Year seventeen comes to a close at the annual Buzzard Bait Family Fun Ride with another successful event benefitting the Widows, Orphans & Disabled Firemen’s Fund. After 16 years at the Ocotillo Wells Off-Highway Vehicle Area the event was moved across the highway to a camping area on private property. The powers that be in the OWOHVA had decided they have had enough of the law abiding firefighters and their families, and refusing to allow us to hold our event in their (our state run) park on MLK weekend. Something about too much dust, too many people, no rangers to watch us, and really we don’t want you here using the park for its intended purpose.
This year’s theme was Super Heroes. A course was set up to include five stops to receive cards for the best poker hand. Each stop was manned/girled (I like to be politically correct) by super hero cartoon characters. One stop found Buzz Lightyear and Catniss handing out cards, another stop saw Wonder Women and Batman. At the Ninja Turtle stop there was a mini theater set up for the kids to watch movies. Dave Soto’s wife, Virginia, came as herself (a super woman) as a last minute volunteer. The stop that generated the most comment though was She-Ra, Princess of Power and He-Man, Master of the Universe. These two had superpowers to transform themselves from their mortal beings into super heroes using their swords. One day they inadvertently crossed swords and became He-She and She-Man and started the first LGBTG chapter in Ocotillo Wells.
A few noteworthy incidents included the two pickup trucks that ignored the signs to not follow the course into a narrow slot canyon. It was too narrow for a full size pick up, but the narrow minded drivers thought otherwise, causing a massive backup on the course. Also Dave Soto could be seen pulling Dave Rogers through the course in his broken rented RZR. Then there was “Buddy Bob” in his new RZR, giving rides to some of the girls. In his attempt to show the girls what his new toy could do, he rolled it on its side. Nobody was seriously injured except Buddy Bob’s pride. He explained to the parents of these young girls that the accident occurred because he was “driving too slow!”
Again a big thank you goes out to Mike & Sonja Reitmayer, and Doug & Rene Weber for putting on another great event.
By Bruce Galien
