Boys*, Toys, Speed...

This is a picture heavy post and I am condensing two weeks and hundreds of photos into a bakers dozen with hopefully very few words.  I hope you enjoy this adventure of Boys, Toys and the NEED for SPEED!
Bonneville Salt Flats is the nirvana of land speed records for all things fast...cars, trucks and motorcycles.  Mr. C has numerous vehicles he works on for others who pursue their passion of record breaking speed.  Bonneville is in Utah.  We stay in Wendover on the Nevada/Utah border.  Nothing but hotels and casinos!  No fabrics stores, no big box stores, no bead stores...one market and some fast foods with about six hotel/casinos!  I never went out to the salt but stayed in town and walked and observed people.  I read, did some coloring pages and my favorite relaxing Sashiko stitching.

Mr. C preparing our truck for the salt flats.  Spraying 4 large cans to the undercarriage of the truck.  Very messy!!!  I had the joy of mopping up the floor after the spraying.  YUCK!!!
An 8 hour drive to reach Wendover.

Mr. C took all these photos from the salt flats.  No less than four filming crews for this BUB International Motorcycle Meet.  Helicopters and cameras and lots of excitement.

Mr. C and his wind system ready to install along the 11 mile long course.  Salt is very hard and cannot be pounded into easily.  Drill, pound, drill, pound, soak with water and so on...

Seven of these stations along the 11 mile course.  Tough hard work!  These stations have more to them and then communicate with a tower and Mr. C's computer programs to read wind speed from both the mountain side and the highway side for riders to know every moment of their opportunities to make a run.

This is why you spray the undercarriage as the salt sticks and corrodes everything.  One guy at the gas station in town thought we had been four wheeling in the snow.  He was from out-of-town.

The Weather Station Tower.  As you can see the entire Salt Flats are very bleak and that is why I stayed away.  Hot!  Salty!  Windy!  Desolate!  Sun Beating Down!  Dirty!  Sticky!  Not for me.

People come from all over the world for this meet.  This classic Rolls Royce comes every year from British Columbia and pulls his motorcycle in a trailer behind the Rolls.  I met people from Finland, Australia, Japan and so many more places.  Amazing.  I also must say that this is not only for men and boys.  *The women were KILLING the records.  At the completion of the meet there was a party to honor everyone and the women out-numbered the men.  Truly amazing!!!

I mentioned windy.  This is the rain that comes up after the wind.  Over 6 inches fell in just one short few hours.  Of course the courses are closed and everyone waits and hopes for another day of perfect salt.

This is the BUB Streamliner.  Previous record holder at 367 mph.  They were trying for 400 but got stalled by the rain.  They did make a run of 323 but were stuck in 3rd gear.  The Streamliner is sitting on a four-wheeled cart.  It does not run on the four wheels...only the two wheels you can barely see.  The rider is the third from the right.  Mr. C is waving.  At this point they must pack up and return in a couple weeks hoping for better weather and speed.

Mr. C after a day of recovering his wind systems along the course.  Exhausted but happy I say.

Safely home after another 8 hour drive and about 1500 miles put on the truck.  The sprinkler is set under to loosen the salt.  A long process of moving and waiting.

Next the hose treatment.  Then the pressure washer I didn't photograph.  Three separate pressure washings over two days.  Then we had glorious rain that dumped 1 1/2 inches and helped clean the truck.  Now we have been home a week and the truck is still dumping clumps of salt on the driveway.  Thankfully we made it home just before our water pump bearings went out.  As we drove through that long lonely desert I was always saying my prayers as we passed others with their hoods up.  Little did I know how fortunate we were.  All repaired and thankfully the truck will be staying home with me.  No more salt for now.  Mr. C is heading to Bakersfield next..in the car.
Thank you for your healing energy.  I am recovering.  Physical therapy and exercises are helping.  Seems like my Sciatic nerve got really angry and didn't like my long truck drive/rides or my walking so much in Wendover.  I am very thankful nothing worse is wrong.
Now to get into my studio and sewing room and have some real fun.  Leave the speed records for Bonneville Salt Flats and the others.  
I am embracing the beginning of Autumn.  Cooler nights and glorious days.  Bye Summer...I will miss you.