Which is MilSpeak for “Return to Base;” after 2.5 weeks manning a watch in Annapolis, I’m heading back to St Louis later this afternoon. I won’t add an “MMC” (“Mission Complete”) following my return home tonight as I fully expect I’ll be coming back here within a week or two.

In the meantime, spied a couple of interesting vehicles on the drive to the hospital this morning, including a 1970 or thereabouts Chevrolet Monte Carlo, the originator of the “personal luxury” theme which Detroit bought into big-time during the late 1960s-1970s. The other entertaining car was a second generation Plymouth Barracuda convertible, rather startling in Gulf blue with large yellow stripes and “hemi” lettering down the side. Can’t remember the last time I saw one of the second gen 1967-1969 ‘Cudas actually on the road.

Anyway, the mission continues…Before I forget, as a reminder, SLTOA’s doing a fall drive this coming Sunday (05 October), monitor the club web page as details including meeting location and time should get published shortly.  The forecast is partly cloudy with a high 0f 65 coming off an overnight low of 44.  Check those TR heaters!

About halfway through the current extended tour in the vicinity of the Chesapeake and I fell in with one of the local Triumph clubs, the Capital Triumph Register. They extended an invitation to participate in a Saturday afternoon backyard BBQ at the home of a member down by La Plata, on the peninsula between the Potomac and Patuxent Rivers (hoo-hah, what great country).

There, host and CTR member Bill Goodwin had his three Triumph Heralds lined up: a 1964 red Fixed-Head, ’65 blue FHC and the really entertaining model, the ’65 Estate. First one I’d seen; Bill said that according to Herald historian/statistician Andy Mace, it was one of only four running Herald “station wagons” in North America. AND, it’s all original: 23,000 miles and never restored. Incredible.

It was a great afternoon with a great bunch of people. More info and photos in the October issue of “Exhaust Notes.”

Tail of the Dragon, 2012.

End of the day yesterday, on the drive back to my sister’s place in Bowie from Annapolis, took the back road (MD 214) and holy cow, FINALLY saw an LBC! (trust me, they’re all over, I just hadn’t been in the right place at the right time up ’til now).  Unfortunately, I didn’t have my camera with me and therefore didn’t give chase, but I contacted the two local TR clubs – Capital Triumph Register and Triumphs Around the Chesapeake, both great organizations – and got confirmation on the identity of car and driver.

The car’s a modified ’78 Spitfire 1500, owned by Paul Geithner. He’s posted a web page with a bunch of great photos showing the car as bought, what he’s done to it over the years and some road/track photos. I invite you to take a look at your convenience:

http://www.auskellian.com/paul/spitfire_photo_albums/Pages/78_Spitfire_1500.html#8

Good stuff, this. I swear, one of these days I’ll get back to the DC-Baltimore-Annapolis area while one of the clubs is hosting some sort of TR event.

Sunday, 14 September, Naval Support Activity Annapolis.

Shoot, more like on deployment, or at least TDY…this marks the fourth time in four months that I’ve headed east to the Bowie/Annapolis area of Maryland. As per usual, I’m keeping an eye out for LBCs, but in the meantime I’ve seen one Ferrari 308GTB (VERY distinctive sound under full throttle) and the attached. Definitely wins this trip’s “truth in advertising” award.

Okay, okay, as we’re going to find out tomorrow (Tues 09 Sept), summer isn’t quite over; we will get a return of warmer temperatures and elevated humidity, followed by yr std big storms (Tues-Wed)…and then another dump of the local temp. Think I saw a low of 48 (gasp!) forecast for Thursday night by the local Fox weatherguesser.

But doggone, what a gorgeous weekend. I was fortunate to get the photos from John & Donna’s short-notice Sunday drive to Percy, IL, for lunch at Pioneer Cabin and hoo-hah, looks like there was a particularly good turnout of 10 cars (primarily Triumphs, but including a really nice MGB and a Saturn Sky), 16-17 people and apparently all of the fried chicken one could eat. Do believe everyone had a major hoot, I’m looking forward to seeing the article in the next edition of “Exhaust Notes.”

LBC ALERT: More locally, on the way home from church yesterday early afternoon, fell in behind a Jensen-Healey: silver, roll bar, black stripe along the lower body. Have no idea who it was; there are at least two other running JHs in town, first time I’d seen a silver one. Hopefully the owner will show up at the ABCCS in just about 11 days.

Shoot, hope to see EVERYONE at this year’s ABCCS…