These are the reviews of SNU luncheons and rallies that were published in SNU newsletters. Most were written by Diane Leipper unless otherwise indicated.
Everyone really enjoyed the ribs, the BBQ pork, the beans, the dirty rice, and all the other goodies at B.J.'s Nevada BBQ and we all managed not to drip BBQ sauce down our chins. It was good to see everybody and catch up on travels, plans for the future, Airstream projects, and other news. We missed Linda McKeand as she was home recovering from a bug. All in all, another enjoyable SNU luncheon.
We had a good gathering for our lunch at the Truck Inn in Fernley despite the fact that several SNU members have been sick recently. A good rally will get us all healthy again. Robert Herron, who has an online Nevada Camping Guide, was our guest. The room was great for our purposes. The service was slow but that gave us plenty of time to visit. Robert had a good time swapping stories with Jerry, Bryan and others. Roger, Jerry and Bryan discussed wheel bearings. Other topics of discussion included the impending arrival of the McKeond's grand twins, squirrel hunting, airplanes, an upcoming trip to Mexico, SNU rallies, and various other things. All in all we had a great time. We enjoyed meeting Robert and hope to see him again sometime in the near future.
We just had a very nice rally at Washoe Lake. The participation was very good, for a total of five rigs. I would again like to welcome Clint and Kathy Norrell and the brand new 19 foot Bambi, from Colfax Ca. who joined the unit at the rally. I would also like to welcome new members: Anthony and Dawn Placencia from Ridgecrest Ca. Also dropping by was Darryl and Sharon Van Dorn, and Marylin Johnson all of Reno. I have friends that used to live in Hawthorne that moved to Ridgecrest years ago, and for those that do not know it they used to have a vary nice drag strip there that I used to race at. The year and the Unit are looking up, with many places to go this year and the membership growing, I think we are on the right track.
What a difference a year makes! Instead of snow and wind chill factors low enough to give you frostbite, we had sunny skies, very little wind, and shirtsleeve temperatures for our first rally of 2007 at Washoe Lake. SNU members Gary and Anita Haskett and Dave Gmur weren't able to bring their trailers but they came out for visits. It took Randy and Vicki a day to recover from their grueling, long eight mile trip from their front door to the rally site. Other rally attendees included Jerry & Dyann Thornburg, Clint & Kathy Norrell, and Anita, Bryan & Diane Leipper. The Norrell's arrived Friday night just in time for dinner. We welcomed them, they got parked, and we made sure they had plenty to eat. Jerry had fixed some great tacos, Randy and Vicky had hot pastrami, and Diane made a beef stew so there was lots of variety.
Saturday we had our big BBQ lunch with chicken, hot dogs, and hamburgers. Jerry tried exerting executive privilege to get more of the grill space for his hamburgers but it didn't work. He had attempted to exert executive privilege earlier, also to no avail. When it comes to the business of the SNU he does get our attention and respect though so I guess all is well. We spent the day relaxing, catching up, checking out or rigs, helping the Norrell’s get acquinted with their new Bambi, discussing the upcoming rallies, watching the hawks who were nesting again this year in the trea near the rally site, visiting with people who stopped by to check us out, and enjoying great meals and evening campfires.
Here we go again another month gone by. We had a wonderful rally at Lahonton. I appreciated not having to travel too far this time. The good thing about our rallies is you never know who will show up. From the new members, to the prospective members, to one of the older unit members. (Not talking about your age Von). I welcome our new members, hope to see you at more rallies in the future
The SNU April rally at Lahontan was full of surprises and lots of fun. By Saturday night we had six Airstreams, ten people, six dogs, one guinea pig, one parakeet, and one cat. The weather was a mix of sun and warmth, rain, and cold wind. The wind and clouds kept the campers and boaters home so we had a nice quiet peaceful weekend. We were able to have all our lunches and dinners outside as it seemed the wind died down and the weather cleared just so we could enjoy our meals. We even had a great fire Saturday night although it did began to drizzle. We were delighted to meet our members, Don and Gail Williams from Riverside CA. They arrived Thursday afternoon with their dog Zorro. The The Leipper's, Bryan, Diane, and Anita, also arrived by noon on Thursday. Jerry and Dyann Thornburg arrived in time for Happy Hour on Thursday. Von Gallion arrived on Friday. It was great to see him again and help him get reacquainted with the SNU dry camping style rally. He has been to too many rallies in full hookup sites and ran his batteries down. No matter, we charged him up again. Saturday, just about dinner time another Airstream pulled up. It was Roman Kreminski and Melissa Wong and their dog Indy. Thanks to some valiant last minute effort on the part of Lenny at MFRV, they got the rear lights on the 1974 Trade Wind they have just purchased working and made it to the rally. So once again, the SNU helped inaugurate an “new” Airstream. Roman and Melissa spent their first night in their Airstream listening to rain pitty patting on the roof and got verification that their Trade Wind is apparently free of leaks. As Melisa said, the rain was also a great way to wash off the trailer.
On Friday SNU friend Gene Baleme came by for a visit with his fiancée, Carmen. Gene wanted to introduce her to the group and give her an opportunity to see our Airstreams. Saturday, Don and MaryLou Damoth came out, as did Roger Jeppson. B Martin and John Yokela also came out and visited with us most of the afternoon and evening. B brought pictures of their 76 Sovereign. They have made a lot of progress since we saw it a year ago. It is now a really nice looking Airstream. Can't wait to have them join us at a rally.
Saturday, Don, set up his laptop in his trailer and we all climbed in and enjoyed his presentation. His pictures included some of his motorcycle adventures, the 1st CCD they had, the rollover Airstream he recently purchased, and the 18 ft Airstream they are beginning to restore. The focus of the presentation was the installation of solar panels on their current CCD. He also had pictures of other ideas for power generation that after some consideration Don rejected. He just couldn't figure out how to mount a windmill even a miniature, on his CCD. But maybe that is something for the SNU to consider – make one day of our rallies, maybe Friday, an alternative power day. Instead of generators use batteries, solar, wind, or some other imaginative method.
The rally also included the usual efforts to make sure everybody was well fed. We shared lots of Airstream stories and in general, did a lot of catching up. We also spent a lot of time worrying about some baby owls that had apparently got blown out of their nest. The parents kept flying over and providing some food. One finally moved over to a more protected grassy area. Eventually Jerry helped encourage the other one to join his sibling in the grass. Hopefully they will be OK and soon be flying and on their own.
Roman and Melissa were enjoying themselves so much they stayed over Sunday night as did Anita Leipper. That gave them more to to visit, to figure out their Airstream and to just enjoy the scenery.
Again I am waiting until the last minute to write this. The rally at Ramhorn was nice. Also a very good showing for Ford. I think we scared the Dodge off. Coming in June is the Unionville rally; sorry to say at this time I cannot take my trailer to this one due to a work commitment. I will try and be out on Saturday morning for the brunch.
On Friday, Dyann and I left the rally for a ride into Susanville. On the way we found two older Airstreams out in some fields, one close to the campsite and one closer into town. Anita told us about a little meat counter in the Heald market on the road into town, so we stopped and checked it out. We were able to purchase a nice roast which we broiled for one of the potlucks. No one died or got sick so it must have not been too bad. The campground was nice with a brick one holer. Lots of birds and other little animals to watch, plus some nice antelope on the side of the road. I had to explain to one of the members what a funny looking bird was. It was a “mugwump”, you know a bird that sits on a fence with its mug on one side and its wump on the other.
The year is turning out to be a rather good one; the rallies are fun and relaxing, the company good. I hope to see more of the members at some rallies this year. As brought forward in other parts of this newsletter the schedule for next year needs to be thought about. Please give it some consideration and let us know your feelings.
Again I hope to see you at future rallies, good traveling, and good fun.
What a great place! Thanks to Anita Leipper for finding this site. Three miles from Hwy 395 in a canyon with great lava rock walls, a spring, lots of juniper trees, and plenty of parking space for an SNU rally. The campground was home to a wide variety of birds. There were also plenty of lizards and squirrels. Randy Grossmann spent time studying the awnings on everyones rig. He is planning to install awnings on the roadside of his 2005 Safari. The rest of us – the Jeppsons, Leippers, and Thornburgs spent most of the time relaxing and enjoying the scenery. Jerry Thornburg and Anita Leipper set an example for the rest of us by doing their part to make sure the campground was left cleaner than when we arrived. Jerry did some cleaning of the pit toilet and Anita picked up trash around the campground. Friday, three SOBs came to the campground. It turned out it was several members of a family who have been making an annual week long trek to Ramhorn for close to 40 years. With their arrival, the campground took on the look of a Ford commercial as all nine of the tow vehicles in the campground were Ford vehicles. Interestingly an RV towed by a Dodge drove in later but ended up leaving before they even parked ...hummm. Saturday the only business we discussed was for the SNU to make a donation to the BLM for our stay. Bryan will mail a check to the Eagle Lake office. Saturday our after dinner, campfire discussion turned to serious educational topics. We learned the difference between a pebble, a rock, and a boulder. We found out what kind of bird a mugwamp is. We learned about SNU theorem 127. If you missed this enlightening discussion be sure to ask the SNU President and educational chair, Jerry Thornburg. Other than taxing our brains, we had a great time and I think all of us want to go back to Ramhorn for a future rally. Check out the rally pictures http://www.sierranevadaairstreams.org/snuze/index.php?cat=14
I guess a good way to start this column is to apologize for not being able to take my rig to Unionville for the last rally. Do to a work commitment I had to go to Phoenix for the preceding week not getting home until 2:00 am Saturday morning.
As usual the brunch was very good, and the afternoon conversations were just as good. A birdie, told me that after our talk with Roman and Melissa, they went out and bought a new Airstream. They get to hold the record for showing up with the most new (to them) units. I wish them good fortune with there new unit.
We are coming up on our rally at Obsidian Dome shortly, and there will be new people there according to the emails. I can not say enough about our unit. We continue to grow in membership. The amount of people that want to have rallies out in the middle of the boondocks makes me feel good about the unit. I truly believe that we harkin back to the philosophy of the original members, who went on rallies across the globe without the benefit of full hookups. One of the other things that impresses me is the units taking on projects at some of our rally sites and leaving them in better shape then when we got there. Tim thanked me again for the work the unit did on widening the gate into the park at Unionville, and I know that we have a small project lined up at Obsidian Dome so remember to bring some gloves.
I also hear tell that Randy now has more solar lights than I do so I guess I’ll just have to go buy more. Tim at Unionville also donated two pink flamingos to the unit, there is quite a story to tell on how he picked them up, I will let anyone interested know about the story at Obsidian Dome. Tim’s wife was killed in an ATV accident a little while ago, so our condolences go out to him.
On that note I will close this column before some begin to think I’m not still a hick from the sticks, can not let Roger get the wrong idea. He might think I grew up in Yerington. So Long For now
Sheep, wind, humming birds, great food, peacocks, great people, and geology students. What a rally! The weather was beautiful except for evening wind which on Saturday prevented us from having our usual shared meal. Instead we just kind of browsed from trailer to trailer. Thursday just before dark a flock of sheep headed over the hill behind our rally site. The sheep herder was camped just up the canyon from us. We saw several black sheep and learned that they intentionally include one black sheep for every 20 white sheep. The black sheep are called counters as they are the ones counted to determine if any sheep are missing. If a black sheep is missing it means that there are probably some white sheep missing as well. These sheep were herded by Great Pyrenees dogs two of which were puppies (as big as the sheep) and hadn't quite figured out their jobs yet.
Also Thursday evening the park caretaker who lives across the road invited us over to see the humming birds on his back porch. He has six feeders on his porch. Hummers were everywhere buzzing right by our heads. Bryan got some great pictures. Then of course there were the peacocks. They usually let us know when anyone was coming up the road.
Friday Diane from the Old Pioneer came by to see if we were still going there for lunch. Of course we said yes. Our on again off again lunch was now on for Saturday. We had decided to cancel because we couldn't get a good count and didn't want to leave the Old Pioneer in the lurch but when they asked, we weren't going to pass up the opportunity as it was a highlight of our 2006 rally. Our 2007 lunch was even more enjoyable and what a feast. Everyone raved about the quiche. Then there was a very succulent roast turkey, two salads and two dessert. And the ambiance! You just can't beat sitting in the garden under shade trees in such a delightful spot.
Friday evening we had our shared meal in the park enjoying the freshly mowed lawn and a delightful evening. We had just cleaned up when the university geology students arrived. Five or six vans and suburbans full with all their gear. There were 35 or so students and I think, 3 professors in the group. They provided great entertainment watching them set up their tents in the park. This group is participating in a comprehensive, capstone, six credit, six-week geology field camp sponsored by UNR's Department of Geological Sciences & Engineering. It is really an intensive experience. For information on this camp go to: http://www.mines.unr.edu/fieldcamp/
Additional entertainment was provided by SNU members arriving and finding a parking spot. The SNU's apparent predisposition for camping sites in canyons and other areas where level ground is at a minimum has made SNU members masters of various leveling techniques that require creativity and ingenuity. The efforts of Randy Grossmann and Bryan Leipper at leveling the Grossmann's trailer took the prize for this rally. Very artistic and effective effort.
Then, for those of us whose ambition level was more on the order of watching the grass grow, there were Diane Leipper's tortoises. This entertainment though, was a little more active than might appear. The torts really enjoyed the clover, dandelions, and other weeds in the parking area but you had to keep an eye on them that they didn't go too far or into the high weeds. Then somebody would have to retrieve them and bring them back to a safer roaming area.
Here's what Melissa and Roman had to say about the Unionville rally. “To all the coordinators, organizers and especially the "leveling committee" (Roger and Randy). THANK_YOU for all the fun and great time. Roman and I can't stop telling our friends how much fun we had, how great the brunch was (Diane), ALL the info (Jerry, Randy, Bryan et al). You guys did a wonderful job!!!!”
All in all, another wonderful SNU rally. We all feel that maybe Unionville should be an annual event which of course, includes a lunch at the Old Pioneer.
The year is going fast, we just had the rally at Obsidian Dome, and the turnout was great. It was nice to see the southern contingent show up. Roger and Roxie from Visalia came to the rally. It was very nice to meet them. Good to see Don and Family (they brought 2 of the younger generation). Even though I didn’t get to use my executive privileges again. We did hold a business meeting Saturday evening. It was supposed to be at noon, but Randy fed everyone waffles that must have weighed heavy on everyone as no one ate any lunch. The proposed slate of officers was discussed and boils out to be this, President- Jerry, (I guess I didn’t make too many people mad), Treasurer- Bryan, Secretary-(Dianne please call Roy), Directors – Randy, and Don Williams. Randy will do the PSA’s. I would like Don to see where my executive privileges went. Happy trailering and will see you all at Twin Lakes
Waffles, weddings, food, gondolas, campground cleanup, Post Piles, food, birthdays, bot flies, music concerts, Mongolia, hikes, more food, business meeting, pink flamingos, and lots of visiting. The SNU rally was full of unexpected surprises, individual adventures and exciting group activities. We had a great turnout – nine rigs, including two guests. A total of 21 people. Also various dogs and other assorted pets. Our guests included Roxie and Roger Smith and Gene and Carmen Balme. The Obsidian Dome rally was the first trip this year for Roxie and Roger. In addition, Saturday was Roger's birthday. The SNU was delighted to help them celebrate both occasions. Roger grew up with Airstreams. His parents were members of the Mt Lassen Unit. Both his Mother and Dad had served terms as Unit President. When Roger's parents were no longer able to travel Roger inherited their Airstream. He and Roxie also kept his parent's WBCCI membership number. The Smith's are members of the San Joaquin Unit. For Gene and Carmen, it was an extension of their honeymoon as they had just gotten married on July 8th. The Balme's gave each SNU member a gift. The gifts were beautiful little wind chimes in delicate fiber bags that Carmen had sent from the Philippines to be given to their wedding guests. Gene and Carmen also shared their wedding pictures with us.
Thursday evening Rick and Jeannie Laborde attended a nearby free concert which they reported was very enjoyable. Friday SNU members helped Rick and a representative from the Friends of Inyo do some cleanup around the area near our rally site. After enjoying this rally site for the second year, it was great to do something to support the well being of Inyo National Forest. The Laborde's son, Guy and the William's grandson, Brandon both 6 yrs old had a great time all weekend playing in the dirt and on a nearby fallen log and building things. At one time Guy had a serious discussion with Vicki Grossmann. He was telling her about his musical groups and how the group had a different name depending on where they were playing. Vicki had asked him if he was going to sing for us again. Guy said it depended on whether or not he could build his guitar. On Saturday, Gail and Don Williams along with their niece Lauren (17), Brandon and dog Zorro, took off for a day trip to nearby Mammoth Lakes. Their trip included a gondola ride with lunch at the top. It also included a special kid friendly rock climbing adventure for Brandon who successfully made it all the way to the top. Roxie and Roger also visited the Mammoth area and the nearby Devils Post Pile.
Saturday started off with what is sure to become an new SNU tradition – Waffles in the wild! Randy Grossmann after discovering the secret to perfect waffles and the best cooker to use, offered to share his success with the SNU. So Saturday morning, he set up his waffle maker on the picnic table and hooked it up to Jerry's generator and got to work. Wow! What a treat! We had a choice of fruit and whipped cream, fruit syrups, or maple syrup. The buckwheat waffles were fantastic – light and fluffy. Breakfast also included sausage and melon. After enjoying such a special breakfast we made and executive decision to forgo our usual lunch. We also decided any SNU business could wait till dinnertime.
Before waffles Vicki brought out the diorama of an SNU rally. She and Randy had put it together for the SNU 30th Anniversary luncheon in February 2006. Many of the people at Obsidian hadn't seen it. Needless to say everyone was amazed and impressed. It is quite a work of art.
Saturday evening, when everyone had returned from their various outings, we had our usual SNU amazing potluck. Once again, despite our lack of planning or coordination, the variety and diversity of offerings was enough to feed twice the number of people. Carmen made egg rolls with sweet and sour sauce along with other treats. The egg rolls were a big hit with everyone. Roxie made cupcakes for Roger's birthday. Thankfully Roger was spared the traditional birthday song sung by SNU members as everyone was too busy eating. SNU Pres, Jerry gave Roger a pair of SNU mugs as a birthday present. He also presented a pair to Gene and Carmen as a wedding present.
After dinner conversation took place around a propane heater provided by the Smith's. Gene regaled us with stories of his trips to Mongolia. He has gone several times as the equipment engineer with a medical team bringing equipment, skills, and training to hospitals in the country. He also told us of his visit to Belize and his run in with bot flies which astounded medical professionals at UNR. All in all another great SNU rally.
Well another month has gone. The rally at Twin Lakes was very enjoyable. SNU keeps getting better. Elsewhere in this newsletter you will be introduced to the new members. Not only are we getting more local members but we are still getting members from afar. Again this speaks of the culture of the unit. The next rally will be at Berlin (That’s Nevada not Germany) it’s been many years since I was at this site. I don’t think there was a campground then. The tour of the big fish (I can’t spell the real name and to lazy to look it up) is very interesting, especially since you wouldn’t believe that a fish that big could have ever lived in the desert. Well it wasn’t a desert then. There are other attractions close by such as Ione, Reese River, and some mines.
Randy came up with a new type of battery, one that increases in voltage when you turn the lights on. I wanted to patent this but he wouldn’t tell me where he got it. Also the deer were very friendly; one even liked Melissa so much it charged at her. I still have a bet out that Roman and Melissa get another trailer. I may have to wait 30 or 40 years to collect though.
The August rally at Twin Lakes was amazing for many reasons. We had 12 Airstreams, a new high for an SNU event. Three of the attendee's were brand new SNU members, including one who joined at the rally. Mark and Cary arrived Thursday night along with Dave and Rachel. Scott and Icyl had a brand new tow vehicle and were having a little problem getting the brakes working correctly but they arrived before dinner on Friday. We were delighted Dave and Rachel decided to join the SNU. Pretty amazing considering Jerry said he had chained their Airstream to a tree and there were hints that maybe Jerry had taken the tires off their Airstream to prevent them leaving before they joined. Despite that and the fact that Dave ended up on trash duty because he figured out how to open the bear proof garbage cans in 45 minutes rather than the hour it took everyone else, he and Rachel have become the latest SNU members.
Roman and Melissa came with their brand new Airstream, a 25ft 2008 International Signature Series. They have set a record I doubt will be beat anytime in the near future. Since April they have attended 3 SNU rallies and each time it has been in a different Airstream. Roman and Melissa have been on the fast track. Most people spend years trying different trailers before determining what suits them best. Melissa and Roman did it in less than six months. They now have a beautiful Airstream that it perfect for them. One they will enjoy for rallies and other Airstream adventures for years to come. Roman and Melissa have become friends with the Sales Rep they bought their Airstream from. He came to the rally with them in a brand new Safari Sport. The Safari was on loan from the dealer and we all enjoyed looking it over.
We were delighted to see Wes and RoyLaine Warn arriving at the rally site. This is the first rally they have been able to attend this year. It was great to see them on the road again and back with the group. Chuck and Judy Fell brought their Airstream out and joined us on Friday evening. Because of their busy summer schedules, this is the first time they have been able to bring their Airstream to a rally. Other members at the rally were Jerry and Dyann, Don and Gail, Randy, Anita, Bryan, and Diane. Also our guests, Gene and Carmen. Participants came from Riverside, CA, South Lake, Fallon, Fernley, Mendocino, CA, and Carson City.
Several Airstreams were spotted in campgrounds close to the rally sight and none escaped visits by Anita, Jerry and other SNU members. The visits paid off as four of those Airstream owners came up to the rally site for visits and one may even join the SNU. Friday Don Williams left the rally at 5am to assist with an off road race not too far from Twin Lakes. He didn't return home till almost 6am Saturday. His wife, Gail had put their neon pink flamingo on the propane tanks so Don could find their Airstream among all the others that had arrived in his absence. Saturday everyone headed to the nearby ghost town of Bodie for a special tour led by Chuck Fell. He was able to show us many of the buildings and other sites that are normally closed to the public. Everyone was very impressed not only with the buildings themselves but by Chuck's knowledge of the area, his information on the buildings and the town history. Thanks again Chuck for a great tour. Saturday evening Bryan got his computer set up on the picnic table so he could download everyones rally pictures. Instead of our usual campfire, everyone enjoyed going through all the pictures. We did have a great campfire on Friday night with wood contributed by Dave and Rachel. We sat around and enjoyed the fire, the almost full moon, and the great company. Saturday, Randy got out the SNU diorama which amazed and delighted all those who hadn't seen it before. Sunday, one of our earlier visitors brought their 2006 Bambi up to the rally site for everyone to check out. It is the one with the surfer theme.
In between greeting all the new members and first time participants, we had our usual amazing shared meals, inspirational naps, touring various Airstreams and the Argosy, swapping stories, sharing repair and maintenance tips, and catching up on everyones adventures.
Lahontan was fun, we did find some good weather to be able to sit outside and shoot the breeze. Not mother nature’s breeze either, that would come soon enough and sent most people back inside their rigs. We were able to watch one car get stuck and have to be dug out. Luckily it wasn’t one of us. The winds did a lot of digging out for us, as many of the stabilizers were hanging in the air come Saturday morning. Gary’s area looked more like a basin. The wind managed to take a lot of the sand out from under his trailer tires also, looked real weird with the tires hanging in the air.
As brought to our attention earlier, the process of designing an electrical circuit for the charging of batteries is progressing. Kind of hard to get the right sequence of transfer switches going. The preliminary design incorporates Randy’s generators first, so he will have to make all rallies. It would be nice if he brought a bunch of extension cords also. He who doesn’t show up at the rallies is fair game in the ramblins.
I just read a newsletter from another unit and figured out what we were doing wrong. We didn’t sweep and mop the ground before we left. I thought the wind and rain did a pretty good job of it though. But that’s my redneck showing through. I believe everybody might have had to do a little sweeping out of their own rigs when they got home, maybe that will count. Gary had a little leak in the roof, he should have remembered while growing up that was called a shower, and when it puddles on the floor it’s called a bath. I remember when I would wait until it started raining then run out with a bucket of soapy water, wash the truck and let the rain rinse it off. That’s my lazy side. Course I guess you could just stand out in the rain and take your monthly shower also. Ah these days of modern conveniences, those were the good old days. Maybe that’s why we like to do camping in out of the way campgrounds.
Due to a last minute change in plans the September rally was held at Lahontan Beach 7. Mother Nature provided quite a smorgasbord for us. Thursday was perfect. We sat in the moonlight till around 8:30 pm enjoying the evening and sharing stories. Friday morning was calm and warm. By noon the wind started up and by evening we were all hunkered down in our Airstreams watching the sand blowing all around us. The wind scoured out the sand around stabilizing jacks and wheels, several of which needed adjusting to return the trailers to level. The rest of the weekend was a mix of a little rain, some thunder and lightning, some wind, some calm periods and some beautiful clouds and sunsets. It was a great example of why the SNU doesn't cancel rallies unless there are road controls in place. There are almost always nice spells when we can get out, have a campfire, share a meal, or just sit and enjoy the out of doors and each other's company. Despite the weather we had a good turnout. Jerry and Dyann Thornburg, Wes and RoyLaine Warn, Gary Haskett, Bryan, Diane, and Anita Leipper, and guests, Gene and Carmen Baleme. Our pot lucks were great as usual although even more hap hazard due to the weather. Flexibility was the key. We were able to enjoy lunch and dinner outside on Saturday and even had a campfire. Rally discussions were wide ranging and imaginative. Jerry has an idea of trailer steps and is planning to draw out a concept. He, Gary, and Bryan discussed a grid system with automatic switching capabilities to hook up and exercise everyone's generators. The idea is to hook up all generators to all rigs to ensure a good load. When one generator runs out of gas the system switches to the next generator and so on till all are well exercised and out of gas. Gary discovered a ceiling leak and is now in the process of figuring out how best to fix that. All in all a great time was had by all. We look forward to testing out a new rally site at Ft Sage near Doyle in October.
One of the advantages of writing this a little late is that I get to see the rough draft of the newsletter, and then get to do the Ramblins. The rally was nice a little bad weather but still nice. The ‘plinkin’ session let a few of us know that we needed more practice. Most of us had 22’s of one sort or another, we did have one who brought a couple of larger cannons. Those that are interested, there is a post on the airforums on carrying weapons in the Airstream, some pretty interesting statistics. More do it than you think. I won’t get into those here, you can go to the site and read all the threads 24 pages as of this morning.
A great turnout for the last SNU rally of the year – 7 Airstreams! That, despite some iffy weather and a change in location. We were delighted to have Tom and Donna Faker join us with their dog Willie. Because of this, that, and the other this is the first rally they have been able to attend. We hope to see them at more rallies in the future. In addition to the Faker's, other rally participants included Jerry and Dyann, Wes and Roy, Roger and Jan, Roman and Melissa, Bryan and Diane. Larry Clark from Mt Family also joined us and brought a Bambi Design Within Reach for us to check out. Gene and Carmen Baleme were our guests. The Warn's and the Jeppson's had both just gotten home from various travels the Tuesday before the rally, in fact it appears they passed each other on I80 heading home. We were delighted that they all were willing to make the Ft Sage rally despite just returning home. Jan and Roger visited family in Michigan and then took off to see the sites in Virginia, Kentucky and several other states. Wes and Roy had visited family in Idaho.
Everyone agreed that Ft Sage should definitely be added to the SNU list of favorite spots. Panoramic views of the Honey Lake valley were enhanced by the clouds spilling over the mountains on the far side and bands of other clouds scuttling south towards Reno. Roman and Melissa got full benefit from their wrap-around rear dinette windows. The view out over the valley was spectacular. As with what seems to be common at many SNU preferred rally sites, Ft Sage makes level parking a challenge. No matter, SNU members enjoy a challenge and we are getting very creative and good at parking on sloping ground.
The SNU also puts full meaning into the word flexible, especially when it comes to meals. When weather has to be factored in plans can change almost from moment to moment. What starts out as a potluck outside can turn into a progressive dinner going from trailer to trailer. Or it can go from a shared meal to everyone doing their own thing. Times can change and so can what you eat and how. Again, SNU members rise to the challenge as evidenced by the Ft Sage rally. Saturday was one of those times when we could eat together outside, even though it was a little breezy and a there was chill in the air. What better way to top off a great and varied menu than with hot apple pie and ice cream even if we were bundled up like arctic explorers. Thanks Melissa. It was great. Thanks also to Roman for showing restraint at not testing the pie before the rally. Speaking of food, thanks Larry for bringing treats donated by Mt Family RV. The sweets were a great addition to our morning coffee.
Friday, several of us headed over to Portola to check out the custom built 42 ft Airstream at the Western Pacific Railroad museum. Jerry brought some tarps donated by the company he works for – to cover holes in the roof and help protect it for the winter. The SNU plans a rally at the museum in June to further investigate the Airstream and see what we can do about restoring it. In addition we will of course be investigating the trains and other railroad memorabilia at the museum. On the way home, we stopped by to visit a 1965 Tradewind we spotted along the road to Portola. The owner is not about to sell but maybe she will show up at an SNU rally some day.
Saturday the SNU held it's business meeting and election of officers. Jerry was presented with the official SNU gavel. If it is a sign of his authority we have nothing to worry about as it is only about three inches long and can't inflict much damage. After our business meeting several members of the group headed off into the hills for a little target practice with various fire arms. Roman took a nice bike ride up the trails to the top of the hill. We ended the day with a great pot luck and a campfire. At Jan's insistence we saved some wood for a fire the next morning.
Sunday was sunny and clear of course - the last day of the rally. Jerry got the fire started and kept nursing it along till Jan was out and about and could enjoy it. With a few additional contributions of downed wood we all enjoyed a morning campfire with our coffee. We decided we all need to bring more wood to next years rallies so we can have a fire all day long. All in all, a great end of the rally year for the SNU.
The luncheon rally at Dayton turned out to be a great success. A lot of people and some good conversation. The guests of Bryan and Diane proved to be very interesting. Don Costar was around long before Roger and I were running around the country. He was able to tell of some of the times in Mina, NV. Long before my father was the deputy sheriff there. Also Judy and Ken Bechthold were there. Judy is the region 12 2vp. It was also nice to see Don Damoth and Marylou enjoying the day. Cannot leave out Von Gallion, he attended driving his new rig. Hope he remembers which side the tires are supposed to be on. (that’s the side that touches the ground.) Tried putting Randy in the corner but he got loose. The only person who carries more gadgets on his belt then Randy is my General Manger at work. But it’s a close call.
Now we get to Diane. She thought she was getting ahead of me by wearing a hard hat. Little did she know that my executive privilege gavel was loaded with spikes so I can still give her a good bump. I do believe that a picture is included in this mailing if not it is on the web site. Very hard to keep Diane/Dyann in line but I try.
Next month the meeting will be at the Damoths. I promised them we would not destroy their house. So Vicki you need to bring a leash for Randy. We will just stake him out on the sun porch and throw him just little bits of conversation. I am not saying he likes to talk.
We had a great time at the SNU November luncheon at Gold Canyon in Dayton. Really neat place and good food and of course, great company. We were delighted to have Judy Bechthold and her husband Ken join us. Judy is the current Second Vice President of Region 12. In addition to the Bechthold's other participants included the Thornburg's, Damoth's, Faker's, Mulligan's. Leipper's, Jeppson's, Gallion, and Gmur. Bryan and Diane also brought guests, Don and Katherine Costar. We all enjoyed catching up on news and activities and we enjoyed meeting the Bechthold's and learning more about Region 12 and various California WBCCI Units. Come to find out Von has been talking with Ken regarding possibly purchasing his mother's Airstream. The Gold Canyon is an historic place. The restaurant and bar first opened 120 years ago. The current owners have spent almost 10 years restoring it. There is a plaque in the corner of the parking lot commemorating the Pony Express Trail. Gold Canyon was a great place for the SNU luncheon and we all want to return sometime in the future.
The get together at the Damoths was very nice. It is very upbeat to see so many of the unit members come together for the month. Even if I’m only half a pres yet. You can read more about this in another part of this newsletter. The one interesting thing I did learn at the rally was that Don and Mary Lou went to extreme danger to gather the sand dollars to give away. According to one person who will remain a mystery (Jeni Root), that you can open up a sand dollar and a dove is inside. Jaws made you not want to go back in the water, now the CARNIVOROUS SAND DOLLARS make you not want to go to the beach. Thanks Jeni (she did say she would clear this up though). Oh that’s right she is to remain a mystery, so forget I wrote this.
Randy did ask those at the lunch table to take a vote on if he liked to expound on different subjects. It was very quiet, I don’t know if that was a yes or no vote. We will have to see. Just so everyone will see that I just don’t pick on Randy and now Jeni, I was reading a post on the Air Forums about the installation of the new WBCCI Prez. According to the site if I want to go to the Installation dinner I have to wear a white tuxedo. So this is a request for a vote on if a pair of white painter overalls to replace my normal worn out blue ones will qualify. In all honesty I did try to go around town here and find a white tuxedo, but everyone started to talk behind my back and wonder if I needed to go see a shrink. I’m not saying we’re backwards out here but I was told that if I wanted a white one to just take a trip across the 40 mile desert and anything I wore would be white. Even living out here in the desert I am still not partial to alkali covered clothes. So I guess the dinner is out for me.
Back to business. Our next meeting is to be at Bavarian World in Reno, I hope everyone can join us at the meeting. We have been there before and the food is good. For those of you that are interested Randy and Don Williams are setting up an excursion to Death Valley. More will be forthcoming. Remember March is closing in on us and that is to be the first trailer rally of the year. So start thinking of what it takes to get your rigs ready. As Von would agree, keep the wheels down and the shiny side up, if you don’t you’ll have to buy another trailer. See you all at Bavarian world.
The holiday luncheon at the Damoth's was full of special treats. First, we want to thank Don and MaryLou for hosting our lunch at their home. Second, we must have all had our fingers crossed the right direction as the weather cooperated. It was a beautiful sunny day. Perfect for enjoying the Damoth's sun room. We were delighted to see Jack and Lindi Schroeder. Although they have been members for several years this is the first event they have been able to attend. We hope the Schroeder's can work around their busy schedules and come to more activities in the future. We were also glad to see Don and Gail Williams. They must have had something to do with the weather as it provided the perfect window for them to travel to Reno from Riverside.CA without having to drive through ice and snow. Special guests were Ann and Fred Hersey. It has been a few years since we have seen them and it was great to catch up and to introduce them to all the members who have joined the SNU recently. Other guests at the lunch included Brian and Jeni Root and their son Nick. Their girls, Erika and Sydney were involved with the school ski program. Also in attendance were Randy and Vicki Grossmann, Roger and Jan Jeppson, Scott and Icyl Mulligan, Donna and Tom Faker, Bryan and Diane Leipper, Anita Haskett, Dyann Thornburg and our fearless leader, Jerry Thornburg. We missed Gary Haskett as he was out of town taking care of his son who had broken his leg while playing with his kids.
With the attendance of the Hersey's, this was the first time that three and a half past president's of the SNU have been in the same place at the same time. Jerry only counts as half as he has another year to serve before he officially becomes a past president. These president's, Fred (02 & 03), Diane (04 & 05), Don (06), and Jerry (07), are the leaders that have brought the SNU through a period of major transition. It is their belief in the SNU that has kept the unit going and helped set the stage for the success it has become.
Another thing to thank the Damoth's for were the special Christmas sand dollars. They had collected a bonanza of sand dollars on a trip to Florida. They attached green and red ribbons to each dollar so that they could be hung on a tree and wrote Merry Christmas on the front and the year on the back. Each of us took a few as a remembrance of this luncheon. The Damoth's had decorated their Christmas tree with sand dollars and it looked really spectacular.
Needless to say, the food as usual was abundant, varied, and very tasty. We all had a great time enjoying the food, sharing stories, and just relaxing with great company. The only thing that resembled business was that Don and Randy discussed the Death Valley rally planned for November 2008 and decided on the location. They also brainstormed some ideas as to plans and activities. We missed those of you who were unable to come to the lunch and hope that we will see you all in 2008.
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