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Special National Gathering note:
To all NAF brothers, sisters and
invited guests,
Fire bans have not been good friends to the NAF
the last 6- months. A fire/shooting ban ruined the
2012 fall encampment in CA and looks like it has
done the same for our 2013 nationals in Rye. I
received a email from our CO Factor Don Keas this
morning about that fire ban in CO. To make a long
story short Don feels that the ban is so bad that
his friend that owns the land is not comfortable
with this event taking place at this time. So
after talking on the phone with Don we came to the
agreement that we need to hold it somewhere else.
Because of the fact of so many having taken their
vacation time for June 11-16 already, that we
should keep the date the same, which also
presented us with its own problems. Such as where
do we find another spot to hold this event in the
middle of June with out a fire ban in less that 10
weeks. I called Becky at the Becky Ford ranch in
Hollister CA and she said that would be no problem
to have it there. We just did not have enough time
to find another place that would guaranty us no
fire/shooting bans. I did not want to take the
risk of picking another place at the last minute
and then get there to find that a ban had been
imposed after folks had changed their plans.
I know that many of you will be disappointed that
we cannot have it in Rye, I am one of them. But
after working on horse and cattle ranches for 16
or so years I know the fear the property owner in
Rye is feeling and I don't blame him abit.
Hopefully next year if mother nature is on our
side maybe we can have the 2014 nationals at Rye.
Don said that they have had less then 60% of
their normal rain fall this year.
So now once again I need to know if you are going
to be able to attend this event in Hollister or
not. Please let me know ASAP, even if you have
already replied to may earlier email about going
to Rye. So for those of you who have never been
there can be sent directions.
I am sorry to be the bearer of this news but what
else can we do ?
I thank you for your time
* A side note that
will help with this change, see
MERCHANDISE & PRIZES
Original entry
Hello to my NAF brothers and sisters,
Things have been hopping out here in California, we
wound up having to winter encampments. We went ahead
and had a second successful winter encampment on the
count of a few of our apprentices needed a winter
encampment but were unable to make the first 1. So
we went ahead and had a special 1 just for them.
At the first encampment we had 10 NAF brothers
show up, there was Dan Miller, Randy
Bublitz, Dave Hood, Mark Mueller, Ron price, Cliff
Thatcher, Mike Dempsey, Leroy cut fingers, Steve
Ratliff and myself.
On the second 1 we had George Thompson, Dan
Miller, Richard Bresslin, myself and an old friend
of mine who's a top rate ferrier Elmer Jones who
came out to see what it was all about and is
possibly going to be a new Apprentice.
George and I are working on a spring encampment,
it will be the 28th through the 31st of March. I
hope to see you all there.
I am also working on a 3 - 5 day horse ride for
next year in the spring. Which will go from a buddy
of mines ranch in New Cuyama to the Nira campground
in Figueroa mountain. Let's hear from those who are
interested.
Well I think that'll about cover it for my
Captains log for this issue of the NAF
Messenger.
See
ya down the trail,
Tom
Casselman
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