auto Park!  Dennis Dillon, you’re a putz!  I’d sooner buy a car from Ralph Williams than from you, because at least Ralph Williams was funny.  Dennis Dillon Auto Park is just stupid.   Used car dealers.  Bah!  A pox on all of your lots.

Yesterday was junkmail day apparently.  Besides the phoney, misleading, stupid Dennis Dillon Auto Park advertising, there was Countrywide reminding me of “important information concerning my refinance opportunity”… more bozos, like Dennis Dillon Auto Park.  I’m not refinancing.  Spam spam spam spam.  Check the blog… a whole page of blog comment spams.  They never sleep.  And they must be as stupid as Dennis Dillon Auto Park, if they think I’m going to approve their silly spam.  “I found your blog by Googling for stupid used car dealers, and boy is your blog great!  I’ve added you to my rss feeds.  By the way, here are two hundred links to some wonderful sex drugs and rocknroll sites I’m sure you’ll love”… Right.  That’ll work.  There oughta be a law…

That gives me an idea.  I’ll just hang up a sign on my blog that says “Spam Free Zone”.  That’ll stop it.  And another sign on my mailbox that says “Stupid Used Car Lot Ad Free Zone”.  That’s the ticket.  Oh, what a wonderful world it will be…

I had the toy car out this morning, before the rain comes in.  I think I’d like to take it pheasant hunting next month, and try to get some pics of it with the old (’50’s)  Browning humpback shotgun my Dad gave me to use.  It might be kinda cool… couple of pheasants on the hood, with the A5 leaning on the fender.  Hmmm…

Found this little jewel sitting all by itself this morning at 6:30am.  I know, cell phones don’t make good cameras.  But look at the car…

I was asked how the car show was this past weekend, and did we go?

The short answer is, wonderful, and yes, we went…

This show is one of the best collections of toy cars you’ll ever get to see here in Boise, and the show itself is so well produced, it’s just a great day for everyone.  Hundreds of cars, always fantastic weather, outside on the grass with plenty of room to see them all.  Everything from Model T’s to brand new Vettes and Vipers, many of the area car clubs made the day, including a Ranchero club that assembled the largest group of Ranceros I’ve ever seen in one place.  Chevy’s, Fords, hi-boys, lead sleds, rat rods, trailer queens, pure classic stockers to full blown customs… the mind goes numb after a time.  For some reason, I took plenty of shots of this lovely toy.  

The “Holeshot Nationals” were a ton of fun , as usual.  What’s not to love in this matchup?  There were a couple of Model T’s that went head to head, and one of the Mustang clubs ran a bunch.   There was a nasty fast early Vette… I really enjoy these off the line matches. 

After a day of showing off on the grass at the fairgrounds, many of the participants sneak out for a little dinner, then head downtown for the Capitol Cruise.  I’ll say it again… Boise has some kinda class, closing off downtown and turning the streets over to the cars for a three hour controlled cruise.  People come from all over, and start staking out their spots on the sidewalks and corners as much as two hours before the cars actually arrive. 

At 7pm the line starts moving, until the hundreds of cars are stretched out through downtown, up to the Capitol building, then back through town to turn around and go again.  And, because the temperature was still in the 90’s, you get a different stream of cars as the evening goes on, as some will drop out and cool off for a spell, and others get back in line.  It’s a real treat to see these cars moving, and even folks who aren’t particularly car fanatics will sit and watch this parade for hours. 

  All in all, a great day, followed by an entertaining evening, and a beautiful sunset on the drive home… who could ask for more?

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      This weekend, Saturday and Sunday the 7th and 8th, the Expo Idaho grounds in Boise/Garden City will be the site of the biggest car show we have all summer, the Northwest Motorfest.  Saturday morning, the gates open at 9am and if you can take the heat it will be nonstop cars all day long.  This is an outdoor show on the grass so take plenty of water and sunscreen.

One of the fun events that takes place during the show is the “Holeshot Nationals”.  This is very short track (out of the hole) drag racing at its finest, featuring matches between everything you can think of.  Model Ts, motorcycles, dads vs sons, husbands vs wives, Chevies vs Mopars… one after the other, line ‘em up and let ‘em go, good stuff!  Check out the schedule for start times on this.

Saturday night, all the cars move out of the fairgrounds and down to town for the Capitol Cruise.  As I’ve said before, Boise is not afraid to shut down the town for a car show, and this is the biggest.  The whole downtown is given over to the cruisers, and in some places the spectators are four or five deep.  What an excellent way to spend a hot summer night.  The cruise begins at 7pm and goes until 10.

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I was  driving by the Red Robin on Eagle Road by Fairview in Meridian this morning and saw the banner “Classic Car Show”.  So I bothered John the manager with a quick phone call to find out more. 

This is the 2nd Annual Classic Car Show for this Robin… John said they did it last year and it went really well.  This year’s event happens this coming Sunday, June 25th, from 3pm to 8pm.  He didn’t give me any contact info, so just cruise on in.  They must be expecting plenty of cars throughout the afternoon because he told me they have gift bags for the first 70 cars who show.

Car shows TWO weekends in a row!  You gotta love it.

Gorgeous day in downtown Boise today, and 160 really fine toy cars to look at.

Who doesn’t like this pair?

a little Ford detail,

and a little Willys detail

(what’s a car show without a blown Willys?)