Happy New Year! It Was Ten Years Ago Today

Ten years ago we had just moved to Abu Dhabi, and were frequent weekend visitors to the old Hiltonia Beach Club. April 1998, the club was closed "By Order of Higher Authority". I remember the date distinctly. It's burnt into my mind. Sheikh Zayed had decided to redo the Corniche in anticipation of the GCC meeting to be held there, the following year. The new Corniche skirted on the outer section of the Hiltonia, and the property owner decided to keep it closed for the next two years. Then suddenly, a fence went up - one of those "building fences" often seen around the Emirates. VB knew something was up, and sure enough sometime around 2001 the new Hiltonia opened, after having added a whole new beach, by hauling in sand.

Many of the old timers had gone to other clubs. Not us. Everyone in our family had a negative opinion on the other clubs, so we ended up occasionally being invited out to an island with friends or doing nothing. Except for the kids. They had plenty of friends with Sea-Doos and boats (more like yachts, really), and were entertained just about every weekend.

The old Hiltonia even had a Burger King Hut, which served the best damn hamburgers! Unfortunately, the new Hiltonia decided to go a bit more upscale, adding an outdoor grilling restaurant, and Vasco's Restaurant. No more Burger King! It was a heartbreaker, but we survived. We also survived the Russian women, who would turn a bikini into a thong; the crowd of European tourists in April; and the snooty new expats with their panamas ordering the waiters / beach boys around just before we left. We did enjoy the chilled pool and the afternoon breezes though. It was a nice place to relax.

VB's been digitizing old SLR film, and in remembrance of good times past, she's posting photos of old (uhm) Abu Dhabi Hiltonia and some old fashioned UAE recycling, to share.


The Best Damn Hamburger!


The Old Hiltonia Beach Looking Towards The Causeway.




The Old "Large Pool" with The Bridge:




The Old Large Pool, and in the background the Grassy Tanning Area: (One day a very curious Indian worker decided to climb one of the palm trees to see into the club. He happened to be peeking in on some female sunbathers, who frequented the beach on weekdays, and was in an awkward position. Only able to hold on with one hand, while getting his mojo on, he suddenly tumbled from the tree, breaking his arm! He was sent to hospital, and immediately deported.)





The moving company refused to return to pick up the excess cardboard from our move. This man was more than happy to make several trips, just to collect a few extra dirhams. This was taken through the reflective glass window, thus the strange haze and color.

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!

Funkengroovin Wednesday- You Can Run, But You Can't Ride

(Sorry for the belated post, but VB had a few problems with Blogger and her photos, again. Then I decided to change the video too.)

When Vagabondblogger was trekking around the neighborhood taking photos, she saw a bronze / gold VW Bug pulling out of a driveway. She was pissed off since she didn't get a better shot. But then, a few weeks later, she encountered it at an intersection, and caught a slightly better close-up. Of course, the car behind her her was probably wondering what the hell VB was doing taking pictures, while waiting for the light to change.

Please note: No news today (there isn't any to report.)






Please don't tell Bob that VB's been photographing cars in his lot, like this Westy below.





This video is dedicated to Number One Son. Good luck on that banjo learnin'!
Steve Martin & Earl Scruggs - Foggy Mountain Breakdown
Group Name: Men With Banjos Who Know How To Use Them

Merry Christmas Baby!

Old card remnants we sent out long ago, and a few ornaments gifted to us by car loving friends are all VB has to offer this Christmas. VB wishes


MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL!








And Best Wishes for Peace and Love!









Merry Christmas Baby - The Boss (but not The Boss Man)

Funkengroovin Wednesday Belated - Puppy Trip To PA

Photos for Would You Buy This Truck and today's blog are fixed - finally! Vagabondblogger posts photos from her desktop. She used to post them from her flickr account, but some countries block flickr. So uploading from her desktop allows everyone to view them. It lowers VB's flickr count, but she doesn't care. She doesn't know if this was part of the problem, but it's now "fixed," to quote the Goggle geeks.

Just about a month ago, The Boss Man and VB took a trip to Pennsylvania to pick up our new pup, Lotus. While there, in a small, small town, we spotted two VW Vans. One on the road, and one being worked on. Later, when we were leaving with the pup (Lotus), we saw both vans at the same house. Same owner? Who knows. We had a six hour drive back to CT, so we weren't exactly in the mood to stop and chit-chat. Besides, Lotus was crying.





How Many Days Till Christmas? VB's been remiss in her Christmas list. LIMBO has a general store offering sun catchers, mugs, clocks, caps, tees, and stickers. How could she do that, even when she had those sun catchers right under her nose while working on the shopping list? You can order from LIMBO anytime, you don't really need Christmas as an excuse now do you?

NEWS AND ARTICLES: Articles about parking lots. Don't you love them? Isn't that what we all live for - to drive around in circles looking for a parking space, that is, unless you own a VW Bus which is too high for most garage height requirements. And VB will bet that a lot of you have been doing just that - shopping for the holidays. You can't get VB near a mall this time of year. She lets her fingers do the driving, err walking. From Slate: Garage Mahals ARCHITECTS TURN THEIR ATTENTION TO THE PROBLEM OF PARKING. By Witold Rybczynski

"Equally dramatic, in a high-tech way, are the parking towers at Autostadt, Volkswagen's exhibition complex and automotive theme park in Wolfsburg, Germany."

Read more about it and ten others at the link above. There's also links to more garage themed articles.

Glory of Cars, Even Parking

"Contributing writers provide a handful of book recommendations, all related to automobiles but most of them of interest to the general reader."

Registration required (free).

It's time to vote for the Collectible Car of the Year!

"Over 500 of you submitted entries of some of the best automobiles we've ever seen: vintage Alfa Romeos, classic El Dorados, souped up Corvettes and Porsches ready for their close-ups. It wasn't easy, but our esteemed panel of judges whittled down the entries to thirty finalists. Now it's up to you to vote for the winner."

Check out, Buy a car - Chicago on Travel Pod. Starting on May 10th with his acquisition of an '85 Van, he is still going from Chicago to December in Peru, with plenty of photos.

From Jalopnik: Buy an $88,000 VW Beetle, Get the Gold for Free

Photo here, but not lighted (see below.) Family's car business can't stop 'buggin'

"ALEXANDRIA - Bill Goepper and his son Matt put a punch into their family business' light display with a decorated Volkswagen Beetle. The family's BMC Auto Rental at 7885 Alexandria Pike, Alexandria, has covered "bug" cars in lights during the holidays for six years."

High School Hijinks! ( Another photo)

"The administration at Haddonfield Memorial High School has to be pretty pissed—but isn't that the point of senior pranks? During Spirit Week, the class of 2008 bought a 1974 VW Beetle, painted it up, took it through the school's hallways, and deposited it in the courtyard. Then they removed the steering wheel and locked the doors. Nice work!"

More here too: Phil's Volkswagen Beetle: "The Bug"


nat king cole - the christmas song

Funkengroovin Wednesday Not! - I'm A Loser!

I'm a loser, haha, two times now. (1) I submitted a photo essay to the National Geographic Photo Contest, and I lost! (Sorry I don't know any monks from Nepal. Why are monks so popular anyway?) Sorry for the non- Funkengroovin Wednesday post, but (2) I had difficulties with the photos I loaded. A couple of weeks ago Blogger (not me - the Internet program) had a problem with enlarging photos. Well, it didn't end there. There were also problems with the photos that were uploaded during that time period. You know like the "Would You Buy This Truck" post. Since I had gone through my links, and then the photos, which weren't working late last night, I just gave up. Give Vagabondblogger a break - It's Christmas, or Eid, or Hanukkah, for God's sake! The holidays warrant a drippy story, and this is just one of millions and billions. I will reload the photos (and the truck ones too) in a day or two, and post a belated Funkengroovin post. Ergo, I am posting my pathetic, sappy, embarrassingly lame photo submission for a diversion.

So, here it is "The Story" I submitted to National Geographic: (As usual click on the photos for a larger view, and descriptions are below the photos.)
______________________________________________________

While at a souvenir shop in Cairo, Egypt, I asked to see several of the cat statuettes. The elderly shop owner said, “Misses please do not call them cats. It is disrespectful. They are Bastet! The goddess of pleasure, joy and dance.” I told him of: how I was a dog lover, how my dog had passed away in Cairo a few months earlier, and how I was getting a new puppy to bring back with me. He retorted, “please, please don’t get a new dog. Loosing something so important in your life leaves a great hole in your heart. If you bring another puppy here, you will loose it too, and you will have another hole.”

Two weeks before my dog passed away, a young feral cat showed up on the porch ("The Golden Boy"), and much like the tale of The Three Bears, stole my chair. He had been hanging around the apartment building, near the garbage can, but eventually found my private little niche on the side porch. As I was about to clean out the dog food bin, I thought, instead of throwing it out, the young cat might appreciate it. At first I dropped handfuls on the porch, then eventually fed him from plastic bowls, calling him to the front porch with a "psst." Our secret relationship lasted about two weeks. The message had gone out to the neighborhood ferals, "new feeding station now open for business." One thing led to another, and as I got to know him, I learned more about the feral cats in my neighborhood, of their personalities, and how they survive in Cairo. It might be just another feeding hole to them, but for me, it has been a healing experience.

King of the Porch
The Golden Boy in all his glory, sleeping on my chair. A non-aggressive cat, flight before fight type, he survives by evasion.


Girlfriend
Golden Boy’s pregnant girlfriend started to show up for feedings too, always bumping heads when they met. Still a small kitten herself, with all the markings of a roughed up street cat, she’s the only cat who rubbed up against me, and allowed me to pet her. Patient and kind, until her pregnancy progressed, she has now disappeared.


The Bad Ass Cat
This one followed Girlfriend over then fence, into the yard. Afraid of nothing he seemed to have been around, seen it all, and is quite the whiner, albeit usually ignored by the others. He is not posing for me, but focusing on the cat lying underneath the car directly behind me.


Cat Fight
Immediately before the joust, a lot of caterwauling takes place. This garbage bin bully, who has become quite a nuisance, goes after every cat he encounters, and now confronts Bad Ass Cat. Pickings during Ramadan are slim during the day, and that's when this extremely aggressive cat arrived. Fighting is one danger, but the municipality sanctions the use of poisoned food, and shooting strays. A practice considered inhumane to The West, but common elsewhere in the world, it has become a local controversy, as of late.


Momma
Once the smell of food gets around, other cats start visiting too, including nursing moms. Some people provide food for the cats, but they are mostly expats, who come and go throughout a cat's lifetime. This mom hides out at a villa that had been a well-known source of food. That expat family has now moved on and the new family has chosen not to feed them.


Comfort
Once trained, the kittens are literally abandoned, aggressively rejected, and Momma has actually resorted to violence as the young grey, whimpering, kitten approached her. This may be the feral cats' version of tough love. Unwanted, they care for each other. Here the bigger male, spoons with his sickly smaller sister, who cries constantly for her mother.

Blue Eyed Sex Maniac
When Mom goes into heat, all sorts of males show up (as if the food isn't enough of an invite.) Obviously not afraid of a human hiss, he stares, demanding lunch.

Startled
Eventually more pregnant cats come by, but are shocked when I show up to size up the feeding situation, sometimes inadvertently scaring them away. This one was quite startled.

Deep Thoughts
A far away gaze - perhaps wondering where he hid that feather he stole from me? A cat’s life in Cairo is a hard one. The Golden Boy has a moment of deep concentration, and I wonder what thoughts go through his head. He often sits by the screened doors, looking in (as if, with a bit of desire) and watches me, like we humans watch animals in a cage. He will enter the house, but only to investigate, and then scampers away.


The Come On:
The Golden Boy, at ease on the porch, has since become a helpful caretaker to the two abandoned kittens. Here he lays back, in his “come on, let’s play” pose. Although I realize we have a connection, we will never be able to live together. He will always be a feral-wild and independent, never a pet. But he has opened a new door for me, one of respect for cats, and most importantly, he is the bastet who helped close the hole in my heart.

As of this post, according to The Boss Man, The Golden Boy has not been seen for days. The two kittens are still around, but I will know more when I actually get back to Cairo in late January.

More information on Egypt's policy towards stray cats and dogs, as well as their slaughterhouse procedures from SPARE - Society of Protecting Animal Rights in Egypt:
Amina Abaza's Article in The Adelaide Advertiser Newspaper

The world may not be so wonderful right now, but we can always wish, dream, and hope.


What a Wonderful World - Louis Armstrong

Funkengroovin - Playing With Pictures

Check out DUMPR, and see the awesome things you can do to a photograph. Below are some examples. The first photo is the original VB used for the other manipulations. They offer more possibilities and you can load the photos either from your flickr account or from your desktop.


Original


Alien Vision - Invert:


Alien Vision - Volcano: (Psychedelic!)


Rubik's Cube:


Photo To Sketch:


Amazing Circles: VB likes the chrome edge.


HAVE FUN!

Funkengroovin Wednesday - Oh Lord....

Vagabondblogger is taking a break from VW's this week. In addition to VW's and Fiats, you can spot some nice old Mercs around Cairo. At one time, about ten years ago, The Boss Man and VB contemplated buying a Mercedes. VB doesn't remember which one, but she does remember Mercedes had an advertisement with Yul Brenner standing next to his car, and she actually got to "test drive it" - not Yul's car of course, the car at the dealership! Then she and The Boss Man moved overseas. End of story.

Here's a couple old Mercs VB found in Maadi, Cairo (parked one in front of the other), with a few references. These are the cars VB was trying to photograph, when a young beggar girl decided otherwise - check it out.

Since it's the season of giving, VB has decided to do the Mercedes thing with a song by Janis Joplin, which is not an indication of what VB wants for Christmas. (We don't have enough space for the cars we already have.) BTW, even though VB likes some of these Mercs, it in no way designates her as an authority. (Actually, she's not an authority on anything really.) These cars were both in very good condition. VB will post more Mercs she found at the Nasr City car market at a later date.

(As always, click on the links for the full article and / or photos.)

Mercedes Benz 220S Fintail

"The Mercedes 220 and 220S were part of the middle range or Mercedes saloons built from 1958 to 1968.

The 220S is considered by collectors to be among the best of the group, a cut above the lower models and one of the first cars to feature crumple zones and, from April 1962, a dual hydraulic braking system (these two systems were seen as the beginning of safety engineering in current motor vehicles).

Born into an era when Mercedes were still in love with the idea of the swing axle, the "Fintails" at least had the low pivot type - favoured by most drivers and deemed to provide better road holding ability.

Today there are still many "Finnies" on the road, such was the high build quality of these cars, and because the fins that were to date the design of the car so quickly are now seen as an exercise in design and beauty the 220 and 220S are appreciating in value."

The Heckflosse (Fintail) Homepage

"Well, the name Heckflosse, or Fintail in English speaking countries, is just a nickname given to this type of Mercedes. Because these cars show American influences, in this case the little 'fins' on their back (though in comparison with the ones found on the Americans these fins are barely noticeable), people started calling them Heckflossen. It must be said that the name is not officialy given by Mercedes-Benz. The word Heckflosse is simply the German translation of the word Fintail, 'Heck' means 'tail' and 'flosse' means 'fin'."

Classic Cars: Mercedes-Benz 'Heckflosse'

"...But there was a time when Mercedes tried to cater for the needs of most of its customers with just one model range. That car was the famous Heckflosse, or fintail Mercedes. In its day, the Heckflosse covered most of the market territory covered by today's E-class and S-class using a single bodyshell.

Far from apologising for this lack of choice, the company claimed it as a virtue -- all of its customers, whether stinking rich or merely very comfortably off, were entitled to the same standards of comfort and space.

It is impossible to understand the place the Heckflosse holds in German motoring history without also understanding the conditions in which it was launched in 1959. The German economy at the time was an economic miracle, far removed from the basket-case it has become today in the minds of Anglo-Saxon economists.

Millions of families celebrated important milestones of personal consumption: the first foreign holiday, the first TV set or the first fridge. And, of course, the first new car.

For most, that car wasn't a Mercedes. It was more likely to be an Opel, a VW Beetle or a Taunus from the German arm of Ford...."


THE NEWS:

"60 Years VW Bulli - The Book" goes to print

"A total of 71,000 visitors converged on the Hanover Exhibition Centre last October, where the International VW Mini-Bus Meeting was held to celebrate 60 years of the Volkswagen Transporter. 5,100 VW Mini-Buses and VW Transporters made their way to the meeting, and 11,500 camping enthusiasts from 28 nations celebrated their cult-mobile, the Volkswagen Mini-Bus. Lutz Schilling (author) and Cliff Serna (photographer) have now compiled an endearing documentation of the event. “60 Years VW Bulli – The Book” will be available for ordering before Christmas.

Just weeks after the event, the book is due to be published in A4-plus format in German and English. The book will cost 14.90 euro (plus shipping charges); VW Mini-Bus clubs will be able to place collective orders; and the work will be available via the www.vw-bulli.de website from December 14. A special link will be placed there. This book will be a must-have Christmas gift for all VW Mini-Bus enthusiasts, old-timer fans and, of course, for everyone who visited the event in October.

The book features 330 pages of both studio shots of the most stunning VW Mini-Buses and their owners as well as a catalogue of photos of almost all the registered participant vehicles."

VB is glad to see this New York Times article, as she had seen the GEICO magazine commercials and had not been able to find a picture anywhere on their website. They also have (VB loves this TV ad) The US Trust TV Spot : "He owns an Italian Roadster, a Le Mans Racer, and a British Limousine, and yet, the most valuable car in his collection is his 1968 Bus...."
The ’60s as the Good Old Days

"A new trend in advertising presents many of the contentious aspects of the ’60s — the protests, the hippies, the challenge to authority — in a positive, even romanticized light.

IF you remember the ’60s, as a popular saying goes, you probably weren’t there. No matter. Madison Avenue is taking you back with a skein of campaigns celebrating sights and sounds of the decade.

The ads are filled with images like Volkswagen buses festooned with groovy graffiti, daisies and other power flowers, peace signs, psychedelic drawings in DayGlo colors and hair, long beautiful hair, shining, gleaming, streaming, flaxen, waxen (to quote a lyric from the era).

The bus is a symbol “of the values you grew up with, the values that made you successful and the values you want to pass on to your children,” she added."

My Name Is Earl: Early Release

"The next time we see the holy VW microbus, Joy is driving in nun’s garb (I was strangely aroused), and Darnell is riding shotgun dressed as a priest. The guards at the main gate wave in Father Darnell and Sister Joy, and the dominoes are falling into place."

(Just to make it clear: VB was not aroused, the writer of the article was.)

A Review: Living it up in the Hotel California

"There are no mirrors on the ceiling
but you can have pink Champagne on ice.
And in the master's chamber,
you can gather for the feast.

Welcome, to the VW California,
such a lovely place, such a lovely place...

My apologies to The Eagles for mangling their classic "Hotel California" hit but I battled to get the song out of my head while driving (and living in) Volkswagen's new mobile home. I don't know whether the song inspired the name but it's apt because this is kind of a hotel on wheels.

The VW California is basically a kombi mated with a caravan and built for people who seek to explore the wild yonder with an adventurous spirit but in minimal discomfort

To mince another Hotel California line:
"You can check out any time you like,
but you'll never want to leave."

From Jalopnik (again - great photos as usual): Another Low Volkswagen Transporter

"OK, this VW Transporter isn't quite as low as this insane machine, nor is it quite as old. However, it makes up for those shortcomings by having such a great Survivor Patina, and by parking on one of the busiest streets in town. It's hard to tell how many donor vehicles contributed body parts for this bus, but it's got to be at least four. And, once again, I'm unable to provide an exact year for an older German vehicle; I'm pretty sure it's from the 1963-1967 period, but- as always- clarifications from VWology PhDs are welcomed."




12 DAYS TILL CHRISTMAS!
Still looking for that perfect gift for your Funkengroovin Luv? VB is, and she's also sad to see that the folks in the UK and Australia have much more VW stuff to offer, than the U.S. Sometimes Funkengroovin love can just leave you in a funk. Here's more stuff to buy. VB may have exhausted her VW shopping search. Also, please note, VB has added numerous new VW links, some of which also offer items for sale.

JC Whitney has several items like: (More available at the site.)
COLLECTIBLE VW TOY BUS
CLASSIC BEETLE BLUEPRINT POSTER
COLLECTIBLE VW TOY CHRISTMAS BUSES

Cartoonstock has VW cartoons for sale.

Tee shirts, mugs, fridge magnets, bags, metal signs and all sorts of oddities you don't need are available at kapowgifts, thepillarbox (UK)

Australia the gift has mugs, Kombi banks, Kombi egg cups, Kombi salt & pepper shakers, Kombi moneybox, clocks, model cars, and more. (AU)

Same as above (UK) and (AU) also available at vwgiftshop.co.uk, and grandprixlegends. (UK)

rediff books has How To Hotrod Volkswagen Engines. (India)

Geek Alerts has an article and links on VW (camper and beetle) usb memory sticks, and where to buy them.

And for the young ones (girls) you can buy the Barbie VW New Beetle, available at Walmart.

"Styled after the Volkswagen Beetle, this vehicle features realistic VW design and popular Barbie colors. It also has a real working door that opens and closes, for easy entry. The Barbie VW features foot pedal operation for easy stop and go, and drives on hard surfaces. It goes 2.5 mph in forward and reverse and has a Power Lock brake system."

Even though this video is a mish-mash of scenes, those VW lovers will spot a beetle (if you pay attention.)

www.SoloMercedes.com - Janis Joplin / Mercedes-benz

My Little Town

VB wrote this a little less than a month ago and had not gotten around to posting it. Today, everything has a dusting of snow, and is frozen from the ice storm last weekend. This is a fall view of the area.

Vagabondblogger usually talks about her neighborhood in Cairo, Egypt. Today she has decided to focus on her neighborhood in Connecticut. Vagabondblogger lives in a small town along the Connecticut River. She has seen foxes, a snapping turtle, eagles, wild turkeys, rabbits, frogs, other suspect varmints; she has heard about coyotes attacking cats and dogs; owls trying to kidnap cats; bears, moose, deer traipsing around; and that bobcats, are moving in to the neighborhood. Vagabondblogger doesn't really care for many of these creatures. In one way or another they're either just plain annoying or terrorists. Plus she has to put up with the smell of equine urine, and manure used by the local farmers, who specialize in growing the world's finest cigar wrapping tobacco. Don't believe Vagabondblogger? Then check this out: The Secret Life of Shade Tobacco.

Shade tobacco is used as the outermost layer of high-end cigar brands like Davidoff, Macanudo and Arturo Fuente. It is the state’s No. 1 agricultural export in dollars, bringing in more than $30 million a year, according to the federal Department of Agriculture.

The tobacco farmers really create traffic problems during harvesting season. One contraption after another clogs the roads hauling tobacco, and workers around. Of course, most farmers also support themselves with the usual farm stand vegetables, fruits, and flowers. Brown men suddenly appear from May staying through until the end of harvest. Vagabondblogger knows not where these men come from, nor where they're headed when they leave. Actually, she's not sure she even saw them to begin with. She sees NOTHING, she knows NOTHING!


















One of the local farms and rows of dried out corn stalks.







Here's a tour of Vagabondblogger's neighborhood:

This neighbor has canoes parked outside his barn, and offers Christmas Trees you cut yourself, which is how we have been doing it since we moved here. He lives across the road from the guy who walks around in his boxers, has been caught by the police peeping in on VB's neighbor, and has been seen (by Vagabondblogger herself) listening intently to his mailbox. There's one of those in every neighborhood, right?

Then just a few houses down, lives "The Cat Lady." We call her Tweety, because she sounds like Tweety Bird, and she has a "Cat Crossing" sign in front of her house. She's nice, talkative, has an assortment of feral cats, and dead autos behind her house. We do believe, she has a smokehouse, as we can smell something smoking in the wee hours of the morn'. She claims that her family has lived here since before the Civil War, so it's quite possible the next landmark is a relative of hers.

Farther down the road are two grave markers from 1761, overlooking the Connecticut River. The larger adult died of smallpox at the age of 81 years. The other is an infant.



Now we get to the scene of the crime, or the crime that never was, or the uncrime crime. This was what people here refer to as a "package store". It's just another name for a liquor store. It was run by an elderly Polish lady, who had been caught selling alcohol (mostly beer) to under-aged teens (rumor has it, it was usually skunked.) She fell, broke a rib, and died of internal bleeding. Her much younger boyfriend, who had a restraining order on him to not set foot near her, had just been released from jail, and was with her when she died. Panicking he decided to construct a fake crime scene, and called the police to say he "found her like that." The newspaper was full of innuendos, speculation, and assumptions, that he did the dastardly deed. The local coroner figured out she had not been beaten, but that her injury was accidental. Her boyfriend, who apparently couldn't keep his hands off the old gal, confessed to constructing the murder scene, and is now going back to jail, for violating his probation.


Around the corner and up the road is the local farm stand, now closed for business, although they do seem to have an abundance of pumpkins this year.



As usual, all over the area, people park their dead cars in the woods. This old van seems to be oxidizing pretty well.



Finally, the old Grange Meeting House, which has been converted into a theatre. This winter they are performing A Tuna Christmas! Maybe they'll add some more dates due to the usual high demand.