May 3-6, 2007 the Caloosa Winnies traveled to Terra Ceia RV Resort in Palmetto, Florida
for the annual Kentucky Derby Party weekend.
Co-hosts for the weekend were Charlie & Ellen Zucker and Jerry & Nancy Miller. The hosts
welcomed members Bill & Janet Burbage, Bob & Jackie Coy, Kathryn Griffin, Phil & Shirley
Halstead,Bob & Anita Law, Jack & Lorene MacGregor, Jim & Jane O'Neill, John Peacock & Carol
Mastro, and Barbara Wood. The campground managers Belinda & Tom did a great job welcoming us
and offering their excellent facilities for our use. We were the first camping group to enjoy
their park since they became managers, and we really did have a great weekend!
After safe arrivals we convened at the recreation hall for Happy Hour and a round of joke
telling! Charlie Zucker was the chef for the evening charbroiling London Broil for us! He was
decked out in his "genius at work" apron which brought a few laughs from the group. Members
brought various salads and dishes to share, and not much was left over! Dessert was an ice
cream social with lots of choices to make great sundaes! The rest of the evening card games
and Sequence was enjoyed by all.
Friday morning was the Pancake Breakfast served by Ellen & Nancy, complete with all the
toppings. Next on the agenda was a shuffleboard tournament. Jerry Miller organized the teams
and we were off to another great adventure. By the looks of the higher scores this time from
our previous tournaments, we're getting much better at the game! The winners were awarded their
prizes at dinner later that evening. First place went to Team Impulse Ellen Zucker & Bob Law.
Second place Team View players were Jane O'Neill & Phil Halstead. Third place Team Access
players were Nancy Miller & Charlie Zucker. Congratulations to the winners!
Some of the members gathered for lunch at the recreation hall and some did crafts for the
rest of the afternoon. Shirley Halstead did a class to teach us how to make Potluck Dish Bags
from plastic canvas. Kathryn Griffin taught us how to make beaded key chains. It was a nice
relaxing time and we made some useful things! Other members went shopping, enjoyed the pool,
or took a well deserved NAP! Happy Hour commenced at 4:00pm, then we formed a caravan to go to
dinner at Kojak's Rib House. After a great dinner we returned to the recreation hall for
more fun games.
Saturday morning was our Potluck Breakfast with lots of great food once again! The
business meeting was held at 10:00am with some discussion about travel plans to attend GNR in
Forest City. We will have at least 8 coaches attending. The rest of the day was spent relaxing
and the ladies doing more of our craft projects. Some of the men did men stuff like looking at
coach issues and sharing tips on how to fix things.
At 4:00pm was the Kentucky Derby Party and most of the members came to the recreation hall
with their hats which were "decorated original designs" to enjoy the festivities! The party
corner was decorated with horses, jockeys, horse shoes and roses. We had the "Hat Parade"
which was judged by Shirley & Phil Halstead. The winner was chosen, Barbara Wood showed off
her original creation of the stuffed horse hat decorated with curled dollar bills! She was the
proud winner of the big prize, and paperback book! Honorable mention was given to Jack MacGregor
for his hat we called the "Fruit Hat". It was a work of art to say the least! We had the TV on
to watch the festivities at Louisville and were were ready for the run of the roses! As post
time was approaching, Jerry Miller served the traditional Mint Juleps as we toasted the Derby
and our wonderful group of Caloosa's! The horses were off and racing. John Peacock held the
winning ticket and walked off with the big prize! On the menu for dinner was souper chicken
prepared by the hosts, with dishes to compliment from all the members. Another great meal, we
have the best cooks! After dinner we had a nice evening playing cards and games once again.
Sunday morning everyone met for breakfast of donuts, bagels, fruit, juice and coffee.
Soon it was time to go our separate ways. Most of our members will be traveling for the summer
so we bid everyone farewell and safe travels. We agreed to stay in touch via email and cell
phones. Electronics are a great thing!
Our next group campout will be November 1 - 4, 2007 at Riverside RV Park near Arcadia and
Port Charlotte, Florida we'll be cooking turkey, so if you're in our area please feel free
to join us for the fun! We always welcome visitors! Check our schedule at "Who's Inviting
Travelers" in the WIT magazine. Safe travels to everyone and we'll see you at GNR!
Nancy Miller
239-574-2511