Okay, so I know winter is almost here, but...

that doesn't mean I want it to be that cold yet!  According to Fluffy, a couple of areas around Mount Pleasant are ranked amongst the coldest in South Australia.

Well, either last year, or the one before, we had a rally in Mount Pleasant.  And it was the coldest we have ever experienced.  There was ice on the windscreens and dog bowls the next morning, and another family couldn't bear to camp out again and left the next afternoon.

This time we were pleasantly surprised.  It was quite as cold.  But it was still cold, and very moist.  Fluffy drove up Friday morning, but as I had to work Dobby, Lawsy and I followed later.  I left the servo up the road at 4.15 pm to be precise.

It drizzled on and off most of the way up.  We arrived just on dark, about 5.20pm then did a couple of laps of the main strip to find somewhere to buy dinner.  I found a bakery that did take away, and bought hot chips and a couple pieces of fish.  I also bought dessert.  Hey, it's a bakery after all!

When I found the park, Fluffy said he thought we were supposed to be joining the rest of the club for dinner at the pub.  Oh.  I must have missed that portion of the conversation.  Last I heard I was to pick up dinner and we were to go out Saturday night.  Oh well.  He had the place set up lovely, with the girls tent up and their stretchers in already.  He had, I also found out, served several cups of coffee from his new you-beaut coffee machine.

It was his (very) early Father's Day present - he didn't want to wait.  He loves it because it's a one-touch machine.  So, from the next rally, it will be gold-coin donation to cover the cost of the pods and milk.  And from the feedback, people are going to be happy to pay that.

After dinner we joined the rest of the group as they wandered back from the pub, around the camp fire.  Wouldn't be a SAPI rally without the camp fire.  This time, we were under a huge tin shed, with wooden grandstands, where they hold sheep sales.  There are several of these sheds, and they also hold dog shows and horse trials here.  And, on Saturday mornings they hold a farmer's market.

At the fireside, Crate, one of my favourite members, presented me with my very own pair of fluffy fleece lined croc shoes.  We are now the Croc Club apparently!  There are a few of us, whose standard uniform is one of those beanie hats with the ear covers that tie under the chin, (although any beanie will do), fluffy crocs, and often pajamas.  It's a lot of fun.

Camped next to us was also a new family... with a teenage boy.  Talk about laugh.  On the way up Dobby, who has just discovered the opposite sex, was lamenting there needs to be more boys in the club.  The family joined us at the camp fire and I met their son, who is almost 17.  I had to go find Dobby and tell her.  Next thing, she's donned some make up, fluffed up the hair, sprayed herself and joined us at the camp.  It was so cute to watch because all the men of the club were teasing her mercilessly.  Hilarious.

She took it in good faith and had some fun.

Saturday morning, as I said, it was foggy and cold.  I took a few pictures, and wandered back to the warmth of the van.  

I gathered the girls and we walked over to the markets.  I didn't have a lot of cash on me, so I bought us cupcakes (choc orange), and some popcorn for the girls.  There was lots of fresh produce, and local condiments to choose from.  But I just stuck with the cupcakes.

Then, a little later we had morning cuppa, followed by the counting of the votes for the club name change.

Fluffy was a bit upset, as the name he put forward lost by 4 votes.  It was very close and rather exciting.  We did it publicly, with the president of another club reading out the votes, and our secretary keeping tally on the whiteboard.

Once the count was done our new name, which still has to go before the AGM in August to be official, was announced.  Unless something drastic happens, we will be known as the Family and Friends Caravan and Camping Club.  Exciting.

We then had some quiet time, so I chilled out catching up with some of the other members I hadn't seen for awhile.

Just as we were playing club game after lunch, another member Wenz came with her two girls Minnie and Akkers.  They are either side of Dobby (14 and 16).  They are Dobby's favourite kids to hang with.  Lawsy likes to hang with the younger boys of the team (Crate's sons).  They had fun.  Oh, and Crate's husband was home for a very brief leave from Afghanistan, so it was so lovely to see him. Crate's parents are from Bundaberg in Qld and they have been staying with her, helping her out.  So they have been to a few rallies as honorary members.  They are so funny.  They presented me with a lovely "prum" pudding (yes, prum because it has a lot of rum in it, although this one is not as strong as the pudding that penned this name).

While we were at Club Game Ozzie and his dad shared some close time...

Oh, and while I think of it, while waiting for the food on Friday night, I looked about the bakery.  It was an old house, with lots of little bits and pieces to look at.  Here are a couple.

 
After club game we retired to the hall for Happy Hour (drinkies and nibblies).  Then, as I overindulged, I didn't feel like going to the pub for dinner.  Neither did Fluffy really, so much to the disgust of Dobby, he took her and Lawsy back to the bakery for tea.  She was placated with wedges and a container of lollies.  Doesn't take much...

Back to the hall for social at 7.00, and this time we played some unusual games.  First we were split into 4 groups, with a mix of kids and adults in each.  One game involved runners (kids) from each group taking items up to the adjudicator, such as drivers licences etc.

We had to guess a lot of local places, sing songs with key words (like valley, river etc), we had to tie all our shoes together, we also had to put all our shoes in the middle and the team who collected all theirs (relay style) won, we also had to make mountain ranges out of people (our team won that one).

Overall it was... interesting.

Then, back to the fireside.  The new teen boy in the group thought he would see how many marshmallows he could get in his mouth.  15 apparently.

He ended up spending a lot of time with Dobby, Minnie and Akkers.  Hmmm...

Then, Sunday it lightly rained.  We all packed up and as a lot of the group had to rush home for various things (sport, jobs etc) we didn't even do farewell morning cuppa.  But it was still a lovely weekend, and it's always nice to be home in one's own bathtub and bed, yes?  Specially with prum pudding and home made custard.