Adventure

Riding around on a bicycle in an atmosphere with lots of distracted car drivers and lots of car drivers unfamiliar with their surroundings is always a bit of an adventure. The old car show brings those two commodities to some of my regular riding routes in spades.

The closest call I had all day was, instead, at the zoo where an SUV driver looked right at me and decided that I didn't exist or at least that her need to get her SUV out of the parking lot into traffic overruled my fairly obvious right of way. She only got about four car lengths before coming to a red light right next to the zoo carnival rides so I had the opportunity to ride my bicycle right up next to her open passenger side window. "Right of way?" I inquired. Remember now that she looked right at me and made eye contact before pulling out. She said, "I'm so sorry, I didn't see you."

There seemed to be absolutely nothing to be gained by continuing the conversation and I did not although I do admit making an exaggerated shrug of incredulity.

So the old car people that I did encounter were all concerned enough about their old cars to be driving with perhaps excessive caution and I had no problems with any of them. I kept thinking I would get a photo of one or another of the old cars but in an upset, the photo I did get was of a car not even involved in the show. This one is just parked in someone's driveway in Roseville.I am fairly confident in identifying that as a 56 Ford.

It is important to occasionally visit neighborhoods where I don't get very often. If you don't go there often enough something of interest may pass by without being noticed. Not this time.I have no idea what Ronald was doing that far from any of his restaurants and nothing about the big truck gave any clues. I am just going to put it down as a random act of popular culture.

As I neared home I spotted another old car, this one in apparent distress, parked by the side of the road with its hood up.The available evidence points towards a ruptured radiator hose.

I am going to admit defeat in trying to identify that one. I think 53 or 54 and the roof line says General Motors to me but something about the overall shape makes me think one of the Chrysler cars, maybe a Dodge. Anyone know?

Summer is here, a couple of hour bicycle ride on any given summer day is a pursuit I am able to recommend highly. Today's ride was another good one.

EDIT: 53 Mercury it is. Once reminded I now recall the three chrome strips are supposed to bring to mind wings.