I left the hotel this morning and spent six hours working with Nick Freeman
(NICAL Engineering) in a shop nearby fitting the rear window in the hardtop
that I purchased from him at Conclave. We had it in and out of the car even
ofr eight times trimming off progressively smaller pieces of the window and at
3:00 PM we pronounced it done. I will of course have to disassemble the whole
thing once I get home to paint it, etc. but in any case the top looks great and
I am most pleased with it.
I departed Winston-Salem via 52 north--my plan was to run up to the Blue Ridge
Parkway, then head north on it to Floyd VA (see below). No sooner did I get on
the Parkway than the sky in the northwest turned black and very shortly I was
running in a progressively heavier rain--then came the flashes of lightening,
etc. all around me. I did not have time today to adjust the windshield rake to
match the front lip of the hardtop and the front seal on the hardtop began to
leak. After about ten miles in what had become a real downpour I was able to
get under some cover and ran some electrical tape across the top of the
windshield/top joint and so blocked the leak.
About 5:30 I exited the Parkway at SR 8 and ran north to Floyd, VA. For those
of you who have never heard of Floyd or been there, every Friday night there is
a "Country Music Jamboree" at the Floyd General Store, and this is the REAL
DEAL. The counters are cleared away and folding chairs for about 100 folks are
set up--by 6:00 PM it is pretty much Standing Room Only, the room filled with
both locals and visiting cogniscenti. Crowds overflow into the town's streets
and musicians from the area pick up and jam. I was fortunate enough to find a
good spot by the small stage at the back of the store.
6:30 PM begins an hour of live gospel music and tonight the Livingston family
from near by Rimer played and sang--Dad was the leader on the guitar, Mom on
the "Bullbase", Kevin on the banjo and young Shawn on the mandolin. They
played a good mix of Christian gospel hymns--many ones that everyone (even a
heathen like me) knows and has heard of regardless of religious persuasion or
lack thereof--delivered with that authentic country flavor. Dad (he looked an
awful lot like Rich Chrysler) had a nasal tenor voice and Mom a flat, pure
contralto. The kids did not sing. They were wonderful. At 7:30 another group
(I think the the Stony Mountain Breakdown Band, or something like that) took
the stage--three men and four women, none under 60 playing fiddle, two guitars,
base, mandolin, banjo and harp (that's harmonica to you city-folk) and they
immediately knocked out some great breakdowns, reels, etc. The audience
obliged by flattfooting, etc. on the small dance floor. I've been to Floyd on
Fridays a few times before and it is a wonderful experience.
In any case about 8:00 PM I departed, ran over via SR 8 to Christiansburg, then
got onto I-81 North for another dose of heavy rain. I'm somewhere north of
Roanoke and will take off early tomorrow for home.
Conclave was wonderful.
Car is running fine.
Best--Michael Oritt, 100 Le Mans
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