[SEL] Manilla Rally

[Patrick M Livingstone]

Home again after a very wet weekend. I headed north with the big Stover
(well wrapped before I left) on the trailer on Friday. I spent a few hours
driving through torrential rain to arrive in Manilla just on dark on Friday.
I unloaded the engine, set up camp, and joined the gang for a few relaxing
drinks and then went to bed. I should add that the moon was shining and the
sky was clear when I went to bed about 1am.
About 6am I was awoken by the ominous sound of light rain on the tent. It
stopped and started a few times and then decided to stay. Things were not
looking good for the rally. 
Edd had his 10hp Famous set up under his shade canopy which I thought was a
great idea. I got out my shade canopy (which is weather proof) and set it up
over the Stover. I then removed the tarp I had wrapped around it to protect
it from the rain on the trip north. Apparently my tarp must have a hole in
it because when the Stover first fired it shot a big splat of sooty water
onto the underside of my canopy and a bit on the people watching me start
the engine. Edd's Famous and my Stover ran all day under the protection of
the canopies and a few other hardy souls also ran their engines in the gaps
between the heavy falls of rain.
The forecast was for more heavy falls on Sunday so late in the afternoon I
threw my sodden tent and canopy into the back of the ute and loaded the
engine for the trip home. It happened that one of the heaviest falls of the
day occurred as I was loading so I looked like a drowned rat when I had
finished. I then retreated to Tamworth to a nice warm Motel room before
heading home today.
The best part of the weekend was being given the bones of a 4hp Blackstone
which will now give me almost all the bite I need to make my engine
complete.
A wet weekend but a good one. Some pics at:

http://www.oldengine.org/members/pml/man061.html


Patrick M Livingstone
Leichhardt NSW
http://www.oldengine.org/members/pml/Index.html
http://www.users.bigpond.com/pml/