Well we made it back in one piece from our first WBCCI Rally held in Richmond, Ontario.
After reading a lot of mixed opinions on this forum about the WBCCI we decided to hold back and try and go into the Rally with an open mind.
Now that we have experienced our First Rally we can sympathize with some of the comments made - however - there are a lot more comments made purely on peoples "tastes" rather than what the Rally is all about.
Do we think we got our moneys worth - Yes
Do we think it is hokey pokey - NO
Did we want to see more activities - Maybe a few geared to Vintage
Could we have recommended a few ideas - sure we could have
Did we have fun - You bet
Where the people we met nice - You bet
Were our dogs welcome - You bet
Did we fit in - NO WAY - we were the Young Blood with two great big dogs camping out in a "small old GT" with some comforts of home but missing two important ones this past weekend - HEAT and HOT WATER. Compared to the majority Retired super friendly people enjoying ALL the comforts of home in their 34fters. - We really did stick out like a sore thumb.
But that did not stop us from wondering around and drooling of times to come in about 20 years for us. And word got out about our "Painted Awning" so we had quite a few interested in having a look at our little GT.
The most surprising comment was - wow you have a lot of room for such a small trailer. Did we pick the best layout for entertaining - yep. Sleeping is up in the air at the moment!!!!
Do we need smaller dogs - YEP!!!! As it was so new and strange to the girls they both insisted on curling up on our bed with us - that is a 48X74" bed we are talking about here. In the morning you could still see the imprint on the outside shell from my face being pushed against that freezing wall. The last night we tried the twins in the front - much better.
Do we need a furnace? - Naaaa just throw on the kettle for tea and a pot of water to boil for the "bird bath/Mexican Bath" and she was nice and toasty in seconds.
The Fairgrounds were great - with expectations of one big dust bowl - the facilities far exceeding our concerns for places to take the dogs for an off leash run.
Lesson one as dog owners - Don't whine about some other dog owner who did not pick up after their dog - just pick it up yourself - dispose of it and don't rock the boat - rock the boat and the non-dog owners will jump on the band wagon!! (If you know who's dog it was - then politely walk up to them with bag in hand and remind them to keep up with the "Jones's". and if your dog(s) are bigger then just let them know that they will be "watching"
)
As it was all new to us and the boating routine was so far different - it took us forever to get up and out - We managed to get in one meal on time and remembered to bring our own mug and cutlery.
Our first trip we brought 10 days more than we needed in clothes, and 10 days more than we needed in food.
We were however prepared for anything - did a lot of entertaining in our little MoonBeam with our Friends Annie and Marvin, had several showings, bought up the Quarter Master Inventory
Met a lot of new people - even one from this forum (can't remember the handle though - but a really nice family who were inducted as new members with a special transferal of their Aunts WBCCI number - who was also in attendance)
We met another couple who's WBCCI number on their Vintage Trailer was 14536 and we are 14535 - the number is still in use somewhere - so they had to get new numbers. They had some issues with their trailer as all us Vintage owners seem to but never deters the smiling faces.
We are very interested in one day volunteering for the WBCCI and will be helping out with the BlackStock Rally next Spring! We will also be looking at what we might be able to do in our own area for the future as well.
My Fauxpawwww for the weekend was pulling the black tank valve at an in-opportune time - we won't go there will we Marvin
And at the end of the weekend Peter forgot to close the valve before he took the hose off :eke: Good thing he was wearing gloves - eh Marvin
Haily's fauxpaw was running off after a Robin and taking poor little Toby for a ride as she got his lead caught on her chest at 40MPH - one minute he was enjoying his dinner in the trailer - the next he had done a 360 in the air and landed about 10 feet out of the trailer and away from his bowl.
Taz got a little nervous during our time away from the trailer at the business meeting - as it started to Rain - but all was fine when we got home and had Birthday cake and Passion Cognac Celebrating Annie's Special Day - nice way to top off our induction's into the Ontario Unit.
All in all we had a super time and just know the Rallies will get better every time we go - as you really do make them what YOU want them to be.
Here are a couple of picks...
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