Tiffin Allegro Rally

From what I hear, we had a very successful rally event for the Tiffin Allegro group.  There were about 150 RVs here.  We salute the rangers, greeters, gate people, activities, special events, etc for all the extra hours you put in to contribute to the success.  Getting all the rigs in and parked was no small task.  The part that makes me so proud of being a resident is the way folks stepped up to volunteer for an event of this size. 



And then there is the kitchen staff that cooked and served all those meals.  The rally attendees I talked with were very impressed with the meals and the fact they were all made here instead of being catered in.  The tables were all set and decorated for each meal.  Nice work folks!  Ya done us proud!! 

Unfortunately, I couldn't be of too much help as I twisted a knee and was laid up for the week but I did manage to hobble up on stage to call bingo for their rally night.  It was fun!  I chatted with the rigs that were parked near our block and was happy to hear how impressed they were with the park.  I believe we'll be seeing quite a few of these folks again next year now that they've discovered our wonderland in the desert.

Don and I sat on our patio yesterday morning and just watched the mass exodus of RVs as they all pulled out.  Later I stopped up by the 4-way stop so I could see them coming from all directions.  With the month end and the rally group leaving, it was quite a parade to watch.

For those of you who are already at your "other home"....I'll send more cactus bloom photos.  The prickly pear are at their finest, the sky is as blue as can be with nary a cloud in sight, temps are in the 80s by day and 60s by night with 16% humidity.  I don't think it could get any nicer no matter how Mother Nature tries.

 

A rare sighting

Oh my gosh!  It's a ROBIN!!  In Arizona??  I spotted this robin red breast while visiting a friend who has a golf course site.  WOW....I had no idea a robin would venture this far west.  I consider this a rare sighting.  Has anyone else observed robins in this area of the country?

This is also the time of year for the cacti to start blooming and show off their finery.  These white monsters are along Coyote Trail.

 

 

End of Season

My how time does fly!  It was time for the final farewell party already.  The weather was absolutely perfect and attendance was very high.  Great time for everyone.

We had a small car show and some mighty fancy motorcycles on display.  This big Harley belongs to Pasquale who works in the Maintenance Department. 

 

Pasquale told me the story about the bell mounted on his bike and explained that when you get a new bike, a friend gives you a bell as a good luck charm to keep you safe.

 

Lots of cars on display.  You know the famous saying about "Boys and their toys!"

 

Great music.

 

Trike riding contests.

 

AND...for the first debut, a dunking tank where organizations and departments got a chance to dunk their leader.  We even sent our General Manager, Wendell Johnson, for a dive into the tank.  Marilyn Roemer was brave enough to walk up and punch the target!  Be careful, Marilyn.....he knows where you live. 

 

Battle of the Sexes Poker Tournament

Tuesday was the second annual Battle of the Sexes Texas Hold'em tournament. Don't be fooled by Elaine Moore's gentle sweet friendly nature as she is a killer at the poker tables!  This is Elaine's second tournament win this week!  Congratulations, Elaine. 

Ron came in second.

Elaine had her own personal cheering section to keep her motivated.

Who says poker is a serious game?  Evidently, Harry wasn't sure if he should play on the men's team or the women's team with that shirt.

Here's Ron raking in some of his second place chips.

 

More Tournament Winners

Congratulations to Larry Sugg (center), the 2012 Omaha Hold'Em High/Lo Tournament Champion! Also, congratulations to Dreen Blocher our 2nd place finisher and Diane Reese who finished 3rd! Certainly a lot of skill and a little LUCK were involved in achieving these coveted finishes.

Thank you, Julie Langwell, for sending this in.
I love this sudden influx of photos and articles from different groups.  Glad to see we have more star reporters among us. 

Shuffleboard

The only times I've played shuffleboard were on the deck of a cruise ship sailing through the ocean until early this season when Don and I decided to give it a try here at the park.  While it is the same game as it was on the ship, it certainly isn't the same top notch quality we find here at Palm Creek.  Here the courts are highly maintained, dusted, waxed, and prepped before playing every day.  You barely have to push that puck before it goes sailing way down to the other end.  We soon learned we were truly amateurs at the sport as it takes a practiced touch to get the disk to land in the squares at the end of the court.  Is it fun??  You bet it is!

All the folks we met at the courts were super friendly and encouraged us to join them at play.  Give it a try.  You don't need a partner to go with you as teams are formed by the luck of the draw.  You'll soon have a whole new circle of friends and another opportunity to enjoy our beautiful Arizona weather.  Thank you, Irene Clise, for sending these photos.  Shuffle on!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Card Tournament Winners

Results of the 5th annual Wednesday night Texas Hold'em championship game have been announced.

Congratulations to Elaine Moore who is the first woman ever to be champion!  Second place went to Larry Sugg.

 

In order to enter the championship games, you must win 1st place on a Wednesday night Texas hold 'em night to be eligible to enter.  This year there were 34 qualifiers & 27 entries.

Fun was had by all!

Curve-Billed Thrasher

Okay.....you non bird-watchers may think we're obsessed, but it is exciting for me to get my own photo this morning of the thrasher....and I just used my little Canon point and shoot camera. I'm excited!

 

Palm Creek's Triathlon

Ten participants endured the Second Annual Itsy Bitsy Palm Creek TRIATHLON on Saturday, March 10.  Three men and seven women braved the strong wind and cool temperatures while participating in a 200-yard swim, a 3.1 mile bike ride, and a 3/4 mile run.  This is approximately one fourth of a regular sprint triathlon.  Congratulations to all for finishing.  Thanks to all the volunteers and spectators who cheered them on.  Denise Gaither had the best time of 25 minutes and 46 seconds.  Participants received trophies in different age divisions.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thank you, Skip Emrson, for submitting the article and photos!  We need more reporters like this.

More about "Woodie" and friends

WOW!!!  Thank you, George Edwards, for sending these fantastic photos of our Acorn Woodpeckers!  George must have a very high tech camera to capture shots like this!  Awesome!

When I first posted a couple bird pictures on this blog, I didn't realize that so many people would enjoy them as much as I do.  It's exciting to walk through the resort and have people stop me to talk about a recent story or contribute photos like this.  Thank you one and all for your contributions and encouragement to keep writing!

 

 

 

 

This is an AWESOME shot of the white wing patches!

 

 

George also captured some great shots of this curve-billed thrasher.  This bird may be drab in color but has a very distinctive audio song.  If you hear him, any bird watcher would immediately start looking around to try and spot him.  He loves to "thrash" around near the ground to catch insects and usually nests in cholla cactus (which he won't find in Palm Creek!). 

 

 

Thanks again, George, for the great photos!