“Oh where oh where did my clamp year go” I sing to myself and I can’t help but think how plans and life change so quickly.

It started off strong with Emperor Norton Day with YB1, Gold Discovery Doins with James Marshall #49, the Bean feed with Lord Sholto Douglas #3, and Growlersberg #86’s VFW Doins. Everything was poised to be an epic Clamp Year….. but then COVID-19 brought it all to a screeching halt. One week before our own 1841 John Sutter Doins the state shut down and thus so did clamping.

Everyone thought it would blow over before the next doins. Weeks went by and chapter after chapter cancelled their events. Chapters with events scheduled months out still held out hope that it would clear up. 7-11 Pair-O-Dice managed to pull off their June doins. It looked like we might be getting back to business, but it wasn’t to be. California chapters were still shut down.

If I wanted to Clamp I had to leave California, so I did. I managed to attend Julia C Bulette #1864 in Virginia City, Nevada in July. It was a great time and I thought maybe I’ll get some more in soon. But unfortunatly I didn’t have the budget to travel to Montana, Idaho, or Colorado. Local California chapters were still cancelled due to venue or safety concerns.

As I sit here mid August thinking about all of the great doins that did not happen I can only hope that there are some more that still make it. Lassen-Loomis #1914 has a mid September doins scheduled in Anderson CA, and there are multiples coming up in Nevada. Maybe the budget will let me travel to one of them.

Unfortunately John Sutter 1841 had to cancel our October 2-4 doins in Woodland Ca. due to the venue not being available.

I miss my Brothers and can’t wait to see you all again.

P.S. – F@#K COVID-19
P.P.S – F@#k 2020

Paul “Sparks” Laue
JAS1841 XNGH #8, DB #185