With our annual holiday party being postponed by what the TV people refer to as “wintry mix,” a small squadron of Shenandoah PCA members took advantage of a break in the weather for an enjoyable jaunt through the countryside on December 15.
As befits a Porsches & Pastrami event, everyone assembled at Durty Nelly’s Pub in Charlottesville for sandwiches and camaraderie. In an unsuccessful attempt to do some Christmas shopping on my way west, I arrived fashionably late. But our genial host Gary Hagar expedited a tasty hot pastrami on rye that I managed to wolf down while we had our drivers meeting and were issued route directions.
With Webmaster Jim Condon and Region President Sherry Westfall leading the way in their Arena Red 996, the multicolored parade of Porsches headed out of town in a southerly direction on Route 29 and then onto Red Hill Road, Taylors Gap Road, picturesque Edge Valley Road, and Plank Road through Batesville and later Crozet.
Driving solo in the only non-Porsche in the group (what a wuss!), I missed a lot of the scenery. However, post-event perusal of the route notes tells me there was a lot of it, including some mistletoe. (Drat! I was unaccompanied when we drove past it.)
While the temps were brisk, the sun was shining and Herb Distefano and Beverly McNeill had the top down on the official sweeper car, Herb’s pristine white 997 Cabrio. (I guess ex-tank commanders relish fresh air more than the average guy.)
A few PCAers peeled off as we passed near their zip codes, and after about an hour of spirited, but legal motoring, we arrived at Charlottesville High School’s Martin Luther King, Jr. Performing Arts Center.
A few of us then rang in the Christmas season by attending the Charlottesville Municipal Band’s 91st Holiday Concert while the rest headed home.
After donating food to the Emergency Food Bank, we settled in to see and hear our talented Region Secretary Lynne Taylor and her 70 fellow musicians present an enjoyable program of seasonal music.
Selections included Stille Nacht, Greensleeves, Handel’s Hallelujah Chorus, Prokofiev’s Midnight Sleighride, and a number of other Christmas songs and carols.
I abandoned flute lessons in the fifth grade, during a chapter of my life when I was more interested in attaching playing cards to my bicycle spokes and dressing like Elvis and Fonzie, so I am not qualified to be a music critic. Still, I know what I like, and this volunteer group of musicians produced some beautiful sounds.
Lynne did us all proud.
This Porsches & Pastrami wraps up the PCA Shenandoah calendar for 2013.
You won’t have long to wait for 2014 to begin, however.
Mark your calendars for the Annual Planning Meeting on January 11 and our rescheduled Holiday Party on January 18.
Greg Glassner is vice-president of the Shenandoah Region.
