I had my first Saturday off in ages today, but true to my profession I could not leave the house without a camera, despite the protest of my husband.
For over two years I have been passing this pink 1958 Cadillac Eldorado Biarritz, dying to stop and take a photo, but I was either on my way to an assignment or on my way back home, trying to beat my deadline.
Today, I had time on my hands and the light was right. I had my husband slam on the breaks, over protest of course, and I got out and knocked on the door. A sweet young woman opened it, her toddler and dog following behind her.
The young woman explained to me that the car belonged to a friend and that he had been working on it in their yard, restoring it a little at a time. Neither her husband nor the owner of the car were there. But I had time, a pretty woman, a cute kid, a dog, and a pink Cadillac. What more could a photographer asked for? I pleaded.
At first, she was a little suspicious of someone tromping onto her property wanting to take photos, but once she realized that I was a harmless romantic photographer, she was more than accommodating.
This photo was not taken in Crisfield, but it was still in our county. When you visit and try out all our restaurants and shop in all our stores, and enjoy our beautiful bay, there are gems to be seen all over Somerset County. Come. Eat. Enjoy. Explore. And come back again!
I want to thank the young woman, whose name I did not get, for posing for me. Photographers know that sometimes kids don't want to corporate, but this little boy was a real camera ham. And there was icing on the cake; even the dog posed.
I can't tell you how many feature shots I have taken for newspapers when a dog did not want to cooperate, meaning I would see someone jogging with their dog or riding a bike with their dog running along side them. The kind of perfect composition that makes you wear down those breaks. But once I got out of the car, the dog would run off in another direction or towards me, or if on a leash, would break step and move in another direction.
Some of you may remember Bruce Springsteen's Pink Cadillic song, written in 1998. Even though it was written it '98, I am posting the below lyrics in honor of a time when fins were king, and cars cruised the small towns of America, the guy at the wheel, his arm around his baby, and the AM radio playing sweet songs. Small towns still had theaters, mom and pop stores, drive-in theaters and restaurants, and soda fountain drug stores.
If only cars could talk. I am such a romantic when it comes to old cars.
"You may think I'm foolish
For the foolish things I do
You may wonder how come I love you
When you get on my nerves like you do
Well baby you know you bug me
There ain't no secret 'bout that
Well come on over here and hug me
Baby I'll spill the facts
Well honey it ain't your money
'Cause baby I got plenty of that
I love you for your pink Cadillac
Crushed velvet seats
Riding in the back
Oozing down the street
Waving to the girls
Feeling out of sight
Spending all my money
On a Saturday night
Honey I just wonder what you do there in back
Of your pink Cadillac
Pink Cadillac
Well now way back in the Bible
Temptations always come along
There's always somebody tempting
Somebody into doing something they know is wrong
Well they tempt you, man, with silver
And they tempt you, sir, with gold
And they tempt you with the pleasures
That the flesh does surely hold
They say Eve tempted Adam with an apple
But man I ain't going for that
I know it was her pink Cadillac
Crushed velvet seats
Riding in the back
Oozing down the street
Waving to the girls
Feeling out of sight
Spending all my money
On a Saturday night
Honey I just wonder what it feels like in the back
Of your pink Cadillac
Now some folks say it's too big
And uses too much gas
Some folks say it's too old
And that it goes too fast
But my love is bigger than a Honda
It's bigger than a Subaru
Hey man there's only one thing
And one car that will do
Anyway we don't have to drive it
Honey we can park it out in back
And have a party in your pink Cadillac."
At The Hop, All I Have To Do is Dream, Bird Dog, It's All In The Game, It's Only Make Believe, Poor Little Fool, Twilight Time, Bye Bye Love, Sweet Little Sixteen, Tears On My Pillow, Who's Sorry Now.
I want a ride in that car when it is ready for the road.
