Greetings Dean, and NABX visitors.

This September 18-19, we'll be gathering at Elmer's for Fall Thang.

I usually arrive first, and carefully park at Dooley's Reef, positioning my van with lots of thought for where Dave's gonna put the motorhome. I can't stop my head from going there.

I pack only light foods for the trip, every time, because I learned that packing a lot of perishable food was wasteful.... Dave would never let me eat my own stuff. He always marched up to my van and hollered, "Dooley, you're eating with us... prime rib and all the fixin's". An offer nobody could refuse, never taken for granted, but always there, nonetheless. Lessons in unselfish generosity were Dave's stock-in-trade. He would never take money, only accepted minimal help, and now I wish I could volunteer to do the dishes.... but Dave wouldn't let me. He always said, "No way, that's Mike's job".

I'll still be glancing over at camp, as I buggy 'round the lake, eagerly wondering if Dave and Mike are actually going to buggy, this trip, or are they stilll over there by the trailer, repairing, advising, creating, inventing, and generally helping to ensure that everyone else is having fun, before ever taking out their own toys to play.

When I zoom into camp and park my kite, I'll want to walk over to join the conversation at the fire pit, under the huge camo net, in the shade and the chairs that always magically materialized next to Dave's motorhome.

When the evening cools, and it's time for some warmth, I'll think of walking over to the burn barrel to get warm....

When I discover the nail in my buggy tire, I'll be digging through my crap for the tools, patches, compressor, and tire levers that were always only a step away, at the "toybox trailer" behind Dave's motorhome.

When I'm curious about how a new kite on the market flies, and whether it's a likely candidate to add to my kite bag, I'll think of walking over and asking Dave how he likes it, and can I try the one he's got staked out there, behind the trailer?

When I'm waking, sleepy and grouchy, at dawn's first light, I'll half-anticipate the rude banging on the walls of my rolling bedroom, and the shout of "Dooley... you want coffee?", or "Hey, Dooley.... we're makin' omelettes... get out here, or you'll miss out!"

I'll never get a "dickey-doo" for my harness.

I'll never get to hear Dave's account of the haps at the Burn, colored with his special, positive spin on the human foibles and downright silly stuff that accompanies everyone's trip to the Burn.

I'll never again watch that steel-trap of a brain attacking a problem with a bearing, or a buggy frame, or a kite bridle, or any mechanical or electrical or structural challenge that Dave so enjoyed solving in half the time and effort of any other human.

I once said of Dave Kennedy and Mike Jura, that "Those guys build good stuff... they build weird #@%$#!, but it WORKS!" Dave often repeated that phrase, and always chuckled at the thought.

It may be trite, but it's true; we never know what we've got 'til it's gone. I will miss every aspect of my acquaintance with Dave Kennedy... I just can't keep his silly mannerisms and goofy grin outta my head... that pursed lower lip and the flat-top haircut that made him look like he was in fast forward motion, even when he was sitting by the fire.

So, we'll gather at Elmer's for Fall Thang, but there will be one HUGE hole in the playa, that none of us could ever fill. Dave would fill the hole, probably with a nice 75-foot length of detonation cord.... but not this trip.

-Dooley

hey mike
i know how you feel brother.
dave`s passing hit me very hard.
we lost a good man. i will miss him deeply.
this year at sbbb when i went to dinner with some friends dave came up to my table with one of his windspeed pro cards and a 100$ bill. on the back he wrote. "dinner is on me glenn" i stilll have that card and will keep it close to my heart. i did give him back the 100$ the next day. i didn`t feel right about taking it. you see i did owe dave for 2 banner poles i broke on him.
he did make me one of those dicky-doo harness things. plus a few other bits for my buggys. i will treasure them always.

dave, you always be alive in my heart.

Nice anecdote, Glenn... I'll bet there are hundreds, if not thousands of similar encounters that could be told by many out there. Dave was a special gift to us, and like so many things that are rare and valuable, not a forever thang... none of us are.

I'd like to think, esp. for those of us who were out of town when Dave passed, that this next gathering at Elmer's would be an opportunity to complete the grieving process and dedicate some time and thought to Dave's memory. This would, maybe, encourage more of the "Rogue's Gallery" of buggying to show up and take part, as a special tribute to Dave?

I know this is Corey Jensen's event, and I certainly don't want to step on them big toes (eeeeuw!), but I offer this idea as just a suggestion for somewhat of a "theme" for the event... I know it's gonna be a time to share and talk and remember (with as much joy as sadness.... Dave wouldn't want us crying in our beer).

Anyway, I hope lots of folks show up, and bring lots of pictures and reminders of their encounters with the Buddha-Belly and his Dickie-Doo.

And I'd like to suggest to the Elmer's Regulars that we all refer to that section of Walt's Cove as Kennedy's Harbor, right there where the big Tropi-Cal always sat. For some of us, it's all we can do... just remember, and laugh, and cry.

Oh, and one more thing... value each other, and our times together, like they could be gone tomorrow. Love is not a weakness, but the most powerful force in the universe... let's use the force.

-Dooley

hey mikey
yea. i`m sure there are lots of people who were touched by dave. he filled our bellys and made sure our buggys rolled at sbbb.
last weekend i went buggying at my local field and i thought of dave. i know he was looking down at me.

Unfortunately I never met Dave in person, but I have been a customer of his, as well as a distributor. Dave always gave me sound advice on distributing, even though I really was the competition. One thing is for sure, he was a special kind of guy, and I got that just from knowing him over the phone.

Scoop