Nelson, either is OK, but I like Oct. 5 the best. Retired people have more money on the first of each month. Anything to help get some of our older gardener to come.
(They have good plants and lots of good info.)
Tony

Either day is fine with me. I hope people make up their minds soon as we need to reserve the pavilion as soon as possible.
Susan

Too far out for me to know but ya'll plan for when you want and I'll try to keep it open. Hubby's birthday is the weekend of the 28th but sometimes we do a party on an earlier or later weekend depending on family's schedule. We'll come to swap if we can.

OCT. 5 is good.

wayne

The Beaver Pavilion is reserved for Oct. 5th. The Confirmation # is N2789. See ya'll there.

yay! I haven't been to one of these swaps in 4-5 yrs.....I always have to work. ....It's my fault really, cause if I know in advance, I can ask for it off...& I've obviously been known to procrastinate!......But since i happened upon this post, I am going to request this day off today!...My garden would not be where it is today if it weren't for everyone here and the wonderful swap meets!

Nelson: You're really on the ball. Thanks for taking care of it. I'm putting it on the calendar and planning to be there. I'm planning to root some different things to bring and will divide some others in the Fall. See everyone then!

Nelson,

Thanks for reserving the pavilion. I

hope everyone updates their want lists so that I can start rooting plants or potting divisions for them. Sometimes I have a plant that is too small to divide, so I don't put it on my list, but I may be able to root a cutting.

Susan

I have been away from the swap for a while. I was there for the Spring swap, I didn't see anyone collecting money for the pavilion. How is this handled. Nelson, I am not trying to take your job. Just want to know and to pay my part.
We could make it fun. Have a surprise plant drawing. Each trader pay say $5.00 and give a potted plant. When they sign in they are given a #. At end of the trading part of the swap the first # choses a plant. The next # gets to chose a new plant or take the one already chosen. If he takes the first plant, that person gets to chose another. So on till end.
If any extra money, I sure a fair way to use it can be worked out. What do all of you think. It might already have been worked out, so tell me to shut my mouth.

Tony,

You bring up a good point and idea. It's taking me a little time to gather my thoughts on the rental question without sounding harsh. And quite frankly, I don't remember if I even reimbursed the person who reserved our pavilion this Spring.

I have reserved it a few times before and always came away with a few extra dollars ($5-$10). People always said "just take it for your time & trouble". This Spring, however, rental fell way short, despite a good turnout.

I hope others will post their thoughts on this, as well as any other ideas they might like tossed around. It's not my job, it's a community effort.

Give me another day or two to respond. Just keeping things watered around here keeps me outside until 10:00 or 11:00 every night. Of all the options, why did I choose gardening as a hobby??

Your friend,

Nelson

Only yard sales will I plan on this day so I will be sure and be there. In Bluff Park there will be the yearly art show and that means yards sales everywhere... See you all there.

For some reason I want to say Susan reserved it in the Spring, I could be wrong on that though. I know some folks were chipping in at the end....it had completely slipped my mind until I saw someone else doing so, I'm glad they reminded me.

Danielle

I think we need a way so it can't slip our mind. It went flying out of mine, I was having to much fun getting to know some and talking to my friends, and getting plants. It wouldn't hurt to have a check-in table with sign about lot rent.
What do you fine traders think, I am not the only one with ideals.

Tony

Personally I think that's a great idea Tony. Maybe at least a bucket with a sign on it to set out on one of the picnic tables so everyone sees it.

If we did not contribute enough to cover the rent this spring, it is not too late to contribute more. To whom should we send the money?

I think everyone wants to contribute and we'd always want to be sure the person who makes the reservation is fully reimbursed. It's tricky because we never know how many people are coming, so there's no way to set a dollar amount for everyone to chip in. Maybe we should take a head count at lunch, divide the cost of the shelter by that number and let everyone know what his/her share is if they're able to donate it. If someone can't or doesn't put in a full share, others will make it up at the end. We don't want anyone not to come because of cost, but it's never been more than a few dollars each.

I think everyone wants to contribute and we'd always want to be sure the person who makes the reservation is fully reimbursed. It's tricky because we never know how many people are coming, so there's no way to set a dollar amount for everyone to chip in. Maybe we should take a head count at lunch, divide the cost of the shelter by that number and let everyone know what his/her share is if they're able to donate it. If someone can't or doesn't put in a full share, others will make it up at the end. We don't want anyone not to come because of cost, but it's never been more than a few dollars each.

Here are my thoughts:

Come prepared to swap - everyone has something they can trade.
Anticipate, plant in advance, and bring the kind of plant you would like to receive.
Bring a dish for lunch. Coordinate it with the separate "food" thread that is usually posted, so we have a balanced menu.
Come with $2, $3 or $4 for pavilion rental, it's less than movie rental and much more enjoyable!
Leave politics & religion at home, please.
Rental should be collected as we gather for lunch.
If people show up late with no trade/no food, I say an "entrance fee" should be charged to enter our pavilion area. The pavilion is the "private property" of the CAPS on that day. It comes with priviledges and responsibility, especially for the one who reserves it. It's available until sundown, so people shouldn't just show up and expect to have a "free" place to camp out for the day without some type of compensation.
Money collected will go toward pavilion rental; overage should go towards the next swap.
After lunch we can ask for a volunteer to be in charge of the next swap (starting the GW thread, renting the pavilion, etc.) This way it won't fall on any one person.
Volunteer to help clean the site before you leave; it shouldn't fall on the shoulders of the last ones to leave.
Save the tickets you receive when you enter the park. We could write our names on them, place them in a hat, and before we all leave we could have a drawing for plants donated by those who attend and contribute, which we used to do back in the day.

Maybe these issues can be discussed after lunch this Fall and some permanent ground rules established.

Just my two-cents worth....

This post was edited by nelson on Wed, Jun 26, 13 at 17:18

I reserved the pavilion in spring and forgot to take up a collection. Someone remembered towards the end, after most people had left, Those who were there contributed and I did get nearly half of the rental back. We don't need keep discussing this because I am ok with it-I feel that I was more than compensated with plants.

I have found most of the swappers to be truly generous, honest people and I am sure that Nelson will be amply compensated in the fall. We should certainly discuss the points that Nelson has raised as well as any other suggestions that others may have. I am sure that we all agree that we need to keep the swap going.

Nelson, thanks for renting the pavilion for the fall swap. I am really looking forward to it. I have already started rooting cuttings and dividing plants to bring with me.

Susan

I like Nelson's idea about a drawing. If someone has an extra-special plant they'd like to donate for that, they can post that ahead of time. For instance, I have a 4' bay tree I'd be happy to donate to the cause this Fall.

i updated my trade list. it's that time.

wayne

Hi all!

I have a few more updates to my list that I will get around to in the next few days.

In the meantime, my sister Melinda is planning on attending with an assortment of home & garden "junque".

And my good friends Lori & Russell are looking so forward to the swap that they are going to camp-out at OMSP over the weekend and bring some homemade goodies, maybe some goat droppings, etc. See - everyone has something to trade!

This is going to be good! Now can someone start a "food" thread? I'm looking forward to seeing my GW buddies!

If nobody objects too strenuously, I'll bring my green tomato bread again.

Hi all!

I have a few more updates to my list that I will get around to in the next few days.

In the meantime, my sister Melinda is planning on attending with an assortment of home & garden "junque".

And my good friends Lori & Russell are looking so forward to the swap that they are going to camp-out at OMSP over the weekend and bring some homemade goodies, maybe some goat droppings, etc. See - everyone has something to trade!

This is going to be good! Now can someone start a "food" thread? I'm looking forward to seeing my GW buddies!

OK. Food thread is started, so be sure to post any ideas about lunch on it. I'll start updating my plant list in the next day or two. I've been too busy working in the garden to think much about plants to swap. I do have some potted up. though, and will get more done this week.

Here is a link that might be useful: Food thread for Fall '13 swap

What time do 'the festivities ' begin? And I assume that it's rain or shine?

Ten AM is the more or less official time, if official can be used in this context. Yes, rain or shine. We lok forward to seeing you in person!

Nelson - tell your friends I will definitely trade for goat poop!! Ask them to check my trade list and if they want something not on the list, just ask.

I'm interested in coming to this plant swap, but as I haven't been "in the know", I'd like to ask in what part of the state is the Beaver Pavilion in?

tempeskya: We'd love to have you. The pavilion is at Oak Mountain State Park just south of Birmingham. I'll post a link to the park website, but the directions it gives aren't the best ones for getting to our pavilion. It's on the lake and there is a second entrance to the park that's closer to it. I need a refresher on the directions, too, so maybe someone can post them for us. If not, I'll dig them up and add them when I have another minute.

Here is a link that might be useful: Oak Mountain State Park

The road to be on is Hwy. 119, just north of the park. At the east end of the park is a sign directing you to the park. Once you turn, it is a very short distance - as I remember, just a mile or two - to the park, but very mountainous. This turnoff would be SW of US 280 about 3 miles.

OK. Here, I think, are the directions for the shortest way to Beaver Pavilion. I trust someone will correct me if I get it wrong.

Get off of I-65 at exit 246 where the Oak Mountain Park sign is, but don't follow the rest of the signs and the directions on the website. Those will take you to the main gate which is a long winding way from the pavilion.

From the North (Birmingham), go LEFT (East) on 119. From the South (Montgomery), turn RIGHT. Stay on 119. You'll pass Indian Springs School and go several miles until you get to Oak Mountain Lake Road aka Park Road on your right. I don't remember if there's a park sign there, but that road will take you into the park through the back gate, which is close to the pavilion. The person at the gate can give you directions from there.

My cell phone number is 256-442-3291 in case you get lost. ;-)