As seen at the 27th Annual NSRA Northeast Street Rod Nationals at the at Essex Fairgrounds (09/17 - 09/18/21).

 Ah...a simple brake job...what could go wrong, right? Well, in a hinterland like Saint Albans, Vermont getting Volkswagen parts can sometimes be...tricky. Let's explore this concept with a short one act play I like to call: "No parts for you!"

Part's man (brandishing a cheesey I'd-like-to-help-you-but-I-doubt-I-can smile): "You're back again!?"

Me (brandishing that oh-so-long-suffering-exaspirated-expression that VW owners the world around wear) : "Ayup."

Part's man: "How can I help you?"

Me: "Well, you sold me the brake rotor here to the right and the one to the left is what I need. So, I'm wondering if you have the other type."

Part's man: "The one to the right looks aweful, you sure I sold you that?"

Me: "Um, my right."

Part's man: "Oh, ok. So, what do you need again?"

Me: "One like that dirty one but shiny."

Part's man: "Let me look, what kind of car did you say it was for?"

Me: "VW"

Part's man: "Vee-double-U? Okay, remind me, is that a Chevy or a Ford?"

Alas, so it goes...or better put...and...as the German say..."So ist das leben." 

In the end, it all worked out and now my old '02 Passat GLX is stopping with aplomb.

Well...it's been a while. About twelve years. What can I say. Life got busy. Children had to be raised, bills paid, jobs woked. That's how time passes, one day at a time until it's all gone. I still have all my hair, but the salt-to-pepper ratio these days is favoring salt and I now wear reading glasses. Oh well. That said, the children are raised or very nearly raised. It's time...time to get back to it. It's all still out there in the garage, every project, right where I left it, albeit under a nice think coat of dust. I just hope my only reader . . . Hi mom! ... stays tuned to see what's next. 

I think for the first project I'll put this rebuilt 1.6 into this ancient '80 Jetta. There will be other side projects along the way on other old jalopies but getting this old Inari Silver Jetta back together will be the prime directive. Wish this old man luck. It's been twelve years since I touched it. There's a pile of parts and I'm not sure where they all go. Ha!

Let the long paused adveture begin...again!

Covered Bridges of Franklin County: Part 2

Untitled
author Unknown

"What stories could these bridges tell
If they could only talk?
They'd tell us of the ones who rode
And those who had to walk,
The rich, the poor....those in-between
Who used their planks to cross,
The soldiers, farmers, businessmen
In buggies, sleighs, by "hoss",
Like sentinels these bridges stand
In spite of flood and fire,
Their rugged, stalwart strength remains
Our future to inspire."

This is the Black Creek Bridge in East Fairfield, Vermont. Located off of Route 36, this Queen-Post bridge, with a span of 68 ft, was renovated over the last three years. Some of the original timbers from 1865 were re-used , but most of the material is new. Previous to the renovation, this bridge had fallen into disrepair and, subsequently, was closed to traffic for some twenty plus years.

The Covered Bridges Of Franklin County: Part 1

Covered bridges, with their wooden beams and lattice frameworks, are an anachronism of a more pastoral era. Once, these dusky tunnels spanned nearly every stream, brook and river of the North East. An integral component of yesteryear's infrastructure and economy, they not only provided passage for travelers but allowed for the transportation of crops and produce from farm to market. And because of this, the construction of these covered bridges were as likely commissioned by farm owners as they were by townships. Today, these bridges are a dwindling institute of a dying agricultural era. Replaced throughout the last century by steel and concrete spans, the diminishing numbers of covered, wooden bridges in the North East serve as yet another indicator of a region in cultural transition.

What is truly marvelous about these bridges is their aesthetic. The rustic, weathered beams, the hand hewed mortise and tenon joints and the smell of tar-coated century-old wood harken back to an age of hard-muscled, self-reliance. An age, if you can believe it, where the sins of the last decade can not be cashed-in for a $4500 down payment toward shiny fuel-sipping redemption. So, I have taken it upon myself to make record of the existing covered bridges in Franklin county. Lest we forget our history, when the last of these bridges fall.

Below, is the first installment of photos. There will be more to come in the future. In fact, I've only recorded four of the seven covered bridges in Montgomery, VT.


Maple Street Covered Bridge over the Millbrook in Fairfax, VT
Built 1865 by Kingsbury and Stone




Hutchins Bridge over the South Branch of the Trout River in Montgomery, VT
Built 1883 by the Jewett brothers
(seen here under renovation)






Above: note the numerous new timbers in the rafters and along the lattice work (wow, look at that nice Saturn, soon to be a collectors item now that the brand is slated for oblivion)

Below: fresh tree nails, some of which are yet to be driven in.



Longley bridge over the Trout River in Montgomery Village, VT
Built 1863 by the Jewett Brothers




Below: plaque citing excellence for preservation is offset to either side by an inspector's comments regarding deficiencies in the lattice work.



Hopkins Bridge over the Trout River in Montgomery Village, VT
Built 1875 by the Jewett brothers.






Fuller Bridge over the Black Falls Brook in Montgomery, VT
Built 1890 by the Jewett brothers.

Hello all. I know, I know, it's been a long time since I've posted to this auto blog. I have excuses, some of which are plausible, but I'm too tire to get into that now. You see, I just got back from the annual Summer Nationals in Worcester, Massachusetts. It was, of course, a life altering experience! I'll have more pictures later, but here are a few teaser shots to tide you over.