By Charlie Adcock, F311374
National President
November 2016
Hello, My Fellow FMCA Family. Gloria and I finished this summer in really busy fashion. We returned home to Searcy, Arkansas, in late August to find that everything had grown like wild. We spent several weeks working harder than I can remember. Right in the middle of all that, the floods in south Louisiana occurred. My sister, Martha, and brother-in-law, Jack, were flooded out of their home. They did not have flood insurance, because they were not in a flood zone. They lost everything. My niece and her husband also had floodwater in their home, but they did have flood insurance.
We feel so blessed, though. Ed Covington, owner of RV Fog Doctor, loaned Martha and Jack his fifth-wheel travel trailer to live in while they are rebuilding their home. Gloria and I left Searcy with Ed’s truck and trailer. We headed south on Interstate 55 to deliver the trailer to Martha and Jack. Well, guess what. We made it about 200 miles before the first blowout happened. I managed to get the spare on, only to discover it was very low on air. So, I slowly drove to the next exit (middle of nowhere in Mississippi) and traveled about three miles off the interstate to find a very small town where we bought 50 cents’ worth of air.
Back on I-55 south, we drove about 50 more miles before another tire (same side) blew out. Here is where our good luck kicked in. We were right at an exit when it blew out. We took the exit and found a tire store at the end of the ramp. Of course, they did not have the size we needed, but after a quick call, they directed us to another store about a quarter-mile away. This tire store worked with us to get the tires on the trailer and then sent us on our way. You guessed it; I replaced all four tires, and we were back on the road. I suppose if you look for the silver lining, it is that both tire blowouts were on the same side, so I only tore up one side of the trailer.
A disaster team from a church had come in that day to move the debris out of my sister’s driveway so the trailer could be parked. There was so much debris taken out of the house that it looked like a mountain. We made it there before dark and got the trailer parked. They were able to have utilities to the trailer hooked up and will call it home until they can move back into their house.
So, everything is working out, and we will forever be grateful to Ed for the loan of the trailer. At our age, it is hard to overcome a disaster like this, but we are blessed and will pull through this.
While at home I worked out some of my farm-boy ambitions. I tethered hay and then raked it into windrows to be rolled up in round bales. Then I picked up the round bales with the tractor and stacked them in the barn. I also spent a couple of days with a chainsaw trimming all the tree limbs up on the fence rows. I’m telling you, after three weeks of all that work, I was ready to get back in the motorhome and leave town.
Our first stop was the Heart of Oklahoma Exposition Center in Shawnee, Oklahoma, for the South Central Area Rally. Boy, did we have a rally. Rod Sartwell, national vice president, South Central Area, and his entire team and volunteers put on a wonderful rally. We were treated to a full breakfast each morning, and everyone had 50-amp full hookups. The weather was gorgeous all week. Thanks, South Central Area, for a wonderful time.
Upon leaving Shawnee, we headed to Farmington, New Mexico, to attend the Rocky Mountain Ramble. With a couple of days to fill before the rally started, we stopped in Santa Fe and Albuquerque to play tourists. We haven’t had much time to just be tourists lately, and we really had a good time with friends.
We arrived at the Ramble and were treated to a dinner at the Elks Club the first night. We also had a picnic by the river. The closing dinner was Mexican fare (enchiladas). If you think all we did was eat, well, you are wrong. We had movie night and two nights of entertainment. Attendees could select from lots of crafts and educational seminars. They also could attend a wine tour or a four-wheel off-road adventure. Thanks, Jack Mayberry, national vice president, Rocky Mountain Area, and your entire Ramble crew for a job well done.
Our next stop after the Rocky Mountain Ramble will take us east to Lewisburg, West Virginia, for the Great Eastern Area Rally, commonly known as G.E.A.R. Our hosts will be Bill Mallory, national vice president, Eastern Area, along with his team and many volunteers.
Some wonderful entertainment is on tap, and the G.E.A.R. folks will put the exclamation point on the ice cream social by providing hand-dipped ice cream with all the trimmings. Attendees will be able to take part in a ghost tour in downtown Lewisburg; that should be a spooky affair. Campers Inn RV will be providing 31 show coaches for attendees to browse through and dream of owning. And some likely will have their dreams come true as they leave with a new coach. There’ll be lots of wonderful vendors and plenty of seminars to attend that are both crafty and educational.
All in all, during this trip we will have attended three wonderful rallies, each different in its own way. After G.E.A.R., we will head to the FMCA national office in Cincinnati to take care of association business during the fall Executive Board meetings.
It’s difficult to believe that it’s fall already. Time is slipping away quickly, and last month I missed wishing our Canadian friends Happy Thanksgiving. Belated greetings to them for their celebration, which took place on October 10.
On November 24 we will celebrate Thanksgiving in the United States. We, like our Canadian friends, have so much to be thankful for. And Gloria and I wish all of you a happy and wonderful Thanksgiving.
In the beginning I talked about my sister and the flooding in Louisiana. I also don’t want us to forget all of our friends in the West who have suffered the effects of fires, our friends on the East Coast with storms and the threat of hurricanes, and our friends in the Midwest with all the tornadoes. Weather certainly can be unpredictable and have a life-changing impact.
It also bears repeating that we should always be mindful of the service and sacrifices of our troops, veterans, firefighters, law enforcement officers, and EMTs, and to say thanks to them whenever we have an opportunity.
Until next time, remember, “It’s all about having fun!”
FMCA Is Arizona And Indiana Bound!
Before you know it, cold temperatures will descend upon most of the United States and Canada. So, think warm thoughts and make plans now to join us at the Rawhide Western Town and Event Center in Chandler, Arizona (Phoenix area), for FMCA’s 95th International Convention, March 7 through 10, 2017. The registration form for this event appears online and on pages 95 and 96 of this issue.
Also be sure to check out page 60, which announces the FMCA Academy “RV Basics” educational sessions that will be offered just prior to the Arizona convention. These information-packed sessions are ideal for new motorhome owners but also beneficial to others interested in brushing up on their motorhome knowledge. Additional information is available at FMCA.com/academy.
Looking ahead to next summer, mark your calendars for July 12 through 15, 2017, because we will be returning to the Indiana State Fairgrounds in Indianapolis for FMCA’s 96th International Convention. You won’t want to miss this summertime fun!
National Office Holiday Schedule
The FMCA national office will be closed Thursday and Friday, November 24 and 25, in observance of the Thanksgiving holiday.
The office also will be closed from Monday, December 26, through Friday, December 30, in observance of the Christmas and New Year holidays. The office will reopen on Monday, January 2, 2017, at 8:00 a.m. Eastern Time.