Zuni Dancers At ECV Plaque Dedication

Two years ago, the Lost Dutchman Chapter of E Clampus Vitus held a plaque dedication at the El Rancho Hotel and Motel in Gallup, New Mexico.

During the ceremonies, we had a Zuni dance group perform some tribal dances. I took a quick video of their performance.

I thought I posted it on YouTube, but I found out last night that I didn't. I then rectified that and posted it on YouTube.

Here it is:

 

No Funeral Service For Bill Greene

Above, yours truly (left) with Bill Greene (center) and Tim Naeole at the Burro Saloon in 2019.

Last evening, XNGH Tom Garland of Lost Dutchman Chapter of E Clampus Vitus posted (re: Bill Greene):

I went to Tucson and spoke with Bill's brother Bob and he said there will be no celebration of life and no funeral service For Bill Greene. Much Love Bill. R.I.P.

However, the fall clampout in Quartzsite (October 15-17) will do something to memorialize Bill Greene.

Bill Greene, R.I.P.

At age 92, brother Clamper Bill Greene has gone to the Golden Hills.

Lost Dutchman clampouts will not be the same without him.

Above, yours truly and Bill Greene at Cool Springs, Arizona in 2019.

I didn't see him at the Quartzsite clampout last March. I was hoping at the time that he was either there and I didn't see him or didn't go but was okay. He drove me to the plaque dedication at Cool Springs and we had great conversations (especially about his biking adventures). He was still sharp as a tack and enjoyed life. He will be missed.

Dinner At The El Rancho Hotel

Above, the El Rancho Hotel lobby. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

This evening, a group of us met up for dinner at the historic El Rancho Hotel in Gallup, New Mexico.

Coincidentally, the hotel was celebrating its annual "Duke Days" (as in John Wayne), which is:

Join us August 15th for “Duke Days” where we will be celebrating the Wild West history of the El Rancho Hotel!� Enjoy our delicious BBQ, Live Music �, and Discounts on our rooms. We will be practicing COVID guidelines and social distancing. Bring your masks, appetites and dancing boots and we’ll see you here!

Since the social distancing rules being what they are in New Mexico, we ended up divided in two tables of four. But we still had a good time having dinner out in the fresh air, nice surroundings and pretty waitresses.

I got there a little bit early and took a few photos. I enlisted our waitress to get some group shots.

Above, the obligatory photo of the ECV plaque dedicated last summer. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Above, a Ronald Reagan movie poster near our tables. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Above, Bo and Betty Woodfill, Larry Lucier and yours truly.

Above, (left to right) Marlis Slape, Marlo and Greg Lucier and Roger Slape.

Above, Betty Woodfill and Larry Lucier. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Above, Bo and Betty Woodfill. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Black Cows Matter At Ashurst Lake

Above, a couple of Ashurst Lake residents. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

A good time was had by those Clampers and their families who attended the Lost Dutchman Chapter's family campout at Ashurst Lake in Arizona near Flagstaff.

Thus far, this is the second RV overnighter I've had this year.

About 25-30 attended the unofficial Lost Dutchman campout. We were in the dispersed campground at Ashurst Lake. The main road in was bumpy (it badly needed some grading) and the campground road was even worse with rocks. It caused three gallons of water I was carrying to rupture. It as a good thing that it was warm out so the water in The Beast dried fast.

It was a relaxing weekend of conversation, drinking, cigar-smoking, games, munching and fishing (a tournament was held at the lake).

Early Saturday morning, one of the Clampers was awakened unexpectedly. He was sleeping under the stars and was woken up around 2:00-4:00 in the morning by a calf that was licking his face. To say he was startled would be a great understatement. He's now going to be called "Salt Lick".

There were plenty of cows roaming around grazing and wandering through the campground at times.
The majority of them were black, which made the standing joke of the weekend to be Black Cows Matter.

We had a very brief, but welcome, thunderstorm just before dinner Saturday afternoon. It helped to keep the dust under control. We had a little lightning show a few miles to the east Friday night.

The family campout is held annually, so I am looking forward to next year's. This was the closest thing to a clampout this year.

Here's some photos:

Above, The Beast at the campground. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Above, the road to the lake. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Above, Tito "Salt Lick" Manning and XNGH Tom Garland. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Above, Lorelei Garland and some of the other attendees. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Above, XNGH Bobby Moore with a full beard. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Above, more black cows near our camp. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Above, yours truly and Ken Dorsal. Photo by Tom Garland.

Above, we had a welcome thunderstorm pass through for a few minutes Saturday afternoon. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

On The Road Again

Above, The Beast is all ready to hit the road. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

After nearly six months, I am finally going to do some RV camping in The Beast this weekend.

We'll be at Ashurst Lake in Arizona near Flagstaff. I will be joining several members of the Lost Dutchman Chapter of E Clampus Vitus and their families for a weekend out of the house. This is not an official Clamper event.

The only time I overnighted in The Beast was last January when I attended the Second Amendment Rally at The Roundhouse in Santa Fe. I stayed at a RV in town. Since then, the only real workout I've given The Beast was to pick up a chaise lounge in Show Low, Arizona. That was just a day trip.

It will be nice to be out in the fresh air with the gang, especially since the Spring Clampout was cancelled due to COVID-19. It was supposed to take place in Quartzsite, Arizona.

The Beast is already to go. The refrigerator inside is fully stocked with food, water, ice tea and, most importantly, beer.

Beast Maintenance, Etc.

Above, at the GOCO Beast Barn yesterday. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Yesterday was spent just kicking back and relaxing for the most part.

But I did fire up The Beast for a bit along with its generator in preparation for a possible camping trip in Arizona with some of the Clamper guys from the Lost Dutchman Chapter for a weekend this month. The outing is somewhat questionable since Arizona's governor put restrictions back on and the group campsites at the location have been closed as a result.

I also got a few things I needed out of the RV.

I drove the Jeep around, including down to the Flying J for my mail pick-up. Since I put in the Berryman's B-12 carburetor cleaner, I have had no problems with it. I will run it until the current tank of gas it out before tempting drives into Six Mile Canyon, provided it continues to run fine.

So far, so good!

The Clampout That Never Was Items

Above, the t-shirt. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

A package arrived in today's mail.

It was from the Lost Dutchman Chapter ( #5917 + 4) of E Clampus Vitus. The chapter's territory includes the whole states of Arizona and New Mexico.

Above, the patch. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The items in the package were the t-shirt and patch for the clampout that was to have occurred on April 3 - 5, 2020 in Quartzsite, Arizona for Hi-Jolly. It was the clampout that never took place due to COVID-19.

The patch and shirt were pre-paid and they were already made before the clampout was cancelled.

Promotional Face Masks

People are taking the opportunity to create face masks to promote businesses or causes.

Here's a sampling:

Above, John Wayne.

Above, Trump 2020 campaign.

Above, InfoWars.com

Above, Lost Dutchman Chapter, E Clampus Vitus.

If Things Were Normal

Above, The Beast at Arizona Oasis RV Resort in Ehrenberg, Arizona in December. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

If things were normal, right now I would be in my motorhome camping with the Lost Dutchman Chapter of E Clampus Vitus in Quartzsite, Arizona.

The closest I've come to Quartzsite (besides driving through it) was back in December when I spent a night at the Arizona Oasis RV Resort in nearby Ehrenberg, Arizona.

Due to the outbreak of COVID-19 virus, the camping trip had been postponed to a future date (whenever that'll be). Originally, it was speculated that the clampout would be held in May, but it really is hard to say when anyone will get the "all clear" notice to resume normal activities. It could still be held in May, but it is not possible to say for sure at this point.

So, we'll all just have to sit it out and wait for the virus to run its course. 

Quartzsite Clampout Postponed Due To You-Know-What

Above, a screenshot from the chepter website.

Well, it was bound to happen.

Apparently, the Lost Dutchman No. 5917 + 4 clampout in Quartzsite, Arizona, set for April 3-5, has been postponed due to the coronavirus.

Actually, it is more of a food issue. There may be a problem in getting enough food for the clampout due to the panicked idiots who are ransacking supermarkets of food (and toilet paper).

Above, the cook crew at Cool Springs, Arizona last year. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

So, I guess we'll have the clampout sometime in May (which is what the scuttlebutt is saying). We'll see.

What the hell is a "croud", anyway?

F*ck the Humbug!

A Gallup Personality: Leroy McCray

Above, Leroy McCray during the plaque dedication at the El Rancho Hotel & Motel. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Last August, the Lost Dutchman Chapter of E Clampus Vitus held a plaque dedication at the El Rancho Hotel & Motel.

One of the speakers during the ceremony was El Rancho's own Leroy McCray.

The El Rancho posted the following about LeRoy McCray on Facebook this morning:

Say hello to Leroy! Leroy is our resident historian and one of the first friendly faces you will encounter while visiting the El Rancho Hotel. Interestingly, Leroy is full blooded Navajo and was born and raised in the Gallup area. He served in the Marines for 4 years (thank you, sir) and once qualified for the Junior Olympics with a 4:28 mile run...wow that’s fast! He has been with our hotel for an amazing 27 years and boy does he have some stories to tell you!! Make sure to stop and say hi on your next visit and make sure to ask about a tour!

If you happen to be in Gallup, New Mexico, be sure to stop in at the El Rancho Hotel & Motel and to say hi to Leroy McCray.

Dinner and the Duke At The El Rancho Hotel

Above, a cardboard standee of John Wayne in the lobby. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Tonight, the plan was to go into Gallup this evening for some sushi at Zen Steak and Sushi.

I headed into Gallup and arrived at the restaurant and...it was closed. So was the Chinese restaurant next door.

I then figured I'd go to Earl's on Route 66 for dinner.

I went there and...it was closed.

In Gallup, most businesses, including restaurants, are closed on Sundays for the sabbath. It has been decades when big cities like Los Angeles did such a thing.

So, the choice was either go to Denny's (which I didn't want to do) or McDonalds. But, since I was near the El Rancho Hotel, I decided to see if their restaurant was open.

I went there and...it was open!

Above, a framed poster of John Wayne in Hondo. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

When I walked into the main lobby of the El Rancho, I was greeted by Leroy, who is now the official greeter. I told him about the Nomadic Fanatic's video featuring the hotel and the ECV plaque. He said that he starts work at 3:00 in the afternoon and missed the Nomadic Fanatic when he came there two Mondays ago during the morning. But, he said, he'll try to see the video.

Above, the El Rancho Hotel's John Wayne display. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

I then went into the hotel restaurant and had chicken enchiladas (the dish is called the "Rita Moreno"). It was good. At that point, I was very hungry and almost anything would have been good.

After dinner, I wandered a bit in the lobby and took the accompanying photos of their John Wayne display before heading home.

I'll have to remember that most Gallup restaurants are closed on Sundays.

Nomadic Fanatic Video Features ECV Plaque

Above, the ECV plaque. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

A couple of weeks ago, I was driving westbound to Gallup, New Mexico for my cardiologist appointment on Interstate 40 when I spotted the Nomadic Fanatic driving eastbound near the Iyanbito bridge.

He posted a new video this morning and it features the El Rancho Hotel plaque the Lost Dutchman Chapter of E Clampus Vitus dedicated in August.

When I spotted him on the highway, I had a feeling that he would be staying at the Route 66 RV Resort (where I stay when I am in Albuquerque) since he stayed there before. Sure enough, he's staying there again and there's plenty of footage of the RV park.

Also, featured are the gas station/travel center where he consumes a Laguna Burger (I've been there many times, but never tried a burger) and the Rio Puerco Bridge. Even though my cardiologist would rather me not eating red meat, I will probably try out a Laguna Burger next trip.

Here's the video:

Cool Springs, Arizona Clamp-Out

Above, the Cool Springs Station plaque is unveiled and dedicated. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The fall clamp-out of the Lost Dutchman Chapter No. 5917 +4 of E Clampus Vitus is now history.

About 150 Clampers converged on BLM land next to Historic Route 66 in Cool Springs, Arizona for a weekend of fun, frivolity, history and drinking. The weather cooperated for the most part (at least until desert winds struck on Saturday).

Above, the clampsite in Cool Springs, Arizona. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The usual hi-jinks took place in camp, but more serious stuff took place up the road in two locations.

Above, the new plaque at Gold Road Mine. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

One was a re-dedication of a plaque. It was actually to replace a plaque that got stolen at the Gold Road Mine. It was an interesting drive from the clampsite to the plaque. We had to navigate a narrow, winding road with many switchbacks. But we made it without incident.

Above, the historic Cool Springs Station. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The other dedication was for a new plaque at the Cool Springs Station about a mile from the clampsite. The station was a main stop along this stretch of road for many years until it burnt down and, later, it was blown up for a movie in 1991 in Universal Soldier.

It has since been rebuilt and now run by Clamper "Crazy Ray" Stelljes  and his wife as a store and museum.

One of the highlights was when the assembled Clampers lined up along Route 66 for a photo op. Another "highlight" was when, per tradition, a PBC (Poor Blind Candidate) read the plaque. He was doing fine until he got to the end when he mispronounced Vitus in E Clampus Vitus as "Veetus". This caused a major uproar by those assembled and now the PBC is stuck with the nickname of "Veetus". Poor devil!

Above, Clampers line up along Route 66 at the Cool Springs Station. Photo by Ray Stelljes.

Harold and his cook crew did a great job (as usual) with all the meals.

Our next clamp-out will be held next April in Quartzsite, Arizona.

Here's more photos of the clamp-out:

Above, the chapter's store. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Above, the gathering for the Gold Road Mine plaque re-dedication. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Above, a wild burro with a tour group alongside Route 66. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Above, stuff to buy inside the Cool Springs Station. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Above, inside Cool Springs Station. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Above, a view of Thimble Butte from the clampsite. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Above, the gathering at the Cool Springs Station plaque dedication. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Above, this looks to be an old cabin behind the Cool Springs Station. At least it has satellite TV. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Above, the roadside line-up from my end. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Above, some of the dignitaries at the clampsite. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Above, yours truly with our oldest Clamper, Bill Green (age 90). The photographer
 thought my camera was a rangefinder, not a SLR. Photo by Tom Garland.

Above, the PBC soon to become "Veetus". Photo by Armand Vaquer.

SATISFACTORY!