Dallas to Watkins Glen

 Five Morgans in Search of Fun and Adventure

Day Eight - Watkins Glen to Ohio

September 14th 2009

 

 

MOG Midwest II (Day 8)

Now the voyagers start on the downhill leg of the return to Texas - but first to attend the OHMOG Midwest II event (Several of us made the first event in 2004) Another 5 years have passed.

To lead us from Watkins Glen to Auburn, Ind., we had the premier guides - Gary and Sally Kneisley - an officer in the Ohio Morgan Owners Group, who are sponsoring the second Midwest extravaganza.

Anyway, Gary and Sally showed up promptly to lead us to an area near Cleveland to temporarily store the cars of Boyles, Nogueira and Murphy. Earlier, participants Blake and Ronnie Flener left before dawn to start their way home. Art and Patsy were going to meander through the NY area, visit Niagra Falls and ultimately meet us in Auburn.

Gary and Sally were punctual and the rest of us were within acceptable limits. There's not a whole lot to say (fortunately) as we crossed the rest of NY, through PA briefly and into Ohio. Gary ably led us around the traffic in Cleveland and hosted us at his estate in Grafton.

Nogueira immediately had to put his car up on the lift, that Gary has in his garage, to check the clutch and pinion seal. No response. Then we took the Morgans to a mini warehouse for storage. Traci's trailer wouldn't fit, so we stored the 3 Morgans and left the trailer and truck with Gary.

The evening was topped off with grilled hamburgers and fixins, complements of the Kneisleys. And we appreciated the effort that Gary and Sally did on this occasion. Sally especially, as she had just had a rotator cup operation, so was slowed up with her arm in a sling. Gary had personal plans too, but welcomed us to his home.

We have now flown back home and shut down until next Wednesday. So we'll rest and you readers take a break too.

 

 

  
 

 

 

Mean while...............
The Fleners slipped away, from Cherry Orchard Bed and Breakfast, Monday at 6:15am under the cover of fog and darkness.  We went 160 feet north, turned left, felt our way along the county road, until we found the state road to the Interstate.  We soon learned we needed to snap the tonneau to the sides, and pull the center portion around our shoulders.  That was much warmer.  South of Cleveland, we noticed a high Temperature.  While looking for a water hose, we found Lowe's Garden Center.  Upon Opening the bonnet, the generator was found to have two loose bolts...one was missing.  The driver set about turning both hands, and about half of his tools, very black and slick.  The navigator bought a bottle of hand cleaner and a bundle of rags.  The driver, in typical fashion, offered that we did not need the rags; given that we had a roll paper towels...never mind that they were buried deep in a fully packed Plus Four.  A very helpful old fashioned service station mechanic helped us to get back on the road, in about an hour.  We spent the spent Monday night in Elizabeth, Kentucky.
 
Our second day started with such a nice day that the driver thought of driving without
either top.  But elected to use the surrey top.  A half hour later we found the rain.  Before we got out of KY, the navigator delighted in showing how much better rags are for mopping and wringing, than paper could ever be.  We had lunch at the Kentucky Dam
Village Resort, and what a view.  The afternoon went pretty well to West Memphis, Arkansas.  West of West Memphis we stopped for fuel.  The stop was at a BP station with farm land for miles.  When the driver hit the starter there was no response.  Yet, it started when a nice man provided a jump.  We felt a need to push for Little Rock because there should better service...the navigator could flight home from there.  By that time, the driver was trying to save the battery and get to Little Rock.  Meanwhile, the navigator was even more involved in her 'mop and wring" duties.  The rain would have been noteworthy for truck drivers.  We will say, it was exciting for us.  All the other drivers afforded all the slack they could.  I suspect they thought we must have been insane.
 
Our third day started with great joy...the car started.  Then we got in East Texas and more rain.  It was better that Arkansas only because we were in day light.
 
I can now see how the air/water flows over the Morgan./JBF 

 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
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