The Villages Car Show

We had a fun day today.  We went up to Spanish Village for our first visit to The Villages monthly Classic Car Show.  There were over 200 vintage cars on display around the town square, along with food vendors and live music.  It was a beautiful day and I really enjoyed myself.  I say "I" because this was one of those times that Brian was a good sport since "old cars" as he calls them, really don't interest him like they do me!

I took way too many pictures to post here but I will share a few of the cars I liked best at the show.  The first one to really catch my eye was this 1958 Chevy Bel Aire Convertible.  According to the small sign by the front tire, it was found in a junk yard, the body was removed from the frame and then both were completely restored along with the engine. A beautiful car no doubt.  I am not up on all the terms for "Classic Cars" but I divide them up in three groups; Classic - meaning as close to original as possible, Street Rods - customized for the track with much less emphasis on historical accuracy, and The Weird - customized to an almost cartoonish degree.  I much prefer the Classic category.

So, the car I liked best at the show?  A 1965 Ford Thunderbird Retractable Convertible.  Absolutely beautiful car in near mint condition.  You can tell that whoever owns (or owned it) took great care in either keeping it in, or restoring it to, near factory original condition.  I am no expert but it did not look like it had any major body work or repainting done, but I do think that the interior had been re-upholstered.  It was definitely my favorite car shown.

Almost all the cars were fun to look at and I'm sure this one wouldn't be everyone's favorite but I have always liked the Thunderbirds from the 60's - that whole "Rat Pack" vibe I guess.  Along with this T-Bird there were a lot of others that I would love to have in my garage; several 64 - 67 Mustangs, 62 - 68 Corvettes, a 63 Buick Electra Convertible, two gorgeous 48 Lincoln Continentals (would have loved to have seen a few Continentals from the 60's) and one other that made me feel old.....

This is a 1977 Pontiac Gran Prix.  According to the documentation, it was purchased by a couple who "never let it see inclement weather" and is claimed to be completely original (except for tires) with no restoration work and 26,000 miles on the odometer.  

So what is so special about this car?  In 1977 when this car was new, I was a senior in High School!  It is now considered a "classic" so I guess I am too!  Oh how I lusted after this car.  At the time, Pontiac was on a roll and the Gran Prix was a hot seller all through out the 70's.  It's large and in charge and I still like it even after all these years.

All in all an enjoyable day.  That is The Villages... always something to do!

The Friendly Skies.....

I was leaving on a jet plane, and now I'm back again!  After a 5 day stay in Wisconsin I am back in Florida with Brian and Max.  It was a bit of a strange trip.  As everyone knows, Trina is in the hospital to have a large kidney stone removed from her left kidney.  Among the reasons I flew back, one was to host the Blackman's at our place before Trina's surgery and also to visit Trina in the hospital.  Unfortunately, things did not go completely as planned but we all hope Trina will be back on her feet soon.  Good luck Trina!

Of course while I was in Wisconsin I caught up on the goings on at Jefferson Bus and did the mid-month payroll.  Then it was off to Monday Night Bingo before heading back over to the hospital in Madison to keep Shelba company while we wait for Trina to heal.

All in all, it was sort of a an odd trip.  There seemed to be so much going on and a hectic schedule to keep that in certain ways, it didn't feel like a trip "home".  This was also a bit of a test for Brian.  Even after all the time we have spent in Florida, this trip was the first time that Brian was left on his own in Florida and I'm glad to report that he did fine.  At least that is what he told me!  But I like to think that he missed me!  :-)