Where to begin?  DA 2005 was a bit unlike any so far.  It started when Glen arrived at the general vicinity of our super-secret location and discovered that the section of the highway going past the camp turnoff was in fact, missing.  He bravely went four-wheeling down a pole line in the dark with a 21-foot trailer pushing him down the hills.  After daylight, he was able to do some dirtbike reconnaissance and send back road reports detailing better ways to get in. 

We arrived a couple days later towing our "SwayMaster 2000" travel trailer.  That pig was the worst trailer I have ever had the misfortune to pull.  It kept trying to fling us off the road all the way there and back.  It came pretty dang close once.  I think that we single-handedly cleared all the traffic off the interstate at one point as we went from shooting from side to side of the highway.  It made for an exciting start, to be sure. 

Besides the usual dirtbike crashes, we had a surprise visit from the "Dave Nellans Traveling Stunt Show".  If that wasn't enough, Glen made the mistake of staying up around the campfire late one night and was attacked by a pack of inquisitive desert teenagers.  They were hell-bent on getting him to answer to all manner of questions that simply do not arise in polite company.  He remains traumatized to this day. 

We shot down Glen's radio control airplane a number of times, but we were never able to destroy it.  Leigh didn't need any help from us shooting his plane down.  He found all manner of trees and power lines to take it out of the sky.  Al stayed remarkably injury-free, except for trying to ride through a barrel cactus (not recommended), and cutting his nose with a pumpkin (more on that here). 

On the way back, we had high winds blowing RV's off the road near Mojave and the Tehachapi pass.  This year, Dick and Peggy proved that they learned that they should not bring a dog if they didn't want to spend their entire holiday looking for it.  Bob didn't learn from Dick and Peggy, so he spent time looking for Moe. 

As usual, Thanksgiving dinner was great, and the weather was that best that anyone can remember. 

The Event Record

•  Yolanda's pumpkin meets its maker; leaves Al with a marker
•  Dave nearly meets Mr. Remington
•  R/C airplanes meet all manner of destructive forces

Video Highlights

•  Yolanda's pumpkin gets vaporized (17 MB)
•  Night time entertainment (which is why your video screen will mainly be mainly black.  Turn up the volume!)
  • Number 1 (12 MB)
  • Number 2, where Kurt can't see a pumpkin (6 MB)
  • Number 3 (5 MB)
  • Number 4 (11 MB)
  • Number 5, narrated by Dick (14 MB)
•  R/C Airplane meets a gas bomb in the dark.  Yeah it's long.  Wait for it.  We had to... (36 MB)
•  R/C airplane vs a potato cannon.  It's indestructible! (5 MB)
•  Fumiko tries her hand against the R/C plane (8 MB)
•  Glen takes a really, really, long time to explain the "wild heaven" thing.  Cut him some slack: he's been partying. (52 MB)

Cast Of Characters

In no particular order:

•  Al
•  Kurtis
•  Duncan Six-Eyes (I don't get it: all those glasses, and that thing he is holding still looks fuzzy)
•  Hon Family (Chris, Natalie, Mike+Moe, Olivia, and Bob a.k.a. Robert)
•  Glen and Yolanda
•  Uros (That's pronounced "yooo-rowsh", or thereabouts).  He has the Bruce Willis look going here, but with hair.
•  Fumiko
•  Erik (that's "Mr. Raspberry" to you)
•  Leigh
•  Renee, Leigh and Josh examine Al's nose
•  Dave (bringing his Traveling Stunt Show to a town near you!)
•  Robin (how can anyone look that grim when they are not even at work?)  That's better.
•  Buds bonding over Bookers.
•  Campfire shot
•  Eddie and Erik.  Eddie is about to give Eric some really profound advice on life.  Erik looks like he has already heard this speech.
•  Kurtis and Caitlin (I don't think she is buying it, Kurt)
•  Mary and Caitlin (just the place for a little mother/daughter bonding)
•  Al, Robin, and Ian take a break from the action
•  Julie is trying to send us a message.  Julie clarifies the message.
•  Ian (who you calling a gangsta?)
•  Caitlin
•  Mary, Julie, and Peggy out for a hike
•  Peggy, Robin, and Eric ponder the deep questions of life
•  The Hikers.  Left to right: Chris, Peggy, Josh, Elaine, Mary, Julie, Ian, Erik (and Moe and Willow)

Thanks to Dick for taking these pictures. 

25 Jul 2007