Good morning campers! The winds and fires are down and the FFOTM member summer campout team is finally prepared to announce plans for a July 22-24 campout/acoustic music jam at the Arizona Nordic Village located at 16848 N. U.S. Highway 180 – 20 miles north of Flagstaff.

Arizona Nordic Village is providing us with a safe and secure disbursed camping area known to Nordic skiers as “dog trail loop” located north of their facilities. They will also provide portable toilets. This is the same meadow area we have used the last 2 years. There are pay showers, cabins, and yurts available at Nordic Village for non-campers who wish to attend. Day visitors are welcome to attend however, we ask that to maintain the nature of the meadow area those friends park south of the dog trail entrance near the big trucks and walk in, there is plenty of parking. This is dry, boondock style camping so bring plenty of water, propane style fire pits and everything else to make your outing as comfortable as you would like.

FFOTM will host a chili cook off themed potluck dinner early Saturday evening at 5:00 pm. In the old FFOTM tradition bring one or two quarts of any style favorite chili to share or any other homemade dish including but not limited to appetizers, salads, cornbread, veggie/fruit plate, snacks, or desserts. Last year we had wonderful contributions. We always have way too much food so don’t be afraid to bring just your appetite. Organizing, serving and cleanup is always a great contribution and very much appreciated. FFOTM will provide, as always, plates, bowls, utensils, and dry goods. There will be a pot of Henry’s famous beans and plenty of tortillas to fashion burritos. Everyone is on their own for drinks. There will be pancakes and coffee on Sunday morning. As always, bring your instruments for jamming!

This event is free for all FFOTM members and their families however new guests and visitors are welcome and encouraged to attend for a fee of $25, which includes a FFOTM membership. This fee and generous member donations help to cover the cost of renting the camping area, etc. and ensures that our programs continue.

Plan B – in the event of forest closures, we will have a potluck/jam picnic at McPherson Park on Saturday, July 23. Don’t worry, no chili will go to waste. In the meantime, pray for gentle rain!

If you have questions or want to volunteer to help with setup, serving and cleanup, contact Dave Wayne at davewayne55@icloud.com.