The weather couldn’t have been much better if we had special ordered it and the water started flowing promptly at 10:00 am, thanks to Ted Smethers and our friends at Entergy. Water gun fights broke out almost immediately as we launched the rafts. We had a fantastic turn out of rafts volunteered for the event; actually more than needed due to some last minute cancellations. At least 11 large oar rigs made an impressive sight on the river.
Our group pulled in at the riverside home of Jeff and Joye Short for lunch, shortly after noon. I want to give a huge thank you to Jeff and Joye for their hospitality and also a huge thanks to Gayle Felton for once again setting up a great lunch for us.
After a very leisurely lunch we made our way slowly downstream. Several children along on the trip this year had a great time playing in the water beside the rafts and several of our adult guests had fun surfing in the rafts when we reached Rockport.
Everyone had a great time, hopefully, including Senator Terry Smith who seemed to be having more difficulty handling his small red haired granddaughter than all the issues at the state capital.
I want to say a special thanks to the volunteers who gave their time to help at check in and who worked to bring over 20 cars from Remmel Dam to Rockport. This is always the most tedious and thankless job in this event but one of the most important.
Thanks to: Pat Crane, Vicki Jones, Karla and Bill Saunders, T Yamashita and Renee Hanshaw.
Thanks also to Jim Kruger for being general gopher and raft wrangler and de-rigger and thanks to Kim Tucker for ordering that all important “little blue building” for the sign in area. .
Thanks to our raft guides:
Walter Felton, Marcell Jones, Stewart Nolan, Cowper Chadbourn, Bryan Hughbanks, Roy Staggs, Scott Roach, Heather Huckaba, Bob Stout, Randy Dodson and Mike Byrum.
Thanks to Mike Stanley and Liz Caldwell for going along as trip photographers. A link to trip photos will be up soon.
