October 2011 - We are gathered with approximately 400 motor homes at the San Juan County Fairgrounds in Farmington NM for the 38^th Rocky Mountain Ramble - our first motor home rally. We arrived at the Casino adjacent to the fairgrounds with the Shepherds and the Halls at about 11:30 a.m., Monday, October 10, 2011.  After unhooking our tow vehicles we checked into our parking area (30 amp electric, gravel parking lot, room for slide-outs) with the Shepherds in lead.  Check-in was easy - the parking was rather hilarious.  There is only one entrance into the street where our “back-in sites” are located. The street has room for the parked rigs and one rig driving down the middle to a site; therefore, only one rig can park at a time.  There are five guys (remember, we are mostly old dudes) in orange vest and hats waiting to park – you got it – one rig!  Mostly the 5 guys hang around outside the door of the lastly parked rig and kibitz!

We have settled in and had lunch while watching the incoming rigs.  Fortunately quite a few have now parked down the road from us so the “orange vests” are not chatting right outside our door!  People are having a great time getting settled and personalizing their sites.  Dashes are filled with jack-o-lanterns, stuffed toys, artificial flowers, and live pets.  Outside there are signs of identification or allegiance: a U.S. flag, Hi we’re Bonnie and Clyde, it’s 5 o’clock somewhere and flower pots of beautiful geraniums.  We are among the most modest occupants with our bright, smiley-face chairs and our names in the window!  We have just walked to the convention center (about ½ mile) and then to all areas of the 400+ RV sites.  Friendly people everywhere with an mazing number of dogs!