Folks Of Interest 50 years of "Playing ON the Freeway"

http://heroicstories.org/saved-white-lie/

 

She's aLIVE! The Merc is RUNNING! Gonna be some time & adjustments necessary and replacin the hood w help after, but she's RUNNING w no apparent "issues" I'm a happier Highwayman then I've been in a while

 

WE are very Happy also, Good for You. Gary

 

Sounds smooth and strong. And it looks like you've got a bit of pep back in your step...

 

Are you going to start doing the wiring in house, Thomas?

 

for now she's [ Beulah ] parked back where she was when she was wrecked -- this is our "busy" season [ winter ] and I'm unable to focus on her, and only *just* able to fix the Merc right now -- in order for Beulah to become usefull to me agin, and roadworthy dependable -- I'm gonna haveta find a special person, who KNOWs what's necessary to FIX her RIGHT so she functions the ways I NEED her TO -- and I'll haveta be available to oversee and make shure -- I have in my mind how it needs to BE done -- just don't have the *ability* to DO it myself anymore -- it's debilitating

I'm thinkin Spring -- [ if I'm still able ] meantime -- I'll use the Merc if it turns out well -- testing this week.

 

I LOVE the fact that your wife is excited for you to get the car running again. She knows it's very important to you ... She GETS it ! Gotta love that . Good for ya, Thomas !

 

Glad to hear that Thomas.Keep us posted my friend. Bruce.

 

My son dropped by today round 1pm -- just IN time to help me position the Merc's hood for reinstallation -- that's it for today - run outta git up & go early these days -- waitin to hear back bout the blood tests from last week -- plannin on taking her out for a trial run tomorrow -- WITH Shela! -- "She" was exCITED to get to go "round the block" [ 2miles] w the hood off yesterday -- gave me onea her BIG smiles like thisun after which -- all things bein good - I'll change her oil & filter agin to git out any traces of water-coolant -- *then* after a week or two -- if all things are *still* good - I'll flush her cooling system and install coolant -- and we're BACK "On the Road" aGIN at least for a while longer --

 

You both look Happy, that makes Us Happy! Gary

 

thankee Gary

that pic is from the front page of the LA Times story back in July 2008 just NOT in Beulah yet *that's* gonna take more then I kin do jist now
http://articles.latimes.com/2008/jul/24/business/fi-highwayangel24
http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-highwayangel24-2008jul24-pg-photogallery.html
http://www.latimes.com/business/la-highwayangel9_k2kozgnc-photo.html
http://www.latimes.com/business/la-highwayangel3_k2koy7nc-photo.html


so we're both a littl older now -- but pleased to be - hopefully -- BACK on the road agin -- tomorrow -- IN the Merc --

more recent pics here -- [ from the National Examiner Sept 17 2012 ]

 

Stories here from 50 years of "Playin on the Road" http://snowchains.tripod.com/sandiegohighwaymansweblogon.../ --- Do what you CAN with what you HAVE! You never know how MUCH you can affect others -- we're goin OUT toDAY to"PLAY"

 

first trip out w the Merc -- figured to make it a short trip just in case -- gassed up, went to thye bank, headed out WB on the 8 --

Got just West of the West Main St and there, was this young fella, struggling -- no experience w hauling or tarps obviously had it lengthwise aCROSS the bed and haphazardly tyin it down

seen TOO many freeway "incidents" start out w someone's load or tarp goin flyin SO, I proceeded to show him HOW

 

Well the Merc's BACK in action agin! -- coupla incidents yesterday -- nuthin exciting -- went thru the park and over the bridge -- helped some youngsters there that had had a BO on the bridge and had driven it to the plaza on the FT to wait for one's sister to bring a spare -- didn't have it with em frown emoticon

weren't too experienced, nor equipped, so i had him git his jack and tools out and showed him where it went and had the 2 boys LIFT the lowered car
[ "rice rocket" so i could *place* the jack correctly -- and had him set the brake

then I proceded to loosen the lugnuts for them as their lug wrench was onea them like 8" long ones tongue emoticon

LUCKY for them I thought of that cause 2 of th enuts were SO tight my magnificient SnapOn impact couldn't budge em gasp emoticon

Well -- out w the trusty "persuader" bars [ 2 3ft pipes that fit togeather to become SIX feet of "persuasion" wink emoticon smile emoticon

Had the young fella provide the "PUSH" as my busted shoulder kinda prevents me these days -- left em set up to easily change the tire when it arrived w sister

DID what I could for em & as I left they were takin pictures smile emoticon here's hopin they got home oK

found *this* onea my first, way back -- http://snowchains.tripod.com/gardengrowin/

 

RATS!

Have KILLED a LOT of them this year!

I have traps set at night on their "freeways" [ top rail of board fence ] and runways [ trails in the garden ] and around places they frequent [ woodpiles, equipment, etc ] annnd the top [ horizontal ] redwood lattice that runs outside our bedroom window [ bout 6 ft away ] [ generally GIT several a week

Opened Beulah's hood recently [ she's parked in shelter between the house and the barn till she gits REwired ] and my eyes fell upon a PILE of pecans stashed on BOTH sides of the intake manifold and valve covers vacuumed em & set traps -- so far, no takers

coupla weeks back, I noticed some of Patti's car's "identity" lights I'd installed weren't workin as she pulled into the driveway -- opened the hood, and found a rat had chewed thru the wires to em -- repaired those

Every morning I make the rounds checkin -- especially if, in the night, we hear a snap-SQUEEK!

I'm thinkin a vengefull rat, [ one that got away ] decided to booby trap Patti's car last night, because as she left for the store this morning, she called me soon after to say her engine was racing after leaving a stop!!

She shut it down

I went to investigate, w a suspicious mind [ rememberin the wires & Beulah's under the hood stash ] opened the hood and the first thing I saw was a pecan jammed into the throttle pivots!!

HMMMM?! I SMELL a RAT! Gonna be settin some MORE traps toNIGHT!

"You dirty RAT" I'm gonna GIT you!

 

Is it mothballs that are supposed to keep them away?

 

HEY! THANK you ClayMart! I'll give that a try

 

She DOES Allen Couldn't DO what I do w-out her love & support She's imPORTANT to me as well!

 

oh no - it's not becoming a Rat R-- is it?

 

Livin UP to yer name I see "joker"

 

It's my experience (restoring old cars for a living for the last 20+years) that moth balls do nothing, other than make your cat smell like crap. It's an old wives tale. Remember, those guys live and sleep in their own stinky pee and poo - obnoxious smells to us aren't much to them. Dryer sheets do nothing as well (other than give them some nesting material) , but at least they don't smell as bad . Traps are the only real way to get rid of them.

 

traps I've GOT -- SNAAP - SQUEEEEK!

 

Keep trapping those varmints, Thomas. Sounds like you are more upbeat lately. Glad you can get the Merc out and you and Shela can do what you do best.......All power to ya....

 

Good to hear things are looking up for you.

 

Thank you Kiwi & Mike

Out of the past --


5 incidents t-day -- all ofem FTs -- one of em almost "went south" due to the inexperience of the 2 drivers involved and if it *had* completely "gone south" it'd taken me with em scary #2 jist AMAZIN how littl some folk know about speed - inertia -- brakin -- etc

one more was an Isreali couple -- art dealers -- gal reminded me of my favorite NCIS character who insisted on givin me a paintin -- anuther was a gal who was a photographer who insisted I have onea her purty photos -- *them* I accepted they're stories to hang on my wall
__________________
oh I LIKE what I'm able to do SOOOOO MUCH!

email I got tnite from the photographer gal --

Hello, i am the red-head you helped today with a flat on the 5- freeway.
I can't tell you how many people I have told about you today. How taken aback I was when you pulled up and I knew you weren't aaa because I was still on the phone with them when you pulled up behind me. Yet you insisted you were there to help me. What you didn't know is how hesitant I was to talk to someone one the side of the road. I lost a high school friend who was murdered by a CHP officer. AND I used to be a news reporter, so by nature I am now a skeptic.

But you persevered. And to my benefit! What a sweet man and dog team you are.

Thank you sdhighwayman! You are the best!

October 20, 2012 at 1:39pm ·

 

I love stories like this, our world needs more of it.

 

FIRE on Highway 8 this mornin! several FTs & an OOG -- all in all a BUSY & productive day



vids to come