Since April 2011 I have shared 447 writings of adventures, projects and thoughts with you here. Sadly, last year 2024, I only wrote and posted here 18 times, and also sadly have at least five additional major adventures from last year still “in the works” to document. Starting this post on 30 January, hopefully I will be posting in January to have my first words to share here in 2025. But, now back to this on February 1st, hopefully tonight you will see this.

You may remember a chance meeting I had the end of June 2024, ending with “if Mom decides to sell her Model A, I will let you know.” The email came on October 1, “we are ready to sell,” and on October 5th, “Auntie EM’ was mine.

My plan was to drive “her” home after purchase. “She started this morning and runs fine,” I was told but then told, “but she won’t start now since the staring button rod is stuck under the floor mat.” A tad dangerous knowing Model As, this did not make sense, but she did not start. I left sadly with the idea to move her to Dr. Dewey to fix that problem.

Soon I decided just to have her “piggybacked” home, and Dr. Dewey and I will figure out what to do in the spring. On 4 January, 2025, the good doctor and I emailed, and he came to “44” for a visit. Upon a brief inspection he first saw oil had come out around two spark plugs, we found the engine stuck (but did break it loose) and the gas tank was bone dry. Remember I was told she was running fine – NOT – end of that story, and loss of sleep. On Monday the 13th Auntie EM had another “piggyback” ride – hopefully her last – to the hills of Weston. A half hour after her arrival, the dear doctor wrote — “Front bumper off, spare wheels off, hood off and spark plugs removed. Only looked at the tops of #1&4 pistons and they are SOAKED with oil. Be prepared for a rebuild.”

Since then Dr. Dewey has poked, prodded and dissected her sending me almost daily updates of her condition. As he found one problem of wear and neglect after another, we decided that an entire mechanical overall was in order. Why? My hope is to replicate my trips from my home in Wilton, Connecticut to Vermont and New Hampshire that I made in 1963 and 1964 (62 years ago) in my 1929 Model A Ford Roadster.

Thursday, January 30, I was able to visit her in intensive care tucked away on a picturesque hillside in Weston. As I entered the “operating room” Auntie EM posed quite a different picture.

Radiator off to a radiator shop for an entire re-coring (I was told “my lady” overheats), engine block is out to a machine shop for reboring (all needed innards on order), front end needs rebuilding (I was told she shimmed, previous owner was lucky car did not veer off the road), an engine mount was broken off (not a good thing) – where do I stop? Transmission easy to look at, popping the cover Dr. Dewey saw a bad tooth on first gear, so then pulling it out saw wear on the teeth for second gear, to which he explained “this indicates she probably pops out of second gear.” Yes total rebuild there as well. Remember you may click my galleries for larger views.

not the usual neat and tidy view of the “cockpit” but to show you extent of disassembly

and since you never get to see this angle —-

At this point so far, this rebuild is costing more than I paid for adopting AUNTIE EM. But, the total expense in the end should be less than her “street value.” BUT THE BIG PLUS FOR ME, is that with my plan for “shunpiking” with her, I will have a basically “new drive train” and should have many carefree miles. And, the fun I am having now includes planning those trips – five in the planning stages so far. And, you will ride along, albeit here unless I hold an auction for space in the rumble seat.

I had a plan after my visit with Dr. Dewey and Auntie EM. Looking at google maps the other day I saw noted the General John Stark Monument in Peru. That renewed my interest in Stark, and more research and eventual writing and trips following his routes — BUT, if you get anything from this post – PLAN AN IMMEDIATE VISIT

and from the Weston, Vermont Common head out of town to the west, south of the Common,
cross the West River and
TAKE YOUR FIRST LEFT onto LANDGROVE ROAD

I have come into Weston this way from Landgrove with leaves on the trees, but do not remember heading up the hill out of town, and particularly not with snow on the ground and amazing mountainous views. As you begin your climb, to the right hopefully you will see the remains of several mills that were here. Just keep climbing, and enjoying. In about 4.5 miles you will come upon the Landgrove Inn on your left – a nice place I have eaten at. Soon you pass the Town Hall, and can continue to the picturesque village.

Then turn about, head back to the Town Hall, but just before it turn left onto Hapgood Pond Road, which, of course, heads to Hapgood Pond Recreation Site. I believe this is where I camped in the summer of 1963 when I visited a family friend in Dorset, and then spent an evening chatting with Vrest Orton at the Weston Country Store. Ends up he knew my great-grandfather, Franz. I am looking forward to a visit this summer for a picnic and reading.

Then I continued on Hapgood Pond Road towards the little village of Peru. You may recall the great visit I had there 22 September 2018 for the Peru Fair. Well, I missed the monument driving in, but turning around at the Common in the village, I easily spotted the obelisk a short distance heading back to the pond from the Common, and the way it is positioned did not “beat myself up” for missing it coming from the opposite direction. General Stark and his men spent the night in this spot 7 August 1777 on their way to the Battle of Bennington.

Too early to catch lunch at the general store and deli in Peru I headed into Manchester. Manchester is not as enjoyable as it was a decade or two ago, I had lunch, but do not have to hurry back. Heading back up Bromley Mountain I turned down Route 30 to circle back home that way, to Townsend, over to Athens, Saxtons River and home.

Again – hoping you run out and take the route from Weston to Peru I encourage above, I also encourage you to come back home on Route 30 — again totally different each time of year, and so open and picturesque with snow on the ground. I was in Jamaica (Vermont) in August and that is one adventure I still need to share. But in the center of the village I turned down Depot Road (I always turn onto Depot Roads) to where the West River Railroad traversed (do read THIRTY-SIX MILES OF TROUBLE). The bridge over the river is a definite must for Auntie EM to cross.

It was then home. Dr. Dewey is having fun with his project of total rebuild, and I am having fun planning trips to happily enjoy his total rebuild.

Stay safe and well, luv, RAY