Florida Time!

We have arrived in Florida after a month of chores and leaf peeping in the northeast. The colors were spectacular this year and we got to see quite a few on our way south also. We towed our Bauer 12 sailing dinghy 'Ruby' behind the van, down to Daytona. Since we haven't been using it for a couple of years, we sold it to a man in Texas, and his shipper is picking it up for the rest of the trip to Dallas at my brother's house (thanks Rick!). It was a long slow trip south with lots of traffic back-ups, and we had to go slow due to the small tires on the trailer. Everything made it just fine and after a family dinner, we continued on to Jensen Beach, arriving at about 11:30 PM last night. We are organizing and cleaning, and so far everything is up and running. Dave even took a break, while I unpacked, and took the Silverwing for a test drive to the beach and House of Refuge. It's great to be back and the weather is gorgeous! 

Once we are rested and Dave returns home to pick up the Mustang and drive it down here next week, we will really be set for lots of recreation!

😎

Fall Festival

Despite Saturday's windy 50 degree day, we ventured up to Maple Ski Ridge's Fall Festival, which featured a car and tractor show along with craft vendors. You could also ride up the chairlift, but it was just too cold for us people with thin southern blood. 

This 1959 Morris Minor was owner built and driven. It had a small block Chevy engine and a beautifully fabricated frame and running gear. Plus it was tubbed! Note the great license plate. There was attention to detail and quality workmanship. It was our favorite of the show.

A chilly ride!

Dave couldn't figure out what all the hydraulics and pump were for:

A 1968 blown Camaro in a gorgeous 21st century blue:

This unusual 1958 Edsel Pacer was pristine and our second choice for best vehicle of the day. It was quite spectacular.

This 1930 Model A Sedan with wire wheels was ready for Halloween.

Over to the tractor department, this new PistenBully 400 was very impressive and must make short work of grooming the ski trails. There is an ice pulverizer on the back. It looked like it was on snow already! 😉

Dave says that if we need to stay north for the winter at any point, he is going to buy one of these. It must be fun to snow blow in that glass enclosed cab with heat and tunes (as fun as snow can be, anyway 😉)

Here are two 4-wheel drive, high floatation tractors for loamy fields: 

This one had the widest profile tires we have ever seen.

This was an unusual Canadian made Cockshutt Model 40 tractor, which looked to be mostly original.

A David Bradley tricycle tractor, which was sold by Sears-Roebuck, is in the foreground. Dave is looking at a 1964 Fox-Trac snow mobile, powered by a rear engine Kohler engine.

It is time to bundle up again for today's car show in Ballston Spa, which will be our last show of our northern season. With ice in the birdbath this morning, it is time to think about heading south!

The photo above was taken in the headlights of the Edsel. The mirrored covers are period accessories called Eye-Eeze.

10/10 Footnote: The Way We Were Car Show in Ballston Spa was great, but the cars (and people) were so packed in that I couldn't take any photos. 

Paddling Putnam Pond

The doors really shut on summer after Labor Day, with quite chilly temperatures. We haven't been to Ticonderoga much, but we did have a two day opportunity to enjoy the fall colors of the Adirondacks. It was still a chilly 60 degree morning when we kayaked Putnam Pond, but it was gorgeous and the leaves were at peak color. 

As we drove back home through the mountains, I felt like we were in a painting. I didn't take any photos though, because they wouldn't show the vibrant colors through the windshield. Soon all the leaves will be falling and we will be ready to head south. Time certainly does fly by!