With the forecast for temps in the 30s and a "wintry mix," Anja and I wimped out of the parade today. It's not so much the couple of miles of parade, but the 20-mile round trip downtown and back. Some of our diehard members did opt to go, though, and I sat by the TV with my camera on my lap. When Steven Thum gets home (by my calculation, he hasn't even reached the end of the parade yet), he can tell us whose car is whose.

I am the touring first up, on my right is Sam Atkinson, behind Sam is Joe Duever and behind me is a parade newcomer Don Spaeth. Don just bought his 24 last Sunday. Supposedly it was ready to drive but it got a flat as he loaded it on the trailer. It had no flaps so an expedited order got flaps and an Anderson Timer So Wednesday afternoon we were putting flaps in. His car ran fine till about half way to the parade. So I got to put on the Anderson and get the junk New Day off while lined up to join the parade.
It started to rain about half way though the parade and it was miserable wet and cold. I am glad we had a roof as some did not.
This was not the most fun parade.

Steven

Dick,
Thanks for the picture. Normally Kmov runs a commercial or some other junk when we go by the cameras. I was wondering if we were shown.

Steven

Steven, I spent the whole parade by the TV with the camera on my lap. I was also recording it, just in case. They seem to have adopted a policy of stopping the parade for the commercial breaks, so you guys were clearly visible (as you can see).

I saw that it began to rain right before you came to the TV cameras. Rally bad luck, especially since it was in the 70s Monday and fairly reasonable up until yesterday, then cold, rain and snow today, and it will clear up and be sunny and warmer tomorrow and Saturday. Not fair!

I think you can see the whole parade at kmov.com. They said it would be up for a while. That will give you the commentary as well.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Steven, did you trailer your car or drive it?

Bob, I can answer that. He drove it from Webster to downtown and back, Sam drove his from Ellisville and Joe drove his from Creve Coeur. If I hadn't wimped out, I'd have driven from Kirkwood. Don's a newer member of the club, and I don't know where he drove from. We generally meet on the church parking lot at Clayton and McKnight and drive down and back together.

Dick, Where in Kirkwood do you live? I lived in Kirkwood before I moved to Eureka.

At Woodlawn and Essex.

I used to drive in the Eureka Days parade with the Shrine Antique Car Unit. (We carried Rockwood School Board members.) Once we started doing the Show-Me Tour every year, I had to stop doing the parade, since they were always the same weekend. Only parade I've ever been in that had to stop and wait for passing trains to go by...

We lived on Pitman Place for 24 years. The street was bought out for development years after we moved, didn't happen been vacant ever since. Was a one block long street along side the old Kirkwood cinema.

Don trailered his car to my house the day before as we had to put flaps in his tires and fix 2 flats. Don and I drove straight to the parade from my house. Sam met with Joe and they drove in together.
Yea that parade is controlled by Kmov tv and there is more stopped time than travel time. A lot of units did not show up for the parade due to the weather. We were number 102 but we followed unit 98.
As I understand several marching bands did not show up. I guess that is why they showed us on tv.

Steven

Bob, when my daughter was at Nipher, she had a friend who lived on Pitman Place whose last name was Boland.

Steven, I think I won my diehard credentials at the St. Patrick's Day parade in 2000. Five or six cars from the Model T club were signed up for the parade, but we woke up that morning to snow on the ground and snow still coming down. After many phone calls, it was determined that we wouldn't be in the parade. I got to thinking that the club had been represented in every parade since the first one in about 1970, and I decided to try it on my own. I figured that, since it was just me, I could turn around and head home any time I thought I had bitten off more than I could chew. I did stop at an AutoZone in Maplewood to buy a squeegee, because the snow kept building up on my windshield and I couldn't see.

Not only did I end up being the only Model T in the parade, but I was the only antique car that showed up from any of the car clubs! I figure I can wimp out now and still hold my head high...

Steven, I think I won my diehard credentials at the St. Patrick's Day parade in 2000. Five or six cars from the Model T club were signed up for the parade, but we woke up that morning to snow on the ground and snow still coming down. After many phone calls, it was determined that we wouldn't be in the parade. I got to thinking that the club had been represented in every parade since the first one in about 1970, and I decided to try it on my own. I figured that, since it was just me, I could turn around and head home any time I thought I had bitten off more than I could chew. I did stop at an AutoZone in Maplewood to buy a squeegee, because the snow kept building up on my windshield and I couldn't see.

Not only did I end up being the only Model T in the parade, but I was the only antique car that showed up from any of the car clubs! I figure I can wimp out now and still hold my head high...

Looks like I must have posted it twice, only without the picture the second time....

Dick
You have your credentials. I should not have gone but I did. But I would have preferred snow to rain. I did put on a windshield wiper when i first got my car and it does help.

Steven we gave you guys alot of credit seeing you there on TV that morning. Me and steven was close to coming until we seen the weather. Being in a enclosed car would of been rough. But you guys were wide open. We are very proud of seeing you guys from the club in this event with that kind of weather. Being new to this club you have our respect and honor. You guys are the true die hards and the back bone of the club. Hope to truly join in next year along side you and your cars.

Gary

Wow, Thanks Gary

Dick,What year was that? I don't recall that name. Could have been after my kids were gone, as in married, army, married. After they were out of the house I lost track of the younger people on the street as different families moved in.

Steven,My hats off to you and the rest of the folks for fighting the weather. Well done.

Bob, around 1987, I would guess. She's 34 now.

Steven, I was younger then... just in my fifties.

I do recall that it was that year that I suggested to Joe McGlynn that the Irish should switch to a saint whose feast day was in June or July.