Tour of Pierce Fire Trucks Mfg.

June 25,Thursday, XXXX>>> Warning this is about Fire Trucks<<<>
Early this morning Carol and I and Carl & Jackie Light left for what I thought was a 60 mile drive to Appleton,WI. this is where Pierce Fire Mfg. Plant is. Note: It was actually 119 miles away from here...Dummy me!! We arrived at 11 am and ask for a tour of the place. My reasoning was my fire dept bought 4 so far and are planning another purchase in the future. However you need your local saleman to guide you. So they left us into the Blue area, which is where Fire Depts. check out their new trucks before delivery is made to you. There was 12 on display for delivery. While looking I called my son to tell him I was here and what happened. He said he will call the Local salesman and see what can be done for a tour. He called back and said a representative was there and he came down to give us a tour.

We met John and he said he will take us thru the factory production line. First all have to have closed toe shoes..guess what...the ladies did not... so I suggested my extra shoes in the van( no...not my clown shoes!!).The ladies put on my MAN Shoes and did the tour, Carol said it was like walking in clown shoes(Her size 6-8 my size 13...flop..flop...) It was Funny!! We had a 2-3 hour tour of every dept...We saw the making of a lot of fire trucks..Pumpers..Ladder, and even Tiller Trucks(They are Looooooong!!!)We saw the paint room, axles,frame, cabs, pumps, compartments, wiring, lights,finish work being done. Pierce builds over 1200 fire trucks a year....Top Quality!! Remember we have 4 of them in our Fire House. Thank-You Brian (son) and Curt (Local Salesman) and John (salesman on site) for such a grand tour. Jackie said she enjoyed it and didn't realize what goes into building a fire truck.

After a stop for dinner(soup & salad) We headed for Madison...on the way thru Oshkosh...we saw a flea market with odd things all over the front yard. WE stopped to see these things upclose. There was a deer stand with 3 deer on it with guns and also a deer hunter that they bagged hanging from the stand, also a deer hunter strapped to the truck hood....a cow standing with a trench coat on but Flashing her body (utter) at the highway. Next we saw a Giant mallard duck...an elephant...a fisherman with a big catch of a fish. We decided to go inside to see what is wierd inside...WOW... lots of figurines of famous people lifesize..Elvis...Bogart..monk...hippies..indians..pirates..cartoon characters..it was just a delightful place to visit...They mostly sold doors..windows..and kitchen cabinets. While there a man came in with a delivery of a BIG Motorcycle. We went out side and saw more alongside the building, a yard full of old metal horses..cars..stage coach..and lots of wild animals. This place was different but a delight to see...Photographers' Paradise!!

Now we headed home .. arriving home by 7:30 pm a total of 263 miles today!! What a fun drive.

Rally Notes ***** 150 arrived today which bring the amount to 682 (or more) here so far, Tomorrow I am on parking again. It will be a busy day and Saturday too because the Vintage Parade will come in at 10 am. I think about 70 vintage but didn't hear a final count yet, it will be sight to see as always.

>>>> Personal Note!!!>>>>
Happy Birthday Sister..hope you have a Great Day!!
Happy Retirement to my Buddy Jim...today (friday) is his last day to WORK!!!
God Bless...AirstreamHobo & Carol.....

Comments obclown@ptd.net

Check out the Album!!!

http://picasaweb.google.com/AirstreamHobo/PierceFireTrucksFunnyAntiques

This is Ellas Deli Resturant....Fascinating!!!

June 24,Wednesday, Last night was a Hot one!!! So our unit decided to go out for supper. It was decided to go to Ella's, a great little Deli Bar Resturant. Out front of the building is a Merry Go Round, wait till you get inside!!! This place is a collection of cartoon characters displayed everywhere. They are on the ceiling moving back and forth, on the walls, in your table tops,etc. We get a table for 14 people. We get a menu 8 pages long...you name it ...it is made here! After we give our order , I get up and take pictures of all these characters, check out the album. The waiter spills water all over Joan Buchers' back(she said it felt GOOD!!) but he was so embarrest about it, that he gives her a Free Meal!! I said Spill it on me Too!! The meal comes and is very good...but the place's AirConditioner could not keep the place COOL...too many people I guess? Back to the Airstream for the night. Look at my Pictures http://picasaweb.google.com/AirstreamHobo/EllasDeliMadisonWI#

Today I report for duty on parking committee at 8 am , we start right away to park the rigs. Several caravans come in today and want to be parked together, we do the best we can. The people are so nice to us in this heat wave ...they understand... and we get the job done. We parked alot today and filled alot of spaces. The next 2 days will be a busy time for us. On sat the Vintage airstreams will arrive. I have my camera ready!!!

Tonight Carol and I head for "Perkins" for an Air Conditioned Place to eat...Ah Ah..The place is cool and good food too!! Alot of people are hanging out in the Friendship Center in the building tonight to keep cool. As of Tues 4pm 484 rigs on grounds... Till later:
God Bless....AirstreamHobo & Carol .....Comments obclown@ptd.net

Hot..Hot..Hot.. Really it is 99* Now!!

AirstreamHobo Travels...Madison, WI. #12

June 22,Monday, Today we wake up to HEAT wave, it is supposed to be hot all week. We went over to Wal-Mart to check about an oil change, they could do it right away. 14 quarts is alot of oil!!! They did a good job checking all over the Van. Carol worked the Message Center from 1-4 pm...in the Air Conditioning...YEAH!!!

We made steaks on the grill for supper.After eating we decided to go for a drive to a little village of swiss buildings. I headed for New Clares, way out in the farming area. We passed very large farms with lots of corn fields. We arrived in the village and saw a bunch of tractors at a swiss motel, so I stopped. Here we saw them stopping for the night, There was 36 "old Tractors" on a caravan of a Tractor Cruise across USA. They were traveling for a 4-5 days cruise. http://www.tractorcruiseusa.com/stateride.htm Read about it here. It was interesting to see all the old tractors...John Deere, Farmall, Moline, Ford...etc. See my pictures. Then we drove around the town seeing COWS all painted up(pictures too). Then back to Madison ...all back roads...rolling up and down hills past beautiful farms, the sunset was awesome as always. We arrived home at 9pm to a hot night. We put all the fans in the bedroom to keep us cool tonight...it worked...I slept great!!

June 23, Tuesday, HOT...HOT...at 11 am it is already 95* here, the news tells everyone to stay indoors between 1-7pm to prevent heat problems. We did laundry today, then went to Subway for a sub for lunch just to stay cool. Then back to the Airstream unload laundry then off to the Expedition Center to stay indoors with the air condition. My thermometer at the airstream said 121* outside and 96* inside.. Tonight we "WILL" go out for dinner!!!

Rally Notes... Over 400 Airstreams are here. The Generators are working overtime to run...some have blown fuses...and are repaired as soon as possible..People are hot here and most are hanging out in the buildings to stay COOL!!! So if you are on your way...be prepared for a VERY HOT WEEK!!! That is the weather forcast for Madison...

http://picasaweb.google.com/AirstreamHobo/TractorCruise#

God Bless.... AirstreamHobo & Carol

Flowers at the Farmers Market!!!!!

June 20,Saturday, I am up and ready to help with parking today. There are 14 rigs in the bull pen ready to park, we park them in short order. Then a break...no more coming...so I and Carl Light leave for the morning to go downtown. In downtown around the Capitol there is a farmers' market all around the square..over 300 stands. Meter parking is $1.50/hour..I should have parked in a lot,it would have been cheaper. We walk all around the market enjoying the stands of breads,vegetables, plants, flowers, even stands selling lemonade and smoothies. There are protestors also and alot of special interest groups too! We stop to see a childrens show at the Children's Museum..he has the kids laughing and giggling!! I also took pictures(grin).

Back to the lot at noon , I grab a lunch then back to parking committee job. We park 1(yes One !!!) this afternoon. Then at 4 pm we are done and have Happy Hour at one of the parkers airstream, lots of samples of junk food, then around the group we tell jokes and laugh at ourselves.

Then at 6 pm we have a cook out at Olshefski's airstream, there is about 15 of us, we have the usual hot dogs and lots of side dishes. Then we have a birthday party for Felix (70 today) and we sing to him!!!

June 21, Sunday, I attend church this morning with the Airstreamers over 400 attended. After church we head to the Parkers Dinner also Fathers' Day at the Elks for a sit down dinner of Ham and Chicken we have the same seats along the window overlooking the water...great view. Then Nap time!!! At 5 pm they have a Volunteers Dinner of Bradwurst and chips and cookies. Over 500 served there!! Now we are relaxing at our airstream getting calls from the kids today..."Happy Fathers Day" I am so lucky with 3 sons and their wives with 5 grandchildren. God Bless...AirstreamHobo & Carol

See the Market Pictures!!! Comments?? obclown@ptd.net

http://picasaweb.google.com/AirstreamHobo/FarmersMarket#

Here is the WBCCI Band practicing their music...Hard at work!!!

June 18,Thursday, Today, we relaxed by the Rally Field. Carol worked at the Message Center from 1-4 pm with Maragaret, they took messages from anyone then had to pass them onto the people directed to. The scooter patrol took the messages out to your rig to deliver them, if not there they left them on a clothes pin hanging on thr door. They had a whoppin 3 messages all afternoon. I went back to the rig to take a nap(a 2 hour nap)...retirement is tough!! Carol returned at 4 pm. We went to Wal-Mart for a few things. This Wal-Mart has an underground parking lot...it is weird to drive in and ride the escaltor up.. They say cold weather in the winter makes you want to come here..so it is warmer to return to your car.

I bought a CB antenna so I can hook up my CB back at the airstream to listen to daily reports from Wally Byam Control several times a day. This was helpful today as a storm alert was given to all later tonight. Some rigs/people had gone to bed already so I walked around warning everyone that had their awnings out. There was a Tornado warning givin all night, my weather station radio sure opened alot tonight. Around midnight the heavy rain arrived. They did tell us the Colleseum/Meeting Hall will be open for all, if we need to evacate the airstreams...The CB was busy all night...Hard to sleep tonight, I kept thinking soon someone will say ....RUN...RUN... Carol did have a extra bag packed with the necessarys in case we had to leave the rig.

June 19,Friday, I was glad to see a calm morning today... We went to breakfast this am...pancakes again...yum..yum... there goes my waistline??? We decided to go to Waterloo to see thye TREK Bicycle Plant (no inside pictures please!)at the 10 am tour. Very informative tour.. We stopped at a cheese store for small taste of cheese & buy the same. Then drive around the country side, I stopped to snap some pictures of some barns. We passed alot of Tree Farms, not just Christmas trees but all kinds of trees in long..long rows. These farms here are So Big!!! The back roads were a joy to drive. We headed back to Madison, when we got to town I spottted a Hot Dog Vehicle...YES ....It is the Oscar Mayer Vehicle. I followed it drive around the Capitol Building, he sure attracted alot of Attention!!

Back home now....a storm just past thru the rally...I think it is more hotter now than ever...Sticky..Humid... Turn on the Fans!!! Supper was just fruits...to cool down..

Rally Notes...There are 329 rigs here as of thursday 4pm, I think 30 came in today..There are 14 waiting in the bullpen tonight. They have Very nice showers here...ah..ah...Nice refreshing shower...let the water Run!!!.. They pump us out 2 x a week. Very good job to Sanatation,they are doing it fast and clean!!! Thanks Guys!!

See the TREK Album

http://picasaweb.google.com/AirstreamHobo/TREKBarns#
God Bless.......AirstreamHobo & Carol

Epic Center

June 17,Wednesday, I am up this am and by 8 am I am at the pancake breakfast, this time just one pancake is enough. They sure fed alot this morning,the room was crowded.

Back at the airstream, we decided to go to the Epic Intergalactic Headquarters about 15 minutes from here. This place is located on about 400 acres of land with buildings all around the complex. They are building 5 more buildings to be completed soon. They have 3,500 employees,not all are here, some are in other buildings in town waiting for them to be done. They are a Computer Program Company for the Medical field to setup for hospitals and have clients all over the world. This is also a Training Center for all their clients.


We have a tour guide which is an employee who volunteered to show us around, his name is Ed Senechal, he is very happy to show off all the conference..meeting..office..rooms. Each employee has his/her own little office(looklike 8x10 room) their theory is when you work alone you will be 2 1/2 times more productive. They have training for up to 850 trainees each week. This place is emence in size and has a very friendly work atmosphere, everyone is smiling!! Ed shows us conference rooms decorated in different designs...Outer Space...Western..Airplane..Circus (My Favorite Room )..Indiana Jones Tunnel..A Jungle..A Subway Station..Streets of New York..and Grand Central Station. You just can't believe this place unless you see it in person.

It is getting close to lunch and Ed tells us that lunch is on them(Epic) all we have to do at check out is tell them we are guests. They have a Fabulous lunch menu made up by their own Chef and staff. Ed tells us,he has been there 1 1/2 years and has not seen the same entre' twice... today we had Bake Ziti with Roasted Vegetables ..Plum Pie..Fruit Bowl..drink, what a LUNCH!! The employees eat very cheap also, they slide employee card and it is taken off their paycheck.

We walk outside all the buildings to see the landscape and just enjoy the countryside. There are man made water falls and little rivers thru out,the gardening is unbelievable. The employees park their cars in underground garages. The artwork thru out the halls and rooms are undescribeable, they buy from local artists and support the local area.They even have a Tree House out back for conferences...Unbelievable!!! They also have the largest geothermal systems in the world with over 500 wells each drilled to depths of over 300 feet, to heat and cool the campus. This was a 3 hour stay and I must say the coolest tour I ever took of local businesses...Thank-You Ed!!!!!!!!!!! What a Guide!!!! You Gotta see the Pictures..
http://picasaweb.google.com/AirstreamHobo/EpicCenter#

Next we stopped at a bike shop to see hundreds of bikes...$100.00 up to a triple tamden for $38,000.00 Titanium frame...I ask for a test loan for the week (Grin) but the saleslady said "I don't think so" . They sure sell lots of bikes...they sold 3 while we were there. This is a Bike Town and area!

Tonight the Parking Committee had an Ice Cream Social so we could meet everyone, lots of friends chatting as well..... God Bless...AirstreamHobo & Carol

Just a few of the Volunteers...Coffee wagon feeds us all...Thanks...

June 16, Tuesday, 7 am this morning the Pancake Breakfast begins for the week. The Officiers make and serve Pancakes to all the Volunteers. Coffee is also available. The line is long and takes me 1/2 hour to get to the grill, but it is worth it...Great pancakes..Breakfast all week till saturday.

I return to the airstream to see 3 bags of dirty laundry to wash. Carol and I head down the highway to a Laundermat to do 3 loads. 10 days on the road and I already have 3 underwear, 3 t-shirts and a few socks dirty, takes me 1/2 hour to do my wash. Another hour to do the rest, I guess I should change more often..(grin) Then I help fold all the wash, I didn't know there is a certain way to fold wash...I thought you just roll it up and stowe it. I learned alot today.

Back at the Rally, more airstreams came in, as of monday at 4 pm there was 259 rigs parked. I rode bike around to take pictures of the workers doing their job, Thank-You Volunteers.We now have electric and water & they also pumped our tanks out on monday..next time will be thursday.

http://picasaweb.google.com/AirstreamHobo/OnTheRallyGrounds#

******* Just a Note to my Buddy.. Jim....Happy Birthday!!! 2 weeks till Retirement!! Enjoy it , it sure is FUN!!

Till Later... God Bless.....AirstreamHobo & Carol