Week 20: '70 Plymouth AAR 'Cuda

'Cuda. That's Barracuda. Like that French bread-shaped fish with the grr grr grr teeth. Nasty fast car. Nasty looking fish.

I'll get back to this car in a bit, but let's talk fish. I've only seen a real live barracuda (fish) in an aquarium, but during my honeymoon in Jamaica, my wife and I went snorkeling, and I saw a barracuda-like fish below me in the water looking up at me as I swam over. By that, I mean it was vertical, not horizontal, absolutely still, its head pointed toward up like some type of fish rocket ready to blast off.

Everything in Jamaica was more intense. Birds were brighter, insects louder, smells more fragrant, coffee stronger. I swore I had never seen the color blue before seeing it in Jamaica -- all blues back home seemed like cheap chromatic knockoffs when compared to the plumage, fin-age, and ocean-age of bird, fish and water in Jamaica. Divine.

That was the only time I have been to the tropics, and excluding a couple of trips to Canada, the only time I have been out of the country.  The Jamaica trip is legendary to my kids, however, even though Racer Z was only four and Racer A and Baby G were only not born. I'm not even sure they see Jamaica as a real place, but a mythical world, highlighted by the music of Bob Marley, which is embraced by everyone in my family all the way down to Baby G and his lil' baby roots rock skankin' to "Three Little Birds".

Do you see where this is coming from? If you're reading this and you're in the Midwest or Northern U.S., then you know -- below zero temps and the primary color outside being Grey Dirty Slush, part of the Midwestern January Palette, which also includes the popular Threatening Sky, Road Salt Stain White, and Frozen Finger Blue shades. I'm ready for color.

Which is why I love my bird feeder. Flashes of color arrive like wisps of party music from a far off house, and while many don't have the color intensities of their Jamaican brethren, the contrast of red cardinals, yellow warblers, blue bluejays, red-capped woodpeckers and even the tropical coloring of a scarlet tanager the other day are highlighted vivid against the grey of an Ohio January. How cool is to be vibrant if everything is colorful? No, Ohio is able to really give them the proper visual contrast they deserve.

So how does a birdfeeder, Jamaica and grey January even remotely relate to a 1970 Plymouth AAR Baracuda? Perhaps you are thinking my connection is nonexistant? 

Let me tell you: AAR stands for All American Racers, driver Dan Gurney's racing team; Dan was the primary driver for the 1970 Barracuda in the Trans-Am racing series. This was a fast, fast car, a three-carburetored factory-built racer.

January in Ohio may seem long, but we're almost to February, and winter is flying by, just like a 1970 Barracuda -- I'm planning my garden and exploring summer activity options for my kids. The winter is a blur, a flurry blur, and warm weather is waiting at the finish line up ahead.

Now it may also be that I simply picked the above Hot Wheels because it is a cool muscle car.

 You will have to decide.

Above is a picture taken by Jim McCormac of a scarlet tanager, from the Ohio Dept. of Natural Resources website.

Winter zipping picture of my 'Cuda courtesy of Phil Pekarcik - Go 'Cuda, Go! Even winter can't catch you!

For those collecting at home, the  '70 Plymouth AAR 'Cuda pictured is 2 of 10 of the Hot Wheels 2010 Muscle Mania Collection, and was released in a  tropical fish collection of orange, blue, yellow, white, green, and magenta.