The following information concerns an annual event that is widely known in the ChileHead and MSN Rogue circles. It is called “Open Fields” and happens every fall, most often in late September. As many folks are making September travel plans, Nick thought this might be of interest to several of you to try and include in your plans. This event has been featured on the Food Network several times (Roker on the Road, Eat the Heat, Extreme Cuisine, Food 911, etc) and is held at a ‘secret location somewhere in Central Indiana’. The dates for this years event are the 23rd & 24th of
September- the weekend after the Houston Hot Sauce Festival. Several folks will be arriving early and staying later though so no big deal a day or two either way.While it has received media coverage, the information you obtain from me concerning directions, location, where abouts, and dates, MAY NOT be posted in open forum, nor sent to anyone else without express permission. “Why”
will be made clear further on. Please respect this.Open Fields is my annual gift to the chilehead community where I throw open one of my chile fields for one and all to come and help themselves. Pick to your hearts’ content, take what you will, share what you want. There will be about 6,500 chile pepper plants, representing about 45 varieties in the open field this year. Among them are LOTS of obscure types for us chile pepper geeks, as well as 5 or 6 kinds of habanero, fatalii, ornamentals, rocotos, several New Mex and other milder types. They are planted on just about an acre of rented ground, on a much larger farm, somewhere to the south of Indianapolis.
There is NO COST involved beyond what it takes for you to get here and stay. Hotels can be found within an easy 1/2 hour drive of the fields and many, many folks choose to do primitive camping in the fields and amongst the trees for the weekend. This is an entirely FREE event- a chance to chat about all things chile pepper related in a relaxed and totally informal atmosphere with no time constraints. Several recognizable manufacturers can usually be found there, though NOT in ‘vendor mode’. No sales are permitted as this is a strictly non-commercial event. Over the years I’ve had folks from New Zealand, The Netherlands, England, Australia, Denmark, Canada, as well as all 50 states attend. There might be as many as 150-200 people ‘stop in’ at some point of the weekend, with probably 40 or 50 camping in the fields.
The best way to think of it would be a ChileHeads Woodstock. There is food galore as most folks cook up stuff with chiles straight out of the field, including fire roasted salsa, roasted chiles and corn, chili con carne, chile ice cream, and all manner of spicy (and not so spicy) foods. There are LOTS of homemade sauces to try and more than a few are cooked and bottled right there in the fields. Several folks bring instruments and there is usually a lively jam session around the bonfire under the stars.
Once the pepper infused tequilla (or vodka) makes a pass or two the music gets better 😉 Alcohol is not forbidden but it is expected to be in moderation.It’s Indiana in late fall so we’ve had everything from 35 F with mixed rain & snow with 30 mph winds, to 85 F hot & sunny. Sometimes both on the same weekend 🙂 If it rains, it WILL be muddy and this is a rain or shine event.
I only rent the ground and there are lots of things there other than chiles. My landlord sets the ‘no publicity’ rule as these fields are in a rather remote and unsupervised location. He doesn’t tolerate folks ‘stopping by’ at any other time & has had problems in the past with folks (non-chileheads) raiding his property. Attendance is by invitation only, but everyone is invited 😉 Come one, come all but ask first as I must personally vouch for everyone who attends.
To attend: you must e-mail me jim@wildpepper com in late August or early September when I will send out the full rules, regs, directions, and info.
Please put “Open Fields” in the subject header to clear the spam filter.-Jim C
Mild to Wild(R)
132 responses to “Open Fields 2006”
that sounds cool. Think it’s a bit too far to travel for the weekend tho. lol
So that’s why I was unable to find any specific information about Open Fields when I was searching a few days ago. Makes sense now! Sounds cool, I think I’ll try to make it.
I like the mystery surrrounding it. Do we need to solve any puzzles to get there?
I have heard many great things about this event though we haven’t been able to make it yet it is something we will definitely attend in the future.
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There goes the neighborhood!!!
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That’s it. Now I’m coming this year.
And camping in John’s backyard.
Sounds very cool and relaxing. Peaceful is what it sounds like to me. Defintely something I have on my to do list! I’ll let ya know what I decide to do Jim, thanks so much for the invite!
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John did you get that 1000cs order of my sauce yet.
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Lee when you come bring my order. New label ready yet. Bret
Do I hear road trip? How far is Indiana from Jersey? hmmmmm sounds really cool.
I have seen this on the Food Network myself, and it looks like a lot of fun. September is getting rather full, but I will see if I can talk the wife into a road trip.
[Comment ID #44591 Quote]We hope to have the new labels ready before then, Bret. Sorry about the delay – we’re really putting a lot of work into these new labels as it’s long overdue. I will keep you posted. Thx
Kinda thought something was up when the first few emails I got this afternoon all said ‘open fields’ 🙂 Happy to answer any questions folks might have & will get to the posts here.
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Actually MattUK, there are two regulars who come over from the UK each year just for the weekend 🙂 Can’t understand a bloody word one of them says but he seems to have a good time 😛
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Not a one! Most common puzzle is ‘what am I going to do with all these chiles I’ve picked?’ That, and ‘what did you say was in this dish again?’ 🙂
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Maybe you can talk CaJohn into bringing “Hotel Savina” again 😉
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About 7 or 8 hours. Not far at all. There’s acutally a pretty decent contingent from the NE US that makes it, including Massachusett, Vermont, Maryland, and New York.
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Peaceful, maybe. If drinking good stuff & eating good food while listening to folk & blues in front of a bonfire while under the stars and chatting about all things chile out in the middle of a field sounds peacful, then yeah 🙂
Man that sounds like a blast! Definitely a unique event. Not too many parties give away that much produce! Awesome!
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where are they from – do you think I’d fit in a suitcase?lol. Do they just come over for it or do they make their holiday the same time each year so they can get there?
Jefferson Airpland and Janis Joplin will be playing at night right?
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Thats actually not a bad trip at all, and when you describe the weekend the way you did, it certainly becomes a “must do”. We will look into it.
Hmmm… maybe we should organize a tri-state caravan
I wish Ms. Mandy and I could attend, but Miami vs. Louisville looms that weekend.
Canes > Chiles….now that should get me in some trouble on here. 🙂
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I love the sound of that , we might want to see about the EMT for that escapade as well though…. lol I know THT tends to turn every road trip into a near death experience! But in a good way.
Hey this is right up my alley, as I live in northern Indiana. I might just have to make the trip.
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That would be just plain scary. Maybe the Defcon-Mobile (The Mustang) will be finished by then, at least they’ll hear us coming so they can take cover. 🙂
The Defcon Mobile? Oh please spare me! You may beat the “Black Pearl” off the line, but on top end I’ll blow yer doors off. Lets say somewhere around 140mph, all you’ll be seein’ are my kids waving to you from the back window of the V-10 club wagon and yer ‘stang will be beggin’ for another gear…..If you smile as we pass, I might have my wife toss you a peanut-butter and jelly sandwich. 😛
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oooooohhh, ouch!
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Could do it like one of those gambling junkets & rent a Greyhound bus 🙂 Storage space for all the lugge & room for all the chiles 🙂
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There’s a race track not far away (Paragon) or hit IRP on the way. Throw down or shut up 🙂
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Oh My Gd I”m having visions of Defcon and Tracy in some version of Cannonball run only they’re headin to Indiana for the Open Fields…..
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Awwww, only 140 mph, huh? I guess I’ll never be seeing the back of your car. Nice try though. Before all the work was started, it’s already reach 160+.
Now, the real question, why did you name your car after a dilapidated pirate ship. 🙂 Just kidding. It’s nice to see another motorhead who can speak trash.
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And I thought the smack talk on the DEFCOn thread was bad 🙂
I enjoy smack talk, especially when it has to do with cars and hot sauce! It’s part of the culture….
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Yeah 140 mph, my sled does 110 mph could almost beat you with that..(lol)
160+! Thanks for the warning!.
Guess I’ll have to leave the roof top cargo carrier at home. That normally limits me to around 150mph because the wind noise is really aggrevating beyond that speed…
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I like the way you think! That sounds fun especially when you factor in a greyhound bus.
This does sound like a GREAT time! Not sure I can get all the way up there, but I am going to try to represent the Lone Star State!
And boys, don’t make be break out my serious speed mobile:)!
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OOOOO, I might have to bring my cobra and put the smack down on yall.
She is in the shop right now, a little too much N2O and a bad oil pump…..2 spun bearrings!!!
Jim, is we show up do we get to ride in the firetruck?
What are you doing to your car, etc Def? Pure drag mobile or street?
Eman, any other mods aside from the N20?
Evo VIII owner myself, so just curious. It would be a good run regardless in a straight line, but in some turns I’d lose either one of you I’d daresay. Love the off the line hookup, but twisties are my cup of tea.
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Lets me take you for a ride in my 1967 Shelby GT500.
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Not to mention the extra 2500+ pounds. LOL!
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Man, what a visual! We need an Italian guy on a motorcycle to make it complete.
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Yup.
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Man, could you imagine Jim’s face, hearing the distant rumble and dust cloud not unlike a cattle stampede, and then seeing various tricked out 8 cylinder machines fastly approaching, the “Blogger Force Recon”, and a few miles behind us, the supply caravan. This is just too funny!
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Basically overhauling the little guy (it’s a 1990 GT 25th Anniversary model). We’re in the middle of swapping out the rear right now, we’re changing out the exhaust as well with headers-back free-flow cats and Force II Flowmasters. I would have gone for the “Thunders”, but I live in a very quiet town, and the cops don’t have much to do. Next up is the front suspension (all Bilstein and BBK). The motor, which was dropped in just a couple years ago was pre-modified new before it went in. It’s been screaming for a supercharger for 720 days now, so the Vortech S-2 with dashboard-adjustable boost should do the trick. There are about 15-20 little extras going in as well (ignition, HO alternator, etc.). I’m having a ball. It will be grey-area street legal. I wanted to tub it out, but I want to be able to drive in the rain.
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I’m there!
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As long as you don’t get close to the gas pump again! Wouldn’t you agree Lisa?
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SO basically it would be like a road trip that went wrong to Vermont! LOL For us anyway!
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Sounds like a perfect time to me!
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I have to be honest here Jodie, and point out that the weekend can also involve eating canned food, huddled under a pop up canopy, shivering cold, wet, and ankle deep in mud. Truth in advertising and all 🙂 Doesn’t happen very often, but it *has* happened. Folks still seem to have fun though 🙂
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It is a lot of fun Aaron. I’d say there’s easily 2,000 to 3,000 lbs of chiles go walking out of the fields that weekend to find various homes. A lot of folks pull up plants & all (last day only) to take home & dry out later. I’ve seen a car or two go driving out of there with chile plants packed in so tight that they’re sticking out the windows 🙂 A few souped up cars isn’t likely to turn my head 😉
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Wish you could too! Picking Canes over picking chiles isn’t as big a crime as is simply picking Canes 😛 🙄
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They actually come over here just for that- making it a bit of a holiday and all. One of them (Dan) tells a pretty funny story about trying to get through Immigration. He was due to be picked up at the airport here in Indy by some other Rogues so the only information he could give about his destination was ‘some field somewhere in Indiana’. Didn’t even know my name or address. Needless to say, Customs was a little dubious 😉 Not sure where they’re from. Newton Morrell? for one. Can’t say on the other.
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You’ll have an EMT at least once you get here 🙂 The ‘near death’ experience was when the Wisconsin crew broke out the ‘extra special Royal Bohemian reserve’ horseradish. Hadn’t tried the Defcon stuff yet, but this was having the stoutest chileheads dropping!
Im ALL IN for the road trip.. sounds like such a great time 🙂
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Wow Nick what a great idea 🙂
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And then everbody stop at Jungle Jim’s and pick up some Hot sauce. And see Me. Peace
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Hopefully it was Fat Kid Sauces 😀
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And Cape Fear Pepper Company sauces!
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Hopefully by then I will have everybody that makes a sauce here on the blog in my store. Here that Scotty, Danny &Lee, U,Big and anybody else I’am missing. It’s not hard Just ask Fat kids, And Cape Fear. Were’s my Cape fear shirt. lol
Bret, I have a 3x in black if ya want one. Do I use the JJ addy, or if ya have a different address that you want me to ship to, just send me an email and let me know.
Cool
Thank you. Work is Fine. And when get more in like you and I talk before red like your label. I’ll take 2doz mix size and color.
fer sure. Thanks!
Where’s that 1000 case order Bret? When do you want the labels? Monday soon enough?
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No John I’am sending you 1000cs to take to the Zestfest. LOL I sign all of them went thru a hole box of crayons. Ha Ha It’s going to win that big gold pepper. whoa must have been dreaming again.
When do you want us to come down and label that sauce?
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I’am in all next week. What ever is best for. Pepper smack .59 what a deal.
You want some more? Big Daddy special!!!
missing you
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???
The word you. But I do miss you LOL
Wake Up Dude!!! You’re dreaming again!!! I don’t like the tone of it…
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What ever is best for (you)
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Pepper Smack that is… Big Daddy Special!
Now you must have really fallen asleep!
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Sorry had to let dog out.
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Call me tm when you get the chance.
I’ll try to give you a order. Ok
Will do! How’s the blogger’s sauces doing?
Hello Big Daddy J Hard! Hows all in Ohio
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IF your talking about the sauces I carry from the wounderful people on the blog very good, Something to past on to everybody on the blog. You older company don’t get mad. But most of the new sauces that I have bought since March and you know how you are, have brought something new to Hot sauce biz. With the next level of sauce. Very very good and thanks for letting me show these new and old guys of the biz the new chiliheads everday.
Sorry if I ramble. I guess I should go to bed . And dream about that #1 f500 and gold encore. Peace all
What Up TC? Heard the weather has been cool down your way, even the water is cool for this time of year…
Night Bret.
G”Night Bret, sweet dreams, I’ll call tomorrow. No offense taken, I’ve been working with a couple of them and they got it goin’ on. I know what you mean!
Its in the 90’s. I guess comparing it to south africa, then its cool. 🙂
You got some competition down there in Wilmington, Miss Scarlett’s hot sauce. been talkin to her, and she’s comin’ out with 5 sauces real soon. Sher is doin her labels too.
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It’s winter down there Dude, remember that hemisphere thing?
I member ya tellin’ me ’bout her. I’d like to see her stuff when it’s done.
No threat to you, she used to own the store down in the Old Exchange buildings. I’ll let you know when she gets goin’. Did MSK get ahold of you? I talked with him a couple of nights ago and he said he would. Told him you had something to send him.
Hey Tracy, Vic & Wendy were spotted at the Pepper Palace in Gatlinburg today, you think they ran up there to the meeting we talked about a couple of nights ago? I guess an unannounced visit doesn’t make them part of the Krewe, if they found Caliente, maybe we could make them honorary members.
haven’t heard from MSK. I saw that he made a short appearance on the blog recently so I’m glad that he’s still with us…do you think he’ll go to Jim’s for open fields?
I don’t know, when I talked to him he said he was definitely going to Ft Worth, but I didn’t ask him about Open Fields. Hows the outlook for you and the Mrs. for Ft Worth?
I forgot to mention, he posted in the Boiler Room today as well, on the Ask Dave thread
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Hummm, maybe we’ll have to vote on that. If they spot at least 3 bears and get a pic, then we can do an automatic membership.
Has to have been in the vicinity of the cabin though, they’ve got bears in a pen up at OberGatlinburg!
Man I can’t believe they went to Gatlinburg and didn’t ask us to go. 🙁
Ft Worth, I don’t think so….
I understand, do you think you might get over to Open Fields? If you do, you just might have to stop in Columbus! If they get that caravan thing goin’, they got to come right through here.
We’ve promised the kids that we would go to Williamsburg Va and Gatlinburg this fall. So I guess as with everything else we do, I’ll know about open fields about 2weeks before it happens.. 🙂
I know what you mean, Sept will be quite the month for travel, 2 shows in Texas and Open Fields, plus, Jim should be burying me with chiles about the time of OF. He had me so covered up last year I couldn’t make it, or the pods would rot!
OF? Octoberfest in TN
Open Fields…
We will be at the cabin (I think) the first weekend in November. Big Paul from Gulfport will be there as well. If all goes right, we’ll be starting to get that lower deck on. The City moved the date of the Chili Cook-Off back by a week, and we’ve got a big show that conflicts with it. He will be doing the chili for the Pepper Palace instead of me this year.
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HaaHaa thats what I get for missing my bed-time
It’s about that time for me as well.
Sounds like you’re having fun Def!
I’d mod the heck out of my car if it wasn’t only a year old. Since I happen to like the warranty and whatnot, it’s going to stay stock.
Flipped my paid off/first year Honda S2000 on the highway multiple times and had plans for that car down the road, but I guess it was never meant to be. Lived, that’s the good news, but was so very sad about the car since that’s one I wanted to keep a lifetime.
What’s Up InCane? How’s you and MandyCane?
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Allright big man, I’m off for my beauty sleep. I’ll talk to ya soon!!
G’Night Tracy, give me a call next week if you get the chance! Good talkin to you tonight!
Congrats John, on the 1,000 club 🙂
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Like I said, I’m having a ball. I wasn’t even thinking of doing all this work. The original plan was a 2007 Shebly GT 500. I was able to get on the short list of a dealer around here as there are only 750 being made. The car was originally going to go for $35-45k, defintely do-able. Well, they called me to fill out the car form (car color, stripe color, tires, etc.) and the “market adjustment” brought it up to over $70k, kind of do-able, but a stupid amount to pay for a car. Well, needless to say, I told him where he could put the form. Even my wife was upset, as she wanted to drive it (yeah, ok), but I told her, hey instead of spending $70,000 we can actually SAVE $50,000 by only putting $20k into the current Mustang…She went for it, will wonders never cease.
Jim, call me today if you get a chance
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Bret,
We faxed you pricing for the Team Canada sauce line including, Hatari, Droolin’ Devil and me Uncle B.
Haven’t heard back from you. TAG YOU’RE IT!!!
Give me a shout next week. I’m travelling tonight and the rest of the weekend.
Mrs. Uncle Big is at the office all weekend if you want to chat her up.
We’re working on the Uncle Big wing sauce, BBQ sauce and of course my great big excruciatingly hot nuts!! The nuts have been been putting my beta testers on the floor all week, cryin’ for their mama of course. Too funny.
We’re tweaking the recipes as we speak. The rollout should begin later this fall and the screams pleasure and pain should begin shortly after that!! Can’t wait.
– Big
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Calling her now and then fax order in.
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Ohh Ohh can I show CaJohn the Handshake.
Huvason and chrisk were good at it but I think if i do it CaJohn will need to be wearing a Rain parka for protection, it gets kinda messy and I am a big guy 🙂
Just don’t tell him about the latex glove part. 🙂
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Go for it man… you can “do the honors”…lol
lucky you CaJohn, 🙂 a parka? sheesh!
huv (and I) will need the 2000 club handshake as well.
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That wouldn’t be the one dipped in ZERO would it 😯
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Its all yours pmac. Anyone who asks for seconds certainly has earned the right.
Ok I’am going to go find some cattle to play with.
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Mooooooooo
Well Huv, What transpired today at the Nats?
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My daughters teams took 1st place and second place. Two more days of twirling but she’s officially done. She (and her teams) did a great job.
Well cograts and high fives to them all!!! Great showing for Brittany & Crew!!!
We’re all very proud of her, Papa must be beaming with pride!
Ain’t it great watching your babies growin up? Huv, you deserve a pat on the back for being such a commited dad! PAT>>PAT
G’Night all. early one tomorrow, hope Bret gets his voice back!
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Thanx guys……
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Night John – i’m out to. Need to be back at twirling at 7am!
Night John boys!!
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Congrats huv!! Good luck today!
Nick- mightn’t you throw this date on the calendar also? Thanks. (Sept 23rd & 24th)