RIFF RAFF

I've spent at least one weekend every summer, for as long as I can remember, with my relatives on my mother's side. For years the gathering was called the DDD (Doc Davis Descendants) reunion. Well over one hundred aunts, uncles, cousins, cousins once removed, twice removed, in-laws and out-laws would get together to eat, churn homemade ice cream, throw water balloons back and forth until the last one busted and swim at midnight to earn a polar bear patch. The youngsters played kick the can, while the grown-ups talked, over card games.

When my grandpa died, this family affair slowly transitioned into an Easter event at my Aunt Linda's home in the mountains of Pennsylvania. Then Aunt Linda hatched an idea, as she often does. What if we all got together with our bicycles and biked the trails across the US of A? And that's what we did. What we do.

My relatives live in various states and we take turns hosting this annual event. It is called RIFF RAFF- Ride In Fun For Relatives And Family Friends. We needed the "family friends" part, because my cousins and aunts always bring friends to this reunion and these friends like it so much, they keep coming every year. At this point, it's hard to tell who is a friend and who is a bona fide relative. It's my family's turn to host the 16th annual RIFF RAFF. We'll ride a Michigan trail near Detroit. Next weekend, seventy some relatives and friends from age 6 months or so to 80 years old, will camp together, bike the trail, eat, play poor man's horseshoes and euchre and participate in a game of Survivor. My sister is in charge of that deal. I told her, I am not eating any bugs! She also designed this year's t-shirt, which I cannot describe, in case some of my cousins read this- the t-shirt logo is always a surprise. Shirts from years gone by are displayed at the beginning of this post for your viewing enjoyment.

I.T. and I are on the food committee. This always paralyzes me in the same way that painting my bathroom does. The formidable task! Impossible. Thankfully, I.T. is Mr. Budgethead. He plans everything to the penny. BUT. I did contribute. I.T. bought the meat and cut it up for stew. I chopped and diced and made that beef stew for 44. I agonize over cooking for two extra guests, so this was a real biggie for me. My mother also made stew for 44. We will serve it over biscuits and there will be plenty. I hope. Altogether, we must feed approximately 70 people three breakfasts, two dinners and one lunch, and provide drinks and cookies to go with their sack lunches on the trail. They send us money. We shop, pack, haul and put out a sign up sheet when we get to the campground. Relatives and friends are required to volunteer as meal prepsters. It is an amazing ordeal.

On Sunday, we all worship together in the great outdoors. My uncle is a retired Presbyterian minister. My brother-in-law pastor's a church in our state's capitol. But many participate, sharing with words, instruments and songs.

The whole, crazy thing is one of the most special events of the summer- every year.

We're loading the truck and counting down the days... 3.5 until departure.