I live in the mountains of Northern New Jersey. Actually they

 

That sounds great to me, Rob. Did you decide that stars are all right after all? I thought you liked concrete, fire hydrants and tall buildings.

I have a nice view at my new house but it's not the same peace and quiet, and dirt, that I loved in Acton.

 

I had a similar experience last evening but not with the S. I just picked up a used Jeep and my wife and I drove to our state park, put the jeep in 4 wheel drive and drove on to the beach backing up just short of the surf. There were only a few vehicles there and the weather was cool with low humidity. The ocean was blue/green and the sun was just starting to set which set the western sky ablaze with beautiful blue and red colors. We turned on some music (oldies) on the portable radio, popped open 2 corona's and took all of this splendor in while sitting in our beach chairs. This is a nice contrast to driving the S as I could only go into the park and stay on hard surfaces when I drove it but now I can venture on to the beach with the Jeep. I now have the best of both worlds. Life is Good!!!

 

Boy, I wish I lived at the beach. Sounds great.

 

Nice write-up Rob. Living here in the Adirondacks I know exactly what you're talking about. Great to see you posting here.
Levi

 

Nice, Rob...I think we will be going out to the Barrel Oak Winery in Oct when the leaves turn. Should be gorgeous. That's where the Mid-A group just had a BBQ - it's in Delaplane, VA, about an hour from home. Beautiful place on a hill.

Did you see the thread about Steve (tenblade2001) getting married? He asked about you.

 

First I'm a little sad to be talking about cool nights in august but....

I love real cool evenings with the top down, the heat on and a crystal clear sky above me.
You get the alternate swirling waves of cool air and warmth from the heater.
I call em swirlies.

 

Well written, Rob. I was right there in the passanger seat with you for a minute.

We get some of that down here...in October.

For the first year or so after Katrina there was no artificial light within five blocks of the beach. And not a whole lot elsewhere in Long Beach. While it's good to see the area begin to recover, the return of street lights, condos, and houses near the beach makes me miss those stary nights cruising a deserted Highway 90 with the top down.

 

Beautifully written, Rob.
The "S-Factor" has many facets, and you described one of my favorites...driving top-down through the night on a cool summer's evening...

 

Funny - I did exactly that last Saturday night. My company's summer picnic was at Blossom Music Center, an outdoor amphitheater in the boonies outside Cleveland. We had dinner, heard the Empire Brass put on a great performance, followed by fireworks. The drive home was under a starry sky with a full moon. The air was cool, and there was little traffic on the freeway.

Beautiful!

JonasM