We spent yesterday playing catch up, trying to put a lot of paperwork and household chores that had accumulated during our trip from Florida to Arizona behind us. It always seems like there’s a pile of laundry to be done, a stack of orders to log in and fill, and a backlog of e-mails to answer whenever we’ve been on the road for a few days.
The activity center and laundry are right behind our RV site, and Miss Terry took advantage of the machines there to wash our rugs and bedding. We have a washer/dryer combo in our Winnebago, but the bigger commercial units make the job go much faster.
While the first load was in the washing machines, Terry picked a couple of grapefruit from the tree next to our site, then made a delicious breakfast of French toast. When we checked in, the park manager gave us a huge bag of fresh picked lemons, so we also had fresh lemonade to sip on all day long.
Terry and I both had a lot of paperwork to catch up on. It took me most of the day to get mine out of the way, and then I started working on the new issue of the Gypsy Journal. I took a break from that about 6 p.m., then started working on updating the schedule for our Arizona Gypsy Gathering rally.
I posted an updated seminar schedule on the rally registration page. We have over 50 seminars scheduled now, and as you can see, we still have a lot of open time slots left on Thursday to fill up. No matter what your interests are, we try to have something for everybody. If you want to present a seminar, or have an idea for one, please send me an e-mail at Editor@gypsyjournal.net and we’ll see if we can make it happen.
The rally officially starts five weeks from today, and we have over 100 RVs registered so far, and registrations are arriving in a steady flow. It looks like at least half of those attending will be arriving on Sunday, March 6th as Early Birds.
Vendors already registered include Phil and Ann’s RV Service, Sky-Med, RV Solar Sunscreens, Harvest Hosts, Traveling CCW, Passport America, Your Water Filter Source, The Prudent RVer, Delsand Lld, SKP Park Of The Sierra, Coil-N-Wrap, LED Lady, Tastefully Simple, Good Sam Insurance, Aero Cosmetics, Frame-Rite, Adventure Caravans, Too Crazy Ladies, Distinctive Designs by Sharon, and the RV Driving School.
We lost several vendors this year, who will be back east for the big FMCA rally in Perry, Georgia, but we still have more registrations coming in, and trust me, there will be plenty of folks with things for sale that you just can’t live without.
Several people have asked if the the RV Driving School would be at the rally to give lessons, or if the RV weighing crew from RVSEF would be there. Unfortunately, the weighing folks are on the east coast this winter, but my friend Dennis Hill will have several of his driving instructors on hand to give personalized behind the wheel driving lessons in your own RV. Visit the RV Driving School’s website to learn more, and schedule your lesson.
People have also asked if they can arrive a few days before the rally, or stay a few days afterward. Unfortunately, Yuma does not allow the fairgrounds to have overnight RV parking, except during scheduled events. There is a Good Sam rally going on the week before our event, and a gun show coming in the day we leave. Unless you are part of those, you can’t arrive before Sunday if you have registered as an Early Bird, and we all have to be gone by noon on Friday.
All the while we were back in Florida freezing our butts off, folks here in Arizona were gloating about the 70+ degree weather they were enjoying. Well, that’s all about to change, because Nick’s in town! A cold front is coming through this week, with daytime temperatures in the 50s later this week here in Apache Junction, and the low Wednesday is supposed to be 31 degrees. More than one so called “friend” has e-mailed to tell me to go back where I came from, and to take the cold weather with me!
Our mail hasn’t caught up with us in two or three weeks, but we’re supposed to get it today. Which means that we’ll have even more orders to fill and rally registrations to log in. It never stops, but we’re sure not complaining!
Thought For The Day – The last thing I want to do is hurt you. But it’s still on the list.
Nick Russell
World-Famous, New York Times Best Selling Author, and All-Around Nice Guy!
So that is why it has cooled down a couple of degrees here in Yuma the last day or two !!! Supposed to be 13 degrees cooler by Thursday, down to 63. Brrrrrr.
We’re glad Nick left Florida. Going to be in the 70’s all week here in the Tampa area.
Thanks for taking the cold weather with you! It was 75 and sunny yesterday here in Zephyrhills, Florida.
Nick, I think that you’ve stumbled upon another clever way to make money as a full time RV’er. In the winter time, get fellow full timers to pay you to stay in either Florida or Arizona to attract the cold weather. Whichever team bids the highest wins (and you stay in the “other location”) and then you can refund the money to the losers so they can go out and buy winter coats.
I don’t have a clever name for this contest/service, but I’m sure you or another reader will come up with one!
Nick, you did not take all the cold weather with you.We thought we had passed the cold weather when it hit the low 80’s yesterday, but it ain’t so. tomorrow it is to only get into the low 50’s and 24 at night, this will be warm compared to the Wednesday when our high will be in the low 40’s and then only17 for the nighttime temps. We will be happy to be in AZ and temps in the 60’s. Happy to hear all the neat vendors are going to be at the rally. See you soon.
Probably none of our business, but how many units have to show up for a rally to break even?
JC
JC
A lot of factors come into play. It depends on the venue and how much they charge us for the rental of the facilities, and also if we have to pay extra for tables and chairs, sound systems, golf cart rental, etc. Also, how many vendors we have, and if they contribute to help offset costs like morning coffee and donuts. At most rallies we need a minimum of 125 RVs to break even, but at some, that number is well over 150.
Nick,
I will take some of the blame for the cooler temps. We MAY have been ‘reporting’ the weather way more often than our friends in Wichita wanted. So today here North of Sierra Vista we have had sun,rain ,snow and wind. But I worked on the bus generator outside with only a tee and long sleeved tee. Now that IS some nice winter weather if the temps must be lower than wished for.