South Florida Winnie-Gators

FEBRUARY 2008  OUTING REPORT

By Marlene Sholtes

Our February campout was held at Moore Haven RV Park on the banks of the rim canal of Lake Okeechobee.  Once again, great weather prevailed for our arrival.  There were 16 coaches in attendance.  We welcomed back Sandy Riley, Pat Crosby and Jim Dunn who have been through some serious surgeries, and are now recovering nicely.  It was also nice to have with us Marcel Drapeau’s cousin, Jean-Claude (J.C.) Langlois, who was visiting from Quebec, Canada.  Our evening dinner was Bean Soup Extraordinaire prepared by Lee Macdonald and Sylvia Smith.  We treated ourselves to the campground’s $1 All-You-Can-Eat Ice Cream Social to accompany many luscious desserts provided by our members.  For our evening entertainment, we played a rousing game of Chase the Ace.  The winner was new member Lucky Bob Wiersum. 

On Friday, eleven couples took a trip on the Sugarland Express.  This was an interesting historical orientation of Clewiston and Lake Okeechobee.  After touring the orange groves, the first stop was at the Southern Gardens Citrus Processing Plant.  This plant produces 120 million gallons of not-from-concentrate and frozen premium quality orange juice annually.  We then got an up-close look at a sugar cane farm where the tour guide chopped and gave us a piece of sugar cane along with pieces we could sample.  We viewed the latest in farming techniques as well as a journey to the Clewiston Sugar Mill and refinery.  We also visited the Clewiston Museum and then had lunch at the historic Clewiston Inn.  A tour of Clewiston followed and a view of Lake Okeechobee.  We then returned to enjoy our happy hour and 50/50 raffle.  Raffle Babes-in-Training Marijo Bierie and Virgin Vandervlugt sold tickets and the winners were Lucky Bob Wiersum, Sylvia Smith and Charlie Travers.  Our dinner for Friday was on our own but the campground provided a very good meal for $6, of which many took advantage.  Later in the evening Pyro-Pete Vandervlugt built a perfect fire for a perfect evening of being perfectly entertained by our very own balladeer, Harvey Peacock, singing songs and playing his guitar.

Saturday morning we were treated to the breakfast buffet the campground prepares.  It is always delicious.  Our monthly Board Meeting and General Membership Meeting were then held in the club house.  After the meetings, some of our industrious members made solar-powered clothes rack dryers guided by Marcel Drapeau and Joe Sholtes.  At our happy hour, our Sweetheart Raffle Babes sold tickets for many prizes, one of which was won by Lucky Bob Wiersum.  Our dinner this evening was spaghetti and meatballs and tossed salad, skillfully prepared by Marijo Bierie, Barbara Drapeau, Lee Macdonald and Sylvia Smith.  Members contributed jars of sauce which combined into one scrumptious sauce!  Of course the members came through with yummy desserts.  Too much good food!  The campground provided a band and a Valentine Dance in the hall which some members attended.  Others went outside to the campfire that Blazing-Rick Bunn prepared and were again entertained by our own Tried-and-True Troubadour Harvey Peacock, with his guitar and wonderful singing repertoire.

Sunday morning we met at the Bunn’s coach to have freshly baked, sinfully good, cinnamon buns baked by Marijo Bierie, Becky Bunn, Barbara Drapeau, Lee Macdonald, and Marge Shaughnessy.  We then said so long until we meet again.

 
Making a Solar-Powered Clothes Dryer.  
From left to right:  Butch Crosby, Marcel Drapeau, Joe Sholtes