Peter Lebeck Chapter #1866

Well, we tried to book Disneyland for this Clampout but the keepers of Walt's Kingdom told us that Clampers don't meet the dress code. They said we look more like characters than clients. But that's O.K. The last time we looked, the jokes on the Jungle Cruise were a bit stale, and how long can anybody stare at the backside of water anyway?

So instead won't you join us in the mountains above the San Joaquin Valley, as we return to Bald Eagle Ranch for our four day Fall Clampout, starting Thursday, September 29 through Sunday, October 2, 2022? You'll get to spend it with the finest feathered friends in all of ECV -- the storied Brethren of Peter Lebeck.

It's been six years since we last made it up to Havilah, and for those of you who have never been, Havilah is an historic little town in the mountains south of the Kern River Valley and site of the original county seat of 1866, back before Bakersfield got all uppity. Our most esteemed brother and XNGH, Wes Kutzner and his Widder Janet own the Bald Eagle, and once again they have been kind enough to extend their hospitality to PXL.

Our Humbug has promised some good stuff for this trip. Instead of our usual Humbug's Meet 'n' Greet, Timbo has called for a post Friday night dinner "Yucca Off," to get us started. What's that you say? Well, Timbo has posted a primer on Yucca, which we expect you to read because we're expecting you and your buds to shake things up.

You'll find Bald Eagle Ranch a nice place to chill. The Clampsite at Bald Eagle is an oak studded meadow with plenty of room and flat spaces for RVs and tents. It features easy access for large vehicles, and has enough room to accommodate 100 Clampers whether spread out or bunched together for easy, relaxing friendliness -- that is, when you're not hanging out at PXL's centrally located cook shack and libations center. Remember, we are a BYOB chapter, but that never seems to be a problem at PXL. Just think of us as the "Stone Soup of Clamperdom."

As usual bring something to keep warm at night, including your own adult libations, plus some to share if you are so inclined. While you can't expect the ranch to be green in September, it's a time of year that the mountains are much more hospitable than the desert or even the valley floor, so expect our weekend at the Bald Eagle to be a good time and place to beat the heat. Container fires won't be allowed this time out, but propane heaters should be OK. Fire ripped through this area a few years back - including parts of the Bald Eagle --- so given the current drought conditions "No Open Fires" is a no-brainer.

As for your PBC, at PXL we make sure he gets plenty of individual attention, as our aim is to teach him what being a Clamper is truly about. He'll be permitted to fraternize with the Brethren into Friday night's fun, but his initiation will start early Friday afternoon with his mandatory ECV History Lesson. On Saturday morning he'll be getting his hinny out of bed before dawn to cook you breakfast, but then he'll be headed down to Havilah with our XNGH Al "The Quack" Price, for a lesson on the Kern Gold Rush, a tour of the town, our plaques, and a stop at the Havilah Museum. No snake oil salesman, he. Al truly knows his stuff. All are invited, and it will make for a memorable detour.

Our goal at Peter Lebeck is to leave no one out. The layout of this Clampsite makes it easy to walk around and meet the Brothers, and with about seventy guys at one of our typical Doin's it's hard to feel lost, and hard not to make new friends. So please, join us for all the group activities. You won't be disappointed.

As for food, if you're headed up on Thursday, plan to bring your own grub. At PXL our first of four hot meals starts with Friday night dinner, plus we'll provide a continental breakfast on Sunday. Saturday morning will feature our Graybeards' Potluck Breakfast -- we have the eggs, juice, coffee and pancakes -- you bring the meat, tortillas, and anything else you'd like to share. For Saturday's lunch, you're probably going to get more meat. Then on Saturday you'll get your choice of entrée - a One Pound Ribeye Steak or a 1/4 Barbequed Chicken - plus all the fixings, including beans.

Saturday afternoon will feature one of the best PBC interrogations and HOCOs in all of Clamperdom - lubricated by the supine suckers themselves. Just make sure that if you are bringing a PBC - and we do encourage that very much - make sure he comes prepared! Give him the PBC Handbook ahead of time. You'll find it by following the links on the Fall 2022 Doin's Page. Then make sure he brings us an appropriate bribe that will suitably impress all of us, along with a five minute long historical -- or hysterical -- presentation. You know the drill. If you do your part we guarantee that by the end of the ritual we'll be laughing our collective butts off and shouting "Satisfactory!" until we're braying like a bunch of hoarse jackasses.

We set up camp midmorning on Thursday, and everyone, including your PBC, is invited to pitch-in when we set-up our kit. We call it "Petey's Flying Circus," and it's more than worth the price of admission just for the camaraderie.

So what are you waiting for? At PXL camaraderie does comes first. We'd be honored to have you join us, and you'll be glad you did. To find out more, just go back to our Fall 2022 Doin's Page where you can get a copy of our infallible fillable flyer, sign-up electronically, and grab additional details, including directions. And whatever you do - DON'T GET LOST! We'll be waiting for you.

To read about Clamping with Peter Lebeck in Kern County, just read on.

P.S. - - The Humbug is Irish, and so is his favorite bribe.