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)