DEL-MAR-VA BEACON

January - February 2004

November - December 2003
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July - August 2003
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January - February 2003

Volume 39, No. 6

November - December 2002

Volume 39, No. 5

September - October 2002

WALLY BYAM CARAVAN CLUB INTERNATIONAL, INC.

DEL-MAR-VA BEACON

Volume 39, No. 4

July-August 2002

FROM UNDER MY HAT

As we leave Lakeview, MN heading to the International Rally in Rapid City, Kay and I fondly remember the Region 2 Rally in Bloomsburg, PA. We enjoyed the fine company we had with the members of our unit and the other units of Region 2. I especially enjoyed the ice cream socials.

Looking forward we want to thank Al and Mary Lee DeLuca for hosting the upcoming Seaford Rendezvous. Even (bough Seaford had to cancel the Chicken Festival, the town is planning great celebration and 1 know that everybody will have a great time enjoying the company of our unit members and the hospitality of Al and Mary Lee. Kay and I are sadly not going to be able to make the rendezvous, but are planning to join every one at Deep Creek Lake where Charlie and Iva Lee Carter along with Boots and Frances Mason will be hosting our August rally. We hope to see all of you there, so get your reservations in as the deadline is creeping up on you.

Frank Blunda, President

DelMarVa Unit

Many people will walk in and out of your life, but only true friends will leave footprints in your heart. (Eleanor Roosevelt)

REGION 2 RALLY

Our number of members attending may have been small, but the fellowship and good times were enormous. Blundas, Masons, Pierces, Wardens, DeLucas and Richard Spencer and Luz represented DelMarVa Unit.

Frank & Kay made us proud as they carried our unit flag and the Delaware flag for the opening ceremonies. They also hosted a hassle tassel on Friday.

Some of our group went on a tour of a coal mine and rode on a steam train.

The entertainment each evening during the rally was very good, and some great door prizes were awarded. First lady Kay had planted a basket of herbs arranged with shells as a door prize. It was cared for tenderly and made an attractive donation from our unit.

We want to thank Region 2 President Ralph Forrester and First Lady Zoe and all the Region 2 officers for a good rally. It was evident that a lot of planning and work had been done and was appreciated by all who attended. Ralph and Zoe celebrated their 40^th wedding anniversary during the rally and treated everyone with ice cream.

(Our President was heard to say: "Life is good!")

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HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO:

John Temple July 8

Gcorgiana Fenncmore July 8

Man Wharton July 11

Mildred Frosch July 13

Albert (Boots) Mason July 17

Hilda Osborne July 22

Twyla Hinzman Aug. 5

Ralph Hinzman Aug. 6

Gloria O'Reilly Aug. 6

Susan Schaar Aug. 6

Henry Kozicki Aug. K

Pat Pfannenstiel Aug. 8

Peggy Heath Aug. 10

Sylvia Harmon Aug. 10

Claire Connely-Warden Aug. 12

Elizabeth Turner Aug. 14

Larry Heath Aug. IS

Beverly Houser Aug. 19

Iva Lee Carter Aug. 23

Al DeLuca Aug.31

Jerry McEachern Aug. 31

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY TO:

Ken & Ethel Pickett July 8

Garrctt & Peggy Heath July 10

Henry & Irene Kozicki July 14

Albert (Boots) & Frances Mason Julv 14

Tom & Connie Littel July 3D

Royce & Una Ladd Aug. 5

Seaton & Margaret Phelps Aug. 6

Bert & Louise Parker Aug. 12

Jack & Helen McCann Aug. 14

Bob & Bonnie Poynter Aug. 24

Ralph & Twyla Hinzman Aug. 27

Bob & Ruth Bryson Aug. 28

Margaret Morris called to say they found two screws in their trailer tires after the

Parkview Rally. Thankfully they were at home when the screws were found and not on the road, but this a warning for all of us to keep a close watch on our tires.

NEWS OF OUR MEMBERS

Bob Schnell is still improving - a good thing especially since he is now chauffeur and

care giver to Hilda who recently had eye surgery. She is to get stitches out this week and hopes her vision will soon improve.

Helen McCann also had eye surgery and is improving. Our good wishes to both Helen and Hilda. Jack. stay well.

Our good friend. Bill Walsh. from Parkview continues to show improvement each day. is getting around the house and eating a little better, although he still has a long way to go. He appreciates the prayers, love and concern shown by the members of our unit.

Thanks to Margaret Phelps for sharing the highlights of the Civil War caravan she and Seaton were part of this Spring. It had to be an exciting adventure and we hope -she will share Part II with us next year. Dick & Man Ann Nekton went on the Southwestern Adventures caravan and saw many beautiful sights. Maybe they will share their adventures with us.

The rally at McHcnry, near Deep Creek Lake is fast approaching. If you hurry. it is not too late to get reservations in. We have to have the money and reservations to the campground by July 4. so if you are interested don't delay. Send your check and coupon in right away or call the Masons at 302-398-3410 or Carters at 410-778-0940. Bob Schnell has graciously agreed to be our "tour guide" for the rally. He and Hilda are familiar with the area and w ill be staying in a nearby cottage during the time of our rally.

A coupon for the Me Henry rally in included in this newsletter. Directions to the Double G Campground: 1-70 Baltimore to Hancock, MD. Left off 1-70 past Hancock on 1-68 to Keyser's Ridge. 219 South to McHenry MD. Left on Mosscr Road. (Go up hill and pass church on left.) Double G on right.

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HIGHLIGHTS Of A CARAVAN

Margaret Phelps 8192

We have recently returned from a very interesting and enjoyable caravan sponsored by WBCCI, the American Civil War Caravan, Part 1. The caravan was planned and led by Jamie and Susan King, members of the Eastern North Carolina Unit. They had done an excellent job of scouting the area and organizing the details of arranging parking sites and tours so that everything would run smoothly.

Twenty-five Airstream units from throughout the country met at the Land Between the Lakes National Recreational Area in Dover, Tennessee on March 6,2002, to begin a journey that would take us back in time to a study of the War Between the States in the area and along the Mississippi River. We found that members of the caravan have a common interest in history and enjoy the companionship that a caravan provides.

During the war both armies had a vital interest in controlling the Mississippi River, the main means of transportation for supplying their troops in the South. The Confederates had set up fortifications along the river for defense against the Federals who came down the river with gunboats. We visited several famous battlefields where Fighting took place during the campaign. We started at Fort Donelson, where the North won its first major victory of the war. Next we toured the Shiloh National Military Park, the site of the largest battle of the Civil W ar. It lasted two days and resulted in a large number of casualties on both sides. Then we traveled down to the National Military Park in Vicksburg. Mississippi. As was true of the other battle, here we saw many monuments scattered throughout the field, put there by the various states to honor their dead. The Confederate monuments were erected by the United Daughters of the Confederacy for the soldiers of the South who were buried where they fell in battle. National Cemeteries have been established for burial of the Union soldiers. The Confederates were considered traitors and could not be buried there. As we visited these battlefields, we were reminded of the sacrifices these soldiers endured fighting for their beliefs. We are thankful that the Union survived to become the great nation that we have today.

Another interesting part of our caravan was the visits to many beautiful antebellum plantation homes. Though they suffered greatly during the war, especially during the siege of Vicksburg that lasted forty-seven days, many have been restored to their original grandeur.

In Baton Rouge we spent an enjoyable afternoon on a boat trip into the bayou. Our guide gave us a lesson on wetlands ecology, wildlife, and the history of the exiled Cajuns who settled here. On all of our tours we were fortunate to have very knowledgeable guides who made the trip much more interesting.

Our caravan came to an end in New Orleans. We took a walking tour of the French Quarter and the next day a bus tour of the city. The bus tour ended with a stop at the New Orleans School of Cooking, where we had our final meeting of the caravan. The Creole meal was sumptuous. As we drove back to the campground, we looked out on a sea of lights. New Orleans is a lively city, where the people seem to enjoy life to the fullest.

We made many new friends on the caravan, and we look forward to traveling with them again next year on the American Civil War Caravan, Part II.

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Feel like singing? Here are some new words to the tune of "My Favorite Things" from "The Sound of Music". (Borrowed from Dear Abby)

The Hills Are Alive with the Sound of Aging

Maalox and nose drops and needles for knitting.

Walkers and handrails and new dental Fittings,

Bundles of magazines tied up in string.

These are a few of my favorite things.

Cadillacs, cataracts, hearing aids, glasses,

Polident, Fixodent, false teeth in glasses,

Pacemaker, golf carts and porches with swings.

These arc a few of my favorite things.

When the pipes leak. When the bones creak,

When the knees go bad. I simply remember my favorite things. And then I don't feel so bad.

Hot tea and crumpets. Aind corn pads for bunions.

No spicy hot food or food cooked with onions.

Bathrobes and heating pads. hot meals they bring. These are a few of my favorite things.

Back pains, confused brains, and no fear of sinnin' Thin bones and fractures and hair that is thinnin. More of the pleasures advancing age brings

W hen we remember our favorite things.

When the joints ache.

When the hips break.

When the eyes grow dim,

I simply remember the great life I've had,

And then I don't feel....so bad!

<xxxxx>

(Note from the editor: I got a real chuckle from this paragraph from the book "Seeing Beyond the Wrinkles" by Charles Tindell who is a chaplain in a nursing home. 1 hope you will enjoy it too.)

Each day at noon I say a blessing at mealtime.... It keeps me in contact with the residents. Besides the prayers and a few announcements, I decided to enhance the mealtime blessing by including what I call "This Day in History." It is meant to provide some fun but also to jog memories and act as a catalyst for conversation--On the birthday of the late actor, Clark Gable, I once mentioned that having been born in 1901, he would be celebrating his 94th birthday if he were still living. No sooner had I said that than I heard Agnes, who is 87 years old, retort, to the glee of the other residents and staff, "Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damm."

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HAVE A SAFE FOURTH OF JULY!

HAVE A GREAT FOURTH OF JULY WEEKEND.

Collecting Snails for a Dinner Party

A wife and her husband were having a dinner party for some important guests. The wife was very excited about this and wanted everything to be perfect. At the very last minute she realized she didn't have any snails for the the party, so she asked her husband to get some from the beach which he reluctantly agreed to do. He takes a bucket and walks out the door and down onto the beach. As he was collecting the snails, he notices a beautiful woman strolling alongside the beach just a little further down. He kept thinking to himself. "Wouldn't it be great if she even just came down and talked to me?" He went hack to gathering snails. All of a sudden he looked up and the beautiful woman was standing right over him. They started talking and she invited him back to her place. They ended up spending the night together. Early the next morning he woke up and exclaimed, "Oh, no. My wife's party!!!" He grabbed his bucket of snails and ran out the door. He ran down the beach all the way to his apartment. He ran up the stairs of his apartment. He was in such a hurry that, when he got to the top of the stairs, he dropped the bucket of snails. There were snails all down the stairs. The door opened just then with a very angry wife asking him where he had been all this time. He looked at her. then back at the snails and said. "Come on guys, we're almost there!!"

For the lovers of dogs: "You can say any foolish thing to a dog and the dog nill give you a look that says, "My goodness, you're right! I never would've thought of that." Dave Barry

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