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Our thoughts exactly, Stef. Tansea and I, that is. Maybe because we live on the beach a lot we're pretty used to beautiful bikini-clad women and don't need to bray like donkey to register our approval. Not to take one thing away from Ms. Penny, but gentlemen....do show some common respect. You East Coast guys are just mad because I sent Miss Evil New Jersey home and you have to live with another head-spinning, pea-soup spewing bundle of un-joy.....oh heck, you're used to it: what's one more Harpy, eh? RON HOUSLEY

Yes, we West Coast boyz DO treat our women well.....especially in The Kingsmen Alumni Corps. And if you have to even ask why I give you 3 good reasons: KINGSMEN COLOR GUARD. As far as a geography lesson: Kentucky isn't generally referred to as "Back East." "Back East" is where you live, Fred. And btw: I had a very long relationship with a Jersey Girl.....on the West Coast. I gave that Spawn of Satan back to you guys as I now REALLY prefer West Coast women.....and if you knew better, you would to. Even Renegades would bow to the EVIL that is a PMS-ing New Jersey women! RON HOUSLEY

Isn't Maynard Canadian, eh? For some reason I think that.......I knew he hung around Millbrook with Tim Leary back in the day......might have been there when Kesey's bus Further pulled up. My late 60s and 70s historical knowledge is starting to get sketchy about now. RON

Game, set and match to Lee. U win a Minnesota Winter hat....just like the kind worn by SCV! Would ya like to try for the galoshes or just take the cap and quit? RON HOUSLEY

Hey Mike! See if Mike Terry has any pics from 71 Astrodome! I'm still trying to locate 71 Diplomats pics from that venue. The Charioteers story was one for the books, btw. RON

West Coast Challenge: Find me unpublished photos of the 1971 Lynwood, CA Diplomats. As far as I know they only came "East" for AL in Houston that year. RON HOUSLEY

George did a great job on that Alumni site, Rob.....a rich history of Racine area drum corps. RON HOUSLEY

Tansea was not mumbling, he was, indeed, clear and articulate. I missed the part about her and the mellophone and am, indeed, as impressed with that as I was upon viewing the Renegades CNY parade vids and seeing old Slice and Dice playing and looking good in the cymbal line: serious props to Mike and da KAC boyz and grrrrls who attended. RON HOUSLEY

New Renegades pit member? Rock stars get all the girls....heh! RON HOUSLEY

Soprano, alto, tenor, bass. Traditional 4 part vocal harmony. Not brass choir....vocal choir, though nomenclature could be used in a general theoretical sense with a brass choir situation, I guess, to distinguish between positions in the score. Drum corps nomenclature probably owes to the vocal harmony model to differentiate it from traditional band instrument: you couldn't call it a "trumpet bugle," eh? Soprano makes more sense in this case. If it's in Bb and has 3 valves and plays the upper voice in the brass choir it's a darn trumpet! If you can use your current horn in both band, orchestra and corps, it's a trumpet. If it's in G, and has one, two or three valves, my guess it's a soprano bugle (in this case), I'd speculate. Same would apply for tubas vs. contra basses, I would think. Argument does not extend to orchestral vs. corps french horns due to bell placement...bell front still being the standard for drum corps and some marching bands. Not to mention key signatures for the instrument (ie, horn in F as opposed to french horn bugle in G). Same/same for corps vs. orchestral euphoniums: bell placement and the occasional 4th valve and/or double bell. Of course I could be totally wrong in my nomenclature accessments. RON HOUSLEY

Jeez.....you'd think you guys never saw a beautiful girl in a bikini before. Maybe I'm just jaded because I spent 5 years as a bikini wrangler for Pismo Beach Surf Shop.....dream job, guys! I could tell tales about the models from LA who would come in late night and try on bikinis for me....and themselves and (usually but not always) their boyfriends. Still and all, Penny looks as good as any of them and better by a long shot than most of the girls I helped fit. I miss that job. RON HOUSLEY

Well, heck! I thought it was a guard member who took the .1 dive all this time. And somewhere in the back of my confused mind is a story about a Kingsmen guard member whose bloomer elastic broke during concert and she ended up with them around her feet....and a judge either helped her step out of them or something.....I have a few names in mind who it was but cannot confirm yet.....could have been 1971 or a year or two before. RON HOUSLEY

I remember those beginnings, Maggie. Back in those days (the late 60s) there was a strong bond off the field between Anaheim Kingsmen and Santa Clara Vanguard. All 3 Alvarado sisters come to mind, too, mentioning names. A bunch of us Kingsmen --6 or 7 in a car that would hold 4--drove up to UoP to watch one of the first field shows of the Santa Clara Vanguard: that would have been in 67 I guess....and then there was those weekend Air California rides from Orange County to San Jose back in (must have been) 1969 to visit the Santa Clara guard....it all seems so long ago. Now in 07 we have Kevin Walters' sister, Maureen, marching with us in The Kingsmen Alumni Corps --Kevin was a member of our "household" in 72 there in Cupertino-- and a few other SCV members from back in the day as well: I'll have to check around to see just who. And no, not being sweet, just honest....it just would have NOT been the same. For a point of historical reference: in 1967 the best two female guard captains in California were Linda Evans (SCV) and Ms. Karen Anderson (Kingsmen). Karen was the first female guard captain of The Anaheim Kingsmen and I'm happy to report she will be on the field again with The Kingsmen Alumni Corps in 07: I think we'll have 7 drum majors and I don't know yet how many of the alumni guard captains will be there....they're still checking in! RON HOUSLEY

Same here, Frank. As a 100% Disabled Vet --broken back, overcame the paralysis but am still weak in the legs after 37 years due to a fair amount of nerve damage: can't grow muscle if the motor units are detached, can only grow new neural pathways, hopefully, or strenghten the ones that remain to make up for the ones that are gone--I can be pretty clumsy at times, like you mentioned, I bounce off walls, too. I'm sweating being able to march Kingsmen Alumni Corps. I'm doing a lot of leg work in the gym to get ready for the 07 DCI gig --when I'm 60 years old!--but only time will tell whether I march or load the truck. No pit. No chair (just at rehearsal for awhile) on the sidelines.....if I can't do it, well: that's show biz. I'm hoping I still have 20 minutes or so left in me before I hang it up one more time. RON HOUSLEY

Point: Lee. But I really expected more out of the end of the world than an old funky winter hat........old guys in suits wear those back in The Midwest as I recall. Who'da thunk The Apocalypse would be so warm and fuzzy? You know, I think I said those exact words to my old girlfriend from New Jersey back in 89. RON HOUSLEY

Gail's favorites or no, Maggie, I cannot for the life of me imagine SCV without it's great color guards, to use the old terminology, right back to the Linda Evans days.....wait! That WAS the beginning, wasn't it? RON HOUSLEY

Obviously works for me...and I didn't even ask! RON HOUSLEY

We're still getting requests on how to purchase Fresno Ferns Drum & Bugle Corps gear so here's how: http://www.cafepress.com/fresnoferns RON HOUSLEY

That guy was pretty talented, eh, JoJo. You should have seen him in the "older" days in SoCal. Working with him in 69 and 70-71 was one of the most energetic and creative times of my entire life. He literally stole the show at his High School production of "Annie Get Your Gun," I think it was......he managed to work in some heavy rifle spinning into the act somehow and just floored the audience! Of course, I already knew he was good.....my ceilings all had dents in them! His sister, Debbie, also marched in Anaheim Kingsmen's guard circa 68-71? Info re: Kingsmen male hornlines is correct as stated above. Other local SoCal corps had women in their lines earlier, like in 69 Lakewood Ambassadors when Knaub and I taught them....we had to just to fill the line. Interestingly enough, even most of the brass sections at the high school level in SoCal durning the early to mid 60s seem not to have had very many women in them. I remember only one girl playing t-bone in my band between 63-65. Now it is a common sight. RON HOUSLEY

Grateful Dead percussionista Mickey Hart and his father Lenny place 1 and 2 in 1965 (?) snare individuals at the California American Legion State Contest. They were entered by Maryknoll All-Girls D&B Corps: Lenny Hart was teaching them. Source: one or another of Mickey Hart's books. RON HOUSLEY

Burbank it was. Must have been with them from around 59 to 65? They were the only drum corps north of Los Angeles in SoCal that I know of in those days. Who'da thunk there were "2" corps with Antlers in their name.......we were sponsored by The Elks Club, hence the moniker. The Ferns were number 148 on that list, also a historically correct inclusion. RON HOUSLEY

Point: McDuff. RON HOUSLEY

1st: probably some SoCal parade with The Antlers D&B Corps of Van Nuys, CA: 1959? Last "official" gig: 1967 Anaheim Kingsmen home show....preserved on tape. One gig as Lakewood Ambassadors drum major circa 69.....hey, I was instructing: I could! Think I marched contra one parade with them, too. RON HOUSLEY

The entire 1965 Royal Aires show. Didn't St. Kevin's do "South Rampart St. Parade", too? RON HOUSLEY

Nickname: Waynard. Source of nickname: working with Maynard. That's Wayne, btw, playing the solo trumpet part during "Final Jeapordy" five or six times a week. To get a list of Wayne's playing credits and some good photos..... http://www.waynebergeron.com If you haven't heard his work on his solo CD: "You Call This A Living?", I can only suggest you find this. Also you should be listening to Gordon Goodwin' Big Phat Band: http://www.gordongoodwin.com RON HOUSLEY