July 2008 news notes

Web links

to information discussed in this newsletter including Unionville Rally photo gallery and the info for the June rally in Portola: http://sierranevadaairstreams.org/snu/2008/08news/

Eagle Lake Rally

The next SNU rally will be Thursday August 21 to Sunday, August 24, 2008 at the Eagle Lake BLM Campground at the North end of the Lake. It is about 30 miles northeast of Susanville, CA off Hwy 139. Parking will be in individual sites. Rally fees are $5 p/n SNU Rally Kitty plus individual campground fee of $14 p/n Members & guests welcome. Board meeting Saturday open to all. Activities include hiking and birdwatching. Arrival time - anytime after noon on Thursday August 21st. There are only 3 more rallies after Eagle Lake so we hope that those of you who haven't been able to attend so far will be able to join us before the end of the year. The upcoming rallies are listed in this newsletter. We hope to see you soon.

Sweetwater Rally

Potluck under stormy skies

What a great place, especially for viewing sunsets and moon risings. Wow! We were glad to welcome Larry and Oonagh Cameron, their 10 yr old son, Forest and 5 yr old daughter Brook. They have a 1970 Trade Wind. Larry and Forest have done a lot of work restoring and fixing the inside. A lot of little maintenance projects got done at this rally. The float on the Jeppson's generator got fixed and their winch got tied down. The Thornburg's satellite TV system got straightened out and functioning. The Leipper's fold out step got fixed so that it works for the first time in years. The Cameron's got a lesson on the use of sway bars and also a short course on awing purchasing, installation, and maintenance. This was also a great rally to test out generators. During the heat of the day we all retreated to our Airstreams and used generators to run the air conditioners so we could stay cool. The mornings and evenings were fantastic. Most of the rally we spent catching up on Jerry and Dyann's stories of their trip to Bozeman and visiting relatives in Montana and South Dakota. Jerry almost brought home a new pet, a huge Hereford bull. It wouldn't fit in the Airstream though (it weighed near two tons) so they left it on the ranch. We also heard about Janet Jeppson's recent trip to Germany and Austria with a choral group. Between concerts and performances, they also participated in a local parade in one town. Sweetwater was near where they were searching for Steve Fossett who disappeared in his plane last fall. We had search planes fly over us several times over the weekend. We had pot luck dinners Friday and Saturday. Saturday we were on alert though as a nice thunderstorm started to build up and we weren't sure if we'd have to make a dash for cover or not. Some nice thunder and some lightning but we ended up with only a few sprinkles as the storm passed to the south of us. The storm made for a most amazing sunset. Clouds with the sun for back lighting, shadows on the mountains, really spectacular. Sunday morning we got an unexpected treat. We had seen some horse trailers come into the area the night before. As we were enjoying our morning coffee here comes a horse and cart up the road. Two women going for a morning outing with their Belgian draft horse named Alex. He was a huge but very friendly horse and he had a very deep and loud whinny. His owner has had him since he was six years old, he is now 19, and he has participated in several parades and shows. Alex will be at a Bodie Ghost Town celebration later this summer. Looks like we picked the perfect time for this rally. We just barely got out in time on Sunday because the weather service issued a flash flood warning for Sweetwater Summit on Monday evening. I think we all look forward to a return visit to Sweetwater in 2009.



















The Cameron family meets Alex

Business Meeting

Business discussed at the Sweetwater Rally included Jerry and Dyann's sharing their experiences at the WBCCI International Rally in Bozeman, an overview of Jerry's efforts at soliciting support for the refurbishment of the 42ft Airstream, SNU membership development, and a general discussion on rally sites. Jerry was nominated, appointed, or assigned (however you wish to look at it) as chairman for the foreseeable future of the 42 committee. In other words he will continue to spearhead the restoration of the 42ft Airstream even after he has completed his term of office as SNU President. It was mentioned that at the August rally at Eagle Lakes we will need to solidify our slate of officers and our rally schedule for 2009. Any SNU member who wishes to volunteer for office, or offer suggestions or ideas regarding nominations or the rally schedule should do so via email or phone before the August rally.

News Notes

Jerry's a Ham!

Yes, we know that but now he is also an amateur radio ham. Jerry got his technician class license at the WBCCI International Rally in Bozeman. Way to go Jerry.

Don't forget

Now is the time to renew your membership in the SNU for 2009. You can pay online or send your check for $65 to the SNU at 714 Terra Ct, Reno, NV 89506

Words from the Region

Don Clark, Region 12 President has distributed his report from the WBCCI International Rally in Bozeman. He has also sent some other material of interest to SNU members. Check the links page to read his letter and the other material he has sent.

Support the SNU

Its what you don't see that makes the SNU great! There are lot of things that need to get done so we can get together with our Airstreams and find new friends. Belonging means helping out in keeping the SNU strong. What can you do?

By utilizing all the collective talents and skills of it's members the SNU can continue to grow and develop. Getting involved is a great way to show your support of the SNU.

New Members

The SNU has gained several new members since July. Mark Hesseltine and Laura Clapp who just recently became the owners of a 1972 Overlander. Mark and Laura divide their time between Texas and Hawaii but are planning a move close to our area. Mike and Cindy Gower who attended our March rally at Pyramid Lake have also joined. They have a 1977 Caravanner and live in Carson City. Richard and Doris Wheeler recently purchased a 2008 Safari. They live in Minden and plan on attending the Eagle Lake Rally. Welcome to each and everyone of you. We hope to see you soon at a rally. We also wish to welcome Yvonne DeRoule as an affiliate member of the SNU. We welcome you all hope to see you at an SNU rally soon.

Back to School

Summer is coming to a close and one of the favorite projects that teachers request of students is a written report on their summer. This would also be a great idea for the SNU since many of us have been traveling or doing interesting things at home. So send us your stories, tell us what you have been up to. Some of the rumors we have heard that would make great stories are about attending the WBCCI International Rally in Bozeman, choir trip to Germany, a 50th Anniversary, a two ton bull, checking out potential rally sites in Northern California, attending the Region 1 rally, and redoing Airstream plumbing systems. We will be awarding a prize to the best story... the winner can sit next to Jerry during the business meeting at the next rally ;) So get your brain in gear, your memories refreshed, and your fingers moving. All reports should be turned in to the teacher via email hq@sierranevadaairstreams.org no later than Friday September 6. Don't miss this special opportunity to win a chance to sit by one of the only (and certainly the best) redneck Unit Presidents in WBCCI.

Upcoming events

For more information on upcoming rallies check the website

http://sierranevadaairstreams.org/snu/2008/events/rallydocs/08-rallyschedule.html