Well, the little eggs and bigger trailers are rollin' in. There was a line up at the registration table today at 1:00, anxiously awaiting the official start of the 2008 Gathering. Everyone received bright green nametags on forest green lanyards, bright green pickets, a registration bag with shedules, rosters, brochures, an Oregon Magazine and various give-aways from corporations, plus a bag of paper products from Kimberly Clark Corporation.

There have been informal campfires the last two nights with 40-50 people in attendance. It was freezing cold last night so we needed the campfire to stay warm. The fog and clouds burn off about noon and it's been beautiful weather during the day.

Frederick has been doing a great deal of weighing of trailers and tugs. People have been coming and going to his portable weigh station all afternoon. One person said, "It was worth the whole trip to have that done for me so expertly."

Many people have brought beautiful regional baskets for the Saturday give-away. I'm constantly hearing the same comment from new people, "Oh, people here are so nice." And, they are! That's why we all keep coming back year after year... because of all the friends we've made over the years.

I'll try to post a couple of pictures tonight.

Next year, you all need to plan to come join us!

Nancy

keep 'em coming!

thanks for the blog! its fun to read whats going on at Bandon!

Yes, thanks, Nancy. That's quite an event you started!!

I tried to upload 8 pictures tonight. After 20 minutes, one picture had still not uploaded. :-/ So if I can get away tomorrow for a little bit I will go into Bandon to the local Internet Cafe and see what I can do.

Nancy

We might have to "make do" with verbal descriptions 'til you all get home! Have fun, take lots of pictures, and upload them when it's convenient!!

Woo hoo It's Friday!

I love those Kimberly Clarke things! I still have a lot of last years.. my Neet Sheet it spread out on the ground in my campsite so the pups have a clean place to lie down... they live forever!

Last night was the Beer Exchange and Meet & Greet. Lots of people showed up. Wait until you see the photos. There's a HUGE RV in the background of all the photos. Ha! (The fiberglass people in that site come in today.) We were supposed to only have pretzels and bar mix for snacks but (typical people at the Gathering) there were LOTS of snacks. We sat around and talked and visited until quiet hour (10 PM) which the park strictly enforces. It was a lot warmer last night than the night before.

Okay... off on another day's adventure.

Nancy

Here you go Gina,
Sharon H was VERY busy tonight!
Gene

And here is a pic of part of the gathering group for Tappas night with snacks galore and introductions, I think only about half of the attendees showed up.
Gene

thanks Gene!

Ah, the Tiki Bar.. I stumbled from it, er, walked around it last year.. sort of

I suspect she will be a very busy gal all weekend! Is there a nice lemonade stand for her helper there?

Ahhh yes, the Tiki Bar. I've stumbled home from it two nights in a row. Never laughed so hard in my life. Funny how everything is hilarious after a Pomigranite Martini or two.

The workshops went really well today. The sun came out at 10:00, just in time for the workshops. All workshops were well attended. The only negative comment is that they need to be longer than one hour.

The Tapas Night went really well. As usual, only about 1/2 the group attends on Friday night. It was pretty cold earlier tonight but seems to be finally warming up a little bit. (Then again, maybe it's the Pomigranite Martinis.) After we ate great food, we did introductions. How interesting to find out some people's story about how they came to be involved with Fiberglass. We had a young couple show up to night who bought their trailer on Ebay 1.5 days ago!

Some went to the beach to view the fully moon with binoculars and scopes. Some stayed for a campfire and S'mores.

Night,
Nancy

Ahhhh. It sounds just wonderful! (The now-almost-full moon looked pretty good here this a.m., in the early daylight. I can only imagine being out on an Oregon beach...)

Thanks for taking the time to post!

If anyone notice that we pulled out at 5:14am Sunday and missed the breakfast, I had a date with a young man in eastern Washington. He is 8 pounds, 2 ounces. Mother and son are doing great, grandma is very tired.

He's gorgeous! Thank you for the picture. We missed you on Sunday but understand why you left.

Big hugs,
Nancy

Beautiful baby, Linda! We missed you and are glad you were with your grandson. Another fantastic gathering, Nancy and Mike. Thanks for all of your organizing and thanks to everyone who helped out. What fun we had! The workshops were great, Frederick and Robert did a great service by weighing all of our trailers and rigs. The full moon, tiki bar and great friends were a bonus. I look forward to next year and hope to see more of you!

Charlene

Wow, Linda! How thoughtful of him to wait 'til the Gathering was (almost) over to arrive! Congratulations to you and your family!

Here's a group photo. Unfortunately, every year, there are people who don't make it into the group photo. What a great-looking group!

Nancy

When People entered the park, they could either turn right into the campground, or go straight to the beach to weigh-in first.
Click to view attachment

I had an extra group 27 battery and an inverter in my van to power my laptop all day. The scales were set out between orange traffic cones.

While the trailer was hitched up, I weighed each axle on both the tow vehicle...
Click to view attachment

... and the trailer. Most of the trailers had single axles, which is easy.
Click to view attachment

Then I sent them to drop the trailer at their campsite. After that they came right back to re-weigh the tow vehicle both front and back so I could compute their Hitch Weight.

There were 2 double axle Bigfoot that came out, and I was prepared for them. Double axles are trickier on wheelweigher pads, for I had to support the non-weighed axle at the same time as the weighed axle on the trailer. Dummy blocks both in front of and behind the scales did the trick. I was happy that the blocks never slipped.
Click to view attachment Click to view attachment

We ran the gauntlet from Bigfoot 25RQ down to Compact Jr.
Click to view attachment

There was a young enthusiastic couple who had just bought their Burro that very week! They were late arrivals and snagged a canceled site at the last minute. They told their story at the TIKI BAR on Saturday night. For them, I brought the scales to their site after Sunday Brunch. They had to agree to be the morning's entertainment.
Click to view attachment

I enjoyed myself immensely.
Everything went smoothly, and thank you Robert and Eric B. for helping out!

I plan to do it again next year!

Thanks for the blog and the great photos. Looks like everyone had such a good time. Glad the weather warmed up just in time. Boy, am I sorry we missed out this year.

The Weigh Station is a wonderful new addition and sounds like a huge success.

Well, Dillon, Riley and I made it home safe and sound. Oh, and the Tiki Bar made it home safe and sound as well!

I must say Bob and Judy Webb, Ellen and Berry Buzzard certainly added one heck of an element to the Oregon Gathering this year that was ABSOLUTELY ONE OF THE MOST HILARIOUS TRIPS OF MY LIFE!!!! For anyone wondering about where it came from.....last year Ellen told her dad (Bob Webb) "Sharon can't keep making those pomagranete martinis out of a box, you need to make her a bar". Fast forward to this year's gathering and OH MY GOD, delivered to my site was the Tiki Bar. It is ADORABLE, and not to mention functional and easy to transport. Throw in Eric B's additions like lights, power strips, bottle opener and open/closed sign, it became a fully operational campground bar/kitchen. Of course the park ranger was NOT as enthusiastic about it. What a crab! They even told (I can't remember their names, the adorable couple that bought the burro last minute that camped next to John and Louise) to go back to their campsite at 11 p.m. because they didn't want them out riding bikes (they were out looking at the moon and stars). What a romantic mood killer that must have been.

My boys had a BALL (Gil, you have become a legend) and so did I. What a terrific group of people. Nancy (and Mike) once again, thank you for all that you do to make this event happen. To all my egg friends, thank you I will be laughing for a LONG time!

Sharon

Here are pics of the Registration process. Getting ready for everyone to arrive. Hey, the Oregon Gathering is a class act!

Click to view attachmentPic #1 - Nametags
Click to view attachmentPic #2 - Pickets
Click to view attachmentPic #3 - Paper products donated by Kimberly Clark (and Carolyn & Joe)

Meet & Greet and the Beer Exchange on Thursday Night

Infamous Tiki Bar... before lights were added.

Workshops
Click to view attachment Solar Workshop by Steve
Click to view attachment Newbie Workshop by Ian
Click to view attachment Beading Workshop by Thalia
Click to view attachment Preparing & Storing Food on the Road by Teri

Workhops (Continued)
Click to view attachment Dutch Oven Demo by Linda
Click to view attachment Dutch Oven Demo by Linda
Click to view attachment LED Lighting Workshop by Peter

Workshops (Continued)
Click to view attachment Photography Workshop by Eric
Click to view attachment Purse-Making Demo by Teri

Give-Aways
Click to view attachment "Some" of the regional baskets & corporate gifts that were given away on Saturday night
Click to view attachment Gene, the one responsible for getting all the wonderful corporate gifts
Click to view attachment Quilt that Louise made for the give-aways
Click to view attachment Lucky winner of the Garmin GPS system

Misc Pics
Click to view attachment Barak M (6 years old) who made this amazing Scamp 5th Wheel and tug out of Legos
Click to view attachment Donna D
Click to view attachment Barak and Nancy
Click to view attachment Birthday Girl (aka Nelene)
Click to view attachment Rousing game of Mexican Train

Sunday Brunch and Goodbyes
Click to view attachment Cooking and eating (yum!)
Click to view attachment Enjoying breakfast outdoors
Click to view attachment Saying goodbye... this trailer was headed back to Florida

All the other photos will be posted on the Oregon Gathering website soon. Michael will post here when they are online.

Thanks, Nancy! Those are great!!

OH OH!!! Better keep a close eye on the inventory!!!!!





Kayaking teens accused of tiki bar beer theft
July 25, 2008 3:50 PM EDT
PORTER TOWNSHIP, Mich. - Two teenagers have been arrested after kayaking across a lake and stealing beer and energy drinks from a man's beachfront tiki bar.

Lt. Bill Lux of the Van Buren County Sheriff's Office says officers were dispatched Thursday morning to Porter Township in western Michigan, about 60 miles south of Grand Rapids.

Several cases of beer and a case of Red Bull had been stolen from a tiki bar on the shore of Cedar Lake. The owner said he saw two men paddling away in kayaks.

Lux says some cans spilled into the water when one of the kayaks overturned. Police located the suspects by following the cans.

Five other teens were arrested at the scene, one for marijuana possession and the rest for underage possession of alcohol. All are 15 to 18 years old.

A little bit of the Oregon Gathering came here to me in my Post at Heartbar today!

Fred won a gift basket of wonderful doggie goodies and doggie "stuff.. a big bowl, some cookies, a toy, some notes cards...

Even tho he does not have dogs, He was kind enough to keep it and bring it back here and give it to MY dogs as he knew they would enjoy it..

so.. Thank You to who ever did the basket.. my dogs were very happy, and thanks to Fred and Robert for giving it up for them!

I was happy to have a little of the gathering in my hand, and not just on the computer

OK- a little late posting this since I've been home a few days already. But I want to say a big to Nancy and all who attended. It was another great gathering. I also want to say to Adonna and Bob who found me at a rest stop south of Eugene and invited me to camp in their driveway Monday night on my way north. They even fed me dinner and allowed me to relax on the couch in the air conditioned house! What a great family we have here on the forum!

Lisa did the doggie gift baskets (made in a doggie bowl). She did more than one. They were soooo creative. How nice of you Frederick and Robert to share a bit of the Gathering with Gina.

Nancy

How nice of them! Hey Adonna and Bob, did you realize you had McGyver (aka Eric) camped in your drive way? Did you ask his advice on fixing anything?

Nancy

Sharen & Simon from Bullard's B-60 finally have returned home to Whidbey Island. Following 7 great days & nights in Bandon, especially enjoying the Fiberglass RV folks (all of you!), we spent the next 3 nights in NO CA at Prairie Creek Redwoods. Lovely.

Then 3 more nights on the road taking a leisurely drive up the coastal 101 (awesomely beautiful - yeah Oregon, you're an outstandingly beautiful state!), into all of its nooks and cranies - funky Pacific City, cheesy Tillamook, hoity toity Cannon Beach (lah dee dang dah) - and now back home in Langley. My floors are spreckled with cramping ditritus - sand, bits of woodsy stuff, unmentionables... Our smelly laundry is enduring a sterilization process. Roadtrips sure do accumulate grit and grime.

Highlights of our Bandon time:
DUTCH OVEN lessons - Kudos to Linda and the cast iron team. You gave us great tips, increased our confidence (I went on to bake penne pasta one night in the redwoods), and fed us delicious grub. Thanks you!
NANCY & DONNA, our planners extraordinaire! Abundant thanks... as I told Nancy, it was well-planned but not overly planned, if you know what I mean.
DONNA - Who said to our fuzzybutt Keeper, "Hey! I was a b***h before you were a dog!" Donna's full of fun and laughter.
SHARON HERMAN - Mahalo for the pomigranit martini! Just wait till Graysland... next time we expect to see bartenders in coconut bras and grass skirts! That includes ERIC B!
MEXICAN TRAIN - to 82 y/o JOHN, who dang near took us all down, kudos for keeping us on our toes. Oley! Thanks to ADONNA for hosting the games.
LORN - who contributed some mightly fine good reads to the Book Exchange, including one of my fav authors, Geraldine Brooks ("March"). Thanks to all who came by with books - it was great fun meeting all of you, and I was able to offload remaining books at Prairie Creek Crampgrounds, as their welcome kiosk had a proper book exchange.
BOB & all great photogs - LOVE the pix that you provided that we failed to take. (Below is one I did take of the inside of our 12 y/o Casita - all plaid-ed up!)

Oh, and special RECOGNITION & THANKS to MA NATURE who kindly provided us with 13 straight days of sunshine on the first long roadtrip vacation we've taken in years... today, much-needed light rain falls on Langley and my garden is happy again.

All in all we loved our time together.
Thanks to each and every one of you - see you again next year, if not sooner!
xo
Sharen Heath

Hey now, I resemble that remark!

Eric

Me thinks not!

Eric

Oh come on Eric. We know you don't like your picture taken, this way you could be incognito

I plan to bring Lei's next year.

Oh come on Eric....I will if you will!!!!!

Sharon,
YOU in a coconut bra and grass skirt... Oh mama! What are you trying to do to our men??? All our guys think/know you're a hottie... you're just blowin their minds with THAT image!!!

As for Eric, ok, no coconut bras on guys, but we want to see you in an Aloha shirt at the very least... start shopping those OH thrifts!

Simon and I have some special "island" surprises for the Grayland gathering... think Tiki Tavern and palm trees swaying in the breeze. We shall bring a big bottle of you-know-what to help stock your bar.

Bottoms up ol' girl!
SharEn

I'm late posting, but we just got in this afternoon after a 2653 mile round trip full of memories.


Thank you Nancy and everyone who helped out. The gathering was well organized, we had a wonderful time and met many wonderful people. Mitchell made and I made some great friends and had a ton of fun.
Thank you Louise for the beautiful quilt you made that I was the lucky recipient of, it will be treasured.
Thank you 'McGyver' for your help with my trailer challenges.
Thank you Dave & Leslie de Beaux for the nice note you left on my windshield - sorry I missed you!
Thank you Peter & Lynne for the foam that I brought back for my neighbour's Boler - they will sure appreciate it! Mitchell appreciated it on the way home as I ended up putting a layer under his bed so it took up less space - spoiled!

Mitchell's already working on me to come back next year (several times a day!)

Lisa?

I THOUGHT Sticky was doting over his milkbone toy a little too much. I am SURE he knew it was from Jobe and his heart is renewed knowing she thought of him and just KNEW he would receive her gift...

Hmmmm..... now that you mention it, the kitchen sink garbage disposer has been giving me problems recently, and I really would like some electrical work done out on the back deck. Hey Eric - your camping spot is ready and waiting for you! What would you like for dinner??