Greetings, All, CASG #11 has now come and gone, and I have to say, Sweet Bride and I miss being with our Fellow Stovies, and Stovettes, already!!! First day, due to work demands, we got out late, and arrived later than we'd planned. But, with help from Mac and Mrs. Mac, we got our tent up (TNF VF 25, bought in 1988), and a brand new awning/fly, which we'd never setup before!! About the time we finished setting up, Big Jim showed up, and it was great to see him again! You might see that he's lost a bit of himself!! He looks and feels great, after his operation, and after paying close attention to his diet!! Well done, Dear Friend! We had gusty winds for most days, but did our best to stay ahead of it. Here are a few shots of our camp. Big Jim is camping directly above us. You'll note the awning is very short. This was done on purpose, to keep it less sail-like in the gusty winds. We raised it up to full height, when the winds died down, and dropped it again, when they wind picked up again. When it was lowered, we had four quadrants in which we could stand up, and if we didn't pay attention, we would smack our noggins on the supports between each quadrant!! (Read that: I was the one who smacked his head!! Nobody else had a problem remembering.......!) Here, Sweet Bride cooks up our dinner on the first night! Here's Big Jim's Coleman Camp! He loves to read, and when time permitted, he was sitting out in front of his tent, reading a book! At Camp Macistan, as Mac calls it, they have tons of busy Hummingbirds!! Seeing them, and hearing them, especially in the mornings, was a real delight for us all!! Big Jim in his camp. If memory serves, I think he told us he lost 50 lbs!!! Excellent, Jim!!! Sweet Bride, back to cooking something delicious. And, I DID say that Big Jim likes to read, right??? With the winds down a bit, up went our awning!! MUCH easier to maneuver inside, when fully raised! A view from above. Soon, the Flivver Family would arrive, and later, John Stendahl pulled in with his excellent camper setup. Early morning sunlight through a local cactus. I'll leave it to Big Jim to tell you about one of his stove choices. And, the Flivvers arrived to setup their pop-up trailer, and camp. They have down-sized a bit since the old days, and now cook on an older Coleman Speedmaster 500, and a Coleman #1, and they use an early Coleman Quiklite lantern, with it's excellent Q99 generator!! I love those lanterns, myself, too!! Great small, but super effective camp setup!! Our Motley Band of Stovies, and Stovettes, so far! Left to right: Sweet Bride, Mrs. Flivver, Mr. Flivver, Mrs. Mac, and Mr. Mac, and Big Jim! Furry Flivver, aka Clayton Lambert #3, is AWOL in this photo. (Yes, that's his real name!! Great dog, he!!) Now, we're getting into it, full bore! The new awning was the perfect place to hang out and enjoy some excellent company!! The sharp-eyed amongst you might see my Primus #110 underneath one of the tables. This was a major source of heat each night, under the awning, and it worked a treat!!! This is an excellently designed heater/stove, and Sweet Bride and I love ours! And, from up above, another view. Sadly, Big Jim had to take his leave, as he had to go to work. Bummer, for him, and for all of us, too!! But, it was surely wonderful see him so healthy and happy, and to have him join us again at another CASG event!! Here we are, saying our "goodbyes", and getting some hugs before he had to leave. Mac took us on a little walking tour around their property, and that was a good bit of fun. Some photos of the landscape, and some interesting stuff. First up, the stand that Mac made, back when he was running an active hive of bees. Sadly, there were problems, and I think he said that wax moths did in the hive, after several trials and tribulations. Neat hive stand, though, and Mac may well undertake this hobby again. Ask him about the buckets underneath each leg....... simply ingenious solution to one big problem!! Here's a shot out what will become a window in an unfinished building being restored on the Camp Macistan property. Fun! Some local plant life, desert art, and weathered signage. I think this was supposed to be a "weather rock"...... previous owners created it. There is something magical about being in the desert!! It can range from majestic, to seemingly barren. But, in truth, if you look deeply enough, all deserts are teeming with life, and interesting things to see and do! So, that's the end of Part 1. Stay tuned for Parts 2, and 3...... Take care, and God Bless! Every Good Wish, Doc
Macistan, eh? Fantastic ranch and pix. That one out the window reminds me of the opening shot of The Seekers...
Here's Part 2: Starting us off is Mac, himself, with Pedro, the cat, whom SB and I met back when Mac was working in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, many years ago!! That cat surely does love Mac!! On November 22nd, which happened to be my 70th birthday, Sweet Bride and I took a drive out to Joshua Tree National Park, to enjoy a Ranger-Guided tour of the Keys Ranch. Dating to the early 1900's, this place is a "must see" in JTNP, and well worth the drive, and the time to enjoy it!! Here is a shot of an ancient "metate" where the local bands of Indians ground their corn, acorns, and other such things into meal. I think our Ranger, Cane, told us that this one may be a thousand years old, so it's been used by many different bands over it's lifetime! Ranger Cane was exceedingly knowledgeable about this old Ranch, the people who lived there, and how all the items thereon came to be where they are today. And, here's the old Prentiss-Wabers gravity stove, about which @Steviebear told us a while back. I have a good idea of how old this stove is, but will wait to see what your guesses are. The Caretaker was not going to let me open the stove. But, after I showed him a photo of my seminar at A16, many years back, "100 Years of Stoves In The Wilderness, 1872-1972", he relented, and opened it for me. "Just a quick look", he said! Good man, he!! Put on your thinking caps, Mates, and tell me what you know/think about this Old Timer!! Here are photos of some of the other interesting stuff on the Ranch. First up, the "chicken coop". And, a little present I bought for @flivver . Mike, just remind Ranger Cane that you are the infamous Flivver, as I showed him your sepia colored 1919 Hudson camp photo! All you have to do, is start it up, and drive it home, Mate!! The upholstery is a tad "rough"..... And, finally, "Home Sweet Home"! And, that's the end of Part 2. Stay tuned for Part 3.... - Doc
And, finally, here is Part 3: A few final shots at the Key's Ranch. Sweet Bride peeked inside this place, and came running over to grab me and let me see this very interesting sight: Back at Camp Macistan, SB was going to bake me a cake, but we decided to do it for Saturday, instead. I setup my camera and big tripod to try for some stars photos, and some of the Milky Way. Sadly, too much light pollution from the nearby homes. But, this one shot is not too bad. Not what I was seeking, but not bad, either. (NOTE: I have to apologize for all the rest of the photos, as I had changed my white balance on the camera, for the Milky Way photos, and forgot to change it back!! So, most of these photos look a tad jaundiced and yellowish!! I had the setup for Tungsten light, and that doesn't work for poop in the day time!! Sorry about that!) Gary's Speedster stove set saw some action at this CASG, and it worked wonderfully! Sweet Bride thought it was a great little stove, and a wonderful design!! Another fan of your sets, @redspeedster !! John Stendahl showed up with his whimsical camper, and that thing is a wonder of design excellence!! Note how the two table/work stations pull out from inside the camper body, and latch in place!! VERY cool!! Mike and John were talking "stoves" in no time, flat!! And here's the Flivver Camp. From up above our camps. We all wish that Big Jim could have stayed with us, but seeing him for a few days was a treat, nonetheless! Back at John's camp, and here is the man, himself! Neat camp, John!! Well done! Some tea brewed on the Speedster. Mac and John chat, whilst Mike takes a turn around camp. Later, Mac and Mike in deep discussion, as Clayton Lambert #3 keeps a watchful eye for intruders!! Nice outfit, Clayton!! Sweet Bride gets ready to use both the Speedster stove, and our Trangia Model 25, at the same time. Mike, back at John's place. Though I didn't get any photos of my fettling, I most certainly did fettle a few stoves. I was hoping to help John with a Coleman Solus he brought, but unfortunately left the one jet wrench I needed, at home on the work bench! DRAT!! But, here are photos of two of the stoves that I got going. First up, my second Heinz Geniol Military stove. This thing is, truly, a BEAST!! I was blessed that it only needed a few things to get it up and running. I neglected to change the pip in the quick start, because I wanted to see how it fired up just using Meths in the big fuel tank dimple. Worked a treat, it did!! I also had bought a stainless steel windscreen, and was quite pleased with the quality and design of that item. Next up, my Primus 110 needed a bit of help. The gaskets I'd made for it, from supposedly good Nitrile, had swollen, and were not trustworthy any longer. And, the pump rod keeper had frozen in place, so I had to add some penetrating oil, and heat to get it off! In the end, this wonderful heater/stove worked like brand new, and kept us warm and happy, despite the cold wind, and rain!! And, finally, an Old Coot, who just wandered by, and we took pity upon him..... sort of!! All in all, CASG #11 was a total success, and those who had thought about dropping by, and ended up not being able to do it, were missed!! Huge thanks to one and all who attended, and most especially to Mr. and Mrs. Mac, for allowing us to use Camp Macistan for our event!! Great job, one and all!! Before closing, however, I would be remiss if I did not mention one thing that took place, and caused some problems. We had a 21 year old visitor in camp, and though he should have known better, this young man went on a day hike with his Dad, totally unprepared. When his Dad stopped to rest for a bit, the kid continued, and ended up disappearing for the rest of the day, and into the early evening!! He did not have the things he should have had with him, just in case something went wrong, which they did!! As the day progressed, we decided to take a team out and look for the missing young man. Four of us spent most of the rest of the day up on the ridges, and in the deep canyons, hoping to find this kid, all to no avail. Mike (Flivver) had Search and Rescue experience many years ago, and he stayed in camp, to coordinate all our efforts, and keep track of us all. Between two radios, and all our cell phones, and through Mike, we were all able to keep track of one another, and continually discuss our efforts, and who was where, and what we should do next. As evening approached, it was decided that we should call the Sheriff's Department, and get a SAR helicopter in the air to see if they would have better luck than we were having! Deputies showed up very quickly, and took charge of the mission, and the helicopter was in the air and combing the landscape very soon! Those of us who where searching were called back in, and we all made it back to camp safe and sound, though the boy's Dad was totally distraught, and beside himself with worry and grief!! Talking amongst ourselves, I offered the thought that he might have come down a wrong canyon, and that maybe we should drive over and check some adjacent canyon roads. We told the deputies, and were informed that they had already done that task, and found no one. We were getting ready to turn around, and head back to camp, when Mike told us he had experienced a strong feeling that we should go and look for ourselves. Mac and I agreed, and since Mac knew that area very, very well, he got us way back in the canyon in question, fairly quickly. We came to a locked gate, and were just about to turn around and give up, when the Sheriff's helicopter passed by overhead. At about the same time, Mac, Mike and I looked up the road to see the young man in question come sauntering down the road, towards us!! Praise God for making it all turn out that way!! We picked up the kid, and as soon as we had signal, called the Sheriff, and informed them of our progress and good fortune! Back in camp, the Deputies questioned the kid, and talked to the Dad, and all turned out well. BUT, because I am the one who plans the CASG events, this episode has caused me to realize that we've never had any rules about walking off by yourself to hike, or wander. After this, however, I'm going to come up with a list of the things you will need, should you decide to "go walk about"!! For those of us who have camped and backpacked for decades, which is most of us, we already have those items in camp. But, from here, on, no guests will be allowed to just walk off by themselves, unless, and until they demonstrate that they know how to take care of themselves, and possess the needed items to spend a night, or more, alone, if they get lost!! The young man in question didn't even have a hat, nor jacket, nor phone, nor compass, nor map, nor food, nor any of the other things that would help keep him safe and alive, if he had taken a fall and was injured!!! So, for future events, be prepared, folks, and if you have guest with you, THEY must be prepared, too. The worry and uncertainty that all this caused everyone, is NOT going to happen again, if I can help it!! In the end, other than this one negative, we all had a grand time, and enjoyed being together once again!! Sweet Bride and I are already thinking about CASG #12!!!! Thanks for checking out the event, and for wading through this rant at the end!! Take care, and God Bless! Every Good Wish, Doc and Sweet Bride
Excellent, Doc! Great to see the folks, stoves and scenery, as well as the Heinze Geniol up and working. Cheers Tony
Nice photos, Mark! Wish I had known you guys needed a wrench for the Solus. Literally steps away... Here's a bit more of an overview of the property. And the valley and mountains behind it. (Photo from this past spring's bloom) Our family (my sister and I, and our spouses) have been very blessed to get this place. Holding events for friends is exactly what we've wanted to do since moving here. My brother-in-law Eric was also at the CASG, though much of his time (and a bit of mine) was taken up with restoration work on his house. He enjoyed meeting everyone. As for the bit of adventure we had, I say 'all's well as ends well.' It made for a happy combination CASG potluck and Mac family early Thanksgiving dinner afterwards. Let's do it again soon! (Well, except for the SAR.) ....Arch P.S. @Ed Winskill Yeah, Macistan. Why not. A neighbor of mine, a musician whose last name is Lester, calls his digs "Lester Flats". An offbeat sense of humor is an asset out here.
Forgot to mention, Hikin' Jim and his wife and intrepid daughter came out and spent some time with us a couple days after you all left. It was great to see them, and we had a nice hike down at Big Morongo Preserve. ....Arch
Hi, Mac, Good that you got to see HJ and his family. I had hoped that they would join us at CASG #11, but guess it didn't work out for him. Mark
Thank you for the photos Doc. Repo pup would have run Clayton ragged. Been boring here the last month now. Duane
Howdy, @hikerduane , Duane, you would have loved being there, and I am sure you are right. Repo and Clayton would have had a whale of a good time!! Thanks for the kind words about the photos. I have as much fun taking photographs, as I do enjoying the stoves and other appliances!! Doing the CASG events, offers a chance to enjoy both, at the same time!! You were missed, and we hope to see you next time!! Take care, and God Bless! Every Good Wish, Doc
Good Morning, All, @Ed Winskill , Ed, thanks for your kind comments! Yes, that one "out the window" photo DOES look like that same kind of shot as seen in the John Wayne movie. I believe it's "The Searchers", though, isn't that right? I may have to watch that great movie tonight, just for fun, and to see that shot in question again!! Fun! @snwcmpr , Ken, I think you have hit the nail on the head, as to dating the old PW stove at the Keys Ranch!! Those old gravity-fed gasoline stoves, all seem to have been made during the 1910-1919 era, before being replaced by fuel tanks that attach in the more common manner. Very interesting stove, and thanks for @Steviebear for tipping us off that this one was at the Keys Ranch! @Tony Press , Tony, thanks for your nice comments! Yes, it was a blast getting the Heinz Geniol up and running, and not that hard, actually. I was blessed to have gotten this second Geniol, because now I have one to use, and a mint one to just enjoy!! Sweet Bride was impressed by how large and solid this stove is!! I see this as becoming a regular user at future events!! Thanks for your encouragement for me to seek out a good user of this model!! @mac, thank you, once again, for opening up your place to our event! My one regret is that I didn't get a good photo of "Ray". I took several, but he was always too busy in his cage to allow a good photo. He's a smart bird, though, and it was fun "talking" to him, especially in the mornings!! Thanks to you and the Mrs. for saving him, back when he was injured, and giving him a safe place to live. Well done! @Barrett , Thank you for your kind comments, Sir! It would be great to get down your way, someday. Not an easy thing to plan, when you're self-employed, as are Sweet Bride and me. Maybe someday........ Once again, for those who had planned to visit, and for some reason, could not make it, no worries, as we'll have more CASG events in the future!! I encourage you to try and attend then, if you get a chance, as there is a ton of fun to be had, and you'll meet some great folks and fellow Stovies and Stovettes!! Take care, and God Bless! Every Good Wish, Doc
Looks like a wonderful time. Thank you to all who contributed, and for letting us enjoy it vicariously.
Looks like a grand time in the desert. It’s the only thing about Southern California I appreciate. For us newbs, what does CASG stand for? Great job on the photo documentary. I know those who didn’t or couldn’t attend always appreciate the vicarious adventure. I think I’ll post up a link to our Great Coleman (and all other GPA) Winter Campout here as well.
Yeah, Doc, The Searchers. Must have been thinking about Judith Durham when I made the post....a favorite lady of mine!
Hey, Guys, @Marc , Thank you, Good Sir! Years ago, I got the idea for a Gathering, after enjoying all the great photos and reports from the Newark event, over in the UK. Our British Brothers and Sisters seemed to have such a great time, and I most definitely loved hearing all about it after their event! So, I setup the very first CASG ("California Stove Gathering"), which was held up near San Luis Obispo, CA at the Montaña De Oro campground. We had a small, but mighty group, and we also had one heck of a great time!! That was the first CASG, and now, we've officially had 11 of them, plus myriad smaller get togethers, and mini-events for fettling, and just enjoying each others company!! @Randy Field , Thank you very much! We love the desert, too, and one of the most heady enjoyments, is after big desert thunderstorm, when the smell of ozone, and fresh vegetation fills the air!!! Best perfume in the World, we think!! Randy, see my comment above to learn about what CASG means. And, yes, by all means, post information about the Coleman events you put together, here in the events section. You might well have plenty of takers, me included!! If we didn't have work during your upcoming event, we'd most definitely drive up to join you!! @Ed Winskill , Ed, after you mentioned it, I did grab our DVD of The Searchers, and will happily enjoy it tonight, whilst I eat my dinner, and enjoy an adult beverage!! SB and I think it is one of John Wayne's best offerings!! But, hey, The Seekers, and Judith Durham, weren't bad, either!! Your mention of them really brings back the memories of my early years as a young pro musician!! In fact, for a second, there, I was thinking that our band opened for The Seekers, along with Taj Mahal. But, with a bit of further consideration, I realized that the bill was, our band, then The Sunshine Company, and then Taj Mahal, who was the top act that night!!! He was an interesting guy.... but, that's another story, for another thread!! Take care, and God Bless! Every Good Wish, Doc
@Doc Mark A real treat, Mark, to see the photos and read your account of a magnificent get-together of friends in an outstanding setting. John
@presscall , Thank you, John! Much appreciated! I look forward to the day when we can camp with you, either in the UK, or here in the States!! If you ever think about heading this way, please give us a head's up, and we'll see about planning something fun!! And, we have tons of gear we can loan to you, too, if you're traveling light! I do hope that comes to be, someday. Take care, and God Bless! Mark