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Did you say RAIN !!!

To: mgs@autox.team.net
Subject: Did you say RAIN !!!
From: Don Mathis <donmathis@lucent.com>
Date: Mon, 30 Sep 1996 14:14:57 -0400
     My wife and I met 12 other MGs Friday at 8:00 am at the McDonalds in
Duluth, Georgia near the Falcon football Complex.  This is about 35 miles
North of Atlanta, Georgia.  This was our MG club, Fall Tour to Pisgah
National Park on the Blue Ridge Mountain Parkway.  It began to spit rain so
we all put our tops and side curtains on. Then it REALLY began to rain....
the whole day.  We discovered that our top leaked near the top of the
windshield.  This created a little waterfall all across the top of the
windshield as we drove.  We covered our knees with towels and called it an
adventure!  When we got near the Blue Ridge Parkway, the rain continued but
we also had fog!  As in, "I can't see the lights of the car in front of me
when it is more than 30 feet away!!"  Our battery did not like the lights,
wipers, and heater blower on so it packed up and quit.  No problem.  We can
always park on a hill in Georgia!  This worked well until, at a McDonalds,
the 18 wheeler parked in front of us, began to unload his truck and we
couldn't get a coasting start.  No problem....he pushed us.  

     We finally arrived at the Pisgah Inn and declared a happy hour at 5:30
pm.  That seemed to warm up the place.  We didn't have to worry about what
clothes to wear to dinner since the rain also got into the trunk.  It was
merely a matter of, "what's dry?"  We ( about 24 of us) then all moved to
the dining room for a great meal.  

     The next morning it was a white-out due to the fog.  We drove down the
mountain to Hendersonville, NC where it was sunny and beautiful for about 6
hours.  We looked through the antique shops and  about 4:00 it started to
rain....and RAIN!  'Back to the Inn for more laughs and another great
dinner.    Yesterday, we got up to 38 F weather but clear and Beautiful.  We
drove another 60 miles to Cherokee, NC along the Blue Ridge Parkway and
those winding roads with the tops down and heaters on.  We stopped at one
look-out where one could see 52 miles over to other peaks (that's what the
sign said).  It was beautiful.  Our battery decided to join the fun and
worked great.  We headed back and the last 130 miles was done at 70 mph
which is a little bit harsh with the top down.  (I went 131 miles on 5
gallons of gas.  Great!)  

     We drove about 500 miles over the week-in and it was about as good as
it can get. (well, maybe less fog and rain would help).  I started to wear
my driving gloves to the office today but decided no one would understand.
My wife and I decided that we would fix the leaks and maybe try another
trip, at least a day trip, before the cold weather makes me put it in the
basement for the winter. What a trip!

Don (I love down-shifting on those winding roads) Mathis




Don Mathis,Ph.D.
LUCENT TECHNOLOGIES
donmathis@lucent.com
'61 MGA 
'37 Bentley


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