Indiana Fab Fest

Editors Note:
Mitch and I had planned on going to Ohio over Memorial Day weekend to pick up some aftermarket parts from North Coast Offroad so that we could put the Zuk back together for its first voyage out of the garage since fall of last year. We got a call from Tim Tackett with somewhat bad news. Tim said that he was sorry to say that some of the parts that we were going to pick up were not going to make it to his place in time for him to go to Ranger Rick's Fab Fest. Tim was having some components drop shipped to Rick's house and that included some parts that we were dire need of. So, we made the call to drive to Rick's on Friday and maybe spend the night but we were going to try to come home on Friday. We took our car instead of our towing truck with trailered Zuk on it, since the truck was not together enough to wheel it. If we didn't run into any trouble we would make it home in time for Mitch to get the parts on the truck and take it wheeling. We were only at the Indiana Fab Fest for a little over twenty four hours. I took two rolls of film of some of the goings on and a few folks in attendance before We left to drive home. Unfortunately I did not get the chance to meet all of the people that finally made it to Ranger Rick Hall's house for the event. I have asked my dear friend Lewis Scherer, known to all as Billy-Bob, to help me recap the events of the weekend. This gathering was by far one of the best events my husband and I attended this year and we didn't even have the Samurai with us! -R.C.

You could see her lil grin tryin to pop out and go to both ears, then she'd control it, the smile/grin would disappear only fer a sec, then it would start up again. The poor lil thing was a perfect lil angel. Me n Trail knew she was on the edge of cracking up, but she held her composure. On their way back up to the house I heard Rick's daughter say that she thought those were my real teeth! Imagine that!!!!! 

Friday morning, more arrivals, couldn't even begin to tell the names of who all arrived. By now it was getting cooler and the wind was blowing more. We had breakfast of biscuits, gravy, sausage and other good heart attack inviting goodies. Oh well! it was good and that's what counts. Well, we headed down to the shop to start work on Trails rig again. (They guys were busy installing a Canyon State Components YJ kit on Trails rig. R.C.) We were making progress, then the wind kicked up and it started to rain. Well, the rain was beginning to come in Rick's garage and this can't work out cause it's beginning to go right under Trails rig and that is where we were workin. Soooo, I grab a madock and start diggin out the drain trench so that the water will drain out of the garage instead of inside, even laid a battery in it to help redirect the water. We managed to get it to divert and keep the garage dry. Right about now, we noticed that Rick's rig was uncovered. The wind had blown off the tarp we had over the top of his pink Zuk. We had to run out n cover it up. Trail was completely oblivious to John n Me out covering Rick's rig up and trying to keep the HiLtOn in one piece as the wind was really whoopin around n blowing down the canopy. Well, as the worst of the wind and the rain let up, only then did Trail come out and help. He had not even realized that we were gone. Well, time to reassemble the HiLtOn/tent city, try to dry the cookin towels, paper plates and other utensils that were now soaked. Got it all up again and headed back to the garage, through two inches of water standing on the road and the squishy mud under my feet to work on Trails rig.