July 4, 2003

• This pic is of Peaches, the kitty I've previously mentioned who had pneumonia for months. Lately, it had gotten very bad... enough so that I barely could get her to cough the phlegm up at all, by thumping on her chest. Yesterday, I was outside talking to a neighbor & noticed her sitting near the road, by my rock steps, breathing hard. I wondered then if she was contemplating suicide, tired of being ill.
  

  

  
  

  (Sorry about the image quality... this is from a pencam that definitely had problems.) Later, when walking through the yard while showing that neighbor some of the tasks I'd like him to do for me for yard work, he noticed her near my puppy, looking dead. I looked to see her still breathing, but she didn't look good at all, with glassy eyes. I picked her up & took her to my porch & began thumping her chest & stroking her, trying to get her to breathe better. Apparently, my puppy (now 7 months), who'd been trying hard to get to any of my kitties to play with like a toy, did get ahold of her when she was trying to come back to the house. She seems to have played with her like she does her stuffed toys, slinging them around. Peaches was muddy in places. I don't know if what my puppy did actually hurt Peaches more internally, but there were no bite marks on the cat, nor did she appear to have any broken bones.

  
  

   

  
  

  What I did for Peaches did revive her enough so that she was able to sit up & did walk around some. I brought her inside to the feeding area, so she could drink water & eat if she felt up to it. She later left that area, coming into the livingroom & laying down on the floor. I picked her up & worked on helping clear her lungs again, but she wasn't able to move the phlegm out even with my help, so I lay her in a box & placed a towel over her to keep her warm. I now knew she had given up & wouldn't make it through the night. When I got up this morning, she was lying beside the front door... death the winner. Sleep well, Peaches!

  
  

   

  
  

  My puppy was punished, severely, just in the way I had punished another dog who tried to get at my chickens. My method may seem unjust, but the animal knows why, since the punishment used the creature they were trying to hurt, even unintentionally. She also did without supper last night & is still getting my 'cold shoulder' today. She is learning that what she did was unacceptable to me, whom she so much wants to please. I hit her with a stream of water from my water hose whenever I catch her trying to get at any of my other animals. She MUST learn that they are NOT toys for her to play with! I've given her several old stuffed toys, found in my yard when I bought the house. She is also allowed to play with sticks & old, broken plastic plant pots & a few things I've bought for her. Living things are not to be her toys!

  
  

   

  
  

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  On to other things...

  
  

  Tomorrow, Hawaii Classic Cars is hosting a car hobbiest-type car show in Hilo. When my son & I were in Hilo yesterday for his latest check-up, we stopped at Liliokalani Gardens (linked image not mine) so I could eat my lunch in peace, in the cool shade. My son ate most of his on the way there from McD's. I heard the rumble of a souped-up car approaching & glanced back to see a couple red classic cars cruise behind mine, to park nearby. After getting permission from the owner of one, I shot pictures of it. He was even kind enough to open the hood to show me the engine I had heard. This is it below:

  
  

   

  
  

  

  
  

  It is a '93 Cobra engine, tricked up. I was amazed that such a large engine could fit into this little car!:

  
  

  

  
  

   

  
  

  This car's a 1956 Ford Thunderbird, with the landau hard top & convertible soft top. This is the ONE Ford model I wouldn't mind having & could have bought in Texas in the mid-70s for $4k, restored, had I had that kind of money!

  
  

   

  
  

  

  
  

  This is a 'newer' version of what once had been a 2-seater sports car. This one is an early 60s model T-Bird, 5-seater sports coupe. I found this car in the Naniloa Hotel parking lot on Banyan Drive... our 'hotel row,' where many of these car enthusiasts are staying.

  
  

   

  
  

  
  

  The next car is one many of the older generation can appreciate. Of all that I've seen of this particular make/model, this one has to be the nicest one ever! I didn't speak to the owner, nor find in my brief look, what exactly it is, but I presume it's about a 1928 Ford. Please enlighten me if I'm incorrect.

  
  

  

  
  

  Sports car enthusiasts can't get this next one wrong. It's a '63 Corvette Stingray. One of my supervisors while in the Navy said she had one. She missed it terribly & said it was the only Corvette worthwhile of having.

  
  

  

  
  

  Here's a shot from the back, showing off the Stingray styling. The owner is the gentleman in the white Tee shirt.

  
  

  

  
  

  The next vehicle is a true antique. I believe it's a Model T Ford pickup truck. As you can tell, it's not fully restored yet, as are the others I've displayed here. I intentionally show this one because this one is a WORKING antique! I believe the owner lives in my subdivision & uses this truck, rather than letting it sit in a garage until time to show off for one of these events. I could have taken a shot of the stuff he's hauling in the bed, but didn't.

  
  

  

  
  

  The car in the next image is the same age as I am, but in MUCH better shape! It's a '55 Chevy Belaire Coupe. Note that it even has the old sunvisor attached to the top of the windshield! Love this car! The owner brought it over from Oahu just for this event, at a roundtrip cost of $242 shipping. That's a real car enthusiast for you!

  
  

  

  
  

  Here's the same car from the front. Gorgeous!

  
  

  

  
  

  

  
  

  Another old Chevy, here's a 1956 model. Most people don't know how to find the gas tank access on them. The trick is that it is behind the taillight (left, if I remember correctly from the days I managed a gas station & had one come in regularly)!

  
  

  

  
  

  For one a tad newer, here's a 1957 Chevy. Red was a popular color for Chevy enthusiasts back then. Note the fake scoop on the hood. It's a newspaper box for the Maui News. Do you suppose he once was a motor route carrier for that paper, on Maui?  I once had a boyfriend who had 2 of these old Chevys... a black & white '57 like this one & a red '56 convertible one. I admonished him when he sold them both!

  
  

   

  
  

  

  
  

  How about this older Chevy parked next door? Love that paintjob, reminiscent of the 50s & "American Graffiti" movie.

  
  

   

  
  

  
  

  And another flaming coupe, a '34 (by the license plate):

  
  

  

  
  

  Here's a line of real oldies but goodies...

  
  

  

  
  

  Last, but not least, is one that is being offered up for sale. My photo doesn't do it justice. It's a beautiful copper color, which didn't turn out in my shot. The asking price is $35k:

  
  

  

  
  

  Here's the phone number to get ahold of the owner, if you're interested in buying this one. But be quick, because it may not be available for long. The area code here is 808, which I noticed he didn't add to his sign. Yes, I did get his permission to post his car & number here on my blog!

  
  

  

  
  

  There are a total of 300 cars expected to be displayed tomorrow along Hilo's Bayfront. Among them are 100 from other islands & 60 from the Mainland! The first one I displayed here is from California. The owner's been here for 2 weeks already. I assume he has homesteads in California & on this island. I guess some people can afford that. At least 50 of those from the Mainland come from California. Hmmm... what's so special about Hilo, & this island, that brings people here every year, even to bringing these special cars?

  
  

   

  
  

  I have more pictures of some other cars, but this is getting picture-heavy. I'm hoping to get into Hilo tomorrow to get pics of a few more of these gorgeous cars. Maybe I'll find something really special? I didn't find the type of car that I had as my first... a '68 Pontiac Firebird covertible. Shucks!

  
  

   

  
  

  I have tickets to a VFW steak-fry for tomorrow. I'm dragging my son with me, no matter what he thinks! He can sit on the grass if nothing else. Later, hopefully, we'll go to Hilo for the fireworks display off Coconut Island (next to Liliokalani Gardens). I know if we do get there, I'll be cruising through the classic cars again.

  • 3:16 am
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