Ol' Man Winter

If you were outdoors early on Saturday morning in the mid-Atlantic region, you were met with a blast from Ol’ Man Winter.  It was the first morning in months that nearly featured a search for the ice scraper.

Automotive enthusiast communities, like Canadian geese, begin to adapt.  Migrations to the AWD daily driver occur.  Like the backyard pool, the summer car eventually dons a cover.  Conditioning the tank of gas gains favor over conditioning the leather and paint.  Cruises in the seasonal car dwindle to a trickle until the forecast shows the first chance of road salt applications.  There is no trepidation.  There is no recourse.  The pride and joy meets the trickle charger.   

39° 29.847', -76° 39.177'.  Our coordinates predicate our seasonal predicament.  It doesn’t take a scan through the Farmers’ Almanac to know that there will be meteorological bumps in the road over the next 3-4 months.  There are communities in the south that forge ahead with absolutely no need for deployment of back-up vehicles.  Our community’s card is forced.  We have to be a bit more creative and intuitive through the ebb and flow of winter.  One Saturday, there may be snow.  Another Saturday, there may be hints of spring. 

We adapt.  We don’t close for the winter!  The wheels keep turning.  When you rise in the morning and check the TV broadcast’s regional weather radar, choose the vehicle that makes sense for the conditions.  If the situation doesn’t work in your favor, your next opportunity is one week away. 

The summer car may be destined for the garage but the enthusiast doesn’t hibernate.  We may gather outdoors in great numbers or we may gather around a few tables in the coffee shop.   From manageable winter weather to perfect cruising weather and everything in between, we’ll be in Hunt Valley and we hope to see you around the next corner!