Energy independence right under our noses.

Reader Benjamin Krueger pointed me to this video via Twitter. It certainly is a very promising technology.

I genuinely hope however that things like tis will prompt California’s Air Resources Board to cease it’s never ending jihad against Diesel engines in passenger cars. Otherwise we’ll still be buying petroleum from actual jihadists and befouling our coastlines for years to come.

Car Photo of the Day: Hot Hatch?

While on a stop on the 2009 Classic Motorcar Rally I was poking around the collection of cars at our lunch-time host and stumbled upon this hatchback. I’d never seen one before. It had the classic proportions of a “hot hatch” ala VW GTI. Very attractive little car in its own way. I’d never seen one before. Do you recognize it?

(Yes, that is the Fiat Dino from a few days ago in the background)

The 29th Annual LaConner Tulip Daffodil Rallye

Got the Goggles, and the Blower, it's rally time!

Nicholas & I dutifully dusted off our rally brains for the traditional “Opening Day” of driving season here in the Pacific Northwest. The Mount Baker MG Car Club puts on this event every year, and has for almost thirty years! The Tulip Rallye is in fact older than the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival. It is a great, low-key, fun event that has fairly easy route-finding and a “gimmick rally” format – meaning you answer goofy questions with hints from signs and obscure items along the way. No TSD calculations required, so it is a fun way to start the season. It brings together between two- and three-hundred cars every year (though I imagine next year’s 30th anniversary will easily top 300) starting as always at the Cascade Mall in Burlington and finishing at the Swinomish Casino.

Continue reading “The 29th Annual LaConner Tulip Daffodil Rallye”

Car Photo of the Day: Name that car.

I had hoped yesterday’s CPotD would lead to an epic round of guessing. Little did I know the woodwork was crawling with vintage Japanese Mini Car fans! Of course, one of the very first CPotD shots was of a vintage Japanese mini car, so I guess plus ça change!

Today’s curvaceous car photo of the day subject should be pretty easy. Do you know it?

That B-25…

Those of you who follow me on Twitter have noted that I’ve mentioned the appearance of a restored B-25 Mitchell bomber that has made near-daily appearances over our house. It will arrive, and do lazy circles for 30 minutes or so, then fly away (presumably to Everett.)

Photographing it has been tough, as it is almost always “backlit”, that is appearing below high overcast or thin clouds, and at moderate altitudes. Even with my longest lens. I have tried though, and here are a couple of the better shots: (heavily processed to bring detail out of shadows)