Home

Home may have a different meaning for different people. It could be your room in your parent's house, a dorm room while going to college, or your first home after getting married. For most people our first place is a rented apartment, or sometimes a small rented house, and many times it's not what we would consider an ideal "home".
I have been pretty lucky in that respect, after several rental apartments, homes, etc., for the first few years we were married, I built the first house we owned with my own hands. We had been married for seven years, and I was a new general contractor. After building several houses, I built one for myself, and it was the first home we actually owned. That was 40+ years ago.
We have now owned four different homes, two of which I built myself. We like to look at new houses, sometimes with the idea that we might actually be considering moving. We would like to have a little more room, and I still have hopes of having another three car garage. ("just in case you haven't guessed, I'm a garage guy")  In the last few days, we have had some family from out-of-town here, so we went looking at new houses with them a couple of different days. I couldn't help but notice when you walk through, and look around a new house, you always visualize how you would make use of the space, and make it your new home. I can almost see a Mustang in those three car garages. We could make it home, just let me prove it.

This is the last home I built myself.  It was in Northern Utah, and had a three car garage.

Night Out

Years ago, I used to really look forward to Friday and Saturday nights, out cruising the streets in my favorite performance car, seeing, and being seen, by other performance cars out cruising main. There was always the possibility of a street race or two. There was an excitement in the air, any life-long car guy felt it, as well as any new driver out cruising for the first time. When we hit the main drag in our muscle car, we could count on seeing the streets full of other hot cars. It seemed like every performance car in town was out and about. That's the way it used to be. Not any more. That part of the car enthusiast lifestyle is a long lost thing of the past.
Part of the reason for the change has slowly happened over the last 20 to 30 years. Young guys are no longer interested in performance cars. At least, not the way it used to be, especially compared to the way it was when I was young, and first started driving.
I can remember when I first noticed that things were different. About 15 years ago, I was out on the streets on a Friday night, after a long time of not going out, and it finally hit me. I could drive from one end of town to the other, and not see one other performance car on the streets. I remember thinking on my way home. "Well, it's finally happened. I'm the Last Street Racer".
Check out my book, just follow this link: Grab Some Gears

A night on the street, back in the summer of 2012.

Black and White

There was a time when everything was "black and white", not just our photographs, but the world around us, and the way people lived their lives. Maybe it's just the way we remember things from 60+ years ago, but I can't remember the world being as crazy as it is today.
There were serious issues back then, as history proves there has always been, but maybe the way people handled it was way more civil than it is today. I find it harder every day to watch the news on TV, or read about it on social media. I wonder if that isn't part of the problem. We are so "connected" to the world around us, and it seems almost all of the news we see is bad.
I come across this old photo from 1956 the other day, which is what started me thinking about the way things used to be. Of course, I was only six years old at the time, but the times were much simpler back then. The photo is of me, along with my cousins and my brother, on Christmas morning. I'm showing off my new cowboy six-shooters, the bad guys would be running for their lives. I just wish the holidays in 2018 could be as trouble free as they were in 1956.

Christmas 1956.

Changing Seasons

This time of the year, things start to change at a faster and faster pace. Halloween has just come and gone, then the time change a few days later, and throw in the political craziness of mid-term elections, what a wild couple weeks we've just had. Don't look now, but, Thanksgiving is coming up quickly, and that means that Christmas is just around the corner.
All of these things happen at the same time of the year as the weather starts to change. We start to notice that our mornings are a little colder, even in our part of the country. At least, here in the southwest, the afternoons are very nice, and we can still get a few things done.
Some people really enjoy this time of the year, but for me, it's my least favorite. I'm glad when the holidays have come and gone, and we can start over with a fresh year.

Sundown comes pretty early now, I'm looking forward to spring already.

Counting Cars

As I was thinking about some of the cars I used to own, I realized that I wasn't even sure how many cars I have had since I was a teenager.  I have lost count in recent years. I had to pull out a copy of my book and review the list that's at the last couple of pages. Adding a few for the ones I have owned since the book was printed, over last few years, the total is now somewhere over 75.
That's a lot of cars to remember, but there are always those that are special in my memories, for one reason or other. You always here people say, "I wish I still had that car, I should have never sold it". I never have been that guy, though many of my cars would have made excellent life-long treasures. Thinking of some of them still puts an ache in my heart, they were special for many reasons. I never have the money, or storage facility, to have more than two or three at once. And there's always something new on the way that catches my eye. I may have slowed down in recent years, but that's still the case.
I could write a book on what was special about many of those cars, and many are mentioned in the book I did write. Many of them play a big part in my racing stories.
Anyone interested can check out my book, or even read some sample pages by following this link;  Grab Some Gears

One of the special cars I have owned;   2007 Shelby GT500  Mustang.

A Walk in the Park

Today, I got back to something I've missed for the last couple of weeks. I took a walk in the park. Snow Canyon State Park  that is, something I do as often as possible. The weather, family events,  and other activities, have kept me away for more than two weeks.
It's a simple thing, "a walk in the park" and as the old saying goes, something easy to do, but for me it's very important. I usually do a two mile walk, the first mile is up hill, and a pretty good work out.  Then, the second mile back is all down hill to where I park my car. All together, it's about 40 minutes of good exercise.
People can get their exercise in many ways, but for me, this is the most enjoyable. Snow Canyon is a very pretty place, and, only about a 10 minute drive from my house. The time of day for my walk varies, depending on the season, and the general weather conditions. It's all about health and fitness, but this location is like icing on the cake.

The beautiful  Snow Canyon State Park  in Southern Utah.

40 Years of Street Racing

"Grab Some Gears - 40 Years of Street Racing" is the title of my book. I finished writing it in 2006, after several years of thought and jotting down notes. It was first suggested to me by a young street racer, after a late night racing session, when we were all standing around talking. Noticing that I was older than most of them, this young racer asked me; "how long have you been doing this"?  I responded; "since I was about 14 years old".  He made the remark; "Wow, a lot must have changed in all that time, you should write a book". That planted the seed that about 10 years later, and after some more years of street racing,  became my book.
For a life-long car guy, the book is a history of many of my racing experiences, street racing and on the drag strip, and the changes that I've seen over the years. It also contains about 40 color photos of some of the cars I have owned in that time.
I'm considering an update to the book, to add some new things that have happened in the last 10-15 years, and add some photos of the cars I've owned since 2006.
Anyone interested can check out my book, and read sample pages at; Grab Some Gears

Friends

Many people have a circle of friends who they associate with. They meet up and do things together as often as possible. Maybe they're hunting or fishing buddies, or they might be fellow car enthusiasts they go to car shows with, or go late night street racing with. Over the years, I have had some of all these type of friends.
As the years have gone by, and family activities have taken their place, my circle of friends is almost non-existent. Outside of extended family, you could count my number of friends on one hand, and not use all the fingers.
In reality, I am a loner anyway, and that's how I prefer it. Outside of time spent with my wife and family, I'd just as soon be alone, doing my own thing. I can easily spend an afternoon, alone in my garage, playing my favorite music, and doing car stuff.
But of all my friends who have drifted away over the years, one stands out, and he is who I'm writing about today. His name is Ricky, and I mention him in Chapter 5 in my book. We have been friends for over 40 years. I don't see him very often any more, maybe once every couple years or so, we get together and catch up on what has been going on in our lives.  Out of the blue, a year or so ago, he sent me something he made for me, and it's really neat. It's an ink pen, that is the same color as my 2015 Mustang, and personalized with my license plate, and other automotive details. There is a photo of it below. Now, I take it to car shows with me, and show it off, especially to Mustang people. The mechanism to operate the pen looks like a shift lever, and there are bands around the pen that look like tires. Its pretty cool.
I don't have many friends, but with friends like Rick, I don't need many. Thanks Rick.

The pen my friend Ricky made for me. It's setting on my car, see how well the color matches.

Long Hot Summer

There is a Keith Urban song I like; "Long Hot Summer" which I listen to quite often, and it was the inspiration for my blog post today. That song, and the fact that summer comes to an end this week. The reality is, that here in our part of the country, we have had a long hot summer.
A lot has happened in our life this summer, so it has gone by pretty fast. We have been pretty busy, and the temperatures have been well over 100 degrees on many days this year, so the coming fall season is vary welcome, as far as I'm concerned.
For many people, fall is a favorite time of year anyway, and I myself have been included in that group for many years. When we lived up north, it was always the time of year for the changing leaves, and the mountains were beautiful in their fall colors.
Here in Southern Utah, the fall colors are not the most obvious change, but the cooler temperatures are. I look forward to the time of year when I can get a lot of "car stuff" done. It gets cool enough that I can get the cars cleaned up real well, and get a fresh coat of wax put on, without roasting in the process. Good bye long hot summer.
Those of you who are interested can check out my book at: Grab Some Gears

It was a "Long Hot Summer" here in Southern Utah.

Driving

I have always enjoyed driving. From my early teen age years, to the present day, there have been few times in my life when I couldn't drive.
There was the time when I first went into the military, in early 1970, while going through basic training, and the 4 months of Air Traffic Control school, when I was without my car. I had left it in Arizona with my new wife. I knew she could use it way more than I could, living on Air Force bases during that time, I knew I could walk anywhere I needed to go.
That was the longest time I was ever without a car. Over the last few weeks, I have been reminded what that was like. After my open heart surgery, I was told I couldn't drive for a month. As of today, I have one more week left. I'm counting down the days.
For a life-long "car guy" this has been a tough experience. My beloved Mustang is setting in the garage, and in need of a car wash. This next week can't go by fast enough.

I miss this. (Photo from a day trip to Zion National Park last year).

Turning Point

We can all look back on our lives and identify several "turning points" where the direction we turned made a major change in the rest of our life. There were many in my life, some of my own choosing, and some where other people had a part in shaping my life.
The first that comes to mind is the inspiration I had as a 19 year old to get in my 64 Falcon Sprint, and drive hundreds of miles across country to visit my high school girlfriend, who had moved to Phoenix. One thing led to another, and we have been married over 48 years now. Our family now includes about 20 people, counting the kids, their spouses, and grand kids.
Some of the turning points in my life were professional, my military service being the first one. That led to other opportunities through out my life that led to where I am today. One of those was a chance promotion that a supervisor gave me in the late 1980's that shaped the rest of my professional life. I had a long and rewarding professional career.
This last week my turning point was health related. I had open heart surgery to repair a bad heart valve. Time will tell how that turning point will effect the rest of my life. Wish me luck.

Reflecting on where I've been, and where I'm going.

The Red Planet

This summer we have had an exceptional view of Mars. The "Red Planet" has been the closest to us that it has been in many years. For us night time sky watchers, it has put on a brilliant display, bigger and brighter red than it has been in recent memory.
I have owned a pretty nice little telescope for many years, and I go out and look at the planets as often as possible, usually several nights a week. Jupiter and Saturn always steal the show. Four moons are usually visible around Jupiter, and the rings around Saturn are pretty cool to see. But, this summer, the normally lack luster Mars, is really joining the party. It's a bright red-orange color, and appears almost as large as Jupiter through the telescope. On a nice clear night, you can even see some surface detail similar to what we see on the moon.
We may never get to visit Mars, but this summer we get a better than usual look at it. Get out and check it out.

Photo of Mars taken this summer. (Google image)

Technology

Anyone familiar with my blog knows that I have owned and loved modern muscle cars for many years now. I'm pretty comfortable with the technology we live with every day, and how awesome all this "high-tech" stuff can be. But lately, I find that it can sometimes be very overwhelming. I am often amazed at how advanced all this has gotten. The things our phones and cars can do, and the information, and interactions between devices, is now pretty scary smart. "SKYNET" is taking control of our lives.
In recent weeks, we are starting to have some technical issues with some of our home computer programs, and certain software we have been using for years. I spent some time today with a couple of tech guys getting some of these issues ironed out. After some time getting a few things running right, it became obvious that I need to upgrade some other stuff too. I guess that's just life here in the 21st. century.

Some of the technology I enjoy every day, lives in my 2015 Mustang GT.

Early Memories

How far back can you remember? For most people, the things we can remember from when we were very young are few, and usually not very clear. That's the way I am, and I think the things that we do remember from when we were young, probably stand out because they made a significant impression on us at the time.
Some of my early memories had to do with machines, motor vehicles, and places on the South Dakota farm where I grew up. I think most kids who were raised in the country, have some adventures they remember, especially if they were as wild as my brothers and I were.
The memory I am writing about today concerns an old motorcycle that was stored in a dark equipment shed on our farm. When it first came to our attention, it seemed huge, but I was only 7 or 8 years old at the time. It was covered with dust, leaning against the wall, and the dirt floor of the old shed was covered with mouse droppings. To a couple of young adventurers, it looked like the perfect place to play. We dusted it off with an old rag, and we were ready to ride. We climbed on, made all the right sounds, and we were wild motorcycle riders. We would return to ride that motorcycle many times over the next few years.
The motorcycle was a monster. It was a dark red 1941 Indian model 441, with a 4 cylinder engine, and full skirted fenders. My dad had road it all over our part of the country for several years before he was married, but it had been parked in the shed for around 10 years by the time we started playing on it. A few years later, my dad's cousin came and talked him out of it with ideas of getting it running and on the road again. It eventually ended up with a collector in Denver.
As for me, it's one of the early memories I will always cherish. My dad, my brothers, and myself, were all avid motorcycle riders at different times, for many years of our lives. Maybe all because of that same old motorcycle.
For more of my adventures, check out my book at this link; Grab Some Gears

1941 Indian series 441 like the one my dad had. (internet photo)

Local Car Shows

In almost any area around the country, from small towns to big cities, there are local car shows. Many of them are weekly or monthly casual get-to-gathers. Some of them are specific club events, mostly for their members, but many are open to all types of cars, and welcome new-comers. These are the basic enthusiast gatherings that fuel our hobby.
When I was new to this area, 4 years ago, I quickly found the local car clubs, and associations, and was happy to find so many "car people" in the community. There are specific "hot rod" clubs, Camero clubs, etc., and I fit right in to the "Mustang and Ford" association. Most of the events these groups put on are open to all car enthusiasts, no matter what kind of car you drive.
I just went to one of the local gatherings this morning. It's a low-key, "Cars and Coffee" event that happens the first Saturday of every month, in the parking lot of a local coffee shop. I have seen every type of car you can imagine show up there. Everything from "rat rods" to exotic super cars, and everything in between. And, they are all welcomed and appreciated.
If you've never tried it, check it out in your own community. It will be worth it.
Car people who are interested can check out my book by following this link; Grab Some Gears

One of the local car shows in my home town.

Automotive Art

Those of us who proudly admit to being life-long car enthusiasts have always considered that many of the cars we love are a "work of art". We can take our time looking them over, end to end, and top to bottom, taking in all the lines and curves, and appreciating all the styling features that make them the beautiful machine they are.
Many of us read the automotive magazines, study the engineering details, and soak in all the pictures we can find of our favorite models. Some of us follow like-minded enthusiasts on Twitter, Facebook, or other social media, and share our love of cars with thousands of people, from all over the world. We see the beauty that can be appreciated in any language.
As we all know, not everyone agrees. I'm sure we all know some people who just don't get it. They don't see what all the fuss is about. To them, it's just a car. I think they are really missing out on a beautiful aspect of this life.
Some of us enjoy taking our automotive art to another level, adding the images to many forms of artistic expression. The enthusiast posts on social media are full of great examples.

Just a minor example of my own automotive expression.

A Long Hot Summer

The first official day of summer is later this week, but, here in the American Southwest, we have had summer weather for a couple of months now. We have already had many days over 100 degrees, and lots of bright sunshine is pretty much our normal weather around here.
I do enjoy the summer, even though it gets very hot in our part of the country. We just adjust our routine to take advantage of the cooler mornings, and get all our running around done early. I like to be all done with the days chores and just relax indoors by early afternoon.
Where ever you live, I hope everyone can have a great summer. Life is too short. Take advantage of this summer season and enjoy it every chance you get.
You can check out my book at this link: Grab Some Gears

Summer in our part of the world.

The Next "Darwin's Garage"

In the last few days, we have been looking into the prospect of building a new house. We have found a great lot in a good part of town, and have found a suitable floor plan with the right amount of square footage, at the right cost. A big selling point for me is the three car garage. I've missed that on our current home. Our previous place in Northern Utah had an excellent three car garage, and that's a must for any new house, as far as I'm concerned.
As anyone who has gone through this process can attest to, there are a lot of things to consider. This in not an easy decision to make. We may loose some sleep in the next few days. And then, if we decide to go ahead with this project, we will be very busy for the next few months. Wish us luck.

The current  "Darwin's Garage", stay tuned for further developments.

"Grab Some Gears"

My book "Grab Some Gears - 40 Years of Street Racing" was completed in 2006. Here is a sample story from Chapter 2;
"When you participate in clandestine activities such as street racing, you always know that sooner or later you are going to get into trouble. Sometimes that trouble comes when you least expect it. If you are lining up in the middle of the highway for a race at eleven o'clock at night, you always fear that the Highway Patrol may pop over the next hill, or the Deputy Sheriff might be waiting in the darkness just up the road. But when you're just on your way to school, minding your own business, you don't expect to get into any trouble. Such was the situation one morning as I slowed the “59” Galaxie for the stop sign where our dirt road meets the paved highway. I spotted a car approaching, still some distance down the highway, so I turned onto the pavement and started accelerating toward town. When I had almost reached the 70 MPH speed limit, the other car came around me at a considerably higher speed. As the car moved back over in front of me, the thought crossed my mind; “I can't let that Plymouth pass me like that”. I hit the gas, kicked it down into passing gear, and went around the unsuspecting motorist at about 90 MPH. As I continued on toward town, now only a couple miles down the road, I noticed in the rear view mirror that he also had accelerated and seemed to be catching me. Now this was a race. I got the “59” Galaxie up to about 105 or so, and managed to stay a little distance ahead of him. As we approached town, the guy was not letting off. I figured he must be pretty mad and was trying to catch me. I maintained as high a speed as I could until reaching the first few side streets of town, then braked hard and turned down a side street. He followed, so I did my best movie chase scene impression, and managed to loose him after a few turns. Satisfied that the adventure was over, I proceeded to the school parking lot, then went in to my first class. My first class that semester was driver's ed., and before the class got started, I sat in the back of the class recounting my adventure to my buddies. We all had a good laugh, and class got underway. About a half hour into the period, there came a knock on the door and the teacher answered. He turned and looked straight at me and said someone wanted to speak to me in the hall. As I left the room and stepped into the hall, I met the local Deputy Sheriff, and he was not smiling. “This can't be good”, I thought, “not my lucky day”. I got a chewing out that I would not soon forget. It seems that the motorist that I had been racing with was a State Highway Patrol supervisor in his personal car. He had taken down my license number and description of my car, and turned it into the local Sheriff's office. The deputy knew exactly who to come looking for. (We had met on previous occasions). If the state official had not been in a hurry to get to a meeting, he would have stayed around to see me prosecuted, the deputy informed me. This was not a fun day, but for some reason I didn't get a ticket out of that deal. Looking back, maybe it was my lucky day after all."
Anyone wanting to check out more can find it at: Grab Some Gears

Summer Road Trip

As the summer season approaches, many of us start to think about where we might go for a summer get-away. Some are planning a big family vacation, maybe to some far off destination. Others may be thinking more about several different day trip excursions closer to home. Most of us have numerous options to choose from.
For me, in recent years, it usually revolves around some family event that we want to attend. It vary rarely has been a purely optional destination, just to get away for a relaxing day or two, of site seeing or casual recreation. I would like to get back to that.
I have wrote before in this blog about trips that I have thought about for years, but have never been able to work into our schedule. Monument Valley is one that I think about every once in awhile, but have never been able to accomplish. Maybe this will be the year.
Many of us have those family obligations that often cut into our free time, and make it difficult to work in some of those activities that are in the back of our mind for a summer get away. Family is important, and we do enjoy doing things with them, but a little stress free trip would be nice too. Here's to hoping that day dreams aren't the only get away we will get this summer.

The open road to somewhere fun, . . . . or,  is it just a day dream?

King of the Hill

Being a life-long car guy had to start somewhere. I can trace my inspirations back to many small moments, back from a pretty young age. Small things that planted the seeds, and the many joys I discovered as a kid growing up on a farm. I was always around, and learned how to operate, many kinds of motorized vehicles.
As a young teenager, with two types of driving permits at age 14, I soon discovered the fun of driving on the roads and highways, away from the farm. With a school permit, and a work permit for farm business, I had many excuses to drive into town, about 7 miles away. At school, I soon learned that the girls noticed the boys who drove to school. And, I also noticed that the type of car you drove made an even stronger impression.
My teenage years were also the same time that that muscle cars, and pony cars, were being introduced to the American public. They made a big impression on me, along with the rest of the world. I was hooked. A "life-long car guy" was born.
I have wrote before in this blog about those cars that had a big influence on me at that time in my life. My Mom getting a 66 Mustang when I was 16 years old was one. I even got to drive it once in awhile. And, when I was 17, I saw my first 67 Shelby GT 500, the car that has become my all-time favorite Mustang. But, when it comes to the car that has made the biggest lasting impression on me, over the last 50+ years, that would have to be the awesome 427 Cobra roadster that Carroll Shelby introduced to the world in those days. In my eyes, it is still the "King of the Hill" of cars.
If you want more of my automotive story, check out my book, just follow this link: Grab Some Gears

"King of the Hill"  The always awesome Shelby 427 Cobra. (internet photo)

Southern Utah

I've done a lot of traveling around over the years, drove many highways, and seen a lot of different country. Just this week, we returned from our first trip to Hawaii, and now I have that to add to my list of places I've seen. Of all the different places I been, Southern Utah is still my favorite.
I guess that it's a pretty good thing when you get to live in the place you want to be. Our climate here is a drastic contrast to what we just experienced in Hawaii. The humidity over there suits some people just fine, and the less temperature variation from night to day, and season to season, is ideal for many people. As for me, this climate here in the American Southwest, is more to my liking. I like the dry climate and sunny days. A perfect place to be a "car guy".
The beaches of Oahu were very nice, and everything is so green over there. Here in Southern Utah, the red rock canyons and desert vistas are spectacular. Different people prefer different things. I am very happy to live where I do.  Thank you mother nature.
Anyone interested can check out my book on amazon, and even read sample pages,  just follow this link; Grab Some Gears

My 2015 Mustang GT , in the beautiful red rock country of Southern Utah.

April 17 th.

I have mentioned before that I like things that include the number 7, and especially the number 17. So, today is pretty special for me, for several reasons.
As most of my readers know, I am a huge Mustang fan,  and April 17 is National Mustang Day. This is the day the first Mustang was introduced to the world in 1964, a date most Mustang enthusiasts are well aware of.
On a more personal level, Jackie and I made our first trip to Hawaii today, April 17, and we flew from Las Vegas on Hawaiian Airlines flight 17. How’s that for fate?
I’m loving this.  Also, I like to make my blog posts on dates that end in 7, so this is perfect, April 17 th. is a pretty good day in my book.

Darwin and Jackie in Hawaii on April 17, 2018

Flying

For many people, flying is a routine mode of travel. Whether for work, or vacation, many people fly all the time. But for me, it doesn't happen very often. In fact, I haven't been on an airliner in the last 20 years.  Actually, it has probably been more like 30 years.
I haven't been on a plane since the increased security checks have gone into practice, so I haven't had that experience yet. And, the having to arrive at the airport two hours early to accomplish all that is something new to me.
I am used to traveling by car. I'm pretty good at that. I know how to pack my luggage for a car trip, and how to get everything packed into the car just right, so all the stuff we need is along for the trip, and easy to find when we need it. Not quite the same as traveling by plane.
We are in the process of getting ready for a trip to Hawaii in a couple weeks. Jackie and I have never been there, and we're really looking forward to the trip. All the plane reservations, and rental car reservations, were a new experience for me. But, now that all that is completed, it turned out to be not near as hard as I imagined. All the good advice from our family made it pretty easy. I think it's going to be great. I'm a long way from being an expert, but I'm working on it.

North shore of Oahu. (internet photo)  I'm looking forward to checking it out. 

Just The Other Day

In the past few days, I spent time doing some clean-up on many of the photo files on my computer. As I was looking through some of the hundreds of photos, I ran into many I hadn't seen in awhile, and I as looked them over, it kind of took me by surprise, how many years ago they were taken. It felt like "just the other day" when actually it was years ago.
I've noticed that more and more in recent years, as I have gone through hundreds of photos while getting ready to move, and then again as I have tried to get things organized in the new home. We have so many old photos, and I got rid of hundreds of bad, or meaningless ones, in the process, and still have hundreds.
I guess that is just a side effect of getting older anyway, but I have noticed time after time, as I look over these photos of my life, I'm often shocked by how many years have gone by.
That's one of the reasons that I am proud of the effort I put into writing my book, and documenting some of my life experiences for a time when I can't remember so well what it was like to have lived it. My book contains about 40 color photos, and now I think that was a good thing, though, in reality, it wasn't "just the other day".
Anyone who may be interested can check out my book and read sample pages by following this link; Grab Some Gears

My 1999 Mustang GT,  just the other day,  . . . actually,  it was almost 20 years ago.

The Lucky Car Guy

For almost as far back as I can remember, I have always loved cars. Growing up on a farm and ranch is South Dakota, I started driving all kinds of vehicles at an early age. I had school and farm permits to drive on the roads and highways at age 14. My brother and I had motorcycles, and we got a jeep for Christmas, around this time in our lives. When I was 16, my mom got a new 1966 Mustang, and I was lucky enough to get to drive that, once in awhile.
I had a 64 Falcon Sprint when I got married, and went into the Air Force. A couple years later, we got our first Mustang, a yellow coupe, with a 289 V8. Those were the first in a long list of cool vehicles we have owned over the last 50 years. I truly have been "The Lucky Car Guy".
I have known a lot of car enthusiasts over the years, but many of those people who loved and admired cars, never got to actually own and enjoy driving very many of the cars of their dreams. Some of them had a special car at an early age that they loved and remember, but, had to sell it to make way for the usual life and family concerns. I was lucky enough to have many special cars and trucks, all through the years of raising kids, holding down a job, and living the modest life of the typical working man.
 Over the last 30 or so years, the level of performance cars I have owned has increased, however, many of the best racing experiences I have wrote about in my book, happened while I still had kids at home. My kids are grown and have had families of their own for many years now. The most high performance Mustangs I have owned, happened after all the kids were no longer living at home. I guess that's the way it should be. When it's all said and done, all things considered, I think most enthusiasts would agree, I have been a "Lucky Car Guy". 
Anyone interested can check out my book by following this link: Grab Some Gears

"The Lucky Car Guy" ,  with the 2007 Shelby GT 500 I owned a few years ago.

The Road of Life

"The Road of Life" for me was always measured in the cars I have owned along the way. Being a car guy, and writing a book about my racing years, that is usually the way I have most often found to express my ideas of what is meant by life's highway. But, yes, there is a lot more to it than just the cars we drive along the way. It has more to do with the people who share the trip with us.
This being primarily an automotive related blog, I have touched on this subject many times before, and usually centered on the car theme. When the idea crosses my mind, I often associate it with the cars of a certain time in my life. But in recent years, things have happened that put it into a different perspective. We loose people, and that is the end of the road, for their earthly life.
A theme I see repeated by many of my automotive enthusiast friends is "Life is too short to drive boring cars" and I think many of us feel that way. I think of the car enthusiasts among the friends and family that we have lost in recent years, and I know that their enjoyment of the vehicles they loved had a real value, and added to their enjoyment of the years they had in this life. Our cars do play a part in making us who we are, and can add to our happiness in this life.
Anyone interested in knowing more of my story can check out my book, just follow this link; Grab Some Gears 

My 2015 Mustang GT , the car I am currently enjoying on this section of my "Road of Life".

My Dad

My dad and I were seldom on the same page on many subjects in our years together. In many ways, he was a hard man to get along with, and often in a bad mood, as I remember those days. But now, in retrospect, and looking back from the perspective of an old man myself, he did a lot for me. For all his faults, he taught me a lot that I didn't appreciate at the time.
He was an excellent welder, electrician, and mechanic, and he taught me some of those skills at an early age. Those things I learned from him played an important role in my professional career, at several junctures, through the years. He was also the inspiration for my love of cars, though I didn't realize that fact until years after he was gone.
My dad was a farmer all his life. He was also an excellent fabricator, often making modifications and improvements to many pieces of farm equipment. If something was broken, he would fix it, often making improvements, and making it a better piece of equipment than it was when it was new. The stuff he worked on was always well finished, cleaned and painted, and looking better than new, when he got finished working on it.
The times I remember best, and when he taught me the most, during my teen aged years, were also the years we got along the worst. I guess that is just normal for a father and son, but I didn't realize it at the time. He actually did a lot for us in those days.
After 17 years together, the love of his life, my mom, left for greener pastures. He was never the same again. He spent the remainder of his life a lonely and broken man. He died at the age of 67 in a nursing home. I find myself thinking a lot about him in recent months, as I am now 67 myself.

My dad, Darrell D. Dirks, on an outing with us in Northern Utah, in the mid-1980's.

Not The Olympics

Over the last week or more, most of us have been following our favorite Olympic performers, loving their victories, and sad when our people don't make the podium.  I'm always amazed at the years of dedication and training these people have to put in to get them to that level in their sport.
I have never been good at that type of sporting activities. I'm a "motor head" from way back. Most of us never get the chance to achieve Olympic style victories in our life, but many of us get our own winning moments that we will cherish for the rest of our lives.
In my fifty some years of enjoying automotive activities, I've got my share of victories. I have won my share of street races, have a trophy on my shelf for "legal" drag strip racing, and have many first place awards from the many car shows I have entered over the years. I've had my share of recognition while participating in the activities I love.  But, one in particular stands out as the one I'm most proud of. It's the trophy I won 37 years ago for taking first place in an off-road race held on the shores of the Great Salt Lake in northern Utah.
I was driving the 78 Ford 1/2 ton 4X4 pickup that I had been "tweeking" for about three years. I had special ordered the truck with limited-slip axles front and rear, and equipped with the 400 V8 and 4-speed manual transmission. Just weeks before the race, I replaced the original engine with a modified and "blueprinted" version I had built myself.  The motor was a torque monster that performed flawlessly, and powered me to my first place finish in the 1/2 ton class. No, it may not be the Olympics, but to me, it was a pretty great day.
To read the complete story, and my many other adventures, check out my book at this link: Grab Some Gears

Vintage photo of me and my 1978 Ford, after winning first place in the off-road race in March of 1981.

Next Road Trip

There is always someplace we have had in our mind that we have always wanted to see, but somehow never seem to get to visit. Some of these places may not even be that far away from home, just a little out of the way, and maybe just a little more than would fit into a simple day trip.
For me, one of those places is Monument Valley, on the Utah - Arizona border. It was made famous in countless old western movies, and noted for it's spectacular landscape vistas. That famous location is less than a day's drive from our home, but I have never made the trip. It has never been "on the way" to someplace we were going anyway, and we never seem to get around to making a special trip just to see that area. Maybe this will be the year. I have been thinking about it for many years, maybe the time will be right this year.
There is probably a place like this near you. Somewhere you always wanted to go. Life is short, lets hit the road and go. I'm ready, are you?

Monument Valley (internet photo)

Beautiful Places

I'm lucky enough to live in some of the most beautiful country in the world. I get out and enjoy my surroundings as often as possible. I walk a beautiful canyon trail almost every day for my exercise, and we take short road trips once in awhile to enjoy the beautiful National Parks close to our home here in Southern Utah.
No matter where we live, there is some beautiful country near most of us, anywhere in the world. From the posts I see on Twitter, I know most of us have some favorite places we like to drive to and enjoy. Thanks to the many forms of social media, we can share photos of these special places with the rest of the world. I have been to some of the places I see posted on social media, and the memories are made fresh in my mind. The many places I haven't been, the photos I see make me wish I could visit as well.
Life is much too short. We all need to get out and enjoy the beautiful places near us, and as many of the far away places as we can make it to. Get out and enjoy. This is a beautiful world we live in.

On a drive, a few months ago, through the beautiful Zion National Park, near our home in Southern Utah.

This is "Darwin's Garage"

Yes, that's what I call my blog, but there is a real "Darwin's Garage", actually three different garages in the last 37 years. It's one of my favorite places to spend time, keeping my cars clean and detailed, as well as keeping the garage itself neat and clean. As anyone who knows me can tell you, I do keep things pretty clean and organized around here.
In my first garage, about 30 some years ago, I built high performance engines, restored a couple rare muscle cars, and performed mechanical upgrades to my racing cars. A lot of work was performed in that garage.
My second garage was the largest I have had, so far anyway. It was a nice big, heated, three car garage, with epoxy coated floor, and nice big windows. By the time I had that garage, it was more of a detail shop, and not so much mechanical work was being performed. Although I did still do oil changes, tire rotations, and some modifications to my performance cars.
My current garage, here in Southern Utah, is not as big as my last garage, and is mostly used to keep my cars clean and detailed. I perform very little mechanical work these days. It's a nice garage, with finished and painted walls, epoxy coated floor, and decorated with many of my automotive signs and racing treasures. I do greatly enjoy the time I spend out there.
Anyone interested in my automotive history, and past drag racing and street racing experiences, can check out my book at: Grab Some Gears

This is me, enjoying time spent in the real "Darwin's Garage".