My Old Yellow Car

Years ago, country singer Dan Seals released a song called My Old Yellow Car. Anyone who grew up poor and drove beaters when they were young could relate to it. I know I sure could. My first car wasn’t yellow, but the rest of it rang pretty true.

These days, I have an old yellow car, but it’s a lot better than the one described in the song. The other day, my historic license plate came for it, and it looks good hanging on the back bumper.

And like the old yellow car in Dan Seals’ song, mine comes with a story of its own. The gentleman I bought it from in Texas told me that he purchased it from an elderly man in Ohio. He said that when he and his wife flew to Ohio to look at the car before buying it, they went on a test ride and it ran out of gas. Fortunately, they happened to be right in front of a gas station, and a couple of kind young gentlemen pushed it up to the gas pumps for them.

The potential buyer and his wife went inside the gas station to get out of the heat or to get something to drink, I’m not sure which. Someone came in and asked, “Who’s with the old guy in the yellow convertible out there?” They said they were, and the person said, “Well, he’s slumped over the wheel, and I think he’s dead.”

An off-duty police officer was at the gas station, and they managed to get the old gentleman out of the car and start CPR. Unfortunately, he was gone. Someone asked if I thought the car might be haunted. With the way my luck goes, I wouldn’t doubt it. Somebody else suggested it might give me fodder for a new mystery book. I think Stephen King beat me to that.

Son-in-law Kenny went to the doctor the other day, and they still haven’t released him for anything but light duty at work. They stopped over to visit with us on the way home, and Kenny showed me where the adjustment screws are to try to get the Chrysler’s carburetor smoothed out, because it’s set way too rich and running rough. I may see what I can accomplish with that today. What could possibly go wrong?

Be sure to enter our latest Free Drawing. This week’s prize is an autographed copy of Storm Tide, the first book in author MJ Witt’s MacKay’s Justice series. After years of chasing America’s most dangerous fugitives, US Marshal Will MacKay seeks solace in the rugged Highlands of Scotland to reconnect with his ancestral roots. But when a notorious fugitive escapes custody and kills a fellow marshal in the process, MacKay is thrust back into action. The chase takes a chilling turn as he uncovers the fugitive’s ties to a deadly terrorist plot orchestrated by radical Scottish nationalists.

In a land steeped in legend and blood, MacKay will face the ultimate test – loyalty to his badge or loyalty to his heritage.

To enter, click on this Free Drawing link or the tab at the top of this page and enter your name (first and last) in the comments section at the bottom of that page (not this one). Only one entry per person per drawing please, and you must enter with your real name. To prevent spam or multiple entries, the names of cartoon or movie characters are not allowed. The winner will be drawn Sunday evening. Note: Due to the high shipping cost of printed books and Amazon restrictions on e-books to foreign countries, only entries with US addresses and e-mail addresses are allowed. After 30 days, unclaimed prizes revert back to the drawing pool for a future contest.

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And finally, here’s a chuckle to start your day from the collection of funny signs we see in our travels and that our readers share with us.

Thought For The Day – You can win over a wise man with reason, but you can’t win over a fool with proof.