INFORMATION

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Wednesday, January 25, 2012

Wednesday, January 25th, Morning Meeting News

We went from 928 to 927 residents 
in the park this week.  Welcome home 
Winter Ranch residents!

Please give your congratulations to Charles Smith who made a Hole in One on the Golf Course last Monday!  Congratulations Charles!

Congratulations to the Gospel Review Group  Their presentation of gospel music on January 22nd brought in 170 pounds of food for the Food Bank!

ENTERTAINMENT NEWS:  495 people attended the David Church Show  and 200 came to the Gold Wing Express Show.


ATTENTION ALL RESIDENTS:  If you have not turned in your information for the Directory, we need it by Friday, January 27th.

BUS TRIPS:  Several people who signed up for the bus trip to Wink's did not go and did not let anyone know ahead of time.  There were several residents that wanted to go on this trip so PLEASE let the Activity Office know if you are not going to be able to go so that others can take advantage of the trip.  


ICE CREAM SOCIAL TIME CHANGE:  The ice cream socials on January 29th, February 5th and February 26th will be at 4:00 PM instead of 5:00 PM because of entertainment that is scheduled for that date.

If you want tickets for Cirque du Soleil, get them from the Activities Office ASAP.  They will be returned shortly.  



PLEASE NOTE:  Lynn and JD in the Activity Office are happy to help all of our residents, however, there are times when they are working on something that needs their full attention.  When that happens they close their door which means "Do Not Disturb".  You can choose to wait outside their office until they finish what they are working on or who they are talking to, but please don't just walk in or knock.  Unless it is a dire emergency, the door is shut for a reason!

ATTENTION ALL ACTIVITY LEADERS - It is time to fill out a request for rooms and times for activities for next season.  Green sheets are available outside the Activity Office.  Just complete them and put them in the Activities Office Mail Box or give them to Lynn or JD.  If one of these cards is not completed and handed in, you could lose your spot for next year.

ATTENTION ALL GOLFERS:  On Tuesdays you will not be able to get on the golf course until 3:30 PM because of work being done before that time.  




A Memorial Service for residents of Winter Ranch who passed away from January 2010 through January 2012 will be held on February 28th.  There will be information on the Cards Bulletin Board in Friendship Hall.

The Veterans Appreciation Celebration will be held on February 1st at 3:30 PM in Friendship Hall.  

Quilt Show - The Quilters for the Needy will host a Quilt Show on February 10th from 9AM-1PM in Friendship Hall.  Admission is $2.  FOR MORE INFORMATION, SEE THE QUILTER'S PAGE ON THE RIGHT.


The 6th Annual Call of the States Ceremony will be held at the Wednesday morning meeting on February 15th.  We need 60 flag-bearers for all flags.  You can sign up in the Business Office.


The 50th Anniversary Celebration will be held on February 12 at 2 PM in Friendship Hall.  This is to celebrate the anniversaries of people who have been married 50 years or more.  All are welcome to attend.  Signup sheets for the people celebrating 50 or more years of marriage are available in Friendship Hall.  Chairpersons for this event are Jan and Paul Wilson and Elinor Kroll.


The 1st Responders are sponsoring a Health Fair here at Winter Ranch in Friendship Hall on January 26 from 11 AM - 4 PM. FOR MORE INFORMATION, SEE THE 1ST RESPONDERS' PAGE ON THE RIGHT.

HEART ATTACK RISK ASSESSMENT SCREENING - You can get a risk assessment screening for only $10.  FOR MORE INFORMATION, SEE THE 1ST RESPONDERS' PAGE ON THE RIGHT.


The 1st Responders Dinner will be held on the 30th of January at 5 PM in the Big Hall.  FOR MORE INFORMATION, SEE THE 1ST RESPONDERS' PAGE ON THE RIGHT.


A Valentine's Dance is scheduled for February 14th at 7-10 PM.  Jealous Hearts will be performing.  There will be lots of prizes and favors.  Cost is $10 per couple and $6 for a single.  Tickets are on sale now in the Activities Office.   

CanAm Golf  will be held on Wednesday, February 22nd at 10 AM at the Winter Gardens Golf Course.  There will be 23 American teams and 22 Canadian teams.  Hot dogs, chips and drinks will be available.  If you have questions, contact Dick Degarmo at Lot 26 or Jim Wilson at Lot 341. 

The Business Office is selling tickets to McAllen Symphonic Band presentation of  "Hollywood Goes To War" which will be held on February 14th at 7 PM at the Trinity Worship Center at 4801 N Cage Boulevard in Pharr.  The tickets are $5.  There is no bus to this event.  

The Business Office is also selling ticket for the 7th Annual Lutefisk Dinner at Our Savior Lutheran Church in McAllen.  The dinner is set for Saturday, February 4. The cost is $17.50 each.   

WELLNESS TESTING will be done by Integra Wellness (integrawellness.com) on February 2nd, 2012 starting at 9:00 AM.   A full vascular package which includes a stroke/carotid Artery Test, an Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Test, and a Peripheral Arterial Disease Test costs $90.  A complete Wellness Package (3 vascular test + osteoporosis) is $100.  An individual test is $40.  To schedule your appointment call 800-884-6251 Integra Wellness.  Your results are completely confidential and are interpreted by a Texas Board Certified Physician.  A prescription for testing is required and will be written for you by our Integra's doctor prior to your test.  
  • Stoke/Carotid Artery Test - Ultrasound of the carotid arteries visualizing the buildup of fatty plaque, the number one cause of strokes.
  • Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Test - Ultrasound test for the enlargement of the abdominal aorta.
  • Peripheral Arterial Disease Test - Testing for blockages in the legs.
  • Osteoporosis Test - Bone density test.


PLEASE NOTE that schedules for Upcoming events, dances, entertainment, classes and other activities are in the pages under Current Information on the right of this page.  Social hour entertainment is included under the Entertainment tab.




Friday, January 20, 2012

LATEST NEWS

PICTURES FOR THE DIRECTORY:  Another photo session will be taken on February 23rd.   You may signup in the Video Room from Monday to Friday next week between 9 and 3:30.  Please use the doors on the west end of the building.  

MORE INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE REGARDING THE UPCOMING HEALTH FAIR.  See the 1st Responder Page to the right for all the details.

NEW BUS TRIP:  Shopping Trip to the Outlet Mall on January 26th.  Time to be determined.  Signup sheets are in the Big Hall.

QUILT SHOW UPDATE - Much more information is available regarding the quilt show.  See the Quilt Show Page to the right.


LADIES LUNCHEON - The next Ladies Luncheon will be on February 16th.  Tickets are $8 and will be sold in the Small Hall from February 1 to the 10th (week days only).  The hat will be passed for the entertainment which is Diego!

The first class on IPhones and IPads has been rescheduled.  The first class will be on Wednesday, February 1st at 1 PM in Activity Room 3.  Signup sheets are on the Bulletin Board in Friendship Hall on the wall across from the mail room.

Wednesday, January 18, 2012

Wednesday, January 18th, Morning Meeting News

We grew from 899 to 928 residents 
in the park this week.  Welcome home 
Winter Ranch residents!

Please give your congratulations to Bill Malloy who made a Hole in One on the Golf Course last Monday!  Congratulations Bill!

ATTENTION ALL NEW RESIDENTS OF WINTER RANCH:  A newcomer's meeting will be held on January 24th at 10:00 AM in Friendship Hall.  We hope to see you there!

ATTENTION ALL ACTIVITY LEADERS - It is time to fill out a request for rooms and times for activities for next season.  Green sheets are available outside the Activity Office.  Just complete them and put them in the Activities Office Mail Box or give them to Lynn or JD.  If one of these cards is not completed and handed in, you could lose your spot for next year.

No Social Hour next Tuesday because of the Hobo Dinner.

PLEASE NOTE that schedules for Entertainment and Dances are under Current Information to the right of this blog.  Social hour entertainment is included under the Entertainment tab.  



Winter Ranch Directory Picture/Proofs - This session of getting your pictures taken for the directory is full, however, there will be days in February to get your picture taken.  Please sign up with Shirley for the February dates.  She will be available after the Wednesday morning meetings in Friendship Hall or on Fridays from 10:30 to 11:30 AM in the Video Room in Friendship Hall.  




The Spanish Class has moved to Activity Room 3.



A Memorial Service for residents of Winter Ranch who passed away from January 2010 through January 2012 will be held on February 28th.  There will be information on the Cards Bulletin Board in Friendship Hall.

Quilt Show - The Quilters for the Needy will host a Quilt Show on February 10th from 9AM-1PM in Friendship Hall.  Admission is $2 and includes entrance to the show and a snack of coffee or iced tea and cookies.  The proceeds will be used to make quilts for the needy.  The Quilters would like participation from Winter Ranch residents.  FOR MORE INFORMATION, SEE THE QUILTER'S PAGE ON THE RIGHT.


Canada Day - Our Canadian residents would like to share information with us about their homeland, the food, the activities and the provinces.  Canada day is scheduled for March 1st in Friendship Hall.  Time to be announced.  The Chair person for this event is Jackie McCall. 


The 6th Annual Call of the States Ceremony will be held at the Wednesday morning meeting on February 15th.  We need 60 flag-bearers for all flags.  You can sign up in the Business Office.


The 50th Anniversary Celebration will be held on February 12 at 2 PM in Friendship Hall.  This is to celebrate the anniversaries of people who have been married 50 years or more.  All are welcome to attend.  Signup sheets for the people celebrating 50 or more years of marriage are available in Friendship Hall.  Chairpersons for this event are Jan and Paul Wilson and Elinor Kroll.


The 1st Responders are sponsoring a Health Fair here at Winter Ranch in Friendship Hall on January 26 from 11 AM - 4 PM.  Representatives of Health and Medical Services will have display tables, information, door prizes, etc.  There will be speakers scheduled to cover a variety of topics.  Please see the times scheduled on the Bulletin Board.  Lunch, snacks and beverages will be available for your convenience.

HEART ATTACK RISK ASSESSMENT SCREENING - You can get a risk assessment screening for only $10.  This screening includes weight, blood pressure, blood sugar, total cholesterol (total lipid HDL and LDL) and Triglyceride levels.  Eight hour fasting is required for the screening.  You need to sign up ahead of time for an appointment in Friendship Hall.  These screenings will be Thursday, January 26 from 9 - 11 AM in the Friendship Hall Loft as a part of the Health Fair.


The first class on IPhones and IPads will be on Wednesday, January 25th at 1 PM in Activity Room 3.  Signup sheets are on the Bulletin Board in Friendship Hall on the wall across from the mail room.



The Computer Group is having Open Computer Help Sessions  on Wednesdays right after the morning meeting until noon (except for the 1st Wednesday of the month when the room is otherwise occupied).  If you are having problems with your laptop, a computer application, or a program stop in and see them.  There will be two people available to help out.   These sessions are not meant to be a full class but if you are stuck and can't figure out how to get something to work on a program, they will be glad to see if they can assist.  


Woodshop HoBo Dinner - The Woodshop is sponsoring a dinner on the 24th of January at 4 PM in Friendship Hall. $5  Proceeds will go to the Woodshop.  Meal:  Hamburger, potatoes, onion, cabbage.  There will be door prizes.  Bring your own table service.  Buy your tickets soon as there is a limited number of tickets available.

The 1st Responders Dinner will be held on the 30th of January at 5 PM in the Big Hall.  Dinner will include a Sirloin Burger (with all the trimmings), potato salad, baked beans, ice cream and coffee or iced tea.  Cost is $5.  Please bring your own table service.  Tickets will be sold at the Wednesday morning park meeting on the  25th. 

A Gospel Review will be presented by musicians from our park on the 22nd of January at 3 PM.  This musical event will last about an hour.  Bring a donation of a non-perishable food product for the Food Bank.  The Gospel Review will be followed by the Ice Cream Social.  


A Valentine's Dance is scheduled for February 14th at 7-10 PM.  Jealous Hearts will be performing.  There will be lots of prizes and favors.  Cost is $10 per couple and $6 for a single.  Tickets are on sale now in the Activities Office.   

CanAm Golf will be held on Friday, Feburary 3rd at 9 AM at the Winter Gardens Golf Course.  There will be 23 American teams and 22 Canadian teams.  Hot dogs, chips and drinks will be available.  If you have questions, contact Dick Degarmo at Lot 26 or Jim Wilson at Lot 341.


The Business Office is selling tickets to McAllen Symphonic Band presentation of  "Hollywood Goes To War" which will be held on February 14th at 7 PM at the Trinity Worship Center at 4801 N Cage Boulevard in Pharr.  The tickets are $5.  There is no bus to this event.  

The Business Office is also selling ticket for the 7th Annual Lutefisk Dinner at Our Savior Lutheran Church in McAllen.  The dinner is set for Saturday, February 4. The cost is $17.50 each.  


State Potlucks are being planned.  The dates are as follows:



STATE POTLUCKS

State
Date
Time

Hosts





Canada
Feb 26
11:30

Jackie McAuley
Colorado
Feb 5



Iowa
Feb 19



Michigan
Jan 15



Minnesota
Jan 29
11:30

Karen Larsen
Missouri
Feb 3



ND, SD, MT,NE, WY
Jan 17
11:30

Mark & Rose Williams
Roger & Jan Howard
Wisconsin
Jan 22
11:00
Noon
Social Hr
Lunch
Mary Hanson
Donna Hulsey








State Potluck Coordinators, please contact Mary Benfield at Lot 740 or e-mail her at blogwinterranch@yahoo.com and let her know who you are!!


TRIPS INFORMATION

WINTER RANCH ACTIVITIES OFFICE TRIPS:

1.  A listing is available in this blog under CURRENT INFORMATION and the BUS TRIPS button.  

2.  We have a  bus trip to South Padre for the Breakway Tours Port of Brownsville Tour scheduled for February 27th.  Cost is $37 per person and includes dinner at Shrimp Paws.  For more information, see the Bulletin Board in Friendship Hall.  There are seats left on this tour.

3.  The El Rancho trip has 2 seats left.

4.  We still have Cirque du Soleil tickets available but they will have to be returned on the 1st of February.  The bus is full, but you can buy the tickets and meet us there. 

LONG DISTANCE TRIPS THROUGH YVONNE  -  She will be available in the Library on Monday and Wednesday mornings when the Video Room is open.  You can see her then or leave a note in her Mail Box and she will get back to you.  She is at Lot 256.  Yvonne does not have an office here in the park with regular hours!



1.  A Mardi Gras Trip to Galveston is being offered for Trophy Gardens and Winter Ranch residents.  The trip begins on Thursday, February 16th,  and will return the following Monday, the 20th.  A party bus has been hired.  Trip participants will be staying at the Marriott SpringHill Suites. The trip includes the two main Mardi Gras parades, the Battle of the Bands, a tour of the Shriners Hospital, a ride on the ferry, a tour of the carved trees left over from the storms, and a visit to a couple of museums.  Price of the tour is  $499/per person double occupancy.  See either Gayle Fields at Trophy Gardens at Lot 300 after 2 PM. Her phone number is 504-473-4435.

2.  A King Ranch Tour bus trip is being offered on January 25th by Fritz Tours.  The bus will be leaving around 7-7:30 AM for a one day excursion.  Information and signup is on the bulletin board in Friendship Hall.  The tour is $65 and includes lunch, transportation and a guide.  There are a few seats left.  


3.   A Big Bend Trip is being offered for one date only on March 4th. Details on the Bulletin Board.



Our volunteers are outstanding.  If it wasn’t for them, we wouldn’t be able to offer all the activities that we do and we wouldn’t be able to keep the costs down for those activities.  We are always looking for new volunteers.  Check out those volunteer opportunities in the Current Information Section of this blog or stop and talk to JD in the Activities Office. 

If you head a group or activity here at Winter Ranch and would like to add information to this blog, see Mary Benfield at Lot 740 or e-mail her at blogwinterranch@yahoo.com. 




Wednesday, January 11, 2012

Wednesday, January 11th Morning Meeting News

We grew from 819 to 899 residents 
in the park this week.  Welcome home 
Winter Ranch residents!

Winter Ranch Directory Picture/Proofs - To set up an appointment to get your picture taken, see Shirley Snell.  Shirley would also like to see all the people who had their pictures taken in October so that they can review their proofs and make sure that everything is correct for the Directory.   She will be available after the Wednesday morning meetings in Friendship Hall or on Fridays from 10:30 to 11:30 AM in the Video Room in Friendship Hall.  




A Memorial Service for residents of Winter Ranch who passed away from January 2010 through January 2012 will be held on February 28th.  There will be information on the Cards Bulletin Board in Friendship Hall.


The 6th Annual Call of the States Ceremony will be held at the Wednesday morning meeting on February 15th.  We need flag-bearers for all flags.  You can sign up in the Business Office.


Horseshoes are played on Monday and Wednesday at 10 AM at the Horseshoe pit.  We previously did not report the Monday session.


The 50th Anniversary Celebration will be held on February 12 at 2 PM in Friendship Hall.  This is to celebrate the anniversaries of people who have been married 50 years or more.  All are welcome to attend.  Signup sheets for the people celebrating 50 or more years of marriage are available in Friendship Hall.


Paper Crafting class this week is a Study of Butterflies and next week will be a squash book.  More information and signup sheets are on the Arts and Craft Room Doors.



The Computer Group will offer a three-week class on “Apps”  or applications for the Iphone, Ipad and Android tablets and smartphones if there is an interest.  The instructors would be Orlan & Sandy Jennings.  They are at site 313.  They are new to the park and have volunteered to teach this class.  Thanks Orlan and Sandy!  Please let them know if you would like to be a part of this class by using the signup sheets in the hall across from the Mail Room in Friendship Hall. 

The Open Computer Help Sessions that the Computer Group is having on Wednesdays right after the morning meeting until noon (except for the 1st Wednesday of the month when the room is otherwise occupied).  If you are having problems with your laptop, a computer application, or a program stop in and see them.  There will be two people available to help out.   These sessions are not meant to be a full class but if you are stuck and can't figure out how to get something to work on a program, they will be glad to see if they can assist.  



Woodshop HoBo Dinner - The Woodshop is sponsoring a dinner on the 24th of January at 4 PM in Fellowship Hall. $5  Proceeds will go to the Woodshop.  Meal:  Hamburger, potatoes, onion, cabbage.  There will be door prizes.  Bring your own table service.  Buy your tickets soon as there is a limited number of tickets available.

The First Responders Dinner will be held on the 30th of January.  More information to come.


A Gospel Review will be presented by musicians from our park on the 22nd of January at 3 PM.  This musical event will last about an hour.  Bring a donation of a non-perishable food product for the Food Bank.  The Gospel Review will be followed by the Ice Cream Social.  


A Valentine's Dance is scheduled for February 14th at 7-10 PM.  Jealous Hearts will be performing.  There will be lots of prizes and favors.  Cost is $10 per couple and $6 for a single.  Tickets will be sold starting  tomorrow, Thursday, January 12th in the Activities Office. 


The Business Office is selling tickets to McAllen Symphony presentation of  "Hollywood Goes To War" which will be held on February 14th at 7 PM at the Trinity Worship Center at 4801 N Cage Boulevard in Pharr.  The tickets are $5.  There is no bus to this event. 


State Potlucks are being planned.  The dates are as follows:


STATE POTLUCKS

State
Date
Time
Place
Hosts





Canada
Feb 26



Colorado
Feb 5



Iowa
Feb 19



Michigan
Jan 15



Minnesota
Jan 29
11:30
Big Hall
Karen Larsen
Missouri
Feb 3



ND, SD, MT,NE, WY
Jan 17
11:30
Big Hall
Mark & Rose Williams
Roger & Jan Howard
Wisconsin
Jan 22





State Potluck Coordinators, please contact Mary Benfield at Lot 740 or e-mail her at blogwinterranch@yahoo.com and give her the specifics for your potluck.


Deluxe Alaskan Adventure will be presented by Travel Ambassadors on Thursday, January 12th in the Winter Ranch library from 3 to 5 PM.  There will be a wine and cheese party following the presentation. 


A Mardi Gras Trip to Galveston is being offered for Trophy Gardens and Winter Ranch residents.  The trip begins on Thursday, February 16th,  and will return the following Monday, the 20th.  A party bus has been hired.  Trip participants will be staying at the Marriott SpringHill Suites. The trip includes the two main Mardi Gras parades, the Battle of the Bands, a tour of the Shriners Hospital, a ride on the ferry, a tour of the carved trees left over from the storms, and a visit to a couple of museums.  Price of the tour is  $499/per person double occupancy.  See either Gayle Fields at Trophy Gardens or Yvonne Stice at Winter Ranch, Lot 256 for details.  


A King Ranch Tour bus trip is being offered on January 25th by Fritz Tours.  The bus will be leaving around 7-7:30 AM for a one day excursion.  Information and signup is on the bulletin board in Friendship Hall.  The tour is $65 and includes lunch, transportation and a guide.


A trip to the National Butterfly Museum will be posted on the bus trip boards in Friendship Hall on Monday.

The El Rancho Charco Bus Trip still has 14 seats to fill.  The trip is $27 per person and specifics and signup sheets are on the bulletin board in Friendship Hall.


There are eight seats left on the next Winks (bar, restaurant, rodeo) trip to Brownsville. Signup sheets are in Friendship Hall.

Breakway Tours has a trip to South Padre scheduled.  Cost is $37 per person and includes the dinner at Shrimp Paws.  For more information, see the Bulletin Board in Friendship Hall.

Our volunteers are outstanding.  If it wasn’t for them, we wouldn’t be able to offer all the activities that we do and we wouldn’t be able to keep the costs down for those activities.  We are always looking for new volunteers.  Check out those volunteer opportunities in the Current Information Section of this blog or stop and talk to JD in the Activities Office. 

If you head a group or activity here at Winter Ranch and would like to add information to this blog, see Mary Benfield at Lot 740 or e-mail her at blogwinterranch@yahoo.com. 




Sunday, January 1, 2012

Winter Ranch Wrangler for January 2012


WRANGLER
Winter Ranch Newsletter
January 2012
Vol. 1, Edition 2

December was a month filled with activity, but you ain't seen nothing yet! Hope everyone had a blessed Christmas and ate just enough to keep up your strength; you're going to need it now.

The Tuesday social hours at the pool have been a great success, with a variety of entertainment, some live and some not so live. You decide which was which. Elvis even showed up one Tuesday. Thanks to Donna & Dave Lewis, along with JD Murray, for the snacks that are available during the social hour. The nachos are delicious, and the hot dogs have been dinner for Jack more than once. For you folks just arriving, social hour is every Tuesday around the pool from 3:30 to 5 PM. When the weather is bad it will be moved into Friendship Hall from 3 PM to 4:30 PM to accommodate the square dancers. Bring your lawn chairs (when it's outdoors) and your favorite adult beverage. Wear your name badge so everyone can get to know you.

As usual, our residents gave 'til it hurt to benefit the local community for Christmas. There were 300 names on the Angel Tree, 235 stockings were stuffed and donated, three valley families received gifts and food, three boxes of new toys were donated, AND we gave gloves, scarves and hats for admission into the Christmas Matachine show. Oh, and don't forget the donations for the Good Samaritan fund and the employees' Christmas bonus. Multiply that by the 600 plus RV parks in the Valley and you can see the impact we all have on the local economy! Thank you, Winter Ranch.

Our population is increasing daily and stands at 660 as of Dec. 28. Be nice to one another; we're almost bigger than the towns a lot of us grew up in. One big difference is that this “town” runs on volunteerism. For every activity that occurs, there are a multitude of volunteers who make it happen. You enjoy the Craft Fair? See where you can give an hour of time to help make it happen. Don't make the same few people carry the whole load. It's fun, and you widen your circle of friends, which is always a good thing.

BLOODLESS BULLFIGHTS is on the bus agenda for January 8th. We went a few years ago and it was quite a spectacular. The costumes and pageantry were exactly like Spain, and no bulls were injured. They were younger bulls, and a small bouquet of flowers is somehow attached between their shoulder blades (where the sword would go). The matador puts his life at risk to retrieve that bouquet, which signals the end of the match. The bleachers are a bit uncomfortable (take a little pillow) but it's well worth a little discomfort to see this event. Hope there's room so I can go again.

BUS TRIPS Mr. Wilder provides these buses for our benefit. He has spent thousands of dollars the past few years to make sure they are in tip top condition. He wants to see them on the road. The seven Wilder parks in the Valley share three buses. We share trips with Trophy Gardens which gives each of us more trips. The other parks only have the bus twice a week, while we have it four days a week. Bob French and Jack Hulsey share driving duties. They too are volunteers – fully licensed with all their certifications in order. Unfortunately, the down-side of sharing trips with TG is that each park is only allotted half the bus, 22 seats, which means that if you see a trip you are interested in, don't dally! You are going to need to check the trip board in the big hall daily to make sure you are first in line to sign up. If you snooze, you lose! What can be nicer than to be delivered to the front door of the event, and then picked up there afterward. No parking worries, no gas used, no traffic to fight. Check it out.


WEDNESDAY MEETINGS start at 9 AM. JD is selling sweet rolls so get there early and do some visiting. The meetings are where you learn what is going on around the park and the local community, plus get a heads up on new rules or local laws. (For instance, no cell phone use in school zones, and no texting while driving!) 50/50 sales are a way for the various groups in the park to earn money, and you have a chance to win some too. Be sure to attend when you get that hole-in-one on our little golf course, because you will get your trophy and certificate. Sometime in January or February we will have “flag day” at the meeting. This is where all the states and Canadian provinces which are represented in the park are honored with a little parade of state flags. If you'd like to carry your state's flag, see Cathy in the office. It is an awesome sight and one we look forward to every year.

CHRISTMAS REGATTA was something new for us this year. The bus took us to Port Isabel to the White Sands Restaurant, right on the water, to watch the decorated boats go by. The food was pretty good and we had front row seats for the parade. I hope we will do this one again next year.
(Black and white pictures don't do the lights and decorations justice.)


CHRISTMAS is over and I hope you all had a joyous one. Can you remember the best Christmas gift you ever received? How about the worst? I looked around and found a few folks who did.

First we have Judy Johnson. She's from Redwood Falls, MN. She and hubby Jim are newcomers to the park this year. Her best gift was diamond earrings. Worst – pink flamingos for the yard from her daughter, who was old enough to know better. On the right is Dwain Steward from Eldorado Springs, MO. He gallantly pointed to his wife, Donna, when I asked for best gift. They were married on Dec. 29. For his worst, he pointed to her again! (So much for gallantry!) Then he chuckled and said he never had a bad Christmas present.


Carol Schierholtz was our next victim. She and hubby Russ are from Lindsay, Ont. Someone gave her a lottery ticket one year. It cost $100 and she won $10,000! That was in 2002. She giggled and said Russ gave her a pantsuit back in the 60's and that was the worst. She only wore it once. Roy Darby (right) and wife Virginia are full-timers here now, by way of north Texas. Roy's best gift was a hunting knife from his dad when he was 10. His worst was that same year, when his sister gave him a jar of peanut butter cuz she knew he didn't like peanut butter. He says he fixed her, though. He ate the whole jar himself and wouldn't share with anyone. Believe it or not, he likes peanut butter now.


TUESDAY SOCIAL HOURS are still a big hit. Need more people to come out and join the fun. 

These pictures were taken on a Tuesday when we were inside and The Horns were playing. They were excellent and gave us a hint of what to expect when they played for that Friday night dance. (Hope you made it that Friday; they were great.) Social hour starts at 3:30 and only lasts until 5. Make it a point to attend the next one. 

FIRST CRAFT FAIR of the season happened December 13th. Again, volunteers are the heart and soul of the park. It wasn't too busy, but everyone has so much to do this time of the year. Hopefully there will be new vendors and bigger crowds for the next one in January. Here we have volunteers Maggie and Ralph Olson from WI, enjoying a laugh with some customers. I TOLD you it was fun! If we don't have volunteers, many of the events around the park just aren't going to happen. Remember, the pay is poor, but the rewards are great. Be nice to the volunteers when you see them slaving away.


MATACHINE Dancers entertained us on December 22nd. Admission was a hat, gloves or scarf for the dancers. The performance reminded me of our Native American powwows. The costumes were very colorful (wish we had a color copier!) and the dancers ranged in age from about 5 to 30. My only complaint is that it would have been nice to have had an explanation about what the dancing represented. There were two people in masks who were finally “caught” and hauled away by the dancers.




COMING IN JANUARY

SWEDISH WEAVING classes start January 4th in the craft room.

ZOO AND SAS SHOES is January 5th. The zoo is in Brownsville and is a neat little zoo and easy to walk around.

SWIMSUIT show/sale on Thursday, January 5th in the big hall from 9 to noon. They usually have some very nice suits at reasonable prices to fit our “mature” bodies.

LIFE AFTER LOSS workshop was a big success and a followup one will be on January 9th in the loft.
See Rita Heuther for more information.

COMPUTER CLASSES start January 9th. There will be classes for Vista and Windows 7, and a day for just answering questions about specific problems. See Leo Doershug for details.

WINGS FLYING MUSEUM is January 13th for you airplane fans.

BASS PRO SHOP in Harlingen bus trip on January 18th.

WINKS SALOON on January 19th. There will be calf roping there. I've been there and it's a rustic saloon with pretty good food. Should be fun.

Look for all of the regular events to get started back up the first week in January.

CIRQUE DE SOLEIL bus is full, but Lynn has 150 tickets blocked off, so if you want to follow the bus in your car, see Lynn for tickets. That is March 14th and tickets are $48.00.

LADIES LUNCHEON is January 16th in the hall. Tickets will be sold Monday through Friday in the small hall from 10 to 11 A.M. Tickets are $7.50.

NOTICES:

PARK IN YOUR OWN SPOT. People start pouring in here after Christmas, so you never know when the site next to you will be taken. You don't want to get off on the wrong foot with your neighbor by making them wait to pull in their site.

WATER RESTRICTIONS are still on, even though we've had some rain. If we can't follow the policy I'm afraid we will end up being charged for water, and we sure don't want that, do we?

VETERANS' ADVOCATE is HB Hulsey. He has a lot of good information for vets. 612-203-5194 is his phone number.

YARD SALES at your RV or park model have been discontinued by Mr. Wilder, for security reasons. Each park will have one sale a year in their hall. This will permit management to keep better control of visitors to the park. Winter Ranch had their one sale already.

TAP DANCING, beginners and advanced is being offered again by Penny Vollrath. 
 
SPOTLIGHT ON PICKLEBALL

If you've ever passed through the big hall and seen a bunch of people batting an orange whiffle ball back and forth across a net, and wondered what it was, this article is for you.

The mini-tennis game called Pickleball was created during the summer of 1965 on Bainbridge Island - a short ferry ride from Seattle, WA. The original purpose of the game was to provide a sport for the entire family, according to co-inventors U.S. Congressman Joel Pritchard, William Bell, and Barney McCallum.

Pickles was the family dog that would chase after the errant balls and then hide in the bushes, thus Pickle's ball which was later shortened to the namesake of Pickleball. Initially, families played Pickle-ball in their backyards on a hard surface, on driveways, and on residential dead-end streets. Since the mid-1970's, Pickle-ball has grown and expanded from a family activity game to a paddle court sport with formalized rules. Now, over 45 years later Pickle-ball is played in thousands of school P.E. programs, parks and recreation centers, correctional facilities, camps, YMCA's and retirement communities. This sport is becoming very popular among active senior adults at community centers.
There is even a national organization for Pickleball that holds tournaments all over the country. You can check it out online – just google it. There is a site that tells state by state where it is played so you can play in the summer and keep your skills honed.


Pickleball was introduced to Winter Ranch by Bill Howell several years ago. When we first came to this park in 2007, it was a struggle to get 4 players and a scorekeeper together. Now, during January, February and most of March, both courts are full with players waiting to play. Baby boomers are coming south and looking for activities to keep them active and this is the perfect game for them. It's great exercise. Players are there for the fun of the game and the camaraderie of the players.
Wednesday is designated “new player” day, but newbies are welcome any day that we are playing. The thing we most encourage is that each player should know their own limitations. Don't rush after those balls you can't reach safely. Easier said than done, I know. Our oldest player is over 80, and our youngest hasn't hit 60 yet. Come and join the fun. One of our players likes to say we only keep score so we know when the game is over. There is a community center in Mission where it is played 5 days a week. They are pretty competitive over there and welcome experienced players.