Wind Songs: Codys' Informal Classic Car Show

Every Saturday evening during the summer, the K-Mart and McDonald's parking lot becomes an informal make-shift classic car show.

There is no fee to attend, no major marketing other than postings on a local classifieds web site, and classic car owners just show up, park their cars, raise their hoods, and.......instant car show.

It's all very informal. Whoever shows up, shows up, both car owners and car lovers.

LC and I arrived at the parking lot at about 5:50 and because we were early there was only one classic in the parking lot.

As my vehicle-loving LC enthusiastically headed over to admire the one lone car, I told him that I was heading into McDonald's to get a fruit smoothie.

By the time I walked out of the fast--pseudo-food restaurant there were a handful of very cool old vehicles in the parking lot.

Although it was supposed to start at 6pm, hot rods, muscle cars, and way-cool old cars and trucks sauntered into the lot over the next thirty minutes until there was eventually 15 or more vehicles standing side-by-side.

For the next hour I snapped multiple pictures from multiple angles, and overheard multiple conversations about engine sizes, and horse power, and miles per gallon, and zero to sixty in so many seconds, and where fancy paint jobs were done.

With the exception of one vehicle, the owners were all older, and the vehicles were beautiful works of art, and it was all very interesting and testosterone driven.

As I wandered slowly up and down the rows of cars I smiled at the scene in front of me.

Lots of proud car and truck owners.

Lots of locals and lots of curious tourists, all of whom were eager to enjoy the informal, classic car show.

Colorful bodies and shiny engines.

Small and fun touches like stickers and emblems and whimsical characters.

Owners proud to display and happy to answer questions and talk cars.

Even some folks dressed in old western costumes.

It was all easy-going and comfortable and informal.

I wandered and photographed, and occasionally ran into LC who was having a great time looking under hoods and talking to owners.

He loves cars. Everything about them. And knows a lot about them.

And so when I saw him (usually with his head ducked under the hood and admiring the engines) I could tell that he was really liking this trip.

For me, all I could see were works of art................

As I was snapping picture after picture I noticed this jeep drive into the parking lot.

The car show had been in full swing for over half an hour, and as the jeep pulled into a parking spot a few places down from the rest of the old cars, I noticed that it was driven by a young guy.

He had a couple of other young friends with him.

I assumed that the kids were coming in to enjoy the car show, and I quickly turned my attention back to the fancy classics with their shiny paint jobs.

When I turned back I saw that the hood of the jeep was raised.

They were there to show off their jeep.

Good for them!

I continued taking pictures and when I eventually bumped into LC I told him about the kids and the jeep.

As we turned to look at it again I realized that nobody was looking over the kids' ride.

I looked at LC and said "C'mon, let's go see it"

We walked over and the boys happily showed LC under the hood.

I walked around this vehicle and smiled again when I realized.

Realized that out of all the fancy rides in the parking lot, this old, dirty, solid, bruiser of a vehicle was my favorite of the day.

I told the boys that, and their faces told me that they were proud.

Very very very awesome vehicle..............