Chambanacon is a small (200 or so) friendly convention that has been in the same hotel for over 20 years. Programming is minimal, with the main features being a Saturday night banquet, fair sized Dealers room, tiny art show, film program, 24 hour filking and two hospitality suites. A small number of book samples were available free. I got a copy of MY LORD BARBARIAN by Andrew J. Offutt.

Our reason for attending Chambanacon, was Bob Tucker's only convention appearance this year. The weekend was made even better by the 20+ Dawn Patrollers who came to see Bob.

Friday evening was low key, diner at the adjacent Aunt Sonya's Restaurant with Roger, David, Nancy and Bob, followed by several hours of good conversation in the hospitality suites. I was asleep by 1AM.

Saturday morning, I was up fairly early and down to the pool, where I read in one of the hot tubs. After a long soak, I changed and visited a nearby library to use their Internet access. On the way back, I drove through the nearby downtown and found two excellent bookstores.

Old Main Bookshoppe is small, but has a large selection of older SF and many pulps. After 45 minutes of review, I limited my purchases to OVER MY SHOULDER: Reflections on a Science Fiction Era by Lloyd Arthur Eshbach and the Gregg Press hardback edition of YEAR OF THE QUIET SUN by Wilson Tucker. The Eshback book has an introduction by Algis Budrys and many photos which I have not seen before (two of them include Tucker). Both were in pristine condition

Just around the corner, was a second bookstore, Jane Addams Book Shop. It was much larger and also had a large SF section, but not much old material. My only purchase was DEALING IN FUTURES, a collection by Joe Haldeman.

Back at the hotel, it was time for more conversation with the people I already mentionsed plus Star and Pooch, Rusty Hevelin, the Van Tilburgs and others. At midafternoon, I moved to the lobby and settled down with a book to await more friends. Soon I was catching up with Tom & Bobbie Meserole and Belinda & John Jamison. I presented Tom with the "Not Just Another Pretty Face" loving cup which he had won at Contraception. He had plenty of pictures from Contraception, which will be online shortly.