What's in Dave's trunk this week?

[aeoliandave]

The fronts

 

[aeoliandave]

and the tops. I see I have confuzzled which machine has which flaws but the pictures make that clear. We'll be restoring the darker pink one.


 


I'm off to the west to find Chuck Chatham and tour the Piper Airplane factory Museum in Lock Haven PA.

 

[normvac]

Dave, Did I miss your Visit with John ?

You just mention John because of the toast he gifted you. Did you do any vacuum shopping or exchanging while in Pittstown ??
I love the Magnaus Organ. That was the Keyboard that Launched my Piano playing
times. Back about 1953, maybe 54. All I ever wanted was a piano so I could
play piano and sing like The Man !! Liberace !! (Now what does that tell you ?)
Thanks for the forgotten Memory Flash back !
Norm

 

[gottahaveahoove]

DAve DID stop by!

As I was in the midst of the "disaster" here, he witnessed part of my nervous breakdown... WE were able to go for a quick walk, talk, and then I had to return to painting the kitchen. He was great to talk to while I was there working away. Sorry, Dave. NEXT year, things will be better OR I'll be in the ground OR in a nice institution, where they can "look after me", lolol. I sent a huge bag of non-HOOVER bags, etc as well as the coffeepot and a nice little HOOVER handivac! Great to see you again, Dave. He took a few pics, I believe.......

 

[aeoliandave]

Norm...toast? What toast?


But I did pounce upon a bargain Toast-O-Lator in Binghampton...


 


Liberace? I've been snapping up every Liberace vinyl LP I find at Stratford's Sally Ann and Goodwill. He was fantastic and I surely remember watching his show on B&W TV. Mom and the grandparents loved him...Dad, not so much maybe. In any event on later listening 40 years later Liberace was very very very good! (I have zero interest in the Micheal Douglas bio-pic currently in post-production) I prefer to remember the real man without the fictional gauze of time and innuendo infecting his legacy.


 


John, everything was perfect including your fine handsome 'keeping heart&head-above-water' self; you are in the best of hands - your own, my friend. A few select pictures will be posted.


But first - I just pulled off the road in torrential rains here in Clearfield PA for the night at a nice old Rodeway Inn.


I did make it to Chuck Chatham's shop in Lewisburg at noon and we managed a delightful 2 hour visit before he had to close and keep appointments. Wonderful charming one-man vacuum Store expertly serving the community and liberally 'decored' with vinatge vacuums on display throughout - more pictures will be posted.


I then scooted on to Lock haven to tour the Piper Airplane Museum for the second time. As I left it began to sprinkle and so here I am, safe and off the road for another night. And it's still only Wednesday...

 

[aeoliandave]

Pittston and long John...er...John Long.


 


Pittston, like all the settlements along the west side of the Pocono Mountains, lies in a valley. In fact the shores of the Susquehanna River.  Consequently these towns and cities have steep side streets with neighborhood houses perched upon the hillsides.


here I am coming down John's hill toward the downtown core.


 


John's house is hard to make out on the left about opposite the yellow 'children walking' sign.

 

[aeoliandave]

John's house - with the round attic occulus - be-wreathed for the holidays.


 


John was raised in this house and you can see how close he is to his church and the nuns.

 

[aeoliandave]

Festive, 'tis the season

 

[aeoliandave]

We went out for a fresh air walk down the hill past the church then across a bridge to the opposite side to stroll past the grand homes that were deluged halfway up the first floors by the floods.


 


Crossing the Susquehanna affords a glorious view of the downtown.

 

[aeoliandave]

Unless you'd lived it, it is difficult to imagine even from news reports that the flood waters reached the deck of this bridge. Meaning the water also crept up the bluffs destroying foliage, trees and houses alike.

 

[aeoliandave]

Tree damage

 

[aeoliandave]

more remains.


Flood waters crested at least 8 feet above that street in the background. Grand homes are built on that street facing the river view.

 

[aeoliandave]

As John explained, most of these homes are once again occupied but folks are living totally on the second floors which did not flood. The ground floors and basements are still being restored by an army of renovators.

 

[aeoliandave]

House 2

 

[aeoliandave]

House 3

 

[aeoliandave]

House 4


 


Rocco, or his staff were working on this house. I was stopped in my tracks when the strapping lad moved into the front window hefting a beam or something with muscles popping from his tight t-shirt.

 

[aeoliandave]

Like a crazed stalker I lingered on the sidewalk chatting with John while we waited for the guy to appear again. This is the best I could manage before I felt like we were being too obvious. LOL


 


Equally obvious were the Christmas decorations and flags out on almost every house as Pittston-ers strive to remain upbeat about their situations.

 

[aeoliandave]

I'm not sure if this 1950s home escaped the flood waters, as it sits higher up on a corner lot but I loved the flat-roof post modern design. Notice the slanted picture windows.

 

[aeoliandave]

Back across the river we came strolling up to the street behind John's. man o man, Davy's wee legs are not used to walking up hills. This rock lane points towards John's backyard up the hill, to the left of the fir trees.

 

[aeoliandave]

Back inside John made me some hot cacao and got right to work painting the kitchen walls. Then the phone rang.


No slouch he...John multitasks with ease, out of necessity to get this reno DONE.

 

[aeoliandave]

Fortified by steaming cacao I bid my adieus until next year. As John mentioned, he gifted me some nonHoover items and a very nice blue Handivac. I've removed the handle for this pic so it would fit in the car spaces.

 

[aeoliandave]

Up the road to Dunmore to see John Gregory's Sweeper central Store.


 


I thought I had taken a good picture of the storefront but I must have deleted it. This will have to do...

 

[aeoliandave]

Last time I was here two years ago the store was decorated with some of John's vintage collection.


 


They are all cleared out now having been sent over to TTI's Glenwillow Ohio Corporate offices where they are on display in the 'History Walk', I think it's called. I hope to see them on this trip.


 


So now his gorgeous gleaming store displays all the latest Hoover models as well as Royal - TTI product lines.

 

[aeoliandave]

Other wall

 

[aeoliandave]

Prominent inside the entrance is this new Hoover line of Steam Cleaners. I first saw these in Minneapolis and was quite taken with them.


While John attended to customers I was able to examine them more thoroughly and I do believe I want to have the big round one with the long wands. Excellent build quality and extremely versatile.

 

[aeoliandave]

From Dunmore with the sun setting I returned to my funky Rodeway Inn in Scranton which has thi lovely blue tile bathroom.


 


It was only on my return that I noticed the large SUBARU Dealership directly across the street. That was my first stop Wednesday morning. I got a key chain and a dealer sticker as souvenirs. The guys all came out to admire the Sprocket Rocket.

 

[aeoliandave]

How could I  miss this?

 

[aeoliandave]

The sign looked so pretty all lit up I parked in front of it for a photo.

 

[aeoliandave]

Prepared with Chuck Chatham's vacuum Store address I set the Garmin for Lewisburg PA.

 

[aeoliandave]

The entrance into Chucks shop gives a hint of the type of architecture that lines the downtown corridor and side street residences. Cucks building retains its original interior layout and he has artfully arranged vintage vacuums to share the space with the Tacony vacuums he sells. but as the sign says - he services ALL makes.