Texas Manx Club
I’m one of those people
haunted by the inability to keep the seed of an idea from germinating into
action. Thus, the Buggy Roundup came into being. The seed was planted in
April in a conversation between David
Head,
Tom Colello,
and myself as we relaxed on the deck at the Meyer B & B one evening during
the VW Classic. The discussion centered around the idea of an event that
removed all the pressures of judging and awards, and really focused on the
two things Buggy People like to do most------ talking about buggies, and
cruising.
Any discussion about
the Roundup has to begin with a strong emphasis on gratitude. First, and
foremost, gratitude to God
for “smiling” on the First Annual Buggy Roundup by allowing all planned
events to be carried out with only minor alterations. However, I have to
admit there were times my faith was a bit tested.
My gratitude certainly
extends to everyone who came, many from long distances. I realize no small
expense was involved in doing so. Likewise, it must be noted that while
many times the uncooperative weather had me in knots, it was the enthusiasm
and undaunted spirits of my fellow club members that gave me the push to
carry on. This event certainly served up many examples of the camaraderie
and kinship the members of our Club feel for each other.
For those who were
unable to attend, let me give a brief synopsis of the event:
After driving through
heavy rain en route on Friday, we arrived with “Quatro”
a dirty mess. It was then that I appreciated the “no judging” part of the
Roundup. My weather expectations were briefly lifted by Saturday’s rainless
day. However, steady rainfall beginning about 5:00 PM dampened those hopes.
A dinner cruise was
planned for 5:30 that evening. So, out of obligation only, knowing full
well that there would be no one at the scheduled meeting place because of
the continuing rainfall, I hopped in Linda’s SUV and went to the Main
Plaza. Imagine my surprise when I rounded the corner to see at least 10
buggies awaiting my arrival.
The options were:
cruise or cancel. When I asked the preferred option, I got a loud “We
are diehards, We came to
cruise”.
So, off to Buzzie’s BarBQ in Comfort, TX we went. In order to get back into
the good graces of Jimmy Davis
for not bringing my buggy, I was told I had to lead the rainy cruise with
the windows rolled down in Linda’s SUV. The BarBQ at Buzzie’s was
excellent, and the restaurant offered enough room to comfortably move about
and visit. With full stomachs we scooted over to a sidewalk café in
downtown for coffee and Linda’s homemade cookies.
I had asked
Rick Lyon
and Bryan Porter
to leave early with me on Sunday morning to help get things started and
everyone parked. My sprits had been lifted by the great time we had the
previous evening, but they were quickly dashed by the rain that began to
fall on us as we pulled into Boerne. The welcome roar of arriving buggies
convinced me that the “show will go on”. Appropriately, we started
the day with a devotional given by
Jimmy Sewell, a
local pastor. In true style of people who love their cars, everyone began
wiping down and cleaning their cars, since we were only plagued by an
occasional sprinkle or two. When all was said and done there were 13
great-looking buggies forming a circle around the Gazebo. The laughter and
hearty conversation that filled the air was an exhilarating experience for
me. My rear
shifter bushings had gone out, so the cruise was going to be a little
tough. No fear, Buggy Buds to the rescue.
Cliff McGaugh
who had a “work in progress buggy” on his trailer volunteered the bushings
out of his car, and the able team of
Bobby McGaugh,
Bryan
Porter,
and David Head
had the installation done in a flash. Likewise,
Rick Lyon
discovered the pulley crankshaft bolt missing from his car, and once again
Cliff
offered up the part. Is this a brotherhood, or what?
Because the weather
pattern seemed to produce rain in the evenings, it was suggested the Roundup
terminate a little early, and the cruise begin then. So, after some grabbed
lunch at the Hungry Horse Café, and others topped off their fuel tanks, we
lined up for the cruise at 12:30 PM.
Greg
Rardin conducted
a drivers’ meeting with excellent tips on how to keep the cruise moving
smoothly. Bryan
and Anne
graciously
honored my request to lead our cruise, and
Margaret
Kana
and her son, Chris,
very kindly
offered to serve
as our “sweep vehicle”, with my trailer in tow. Between Comfort and Center
Point we all pulled on the shoulder when
Ken (CoilMan) Phillips’
car went down. At the same time Don
Macdougall
realized his car, was having trouble pulling the hills. The able mechanics
working on Ken’s
“Crazy Alice”
determined a bad
coil to be the problem. Sooo, Don
volunteered the coil from “Shrek”
which was now loaded on the trailer.
Because the low-water
crossing in Center Point was deemed too dangerous to cross, we took an
alternate route to our fist stop at the Camp Verde General Store. We all
enjoyed browsing, sampling wares, and sipping their free lemonade and tea,
not to mention utilizing their restrooms. Leaving Camp Verde, we
intersected with SH 16 just south of Kerrville, and from there we snaked our
way through the scenic Texas Hill Country, upshifting, downshifting, and
smiling all the way. There was another stretch break in Medina at the Apple
Store, where we answered a lot of motorcyclists’ questions about our cars.
Heads turned as we rolled through Bandera, the “Cowboy Capital of Texas”.
The home stretch took us through Pipe Creek, and then down a rolling SH 46,
back into Boerne. I can’t think of a more beautiful and exciting sight
than seeing a string of buggies winding through the hills. After 96 miles,
we pulled into El Rio Mexican Restaurant, and were provided with our own
dining area with exceptional service and great food. The lively
conversation and laughter was a joy to behold.
A lengthy and reluctant
parting of the ways took place in the parking lot, with lots of hugs and
handshakes, and expressed desires to see each other again soon.
This was the most “can
do”, fun-loving group of folks anyone can hope to be associated with.
You all made this event a memory Linda and I will treasure.
Thank You All For
Coming:
Bill & Linda Knesek
Billy & Gloria Blair
Jimmy & Donna Davis
David, Edie, & Sarah Head & Friend Russell & Christie Hebert
Margaret & Chris Kana
Rick & Pat Lyon
Rick, Cyndi & Cole Matteson
Don, Suzanne, & Mackenzie Macdougall Bobby & Doloris McGaugh
Cliff McGaugh
Ken, Delia, Amanda, and Angela Phillips Bryan Porter & Anne
Isaacks
Greg & Susan Rardin
Rowdy & Rosanna Rush
