South for the Winter

 Odometer 71,855 miles

Trip Meter- resting

One of the great perks for our situation here in north Phoenix is that our hosts assign us a Model T to drive while we are here!  This year, as last time in 2019, we were assigned the 1917 touring shown above.  The conditions are that we drive, service and maintain the car as if it were our own.  This particular car is a very original hand started car (yep, the crank in front is the only starter).  This car has the original 1917 four cylinder 170 cubic inch engine, which has been rebuilt about 25 years ago.  The car has been stored for most of those years and not driven very much.  That means the engine is still young and that we get almost all of the original 20 horsepower that it can produce.  Twenty horsepower with a two speed gearbox means that you can “fly” along at a brisk 40 miles per hour on the flat, and somewhat slower climbing hills.  For various reasons, skinny tires on wood spoke wheels among them, 40 mph is plenty fast in this car.  We drive the car frequently, and find it to be a great car for shopping and trekking out for breakfast or lunch at a local restaurant.

One of our favorite times of the year is the annual Hidden in the Hills Art show in Cave Creek, and Carefree.  Over a hundred local artists open their homes and studios to the public and put on amazing displays of their works.  There are examples of just about every conceivable art media somewhere in the show.  We watched artists sculpting, painting, carving, blacksmithing, making  jewelry, glass blowing, weaving, and much more.

To make it even more fun, we would drive with several other couples, all in our Model Ts to each home and studio.

Our hosts had recently purchased a classic 1956 Thunderbird sports car, and it needed a bit of attention, which gave us a shop project.

We chased down a short circuit in the dash wiring, repair the turn signal switch, clean the plugs, and mount the spare tire.

For the last several Christmases we have been decorating the Model Ts with colored lights and going in groups around to the various neighborhoods to view the Christmas lights an decorations.  This year was chilly and we all dressed in puffy coats, wool hats and gloves.  There is no heater in a T !  The 1917 we were driving had no running lights, brake lights, or turn signals so I had to hustle and get some LED lights tastefully mounted and hooked up, as well as decorating with light strings.

Showing off my drywall prowess

Another project for Jeff was our hosts kitchen ceiling which had been damaged by a roof leak last year.  The house has a new roof now, so it was time to come to grips with the damage done by the water intrusion.  We went to Lowes and bought a few drywall tools and some tape and compound.  Another trip, this time to Harbor freight netted us a texture gun and hopper.  While we were at it, we decided to upgrade the kitchen lighting with some new LED fixtures.

Each evening we made it a point to come together on the back porch for happy hour, where , other than conversation and cold drinks, the main attraction was to watch the wild bunnies come looking for carrots strategically placed around the porch.  Here we have even attached some to the cactus thorns.  Great fun watching them chase each other and compete for the carrots.

What fun!

Your Traveling Friends

Jeff and Joan