Sunday Escape Rally Osoyoos, BC

Rows of Escapes in all directions

Jim in favorite browsing position at table

        At the Saturday Rally potluck last night, it was announced that we had 247 people attending and 142 Escape Trailers attending. Many people started arriving last Wednesday, though we didn't arrive till Thursday. Jim went on the wine tour on Friday while Rose and I hung out, walked around and finished a great mystery novel. Rose didn't read, but I gave her a review! Friday night Reese and Tammy, the Escape Industry owners treated all to a dinner which was catered. They are growing. In previous years their family members and staff have cooked and served the dinner. This year they are working on a new building which will increase production to 2 Escapes per day instead of 1 per day. The wait for a new Escape is now almost a year so there is a big demand for used ones. They are just plain nice people. Tammy is the extrovert and Reese is the quiet spoken responsive mechanical guy. Tammy runs the financial side and he is all about watching their quality and responding to the customer who has a problem or suggests and improvement in design.
        Yesterday was tour day. There were so many trailers that each area had a two hour window to open their trailers. You hang a red ballon out front if you are open. People who are on the wait list, others who want to see how you have organized or made modifications or if you just want to hang out with old friends happens then or just whenever you get a chance. It has been so much fun to experience this moving community, meet the people who you have only known by their Escape Forum name and then meet them again and again at each Fiberglass Rally we attend. We know some people now who are full timers and move from Rally to Rally and that and the internet keeps them in a social network. We have done a lot of mutual problem solving about trailers and travel and kept up with them and their family events over time. Some very nice people are trailer trash like us.
       One more event at the Rally. There is a big grassy place in the middle of the park where after the dinner and potluck many of the dog owners (and there are many) bring their puppies who have waited patiently for them to return to the trailers, are brought out and we have an impromptu dog park. It has been so easy going, the dogs running and playing, big and little with no issues. Even a little rescue who had been terribly abused and fearful, slowly decided he would give it a try and we all enjoyed seeing him run circles with some other little dogs. His owner, who had never seen him act that free almost cried. It was a wonderful end to the evening. Be well all!