Well boys and girls, I'd like to say a few things.

Read what everyone else has written, and pretend I wrote it too. Saves both you and I a lot of work.

Let's see, I'm not a camper, so I didn't spend near as many total hours at the show as many did, but let's do the math.

I drove for 10 hours 15 minutes friday to get there just past noon. Spent just about half that much time there.

Saturday I was in attendance for about 5 hours, then invested something over twice as many hours driving home saturday night.

So, something over 10 hours show time, 20 some odd hours drive time. WELL WORTH IT!!!!!

Averaged about 20MPG, just over $4 a gallon. And those toll roads!!! Why was the tolls significantly higher going east than they were westbound?

I missed the majority of the tech session, but wonder, what do giant mower decks and myself have to do with engine troubleshooting?

Raffle. That was borderline embarrassing guys!!!!!!!! I really would rather keep a low profile....

Great show, as it always is. Met some great people from here, which I knew they would be. Made friends with Duke, we may not agree on oil, but he welcomed my hug. Maybe a little too readily?

Eldon, Buzz, TT, Duane, and a whole host of others who's names I forgot 2 minutes after we met, sure was great to meet all of you.

Lastly, and surely not least, Jerry. I'll be apologizing for the rest of my life for not understanding hand signals better!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It's always interesting to hear the stories, all the posts, etc. It seems like, not being there, I get a lot of interesting info, but I like to hear the behind the story stories, like the Jerry/hand signals thing. Maybe next year.

I'd sort of have to agree there Terry... Dales wrap up sounds like an outline for some great storytime! Or maybe like CNN Headline news.... just enough to make you actually want the rest of the story!

Did I give you a hug? I thought that was a panda bear?
Sides that, Im glad I got ya straightened out on the oil thing!

Cheers Duke

Yeah, we need Paul Harvey "With the Rest of the Story".

Since the hand signal story was singled out....

The background: I'm not positive of the reason, that's his personal business, but Jerry was unable to speak. He relied on hand signals and the occasional written note (and a single upthrust finger at me a couple of times) for communication all weekend.

Now once we finally found each other, he used hand signals telling me to meet him back at the spot we were standing on. He'd get his pickup, and I'd bring the stuff in mine. Only one problem, this only became apparent to me MUCH LATER.

So, I got my pickup, and went where I was thinking he had meant. Well, duh, he wasn't there, but I found Duane, and unloaded the stuff he'd bought. Then I stood around gabbing.

EVENTUALLY, (even longer than this story) I wondered back by where Jerry had intended. He'd been standing there all this time wondering where the bedevil I'd taken off to.

It was then, and only then, that I could slap myself on the forehead with the realization of what his NOW OBVIOUS hand signal had meant.

So off I went running for my pickup. It's not pretty, but fortunately, most people wouldn't realize I was running as it's not really much faster than most people move when walking.

I felt like an idiot.

I'll be apologizing FOREVER for the misunderstanding. It really had been an obvious gesture to meet HERE! Not, over there as I was thinking.

On a slightly different topic, not only could I understand his upthrust finger every time, there was a certain, two word combination I understood pretty much every time too. 4 letters followed by 3 more. hee hee

But I had every one of them coming so I shall not complain!!!!!

Hey Duke,

I'm not sure you saw that coming, but you sure weren't going to get away without one!

Dang it though, I used to be teddy bear. Must be the now "white" in places hair, huh?

MJ almost looked startled when I told her I do run synthetic in my pickup. Have you been telling her stories about me???

Well Dale,

We have know each other for a long time and you know I have been facinated by the giant snowblower, Tall Girl and the 80 inch mower decks that you and your brother Lyle had built. AND if you noticed that as soon as you walked into the tech session I stopped talking just to shake your hand to say hello!

Wild Bill in Richmond, Va.

Yes, Bill, I did notice you stopped mid-sentence. Maybe it's a good thing I didn't make the tech session sooner.

OH, and thanks for remembering I have a brother. While I'd like to take credit for everything, he came up with a lot of ideas too.

Sure, I did Tall Girl and the first giant mower deck. He is the one blowing snow and came up with the barbell weights for wheel weight idea as well as doubling up the mower deck blades.

In the last half a century, we've spent a lot of time exchanging ideas. Two minds really are better than one!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Just think what might have ensued if my second brother had caught the Wheel Horse fever! LOL

thats easy No voice box so one has to use hand signals or throw rocks.

Notice Jerry hasn't accepted my apologies yet.

Guess I'll have to keep groveling at his feet.

Not a problem, I'm used to it.

now dale tell the full story i waitwed for you for 45 min, and had to go to the BR got back and still waited and then there you were I think you got lost or some may be you run into bill you know how he likes to talk

"So, I got my pickup, and went where I was thinking he had meant. Well, duh, he wasn't there, but I found Duane, and unloaded the stuff he'd bought. Then I stood around gabbing.

EVENTUALLY, (even longer than this story) I wondered back by where Jerry had intended. He'd been standing there all this time wondering where the bedevil I'd taken off to."




Granted I didn't specify a time, as I didn't know exactly how long it had been. I knew it was a long time, hence I said "eventually", trying to imply it was a LONG time.

And it wasn't Bill, it was Duane. But I won't blame him, it takes two.

My fault!

With any luck, you can get me back somehow next year. I'll have it coming, and will welcome it. But that kind of reduces the revenge concept doesn't it?

Yup Dale I'm just an innocent bystander
Duane

I don't know about how innocent you really are, Duane, but in this instance, you are!