A Personal Thank You to our IRG Host and Hostess!

[tdhombre]

I could not let this event go by without a very personal "Thank You" to Dean and Joanie from both Liz and I. What a great event!

We both appreciated the effort and detail that went into making this "one for the books!" And a massage in the Redwood Grove is something that I will remember for a LONG time. It was great!

Again, many thanks to both of you for making this weekend such a special occasion for us all.

D & L

[The Teardrop Nanny]

Where else would you be
To receive a massage under a redwood tree?

The I R G !

TDN

[Dean in Eureka, CA]

I would like to thank everyone that stepped up to the plate and helped out.
How about our MC for Saturday night, the one and only Snoop Dougie?
He was great!!!! (Did ya'll notice his teeth?)
Donn and Donna were just non stop helpers, that's all...
Donn get's more credit than I, for the pit bbq and I think Donna was pretty much Joanie's shadow the whole time.
He tended the fire when I had to make a run into town and the trip down to Scotia to pick up the meat.
It was a group effort, that's for sure.
Gotta give ncdodave a plug too for his dutch oven work... How about that massive 22"???
Let's not forget Joanne & Kelly, They pretty much took care of the folks in the lower group area. I was lucky enough to catch one of their Mountain Man Breakfast's and check this out Gage... I didn't even need a plate or silverware. Joanne handed me what I needed and Kelly served me right up!

[Joanne]

Hey Dean,

The DO cooking was a lot of fun. I was surprised at the interest it generated. We did a couple of "mini classes" for those who were interested. I felt kind of bad because the Peach Cobbler was gone before Gage could even get over to have some.

We had a nice group of onlookers when we did the Mountain Man breakfast. We cooked 4 bags of hashbrowns, 3 pounds of sausage, 2 pounds of cheese, 1 onion, 1 bell pepper and 4 dozen eggs. It took a 14", 12" and 10" oven to cook it all. I'm happy to report that ALL of it was eaten.

We used over 30lb of charcoal during the event.

More than anything, I hope that we encouraged folks to try some of their own DO cooking. It's not very hard and the results are amazing.

Dean, did you make pizza while you were there?

Joanne

I would like to thank everyone that stepped up to the plate and helped out.
How about our MC for Saturday night, the one and only Snoop Dougie?
He was great!!!! (Did ya'll notice his teeth?)
Donn and Donna were just non stop helpers, that's all...
Donn get's more credit than I, for the pit bbq and I think Donna was pretty much Joanie's shadow the whole time.
He tended the fire when I had to make a run into town and the trip down to Scotia to pick up the meat.
It was a group effort, that's for sure.
Gotta give ncdodave a plug too for his dutch oven work... How about that massive 22"???
Let's not forget Joanne & Kelly, They pretty much took care of the folks in the lower group area. I was lucky enough to catch one of their Mountain Man Breakfast's and check this out Gage... I didn't even need a plate or silverware. Joanne handed me what I needed and Kelly served me right up!

[Dean in Eureka, CA]

Dean, did you make pizza while you were there?

Well... No I did not.

The only thing that I cooked was the meat in the underground pit.
I only took a 14" oven, which I had seasoned up to show quality a few days before the event. (I wanted to impress everyone with how sanitary my iron was) I also took a 12" oven for the kids to do their ice cream and Dad to make cobblers. The kids did make their ice cream on Sunday, but Dad didn't do nothing in a DO the entire time I was there.
I almost had time to cook up some abalone, but that ended up going home with Will Smith. Will was kind enough to cook up 5 or 6 packages of venison that I took. I forgot all about those backstraps and shoulder steaks until Sunday.
The venison was great, except when I decided to go back for one last bit and made myself a venison sandwich.
A yellow jacket decided he like the venison too and had landed on the underside of a slab hanging out past the bread roll.
I took a nice bite and Wham!!!
He stung me on the tounge and about 5 places along the lower gum, before I spit him and the piece of sandwich out.
(Kinda put the skids on my appitite)
Good News Though... Even with all the gorging, I still managed to come home a few pounds lighter than when I went there!

[mercy]

now that i've got pictures up...



holy cats, people. that was amazing!
the people, the trailers, the company, the food, the ideas, the smells, the helicopters, the pampering, the dogs, the jokes...just...man!

thank you to the wonderful, radiant hosts, and to the magnificent addicts (both teardrop and potluck) for making it a blast!

[Rob]

Speaking of Mountain Man Breakfasts, Don sure did a heck of a job on one on Saturday morning! The ten of us went through that thing like we hadn't eaten in a week. OINK, OINK Thanks Don.

[asianflava]

After that experience, I have to get me one of those dutch ovens.

[The Teardrop Nanny]

Rocky,

Just one ????

TDN

[Kevin A]

Well, if he gets one of them 22" DO's He'll be set....

[The Teardrop Nanny]

Yeah, but do ya think he can convince Melody to renew their vows in it?

TDN xoxo

[bledsoe3]

I'm thinking no.

[The Teardrop Nanny]

Then we'll just have to have an impromptu surprise renewal ceremony for 'em at the next gathering.. TDNxoxo

[asianflava]

I kinda have a feeling that Jim is right. Ummm, no.

[emiller]

:thumbsup
I agree this was the gathering of gatherings, I enjoyed every minute, my wife and I really liked meeting new friends. Doug was very funny and Cherokee George and his wife are awsume people. The food was amazing and the weather perfect. I hope to see you all again some time. Thank you IRG hosts and participants. And like Rocky we will start with the dutch oven cooking just don't know if we should use are new IRG 2006 dutch oven. just alittle rub in. Thanks all. Eddie and Donna Miller.