Ode to First Signs That Winter’s End is Near, (or, The One Thing to Look Forward to in February’s Sunless Gloom)

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NewBeginningsAgain
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Ode to First Signs That Winter’s End is Near, (or, The One Thing to Look Forward to in February’s Sunless Gloom)

Post by NewBeginningsAgain » Thu Feb 06, 2020 3:08 pm

Ode to First Signs That Winter’s End is Near,
(or, The One Thing to Look Forward to in February’s Sunless Gloom)

Some listen for backyard songbirds
Some await forsythia’s bloom
Some search the Farmer’s Almanac
For an end to sunless gloom

Some look for crocus’ shoots of green
To push through snow with might
Some note the imminent birth of
One million potholes, overnight

Me, I peruse Itinerant-Air-Cooled.com
I search Index, Forum, Page
Has Colin posted, “Welcome to This Year’s Itinerary”
Or “Initial Interest Gauge?”

Edit: spelling
NewBeginningsAgain


1978 Westfalia, Dakota Beige, 80k miles
1969 Transporter, Savannah Beige - Sold. Regrets
1966 Deluxe Microbus, Lotus White - Lost in New Mexico

TrollFromDownBelow
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Re: Ode to First Signs That Winter’s End is Near, (or, The One Thing to Look Forward to in February’s Sunless Gloom)

Post by TrollFromDownBelow » Thu Feb 06, 2020 8:06 pm

okay...where's the "like" button. But me thinks he may be a bit distracted.... :)
1976 VW Bus aka tripod
FI ...not leaky, and not so noisy...and she runs awesome!
hambone wrote: There are those out there with no other aim but to bunch panties. It's like arguing with a pretzel.
::troll2::

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asiab3
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Re: Ode to First Signs That Winter’s End is Near, (or, The One Thing to Look Forward to in February’s Sunless Gloom)

Post by asiab3 » Fri Feb 07, 2020 8:56 pm

Wonderful! Welcome to legion of IAC member poets. There's nearly half a dozen of you now. :)

I spoke to Colin today. He is alive and "well." Quotation marks because he claims to be in a hell of hacks amidst two complete engine rebuilds.

But I think we all know he secretly loves it.
Robbie
1969 bus, "Buddy."
145k miles with me.
322k miles on Earth.

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BusBassist
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Re: Ode to First Signs That Winter’s End is Near, (or, The One Thing to Look Forward to in February’s Sunless Gloom)

Post by BusBassist » Sat Feb 08, 2020 1:54 pm

I too am pining away for the abatement of the cold, snow, and grey skies.

Robbie - thanks for the Colin update. I find it interesting that he is using Facebook instead of this site for his recent activities.
Late 73 Bay w/a transplanted 914 Engine.

NewBeginningsAgain
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Re: Ode to First Signs That Winter’s End is Near, (or, The One Thing to Look Forward to in February’s Sunless Gloom)

Post by NewBeginningsAgain » Sat Feb 08, 2020 2:22 pm

TrollFromDownBelow wrote:
Thu Feb 06, 2020 8:06 pm
me thinks he may be a bit distracted.... :)
I saw his Miami post from January. Looks like a lot going on there!
asiab3 wrote:
Fri Feb 07, 2020 8:56 pm
Wonderful! Welcome to legion of IAC member poets. There's nearly half a dozen of you now. :)

I spoke to Colin today. He is alive and "well." Quotation marks because he claims to be in a hell of hacks amidst two complete engine rebuilds.
Ha! I would hardly hold my own in a legion of middle-school poets, but thank you just the same :)
BusBassist wrote:
Sat Feb 08, 2020 1:54 pm
I too am pining away for the abatement of the cold, snow, and grey skies.

Robbie - thanks for the Colin update. I find it interesting that he is using Facebook instead of this site for his recent activities.
Facebook!? Facebook?!

Well, I guess if Colin can make the jump to a smart phone, I can look at Facebook...every once in a while...if I have to. I don’t want to...but I will.
NewBeginningsAgain


1978 Westfalia, Dakota Beige, 80k miles
1969 Transporter, Savannah Beige - Sold. Regrets
1966 Deluxe Microbus, Lotus White - Lost in New Mexico

Jivermo
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Re: Ode to First Signs That Winter’s End is Near, (or, The One Thing to Look Forward to in February’s Sunless Gloom)

Post by Jivermo » Wed Feb 12, 2020 6:55 pm

The Miami Marathon, of VW Work, or, 34 Days of Agony and Ecstasy.
With apologies to H.W. Longfellow

Under a spreading tamarind tree,
The tropical smithy stands:
The smith, a mighty man is he,
With large and sinewy hands;
He pounds a Volkswagen manifold flange,
He pounds with all his might,
To break the rust weld of the nuts,
The hammering is a fright!

His hair is crisp, pure white and long,
His face a ruddy tan;
His brow is wet with honest sweat,
His tools familiar friends,
But when you work with air cooled parts,
The fun, it never ends.

Week in, week out, from noon to night,
You’ll hear the awful din,
“They’re at a Type 4 engine there...
We’ll call the next of kin!”
“But wait! What’s that?” There’s women there;
With a torque wrench well in hand.
They labor, too, and run about,
There’s so much more to do.
Pistons, cams, and bearings now,
And Permatex, Number 2!

And Gumout, yes! The Gumout, please!
We’ve got to clean this crud;
“My Lord!” The labored smithy said,
“This bus has been through mud!”

There’s oil caked, with baked on sand;
Who knows from whence it came,
This bus was seen, well north, I know;
Of Santa Fe, out west,
This glob of sand, on the cooling fin,
Was once a scorpion’s nest.

And here we are, down Florida way;
This engine’s seen some miles,
We took it down, and cleaned it up,
And gone through tears and smiles.

So Kit, and Colin, that air cooled guy;
Have worked so long and hard,
To build a metal work of art,
In the smithy’s green backyard.
The work goes on, we’re getting close,
To putting oil in,
Adjusting valves, and starting up,
The crankshaft starts to spin!

The buses go, the yard is still, Kit’s laughter heading west;
Her bus now has a heart of gold,
And we have done our best.

Under the spreading tamarind tree,
The tropical smithy stands,
And pumps the can of GoJo cleaner;
He can finally wash his hands.

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BusBassist
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Re: Ode to First Signs That Winter’s End is Near, (or, The One Thing to Look Forward to in February’s Sunless Gloom)

Post by BusBassist » Thu Feb 13, 2020 3:25 pm

Very Nice Ian. Well Done. And thanks for hosting Colin and the wayward VW's over the past few weeks.
Good On Ya'

Jeff
Late 73 Bay w/a transplanted 914 Engine.

NewBeginningsAgain
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Re: Ode to First Signs That Winter’s End is Near, (or, The One Thing to Look Forward to in February’s Sunless Gloom)

Post by NewBeginningsAgain » Sun Feb 16, 2020 7:43 am

Jivermo wrote:
Wed Feb 12, 2020 6:55 pm
The Miami Marathon, of VW Work, or, 34 Days of Agony and Ecstasy.
With apologies to H.W. Longfellow
:headbang: :cheers: :notworthy:
NewBeginningsAgain


1978 Westfalia, Dakota Beige, 80k miles
1969 Transporter, Savannah Beige - Sold. Regrets
1966 Deluxe Microbus, Lotus White - Lost in New Mexico

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Amskeptic
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Re: Ode to First Signs That Winter’s End is Near, (or, The One Thing to Look Forward to in February’s Sunless Gloom)

Post by Amskeptic » Thu Mar 12, 2020 6:38 pm

I will have three write-ups arriving in the 2020 Itinerary Forum. Paring down thousands of photographs many of which have incorrect date stamps ...
Colin

Image
BobD - 78 Bus . . . 112,730 miles
Chloe - 70 bus . . . 217,593 miles
Naranja - 77 Westy . . . 142,970 miles
Pluck - 1973 Squareback . . . . . . 55,600 miles
Alexus - 91 Lexus LS400 . . . 96,675 miles

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