Cobwebs

[Hal Copple]

In the mid Atlantic states, like Upstate SC, where i live, we have had a four year drought. But i don't know why nature has to fix it in the first six months of '03. I am so tired of rain, it is thus far the wettest spring in over a hundred years. Last time it was this wet, the Union Cavalry was hither and yon in these parts.

Been working really hard in the office, so today, being off thursday afternoons, and the sun shining, i thanked Abby, my trusty Weimerainer, who watches over my SPF in the garage, flicked the gear shift out of first, and grabbing the rollbar, gave the Great Stroker a shove, and rolled it out onto the driveway. Latched up the Simpson, flicked the Accusump on, watched the oil pressure come up, tickled the HP Holley, and teased the primary's to bring the revs and fuel pressure up just right.

Then headed out into the country. The wet spring has put an incredible amount of greenery on the trees, in a few minutes i was alone on winding rural roads, the kind so rural they don't have any stripe down the middle. Down into the shallow valleys, then under the trees arching overhead, next by the wooden fences by Brattonsville, where much of the Patriot movie was filmed, then along the winding roads where the battle scenes were filmed, just rolling grassy hills and distant forests, not a sign of human intrusion. The roads were a bit bumpy, patched here and there, but i gained speed, hastening down this and that lane. At bridges over creeks, and tidy turns, i blipped thundering downshifts, no doubt sadly causing the upland Gray Squirrels to suffer many miscarriages of their young.

The great white clouds overhead, the distant thunderheads forming, the damp forests and the tiny distant cottages here and there just made for a great time, burning the 93 octane.

The supple suspension soaked up the heaves and dips, as i was able to use all the road, occasionally breathing on the Wilwoods for a shaded corner, or a rustic cotton gin mill. Here and there field hands would look up when the crackling sound of the sidepipes heralded my coming, and i would blip an acknowledgment of their waves.

Cut across Chester county, ran longside the site of Huck's defeat, where the patriots taught the British Redcoats the accuracy of their flintlocks, sending them back in disarray to Charleston.

Every now and then the road straightened enough for a few seconds, allowing me to put all four venturi butterflys vertical, as i negotiated the dips and and patches.

Came back, and just sat in the Great Stroker for a few minutes in the garage, being glad i am so lucky to live here, and have this car, and a family that understands why dinosaurs were put here so long ago, so they could become fuel for my engine.

The cobwebs of daily exasperation are wiped away again,

All the best.....

[Tom Wells]

Sic'em Hal!

And a huge thank-you for the images

Tom

[G.R.]

Hal

You ought to consider becoming an author
I look forward to your posts, because they are so entertaining--puts one there like you can actually taste, smell, visualize the surroundings

What a talent--glad you had a strees relief drive that went so well

[skippy]

Originally posted by G.R.


Hal

You ought to consider becoming an author
I look forward to your posts, because they are so entertaining--puts one there like you can actually taste, smell, visualize the surroundings

What a talent--glad you had a strees relief drive that went so well

I second that, damn another 2 weeks before i get mine and i bet you it will rain till the end of the year.

[Lowell W]

We had a somewhat similar experience last evening, although without some of the exotic scenery. My wife and I decided to have dinner at a steak restaurant where you pick and grill your own steak. It's an hour 's drive south through cornfields with a small town here and there, then two Coronas and it's fun to just stand around the grill and catch up on the day's events. It was a perfectly beautiful evening, with just a few fluffy white clouds, temp in the 70's and no traffic on our favorite two-lane road. About half way through grilling the second side of our fillets, my wife looked out and said, "It's RAINING!!!" I ran out with the intention of putting up the top but it was too late. This rain cloud came out of nowhere and blew away after about ten minutes. We finished a leisurely dinner and went out to assess the situation. It was no big deal anyway: a warm evening, the car's plastic and I'd parked under a tree so the seats were barely damp. We decided we'd rather drive home in a wet Cobra than a dry anything else, anyway. We had dry roads and clear skies all the way home.

Life is grand and I too have a family who understands the higher purpose of dinosaurs.

[Clois Harlan]

Ok Hal,

I'll buy the book you've just teased us too much. Great job! Have you ever listened to any of Don Williams music?

Clois

[WBofTN]

Who lern't you to write like that.
You couldn't be a gamecock or any SEC grad.
Maybe it was one-of-those-there schools that lets the
kudzoo grow all over it. ;-)

[RallySnake]

Hal,

Nice.

Paul

[avanti-176]

Hal,
I also look forward to your short stories.You have a wonderful grasp of the language. But...
Gray squirrels having miscarriages....What the....

Have a good one,
Dan