Clampout At Rice Army Air Field

Above, an aerial view of the clampsite during a flyover by a friend of the Billy Holcomb Humbug.

About 600 members of the Ancient and Honorable Order of E Clampus Vitus (Billy Holcomb, Lost Dutchman and Queho Posse chapters) congregated on the runway of the former Rice Army Airfield in the Mojave Desert of California for their fall clampout.

As mentjoned, a little airshow put on by a frend of the Billy Holcomb Humbug took the above aerial photo of the clampsite.

It was in the 90s for most of the clampout. Naturally, a lot of water (and beer) were consumed by the attendees. 

We had around 88 PBCs (Poor Blind Candidates) get initiated into the Order. 

It was a most Satisfactory clampout.

Naturally, I took some photos of the event (except where noted).

Above, arriving at the clampsite. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Above, some early arrivals at the Rice Army Air Field runway. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Above, XSNGH Sid Blumner and yours truly.

Above, Gary Julian enjoying an Alien Amber Ale. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Above, what's a clampout without a bar? Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Above, the Beast. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Above, another aerial view of the clampsite by the Humbug's buddy.

Above, more early arrivals on Thursday. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

"Seeing The Elephant" by Sid Blumner

Above, XSNGHs Glenn Thornhill (left) and Sid Blumner in 2017. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

XSNGH Humbug Sid Blumner has authored a new book, Seeing The Elephant.

Seeing The Elephant is a history of the Billy Holcomb Chapter of E Clampus Vitus and Blumner's "adventures" in ECV.

Above, the front and back covers.

It is available in paperback at Amazon. I just ordered a copy. As they say at Mad Magazine, $9.95 Cheap!

I first met Sid Blumner in 1984 at the Billy Holcomb Chapter's Hart mining town clampout in the Mojave Desert.

If you are a clamper, you should snag a copy of Blumner's book. It can be ordered here.

SATISFACTORY!

Vicious Sid's Cat

A shelf and clothing bar collapsed in my bedroom closet last week. Today, the building's maintenance people came and fixed it.

Before they could start work, we had to empty the closet.

After they were done, I was going through some boxes and found this cartoon I drew around 23 years ago about E Clampus Vitus XSNGH Sid Blumner, a noted ham radio enthusiast:

Sid Blumner Dutch Oven Cook-off (or How An ECV War Almost Started)

Above, the photo that almost started a Clamper war. (Click on photo to view larger.)

Nineteen years ago, a group of us at the Billy Holcomb Spring Clamp-out in Holcomb Valley near Big Bear, California perpetuated a little joke on a clamper friend of ours, Sid Blumner.

I had made a Dutch oven peach cobbler and Glenn Thornhill had the idea to take a photo of the Dutch oven with Gary Julian and me and send it to the then-clamper state newspaper, The Clamper saying we won the first annual "Sid Blumner Dutch Oven Cook-off." There was no Dutch oven cook-off and no such prize.

XNGH Thornhill recalls, "The 1.5 guys saw the photo and article and got pissed off at Sid! Seems they were originally going to call themselves the Vituscan Missionaries, until Billy Holcomb beat them to it. Then when they saw this article they assumed it was true and got pissed off, thinking Holcomb has again stole their thunder with the Dutch oven cook-off since they were planning that as a major Friday night happening at their 1.5 Clampouts."

Yes, I remember the reaction by the De La Guerra Y Pacheco chapter guys. I guess they couldn't take a joke. It is ironic that they belong to a fraternal organization whose specialty are practical jokes! At least they laughed later when they found out they were had.

It is even funnier since the perpetrators were from Platrix Chapter No. 2.