Antique Cars !!!

  Antique Cars !
Everyone knows, I'm wild about antique cars.
This past weekend, Jon and I were invited to Maryland, and the home of dear friends of ours from the H.H. Franklin Car Club.  They were about to share their Franklin car collection with a local chapter of the Lambda Car Club.  We were invited to join in on the activities.

 As the weekend was approaching, we kept an eye on the weather reports.  When the weather was promising to be a lovely weekend, we called Anne and Dan and confirmed we would drive down from Pennsylvania for the event.
 Anne and Dan have been Franklin Car Club members since they were youngsters, and they have a beautiful collection of significant Franklin cars.  They offered to open the garage and host an early spring gathering.  With cars uncovered, coffee brewed, snacks ready and the sun shining brightly, things got underway, right on time at 11:00 am.

A 1912 Franklin known as "The Countess" among Franklin club members.  This car is looks just as it did in vintage photos from the 1950's and 60's

 Our hostess showing off driving fashions of the 1912 era.

                                           1934 Franklin Sedan

                                             1933 Franklin

                                              1930 Franklin speedster

                                            1932 Franklin

 The Lambda Car Club visitors where really impressed with the collection and the beautiful condition of the cars, and of the incredible space our hosts have for storing and working on the cars.

  Jon and I are looking forward to the next time we can get out of our routine and head down to Maryland for some great hospitality and antique car touring.
  Perhaps we will have our own Franklin with us, and do some driving on the lovely back roads and historic sights in the area.

 Cheers for now,

A book review ?

A book review.  Yes, as hard as that is for some of my friends to believe, I've read a book and I want to talk about it.
I feel so strongly about the message in Tess Vigeland's book, I had to take some time and write down my thoughts.

 Tess writes with a style of honesty and humor about a subject very close to all of us, on that treadmill we call a job.
  We might love our job, and could never think of leaving it.  I loved my job, but the job left me! Sort of like being divorced.
  If you have recently left a job for what ever reason.  You took a leap from it. Or you were set free from the job by no reason of your own making, I highly recommend you read Leap !  Leaving a job with no Plan B, to find the career and life you really want.

 The information Tess shares, helped me to understand that this wasn't My Fault. That the feelings of betrayal, and despair were normal.
  I'm rethinking what it means to be "Job Searching" into more of a Job Redefining.  I want to find that place where I belong, and my new found skills from my last employer can be utilized in a way that is more rewarding to Me, while I'm more beneficial to my employer. 
  Who knows... maybe my new vocation will be something I develop completely on my own.

 Wish me luck... Nah, WISH me STRENGTH!  As I embark on the next adventure in my life here in East Run.
 
 Here is a link to Leap... I highly recommend you read it.  Even if you aren't contemplating a job change.  Because, you never know when your job might change away from you.

 https://www.tessvigeland.com/

Cheers,

Time to get Posting !!!

 Wouldn't you just know it... even more time has gone by in the flash of an eye.

It seems like only yesterday, we were making our batches of Salsa, and putting them up on the shelf.  Now, winter is almost ready to start into spring, our salsa stash is just about depleted and the daffodil bulbs are beginning to push up through the cold earth.  The signs of spring are returning to Eastrun!

 Robins are back from their winter hiatus to warmer climates, and the maple trees are going to be running sap soon.

 There are plenty of things happening in 2019, and I'm looking forward to them with anticipation.

My work life has taken a new direction.  At the start of the new year, there was a corporate decision to close down the program I had given a great deal of my energy to developing from a pilot program into a service available to clients on a national level, at all of the company's retail outlets.  

 It was a shock and a sad day, when the news was shared with all my colleagues and myself. 

 How does it go ?  When life hands you lemons, You make a lemon meringue pie! Or something along those lines.   I'm still working on the crust for that pie.  You have to start somewhere.

 So, I'm starting by, brushing off my resume' and sending it out to potential employers.

 I've interviewed two potential employers so far.  They both gave me a good feeling about their company philosophy.  They also are family owned and operated, instead of huge corporate entities, which also made me feel a little "warm and fuzzy" about the possibility of working with them.

 

 Another new adventure for me is:  This is the year I move into the Presidency of The H.H. Franklin Club.  For the next two years, I will be presiding over Board of Directors meetings and hosting four major events for the club.  I will also host a couple of cocktail parties as President.  I'm REALLY looking forward to those!!!  Tee he he.

 The other events are, The Franklin Trek held in the finger lakes of central New York State at the end of July, and the Air Cooled invitational at the H.H. Franklin Museum at The Gilmore in Hickory Corners Michigan, the third weekend in June.   (www.Franklincar.org  for anyone who wants to look up the web site)

 If you've read some of my earlier postings in here, you would have seen my Franklin Sedan out and about on different adventures.  This is something I'm very passionate about, and I'm very happy to be able to give back to this non-profit with my time and energy.

 

 I will be posting to this blog more regularly.  I would encourage you to check back from time to time... Even make it part of your "routine"!  I'm going to be making it part of mine.

 Cheers for now...  and enjoy the two pictures of Farnsworth house at East Run, and the new Car Barn we had built for the expanding antique car collection.

 

 

  

Time seems to be Rushing By !

The winter was a wet one and gray for the most part. Spring took it's time getting here, and was also on the the "wet" side.  It took forever to dry out enough to allow planting a garden.
 Once the garden did go in, I was fighting the crows, who were pulling the fresh corn kernels out of the ground as they were germinating.  I finally won that battle by laying chicken wire over the rows of corn.
 Time seems to be rushing by....  Jon and I picked a bunch of tomatoes and preserved then as a batch of salsa.
 Tomatoes, onion, peppers, salt, vinegar, cilantro, jalapenos and a few other things, and the next thing you know, You've got a batch of salsa ready to go into jars for when the snow is flying.  Nothing like the taste of summer when you open a jar of your very own salsa to share with friends.

Kirby, The Best Puppy in all of Puppy-land He will be missed.

It has been a long time since my last entry. 
But, I'm writing today as a way to honor our beloved Kirby.
He was Jon's companion every day in the Piano Workshop and around the house while I was gone all day to work.
 Kirby was our traveling companion of motoring trips to visit family and friends.
He was always a gentleman at other people's home.. (Well, there was that one time in Houston, BUT he was encouraged by the lovely Mila.. you know how a girl can be when she wants something..)
 Kirby will be missed for a long long time.
 It has been over 3 months now, and I still think I see him in his usual places around the house, when I turn a corner or walk into a room... but he isn't there.

One last fall adventure with the 1925 Franklin

The weekend was OURS !!! The weather was splendid, for one last weekend adventure with the 1925 Franklin.
 We gathered up a few things to eat and drink, packed them into the trunk on the back of the car, and started off for Clearfield, Pennsylvania to join up with our friend Mac and his 1922 Franklin touring Car.
 A crisp late fall day, but even with clear skies and sun warming our faces, the occupants of the Touring Car had to be bundled up against the cold morning air.  Even Kirby, "The wonder puppy of East Run" had to be under wraps... and he was wearing his fur coat !
 So, off we motored into the woods and fresh air in the mountains above Clearfield, Pennsylvania.
 Our party consisted of Kirby, Mac, Our friend Trixy and her husband Mark, J.P. & Myself. 

Mean while, Trixy and I were comfortably being warmed by the very efficient heater in the 1925 Franklin Sedan....  no need for coats or lap robes when you are traveling along in the comfort of an "all weather" automobile.
 Our first stop was to a large rock outcropping called "Panther Rocks".  There was a place to pull the cars off the dirt road and park.  We followed the path into the woods until we found our way to The rocks.
 Kirby was full of energy, and ran all over and around, and sometimes even under,  following the scent of chipmunks and squirrels.

After stretching our legs and feeling the need to move on to more of the adventure, we followed Mac along until we reached a lake.  It is man made by the Bureau of forestry at the site of an old inn called Shaggers Inn.

There was a place to sit at the water's edge, and feel the afternoon sun on our faces.

 I couldn't help but think how nice it would be to have a summer time picnic there when the weather gets warm again.

We had to keep a close watch on Kirby, because he was all set to run into the lake and take a swim....

Trixy and Mark were feeling the sun on their faces, J.P settled in for a nice rest while being warmed by the sun...  and I kept taking pictures to remember the days activities.

Mac has an idea for a tech. article he would like to write.  He plans to experiment with the cooling efficiency of the Franklin Air Cooled engines, and discover the differences between the engine temperatures while the cars are working hard going up a hill, or coasting along on the level roads, and even when they are effortlessly motoring down a slight grade.
 There were a few times during our adventure that we pulled over to take readings from the engines with an instant laser heat reading device.
 Quickly, we would pull off to the side of the road, and up goes the hood of the cars, so Mac could get as accurate a reading as possible.
 When the signal was given, we would pull off the road, and everyone would jump out and do what we could to get the hoods up for Mac to go about his experiment....
 It all had a reminiscent effect of a Chinese fire drill, all of us jumping out of the cars and running around !!!
 Mac was so serious, while the rest of us saw it with unbridled humour, and laughing.

The final destination of the day was to visit friends of Mac's, at their camp site.  They have a nifty little place that was built in the 1920's on state game lands.  Just far enough from town to feel like you have gotten away from it all, but then if you've forgotten something important back at home, you can always go back for it if you really feel you need it.
 The entire place has a sort of rustic charm about it, but running water and electricity lends the place a simple nod to modern conveniences.
 There was a fire in the fire pit to stand and warm ourselves near, and we enjoyed some snacks and beverages with Mac's friends.  They were very friendly and fun to get to know.

With the sun getting low in the west, it was time to gather our things and head back for town.  It would be about an hour and a half to drive back on the dirt roads up over the mountains and into Clearfield.

Our Franklins provided us with another days worth of adventure and excitement as we explored old rail beds and long forgotten logging roads through the woods and over the mountains, along babbling brooks and streams.
 I can't wait to be able to dust off the car at the first sign of spring, and do it all over again. 
 Until the next time,
 Stay warm....
 ~B

Pumpkin Carving Here at Farnsworth House in East Run, Pennsylvania

The air has that crisp feel to it again. The feel of winter is in the wind that blows the dried leaves around.
So,  I drove over the mountain with the 1925 Franklin to gather up a few pumpkins for carving.

 My friend Trixy also grew a bunch of pumpkins this year.  But the pumpkins that came up in Trixy's garden where strictly a surprise.  Apparently there were pumpkin seeds in her compost that were still able to grow in the garden when she planted this spring.

 The assortment was varied, and we had a great time working on them.  First it was all about opening them up and pulling out the Pumpkin "Guts"... all that slime and seeds...  It went into a big bucket in the middle of the table. 

  Then everyone went about creating faces on the pumpkins.  Some would be smiles, and others would be frightening faces.  But all were delightful and fun.

 I personally think the best, most fun, scary, and well thought out pumpkin face was a scary one designed and carved by Trixy's husband, Mark.  It is a tall frightening face with sharp teeth and  sinister eyes...

  As for the Pumpkins that found their way to the front step of Farnsworth House...

 Well... lets just say,  Only happy looking pumpkins live here.  Smiles and a welcoming feeling at the door for when we have our little ghosts and goblins arrive for trick-or-treating.

  Have a happy and safe Halloween.....