Well, we're home and unpacked.
What a great w/e! Absolutely beautiful skies and the ocean was picturesque.
Watched seals, birds, deer, & a mountain lion right from our sites! Actually, I didn't see this so called mountain lion and I'm thinking it was a dog that the "witnesses" were looking at through their beer goggles.
As always, what an awesome group of people, wait, make that FRIENDS!!!!!!
Amazing food and cheer too! Although Nick & Sammy Slave were missed, we did pretty darn well if I do say so myself.
The Survivor games were a riot - Kudo's to Tania & Ray! Even had tiki torches.
Dianne is WOMAN as she handled her rig with ease!! Sure was great to have Ab Diver and his wonderful DD although we missed the other half of the Diver family. Holly arriving for the day/evening was excellent although she did help her Survivor team cheat to a victory. Too bad Pete didn't come along. He was missed! Thanks again for making the trip Holly!!
Zymomyz fit right in with this group!! What a great addition they are! Joined in on the games and late night party'ing. I think the story behind their username fits right in with this group and NNC. They made it up and it doesn't mean anything, lol, other than you can spell it the same in reverse. He is a mod. fanatic in true NNC form also. He had his Bal leveler and BAL chock before he even had his PU! He's already done the detachable power cord mod. too! I'm still too chicken to try something that technical. Great family!
I truly enjoyed each and everyone's company this w/e. So much fun to stop at any given NNC site and have a fun chat. As always, the kids all got along so well too. And of course, what would a rally be without Ray running around snapping pictures and video. I still get a smile when I look at his half-a-PU. You can never upgrade Ray. That is one unique rig!
Thanks to everyone who attended! I'll post again later, but there's stuff that needs to be done around here.

We made it home safely too.
even had Dianne tailgating us all the way home.
Onc again another wonderful NNC weekend.
Great company, great company, and apart from the frost in the morning, great weather.
All 6 of us had a great time, even if I did bring home 3 boys with red, green and blue hair.
I'm sitting here nibbling on some left over fried turkey, yum.
O.K. I got a trailer to clean, and put a few things away, so I'll check back in later.
Zymomyz, great that you could join us, and as Neff said, you fit right in with this group.

Otter:

And thanks, Kevin & Margaret for letting me follow the BIG Tahoe all the way home. It was such a nice ride for me. We made it safely to Menlo Park and I am heading for the showers. The warm showers. Then I shall have to head for some exercise to wear off all that wonderful food. I think I can probably skip Thanksgiving Dinner this year since we had everything needed for such a feed last night. The turkey was superb, the desserts fantastic, and everything in between was a feast.
What a great weekend.
Has anyone mentioned the moutain lion. Now that is a first. Racoons, opposums, ticks, we've had them all, but never a Mountain lion.
Jeff you did a great job. WagonMaster par excellence....
hugs all

AbDiver:

Ok, we back. Trailer and truck are unloaded, the clothes are washing, the coolers are emptied, the family has been hugged, the new pup has been petted, and I even winterized the trailer's water system--- just in case. (Gee, dunno why I'd need to winterize a water system here in sunny Calif... everybody knows it *never* gets cold here!)


First, to our MIA Coughers: you were missed, both in mind and spirit. Hope you all feel better ASAP. Same goes to those who didn't intend to attend, but were feeling poorly as well. BTDT, got the dirty T-shirt. Get-well-hugs to all of you.

To everybody in attendance: Thanks once again for your friendship, your hospitality, and your good manners at not making fun of my haircut.

Special Thanks to: Wagonmaster Jeff and his luverly family, who spearheaded this whole shebang. Great choice of campgrounds. Only bummer about the whole thing was the view... I mean, only a measly 140° view of the picturesque Russian river, undisturbed by any other campers besides our group. Absolutely disgusting! Try and make it at least 180° next time, ok Jeff?

Wildlife sightings: Despite claims that some individuals saw a "Mountain Lion" (who cares if the thing we all watched for over five minutes was bigger than my 100+ lbs. Akita dogs and had a long tail), that was NOT a Housecat, Feral cat, Bobcat, Topcat, Felix the Cat, Mountain Lion, Puma, Cougar, Panther, or anything else related to the current feline family tree. That, my friends, was in fact a Saber-tooth Tiger! What else could explain the Ice Age conditions to which we all awoke to this morning? This has got to be a NNC Rally *first*.

Then again, that sea lion constantly cruising the river amongst the ducks was pretty cool, too.

Famished festivities: Contrary to certain So-Cal naysayers, the group as a whole did not starve due to our MIA Camp Cooks. Although we admittedly lost a few of the weaker individuals to starvation (they couldn't stomach the deep-fried K-rations), most of us were able to utilize the 30+ lbs. of deep-fried turkey, the mountains of mashed potatoes, the hot tub full of gravy, a vat of wonderful salad deep enough to dive into, the cornucopia of corn dressing, stupendous stuffing(s), tri-tip, spaghetti, vegetables, breads, pies and other delicious dishes too numerous to mention. I feel it's only due to the incredible and instinctive "will to survive" exhibited by the surviving Rally Attendees that allowed us to make it through such an arduous ordeal. (thanks Sal and Joan... 6quigs used your recipe on their turkey and it was GREAT!!! My own avian adventure was at best .... edible )

Newcomers: Zymomyz occupied that spot of highest honor bestowed only upon those who are among the chosen--- in other words: they came, they saw, and they STILL decided to stay. Welcome to the group! {{{hug}}}

And to Les and Mathew, who drove all the way from central Kalifornia to test the waters and meet our band of merry men and women: Pleased to meet you, Sir! Next time, I hope you can bring you camper and stay a while.

Quest for Fire: Luckily, the group seemed to have a never-ending supply of firewood, as dueling firepits were lit side-by-side to extend their warm influence upon our cozy little group. The daytime temps were wonderful-- blue skies, no breeze, a view to die for, and the sun shining on our faces. But at night, the stars came out, and the temperature dropped in uncharacteristic cold. Fortunately, heat was plentiful due to wood fires and propane heaters, and the darkness was banished from the face of the earth as Ray "Endless Summer" Surfcal lit up his Portable Super-Nova--- 1,000,000 candlepower of warmth and light brought to you by the good folks at General Electric. Like the Joker said of Batman: "Where does he get all those wonderful toys?"

Survival of the Fittest: After drawing numbers to see who would get the short end of the straw, Gamemasters Ray and Tania grouped us into two diametrically opposed groups-- *us* and *them* (and you know who you are). Families were divided, lines were drawn in the sand, and evil looks were cast about. First was that episode of chaos and mayhem otherwise known as a Scavenger Hunt. Children and adults were running around like chickens with the heads cut off, shouting things like "She took my checkers!" and "That's not fair!" There was even a reported race between a mountain bike and a half-ton Suburban in a dirt parking lot. Confusion reigned as unsuspecting store clerks were descended upon, with demands for cans of a mythical creature known as a *Spam*. (The Spam, as we all know, is extinct in Kalifornia. It was driven from it's home range by invading hordes from the hummus and yogurt cultures. Scientist believe that, unable to swim, the last Kalifornia Spam perished sometime during the middle of the previous century as it was driven into the sea.) Let it be known: *we* kicked *their* butt! Score one for *us*.

Next was a test of tenacity close to the hearts of all NNC'ers ... a chugging contest. Proving once and for all that "size doesn't matter, it's what you put in it", our Gamemasters conceived of a cretinous concoction served up in tiny tastes. (Basically, sippy cups filled with mixtures not commonly found in nature.) Although new-comer zymomyz kept a stiff upper lip in round two, once again, *we* beat *them*. Score two for *us*. (burp!)

Final round: Placing large coffee cans of water in a fire pit, and using anything you could get away with, with the exception of matches to start a fire, make the water to "bubble" over the top of the can. *They* took a determined lead, building a by-the-book boyscout fire that would have done any scoutmaster proud. Not to be outdone, we interpreted the rules to mean "we could cheat", and proceeded to place 60,000 btu's of propane stove in the fire pit. Things were not looking good for *them*, as our water started to bubble with vim, vigor, and vitality. Finally, in an act of one part desperation, one part inspiration, and five parts downright underhandedness, *they* added soap to their water and stirred vigorously.

To *our* eternal shame, *their* water bubbled over the rim.

True to NNC culture, and as Practicing Pirates in a game of one-ups-manship, *they* usurped the usurpers--- twisting, bending, and downright discarding the rules, and handing *us* defeat straight from the jaws of victory. *They* won the bonus round, the NNC mugs, the glory, and the right to claim "Superior Survivor Status For All Time" (or at least until *we* get tired of hearing about it). I salute your inventiveness.

But we'll get 'em next time....