posted June 18, 2014 12:43 AM            

No pun intended, I really would have.

I'm sorry, I shouldn't have derailed you.

Now, I will have to think of good Volksy Stories.

Oh, I know!

My Twenty First Birthday.

I will be back for that one soon

Meanwhile:

Oh, man, did that say Volkswagen?

I wish I could watch it, I had a '69 couple of years ago.

I called her "The LadyBug."

She was Teal & White, had all these really cool pictures on the windows.

I made a Lap Quilt especially for her back seat, with all these Mariner's Compass' and a Line from the Charge of the Goddess embroidered in Theban around the edge.

Then I had a Herkimer Diamond behind the Moon and Stars Clockback I embedded in the dash.

(One of the original switches.)

I had a Blasting Stereo, the Speakers would get some really good acoustics from the front, when I would open it.

I had a Wolfsburg Crest on the hood.

Man, I loved my little LadyBug.

I even have an original VW Key, and they're hard to find.

This was on the Wind Wing:

posted June 18, 2014 07:09 PM            

Think my Grandmother bought one new, a pretty Green one.

Don't remember it, though.

Remember everyone griping it was a bad year.

The first one I remember was the Coolest!

It was one with the little Oval Window.

My Aunt also brought a Karmann Ghia back with her when she came back from Germany.

They bought it there.

There was this guy from Dearborn Heights that went to the Army with my Cousin, he had a pretty Green and White Van.

Turned me on to Aerosmut (Featuring "Dream On.)

Might've had my First Kiss in one, but I was Way Too Shy.

Then there was my Very First Car, a Convertible Bug with a Karmann tag on the side.

Sweet Sixteen picture.

Then there was the one Stupid First Boyfriend bought when I was Eighteen.

That Germany trip figured in this one.

Finally, I have my Ladybug, and I actually drove that one.

Almost the First in the Whole Line.

posted June 19, 2014 11:59 PM            

quote:

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Originally posted by Ellynlvx:
Sweet!

The Ladybug Library!

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posted June 20, 2014 01:58 PM            

Of course, in the long run it builds character.

Sounds a bit like Jupiter Jones and the Three Investigators.

We used to make forts everywhere.

My Grandfather owned all this property, a hillside in the Central California Coast.

He worked for Granite, and he literally built that place from the ground up.

He would pick up houses and offices from Seaside (former residence) and move them onto the hill one at a time.

They would live in one for a year, and work on the next, and eventually the whole hillside was covered.

Anyway, he would also pick stuff up from Auctions, and he had all these railway cars, like freezer boxes in different places on the property.

We liked those for forts, and sometimes we would build them in the Eucalyptus Trees, one had a leaning trunk you had to shinny up to get to the tree fort.

Eucalyptus is ideal for this sort of thing, they grow in little clumps. If one goes down five shoot up from the stump. So, anyway, when there were five thick trees, we would nail tin to the outer edges, and benches on the inside.

Sometimes we would dig underground forts, they got pretty elaborate at times.

Then there were the belly trails underneath the brush, Manzanita and such.

posted June 20, 2014 11:47 PM            

in him

and noW I do!

posted June 22, 2014 01:29 PM            

Lexx, the imagery of your bug hideaway place sounded so serene and tranquil.

Ellyn, VW *TransAxles* I don't know much about the pieces parts- however they reminded me of mad scientist mechanics always tweaking and modifying specifications for whatever was their aims.

Ours was hill climbing more so than speed. My partner perfected his instinct to know if we would make it up or not. I can't believe thinking back as a passenger some of the long steep hills we climbed- downright dangerous yet thrilling at the same time, until as I wrote above he decided to play around with fast speeds and hit jumps at 60-70+ mph. We flipped end over end, I fractured my collar bone and had a pretty good gash on my head. We had to limp back to our camp site with a broken front end, a broken rear swing arm, and some other damages. I remember that half hour ride felt like hours back to safety- especially not knowing if my body, on the inside was okay. We were lucky, but I don't chance fate anymore in that way. Poetry is much more peaceful- as an interest-outlet these days.

posted June 23, 2014 12:21 AM            

My Dad was a Mechanic.

Strictly Volksies at one point.

posted June 24, 2014 11:09 PM            

a blue bug from the 60's

a grey Vanagon from the 80's

and a pristine vintage yellow VW camper van from.....i don't know what year.

posted July 13, 2014 06:13 PM            

He lost his Father, long before we were hatched, so at the time he applied for and got survivor benefits from social security.

He had a Brother, and he was really into Music and Herbs and; you guessed it, Volkswagens.

He was always tweaking these dual carb thingies, and trying to get them right.

Guess it kind of inspired him, cause guess what?

He bought a bug too.

Think it was a Sixty-Eight, can't remember for sure.

White.

Anyway, it was my birthday; thought it was my Twenty First, but it was my Eighteenth.

It was basically an uneventful day, think my Aunt made me an odd scrambled egg cake.

She also gave me some Crystal Glasses, some that she brought back from Germany, the same time they brought the Karmann Ghia.

Well, anyway, these glasses were the only ones left that she could make a full set of, I guess at an Anniversary Party, someone made a toast and threw the glass at the fireplace.

Everybody else followed suit.

So these little beauties were the last of the Mohicans, so to speak.

I guess they were the same age I was, so she decided to give them to me.

As a sort of coming of age, you see.

Anyway; long story short, the Tequila had a worm. Note the past tense.

Also, let me emphasize the castor/camber factor of the Volkswagen's centre of gravity.

Input the Velocity into this picture, Angle of the turn.

The friction of the asphault upon the folded ridge Just outside my passenger seat window.

The Beauty of the Sparks as they Welded my door shut.

Right before my very eyes.

Yes, did I say uneventful?

Well, to a certain point.

Well, anyway, we climbed out the Hatch; you know the Driver's door that now opened at the top?

Tipped that little baby over (Volkswagen's don't weigh That much) poured in a quart of oil and away we zipped.

But guess what?

In that Glove Box; the very glove box that housed my little gift of German Crystal?

In that glove box my birthday present remained.

Not one chip, intact and Rainbow Bright to this day, they remain.

To this very day, they remain, in the very same bag they were gifted in, in the Clock Tower they remain.

Of course, I toast the New Year with Sparkling Cider or Lemonade these days, but still they remain.

Happy Birthday to me!

(Still had to get in the window or driver seat door. When the clutch went out, we had to start it in gear.

Had to get both wheels spinning together to shift.

But hey, it got us to the Beach...)

posted August 13, 2014 02:52 PM            

quote:

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Originally posted by Randall:
*beep beep*

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