Thursday, July 22 We woke up knowing this would be another day to survive the heat. . . . but we had a mission to accomplish! Several NOVA peeps had items to enter in the Hobby & Craft show, and set-up started early. The Airstream Quilt completed by Carol, Sue, Suzie and me was entered. I also entered a bear/log cabin quilt, two pine needle baskets, and a paper-pieced lanyard. Tom entered a wooden vase, a bowl, and a 3-D scene. Several NOVA members entered other pieces, and all in all our club was well-represented. I took pictures of many entries as they were on display, and back at the campsite we combined all of our NOVA pieces for a picture to display all the ribbons. I hate to even bring it up again . . . but it was HOT! We were thankful for the angle of our trailer that had shade on one side or the other all day, and for the two EZ-UP awnings where a large group could sit outside . . . with fans to help stir the air! At supper-time a seafood smorgasbord appeared: steamed Walleye, sea oysters, Joe’s Crab Shack dip, and a bevy of accompanying delights. Some people showed up for a full meal, and some showed up to snack a bit, and there was plenty to go around! Our tanks had been pumped out again this morning, and I felt free to run that shower water as much as I wanted. Once done, and totally cooled off, I found a seat outside where another music jam was going on. Friday, July 23 Tom was up early and had an 8:00 appointment for a final-fix of the truck. I slowly worked around the campsite cleaning up the inside and outside, and packing for towing. The intent was to pull out and head for home as soon as Tom returned with a working truck! That turned out to be 11:00. The closing ceremony was tonight, but we just didn’t relish another hot afternoon. Indeed, it seemed that quite a few people were pulling out Friday. Starting at 11:00 we made it home in 9 hours at 8:00. We did a minimal of unpacking, and settled down to enjoy being home.
My thoughts about the International Airstream rally are a bit conflicting with the break-down of our air-conditioner and our truck. This limited the sight-seeing that we could do around the Nashville area, as well as attending seminars and other indoor functions. However, one thing remained as a stand-out --- NOVA people are the absolute BEST to camp with. Flexible, sharing, caring, entertaining and helpful – always present to stand by and support their fellow NOVA pals.
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Sunday, July 19 The day started out right with a visit from the honey wagon! Those guys were fast, efficient . . . and they didn’t stink! The 10:30 Region 4 brunch was the best brunch I have ever had at an event like this: hash brown casserole, sausage quiche, fresh fruit (never frozen!) ham biscuit sandwiches, and a spread of sweets! Immediate NOVA past President Brad Briggs has worked his way up the ranks in Region 4 with a lot of service, and at this International Rally he is taking over the harnesses as President. NOVA also is proud to have Elaine Barrick serving as treasurer of Region 4. The Vintage Airstream Club held an open house to show off their trailers, and we wandered around admiring those gleaming beauties. In the evening they hosted a 60's dance . . . the VAC is such an active club and knows how to include everyone in the fun! Weather was threatening in the afternoon, again causing people to stash the awnings. The EZ-Up we were all sitting under was also lowered – leaving it perfect for sitting in the rain! When we ran out of room, some lined up under one of the narrow back-side awnings for cover. Rain did not stop the socialization! Tom and I used the weather as an excuse to go out to eat at Logan’s steak house. When we got back the get-together was still going on. Monday, July 19 After coffee we headed to the expo center to check out the Airstream Store that was to open at 9:00. The line was over 25 people deep – there was nothing I needed that bad. Tom snuck away for a little shopping spree of his own; he bought me a beautiful pair of Silver Trailer earrings with secure French clips. While we were on location, we checked out the snap shot contest and voted for our top three favorites in each of 5 categories. Out of the whole display, I liked the picture of the pup posing by a fairground cow the best. We headed back to the trailer to take Pippa out for walk; it was already steaming up with humidity, although the temperature was only 81 at 11:00. A run to Walmart was in order to make a few purchases for the evening dinner gathering. Inside the trailer we rested a bit –from the heat! At 1:00 we headed out to go hear a seminar: “Organize a Region Community Service Rally.” This was put on by NOVA’s Dan and Dawn Bihary who have spearheaded the Region 4 project for the past two years. Their presentation did NOVA proud! The afternoon heat and humidity gave way to a heavy downpour just as we gathered for happy hour at 4:30. Luckily there were two EZ-UP shelters to crowd under, and appetizers and drinks carried on without a delay, and the rain lasted just 30 minutes. Mike had spent all day pampering a pig butt in his smoker, and had invited everyone to come for supper! EVERYONE! As always happens with such a get-together, a full assortment of food appeared to accompany that pork butt! Thoughts turned towards our big event for the morning, and Suzie gave Penelope a bath and a tailgate trim, while Tom and I put Pippa in the Airstream sink for a soak and a scrub. Wonder why the dogs are getting the royal treatment? Check back in the morning for the details. Tuesday, July 20 HOT DOGS . . . see your HOT DOGS, here! A little problem popped up at 2:00 a.m. – the fan on the air conditioner gave out! Tom was up early and able to locate a Mobile RV repairman that would be out FIRST thing Wednesday morning! Today was the long-awaited pet contest. I organized 7 NOVA dogs, dressed up as Airstreams, to caravan around the arena for the costume show. Each dog represented a type of Airstream, with an accompanying write-up to accompany the parade. The problem was that the event moved ahead very slowly, and by the time the costume entrants presented, everyone (dogs, owners, and spectators) was hot and tired. The announcer quite announcing, and Tom grabbed the microphone and read our narration – but it just didn’t come across with the oomph I had anticipated. We won 3rd place in the costume division—almost not worth the misery. Later we found out that we had won the “People’s Choice Award” – the favorite act across all the different divisions! The afternoon temperature in the high 80’s combined with some heavy humidity. We had the Airstream built-in fans going plus 3 others for a good stiff breeze! When the Airstream reach 91 degrees the moving air felt like a blast furnace, so we moved outside! We survived! The other big event was a trip to the Grand Ole Opry. We left Pippa in Suzie and John’s trailer where Penny was designated as a baby sitter, and headed off at 5:00. There were 8 buses arranged to take everyone into the Opry. Since it was an easy drive, Tom and I just drove our truck. It had been at least 30 years since we had been, and it was fun to have an Opry update! It was a superb show; a great way to end the evening Wednesday, July 22 Our fix-it man was here at 9:00, climbed on the Airstream roof and had the fan out in short time. The problem was that he didn’t have a replacement – neither did any of the dealers in the area. We reconciled ourselves to putting up with the heat – it reached 92 degrees that afternoon. We made a run to Dollar General and bought a box fan and an oscillating fan -- to add to the 3 we already had running! Meanwhile, the saga of engine warning light (from day 1 of our trip) continued as Tom had a morning appointment at a local GMC dealership. It was indeed the DEF sensor, which was close to triggering the engine to shut down to 40MPH! The dealership did not have the part needed, but ordered it and gave us an appointment for Friday morning at 8:00 to have it installed. The only good news here was that everything is covered by warranty! Meanwhile we could not drive the van! As the temperature climbed to 94 degrees in the trailer we moved outside to the shade and were tolerably comfortable. We didn’t go down to the event center to the air-conditioned buildings because dogs were not allowed in and we couldn’t leave Pippa in the trailer! Pippa did not seem to mind the heat, she just kept finding a new, shaded piece of grass to stretch out on! Occasionally we would jump on the golf cart for a breezy ride around the fairgrounds! Eventually the heat gave way and sitting outside became very nice as dark descended. Snacks appeared and some cooked, but Tom and I made no big effort to cook dinner. An organized gig of musicians set up a performance that attracted a nice little crowd to our area. It was delightful to relax in the cool of the evening with a great and casual show! Showers were in line at bedtime, and with those fans still running at high speed, we chased the last of the day’s heat from the trailer. We were comfortable for the night’s sleep.
Saturday, July 17, 2021 Tom put away awning, mat, chairs overnight in case of storms. Didn’t happen! At 8:00 when I got out of bed Tom was patiently waiting to cook breakfast: egg sandwiches! By 10:00 we were in the cart and reconnoitering the fairgrounds for action. The exhibitors were open, and I tried hard to find something to buy . . . no luck. At noon the VAC (Vintage Airstreamers) drove their rigs around the fairgrounds! What a wonderful treat that was for all of us, considering they had to hook up, leave their camping spot, and unhook again after the parade. At 6:30 we all meandered our way to the opening ceremony, racing a large storm front. We found a bull-pen right up front labeled “Region 4” and claimed seats. The rally band put on an impressive show of John Phillip Susa tunes, and played a wonderful march to kick off the presentation of the officers and flags. Our flag carrier, Gary, got one of the biggest cheers as he walked across the front with our NOVA flag. The opening ceremony was organized, impressive, and quick. The weather had not been as hot today, and a few showers had cooled it down at times. But, the humidity was high, and when we returned to the Silvermine, I was ready for a shower, and to stay inside the Silvermine.
Thursday, July 15 This trip started . . . with a CHECK ENGINE light, and a stop by our GMC dealership! Quick fix – the computer showed a bogus issue with the DEF fluid system. The light went out and we were on our way to the Airstream Club 2021 International Rally by 9:15. The rally was cancelled last year because of covid, and we haven’t been to an international rally since 2016. John Couger cranked up the anticipation factor by organizing a caravan of over a dozen NOVA Airstreams . . . so that we would arrive at the Wilson County Fairgrounds in Lebanon, TN with an impressive presence! John would be picking up caravanners along the way, and we would meet them all at Bowling Green, KY – in time for happy hour and a taco fest. This is our first trip (in 12 years) without Charlie Button, who went over the rainbow bridge 3 weeks ago. Pippa has graduated to the front seat on the console, and she is compliant about staying in her little box – sitting up to look out and laying down for naps. For the first time she got to try a McDonalds hamburger patty when we stopped for lunch! To aid & abet this caravan, John created a text-message group; messages started rolling in early in the afternoon – who, what, when, where . . . . in a steady stream. Eventually at 4:00 Airstreams trickled in to the Flea Market parking lot, where permission had been granted for us to spend the night. With 90-degree temperatures, it was good to have a strip of shade and we settled in for John’s taco diner and some pre-rally hype. Friday, July 16 Our generator lasted until 5:00 this morning, keeping us cool and comfortable all night with the air conditioner. Gathering outside at 7:00 a.m. John made a large breakfast, and we began organizing for the caravan. I tried to count the airstreams as we left the parking lot at 9:00 – but they kept moving around! I think there were eight. The trick to the morning drive was to follow along and arrive together at the international staging area so that we could be parked together. Tricky, because we were traveling on State Route 231 with points of stop and go and red lights; we all made it to the Wilson County Fairgrounds together! Just an hour later (10:30) we arrived. There is always a certain amount of urgency when arriving at a big event like this: so much to do and so many distractions! After an hour, it is better, and after 2 hours, it is much better! Our NOVA group, for the most part, was parked straddling a gravel road with doors opening on the gravel, and beautiful green grass in front of and behind our trailers. We have water and electric and the promise that a honeywagon (if you don’t know – don’t ask) will be by sometime during the rally to pump out our tanks. The most important thing of all is that we are positioned with the back of our trailers facing west and we will have afternoon shade on our front/awning sides as the day deepens. Knowing the size of the Fairgrounds, the predicted high temperatures, and the condition of Tom’s right hip (still waiting to be replaced on July 27, we had ordered a golf cart to be delivered for the week. It was dropped off within 30 minutes of when we arrived! By 1:30 we were in the cart and driving down to the registration location where we picked up our welcome bag and entered some of our crafts in the hobby show. Then, a ride back to the NOVA compound to prepare for the “Happy-to-be-Here-Happy-Hour.” Tom and I were hosting at 4:00! Happy Hour served the purpose of getting many NOVA people together in order to talk about and plan events for the week. Tom served Tennessee Lemonade with Jack Daniels, triple sec, lemon-lime soda and straight up lemon juice! Writing this I just remembered, I forgot to get out the 8 fresh lemons that I brought along for drink garnish! I had planned just chips and Mexican dip, and that had a way of multiplying into a variety of other snack contributions as people arrived. Our evening ended up with a cooling ride around the fairgrounds in the golf cart. Tom located the shower house and dropped me off to shower in the Silvermine while he returned to clean up. I was exhausted after a day of hustle, and by 9:30 was in bed . . . with a new book!
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Archives
October 2021
We don’t go camping any more . . . we go ‘streamin’ ! The “SIlvermine and His” is our 2018 25' Airstream Serenity with Salsa interior and front twin beds., and ‘streamin’ is the name we use to describe our adventures. Stream along as we document everything from weekend trips to longer summer excursions and full-blown vacations. You know what they say: if you’re not in an Airstream – you’re just camping!
Tom & Ella Brown |