A thousand pardons for an almost three-month absence, or what I'll call a "blogcation." Continuous weeks of travel, other publication projects and just the need to come up for air after going 110 mph since April when the old car hobby shifts into fourth gear are the reasons for my "Invisible Man" imitation.

    Getting back in the groove of writing a regular blog will be easier during the winter months, when the hobby, overall, winds down a bit, especially from an auction standpoint, which is my focus in Old Cars Weekly.

    Speaking of auctions, I'm going to Mitchell, Indiana, in mid-November to cover a sale of approximately 270 salvage yard vehicles. This particular yard was in business for a long time, so much of its contents goes back to the prewar era. This type of salvage yard is quickly disappearing from our country's landscape, what with all the crushing, urban sprawl and "beautification" movements taking place. It's a shame, really, to think that in the near future the term salvage yard may become extinct. Most of us in the old car hobby have a favorite yard we've visited on a regular basis. Some might have several favorites. It's a good bet that many of these yards have recently closed or had a majority of their vintage vehicles fed to the crusher.

     The other trend I noticed on a recent road trip to and from Branson, Missouri, to cover an auction is the disappearance of what I call "field cars" (a.k.a.: photo opportunities). Old Cars Weekly publishes one of these forgotten treasures in its "Weathered Wheels" segment in each issue, but with all the scrap metal scavangers combing the countryside looking for any metal to purchase, these abandoned vehicles have also disappeared at a quick rate.

     If you intend to attend the Mitchell, Indiana, auction, make sure to say hello. I'll be decked out in Old Cars Weekly apparel, and have a camera attached to my face, so I'll be easily spotted. I'll also be nosing around asking bidders who buy cars at the sale what their plans are from a restoration standpoint. I think we all like closure, and hearing about yard cars rescued and returned to the road makes for great reading.