By Kathy Ahrendt

Every once in a while you need to do something dumb... dye your hair purple, lock your keys in the car or set out in the rain to attend a car show.

We did just that – set out in the rain – to attend the Autumn in the Mountains show in Hendersonville, NC on a late September Saturday. It wasn't really raining, just a very light mist as we set out so we figured that we'd be OK heading west. The radar kept showing clearing in the direction we were going.

We got about forty miles when the mist turned into drops then into plops of water on the windscreen. Not too bad so we kept on going. The route we take is very scenic and just as we headed into the town of Lake Lure we noticed that the driver side wiper wasn't functioning properly. We pulled off at the next wide spot and determined that the blade arm had slipped so we put it on again and headed out.

The next swipe of the wipers let us know that there was something else going on so we kept our eyes peeled for a gas station with an overhang or some other place that had cover to make a stop. We found a defunct station and pulled in. Taking a look at the arm under better conditions we saw a crack in the housing that was causing the issue. Since a spare wiper arm is not one of the things we normally carry, we swapped the passenger side arm over to the driver’s side and resumed our trip to the show.

Given the forecast for the day the show was well attended. There were about 35 cars of all types parked in the lot when we got there. By the time the voting was over there were close to 45. Hardy souls who don't let a little water stop them. As we walked past one car we heard one person remarked that they didn't know why people don't drive in the rain... the car gets wet when it is washed so why not drive it in all types of weather.

The organizers had some tents set up with a silent auction, vendors and a tent to just hang out in. The BBQ truck did a brisk business serving some really good food. In order to get everyone on their way a bit early the voting closed just before 1 pm with awards soon afterward. The silent auction raised money for the local Meals on Wheels and the 50/50 raffle winner donated her winnings back to the cause. A very nice gesture.

So if you get a chance to do something dumb make it a car show in the rain. It might turn out to be a smart and fun move after all.