Reflections on the Driving Season
by Bob Shaw
There is a chill in the air this morning. We were greeted by the first real blast of cold last week, and parts of Nebraska had over a foot of snow. Winter is upon us.
One of the joys of Nebraska is the change of seasons. The natural cycle of renewal is familiar to all Nebraskans and we have come to love the almost mystical, and metaphysical, nature of cleansing, rebirth, growth, and dormancy that we see in the winter, spring, summer, and fall. The life cycle is demonstrated anew each year in the four seasons. It is appropriate that the native peoples embodied the four seasons and their colors in the holy circle of spiritual life as a part of their religion, as told us by John Neihardt in his book Black Elk Speaks.
Winter is here. The forecasts are for a normal winter, which means there will be snow and salt on the roads, and most of us will not be driving our favorite cars for a time. If we are lucky enough to have a heated garage, we will use nature's time of rebirth to do those tasks required to bring our little jewels back up to the standards we strive for. The rest of us will spend time thumbing through the pages of our latest Moss Motors Catalogue planning for the temperate days of early spring when we can heat our garage enough to make work possible.
Winter is also a time to reflect on the most recent driving season, and the enjoyment we have
derived from our wonderful little machines. There were several events this past year which involved driving, frequently eating, and enjoying our favorite hobby with good friends.
The year's first driving event‚if we do not count mad dashes to breakfast and fish‚was the annual Renaissance Fair and Lake Tour. Each spring the James Arthur Vineyards near Raymond, NE have a Renaissance Fair. There are battling knights, dancing girls, madrigal singers, and good food and drink. The only thing missing sportscars. This is where we come in. 
We meet at Southeast Community College, and take a little tour of about 50 miles, all on paved roads, around three little lakes and then arrive at the winery. The weather is generally quite good, and along with the meadowlark's song we enjoy sights and smells of early spring, along with the leather, oil, and wood smells of British Roadsters. There is the added advantage of proximity‚the event is close enough to home that should there be a difficulty that the new season has not yet allowed us to sort out, we can get the car home without too much difficulty. So we enjoy each other and the drive. We eat, sample the wine, and enjoy the wares and entertainers at the fair. It is a very pleasant way to spend a spring afternoon.
Other drives include the run to St. Joseph for the Heartland Regional. This drive usually involves Route 7, lunch in Brownville (if we don't get lost on the detours) and an early arrival for the Friday night doin's at the event. Our enjoyment is shared vicariously by several on the route. This year we even acquired a follower in Auburn. He was a fellow with an MGA who had taken note of our revelry as we drive through town the past few years. This year he decided to follow us to see just what was at the end of our journey.
Shaw's Garage | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | Archives
©2001 FWAHC & MLCDesign/TechnoMOM