We would head out at our usual time for our day at Old Town. During the week we had talked to a few visitors to Florida over the radio and invited them to come out tonight. It sounded as though their entire trip was planned out and they wouldn’t make our Cruise. Maybe next year they stated, anyway I tried. It was to be a day of record heat. We were promised “It will feel like 114 degrees today”. There wouldn't be much chance of rain right in our area until later in the night, possibly after the Cruise if at all. Lee was a lot further down the bricks to greet everyone, right in front of “Wound N’ Round” where he could catch some shade and a little AC. Dave was right there as well to register us. There were quite a few shoppers on the street and of course the “Guys and Ghouls” at the Haunted House. James would have his ‘67 Firebird on the corner. We would be the first to park in Block 4. Emil had a wedding to attend today and was not coming over from Palm Harbor. Morris would be out Cruising the Caribbean. It wouldn’t be long before Tom & Bunny would arrive in her ‘68 Fairlane and take the spot next to us. Graham, G4HFG would check in from Oldham, England. Colin, 2E0RIG fellow UK HAM and sightless reader of our exploits would also check in. He finally has a computer back up and running and wants to get the newsletter for it to read to him again. Our world wide audience continues to grow. More and more people stop to see us virtually each week and make plans to visit us when they get to Central Florida.

My mobility was very poor today, hard to believe that a little artificial sweetener could give someone so much pain. All of the symptoms of Gout with out any of the benefits, yeah, right, isn’t that just wonderful. A very large pain in my “Achilles Heel”. At least this time it is just one foot. No one knows how to treat that let alone what I have got. I will just need to let it work out of my system. Meanwhile I may actually set by my car a little more and not make so many laps around town. From what we have learned about the ailment is that it has to “Run it’s course” so I am hoping it is a sprint course and not a road rally.

Bill & Doris would brave the heat and stop by for a chat just before Larry, WA3PGL and Linda, KA3BRP would join us. After a while I would talk Chris into giving me a ride up to Flippers, Linda would make the walk to drop off the papers with the rest of our group. Angie would be the one to serve us again today. 4 of us would have our desert first and when Tom & Bunny arrived they had news that Gary was in town visiting and was at the office. Just about the time we were served he would be driven up the ramp to visit with us by Chris. There were only about 30 cars in Town by the time we were done eating, they were coming in slowly.

We headed back out for the cars, Wow, it is actually quite a long walk when you are hobbling along. It is almost impossible to take any photos with that cane in hand. Arrg… I would find Mike Singer visiting with Gary at the bottom of the stairs, Linda had taken the paper up to the “Blue Room”. As I made my way back to the car I would stop to visit with a few of the arrivals, like Dave in his “Mint Julep”, ‘57 Chevy. I spotted Nick’s ‘32 Ford. Richard’s El Camino. Tony & Donna were parked below the Beer Tent. Tom & his girls and the grandkids would bring out a ‘Cuda and the Mustang and park nearby. “Red Racer”, Ted, KE4TTE would arrive to take some photos. “Cigar Bob” would bring his ‘36 Ford out and “Bo” would follow him in with his ‘64 Corvair. Steve & Amanda would stop out without their ‘56 Chevy. It is getting ready for paint. They would find Bob who was out in his FIAT Spyder. It is always good to see them out and about. I actually sat in my chair most of the evening and it was just so Hot people were just not moving around very much. We would visit with a lot of spectators though. Once the Sun started to go down the Cruisers started to roll in, in a steady flow and the spectators marched in from the parking lot across from us until we had our usual “Sea of Heads”. I guess maybe the feels like 114 kept a lot of people away, well at least for a little while. Maybe I should have let this ailment I have keep me away from the Saturday Nite Cruise, like that could ever happen. I have been here for the last 401 Saturdays in a row why would I let excruciating pain keep me away? This brings to mind the old adage that you don’t have to be crazy to do certain things but in this case it might.

I am looking forward to walking without a cane, the start of the next British Invasion starting at the end of this month and “Talk Like A Pirate” weekend followed by more of our “Regular Brits”. Gary has to get better, Edith is on her way from England the end of September.

Just after 8:20, Chrisanne and Cousin Vinney would stop by with the Flag Winners. The Cruise Staff directed Bert & Laverne Brown in their '66 Comet station wagon our July 2010 Cruiser of the Month, to lead the Cruisers, then the rest of the cars from the top 3 Blocks would follow. Chris & Mesha  would then lead them all to Block 4 that becomes the staging area for Old Town's signature event.  Mike Singer, KJ4GNI, who had been at the controls of the "Blue Room" all day, playing a mix of nostalgic music, radio "Jingles"  gave the safety announcements, played the National Anthem, Wolfman Jack then proclaimed "It's the Saturday Nite Cruise" for tonight's  running of this tradition. The Cruisers made their way to the "Bricks" of "Deac Hundley Avenue". Mike announced the Flag Winners as the rest of the 173 cars in cruise formation cruised past delighting a very large crowd of cheering spectators along both sides of the boulevard. Hot or Cold, Rain or Shine or even Snow, every Saturday night of the year, there is nothing quite like it for the "Cruisers" and it is always a treat for those watching it from the sidewalks and boulevards.

Thank you Old Town for letting us, the curators of this "Rolling Display of Automotive History", the cars that are the "Stars", to be their guests this evening. Thank you to the Old Town Merchants Association and the Sponsors of this event, The "General Store", the "A&W",  "Out of this World Embroidery", "Wound 'N Around", Pepsi, Roberts Brothers, the Pearl Factory, the Gold Hut, the "Tropical Breeze", Kool Kats, Tex Mex Express & "Flippers" just to name a few. Thank you to Allan, Ron, Gary,  Lee, Dave, Esther, Vic, Nikki, CJ, Mesha,  Chrisanne, Chris, Deputy Asa and the entire Cruise Staff and fellow Cruisers for making our Saturday in "Town" a very special, fun and safe one.

Newsletter #304 is on sale, still only $2
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See you all "Out There"