Weddings and Rainbows
 2
- The Weekend Revs Up |
 Table
of Contents |
4 - Flood, Food and Fire |
| All the raffle
prizes having been awarded, the tech session was at an end. So we
piled into our cars and headed off for Lake Mead. (r) The skies were
gray, and rain was falling intermittently.
The weather wasn't all that was deteriorating. Most of us were following the lovely, detailed, colored maps and directions we'd been mailed, driving to the lake shore and heading south for the boat landing where we would recreate the Boxster Rainbow. |
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A few, however,
remembered Mark Lysinger's last-minute email directing us to head for Government
Landing, the revised, better site some ten miles in the other direction.
Boxster convoys are not intended to afford the opportunity to see other Boxsters coming in the opposite direction. But seems like most of them do. |
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After much U-turning, headlight-blinking, and two-way radioing, Bosters started heading in the right direction and began arriving at the appointed spot. Soon Betty arrived and pointed us to the correct parking lot, across the road. |  |
| Volunteer arrangers sprang into action, grasping two-way radios. Cars began leaving the staging lot in color coded groups (above), Richard directed them to the appropriate area (r), and things soon began shaping up. |  |
Eager photographers watched as chaos took shape below them, and glanced over their shoulders at a different kind of chaos approaching from the south, in the form of a rain squall (above). |
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| Finally, it
was done. Seventy-six Boxsters, including a Turquoise, a Forest Green
(second row from the right) two Zenith Blues, two Speed Yellows, three
Pastel Yellows, four Ocean Jades, and the usual chorus of more common colors.
The last few people rushed up the hill, and cameras started clicking. |
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I thought rainbows
were supposed to come after the storm. This Boxster rainbow came
about ten seconds before it.
The rain squall hit, and everyone rushed back down the hill (l), putting a quick halt to the picture taking. |
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Soon seventy-six Boxsters were speeding south along the shore of Lake Mead (l) toward our paddle wheel boat cruise and luncheon. And in short order there was a parking lot full of soggy cars (r). |  |
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We boarded the boat, and it
got underway. Box lunches were distributed, and we were soon munching
away and enjoying the views of the lake (l).
Meanwhile, up on the top deck, there was quite a surprise brewing. Christine Smith and Derek Stutsman (r) were getting married at sea (or rather, at lake). That's not the captain officiating - those marriages are only good for the duration of the voyage. |
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| A stiff breeze blew the bride's
veil, and raindrops were sprinkling, but the serious rain held off and
all went well.
The couple had done a fine job of keeping their plans a secret, while doing a fantastic job of arranging all the details, with the cooperation of TBHL organizers. The photographer even had a TBHL name tag. |
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And despite
the weather, the couple had plenty of luck on their side. The cake
delivery boy had slipped and fallen on the wet gangway - but only on the
way off the boat.
After the ceremony, in the comfort of the boat's salon, Christine discarded her old TBHL name tag and put on the new one reading "Christine Stutsman" (l). These folks arranged all the details. Then everyone had wedding cake. |
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John Cochran was on the afterdeck,
braving the elements (l). Dang, John, you Texans sure know how to
enjoy nature.
As the weather began to clear, more of us migrated outside, including (r) Chuck Hammersmith (Porsche Pete), Mark Lysinger, Matt the Car Nut, Chris (CFG) Kramer, and your reporter, Walt Bilofsky. The boat gave us a good close look at Boulder Dam, and we saw some bighorn sheep way up on the side of a sheer cliff. |
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By the time
the boat arrived back at the dock, the sun was out to stay, and all of
us were looking at clear skies ahead - including the newlyweds (l).
A bunch of us stayed around to kibitz the final wedding pictures (r), with the bride attracting a good handful of volunteer hair adjusters and train straighteners. A ride up Lakeshore Drive was scheduled next, but I can't tell you whether it happened or not. We were bushed, and headed back to the hotel to rest up and get ready for dinner. |
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| 2
- The Weekend Revs Up |
Table
of Contents |
4 - Flood, Food and Fire |
Text and photos © 1999 Walt Bilofsky – All Rights Reserved. Page last modified April 29, 1999.
Visit Walt's other Boxster pages.