Gatherings what joys do you have in going ....

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Gatherings what joys do you have in going ....

Postby Ron Dickey » Wed Sep 09, 2009 11:51 pm

I am about to go to my 5th gathering.
Mendicino, slo, slo2, shasta, and tomarrow slo3 my next if all works out will be the redwood gathering with Dean and the potlatch event.

Going to a Gathering gives me strength, a learning feild, listening to stories told at night over a hot fire, Tasting foods from duch ovens, the smell of moring waffels, Camping with friends.

We have camped mostly in Nothern California and the Central Coast where we live. We did miss one gathering in AZ by a week on our New Mexico trip.

New friends and old freinds it is still our joy, we do not go for prizes nor award but find those we meet and talk with our biggiest reward.

Every Gathering I go to I hope to see old freinds and know the new ones I meet will be there as old freinds at some camp site somewhere. :thumbsup:

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Postby SandyD » Thu Sep 10, 2009 9:22 am

I'm going to my first gathering in a few weeks ~ St. Croix's Camp Inn - Camp Outt and I've made reservations for Cooler Near the Lake in April. I'm hoping to attend IRG and Minden possibly in 2010.

The problem I'm having is I want to go to every event. I keep mapping out how far away they are. :?

:vroom:
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Postby planovet » Thu Sep 10, 2009 9:45 am

New and old friends and stories by the campfire. But mostly just being able to get away from the rat race for a few days.
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Postby tinksdad » Thu Sep 10, 2009 6:48 pm

planovet wrote:New and old friends and stories by the campfire. But mostly just being able to get away from the rat race for a few days.


Hallelujah!!
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Postby caseydog » Thu Sep 10, 2009 7:06 pm

Man, I love gatherings. Being self-employed in a home-based business, I get major-league cabin fever. A gathering gets me out of the house, into the woods, and surrounded by other people -- most of them are roughly my age, and we all share a common interest in camping. Well, camping, eating and the consumption of tasty beverages.

I've been a campfire junky since I was a kid, so that is my favorite thing at gatherings. The more people around the fire, the better. And, with the SouthCentral's usual suspects, you can count on laughing a whole lot.

And, campfires are neutral ground. You can be a Republican, or a Democrat, a city girl, or a country boy, blue collar, or white collar -- at the campfire, it doesn't matter. Bring your own chair, and your own beverage, and a sense of humor, and you are going to have a good time.

Then there is the food. I don't care what you make, it tastes better outdoors. And sausage and eggs cooked in the morning in a campsite is the best tasting breakfast in the world. And, if you don't get full at a gathering pot-luck, then you didn't try hard enough. There is no shortage of good things to eat.

If you haven't been to a gathering, then you need to try it out. It may not be for everyone, but if you are on this forum, I'm pretty sure it will be for you.

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Gatherings

Postby Alfred » Thu Sep 10, 2009 7:19 pm

Hey Gang,

I'm still sort of a newby to all this, been to three gatherings now, twice in a tent and once slept in the car, due to rain.

Despite not having my own completed home-built camper (yet), me and family been welcomed with open arms by some really friendly people. Everyone happy to give tours and advice of their campers. I've learned a lot looking at other folks' campers.

Attended my first potluck at the last gathering we attended, lots of delicious dutch oven entree's. I fried up some taters, onions and kielbasa, which got shared and eaten. I especially remember some dutch oven peach cobbler someone made that was to die for (best cobbler I ever had).

I agree, camp coffee is the best coffee, any camp food made in a cast iron pan or pot is the best camp food.

I'm looking forward to finishing up my camper (someday) and lots of gatherings to come...

AL in Asheville :thumbsup:
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Postby Mightydog » Thu Oct 01, 2009 5:51 pm

Our daughters laugh when we tell them that we're going to a gathering.

Both my wife and I hate gatherings of more than two or three people. The idea of lots of people scares the daylights out of both of us. Don't get me wrong, I'll do it for clients and for my living. My wife has to attend functions too. It drains both of us.

Teardrop gatherings are different. This is the first and only time I've ever been recharged by the group of people I'm around. It's great, you can sit by the fire, listen to people talk, enjoy a easy laugh. Both of us have gotten better at dutch oven cooking so we can add to the meal. We're greeted and appreciated when we go. I look forward to gatherings...no really! Teardroppers are truly a great group of people.
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Postby Shadow Catcher » Thu Oct 01, 2009 6:47 pm

I know Nancy was concerned when we went to Boogie in The Hills (Tearjerkers) that there would not be much connection with folks. Galen (Buckeye chapter leader) made sure to be inviting and inclusive.
What I find fascinating is the diversity with in this group and really there is only one, ok two, communalities, we own teardrops or small trailers, and we don’t spend much time inside (we did not see the folks in the behemoths on both sides of us).
Face it we tend to associate with those we are most like and this tends to give a somewhat skewed view of life. I suppose you could consider us left leaning in our politics (understatement) alongt he line of the rich are getting richer faster and the poor are getting poorer faster in the last eight years. We met folks that are right of right (gross understatement), and had fun and no knock down drag out arguments.
I also came up with solutions to various problems e.g. using paint roller extension handles for adjustable tent poles, use of awning rails…
The diversity with in this community is great and that is perhaps its strength.
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Postby Darren » Fri Oct 09, 2009 11:55 am

I'm a very reclusive guy with one exception, gatherings. People that know me, especially family, are amazed that I go camping at all but to go expecting to be with a group of people is just unimaginable. :) At first gatherings was a way to see other trailers and to figure out camping. It just happened that I met a very interesting mix of people and we all just kind of get along. I've tried solo camping and don't really get any enjoyment out of it. It's about meeting new people and visiting with friends.
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Postby bobhenry » Mon Oct 12, 2009 4:35 am

I would have answered this sooner but we were out on a gathering. :lol:

This topic is like few others. There is a lot of thought that needs to be conveyed in this one. Many of the heart tugs have already been mentioned. I was awake a good portion of the night thinking over this question. It is nothing like , why do you drive a certain vehicle? ~ What made you pick that color? Why do you have that kind of dog? What attracted you about your mate?

This guestion is more about selecting a life style/hobby.

Why do people get up a 5 am on the day of departure and tote and load several hundred pounds of camping gear,food stores and beverage
walking 3 miles to and from the garage/house to the trailer in the process.

Why do people drive these distances to meet other folks with this same llifestyle/hobby . Do we need to connect with fellow crazies to convince ourselves we are "normal" ?

Why would the person/persons that when house hunting turned down a house because the 12 x 15 bedroom was "just too small" then decide to sleep in a small wooden box that has been described multiple times as coffin like.?

Why do we persist in going when the weather is questionable or just plain crappy already ?

What kind of a twisted genuis mind would start a torturious thread like this ? .....to be continue.......

Campfire Since the dawn of mankind itsself fire has been important. I have always felt mans facination with fire is a precondition that is ingrained in our very genetic makeup. The hearth has been the center of our home since the first fire was kindled. While it has changed thru the years from a campfire to a fireplace to a pot belly stove to a cast iron range and on to the modern gas or electric stoves of today it seems that everyone gathers in or near the kitchen

The campfire was the source of light to drive away the darkness and hold the creatures of the night at bay. A place to prepare food and to warm your own bones. Modern campers have refined the lighting and heating of our small mobile caves but there is still an unexplained facination with a fire. Is it genetic conditioning that reverts back to our caveman ancestors.

Having just arrived home yesterday from a 3 day gathering I asked myself why did I go ? Why a gathering 90 miles away when I can go 10 miles up the road and camp?

The extended family of my camping friends. If you think of your own camping "friends" there are the older fatherly and grandfatherly more experienced veterans that freely offer advice and share their wisdom. Of course taking nothing from the fairer sex there are the "grandmothers and mothers" that are helping with recipes and cooking technigues for the younger less experienced gals if they are interested.

There are the "adopted sons and daughters" that younger crowd that jump in without hesitation to tote tug and assist in the heavier aspects of setup for us older folk.

Then there are the psudo grandkids and the critters that make us laugh and are topics of many conversations.

We share a common hobby and whether we built the toy trailer one nut ,bolt ,screw ,and nail at a time or went to the dealer and purchased one, we are looking to improve our little rigs and there is a bit of good natured one-upsmanship that exists. A single improvement starts a stampede of imitation. Who will be the first to do this and that. Where are we gonna get the ideas if we don't create a physical forum where we can touch and see these ideas in the flesh.

We can experience the flora and fauna of nature just down the road there is no need to drive the 90-400 miles to a gathering. So it is difficult to usenature as a drawing card of the gatherings.

One true JOY for me is the civilians. Their unbridled curiosity is a true delight for me!

The wife and I love to cook and this is another joy in that we can share this talent with others. This weekends gathering we decided to experiment with the rootbeer cobbler and it was a hit. Our homemade hot bread in the dutch ovens is always a big hit and we never have leftovers. :lol:
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Re: Gatherings what joys do you have in going ....

Postby canned o minimum » Wed Mar 21, 2012 8:51 am

Fer me... the gatherings are a big social event. The food,coffee,camp fire,stealin trailer ideas or accessorie ideas,the social aspects... it's a one stop "fix" fer me.
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