David Garry's Form Letter Looking Back on 2019...

Hello and Best Wishes for Closure on 2019 and for Good things to come in 2020...

I like to annually share a Year's End Wrap-Up, and also let you know I'm holding a good thought for 2020 to be good for all of us.

Approaching (2) years in Wrightwood, CA:

Some of my staff of Lions Camps at Teresita Pines

Hard to believe it's now just two weeks away from 2 YEARS of my living in Wrightwood, CA, and being the Camp Manager for Lions Camps at Teresita Pines. 

Throughout the year, I'm making sure groups that rent the Camp are taken care of, and all is going well in the kitchens, with maintenance, janitorial and more. This takes a great team to pull it all off... 

Some of the Staff and Board of Lions Camps at Teresita Pines 

Before the event 'Kings & Queens of Teresita Pines'

This year, we had a couple of successful fundraisers for Camp- our online fundraiser we just had in the fall, and we also had a successful first outing of 'Kings & Queens of Teresita Pines' where we crowned a King (top fundraiser) at an event in Santa Monica, CA. Thanks to all my friends who donated to our fundraisers, attended, or volunteered! 

Coming up, we are celebrating 25 years of Lions Camps at Teresita Pines on Sunday, March 22nd at the DoubleTree by Hilton Los Angeles - Rosemead. Save the Date and More info coming soon! Would love to have friends attend, if you're able to... (Teaser Trailer I did for our 25th Anniversary Gala Above)

Wrightwood Adventures

I'm grateful to many friends that continue to come to visit that help make my home in the mountains a home. You are always welcome to come back and visit any time...

Special thanks to those who've come up to volunteer at Camp! Whether in the kitchen, to help run our activities, OR... we have (2) weekends in the late Spring where we need help: 

1. Sight Awareness Weekend  

Thanks to friends who came out this past year for our 'Sight Awareness Weekend' Family Camp, where we host the program for families with a visually impaired family member (Quickie 2019 Video I did on it Above)...

2. Work Weekend 

....And...we had 80+ folks come and spend time during our Work Weekend, where we paint, rake, build, and repair to get the Camp ready for Summer. (Quickie 2019 Video I did on it Below)... 

We'll do both again this year, All are welcome to join and volunteer at either or both! :  

Work Weekend- May 15-17, 2020 

Sight Awareness Weekend- June 5-7, 2020

TRIPS:

A plaza of a food court off of the Ramblas in Barcelona

My big adventure that I had this year was going to Barcelona, Spain! I've never been anywhere in Europe... quite a first and quite an adventure. I did a tapas tour, an electric bike tour

Outside La Sagrada Familia in Barcelona

where I got to see the inside of the spectacle of a church 'La Sagrada Familia', original vision of design by artist Gaudi. I also kayak'd in Costa Brava on the Mediterranean. 

A hike before kayak'ing in Costa Brava (on the Mediterranean) 

More photos from my Barcelona, Spain trip HERE. 

At Excalibur Casino (Thunder Down Under Photo Setup)

I had also squeezed in a Vegas trip right before Christmas. 

At Excalibur Casino (Thunder Down Under Photo Setup)

ALSO:

Of course, there's other odds and ends here and there... adventures and experiences... Dinners, Shows, Parties, Holiday Traditions. So much to mention, so many memories, but some other notables: 

I loved watching each episode of the final season of Game of Thrones this year with a solid group of friends who enjoyed it as much as I did... 

At TCL Chinese, where it all began (premiered)

What a dream to see the 'final' chapter in the Skywalker saga. Ever since I was a kid and got to see the first in the movie theater, got all the toys, and more. Momentous to close it out. 

I got a new Car! A Rav4 (All Wheel Drive), which is necessary in the snowy mountains...







And Murphy the Cat is still a Cat. 

I look forward with optimism at 2020, and look forward to more time spent with you in it.

Best wishes for the New Year for you... 

Love and Snow, Snow, and More Snow... DG 

2018 Look Back

2017 Look Back 

2016 Look Back 

2015 Look Back 

2014 Look Back  

David Garry's Form Letter Looking Back on 2018...

Hello and Best Wishes for Closure on 2018 and for Good things to come in 2019...

I like to annually share a Year's End Wrap-Up, and also let you know I'm holding a good thought for 2019 to be good for all of us.


NEW HOME, NEW JOB:

Moving crew of good friends January, 2018 

Hard to believe it's just 2 weeks away from a YEAR now when I packed up and had friends help me in LA to move to Wrightwood, CA, to be the  Camp Manager for Lions Camps at Teresita Pines. 

Over the year, I've put more tools in my tool belt, literally and figuratively, as I am managing (2) year-round Camp rental sites, making sure groups that rent the Camp are taken care of, and all is going well in the kitchens, with maintenance, janitorial and more. 

With John, former Camp Manager for Lions Camp

I've been learning from John, who had been the Camp Manager for over 20 years. He's been a great mentor thru this transition. 

I've shoveled snow, saw bobcats, worked with a wood splitter, concrete, miter saw, done a bit more of labor than I'm used to, all the while managing the staff that work at Camp, tending to rental groups needs, and had a couple of successful fundraisers for

'David Garry #mountainman' series on Facebook

Camp: one for Archery equipment, and then we had an online fall fundraiser that more than met it's goal. Thank you to all my friends and family who gave! We help offset costs for groups that come to Camp that support campers who are deaf, blind, or with autism or diabetes. Your help is so much appreciated! 

Coming up, we have a special fundraising event on March 24th in Santa Monica, CA. More info on that soon. Would love to have friends attend, if you're able to... 

I'm grateful to many friends that have come to visit that I've got to share and show my new digs. You are welcome to come back and visit any time...

For any friends who haven't made it to visit yet, if inspired, you'll find your way. ;) 

Camp Ronald McDonald Volunteers helping out for
Sight Awareness Weekend' Family Camp 

Special thanks to those who've come up to volunteer at Camp! Whether in the kitchen, to help run our activities, or we have (2) weekends in the Spring where we need help. Camp Ronald McDonald Volunteers came out in force last year for our 'Sight Awareness Weekend' Family Camp, where we host the program for families with a visually impaired family member,

and Jay Nolan Camp Staff came out and represented for our Work Weekend, where we paint, rake, build, and repair to get the Camp ready for Summer. We'll do both again this year, All are welcome to join either or both!  

Work Weekend- May 10-12, 2019 

Sight Awareness Weekend- May 17-19, 2019

TRIPS:

My big adventure that I had this year was returning to Fairmount, Indiana (where I shot 'Deaners', my short doc on the fans of James Dean, currently over 9,000 views on YouTube!). I

returned during the annual festival in his honor. It was

great to see friends I had made through this connection and meet some new ones.

Camp Ronald McDonald End of Summer 80's prom 

I had squeezed in a Vegas trip right before Christmas, and although it's not necessarily 'trips' to LA (as it's just 80 miles away, and I average going there once a month) some highlights include going to the Magic Castle for a Camp Ronald McDonald fundraiser, the End of Summer Party (80's prom theme) also for Camp

Ronald McDonald, a tradition of catching 'A Christmas Carol' at Independent Shakespeare Company followed by tasty vittles at the Tam O' Shanter, and more... 


CREATIVE PROJECTS:

I spent a few months editing a short mockumentary that I shot in my downtime during Summer

of 2017 while at Camp Ronald McDonald. It's called 'David Stuff' (now on YouTube), a parody of a behind-the-scenes featurette of a low-rent sitcom starring myself, David 'Ringo' Espana, and other Camp Ronald McDonald folk. I'm actually pretty proud of how it turned out. As low-ultra low-budget (shot on a Samsung tablet) as it is (heh), there's still some laughs, and I've always wanted to put together a mockumentary. 

I was also lucky enough to be able hang and act with the Rogue Division team again to do a 48-hour film project (where the team writes, shoots, and edits a short film within 48 hours). This time I basically played a hungover detective pulled in to try to solve a murder mystery at a pool party. 

It's called the 'Perplexing Case of the Perfectly Planned Pool Party' and can be seen on YouTube. 

This was the 6th time I've participated in a 48-hour Film Project. Exhausting, but fun to be creative and help in the creation of a film. 



ALSO:

Of course, there's other odds and ends here and there... adventures and experiences... Hikes, Dinners, Shows, Karaoke, Parties, Holiday Traditions.

And Murphy the Cat is still a Cat. 

I look forward with optimism at 2019, and look forward to more time spent with you in it.

Best wishes for the New Year for you... 

My team at Lions Camps at Teresita Pines

2017 Look Back 

2016 Look Back 

2015 Look Back 

2014 Look Back