1951 Studebaker

I saw this beautiful 1951 Studebaker the other day...and since her owner was there, I asked him a bunch of questions.

He bought her from eBay 11 years ago and he’s slowly been restoring her. In 1951, this beauty was driven down the streets in style with her bullet nose and fancy lights leading the way. Her hood ornament even lit up!

 

Her deep wine color told the world she was not ordinary. Look at those suicide doors! At the time they were advertised as the easier way to get into the back seat of the car.  The back seat was roomy with both head room and leg room AND a pull down arm-rest in the middle of the bench seat, so two people could sit in comfort!

 

The curved back window with the sleek chrome bar down the middle is an added touch of class. This car even had an automatic transmission, which was very advanced in 1951.  

If you look at the dash board, you see an integrated state of the art AM Radio (no add-ons here). There’s a dash mounted rear view mirror giving the driver a clear unobstructed view out the front window.  The Studebaker Land Cruiser was a luxury car. Back in the day you could buy this beauty for less than $2300. That was a lot of money for a car when you consider the following facts:

What Things Cost in 1951: Car: $1,800 Gasoline: 27 cents/gal House: $16,000 Bread: 16 cents/loaf Milk: 92 cents/gal Postage Stamp: 3 cents Stock Market: 269 Average Annual Salary: $4,200 Minimum Wage: 75 cents per hour 

Sadly, all good things come to an end. The Studebaker Brothers Manufacturing Company that started in 1852 making wagons in South Bend, Indiana, ceased production in 1966. My dad said that was a sad day for cars. To that end, it’s a treat to see one of the icons of American automobile history still looking gorgeous 67 years later!

Coasters, Angels and Blankets

I’ve branched out...I’ve designed and made a few coasters too. I placed an angel on top of the coasters to show their size...just big enough for a glass not to leave a ring on a table. 

I’ve just finished another blanket...and 

...it’s ready to be delivered to Project Linus.

Another R

Reflections 

 It’s the time of year to look back, evaluate, reflect and make plans to move forward.

The optimism of Spring.

 

Three R's of Spring

 I’m not talking about Readin', Ritin', nor Rithmetic...this is another set of "R's"—

Rock Roses or Rockies for short...these fragile flowers just started to appear...soon, the bushes will be covered in pink!

Redbuds...the second R. For a short two weeks a year we enjoy the magenta madness of the redbud...then the trees leaf out, and melt into the background...until the following spring.

Roadwork...the third R of spring. After the rains, the gravel road needs some repairs.

The grasses are greening, the wildflowers are beginning to blossom, the rabbits are acting crazy...spring is just around the corner.

Sunset 1-2-3

Sunset 1

Sunset 2 (a few minutes later)

Sunset 3 (still later)

Beginning to end—less than 10 minutes. Ephemeral beauty.

 

Spring Might Be On The Way

I love walking in the early morning. It’s that calm time of day before things begin. While the sun is rising and the critters are starting to shake off sleep, the rooster crows, the horses bray, the jackrabbits leap great heights ... and then comes the noise! The geese and ducks just don’t know how to be quiet. They squabble a constant banter of quacks and honks making sure the rest of us get up!

After the recent rain, the ponds are full. Look carefully and you see our pair of Canada Geese have returned for another spring at the pond. They will be starting their new family soon. The ducks are taking a morning swim. The grass is just starting to get green. The promise of spring is in the air.

 

Easter Angels

Last Easter I made bunnies...a bunch of bunnies

This Easter I’m making Angels...I know, no one has ever heard of Easter Angels...but here they are!

One angel led to...

Five angels ... and that led to a ...

Garland of Angels and then...

A mess of Angels...They are fun to make! Angels come in all colors too!