PastEvents05

January	February		March	April	May	June
2005	2005		2005	2005	2005	2005
click pictures to view past events
July	August		September	October	November	December
2005	2005		2005	2005	2005	2005
		RVW Convention Gillette,Wyoming			Cancelled

Past Events 2007

Past Events 2006

Past Events 2004

On January 7th, our host Beverly and her guest, arrived at Lake Francis in Dobbins, to find the camp staff extremely friendly and helpful. Because of the previous bad weather, the yurt that we had been promised was not quite finished, so we were offered the use of the yurt closer to the office for Friday night and the use of the lodge for Saturday night. After getting set up, several members arrived a day early. The next day 6 more rigs arrived, for a total of 8 rigs, and 12 Freewheelers. Not bad considering the terrible weather. The weather was far better than at home, with hardly any rain except for when we were in for the night. We had hail for about 3 minutes. On Friday evening we gathered at the yurt for a dinner of homemade soup, salad, rolls, casserole, garlic bread and cakes for dessert. On Saturday we met at the lodge with a wonderful fire in the fireplace where after munchies, we all took turns, standing up, telling something about ourselves and what we enjoyed about RVing. Then before dinner, we again took turns giving "Handy Hints" and other bits of knowledge that was very informative for all of us, ranging from the best way to seek high ground when needed to the many uses of polygrip! Afterwards we had a potluck that was absolutely fabulous. On Sunday we visited from RV to RV so that we could become better aquatinted, saw some of our members leave, with the ones of us lucky enough to be able to stay till Monday, having leftovers and sharing our extras with each other. Monday, January 10th, the rest of us bid fair adieu. All in all it was a great weekend with many in the group wanting to return to such a great place, where all profits go to providing camp for abused and underprivileged children, which is another story, for another time since I feel I have already written a book.
Your January host, Bevelry H

REPORT ON FEBRUARY OUTING HOSTED BY SHIELA WELT AND PATTI PATTON
Thousand Trails, Morgan Hill, CA

Four rigs arrived on Thursday evening. No camp fire Thursday, as the fire pit hadn't arrived yet. Friday the other 12 rigs arrived, giving us a total of 16 rigs. Everyone had dinner on their own, some of us went to the restaurant for spaghetti. We had a camp fire and got acquainted with people. Saturday morning Susan and Beth provided breakfast for us. It was, as usual, WONDERFUL! Everyone did their own thing Saturday. Some people played games. We had great finger food munchies at 4:00pm. We initiated two new rigs with a toast and dousing of the front wheel. Dinner was on your own. We had another great camp fire, Patti was, again, the Fire Goddess. Everyone introduced themselves and shared a helpful hint, RV maintenance suggestion, great place to stay, etc. I heard that there were a few hardy women who played board games until 4am Sunday. On Sunday, it was clean out your refrigerator for breakfast. We had more than enough food, with Susan and Beth in charge. Thank you for both breakfasts. Pictures were taken of the Red Hats on Wheels as well as all participants. Nao and Izzi were all decked out in their outfits also. A grand time was had by all! People began leaving in the late am, as check out time was 12 Noon. Six rigs stayed Sunday night - Some of us worked on RVW projects, and we all met in Connie's rig to watch all of part of the Super Bowl. We thank you all; Connie, Ardie & Sally. We had a gentle rain Sunday night. Everyone took to the road about 11am.

"It was a dark and stormy night", and day, and night and day, at the February Freewheelers Boondocking outing at Clear Lake State Park over the President’s Day Weekend! However 5 adventurous, hardy souls, 5 dogs and 2 cats managed to brave the elements and still have a good time. `Surely it was the company! It also gave us a perfect opportunity to share rainy weather camping tips as we huddled around Jeri's table for our evening "social hour." Jeri also gave us an inservice on her portable defibrillator. `Hopefully we will never need to use it but it certainly can be a life saver. Activities were limited due to the weather, but the fisherman were catching crappie off the bridge and the dogs (and cats) got their walks in between showers. Boats were on the lake and even a seaplane made an appearance. It was a good reading and relaxing week-end and who doesn't like the sound of rain drops falling on the RV roofs?

REPORT ON MARCH OUTING HOSTED BY LYNN PAYTON
Canyon Creek RV Resort, Winters, CA

Canyon Creek March 4-5, 2005. Some of our Freewheelers arrived early on Thursday anticipating Spring. Rain poured on our roofs Thursday night and Friday morning, but the afternoon cleared, and the rest of the weekend dawned sunny, warming our senses for Spring. The merganser ducks were back again this March on Putah Creek, and those of us who do bird watching saw a great blue heron, some scaups and buffleheads, hawks, and the ever present mallards and turkey buzzards. The weather was so glorious eight of our rigs stayed on until Monday with the exception of Kip and Nell, and Connie Mart who stayed until Tuesday. Our annual business meeting was held on Saturday afternoon with Kip presiding. Mary Sue. Activities Chair, gave a report on future outings and the need to make reservations a year in advance for many parks. After the meeting Sheila and Patti gave a short presentation on State Laws regarding braking systems on tow vehicles and distributed handouts. Beth showed an anode for water heaters. There will be a joint camping weekend with the So Ca chapter at Buelton near Solvang. Date will be announced in the newsletter when it is agreed on. We had cocktails and munchies at Connie and Nancy’s Friday night, and then moved over to a large corner area next to Mary Sue’s and Irene’s rig for our fire circle. Penny presided as our Fire Goddess; I think we need a ceremony to install whomever becomes our official Goddess. Saturday, we had our fantastic calorie laden pot luck and desert trough. Oink, Oink. Beth and Susan cooked up sausages, eggs, bacon, waffles and buttery biscuits on Saturday and Sunday morning. We know who did the cooking, and we also know who did the talking. If you don’t know, you better come to the next outing. Thank you again Beth and Susan for providing the things that make life most enjoyable: good food and conversation. The weather was so incredibly warm and spring like, I think everyone stayed at the campground soaking up the sun. I sat by the creek reading, writing, and bird watching most of the day, while others visited their many friends who were sitting out under their awnings. I think many of us would have liked to stay all week sitting in the sun during the day, and at night warming our feet close to the fire, and looking up at the white stars, and as far as I know, maybe Kip and Nell did.
See you on the road,
Lynn Payton

Blue Lakes, CA April 1-3, 2005. Seventeen rigs and 26 women showed up at the April Freewheelers campout at Pine Acres Resort at Blue Lakes for a long weekend with weather ranging from torrential rains to clear, sunny, but cool days. Fortunately we had a nice clubhouse with a wood stove to keep us from suffering from the elements and provided a venue to share tips and information about RVing with each other.
    Probably the most exciting thing to happen was the 4 or 5 rigs that entered the lake area on the one lane, two way road to the campground due to the wagonmasters failure to warn of this misleading sign.   I'll bet it was quite a thrill driving that 32 foot rig down that narrow, winding road and meeting up with another car. Fortunately the car did the backing up!
    Learning how to do maintenance on our rigs, especially dealing with the unexpected, is a benefit of attending chapter outings. We had a hands on lesson on how to repair a small hole in the fiberglass side of a rig. Seems an overactive bridge abutment jumped out and punched a small hole by the door. Due to the weather only one coat was applied, but it looked almost new.
    Ardie, Jeri and Sally were busy at their laptops doing RVW business. Jeri gave some impromptu lessons on computer technicalities and everyone could see different ways we can communicate while on the road. Most of us ended up with new Freewheeler decals from Ardie which allow us to identify other members when out on the road.
    And who will forget our biology lesson on duck reproduction. There was a nest of duck eggs right by the door of the clubhouse. The mother duck didn't seem to be bothered by the comings and goings of people right by her nest. But it was another story when the male ducks got too close.
    Beth and Susan whipped up their special biscuits and gravy Saturday morning and on Sunday outdid themselves by making waffles! I am sure the potluck Saturday night put several pounds on everyone. These gatherings provide the informal venue to time to talk about RVing.
    In spite of the weather, I think every one had a pretty good time. Several of us learned how to play dominoes,and the bird of the weekend was a gorgeous male Bullocks Oriole munching on mistletoe berries. It is fun to learn about different things to do, i.e. games and bird watching, when we are traveling in our RV’s.
    Here's to good RVing
Pat Macias-Rain Master.errrrrr Wagon Master.

REPORT ON APRIL BOONDOCK OUTING HOSTED BY SUE COPELAND AND GLORIA JARVIS
Lake Pardee, CA

    Eleven rigs with sixteen women met at Lake Pardee April 22-24 for a boondocking weekend. Green grass, an abundance of wild flowers, great sites and a beautiful lake made this a great setting for a spring weekend. With no hookups at our campsite area, everyone had a chance to practice being totally self-contained and get a refresher on the readouts for tank capacities.
    The area where we all camped included a group campsite. We were able to use the group fire pit and tables. On Friday night, we met for cocktails and hors d'oeuvres, with a campfire after dinner. Saturday was raining off and on, but at 5:50 pm the sun came out and the rest of the evening was perfect. The wienie roast was a hit, with great food and a large campfire.
    Mary Sue and Irene had their new Lazy Daze and provided an educational session on the battery water filling system that they had installed. On Sunday we all gathered to christen their new rig with champagne and pictures.
    We are considering returning to Lake Pardee next April for another boondocking weekend and wienie roast.

REPORT ON MAY OUTING HOSTED BY JERI MCLEES, BETH GILLIAM & SUSAN DUSHANE
Woodson Bridge RV Park, Corning, CA

On Thursday, May 12, 13 rigs arrived early for the “Spring Clean-up Camp Out.” Friday morning we brought out the bucket of liquid laundry soap w/bleach, telescoping pole & brush for any and all awnings that wanted to be washed. As people came in they also got their awing cleaned. By end of the day 29 rigs were parked, with 45 folks in total, including 1 gal from Texas that had read about our camp out on the RVW website, a full timer out of Alaska, and the gals out of Reno, NV who had called that the fuel pump had gone out of their pickup, but were still determined to join us on Saturday.

At Friday night’s campfire we celebrated Kip Locati’s recent retirement. With a little tongue in cheek humor and fun gifts, a good time was had by all.

On Saturday morning, following our regular breakfast get-together, we went out as a group to perform pre-trip maintenance inspections on each rig. The idea is to share the knowledge as a group, so each one of us develops a comfort level and understanding of our own equipment. We moved from rig to rig checking fluid levels, air pressure, starting up generators, what ever needed attention.

On Saturday evening having set up free shuttle from the nearby Indian casino, some enjoyed buffet and gaming, while others ate at camp and enjoyed yet another wonderful campfire.

Sunday morning we scurried off to the Truck wash. Every rig attending was spit shined and polished. Due to the amount of positive feedback, we made reservations to hold 40 spaces for the first weekend of June next year. Many have already requested to have their same spaces.

REPORT ON JUNE OUTING HOSTED BY PENNY WALKER AND GAIL BALF
Ponderosa RV Resort, Lotus, CA

It was a hot drive for people who came in on Friday. The weather was very warm and the commute traffic on the highway it’s usual horrid self. People set up their camps and enjoyed impromptu munchies and margaritas. Dinner was on our own after which we met at the campfire for sharing stories and catching up on events.

Saturday we gathered for a continental breakfast and a talk given by Nancy Hoffman on Estate Planning. Nancy brought pens and brochures for us and gave a terrific talk that was both informative and entertaining. We learned about planning for those we care about should we become incapacitated or die, living trusts, advanced healthcare directives, durable powers of attorney, what documents we need to take on the road with us and where to keep them in case of emergencies.

The afternoon was spent on our own. Some slept, played games, bird watched, read, worked on their RV’s, took in the views at the camp and visited. Munchies were at 5PM. (Eating again). Mary Sue and Irene stopped by to discuss our chapter’s entry in the talent show at the RVW Convention in Wyoming. They brought music from “Menopause” the play and we all had some good laughs. The feelings expressed in the lyrics were all too familiar to most of us.

We looked at polo shirts that were displayed and placed our orders. Kip is going to order them for us so we can have them for convention in August. Several of us bought the Henley’s Kip brought along as samples. They look terrific with our new logo.

Dinner was on our own, if anyone was still hungry after all those great munchies. We had two fire pits going for our campfire and a great time sharing tales.

Sunday morning, Beth and Susan of biscuit and gravy fame and Beverly, along with several others who brought eggs, bacon, pastries and fruit produced another wonderful breakfast. People said there goodbyes and headed for home.

Some of us lucky retired people got to stay another day. We had an impromptu potluck at Joan’s and root beer floats at Beverly’s. We watched as Kip helped Doris with dog show rally training routines. We weren’t sure if Kayla or Doris needed the training most. We had another campfire that evening…smaller but still lots of camaraderie.

REPORT ON JUNE JOINT OUTING WITH SoCALjourners HOSTED BY JUDY TAYLOR AND JOYCE DENISE
Flying Flags Resort and Campground, Buelton, CA

SoCALjourners volunteered to host this event for June 16-19, 2005, at the Flying Flags Resort and Campground. This was going to be a simple campout because of all the activities available in the area including Wine tasting and the Chumash Casino. Ultimately, most of us did some shopping and looking in Solvang and a few helped to support the Casino. Many of us visited the QUICK SILVER miniature horse farm and the Ostrich farm plus the Monty Roberts FLAGS UP horse farm. Unfortunately, the HORSE WHISPERER was out of town and no demonstrations were being given. Several of us were treated to seeing a newborn foal at the miniature horse farm. We saw the foal at about 10 hours old. We told others about the horses and returned the following day where we saw Ellen Degeneres who had just purchased one of these animals.

We had planned to start this event on Thursday but actually 9 RV’s were scheduled to arrive on Wednesday and that turned into 11. Our group grew from there until by Friday we had filled 45 sites with a total of 71 women. Of course there were those who stayed in local motels and joined our group. The end result was closer to 76. There were 4 women who heard about our group and came over to meet us and get information on RVW.

Our weekend was filled with lots of fun and laughter plus the usual eating. We had two continental breakfasts supplied by the wagonmasters plus a great ice cream social. Two SoCALjourners potential members treated us to every ice cream topping available. Thank you Jackie and Dyxie. The SoCALjourners supplied the potluck dinner for the entire group on Saturday night and the FreeWheelers did the same for our Sunday brunch. We are all great cooks so this was a fantastic feast.

Not all was fun and games. We had several educational opportunities. The first was a short “Things to have while traveling”. Linda Brown presented “Staying Healthy on the Road” which included the 5 wishes we each should have in writing for end-of-life decisions. She stressed the consequences of not having these wishes. Linda also had information on the latest technology involved in joint replacement surgery. Suzanne Seay spoke “About Money.” This was a question and answer period. Several of the attendees presented her with very interesting questions which led to informative answers.

Sunday morning, Jeri McLees told us about the portable defibrillators now available (AED’s) for personal use and it’s value in saving a life – and shared her experience on how one did save the life of her business partner and friend. She had one to demonstrate its ease of use. We also discovered that there is current legislation in the works to require schools to have one available as well as health club facilities. Jeri told the group that if anyone wanted further information, to contact her at jeriqeg@comcast.net and she’d put an AED manufacturer in contact with the individuals – several members expressed an interest.

The entertainment aspect of this campout was also great. Ria Jeanneret organized and led a mixer to help us get to know other members better. Some of the questions were very searching but provided us with a better insight into our fellow campers. Becky Kordones, of the SoCALjourners, taught us some line dances. Those who watched the dancing enjoyed it as much as those who participated. We also had the opportunity to do other dancing as well. Devra Wolfe, the daughter of a SoCAL member, led an instrument jam session. Several women attended with their own music makers or used those supplied. Devra had printed the words and keys to many songs and these were passed out to the women for our sing-along Saturday night. We are a multitalented group! One of our guests performed a hula dance for us. She hadn’t planned on doing the dance but we all appreciated her performance. There were door prizes given out during the weekend at various group functions.

There were a total of 38 SoCALjourners present, 22 FreeWheelers and 11 “Newbies” or non-committed women plus at least 4 women who did not make their names known. We also had two National Board members present, Mary Sue Farrell and Sally Johnson. They were introduced as well as the chapter chairs of SoCALjourners, Bev Laing, and FreeWheelers, Kip Locati.

The SoCALjourners are still wondering WHO HAD THE BRIGHT IDEA TO ADD NOR TO OUR SOCAL SIGN? Any one going to admit to this prank?

We departed looking forward to the FreeWheelers hosting another joint campout with the SoCALjourners in the future.

Submitted by Judy Taylor and Joyce Denise, rally leaders.

REPORT ON JULY OUTING HOSTED BY MARY SUE FERRELL AND IRENE PAULIN
Casini Ranch Family Campground, Duncans Mills, CA

27 rigs and 47 women (5 first timers, 2 from NV, 2 from TX & AZ) made their way to the rustic family campground on the Russian River. Thanks to Patti Patton for using her expertise and tools in checking out the electric hookups and identifying 6 that had only 20 amps. As a result rigs were assigned based on their willingness to make due with less than 30amps. Since the weather was cool, and air conditioners not needed, even some Class A’s who wanted to be in the group site adjusted. Turns out even a microwave can be run, but not with anything else on. And then there is always the generator that can bail you out for short periods of time. A few rigs, wanting to avoid Friday traffic on US 101, unintentionally provided up close and personal lessons on driving a large motor home on narrow roads. Sometimes those little black roads have hairpin curves so tight that disconnecting the tow car is necessary, and trees so low that air conditioner covers get scratched. Friday evening, Irene and Mary Sue who were the wagon masters for the weekend, hosted a wine tasting with cheese and munchies from the group. There is such variety in wine that even some “non wine drinkers” found a flavor they liked. And the food you eat with a wine can make all the difference in the world!

The “traditional” Susan and Beth’s biscuit/gravy breakfast continues to get bigger and better and is enjoyed by all. After breakfast we toasted our newlywed, Teri Shugart. Next we christened the new rig of Margo and Debbie, our Nevada contingent, who traveled 7 hours to Casini. A group of 17 took off to check out Korbel Cellars, and then proceeded to the town of Windsor for an exclusive wine tasting conducted by Mac McDonald, the wine maker at Vision Cellars. Our planned educational opportunity was a dinner potluck of dishes that were good for meals on the road—simple to make, could be prepared in advance or purchased. Recipes were provided.

Around the campfire an impromptu educational session occurred when members presented incidents that happened to their rigs and information that was important for everyone. One situation involved a mechanical breakdown over the 4^th of July weekend where they were left at the side of the road for 24 hours. There was discussion of what should have happened and experience with various providers of breakdown service insurance. The 2^nd situation was a flat tire on a trailer as they pulled into Casini Ranch. The rig owners discovered their spare tire was flat and the lug nuts were so tight they couldn’t get them loose. Thanks to a Good Samaritan, Teri’s husband Jim, the tire was changed. They learned about equipment they needed to have and shared the specifics of a nifty generator, compressor and battery charger—all in one—that proved quite useful.

The criteria for a good FreeWheelers’ weekend are the sharing of information, good food and camaraderie. We met the mark. Hosting an outing, and this was our first, was a very rewarding experience. For those of us who had to leave on Sunday, we prepared our rigs for travel and said our goodbyes. For those who stayed, another adventure was planned to the nearby town of Occidental.

REPORT ON AUGUST OUTING HOSTED BY BEVERLY HILTACHK
Collins Lake Recreation Area
August 12-14, 2005

Upon arriving at Collins Lake on Thursday morning, Beverly found two members already there with 8 more rigs to arrive that day. We got together under the mister fans in the shade for munchies and good conversation. A total of 32 women in 22 rigs participated in this outing. On Friday, with temperatures around 100 degrees, we had an instructional time on how to use your refrigerator while boondocking without a generator or battery. We also learned the ins and outs of some of the new type awnings. Later that evening 24 of us went to Yuba City for dinner and home made ice cream. On Saturday after a potluck breakfast with Susan providing her famous biscuits and gravy, we rented a pontoon boat that held 15 people and took turns going out on the lake. We had a session on boating safety. Later that day Mary Sue provided us with a very informative class on tires-including a handout on deciphering the letters and numbers on each tire- importance of routine maintenance, how to determine correct pressure, and pressure monitoring system. That evening we had a potluck, voted on lights that all of us had on our rigs, with Jane and Shirley taking first for the tackiest lights, Jeri taking first for the prettiest and Babe and Harumi taking first for most unusual for their combined efforts. We also discovered many "secrets" about each other, via a fun quiz that we had been working and guessing on for days, and ended up with root beer floats for all. On Sunday, those of us lucky enough to be able to stay over were treated to games during the day, cooler weather, another potluck of leftovers and a session on cell phones, laptops and the uses of each while traveling. Monday we broke camp, with "see you in Gillette", and "can we do this again, next year?"
Beverly

OUCH AND THANKS! At the recent Collins Lake outing, I took quite a spill but we all learned a wonderful lesson about our Freewheeler friends! Being a natural klutz, I took a tumble on her way to the
pontoon boat – but thanks to a mystery man who happened to be right there, I was soon “uprighted” and being helped to the Freewheelers campsite – Nao coming along but very upset and distraught to see her mom in pain and all that blood. Before they even got to my rig, Connie had taken charge of Nao, Beth was there to lend a hand and an ace bandage, Beverly had an ice pack and Irene was there with gauze and hydrogen peroxide to clean up the wounds (superficial as they were, they sure did bleed a lot in the beginning). Connie then wrapped the sprained ankle (soon to be checked and re-done by Nancy) and everyone else was there asking to assist or offering help - -and checking in periodically. A cane materialized, a walkie talkie was provided “just in case” and the next morning Irene & Mary Sue announced they were driving me (and Nao) home. Everyone pitched in to load up my rig and get me ready for the trip back. As diagnoses by our nurse friends (I think there were 7 there that weekend), it’s a bad sprain and a torn tendon…but it could have been so much worse. For me this was truly an educational seminar – be sure you have all the first aid equipment available, just in case, and you make sure you have several nurses in attendance at each outing and then watch where you’re walking! Thanks to everyone (named or unnamed) who helped.
Jeri

REPORT ON OCTOBER OUTING HOSTED BY ARDIE JARRETT
Olema Ranch Campground
September 30 - October 2, 2005

The eighth annual FreeWheelers’ Anniversary was held at Olema Ranch Campgrounds. We had 28 rigs, 2 tents, and 5 people who drove in for the occasion, making a grand total of 50 participants, five of whom were guests. We won’t begin to count the pets, but we did have a rabbit and a parrot. It took a while to figure out the campfire’s location, but magically it appeared at Phyllis and Marilyn’s campsite.

Saturday morning started off with a wonderful breakfast of biscuits and gravy, sausage, rolls, juice and coffee produced mainly by Beth and Susan. What a great way to start off a weekend, which coupled with fine weather, made it easy to check out the new rigs and visit with one another. The RV park was close to Pt. Reyes National Seashore with the “Earthquake walk” which was about the San Andreas fault line.

The board furnished bratwursts, buns, and sauerkraut, while everyone else brought something to add to make a great Anniversary bar-be-cue dinner, topped of with cake. Connie Mart, guitar, and Kathy Moore, accordion, provided entertainment Saturday evening.

We christened Kip and Nell’s new Itasca 34 foot rig, and dedicated the new FreeWheeler sign, which Patti and Sheila had made and donated to the group. We took a group picture in front of the sign.

Our major educational segment was spent reporting on the convention held in Gillette, WY and some of the different experiences the various attendee’s had. Informally there were discussions about a new method to clean tanks, customizing cabinets for better storage plus troubleshooting awnings, tires and batteries. Considerable time was also spent fixing the damage to Kip and Nell’s new rig, when Kip found out it was longer than their old 30 footer. That kind of christening they could have done without.

All in all, everyone had a great relaxing time, the weather was good, and we hope that we may add some new members to our group. By the way, Happy Birthday, Jeri!!!

REPORT ON DECEMBER OUTING HOSTED BY CONNIE MC KENNA AND NANCY HOFFMAN
Delta ShoresResort
Isleton, CA December 2-4, 2005

The Freewheelers were out in force for our holiday celebration. 43 rigs carrying 64 women came to the Delta to share some holiday spirit and rving experiences. Many of us were able to arrive on Thursday which presented the challenge of driving and hooking up in heavy rain and high winds. But on Friday morning we awoke to bright sun and brisk temperatures which lasted the rest of the weekend.

The rest of the group started showing up around noon on Fri. We owe the folks at the resort a big thank-you for handling the onslaught as well as they did. We were on our own for dinner. Then a few hardy souls set up fire pits and had a fire under a beautiful star filled sky.

Saturday morning, Beth and Susan, with the help of many volunteers, put on an unbelievable breakfast spread with the standard biscuits and gravy, scrambled eggs, fruit and much more. Some volunteers learned to use their oven for the first time. We were all more than happy to brave a cold breeze to join the feast. Afterwards interested members had tours of new rigs. As always, there were many impromptu mechanical and technical discussions pertaining to our rigs.

Saturday afternoon we all amassed in the clubhouse for appetizers and the, now, annual gift exchange game. It was lots of fun with some great gifts for only $10. At the end of the party we took a moment to remember all our members who are currently battling cancer or who have recently overcome cancer. Irene had “Livestrong” bracelets for anyone who wanted one.

Saturday evening the resort cooked a spaghetti and meatball dinner available for $5. About 50 of us took them up on the offer. (anything to get out of cooking!) Then a few of us gathered around the campfire again. But, the cold weather drove us all into our warm rigs early.

Sunday we had leftovers for breakfast and then many of us started to pack up. This is when the only disaster of the weekend occurred, but it turned into an informal learning session. Many of the sewer hook-ups were several inches off the ground because this used to be a mobile home park. So, when folks started dumping their tanks there were hoses weighted down with waste coming disconnected and back wash into tanks. With lots of patience and determination everyone finally completed their tasks and most of the group hit the road. Those of us who stayed another night woke the next day to a frost covered world. It had dropped down to a chilly 28 degrees that night.

It was really a wonderful weekend with some new faces and many old ones. For those of you who missed it, there’s always next year. In the mean time have a very happy holiday.