Model T Convention Hits Hagerstown

Okay, I promised more from the Model T Convention. Here are some pictures from Hagerstown.

Model T's took over the streets on Tuesday July 22.

Kaleb and Marissa enjoyed seeing these vintage cars.

We even had music on the streets, like this piano player in front of Welliver's Smorgashboard.

There were all types for all people.

We even took a break to sit on an old-time trolly.

This Model T just happened to park next to a "For Rent" sign. At first I thought the sign was for the car, but it was for an apartment. But it does make for a good photo. Maybe I'll send it to Jay Leno.

The World Gets a Little Smaller - And Better.

This week we had the opportunity to meet some very fine people from Australia. The Model T Ford's 100th Year Celebration & Swap Meet is going on and people from all over the world are here. A year ago my father-in-law sold his model T to a gentleman from Australia. Saturday, my father-in-law (George) came in and we met up with the gentleman, Jack, and his wife, Betty. There were four others with them - I think son, daughter-in-law, daughter, and son-in-law. They told us about their adventures since coming to the United States and how beautiful and friendly our country is. They were also thankful for Goodwill stores and all of the great finds there. They've also frequented antique shops, museums, national parks, and anywhere else they could find. Jack has been in contact with George for the last year and it was great for them to finally meet face to face.
This is Jack, Betty, and George. They actually named the Model T after George. The Model T was made for a doctor. There is even a compartment in it that held the medical bag the doctor used for house calls.

A Trip to James Whitcomb Riley's House

The picture is of my oldest and youngest daughters on the porch of James Whitcomb Riley's museum in Greenfield, Indiana. One of the things I would like to do as we begin to do more traveling is to visit the home places of American authors. I want to see where they sat as they composed their works. I want to envision what their life was like. Just as I have been reading author biographies for years to try and glean information about the craft, these sights and tours also give some information. And it's just fun. My guess is that there are historic places close to you that you could visit, or have visited. Why don't you share some of your favorite spots with me? You might check out the National Historic Landmark site to find some in your area, or even the areas you are visiting.

So, what did I learn from my visit to James Whitcomb Riley's Birthplace? One of the main things that sticks out is that some of the things that happened in his poems were taken from his life. I know that's a shock for anyone who writes, but it's still neat to see the connections. The tour guide would have us look at a certain area, or stand in a certain part of the room, and she would recite some lines from one of Riley's poems that went with it. Ideas for writing are all around us, if we just keep our eyes and minds open.

There is a festival in Greenfield every October in honor of Riley, and it's called (drum roll) Riley Festival. Even though he's not very well known today, he was the most popular poet of his day. At the turn of the last century, he was a best-selling author and speaker. Today he has been labeled as a children's author and local color author and probably isn't as well known outside of Indiana. No matter how we categorize him, because we have to fit our authors into their niches, he will live forever through his writings, and isn't that what all authors are truly striving for - a legacy?