OctobAIREfest
II* is over!
10/21
- 10/23/2005,
Morro
Bay, California
*with
an 8-week long Silent Auction to raise funds for the
Animal
Victims of Hurricane Katrina
and
boy - what a time it was!
The
Second Annual OctobAIREfest
started on Friday evening this year at El Chorro Regional
Park in San Luis Obispo, California. At one of the beautiful
campsites in the Romauldo Loop, Dean Peeples and I set
up "base camp" on Friday afternoon. Almost before
we were finished getting unloaded, Airedalers from all
over started to arrive. Mike and Judee Knight with Rio,
Rick and Ileene Parker with Aragorn, Deanna Renova and
Don Pick with Roxy, Jack, and Scout, Rosey Young arrived
with Sheila Tay-Wagner and Ruffian, Mary Jane Gray and
Steve Lendt arrived with Sweet William, Pat Dunlap and
Karen Field with Jack, Maggie, and Riley, Chris Nunez
and Alexander Rogers arrived with Lucie, and Paul and
Mary Diggins came from Colorado, and very soon there was
standing room only for both dogs and people as we talked
dogs and snacked - all of us very excited for Saturday
to arrive. The night was crisp and as the embers of our
camp fire started to go, everyone said good night and
prepared to meet in the morning.
Saturday
morning came early for me. Up at 5 - I had garlic
bread to bake in my tiny trailer - trying to make enough
to feed a small army. Earlier, after a brisk walk, my
girl Brilliant, and Dean's boy Otis had been put out in
an x-pen to make room for the cooking going on in the
trailer (and make sure all the bread made it to the BBQ...!).
I opened the trailer door to reach into the outside cooler
for something, and there was Otis curled up at the bottom
of the stairs - not in the x-pen, and Brilliant was nowhere
to be seen. At 6 am, in the dark, and in a full camp site,
we couldn't exactly start hollering and whistling for
the little brat! Took us some pounding heartbeats and
some time to find her, but wouldn't you know it, as we
made the rounds through the campground, she had already
come back and was trying to get Otis to let her up into
the trailer before we came back. Luckily, this little
incident was NO premonition of things to come for the
day!
We
had tons to load up to take over to the doggy park
for the auction later, and so that we wouldn't be any
later for the Walkathon than we already were (thanks,
Brilliant), we decided to do the loading after the meeting
at the new Woods Humane Shelter and the Beach Party.
As
we drove into the Woods Parking Facility, the Walkathon
had just started and the Airedale group was already midway
in the line moving around the walk area. As we parked,
we saw Paul and Mary Diggins from Colorado, driving in,
and just kind of slipped into step with them with our
dogs. It was still foggy, chilly and gloomy - the dogs
loved it - and it made me remember why I don't live at
the coast any longer...
Following
the walk,
there were a dozen or so vendors set up in front of the
new shelter offering items such as custom pet portraits,
free dog food and goodies, expresso (thank goodness!),
and lots of dog-related items, along with tours of the
new facility. The Airedale people did the loop looking
over what the vendors had to offer, but were getting anxious
to to get to the Beach Party, and after a short time we
decided to move on down to the beach.
The
beach weather was much the same as the weather for
the Walkathon, drippy, damp, foggy. But that didn't stop
the dogs. As new members arrived on the beach, welcoming
committees of dogs would run to greet them and the pack
would grow in size as it started racing back towards the
water. Rosey Young's Ruffian was really living up to his
name (he's named after a racehorse) and was dashing up
and down the waterline. He took particularly glee in torturing
his littersister, Rio, owned by Mike and Judee Knight.
When
Dean and I arrived with Brilliant and 4-month-old
Otis, I held my breath for a moment as a number of the
big dogs already there stormed up to meet us. Without
hesitation, young Otis trotted straight up to greet them,
tail held high, lifting his nose to touch the bigger and
older dogs, clearly saying, "Hi, I'm Otis!"
A moment of sniffing took place, which Otis tolerated
very calmly, and then the whole group went running back
to the waterline - Otis included.
At
one point, a group of us were standing near the water
and someone hollered "INCOMING!!!" and we all
looked at the entrance to the beach area. Racing toward
us, head high, scarf streaming behind him in the wind,
with a smile literally from ear-to-ear, was Mary Jane
Gray's Certified Therapy Dog, Sweet William. He made a
circle around the group, picked up a few followers and
then they all took off up the coast again. A short distance
up the beach they ran into a gal who was throwing a tennis
ball in the water for her Lab. Without hesitation, Billy
made a beeline into the water and gave the Lab a run for
his money in trying to recover the ball. Some of the other
dogs ventured into the water as well, but I think Billy
was the only one who actually did any body-surfing that
day.
The
dogs were having so much fun at the beach, it was
really hard to tear away. But remembering how much packing
up we had to do to get over to the park, Dean and I took
Otis and Brilliant and started back. The group began to
straggle off the beach behind us.
At
the park, groups of people emptied Dean's truck in
waves, carrying the boxes of all the final auction items,
food supplies, wood for BBQ, and all the other things
we needed for the day. Cindy Berner made Welcome Bags
for all the attendees containing scarves, dog biskits,
Airedale Decals, and other goodies. George and Ellen Duck
and Karen Morgan and Bob Wagoner did the food/beverage/supply
shopping. Sue Trandem made scarves for the dogs and baked
their cookies. Rosey Young made all kinds of goodies as
did Pam Bilovesky. Dean Peeples cooked up some wonderful
potatoes in a Dutch oven right there on the spot while
Bob Morgan did the BBQ of the tri-tip and chicken. Gael
and Curt Humphrey brought a truckload of garden fresh
vegetables that were also put up on the grill and were
delicious. There were so many extra things to munch and
snack on, I just couldn't keep track of everything everyone
brought. If I have not named you to acknowledge something
that you did to help, please don't be shy - let me know.
I want to acknowledge everything EVERYBODY did to help
make the day grand.
Bob
Morgan started the BBQ wood going, and the festivities
began.
This
year it took a GREAT WHILE to get the auction items
up on the table. Even though Deanna Renova and I had spent
several hours only a couple of days before identifying
each item and I had printed out bid cards for each. Matching
the bid cards to the identified item, and then searching
out the items that had not been shipped, but needed to
be identified by a photo on the bid card was at first
confusing, but it got ironed out and bidding began.
The
Doggy Emergency Kit donated by Dean Peeples was raffled,
and Kim Connelly took over the sale of the tickets for
that. Chris Nunez and Alexander Rogers were the lucky
winners of that item. I appointed the oldest Airedale
in the group to do the "drawing". This was an
old boy owned by a gal called Patricia Craven. Patricia
belongs to none of the Airedale Lists, but had read about
the event online and came on down! I am so very sorry,
though, I cannot remember the name of her nearly 14-year-old
boy who drew the winning ticket for Chris and Alexander.
Allan
Davis, a professional photographer, set up an area
where he would take photos of your dog and then you could
order a calendar or an Andy Warhol-style print, or just
a nice photo of your dog.
OctobAIREfest
T-shirts were a hot item as well, and sales were brisk.
The
bidding continued on the auction until Bob announced
that it was chow time. We were in the park later this
year than last, shadows growing long - because the number
of items in the auction had more than doubled over that
of last year. Luckily, the gloomy beach weather lifted
and a crisp autumn afternoon was enjoyed by all of us.
When the bidding on the Silent Auction items is tallied,
I believe I will find we raised a real lump of change
for the Hurricane Katrina Animal Victims. Great job everybody!!!
Karen
Morgan was the high bidder on the Operation Noah's
Ark Airedale Terrier Perpetual Rescue Donation. Deanna
Renova and Don Vick were the winners of the pastel
print done by Kirke LaShelle, Jr., also a perpetual rescue
donation. The dollars collected for these two items will
go to National Ariedale Rescue rather than Noah's Wish.
Deanna and Don were also the high bidders on an original
oil painting by Kirke LaShelle, Jr..
The
day wound down and once again there were many helpful
hands to load items back into trucks and cars and return
them to our camping area. Several folks with dogs made
their way to our campsite for more conversation (dog talk)
and laughs. The evening ended with lots of hugs, smiles,
and promises to do it all again next year!
In
all, this year attendees were:
California
Kim
Connelly. Point Richmond
Brian
Connelly, Point Richmond
Patricia
Dunlap, Santa Rosa
Karen
Field, Santa Rosa
Mary
Ellen Fediuk
Mike
Condro, Los Angeles
Marnie
Condro, Los Angeles
Judee
Knight, Los Angeles
Mike
Knight, Los Angeles
Stephanie
Davis, Los Angeles
Allan
Davis, Los Angeles
Mary
Jane Gray, San Diego
Steve
Lende, San Diego
George
Duck, Paso Robles
Ellen
Duck, Paso Robles
Terry
Stevens, Paso Robles
Rachel
Tramontini, Campbell
Byron
Pipkin, Campbell
Jane
Craven, Carpenteria
Don
Higley - Carpinteria
Shawn
Hawkins, Sacramento
Stacey
Hawkins, Sacramento
Meghan
Hawkins, Sacramento
Rick
Parker, Los Angeles
Irene
Parker, Los Angeles
Karen
Morgan, Los Osos
Bob
Wagner, Los Osos
Susie
Wedell, Arroyo Grande
Maurice
Wedell, Arroyo Grande
Tony
Searson, Atascadero
Jodyne
Forsmann, Los Osos
Ellen
D'Arcos, Nipomo
Dave
D'Arcos, Nipomo
Stephanie
D'arcos, Nipomo
Robert
Colligan, Santa Maria
Tami
Colligan, Santa Maria
Kirke
LaShelle, Morgan Hill
Johanne
LaShelle, Morgan Hill
Sue
Trandem, Santa Barbara
Virgil
Trandem, Santa Barbara
Mike
Trandem, Atascadero
Cindy
Berner, La Mirada
Nolan
Berner, La Mirada
Pam
Bilovesky, Pleasanton
Gary
Bilovesky, Pleasanton
Chris
Nunez, Los Angeles
Alexander
Rogers, Los Angeles
Julie
Anderson, Santa Rosa
Matt
Anderson, Santa Rosa
Gael
Humphrey, San Luis Obispo
Curt
Humphrey, San Luis Obispo
Barbara
Bullard, Bakersfield
Nichole
Davis, Bakersfield
Colorado
Mary
Diggins, Colorado Springs
Paul
Diggins, Colorado Springs
Idaho
Deanna
Renova
Don
Vick
Nevada
Dean
Peeples, Henderson
Washington
Rosey
Young, Poulsboro
Sheila
Tay-Wagner, Issaquah
AND
OF COURSE - THE DOGS!
Rudy
Duck
Brilliant Stevens
Otis
Peeples
Cooper
Condro
Rio
Knight
Tucker
Connelly
Riley
Dunlap
Maggie
Field
Jack
Field
Biskit
Fediuk
Sweet
William Gray
Aragorn
Parker
Ruffian
Young
Dinah
Morgan-Wagoner
Sugar
Stevens-Searson
Zac
Searson
Talon
Stevens-Forsmann
Burt
Forsmann
Roxey
Renova-Pick
Scout
Renova-Pick
Jack
Renova-Pick
Scout
Tramontini-Pipkin
Willie
Colligan
Ballou
Stevens-D'Arcos (now @RB)
K'awani
Stevens-LaShelle
Gracie
Humphrey
Molly
Stevens-Trandem
Chloe
Trandem
Penny
Stevens-Berner
Teddy
Bilovesky
Lucie
Nunez-Rogers
Zoe
Allison
Roxey
Bullard
Chaucer
Wedell
Sophie
Wedell
Kara's
Bwana Tembeya Craven
In
all, a FABULOUS time was had by all - and we are all looking
forward to next
year! Plan on joining us!
Notes
from folks who attended
Until
Next Year!
