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<div>Hello Rockets Friends & Family,</div>
<div> Did someone say Snow Ranch Rocket Launch???!!!</div>
<div>I can't wait to see you all again and fly Rockets As this one is ON our calendar!!!</div>
<div> As Bill mentioned it will be COLD and wet maybe.</div>
<div>Can you say "CHILLI"!!!!?</div>
<div> Yes LUNAR'tics....The CHILLI will be returning to warm your Hands , Hearts , Tummies!!</div>
<div>Maurene and I will have the Chilli on the Fire along with the trimmings. I will have hot coffee and Hot chocolate on the stove as well.</div>
<div> I look forward to seeing you all and sharing rockets with you. So, Come and Get a Bowl and Help the rocketeers warm up!!</div>
<div>Cheers!!</div>
<div>Up Fast and Down Slow!!!</div>
<div> </div>
<div>Alan Thym</div>
<div>LUNAR # 1403</div>
<div>NAR#83313L3</div>
<div> </div>
<div style="color: black; font-family: arial,helvetica; font-size: 10pt;">-----Original Message-----<br>
From: Bill Orvis <orvis@compuserve.com><br>
To: announce <announce@lunar.org>; LunarGeneral google <lunar-general@googlegroups.com><br>
Sent: Mon, Dec 28, 2015 7:24 pm<br>
Subject: [LUNAR general:] Saturday's Launch at Snow Ranch<br>
<br>
Hello everyone,<br>
<br>
We have bee closely watching the weather reports and it looks like it is<br>
going to be a good day on Saturday. However, it is going to be wet and<br>
cold. Be sure to stay on the roads. Do not try and go around a puddle on<br>
the road, drive through it. At the launch site, stay within one car<br>
length of the road. Beyond that it is not solid.<br>
<br>
Be sure to check the hotline in case we have to cancel at the last<br>
minute.<br>
<br>
The stuff that follows is for newcomers to Snow Ranch. Of course, it<br>
wouldn't hurt for the old hands to skim over it to make sure they have<br>
not forgotten anything.<br>
<br>
We will be flying on a working cattle ranch in a field that hasn't<br>
changed much in the last 10,000 years. There are no paved roads,<br>
sidewalks, mowed lawns, or anything else you are used to having at the<br>
launches in Livermore.<br>
<br>
You will find rocks, squirrel holes, sticks, cow bones, and other<br>
assorted items that can twist or break ankles or legs if you are not<br>
paying attention. You will also see wildlife. In addition to the bulls<br>
and cows, there are squirrels, snakes, coyotes, mountain lions, golden<br>
eagles, bald eagles, buzzards, and other critters. Again, if you pay<br>
attention, none of these critters will bother you. If you have kids,<br>
keep an eye on them, don't let them wander far without an adult.<br>
<br>
This is rattle snake country the same as the hills around Livermore. As<br>
long as you pay attention to where you are walking and where you put<br>
your hands and feet, you won't have a problem. Stay away from the rock<br>
fences, the blackberry bushes, and the brushy rock formations. Those are<br>
all snake places. If your rocket lands in one of those places, come get<br>
me or one of the club officers to help you get it out. Now, I am not<br>
trying to scare anyone, I just want to make sure you are paying<br>
attention. My brothers, sister, cousins, and I played all over those<br>
hills as children and never got bit and I want to make sure no one else<br>
does.<br>
<br>
When you get to the launch area, follow the marked road to the field.<br>
Even though it looks like there is a shorter way, don't do it. There is<br>
a reason I mark the road where I do. There is a road down the center of<br>
the field where we launch. You can park on either side of that road. On<br>
the east side you can go as far as the creek but on the west side, do<br>
not go more than one car length from the road. Most of the ground is sod<br>
over mud. If you break through the sod, your car will drop to its axles<br>
in the mud. Four wheel drive will not save you. The ground under the sod<br>
is almost liquid. Some of you will remember when I pulled a lost rocket<br>
out of the ground. The rocket had punched a hole through the sod. I was<br>
able to stick my arm down into the ground all the way to my elbow<br>
without any problem, slide my fingers under the rocket, and pull it out.<br>
If I can stick my arm up to the elbow in the ground, imagine what<br>
something with the weight of a car will do. The places we will mark out<br>
have gravel under them and are solid. A few feet farther up the hill are<br>
not.<br>
<br>
As I mentioned, this is a working ranch and there are a few ranch rules.<br>
<br>
- Leave the cows and bulls alone. There are a lot of newborn calves in<br>
the field, many born in the last week. If you see one, don't go too<br>
close and do not get between the calves and the cows, especially small<br>
children.<br>
- If you see a calf that appears to be in trouble, that is, it has<br>
fallen in a hole or in the creek and does not seem to be able to get<br>
out, come and get me and I will rescue it.<br>
- Leave the wild critters alone. It is OK to look, but don't try to<br>
pick them up. The rattle snakes you find out there are real, not toys,<br>
and they bite.<br>
- If there are bee hives on the hill above where we launch, stay away<br>
from them. They are self protecting so you have been warned.<br>
- Close any gates that you open.<br>
- Don't do anything to mess up the land. A rancher is just about the<br>
greenest person you will ever meet when it comes to his land. In this<br>
case, our family has been caring for this land for over 130 years. The<br>
worst thing you can do is to create ruts which cause erosion which is<br>
another reason to stay on the roads.<br>
<br>
There is a lot of history in this area. Indians used to camp just south<br>
of where we launch and there are Indian grinding holes in many of the rocks.<br>
The movies "Little House on the Prairie" and "The Big Country" were<br>
filmed around where we will be flying. The remains of the "Little House<br>
on the Prairie" set are just to the south-east of where we launch. The<br>
stage road from Stockton to the gold mines in Angels Camp went right<br>
through this area, and up the road a ways Black Bart used to rob them.<br>
The History Channel filmed part of a program on Werner VonBraun near the<br>
ranch house.<br>
<br>
We will rent a porta potty for the day but there is no water, food or<br>
anything else in the area so bring whatever you will need.<br>
<br>
We have a barbecue grill I will fire up in the morning. I expect it to<br>
be really popular just for keeping warm. Bring your own dogs or burgers<br>
and have a warm lunch.<br>
<br>
If anyone does get hurt, the closest hospital is in Oakdale, about a 15<br>
minute drive from the Ranch (after you get back to the highway). There<br>
is a map to the hospital in the LUNAR document box if you should need it.<br>
<br>
There are maps to the ranch and driving instructions on the LUNAR website.<br>
<br>
If anyone has any questions, I will be happy to answer them.<br>
<br>
Bill<br>
<br>
-- <br>
----------------------------------------<br>
William Orvis<br>
226 Joyce St.<br>
Livermore, CA 94550<br>
<a href="mailto:orvis@compuserve.com">orvis@compuserve.com</a><br>
----------------------------------------<br>
<br>
<br>
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