Who doesn’t love a parade? But, if you were looking forward to the St. Patrick’s Day Parade in McHenry, unfortunately, you’ll have to wait until next year. They won’t turn the Fox River green and the McHenry Shamrocks won’t be dancing, not in the parade, anyhow.McHenry’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade is another victim of the pandemic. But that doesn’t mean you can’t show your Irish pride,

Have you noticed blemishes on the pavement where your car is parked? What’s that all about? Is it something to worry about?The answers to these questions are, ‘Depends.’ That’s probably not the simple answer you were hoping for. The answers really ‘depend’ on where, in comparison to parts of your car, truck or SUV, you find the spots. It also ‘depends’ on the color and odor of the spots,

No, you don't want to spread road salt on yourcar, truck or SUV. But you might want toconsider what road salt from McHenry roadsis doing to your vehicle.Think about it: salt is used to tenderize a steak. It pulls some of the moisture out of the meat and dissolves into the fibers of the meat. Using salt to brine meat is described as ‘similar to osmosis.’ It breaks down protein. It can also ‘lock

What has changed in the world of auto repair? Almost everything. Mostly, the cars have changed. Years gone by, cars were relatively simple. With a little initiative and mechanical inclination, many people were able to work on their own cars. Today, computers dominate the operation of vehicles and the backyard mechanic is in limited supply.Some have said that this mechanical inclination among Americans

According to Wikipedia, the first automatic transmission, "the … Sturtevant ‘horseless carriage gearbox,’” was designed in 1904. But it wasn't until 1939 that General Motors introduced its Hydramatic transmission. And it was a few years after that before automatic transmissions were widely available in vehicles purchased by the general public.Since that time, the automatics have taken over

 Most consumers agree – independent auto repair shops are bestWhen you go to the doctor, you want a doctor you can trust. When you call in a furnace repairman, you want to know they won’t take advantage of your trust. After all, you’re counting on the doctor to help you get well, if you’re sick, or stay well otherwise. You’re counting on your furnace repairman to keep your furnace safe

Is there ever a good time to find yourself stuck on the side of the road miles away from your Wonder Lake home? If there is, it certainly isn’t in the middle of winter. Of course, cell phones help. But what if you’re too far away for a family member or friend to come to the rescue? What if it’s late at night and no auto repair shops are open to respond to your emergency?For that matter, what

It’s late and you’re in a hurry as you cruise north on Route 31 out of McHenry. That wintery day has morphed into a hard, cold night. Clouds are blocking the moon so that there’s no way to detect the sheet of black ice up ahead. Your mind is wrapped up in things you have to do when you get where you’re going. You’re not thinking about that 8-point buck that is stepping out into the road.As

The lights on your car, truck or SUV are more important now than ever. The days of winter in McHenry are shorter. The nights are longer. Cloudy days are more frequent. The net effect of all this is that you’ll spend more time driving in darkened conditions during the winter.Additionally, the spray of road salt on your car, truck or SUV tends to spread a blanket over the vehicle that blends in with

Well, it happened. The snow has finally come to McHenry. It was unlikely we’d go through this entire winter without it but still, somehow, after dodging the flaky-white bullet as long as we have, somehow we were surprised when it did come. Now the question is how to safely remove the snow from your walkways and driveway.The sobering truth is that safely removing snow from surfaces around your McHenry