Visitors arrived throughout Friday afternoon, and Liz Pitts's team of registration workers, nourished by a keg of Victory Prima Pils brought by Alison Skeel, stopped incoming cars and searched them for prohibited items (Coors, Miller, etc). Campers pitched their tents and wasted no time in both reuniting with old friends and making new ones, as well as sampling homemade and commercial brews, including Victory Hop Devil and DeGroen's Weizen, on a gorgeous sunny day. Keg Row quickly filled with coolers and kegs. As dusk settled, stoves were fired up and the smorgasbord began: shish kebob, pork steaks, burgers, pan-broiled fish - and that was from just one end of the field. Much mayhem ensued all evening, including our campfire musicians (listed later).

Saturday it threatened to rain but just remained overcast yet pleasantly warm, the clouds protecting us from excessive sunburn. Chuck drove around in his Bush Buggy, a vehicle he's had since around 1960 that looks like it was taken from a Mad Max movie.

Some people went to nearby Rocky Gap State Park for a swim, others bicycled or hiked, and everyone enjoyed the beautiful weather and scenery. Hundreds of different beers, wines and meads were shared as people relaxed in good company. Bob and Wanda Dawson featured homemade champagne and strawberries with chocolate dip, while Jim and Linda Rorick offered vegetable quesadillas. There were rumors of Jell-o shooters at another site. And Alison made her artery-clogging "Fritos n' Lard". A MASHOUT tradition might have been started by Lauree, Cathi and Cindy, who visited every site to get their T-shirts signed. There was also a Belgian-style homebrew contest run by Jay Adams; congratulations to winner Dave Pyle.

Various objects flew through the air, including horseshoes, aerobies, frisbees, footballs, hacky sacks, and the ever-popular water balloons. The kids also enjoyed a game of kickball.

The Saturday night barbecue, led by head chef Jim Tyndall and ably assisted by the MASHOUT barbecue team of Phil Merriwether, Jeff Chen and others, featured delicious chicken, venison, beef and pork. Other foods such as corn on the cob, chili, rice, pasta, salads, bread, cakes, pies, brownies and cookies filled everyone's bellies as the Sun set. "90 IBU" (formerly "This Man's Hat") returned this year to entertain in the barn with an eclectic mix of music while people danced. Everyone enjoyed another night of camaraderie and homebrewed beverages.

We had a wonderful group of musicians entertain around the campfire (fueled with wood cut and stacked by Tim Artz) both nights, with Chuck on fiddle and ukelele, and his son Charles on guitar; Robbie Ludwick on banjo and mandolin; Frank Vispo on violin and guitar; Lou Mello on guitar; Gus Adams on standup bass; Rich "Bags" Howard on trumpet, banjo and guitar, with his wife Liza on fiddle and his son Richard on guitar; and various spoon players.

Sunday morning, a well-organized group effort led by Wendy Aaronson brought a super breakfast of blueberry pancakes, corn pancakes, real maple syrup, eggs, bacon, sausage, juice, coffee and potatoes. Steadily the field cleared as people packed up and headed back home. The weekend had slipped quickly by as MASHOUT always does.

Many people deserve thanks for their efforts that made MASHOUT happen:

• Paul and Jamie Langlie did most of the shopping for the event, purchasing paper goods, charcoal, the all-important morning coffee, veggies, etc.
• Delano and Katy Dugarm provided night lighting for the port o' pots by installing cyalume light sticks each evening, and picked up the keg of Victory Hop Devil.
• Bill Ridgely chaired the planning committee, developed and mailed flyers to about 100 homebrew clubs, took all reservations, maintained the MASHOUT database, wrote the FAQ, updated the BURP website, printed handouts for the event along with vehicle and name tags, ordered and picked up bulk food, hired the band, and organized the bicycle ride.
• Chuck and Helen have provided the site for several years running, and worked on the planning committee. Chuck also procured the steamship beef for the barbecue, made sure the MASHOUT site was mowed, and took charge of port o' pot rentals. Speaking of port o' pots, a few of them actually filled this year. As one guest put it, "I knew BURPers were full of sh*t, but I had no idea..." Perhaps we should rent more next year.
• Lots of folks helped out with cooking, cleanup, site setup and takedown, etc. Thanks to you all, and we look forward to next year!