THE BIG TENT!!

 It's HERE!!!  Time for the BIG TENT!  If you have anything to do with RV'ing, you know all about the big tent.  It's been huge in the past, as well as very small with many empty tables.  This year however, is a good year.  

As is usual, we went early and waited in the parking lot.  By 8:30 the lot was packed.  

There was a bit of entertainment outside however, as this guy appeared to be landing.  No idea if he made it or not.

Patsy and I waited at the starting line at the back gate with Ken, Kim, Patty and Duncan.  Yes, it's Duncan.  You know how bad I am with names.  Donovan is the newest Trustee at the Elks Lodge!  The countdown began .... OPEN THE GATES!  We grabbed our blue bags and headed for the melee!

Why wasn't BILL there?  You will see further down.

Patsy and I made a beeline for every table with candy!!  Pens were next on the list, and I think I have enough to last for the next two years.  I never have enough pens around the rig or the house.

Down the first aisle, we found Bill and the Quartzite Desert RC Flyers booth.  They weren't selling anything and did NOT have any candy, so we didn't stay long.  Just kidding ... I think they are going to be swamped every single day with interested folks wanting to learn how to fly these awesome planes.  Very nice signs they had made up too!

Every year we stop at this table for Gibbs treats.  I'll let Patsy explain this one.

Surprisingly, the biggest booth was selling gun magazines and ammo, along with ammo boxes.  They even had PINK ones for the girls.

It was good to see lots of flags flying high.

And of course our all time favorite ... PRETZELS AND DIPS.  I already told Patsy not to let me buy any.  I still have at least 6 packages from last year back home in the drawer.  I almost caved, but instead, ate THREE packages of pretzels, tasting every dip.  The Hickory Bacon is still my favorite.

This was a new one I think.  A booth full of quilling done on greeting cards.  Quilling is an ancient craft slowly making a comeback.  Jess, who is staying in our RV park, will teach a class on it this week, and I'm so excited to learn about it.  

Yes, these are pieces of colored paper shaped into teeny tiny rolls and glued to the card.  You can't imagine how small they are.  They look painted.  

For those who have been here before and received the welcome bag completely full of ads that take you days to go through (I'm talking to Mr. Chance here) ... THIS is all we got.  Five little flyers, along with the RV show brochure with maybe ten pages?  RATS ... no reading material at all!!

There's so much more, but in the interest of space, I'll post it tomorrow.  What might that be?

SOMEONE bought an electric bike ... and SOMEONE did not.  I'll let you guess who was who.