Some cars, blues, cider, and ice cream | Life in Ludlow

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We have now embarked into the era of carefully escaping from the doldrums and frustrations of the pandemic. 

People, including BJ and I, seem to be getting out and enjoying the activities while being thoughtful about the circumstances. Last week we certainly demonstrated a measure of outdoor participation in some things not either available or attractive a year ago. 

Port Townsend local Norman Christie is the creator/coordinator of a loose group he calls the European Classic Car Club PT. The group consists of a dozen or so local curmudgeons with generally older cars who enjoy getting together and swapping lies about their cars and experiences. Norman owns a red 1957 TR3 which is appreciated by both him and his two rescue dogs he got in Baja. 

The group gathered last Friday morning at the Spruce Goose for coffee, breakfast, conversation, and stories about the cars they brought. Norman’s TR3 was there, with the dogs. There was a beautiful green 1970 MGB GT uniquely powered by a V8 engine. Knowledgeable folks will realize this combination is very rare. 

Another car was a 2001 Aston Martin with a V12 engine providing power both unnecessary and unusable in Jefferson County, Washington. The owner said he was going to spend the rest of the day preparing his car for the “Western Washington All British Field Meet” at the Saint Edward Seminary in Kenmore. I suspect his Aston will not be in the same class as Norman’s TR3. 

The only downside of the gathering is that Norman wanted us all to park our cars on the recently mowed grass beside the parking lot. When I got home, I needed to brush the grass out of the car, clean it off the tires, and clean my shoes! Yeah, I know, tough!

The fellow who owns the MGB GT recently sold a beautiful blue Morris Minor to John “Gray Hound” Maxwell who was also among the “old car afflicted” in the group. 

John is an accomplished guitar player best known for his performances of blues music from the 1920s and 1930s, skills probably enhanced by his 30 years as a bus driver for the Golden Gate Transportation District in Northern California. As a result, upon reflection, since BJ and I lived there in the late 70s, I may have actually ridden on one of his busses. 

In any case, John told me he was playing at Finnriver on Friday evening and I immediately figured that was something I would like to see. I didn’t even have to consult with BJ on the schedule since she was going off to the Fay Farm to make soap with several friends and have dinner at the Silver Water Café. Consequently, an evening of John’s blues guitar playing and a bratwurst sandwich at Finn River looked good to me. 

It was good. There was a big crowd enjoying the music, the cider and the games in the adjacent field. 

One of the more impressive things to note is the rich and varied character of the folks at the cidery. There were several families, folks after work, tourists, and old guys like me coming to enjoy the music.  

Sequim was our destination on Saturday for an ice cream social with the Porsche Club. There were a dozen cars gathered at a home not far from the Olympic Game Farm, a unique destination itself. We enjoyed some fried chicken followed by the fore-mentioned ice cream as well as connecting with some old friends and making some new ones. The newest member of the club was there with his electrically powered Taycan parked near the 914 from the early 70s, thus providing broad historical perspective of Porsche.

After the social, we had a delightful visit at the home of Roger and Linda Haskin who moved to Sequim from Port Ludlow a year ago. They have a great location on a bluff overlooking the Strait of Juan de Fuca. The really good news is that they have a dirt driveway which added a layer of dust to our car. So, with the dust and the grass I now have even more justification for washing the car! It’s therapeutic for me. 

Remember what Ralph Waldo Emerson told us. “It is one of the blessings of old friends that you can afford to be stupid with them.”   

Love a curmudgeon and have a great week. 

(Ned Luce is a retired IBM executive and Port Ludlow resident. He reminds readers that parking on the lawn is a pain on the grass. Contact Ned at ned@ptleader.com.)