2018 Mississippi River Rendezvous September 28-30

[padlin]

1st tents I can remember using were half shelters.

[Iowa Dave]

Never slept in one. My Dad said they were way better than nothing. He was a big believer in wool. Blankets, jacket linings, socks, and stocking caps. I like wool too, a flannel sheet and two army blankets will take you quite a ways. Wear your socks to bed and dry underwear and you’ll have your Boy Scout igloo segment in no time.
Iowa Dave

[fudge_brownie]

For several winters I taught outdoor courses for Bemidji State University. The location was in Cass Lake Minnesota, very close to International Falls. You get the drift. We would go out on cross country skis for four days and three nights and freeze our (you know what) off. It was a challenge to eat enough to keep warm but the biggest issue was getting enough fluids. Melting snow was like making maple syrup, something like 40-1 ratio.

At any rate, it was wool for everything. Wool underwear, shirts, pants, socks, hats and mittens; an exception I had was a down parka and down booties to sleep in. The hat was wool but of a unique design, called a balaclava, it covered your neck as well as your head and just had an opening for your face. The wool was very comfortable! We slept in tents, under tarps, in a wikkiup (pine branch tepee), what ever kept the snow off. It was never comfortable. Did I say never?

[tash]

Looking forward to seeing everyone this week!

This may not be the correct place to post this, but we will bringing two items along for anyone that might be interested in purchasing them. Thought it might be easy to bring them along for anyone attending the rally that might be interested in them.

The first is a custom sliding susan pullout out drawer from Quik Drawers. It is brand new and unused. We have another one that we use in the cabinet under the kitchen sink. I ordered a second one because the first one was so great, but I neglected to consider the vent pipe on the left side of the cabinet. Thus, it won't fit. W-14" L-15" H-3"; made of baltic birch; easy install; $60. We had an exterior shower installed at Escape; this drawer will fit with the shower box in that space.

The second item is a trailer cover that we purchased at Escape Trailer Industries this summer for $270. We have now decided to build a structure to cover our Escape instead, so we don't need this cover after all. Brand new and unopened; $250.

We will be in site 99. Please PM me if you are interested in these items or if you have any questions.

See you later this week!
Cheryl

[kfsmith]

We have been here for a couple of days. Heads up bring screen shelters bug spray for you and your Escape. The mosquitoes are awful!!!!

[steve dunham]

Originally Posted by kfsmith

We have been here for a couple of days. Heads up bring screen shelters bug spray for you and your Escape. The mosquitoes are awful!!!!

We are heading to Thomson Causeway first thing tomorrow ( Tuesday) morning .
Thanks for the heads up , we will bring plenty of bug spray
The mosquitoes up here in Northern Wisconsin are starting to recede but the wasps are out in full force

[HABBERDABBER]

It may, may..... get better with cooler temperatures predicted coming up during the rally. Those biting bugs are bad throughout the Upper Midwest.

[Iowa Dave]

I was picking up windfall apples this afternoon when I hear two mosquitos talking. One said should we eat him here or take him back in the bushes? “Eat him here” says the second one. “If we take him back in the bushes the big ones will take him away from us!”
Off in my own world. The Cortlands were beautiful this year.
Iowa Dave

[Iowa Dave]

Originally Posted by HABBERDABBER

It may, may..... get better with cooler temperatures predicted coming up during the rally. Those biting bugs are bad throughout the Upper Midwest.

Weather channel says 39F on Saturday morning. That ought to slow them down.
Iowa Dave

[gbaglo]

Originally Posted by Iowa Dave

Weather channel says 39F on Saturday morning. That ought to slow them down.
Iowa Dave

Supposed to be a low of 41F in Osoyoos Saturday.

[mcdonner]

Arrived yesterday afternoon to torrential rain. Nice drive from Ohio. When rain let up skeeters out in force. Wind picked up considerably and chased them varmits away. 50, breezy and gloriously clear this morning. Looking forward to meeting everyone. Four of us here now. A 19, 17, 21 and 5.0. Travel safe. Steve said the sausage gravy awaits tomorrow.

[cpaharley2008]

I need to see some pictures of that sausage gravy, sounds good.

[Iowa Dave]

Originally Posted by mcdonner

Arrived yesterday afternoon to torrential rain. Nice drive from Ohio. When rain let up skeeters out in force. Wind picked up considerably and chased them varmits away. 50, breezy and gloriously clear this morning. Looking forward to meeting everyone. Four of us here now. A 19, 17, 21 and 5.0. Travel safe. Steve said the sausage gravy awaits tomorrow.

She’s the modern combination she’s the Mississippi Cannonball. And she’s loaded for fun
Iowa Dave

[Traverson]

Originally Posted by fudge_brownie

My records show we have 28 units planned to attend the rally on September 28.

We have changed things for the trailer tours, as before, they will be on Saturday but starting at 10:00 am and lasting till noon.



Edit: Attendees still coming in, we are now at 29.

I think this bit of info deserves a repost, since it's slightly different than in years past.

[LeonW]

I have almost finished riding my bike across France and will meet Lindy in Strasbourg on Friday where we will begin another adventure. I am sorry we will miss the rally. Wish you the best of weather and hope the mosquitos died off, see you all next year!

[rbrandenstein]

We pulled the trailer from storage this morning and pulled into our driveway for loading and prep. We plan to leave tomorrow AM and get there in the afternoon. See you all then.

[HABBERDABBER]

Leon,


Already Eric and Iowa Dave are running wild and rogue. YOU SHOULD be here, to keep them in line. I can't do it all by myself, nor inclined to.


Have a grand time there in the old country, and wear your sunscreen.

[mtnest]

It’s much cooler in southern Wisconsin today, didn’t see one mosquito all day. Hope the same is true for the rally. We’re in site 112. We reserved the site starting Thursday, but had a last minute change of plans so we now arrive on Friday. Looking forward to seeing everyone. Meg and Tom

[Iowa Dave]

Originally Posted by HABBERDABBER

Leon,


Already Eric and Iowa Dave are running wild and rogue. YOU SHOULD be here, to keep them in line. I can't do it all by myself, nor inclined to.


Have a grand time there in the old country, and wear your sunscreen.

This is simply not true. Earlier this evening from the bench at his site, watching old sol dip to the west, hoping to see the green flash, but failing, Iowa Dave was heard reciting Tennyson’s
“Crossing the Bar”. His tone was somber and measured, celebrating the end of another day with beverage in hand while reminiscing about an old fantasy college sweetheart he referred to the W.C. Handy classic. “ I hate to see that evening sun go down” he then whistled a few bars of the Miller arrangement of the St. Louis Blues, eyes closed he could see Cookie and her baton in the old Iowa State Stadium lo those many years ago.
Iowa Dave

[thoer]

Dave, Tom is clearly in the grips of some flashbacks from his earlier Madison days. Hopefully Lefty will get his feet back on the ground soon. But don’t let Rita hear you pining away for old college sweethearts or you may be sleeping outside feeding the skeeters all night.

As for Leon keeping anyone in line, here is the bottle of wine he is carrying on his bike