August, 2008

It’s been a busy, hectic, challenging and yes, FUN couple of months for Region One folks.  Our Region One Rally in Colorado Springs in May went off without a hitch.  Even the weather cooperated with cool nights and sunny days in the 70’s being the norm.  Many of the attendees took advantage of the Pike’s Peak Cog Railway to visit the top of the 14,110 ft. mountain and they were rewarded with nearly perfect weather for the trip.  Rally photos are posted on the Region One web pages.

We also want to take this opportunity to thank all of the Region One volunteers who came out to help us with Food Service at the International Rally in DuQuoin.  We had a great caterer, the food was good and everyone pitched in to make this a really enjoyable activity for us.  We were able to recruit a number of “First Timers” to help out and they all commented about how many people they were able to meet as they worked in the dining hall.

Speaking of DuQuoin, it was a GREAT rally – probably one of the best International Rallies we have attended.  The Fairgrounds staff and indeed the entire town of DuQuoin were extremely supportive.  Barbara and Barney did a great advance job, picking a caterer, entertainment and other services.  Again, many people pitched in to help and it appeared at times that Barney and Barbara were out looking for things to do to keep themselves busy.  Well, that might be a slight exaggeration!

You’ve probably already looked at the rally photos on the cover and elsewhere in this issue of the Konnection, and we’ve posted a lot more on the Klub website.  As this is written, the link to the photos is in the Region One section.  If you weren’t at the rally, you missed a good one.

We mentioned the busy Fall Region One rally schedule in our June article, but be sure to check the event schedule in this issue of the magazine, or the Rally Calendar on the website.  We are continually updating the website whenever rally information is added or changed.

If you’ve read Barney and Barbara’s column this month, you know that we are making some pretty significant, but hopefully temporary, changes in Klub operations to adjust to the current conditions in the RV industry.  These changes will mean that the website will become an even more important communications mechanism for us. 

For Region One, we will continue to put our Konnection articles on the web and have offered to publish the state and chapter articles on the web as well.  Rather than wait for a specific deadline as we do for the Konnection, we will publish to the web as soon as the articles are received by us.  Of course, we will still need to make sure we get our info in for the Konnection a month before the issue is due out.

This means if you check the website frequently, you could be reading Region One info as much as 30 days before you read it in the Konnection.  We are also considering writing a Region One column even in those months when the magazine is not published.  Sooo . . ., for the latest info, stay tuned in to the website.

As many of you know by now, Jim was appointed to fill the Member-at-Large vacancy on the Klub Board of Directors, replacing Jeannie Fallon, who passed away in March.  As a result, we will be stepping down from the Region One job this fall and the Klub is advertising for new Region One Directors in this issue of the Konnection.  If you are interested, please contact the Klub office to submit your application, or give us a call if you have any questions about the job.

When Jim decided to apply for the Member-at-Large job, it was with the understanding that we would not leave our Region One responsibilities without replacements on board.  We will stay on until new Directors are appointed, which will probably be in October or November.  We’ve got a lot of leadership talent in the region, so we are confident that a replacement for us will be on board in the fall and the transition will be smooth. 

We view this change with very mixed emotions, because we have really enjoyed working with all of our Region One State Directors, Chapter Officers and, indeed all of our Region One Klub members.  It seems difficult to believe, but we are going into our third year as Region One Directors and have coordinated regional support for three International Rallies. 

Now, we are moving on to other challenges within the Klub.  We plan to attend as many of the Region One rallies as possible this Fall and will be co-hosting the Albuquerque Balloon Rally Special Event in October.  As always, if you have any questions or comments, we are always available by phone at 520-603-1190 or by email at region1@hagedon.net and we always enjoy hearing from you.

And please remember to Travel Safe!

July, 2008

(No Konnection Published in July)

June, 2008

On to DuQuoin!  After wrapping up the Region One Rally in Colorado Springs, we are generally headed for the 2008 NKK International Rally, following stops in Charlotte, MI at the Spartan Homecoming and Nappanee to attend to some Klub business.

 We had a great time in April, attending both the New Mexico Chile Peppers rally in Las Cruces and the California State Rally in Stockton.  If you haven’t eaten deep fried asparagus at the Stockton Asparagus Festival, you haven’t lived! 

Chile Peppers Presidents Tom and Karen Thompson were thrown a curve ball just two weeks before their rally and used the opportunity to turn “lemons into lemonade.”  The Chile Peppers spring rally has been held in the Columbus, New Mexico area for the past 12 years. The rally location is about two miles from the Mexican border and the small Mexican town of Palomas. 

Recent border unrest in the area added a level of risk to holding the rally there, so Tom and Karen emailed the registered attendees, giving them the option of going to Columbus or moving the event to Las Cruces, about 50 miles north of El Paso. When the votes were counted, the prospective attendees overwhelmingly agreed that Las Cruces sounded pretty good.  So Tom and Karen and their co-hosts Don and Jan Smith went to work and set up a first-class event at the Hacienda RV Park, including a fantastic tour of the White Sands Missile Range and lunch at the base Officer’s Club.  Photos of the event are posted on the Region One web pages at http://www.newmarkountryklub.com/ .  Scroll down to the bottom of the Region One Director’s page and click on the link. 

Following the Chile Peppers event, we made a quick hop to the Stockton, California fairgrounds for the California State Rally.  Our hosts, California State Directors Larry and Judy Faller and co-hosts Jim and Chris Fulton (inventors of the Egg McFulton breakfast sandwich) put together a rally that was both fun and informative for the Klub members in the 31 coaches that participated.   

Not only did we have a chance to attend the Asparagus Festival (California produces 50,000 metric tons of the stuff every year!), we got a boat ride on the San Joaquin River (Stockton has been a SEAPORT since the mid-1800’s by way of the San Joaquin River, which flows into San Francisco Bay).  PLUS, the weather was absolutely beautiful!  Photos from this rally are also on the Region One web pages. 

 The California gang had a “lemons to lemonade” happening of their own.  When the Sunday evening entertainment had to cancel, the attendees agreed to donate the $25.00 per rig entertainment budget to the American Cancer Society breast and prostate cancer research efforts. 

As is typical for our region, rally activities slow down during the summer months, but boy do we have a busy fall!  Colorado has scheduled their State Rally for September 10 -14 in Canon City in the vicinity of Royal Gorge.  Plans are still being finalized, but the basic information is in the Konnection “Calendar of Events” and on the web and it will be updated as more info becomes available. 

For the “Rally Groupies,” Colorado fits perfectly between the Utah State Rally in St. George, September 3-7 and the New Mexico State Rally in Santa Fe, September 17-20.  For those that want to stay a bit closer to home, don’t forget the New Mexico Chile Peppers Rally August 14-17 and the California Golden Bears rally, September 15-19.   More information on all of these rallies is available in the “Calendar of Events,” or on the website.  Also, be sure to check out the Region One events scheduled for October and November.  We’ll have more about them in our August column. 

We are beginning to get a significant amount of information submitted for the Region One web pages – enough that we are updating the site on almost a weekly basis.  As previously mentioned, we are expanding the rally calendar section to include as much information as we have sent to us.  Because we have much more space available on the web, we can include a lot of information that will not fit into the Konnection. 

 To help you determine how current the web information is, we post a revision date in the upper right corner of each Region One page.  So stop by the website often to check out what’s going on in Region One.  And of course, we always look forward to hearing from you by telephone – 520-603-1190 or email at region1@hagedon.net 

And until next time, Travel Safe!

May, 2008

We’ve had a great time attending many of the luncheons in the southwest this winter.  The March luncheon in Yuma had 37 Newmar attendees and the Klub picked up at least one new member.  The Casa Grande luncheon at the New China Buffet had 32 people attending. 

While we are on the subject of luncheons, we have to mention what may be a Klub first.  Dixie and Bobby Carver (#16242) are Presidents of the Arizona Saguaros and they came up with the most innovative idea for a Klub gathering we have seen in a long time. The Saguaros and the Roadrunners put together a "special event" luncheon at the Parachute Jump Center in Eloy (about half-way between Phoenix and Tucson) to watch the jump activity.  Then, to top the day off, Dixie proceeded to jump out of a perfectly good airplane!

For those that might be interested, The Jump Center at Eloy is one of the largest in the country and many national and international jump records have been set there.  They have a nice restaurant as well, which gave the NKK'ers in the area TWO good reasons to get together!   The weather really cooperated and the 30 plus NKK'ers who came out for the event enjoyed cheering Dixie on. 

We’ve posted photos on the Region One web pages at www.newmarkountryklub.com.   If you are in that part of the country, exit 208 will take you to Eloy (there’s a “Flying J”  there, too).  Then, just follow the signs to the airport.  If the weather is decent, there are usually lots of folks jumping.

We're also passing this along because we think it's a good example of "thinking outside the box" when it comes to planning Klub activities  We love to attend rallies, but sometimes getting together around a special activity can be fun, too.  Now, if every chapter could just get someone to jump out of an airplane . . .

Looking back, it seems like we have spent a lot of time recently talking about activities in Arizona, but in the winter, this is where much of the action is.  If you’ve had an activity and we’ve missed it, we’d love to talk about it.  And by all means, send photos for us to post on the website.  Send ‘em to region1@hagedon.net.

Jeannie Fallon -- Just as we were completing our April Konnection column, we learned that Jeannie had passed away and were able to pass along our condolences to Rawley and the family in that article.  But Jeannie deserves more than just that brief mention.

As we have continued to become more involved with the Klub, Jeannie was a mentor and one of our role models.  If you take time to read the description of “Director at Large” in the Klub By-Laws, it looks like it was written around Jeannie.  She was enthusiastic, a genuine Klub booster and totally devoted to representing the membership.  While you may not have agreed with her on everything, you always knew where she stood on any issue. That is truly a mark of a leader.  We will miss her greatly – and we know we will not be alone!

Now, it’s on to the Region One Rally in Colorado Springs, and then the International Rally in DuQuoin.  We’re looking forward to seeing many of you at these events and others as the summer progresses.  And if you are going to the International Rally, please remember to save a bit of time to help us out with food service.  We promise to make it an enjoyable experience.

And, as always, Travel Safe --

April, 2008

Early April finds us loading up the rig and getting ready to hit the road!  Our first stop will be the New Mexico Chile Peppers rally, April 17-19 in Columbus, NM.  Then, we are off to California for their State Rally at the San Joaquin Fairgrounds in Stockton.  After a quick hop to Hawaii in early May, we’ll be making a bee-line for the Region One Rally in Colorado Springs, May 18-23.  As of this writing, we still have room available, so if you can make it, we’d love to see you there.

 After we recover from the Regional get-together, we’ll be headed east for the Spartan Homecoming and then the Newmar International Rally in DuQuoin in June.  Speaking of the International, Region One will be responsible for Food Service this year, so we will need lots of volunteer help.  Please keep us in mind as you plan your volunteer activities.  Food Service is a big responsibility, but with the usual outpouring of assistance from the rally attendees, we are actually looking forward to the challenge. 

Following some R&R time in the Pacific Northwest after the International, we’ll try to pick up as many regional activities as possible, including the Utah State Rally, September 3-7, and the New Mexico State Rally, September 17-20.  As planned right now, our last official activity before we head back to the Tucson area will be to co-host the Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta Rally, October 7-12.  So if you plan to be on the road at all, there is a good chance we will cross paths. 

The winter activities in the southern part of the region have really been hopping.  There have been luncheons in many Snowbird areas including Phoenix, Tucson, Casa Grande, Eloy and Yuma.  We had 20 people turn out for the February Tucson luncheon and we understand that the Valentine’s Day luncheon in Phoenix (which we had to unfortunately miss) was again well-attended.  If all goes according to plan, we will have also attended the March luncheons in Yuma, Casa Grande and Eloy by the time you read this. 

We want to thank all the folks who take the time and effort to coordinate these luncheons.  While it may seem like a simple matter to coordinate a luncheon, SOMEONE has to volunteer to do it, take the reservations and make the arrangements with a restaurant.  And typically, this is a multi-month commitment, so it does require some planning.  Thanks again, folks, fer ”gettin’ ‘er done!” 

While on the subject of the luncheons, we were asked by Roy and Martha Willis, Full-Timers and former Indiana State Directors, to assist them by coordinating the March Tucson Fulltimers/Roadrunners Luncheon, since they were going to be out of the area.  Part of that responsibility involves circulating a sign-in book to keep a record of the folks who attend the luncheon.  While we had the book, we took the time to look through it.  It dates back to December, 1994!  Reading through the book is sort of like opening a time-capsule!  The Tucson Newmar luncheons have been held in the winter months for over 13 uninterrupted years! 

The new Klub website is up and running and really looks great.  We are working hard to keep the Region One information up-to-date.  You can help by feeding us information, photos and the like so we can post it.  And if there is something that you want to see that isn’t there, by all means let us know that, too.  As you know, space in the Konnection is limited, due to printing and mailing costs, but we have LOTS of room on the website, so if you send it to us and it’s relevant to the Region One activities, we’ll most likely post it. 

Many of you know our former Arizona State Directors Lyle and Barb DeRose.  Barb was recently hospitalized to have her pacemaker/defibrillator “rewired.”  She is now home and making a somewhat slow but steady recovery.  And just prior to writing this column, we learned that our Director-at-Large Jeannie Fallen passed away.  Jeannie was a very special person and a dear  friend.  Our thoughts and prayers go out to Rawley, and the family during this very difficult time. 

And, last, but certainly not least – Travel Safe!

March, 2008

With Spring on the horizon, most of the NKK’ers we have been talking with are making plans for the 2008 rally season.  Region One is no exception.  Upcoming rallies in the near future include the New Mexico Chile Peppers Rally in Columbus, April 17-20 and the California State Rally at the San Joaquin Fairgrounds, April 23-28.

The Chile Peppers are already lining up their caravan to the Du Quoin International Rally with a stop at the Region One Rally in Colorado Springs along the way.  If you are interested in being involved in group plans to attend either (or hopefully, both) rally(s), the State and Chapter columns in this issue should have additional details. 

By all reports, the winter luncheons in the southern part of the region have been well-attended, and there are still a few yet to go.  A late addition is a joint luncheon being planned by the Arizona Saguaros and Roadrunners at the Parachute Jump Center in Eloy on March 27.  This jump center is one of the largest in the country and several jump records have been set there.  Sounds like a really neat event.   

Also, don’t forget the Casa Grande luncheon on March 18.  With the large NKK seasonal population in that area, we expect a big turnout.  Check out the Saguaros and Roadrunners columns and the “Calendar of Events” in this issue for more details. 

We didn’t make Quartzsite this year, since we spent the Christmas holidays on the east coast, but attendees we talked with indicated they had a really good time at a nice, very laid-back “non-event.”  Sounds like a lot of fun to us and we plan to be there next year. 

Speaking of travel activities, we decided to attend the Tampa Super Show Special Event since we were already nearby.   The Super Show overlaps Quartzsite, so this is the first time we have attended.  By all accounts, this show has the largest display of RV’s at any show in the world and we sure won’t dispute that claim.  If you ever wanted to walk through multi-million dollar coaches, this is the place to do it (and, of course, we did!).  Thanks to Region Five Directors Doug and Linda Randolph and Region Six Directors Jim and Judy Ploesser and their volunteers for making this event a very enjoyable experience for us. 

On the way back to Arizona, we stopped at the MCD factory in McKinney, Texas to have a windshield sunscreen installed.  They were at Tampa, of course, and demonstrated a pull-down sunscreen that fits on the inside of the coach.  We enjoyed their hospitality (with full hook-ups!) at the factory while they measured, constructed and installed our shade.  This is not a commercial, but they do work with a lot of Newmar coaches and we were really impressed with their people and their attention to detail. 

The Klub website has been undergoing a major overhaul, but should be up and running again by the time you read this.  We’ve had a chance to preview some of the changes and we think you will really like the new look.  For us, the new site promises to be easier to keep up-to-date, so we will be putting a lot of emphasis on making sure the information there is really current.  Be sure to check it out at www.newmarkountryklub.com. 

 We’re getting a steady stream of reservations for the Region One Rally, May 18-23.  We are again limited to 50 rigs, so if you are planning to attend, it would probably be a good idea to get your reservation in as soon as possible.  Check out the rally ad elsewhere in this issue for all the details.  And of course, if you have questions on the rally, or any subject,for that matter, feel free give us a call at (520) 603-1190 or drop us an email at regon1@hagedon.net at any time. 

And of course, Travel Safe!

February, 2008

It’s Monday, December 31, 2007 and we are taking some time off from the kids and grandkids in Charleston, South Carolina to work on upcoming Klub activities for the year ahead. From what we know already, It is going to be one busy year!!

The biggest event for us will be the Region One Rally in Colorado Springs, May 18-23. We’ve spent a lot of time planning what we think will be a first-class event, while keeping the cost within reason. You will find a full-page ad for the rally elsewhere in this issue of the Konnection. A quick reminder: We are limited to 50 rigs, due primarily to our meeting area facilities. Big rigs should not be a problem this year.

If you plan to attend, it would be advisable to get your reservation in early. Last year, we started taking standbys within three weeks of our announcement of the rally. If you love mountains, you’ll love Colorado Springs. We’ll look forward to seeing you there!

We are pleased to announce that we have new State Directors for Arizona! Harold and Mary Ann Starr (17637) are Lake Havasu residents, although like most of us, they spend much of their time on the road. They are relatively new to the Klub, but have a lot of RV experience and they bring a great deal of enthusiasm to the job. Please join us in welcoming the Starrs as they take on their new duties.

We have to tell a quick story about Harold and Mary Ann, because we think it really embodies what makes the Klub such a special group. Like many of us, the Starrs really didn’t see themselves as joiners. But they decided to try a rally and at the event, a Klub member took it upon themselves personally to get Harold and Mary Ann involved. And they had FUN!! Next thing you know, they’re going through the Konnection, lining up as many rallies as they can possibly attend. The rest, as they say, is history.

There’s a lot going on in Arizona right now. The Roadrunners and Saguaros had a great rally in Benson the end of November. Roadrunners Presidents Tom and Marge Pobuda and Saguaros Secretary/Treasurers Clem and Jenny Williams hosted eleven rigs and 26 people at the Cochise Terrace RV Park (two member -couples are seasonal residents there). Cochise Terrace is a terrific park and if you have never stopped there, it is a great “operational base” to see all that southeast Arizona has to offer. A great all-round event, highlighted with a dinner at the Benson Golf and Country Club, thanks to some special arrangements by Tom and Marge Pobuda.

There is an active luncheon schedule in Arizona as well. We attended the Fulltimers/Roadrunners luncheon in Tucson in December, with about seven couples in attendance. New Saguaros officers were elected at their luncheon in December. And be sure to catch the “Calendar of Events” and the Region One web pages (http://www.newmarkountryklub.com/region01/region-one-directors.html) for upcoming events. The second annual Valentine’s Day Luncheon will be held in Mesa on – you guessed it – February 14. And a special Casa Grande get-together, is scheduled for March 18. Details were being finalized as this is being written.

Word has it that the California Golden Aires had a great time at their rally in Chula Vista, also held in late November. We continue to be impressed by the “togetherness” exhibited by the three California chapters. Despite the size of their state, the members always support each other’s rallies.

Photos of both the Roadrunners/Saguaros and Golden Aires rallies are posted on the Region One web pages. Thanks to Bill Conway for passing along the Golden Aires rally photos. Another reminder: Keep them photos comin’. If we get ‘em, we’ll post ‘em.

Also, as of January 1, we did a major update on the information on the Region One web pages, due primarily to the State Director/chapter officer changes effective the first of the year. We continually update your rally/event info as we get it, but if we don’t have it, we can’t list it! Chapter folks, Please, PLEASE , PLEASE, keep your State Directors and through them, us, updated on your plans as you make them and/or if they change. It should be pretty obvious that the more people know about your event, the better your attendance will be. And we also want to avoid an unintentional event overlap whenever possible.

The way things look right now, we’ll be on the road for at least nine months during 2008. There’s a good chance we’ll have an opportunity to say “HI,” and swap stories with many Region One folks, which is absolutely the best part of this job! We’re looking forward to a great 2008 for the Klub and meeting up with y’all somewhere along the way.

Until then, Travel Safe!

January, 2008

(No Konnection Published in January)

December, 2007

We’re tempted to start our December article with our usual “Where has the year gone?” comments, but we’ve got a lot of ground to cover this month and, lacking a January issue, we’ll be providing info for the next two months activities.

The 2008 Region One Rally is continuing to occupy a major portion of our time and we are getting more excited about the event every day. The rally will be held in Colorado Springs, May 18-23, 2008. This will again be a six day, five night rally and will be held at the Garden of the Gods campground between Colorado Springs and Manitou Springs on US 24.

We chose the dates to make the Rally an easy stop for our Region One members who will be attending the International Rally at DuQuoin. There should also be time to make the Spartan Homecoming event at Charlotte, MI prior to the International if you wish.

We don’t believe in doing “cookie cutter” rallies, but we are trying to incorporate the positive aspects of our Moab event last year. Our plan is to have really nice opening and closing events, a combination of continental and full breakfasts every morning and at least one evening meal during the rally, with plenty of open time to explore the area.

We really think you will enjoy the Garden of the Gods Campground. The sites are spacious and shaded with plenty of room for larger rigs. There is a large open grassy common area to use if Mother Nature smiles on us, and a nice, enclosed shelter if the weather doesn’t cooperate. The enclosed shelter is well suited to evening card games and other social activities.

As far as activities, where do we start? The Air Force Academy, Pike’s Peak and the Cog Railway, Garden of the Gods park, Manitou Springs and old Colorado Springs shopping and restaurants. A bit further up into the mountains, Victorville and Cripple Creek offer a bit of the old mining town atmosphere and a casino or two. And of course, we’ll have a golf activity for those so inclined.

Again, due to campground limitations, attendance will be limited to 50 rigs. At this time, the rally cost is yet to be determined, but we are trying very hard to hold the cost to no more than last year. As we all know, all costs are increasing and we want to deliver a really first-class event. The rally ad, with more info and rally fees will appear in the February and March issues of the Konnection and we will begin taking reservations on February 1. We hope to see you there!

Hopping around the region, we had a great time with the California Golden Bears at their rally in Lodi, and at the California State Rally in Grass Valley. Golden Bears Chapter Presidents Gary and Sandy Emerson and their crew served lots of excellent home-cooked food and fun at the beautiful new Flag City RV park just off I-5. Lodi is near the heart of the Imperial Valley and the agricultural history of the area is really fascinating. One of the best parts of our job is how much we learn about our region as we travel from rally to rally.

The State Rally in Grass Valley was held at the Nevada County Fairgrounds and State Directors Larry and Judy Faller provided several outings that educated us all in the fascinating gold mining history of the area. We first learned to play Hand and Foot at a California Rally a few years back and we had ample opportunity at both of these rallies to sharpen our skills. We both enjoy the game, but it’s obvious we need a lot more practice! Photos from both rallies are posted on the Region 1 web pages at www.newmarkountryklub.com.

This will be our last opportunity to publicly thank retiring Nevada State Directors Dave and Linda Motsenbocker for all of their contributions to the Nevada NKK’ers, Region One and the Klub in general. Not only are they great “idea” people, they are also incredibly hard workers. We will miss their close-at-hand support in the region, but wish them well as they move to be closer to family in the Pacific Northwest.

Our new Utah State Directors Dusty and Carolyn Rhodes have hit the ground running and are planning their first Utah State Rally. Be sure to check out their column in this issue of the Konnection.

As you read this, the Arizona Roadrunners and Saguaros will have just wrapped up their rally in Benson. This is great area for a rally and Cochise Terrace RV Park is within a short drive of the beautiful Karchner Caverns and numerous other attractions. Our thanks to Roadrunners Presidents Tom and Marge Pobuda and Saguaros Secretary/Treasurers Clem and Jenny Williams for putting this event together.

For personal reasons, George and Barb Carlson will need to be away from Arizona for an undetermined period and have asked to be relieved of their responsibilities as Arizona State Directors. Over the years, the Carlsons have contributed hundreds of hours to the Klub in a variety of jobs and we will miss not having their expertise readily available to help us out. Hopefully they will be back with us in the area in the not too distant future!

We also wish to thank Joe and Audry Darrigo, who are retiring as Presidents of the Arizona Saguaros, for their involvement and service to the Klub over many years. Not only have they been Saguaro Chapter Presidents, they have also contributed many hours to assisting with the Quartzsite Rallies as well.

Now, we really need our Arizona NKK members to step up and volunteer for some of the leadership opportunities available in the state. Arizona presents some interesting challenges for the Klub, due the spread-out locations of our full-time resident/members and the increasing cost of travel. We have fairly sizeable “pockets” of members in Phoenix, Tucson, Lake Havasu, and Yuma, and even larger numbers of seasonal Klub members throughout the southern part of the state.

Our experience has been that our seasonal resident/members really do like to get together, but in many cases, don’t like to pack up and move their rigs once they get situated. So it’s time to “think outside the box,” to use an overworked phrase. Over the next few months, while we are generally at “home” in Tucson, we plan to travel around Arizona to meet as many NKK’ers as possible. But we need your help. If you would be willing to host a get-together in your area, or just have some thoughts about how to get our Arizona NKK’ers together and having fun, please let us know.

Finally, as we approach the holiday season, it’s time to stop and count our blessings. For our part, we have been very blessed to be part of a great group of people in the Klub. We continue to make many new friends and are constantly amazed by the outpouring of assistance and support we get whenever we step up to a challenge. We wouldn’t trade our Kountry Klub experiences for anything. You ALL are the greatest!!

From our family to yours, have a Blessed Holiday Season and a Happy New Year!

And, as always, Travel Safe!