"My neighbor has a circular driveway. He can't get out of it." - Stephen Wright

I spent most of today with Dennis. He's 72 and a full-blood Shinnecock Indian, the tribe indigenous to this end of Long Island. Dennis is the definition of the word understated. He doesn't talk much and when he does the volume is low. But I found our time together fascinating in several ways.

I pretty much quizzed him about his heritage, his tribe, his life as a Native American, and Shinnecock history. Dennis and his wife Christine (who is a Native American from Oklahoma) don't live on the reservation but he took me to the house his father built and where he grew up.

And we went to see cars.
Oh my.

I realize some of you don't care a whit about cars and certainly aren't as interested in all things automotive as me. So think of something that does interest you and then imagine seeing a group of the very best and rarest of that thing all in one place and all in perfect condition.

We started out looking in on Connie. He's 82, a retired farmer, and does cars as a hobby. He had a couple of 50s Dodge pickups, two Chevy trucks, two Toyota MR2's (climbing in value), and a couple of Model A's. None of them are show-stoppers or high-end restorations. Hey, he paints them with cans of spray paint. But he's having fun doing what brings him joy. And because he lives on the east end of the island (i.e. the Hamptons) where crazy people have crazy money he sells these vehicles for WAY more than they're worth.
Go for it, Connie!

Then we walked across the parking lot to a string of metal warehouse-type buildings to see what I still can't believe.
I took a TON of pictures because I looked at cars I'll never see again, but on the way back Dennis said I shouldn't put them on the internet because the owner is a very private person and doesn't like attention.

He owns several high-end restaurants in NYC, has done vintage racing for years, and has Dennis watch over things during the week when he's in the city. Dennis is there to receive cars that arrive (a Ferrari yesterday) and are shipped out, make sure the heat and AC are on.....
The guy has two mechanics to work on the cars. Dennis said he doesn't know which end of a wrench to hold.
Every one of his cars is in immaculate condition.

A good Ford GT40 is worth between $8-10 million, with low mileage examples toping that.
He has three of them parked side by side.
A Bugatti race car from the 30's.
At least a dozen Jaguars including D and E Type race cars from the 50s, all in perfect condition.
A mid-50s Jaguar coupe that may be the most beautiful shade of green I've ever seen on a most gorgeous car. Next to it were identical Jags in white and blue.
A '66 Mustang GT350 fastback.
A half dozen classic hot rods - 32 Fords mostly.
A 2017 McLaren with 150 miles on it. (You apply to McClaren to buy one; they have to approve you.)
And on and on and on.

Every one of those cars is registered, plated, insured, and driven except the McClaren and one of the GT 40's that has less than 100 miles on it.
He doesn't race anymore but keeps every one of them ready to go if he decided to.

I was told by a couple of the guys in church that Dennis would take me to see some pretty nice cars but this was way beyond what I could have imagined. A guy who owned one GT40 or a McClaren is playing at the top end of the game. This guy is WAY over the top.

So the day was almost overstimulating. I learned a TON about Native American culture and Dennis' experiences growing up in it.
(By the way, Dennis showed me some pretty serious wood carving he does and he has a model train collection that is beyond impressive.)
And cars. Oh my, cars.

Maybe all of that is why I'm pooped. I think a cup of coffee and a night's sleep are what this body needs.