4th Annual Lake Lucerne Bottle Rocket War

January 27th through 29th, 1995

Lake Lucerne
We arrived late Friday. This gave us only Saturday for the four of us to build three forts (if they both choose to, married couples get to fight from the same garrison If the choice is not unanimous, there'll be trouble...).
Lake Lucerne
The bulk of the forts were built in the first few hours. Finishing touches took longer. It was close to sunset when the final chunks of aesthetics were finished.
Lake Lucerne
This is the only image of the event. Over 300 rockets were launched in close to two hours. This slow rate of fire was largely blamed on lighting methods. Old cigars do manage to green up some rocketeers very nicely but don't light fuses very well.
Lake Lucerne
With only a few hundred spent rockets to pick up, the "Great Stick Pickup of 1995" was over almost as soon as it had started.
Lake Lucerne
Closer inspection of one of the forts revealed a bottle rocket war first.Iit seems that one of the participants managed to get a corporate sponsor!
Lake Lucerne
By taking sides, Mr. Yoshida (maker of fine sauces) has disturbed the balance of power here on the north end of the lake.
Lake Lucerne
From the cabin log book:

1/29/95 BOTTLE ROCKET WAR WEEKEND
NEMO SCARES UGLOR BY SNEAKING-UP ON HIM WHILE HE'S OUT LOOKING AT STARS. BECAUSE HE WAS BAD, NEMO HAD TO DO LAUNDRY THE NEXT MORNING AND WAS NOT INVITED TO BREAKFAST. YUM...PANCAKES! FORT BUILDING GOES WELL EXCEPT FOR MR AND MRS NEMO WHO BUILD TOO CLOSE TO KOBEE, JAPAN AND SUFFERED A MAJOR QUAKE...AND THE WALL CAME TUMBLING DOWN...KRISPA ACTUALLY BUILDS HIS OWN FORT THIS YEAR - NO MORE LIBERAL GOVERNMENT SUBSIDY FORTS FOR HIM. UGLOR HAD THE BEST AND MOST ARTISTIC FORT THANKS TO THE CORPORATE SPONSERSHIP OF MR YOSHIDA (SUBLIMINAL MESSAGE: EAT MORE OF MR. YOSHIDA'S FINE SAUCES AND RICE - YOU CAN FIND THEM AT SAM'S CLUB). FOR THE PRE-WAR DINNER, NEMO'S FAMOUS RED BEAN CHILI. MRS NEMO SCORES BEST BOTTLE ROCKET HIT ON THE YOSHIDA CORPORATE FORT - UGLOR ALMOST LOSES HIS HEAD! POST WAR CARD PARTY WAS MADE MORE INTERESTING BY THE PRESENCE OF MR T'S BLOODY MARY MIX AND WATERMELON SCHNAPPS. PICKLED ASPARAGUS WAS TASTY - KIPPER SNACKS STINK. THE BOYS DEMAND A LATE NIGHT FIREWORKS SHOW CLIMAXING WITH [the dreaded] "SATURN MISSILE BATTERY". UGLOR WAS CHASED BY A PACK OF WILD DOGS WHILE VISITING THE "THRONE ROOM". MUSICAL HIT OF THE WEEKEND "MONKEY MAN WILL GET YOU!"

Rebuttal/Explanation:
I did not mean to scare Uglor on Friday night, it just happened. The wild dogs that harrass/eat those crossing Knott Lane on their way to the outhouse aren't that bad if you come prepared; take a large hunk of meat with you. If confronted by the pack, throw the meat as far as you can in a direction perpendicular to your path. If you make it to the outhouse without meeting any puppies, there's a grill and charcoal on your left as you face the door.


-Nemo: Mr T's Bloody Mary Mix, Watermelon Schnapps and Pickled Vegetables/Fish. Whiskey Tango Foxtrot!