Friday and Saturday at the FMCA convention was pretty much like the other days as far as the schedule was concerned. As to the weather? It was different. Friday was a little cooler with clouds building in the afternoon. This led to a shower that lasted about 20 minutes. That wasn't so bad since we'd had another light rain the day before. For sure, it helps keep the dust down when parked on a grassy plot of ground though a dirt path was created when the motorhomes started entering and filling the rows. In our assigned location there were thirty coaches in a row. Once, again, Byron worked several hours in the RV Golf Club booth. In between prospects he and the driving force behind the business discussed marketing opportunities and how to restructure the website making it more effective as an information and communication tool.
An interesting sight at night are the buildings and shafts of
a Wyoming coal mine lit up in the night sky.
Friday evening we met with some of the other officers of Diesel RV Club in the club president and board member area. Though the units were parked on grass the streets were paved with rock. They also had full hook-ups (electric, water, and sewer) available. The DRVC president gave us his parking pass since they were leaving on Saturday morning so we could take advantage of the sewer connection to wash clothes and dump the holding tanks.
That turned out to be to our good fortune because at 5:30 AM on Saturday an extensive storm system moved through producing dime-sized hail. The area where we were parked had become a muddy mess. We pulled out of that spot at 10 AM before a second cell of activity was to move through. Talk about slip sliding away; we did it. Though we were just moving many people were leaving based on the prediction that there was to be more rain.
After getting the motorhome weighed, something that’s good to do regularly, we headed to our new parking spot. We backed into our spot, hooked everything into the services, and enjoyed the “comforts of home” by running a couple of loads of laundry. (For those of you that don’t know, we have a combination washer and dryer. It handles small loads but sure is handy.)
Sure enough, another system of clouds moved through, lightened up, and then provided a deluge of rain and nickel-sized hail along with wind gusts to 60 MPH. The outside displays were either blown over or damaged. Ice from the hail was piled against the windward side of the buildings. Obviously, this dampened everyone’s spirits at bit. Those who could, began leaving and those who stayed began hoping for winds overnight and sun the next morning to help dry things out before leaving.
For dinner we went with GMC-owning friends to a local restaurant called The Chop House. We enjoyed the “last night at camp” experience before we all headed out on Sunday.
After getting back to the motorhome for the evening we checked email, etc. Byron received a message that Don Hustad, a former seminary professor in church music, had died. Dr. Hustad used Byron in several programs during the last several years before the Hustad’s returned to the Chicago area a couple of years ago. Don was the type of Christian we’d all admire. During the late 50’s and early 60’s he was the organist for the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association and continued to accompany George Beverly Shea in concerts when possible. By the way, Shea died at the age of 104 on April 16 of this year. Hustad was 94 at his home-going.
Prior to coming to the School of Church Music at
Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, Dr. Donald P. Hustad
had taught at Moody Bible Institute. He was pleased
to return there a year ago to deliver a lecture
regarding music and worship. Though his
body weakened with age, his mind
never did.
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