1995 Labor Day Cruise

Last updated: January 8, 1996 @ 21:45 CST

The Labor Day Cruise was a good end of the official cruising season. The weather was warm, no rain (not a lot of wind, either) and the lake was not still at flood stage. We had plenty of beach front property for tents, chairs, sand castles, kite flying and cooking. We were surprised that only one power boat invaded, and he didn’t last long. In all, we had 85 people on 24 boats, a super turnout!

Hats off to Debbie Miller, whose idea of a sign to ward off jet skis seemed to work. Many trolled by to read the sign (Charles May said it was a literacy test) but none came close or challenged the law.

The pot luck super Saturday night was great, as usual. People in this club sure can cook! You remember the Jamaican bobsled team? Well, before supper we had a race in the tradition of the BVI ski team. Teams of 3, each on one set of 2X4 "skis" raced up the beach. The winners were Larry "Downhill" Featherston, Mickey "Matterhorn" Hicks, and Mike "Freestyle" Kmita. ..an’ a left, an’ a right...

There was some concern about the return of the Loch Texoma Monster. During warm-up trials for the noodle race Sunday, a creature with a wide brown head and green tail was spotted. Turned out to be Carol McKenzie in her straw sun hat and green noodle doing a few practice laps. Debbie Miller won the Noodle Race among strong competition. Despite trimming down to racing form, like removing the cockpit cushions and anchor from his yellow racing noodle, Marshall McKenzie finished "back in the pack".

Don, Martha, Erin, and Nathan O’Grady brought their new 25. The group unanimously bestowed the "Order of the Plaid Jacket" upon Woody Mills. His used-boat salesmanship is now legendary in two states. A push-button start motor that only works in his driveway. At the Sunday night bonfire, Lora Featherston and Mike Kmita "invented" the flavored marshmallow. John Vaughan supplied the secret ingredients -- T. Q. What??

Thanks to Brian Barboza for the ice run. After he loaded 550 pounds of ice on his boat, someone wanted to know where the Margarita party was. A long-standing title may have fallen. The McKenzies may have taken the lead from Charles May for the most "stuff" unloaded from a sailboat. Shirley Kmita almost caused a riot (again). Seems she decided to cook breakfast Sunday morning, at a time when most of us were lucky to get cold cereal. It might have gone unnoticed except she was cooking upwind from a hungry crowd of beach bums. She then tried to tell us it was just Mike burning off last night’s pot luck dinner.

At last, the new 26X! Mark and Susie VanHoorebeke graciously allowed those who were interested a tour of their new boat. Their daughter, Claire, however, favored the sand and the water. She was in constant motion the entire weekend.

Dick and Beth Hardin’s grand-daughter, Janet Hardin, seemed to have a good time on her first cruise. Hope she will get a chance to come back next year.

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