[Georges]

Ann was very gracious and embroidered 2 towels for each bus.
Andre said she got a new sewing machine and it sure works well.

Thanks Ann…

Michael & Vita – I’ll bring yours home with me.

[Mike]

[Larry & Diane]

Tom and Nancy hit 46 years the same day we hit 40.

They have us beat!!!!

[Archived]

[Larry & Diane]

Happy Anniversaries to Tom & Nancy also to Andre & Anne…. congratulations to you all… it was great visiting with everyone at Bella Terra and we had a really fun time with old friends and new ones too.

Those who couldn’t make it missed a fun time and we hope you will make it next year.

Thanks everyone !!

Thanks PC for the Pizza !!

Thanks Bella Terra for the “free 3 night stay” we won along with the wine and cheese basket the best 2 prizes they gave away out of about 20 and Larry & I won them both…. how about that !!!

Overall a great trip for us.

Diane and Larry

[Archived]

We were really disappointed at the lack of activity before the rally. We pulled into Bella Terra around 9:30 pm Wednesday night just before the Snot Ball Fest and were parked directly behind Larry and Diane. I thought there would be a raucous party in full swing. It was dead. No welcoming party or anything. It was the same thing at 6:00 am the next morning when we headed out to New Orleans on the way back to Houston.

[Davy]

The towels look awesome! Great job, Ann! Looks like our intrepid Oysterfest group had another incredible time this year! Vita and I were sorely disappointed to miss being with you folks this year, but with luck (and living right) we hope to be back for Oysterfest 2014!

As a “consolation prize” for missing Oysterfest, we ended up spending the weekend in the bus anyway at Paradise Valley a “local” resort about an hour from home in Dawsonville, GA, where we lease an RV lot. It was a much needed “getaway” for our mental health!

What was the final count on buses in attendance this year?

[Archived]

And that folks was the Loc Nest Ghost appearence at Bella Terra. No cards slipped under our wipers, no doughnuts or coffee waiting us in the morning after the Ghost appearance and no offer to use his Porter to clean our buses. Of course the Rally didn’t start until Thursday, so I’m thinking Loc wanted the points for showing up, but didn’t have time to see his buddies!

It’s a sad day, but I suppose his government job now includes undercover work and he was just complying with strict rules layed out by his hero, Ba…… Oops, I was almost in violation….

[Fred]

If it’s not too much trouble, just throw our towels in the mail to:

Michael Terry

1034 Ashfern Walk

Woodstock, GA 30189-6661

Thanks a bunch!

[Rick]

Loc’s very brief appearance was cut short because of the “SEQUESTER” going on with our government. He was only allowed 12 hours stay.

[Fred]

Buddy,

Since he arrived at 9:30 pm and left at 6:00 am, do you suppose he paid? I’m wondering if he was the one the office was talking about on Thursday?:)

[Archived]

Loc…

I was up until 1am then back up at 6… sure wish you had banged on the door !!!

We didn’t get there until 8.30pm and there was no sign of life then either.

Jon was probably still up watching a Laurence Welk rerun !!

Diane

[Archived]

After the Lawrence Welk show I am usually so excited I need to wind down a little before attempting to sleep, so I usually relax by polishing my slack adjusters.

It was likely I was under the bus with a polishing rag and visions of the Lennon Sisters in my head.

I never heard or saw any coach pull in at 9:30, or leave at 6:00 when I was up looking at drawings of the bubble machine.

[Archived]

I need to express my heartfelt thanks to Jon and Tom for
stepping up at the eleventh hour insure that Oysterfest 2013 would
happen when it became evident at the last minute that Vita and I could not make
the trip to oversee/coordinate (muck-up) the non-agenda and non-events traditional to a
proper Oysterfest gathering!

The rumor is that the group, though smaller than 2011, was
nontheless enthusiastic and ready to have fun together slurping down snot balls
and getting into all manner of nefarious shenanigans together (as busnuts are
known to do when allowed to congregate in groups of more than one).

I hope that some of the attendees will “kiss and tell”
by posting some stories from this year’s extravaganza!

Fair warning – it’s our committed plan (Vita and me) to be
back for a bigger (couldn’t be better) Oysterfest 2014!

In the meantime – safe travels everyone! We hope to see each of
you down the road in the next several months! Our only trip “firmly”
on the calendar at this time is Nashville, TN – April 26 – May 1, to see
Little Big Town in concert at the Ryman Auditorium (our 7th Little Big Town
concert since “discovering” them at a 4th of July concert at The
Wharf Amphitheater in Orange Beach, AL while staying at Bella Terra for the
holiday weekend). Not being country music fans at that point in time, we got the
tickets as part of the holiday weekend package at Bella Terra and decided to go
for the advertised Independence Day fireworks extravaganza after the concert.
Well – if you haven’t seen it, the Wharf entertainment and shopping
complex and its adjacent amphitheatre are incredible! To make an
already long story short(er) (I know – too late), the concert opening act
(headliner was Montgomery Gentry) was a band called Little Big Town. We both
fell madly in love with “LBT” from the first song when they demonstrated
their lush four part vocal harmonies! Since then, we’ve followed Little Big Town
closely and attended their concerts whenever they are performing within a
reasonable bus trip from us. Our bus “Evangeline” is named after the
Little Big Town song of the same name (a song that Vita personally identifies
with strongly).

We’ve been fortunate enough to have been invited to meet the
band and hang back stage with them on two separate occasions, after they
learned of our bus name. As it turns out, one of the four lead singers (Karen Fairchild)
and her family were neighbors of ours (two streets over) for years when we
still lived in Vita’s 9,000 sq. ft. “mc’mansion” (that we actually
still own, but have leased to a family until the real estate market recovers
sufficiently to make a little money on a sale). Karen’s Mother and Father still
live about 2 miles from our current downsized home. Great people! We
recently attended an LBT concert and an invitation only backstage
“Meet & Greet” in Montgomery, AL – as soon as Vita and I walked
into the room, they ran up to greet us and said, “it’s Michael & Vita
– the ‘bus’ people”! LOL!

So, we’re headed to Nashville, TN the end of April to see our
7th Little Big Town concert since July 2009 (this time at the historic Ryman
Auditorium)! While in Nashville, we’re also planning to spend time with
a couple of old friends (one, my long time executive secretary when I
was in the corporate world who recently relocated to Nashville from Tampa,
FL and one who is a retired American Airlines pilot instructor who owns a
gorgeous farm out in Spring Hill), get a few niggling maintenance
“opportunities” and minor (cosmetic) repairs done on the bus at
BusForSale.Com (owner John Spellings brokered my first bus purchase years ago –
a 1981 Eagle 10 – 9 bunk entertainer that I bought from Barbara &
Louise Mandrell), and just relax a bit.

By the way – does anyone remember Jeff Bayley from POG and his
long, rambling, hilarious posts? I think I just “channeled him” –
well, at least the long and rambling parts! 🙂

And (almost) FINALLY (I promise) – if any of you find yourselves within
striking distance of Atlanta/Northern Georgia – do let us know when you’re
coming through and if you need anything! Vita and I would love any excuse to
meet up, have a meal (and/or drinks) and swap a few lies with some ‘gen-u-wine’ bus
people! And as we get our combined health back in order and start to plan our
summer travel season (mostly following the Drum Corps International
“Summer Music Games” competitive drum and bugle corps tour – I’ve
been involved in drum corps for 42 years and my son is the low brass
coordinator/instructor for the Troopers Drum & Bugle Corps of Casper, WY).

As I mentioned above, we’ll hook up with Little Big Town again
on April 30th at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville. If any of you have
recommendations for good big friendly RV parks in the Nashville area, they
would be most welcome and appreciated! While in Nashville, we’ll go to the
Ryman Auditorium (of course!), have bus work done in Goodlettsville, and visit
friends in Franklin and Spring Hill.

Below is a picture of Vita & me backstage with Little Big Town in Montgomery, AL on February 21, 2013.

Okay Michael – step away from the keyboard! Please post some
Oysterfest stories and more pictures, if you will!

[Georges]

Michael,

Eagles International held a rally at the Nashville KOA last May and it was very nice. It is located on Music Road near the Grand Ole Opry house and the Opry Mills Shopping Mall. Also has a Camping World next door. It is across the river from downtown and the Ryman but not a bad drive in.