RE: " Wave n at da Beach" Nor-Cal Mini-Rally!

[Red neff Barchetta]

 Surfcal
1 day to go!
 
 

[6Quigs]

 Red neff Barchetta
Have a great weekend everyone.
 Wish we could be there, but been camping last 3 weekends, and will be for the next 3 weekends!!
 
 Our very fist trip in a popup was to Van Damme State park, in a borrowed 8 foot jayco.
 We ve camped at various other campsites in the area over the years, and love the area, Fort Bragg, Mendencino.
 
 Looking forward to hearing all about it when you return

[Ab Diver]

 Surfcal
Kevin-- wish you were joining us as well. We ll see you soon...
 
 Got the major time-taking stuff done last night. Set up an extra wetsuit for Lon, and cobbled together a few extra ab irons/gauges and weight belts so Surfcal is covered too. They are probably on the road as I type this. Kayaks are loaded up top, big BBQ grill down low, and enough firewood to sacrifice a cow (ox). I ll fill the truck up with everything else tonight.
 
 Gunna have to get a front receiver for the truck if I wanna carry kayaks and all our bikes at the same time. Jeeze, remember when *all* your camping equipment consisted of a sleeping bag and a case of beer?[]

[Hybrid Holly]

 Surfcal
Bad news, looks like I won t make it up.  At least don t count on me.  I have a project at work that has to be done by Monday, so it looks like I will be doing some work this weekend!
 Hope you all have a blast.  See most of you at 49er....Surfcal....see you sometime!
 
 

[Surfcal]

 Surfcal
Ab Diver, I m not quite on the road yet.  I did start my camping weekend last night by visiting the 21st Amendment, the neighborhood brewing company.  Consequently, got a bit of a late start this morning.
 
 Considering the range of outdoor activity we want to pursue, had to get my multiple bags or kits ready for action.  One bag for diving, one bag for biking, one bag for kayaking, and finally another bag for the camping stuff.  Whew!  You are right, camping ain t so simple when you bring your toys with you and you wanna be all geared up properly.
 
 But this is where it all comes together, all the research, all the pondering about gadgets, all the shopping, all the assemblage and all the thoughts and vision of adventure, this is the resolution of all that.  And when you finally put it all together, it s like one large body of work, all neatly packed in an orderly manner and all ready for the final act, to actually use it.
 
 And that s what it s all about.  The potential of the bike hitting the dusty trail, to the kayak cruising the languid flow of the local rivers to inserting the self gracefully into the depths of the coastal waters in an effort to mimic the otter, searching for the prize and emerging victoriously from the hunt.
 
 Ahh, the life of the NNC camper.  Full of vigor, and yet, performed at the most relaxed state.  Full of life while taking a nice afternoon nap on a day when the bright sunlight is delicately filtered by the cluster of leaves and branches high above.
 
 Well, just some random thoughts before shoving off and the rubber hits the highway.  I look foraward to seeing those that are coming and will miss those who can t make it.  And collectively, we ll raise a glass or two for all of you...
 
 Surfcal

[Red neff Barchetta]

 Surfcal
Well, everything except the bikes and pillows are packed so we should be able to hit the road fairly early in the morning.  Sure hope those extreme coolers work since all the food is already loaded.
 Had everything packed perfectly and then realized that I forgot to load the grey (or gray) H2O tote, arghh!  Rearranged things around and we re good to go.
 
 Everyone travel safely and I ll have a cold Ale and fully charged drill (& Socket Jenie) waiting for you upon arrival.  I can even do Hybrid stabilizer s!
 
 Dave -
 I m bringing my small bbq for the corn, but all the ears might not fit.  I m hoping you ll have a little room for a few ears (probably only 3 to 5) on your grill so all the corn can be served hot together.

[Ab Diver]

 Red neff Barchetta

 

ORIGINAL:  Red neff Barchetta
 
 Dave -
 I m bringing my small bbq for the corn, but all the ears might not fit.  I m hoping you ll have a little room for a few ears (probably only 3 to 5) on your grill so all the corn can be served hot together.
 

 Oh, that s right--- you re one of those *new* members who hasn t seen, for lack of a better name, " The Grill" . Let s just say that I think there may be a little bit of room for your corn.  Just promise you ll help me lift it out of the truck and carry it the 10 feet or so to the fire ring. []
 
 Ok, time to start " The Packing of the Schtuff" . That s where you take all your camping stuff, and try to stuff it into your towing stuff. And this is just for a weekend jaunt... for a 7-10 day trip, my truck looks like a Thanksgiving Turkey.
 
 Don t worry about your Extreme. Packed with some ice and cold food, and with the lid closed tight, you may see some " frozen"  food in the morning.[]
 
 Can t wait to see you all tomorrow.  Drive safe everyone!
 
 
 

[Civil_War_Buff]

 Surfcal
I hope that all that are going to the outings North and South have safe and fun times.  It looks like beautiful weather, but hey, you will be camping...it doesn t get any better than that.  Be careful in and around the water, if that s where the weekend takes you to enjoy that fresh ab.  
 
 To Jerry and Nancy ..."  howdy"  and welcome back!
 
 I wll be at a reenactment NEXT weekend, then it s the GR Rally!! See ya all in 2 weeks!
 
 Drive safely all!!

[Ab Diver]

 Surfcal
Progress Report:
 
 Dateline, Ft. Bragg... I just checked with Linda, the campground manager. Our two early arrivals, Otter and Surfcal, have landed safely. The only problem she saw was when " That nice young man from San Francisco"  kept moving from site to site, and couldn t seem to figure out where he wanted to set up camp. Then he seemed to be taking compass bearings, and marking off distances from selected hiding places, er-- bushes,  to the spots most campers place their coolers. He seemed especially concerned with site #33.
 
 Stay tuned for more on this developing situation.

 Surfcal

RALLY DAY!!!

 

No More Days To Go!

 
 

See you there!

[Ab Diver]

 Surfcal
We re home, safe and HOT! (Man, it s hot inland compared to the coast!) Had a blast, lots to tell, but first we gotta unload the rigs. Hope all went well for our SoCal Bretheren.

[Red neff Barchetta]

 Ab Diver
Unpacked, laundry s going, PU is stored, and I even loaded all the #%@#& coffee cans for Gold Rush while I had the PU at home (can t believe they all fit).  Just have to clean the 3 dirty boys.
 What a great time (as usual)!
 FINALLY met the Ab Diver & Robucko character s, and what a pleasure it was!  This really was a terrific w/e!  Champ521, Otter, Ca Girl, Robucko, Ab Diver, SurfCough, & us, as well as better halves, wonderful kids, & fun dogs.  Great mix of people, although any mix of Cougher s makes a great mix.
 Is there any family in this group who DOESN T have terrific kids?  I don t think so!!  It is so nice to be able to go to any site and have a nice chat with any NNC er who happens to be sitting there.
 Top of my head hilight s;
 Way too much food.
 Austen finding out that he LOVES abelone as well as him getting to clean one.  Thanks Dave, Ray, & Lon.  He ll never forget it.
 Elaine having every throwing game imaginable for Justin & I.
 Great bike rides along the beach with Kevin & Ray.
 Austen & I seeing a 14  double axle Jayco PU and a teeny tiny motorcycle PU in the same cg loop at Maccericher (sp.?) SP.
 Ray/Cough, Tania/CA Girl, & Dave/Champ 521 being the party animals of the w/e late into Friday night while the rest of us had parenting responsibilities and could not partake.  Glad you guys held up the tradition!
 Great conversations and bs sessions with (insert name here).
 Great kids you love to be around (and love your kids to be around) and talk to!
 My water heater ventilation mod., interior fridge fan, and fridge exhaust baffle all working flawlessly all w/e and each doing exactly as they were intended to do!
 Ray becoming Austen s idol.  He thinks you are " the man" .
 
 I hope everyone got/gets home safely today and I think Lon & Dianne (or Don and Lianne the more you drink) get the furthest traveled award this time around.
 
 Now unfortunately, it s back to the grindstone.  Although, it s only for 11 days!  Heck, only 7 1/2 of them are work days.
 
 We missed you especially Holly since you were an " almost"  attendee.
 We missed everyone else and can t wait for the mega-rally!
 
 O K, now I have to attack this pile on my desk.

[Red neff Barchetta]

 Ab Diver
Almost forgot - Great cg choice Dave & Elaine!

[Surfcal]

 Ab Diver
The Surfcal Post Rally Review & Editorial
 
 Pictures of Wave n at Da Beach:  
 http://community.webshots.com/album/76209546EPVhaM
 
 It?s funny how on another thread, Y-Guy recalls this weekend as the 1 year anniversary of Nick-Neff-Cough.  Of course back then, we didn t even begin to think that Nick-Neff-Cough would become a significant part of our camping lives, and where relationships-made would even transcend camping.  But that?s exactly what I thought about when Wave n at Da Beach was happening.
 
 Of course, we all had not seen Ab Diver and Robucko since the first initial Nick-Neff-Cough rally in Bodega Bay.  During this rally, it was to nice see Champ and CA-Girl, and of course Neff and Otter are always delightful.  In essence, all the parts of NNC?s evolution were represented, Ab Diver & Robucko being part of the first rally, followed by those who joined soon thereafter in Neff & Otter, and then the newer generation of Champ and CA-Girl, it was a gathering that ran clear across the spectrum.
 
 And despite those who joined NNC at various time period, and many who?ve never met each other, we all camped side-by-side as we all have been doing it forever, in fact, altogether achieving the timeless and signature pleasantness of a NNC rally.  So it was fitting that Wavin? at Da Beach took on that characteristic of hosting members from several time periods, and thanks to Y-Guy, our first unofficial head honcho to remind us.
 
 It?s interesting how fast the hands of the clock seem to turn during a rally.  I got there on Thursday and when it came to packing the gear this Sunday morning, 4 days could not have possibly gone by in that amount of time.
 
 Officially, the rally began Friday night and from there, an impromptu potluck began to take shape.  A T-Bone steak from CA Girl, some Tri-tips from Ab Diver, a market steak here, a salad there, and with enough heat to roast a horse in the fire-pit, the festivities began.  Of course, the usual imbibing & and tall tales began, and drinking moments took Champ, Surfcal and CA Girl into the wee hours of the morning.
 
 The kids found old friends and made new ones, and from the very start to the last farewell, it seemed that each and every one of them had a full weekend, running around screaming their heads off, to taking leisurely walks and back to darting back and forth and screaming again.
 
 The NNC adults, all engaging in various activities, and I have to thank Dave for creating one of the most unique experiences one can ever have at an NNC rally.  Ab Diver took Lon (Otter?s husband) and I abalone diving.  And our collective catch became the main entre? of the Saturday night potluck.  How often do you catch something and have that become the NNC dinner!  The experience was a gas, beyond description, and Dave, the ever so patient teacher, mentor and lifeguard guided us into the depths of the blue waters of the Mendocino coast.  And then right afterwards, Dave took Lon and I on a personal tour on kayaks of some of the most spectacular coastal tunnels accessible only via the water.  They were experiences to behold.
 
 And there was Robucko, who despite many, many months of medical procedures, made it his goal to make it to this rally.  He made it there full of spirit, but only for his physical activities to be curtailed due to some horrific back pain that cropped up spontaneously.  Robucko, it was great to see you and it was courageous to see you out there so soon after all you?ve gone through.
 
 There are too many things to mention and this entry is already too long, but to you Ab Diver, thank you for being an excellent wagonmaster.  A great time was had by all the good folks that attended.   And to all those I?ve shared a campground with once again, I couldn?t have camped with a better set of campers.
 
 Namaste?
 Surfcal
 
 P.S.  GSM X2, I got your voice mail messages on my cell on the way home.  I didn t have a signal to save my life out there, but you are the man for attempting to do a " live"  talkback between simultaneous rallies.
 

[Ab Diver]

 Ab Diver
Rally Report...
 
 First off, Elaine and I would like to say " Thank You!"  to each and every participant at this weekend s *Wave n at Da Beach Mini-Rally* at the Cleone Campground. We laughed, we ate, we drank, and we bonded. Due to circumstances beyond our control, timing conflicts, and personal injury, it has been FAR too long since Elaine and I last saw our burgeoning Nick-Neff-Cough friends. Old friends.... Since I actually " met"  Surfcal online before I found PUT (he graciously offered some very sound advice on camping along Calif s central coast when I queried a pop-up newsgroup), it was very fitting that he was able to attend. Ray is our spiritual leader, our Pied Piper, our soul camper. And Ray, although you don t think it necessary, I *will* repay your kindness one day when you least expect it. That s what *friends* do, don t you know that? Robucko, it was so good to see you up and at  em again, and so very disconcerting to see your back acting up. Godspeed on your recovery, my friend. As always, if you need me, I ll be there.
 
 First meetings...  Red neff, what can I say? Your online persona of jokes and wisecracks belies a loving, caring, and dedicated father who never once put anything before his children. Any man could be proud to be the father-figure you showed me this weekend. Dave and Kerri (Champ521), what a nice family you have. Thanks for giving my little one a pat of the back during the scary stories, and for taking my oldest to the beach. Max (their miniature dobie) is a total crack-up, what a personality he has. We should hold an air-boxing contest at the Gold Rush rally and Max can take on all comers! Tania and Kevin (Ca-girl), I feel like we ve traveled through miles of adversity to finally meet, and what a pleasure it was! We managed to catch up to you on the way back at Willits-- did you hear my horn as you drove under Hwy 101 at the Hwy 20 junction? And the Otter(s),Lon and Dianne, an anchor of stability in the sea of organized chaos that this weekend has been. Thanks for sharing your weekend with our family, and for sharing your lunch with us this afternoon at Capt.. Flints (told you it was good chowder). It was just like spending time with family-- comfortable and comforting.
 
 Friday night s festivities got off to a rocky start, as it took us almost a whole 15 seconds to  feel like we were among old friends. I set a new world s record for " longest set-up time of a grey water system"  (4.25 hours), as every other moment I would start talking about something of great importance and/or utmost hilarity with another NNC member. My youngest immediately bonded with neff s and ca-girls kids, almost like they shared the same brain (scary thought, eh?). A spontaneous potluck dinner became a carnivore s feast (sorry, neff), with 5 different types or styles of meat, and plenty of (what else?) leftovers. After-dinner conversation drifted off over the fire, as common sense and parental duty kept us from heading to the North Coast Brewing Company. We settled for good folks, good food, good brew, and better conversation right in the campground. []
 
 Saturday morning breakfast at Ab Diver s/Otter s was an easy B.E.&P. (bacon , eggs, and pancakes), or whatever you wanted at your own site if you didn t want ours. ;-) After breakfast, Lon (Mr. Otter) and Ray (Surfcal) accompanied me to the local dive shop, where we outfitted them with the latest in hydrothermal protection. The ocean was on it s best behavior, with calm water, warm temps, and a blue sky. [] In short, the kind of day you dream of on the North Coast. We then drove to a nearby spot and played  " In Search Of" , looking for that most mysterious of mollusks, the wild Pacific Red Abalone. The visibility was good, and there was lots to see: fish, sea urchins, starfish, seaweed, and even an ab or two (or three, since that s the legal limit per diver). We then drove down to Van Damme State Park, a very protected lagoon. Unloaded the Kayaks, and took a tour of the shallow waters and a few caves big enough to paddle a kayak through. Let me say this, it takes a bit of will power to paddle into something like that for the first time. I mean, you *know* it s ok, and you just saw another guy do it, but is it *really* safe? [] Kinda like riding on one of those amusement park rides... it takes some guts to take that first ride. So give some credit where it s due, Coughers. You d be proud of your boys today.[]
 
 Saturday night was an flurry of activity, as we rushed to clean the catch and the dive gear. Neff s son actually popped an ab from it s shell, a *First* for that young man [8D], and was promptly awarded his shell as a trophy (bet Mom is gunna love that smelly old thing in a couple days! [: (]). Dinner was, again, wunnerful, with jambalaya (sp?), baked beans, salad, rice, pasta, and a little ab thrown in for good measure. Microbrews were sampled, graded, and delivered intravenously. A toast was offered up to those compadres who were rallying together in the southern half of the state: our brother s in arms-- we ll never forget you!
 
 Along about now was when Ray introduced my family to a game called Zoom. Let s just say it s a lot of fun, and can make any reasonably intelligent adult feel a lot dumber than the child sitting next to him. Big fun around the campfire, unless you were a reasonably intelligent adult. []
 
 This morning was too soon in coming, and a time of many partings. [] Hugs were exchanged, with promises to see each other again at the Gold Rush Rally. A doctor was called in, and our children were surgically separated for the first time since they had met 48 hours previously.  We drove off in the direction of the rising sun, the temperature climbing as our spirits dropped: it will be a whole two weeks until we see these fine folks again.
 
 And that time period (as well as this post) is simply " Too long" .
 
 P.S.--- Ray...  Elaine said to tell you she wants to go back to " The Village" . There is too much laundry in " The Real World" . [: (]