Yesterday was a weird weather day. When we woke up we had about an inch of snow covering everything, but at least the wind from the day before had stopped. We left for Flagstaff about noon, and bucked a headwind most of the way, but nothing the van couldn’t handle.

About fifteen miles east of Flagstaff it began to snow hard, and within minutes it was sticking to the windshield and starting to cover the roadway. Near Winona, Miss Terry spotted several elk on a hillside, but the best I could do was a quick glance because driving was becoming a challenge.

Once we got to the Arizona Daily Sun newspaper, who does our printing when we’re in Arizona, it was nearly a whiteout, and the temperature had dropped fifteen degrees. It was so nasty that we pulled the van inside their pressroom to load up the new issue.

We had to make a couple of quick stops before we left town, and when we got back on Interstate 40 eastbound we were both wondering if we could make it safely back to Show Low.  The road was covered in snow, and more was coming down! We knew that we had at least fifteen miles of this, if not more, depending how far east the storm had moved.

Then, miraculously, in less than a mile after getting on the interstate, the snow suddenly stopped and we were driving in sunshine so bright that we could see the shadows of the cars around us! We had dry roads and no wind all the way home. Like I said, weird weather.

In a blog a few days ago, I wrote about Two Guns, once a famous Route 66 icon. Just a few miles west of Two Guns is another reminder of the good old days, the Twin Arrows Trading Post. Long abandoned, the historic trading post has been fading away and is looking pretty forlorn, and the two huge arrows that were a Route 66 landmark had about disintegrated.

I’m happy to report that the arrows have been refurbished and are looking good today, and the news is that the old trading post will be restored, as part of a project that will include an Navajo Indian casino on the other side of Interstate 40. It’s good to see a part of history coming back to life.

I’m afraid I have some bad news to report. Any RVer who has been to a Family Motor Coach Association (FMCA) rally surely knows Henry Gartner, aka Flakey the Magic Clown. For years Flakey has been a fixture at RV rallies, where he rides around on his motorized cart and performs magic tricks for the crowds. We received word yesterday that Henry’s beloved wife Kathy passed away Wednesday in Ohio. We always enjoyed visiting with Kathy and Henry, and we extend our condolences to Henry at this terrible time. Please keep him in your thoughts and prayers.

Miss Terry will be busy the next few days stuffing envelopes, so we can get the new issue back to the mail service in Flagstaff on Monday. Since the weather report is for more cold weather the next few days, it’s just as well. We’re happy to stay snug and warm inside our cozy home on wheels until good weather returns. Assuming it ever does!

Meanwhile, Bad Nick posted a new Bad Nick Blog titled Obama Bashing Gone Too Far. Check it out and leave a comment.

Thought For The Day – Happiness is good health and a bad memory.

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With the FMCA rally over, we took in just about enough to cover our expenses getting into the event, and make a small wage for ourselves, if we had been children working in a Chinese sweat shop someplace. Financially, it was just about our worst rally ever, even though there were thousands of RVers in attendance.

The good news is that we made some contacts that may pay off down the road in terms of future business. The bad news is that every negative thing we have ever felt about the FMCA was reinforced tenfold; from the snob attitude so very many of the members exhibit, to the way they run the rally.

Terry and I have been family members of the FMCA for ten years, but we had to also purchase a commercial membership just to qualify to come here and pay them to vend. And they still expect us to maintain our family membership too! What’s up with that! I think when it comes time to renew, we’ll just tell them where to stick both memberships.

For me, the final straw was when a member of the FMCA Governing Board came by our booth and wanted to purchase about $140 worth of our products for $50, because as a Governing Board member, he felt he should get some special consideration. I asked him where the consideration was for the vendors that had to pay double duty just to get into their rally, and sent him on his way.

I think the only people who had to put up with more bulls#&% than the vendors here was longtime Gypsy Journal subscriber Greg Vederoff, who sent me this photograph of his rig after parking at a Flying J. Greg said when they pulled in they parked next to a school bus towing a car, which left and was later replaced by a cattle truck that left him this present. What a mess! 

Okay, enough of that, let’s talk about a fun rally, namely our upcoming Gypsy Gathering rally in Celina, Ohio in late September. I’ve got some good news for you; the folks from Recreational Vehicle Safety Education Foundation (RVSEF) will be at the rally giving a couple of great seminars, and weighing RVs. If you have not had your rig weighed, that’s something you really need to get done.

An overloaded RV can be a very dangerous thing, and cost you not only in terms of premature equipment failure, but also in your very safety. Check out the RVSEF website to learn a lot about weight issues in your RV, and while you’re at it, go ahead and register for their RV Lifestyle Safety and Education Clinic too!

My pal Henry Gartner, aka Flakey the Clown, will also put in an appearance at the rally. If you don’t know this wonderful, gentle man, you’re in for a real treat! I profiled Henry in my Today’s Hero Blog a while back. Read Henry’s story and the comments by so many people who love him, and I think you’ll be impressed. Henry has promised to teach us all some easy magic tricks we can use to amaze and delight our grandkids. I’m looking forward to it.

Before I sign off, I want you to check out a brand new free website called ChatRV.com, which was unveiled at the FMCA rally. The owners tell me it’s sort of a Facebook just for RVers. Since our Verizon air card signal has been so poor here, I have not had the opportunity to spend much time looking it over. It’s got a long way to go, but could this be the next new rage for RVers? Tell me what you think.

Thought For The Day – When in doubt, just take the next small step.

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