Summer is halfway over and we still haven't caught up and even got to rest!!!  The days are just flying by!!  We had a great time in Atlanta, then at Accent on Rounds, rushed back to Texas and took off for the RV factory in Harrisburg, OR.  Luckily we took the cooler northern route, because our RV's dash air conditioner died enroute!!!  The RV ended up staying at the factory for 24 days, but at least it is all in working order now!  We did enjoy several dance events during the home maintenance period - Salem with the Juhrings, Butterfly Ball, and our beloved time at McCloud!!  We still managed a short visit with Jarkowski's and Cousin's in Idaho and we've almost made it to the Minneapolis/St Paul area where we'll leave our coach while we fly hither & thither.

Check out my pictures on our Webshots site!
 

Visit with Jarkowski's & Cousin's - Well our dear friends bought a fabulous cabin overlooking Bear Lake in Idaho.  They invited us to stop in and we would not miss it!  Wow!!!!  Wonderful time!  Already trying to figure out how to get back there for a longer visit!  Sure glad they have a rough winter there, or we might loose them from Mesa to that gorgeous setting!

McCloud, CA - Can't rave enough about this awesome dance place and event.  Of course it's no secret that we think Bill & Carol are the greatest, so to spend a glorious week dancing and taking lessons from them is always the highlight of our summer.  We almost missed it this year because our RV was stuck at the factory - luckily for us, friends stepped up and let us stay with them in their rental home.  It was wonderful and we definitely owe them big time!!!!  Besides the dancing, we enjoyed the Shasta Dinner Train again.  Think we'll make that an annual event!

Spokane, WA - Wish we had had the time to be in this gorgeous country with all our friends in our RV instead a quick trip in by air!  The weekend was great fun for us.  Great to see so many of our Mesa friends in their own hometown!  Enjoyed see Jack & Judy DeChenne.  It's always fun to be a part of a sold out event!

Salem, OR - We're beginning to feel like family in Salem.  We've got so many friends there and John & Suzette treat us like we're special to boot!!  What a combination!  It was great to see Bill & Charlie Coldiron and see that they are dancing as well as ever!  I got to go shopping with the girls!!  It was fantastic.

Fontana Village, NC - Don't have enough time or space to describe this fantastic week.  I am not kidding!!  Put this bi annual event on your calendar and get here!  4 teacher couples with dancing 3 times daily for a week.  This year it even included a boat ride on Fontana Lake as a relaxing afternoon playtime!  We loved every minute of it.  For us, it's perfect because we not only get to teach and George gets to cue, but in our time off, we get to take the teaches from the other working couples!!!  A win win situation for us!  AND, lots of folks there like to have after parties!!  Heaven!!  If you want to hear a funny story from a first time Fontana visitor, look up Toni Paull or Paulette Lassage - just don't tell them that I was the one that clued you in!!!! 

Atlanta, GA - Flew into the Atlanta Airport and headed straight to the Gupton's weekly class!  Had a ball dancing with these folks, some old friends and some new ones!  Gene & Doreen Thornton took care of us and we enjoyed a great time with them.  Really are lucky to know such wonderful people!  Did a little sight seeing around Atlanta (Atlanta Aquarium was great), and enjoyed hearing Doreen's Sweet Adeline group at their annual performance.

Mid-Tex Jamboree in Austin, TX - Drove down to Austin for a weekend of Mainstream/Plus by Tim Tyl and we got to do a Phase 3/4 Workshop.  We stayed with Jerry & Lucy Pate and it was a great weekend.  We were surprised by a friend from Alaska (she's moved to San Antonio), a friend from Mesa (she's moved to SE Texas) and a couple from Dallas.  Really fun!!

Family time in Northeast Texas - We enjoyed birthday parties, a visit to my Aunt & cousins in Texarkana, Mother's Day, and just lots of fun regular dinners with both brothers, my sister-in-law, and my parents of course.  We also got to attend a weekly dance workshop session with Ezelle's Rounders and one square dance and another round dance evening.  All in all, it was wonderful and too short.

Saguaro National Park & Kartchner Caverns - Didn't have a huge amount of time, but enjoyed 2 full relaxing days to sight see and tour the caves.  Very enjoyable.  Must go back again and tour one of the other rooms.  George got to purchase his Lifetime pass to the National Parks.  How about that!!

Star Fest 2008 - George got to help Curt cue.  The weekend was wonderful.  Great way to finalize a great season. 

Palm Springs Spectacular - Awesome as usual!  2 fabulous dances and great times dancing!  Can't loose if you get to take teaches from Bill & Carol Goss!!!!

HOUSTON FIESTA - Wow!!!!!  This was a wonderful weekend!!!  We were very lucky and the flights there and back were smooth and on time!  We had so much fun with all our "old" Texas friends and made some new ones too!  Just love getting to visit Texas.  Didn't get up north to visit family (flew in on Friday and back to Mesa on Sunday - had to get back for the evening dance!!!), but felt closer to them anyway!  Mark & Pam and their club -Prow's Proud Pride - treated us like royalty and we enjoyed every second of it!

EGYPT and the Nile - This trip was the experience of a life time!  I still can't believe we were really there!  Read about it and look at a few of the 2000 pictures I took by clicking here!!

San Diego Fiesta!! - Drove over on Friday, and danced the night away.  Saw lots of great friends and enjoyed a great evening.  Saturday was a blur.  We were at the Balboa Center (either at the gym or the fabulous Balboa Park Club from 9:30am until 10:30pm.  Whew!!  Long day!  Thoroughly enjoyed teaching in the Balboa Park Club - don't think we've ever taught in a more beautiful venue!  If you ever get a chance to dance there - don't miss it!!  The people in California rival Texas in their friendly attitude!!  It was a fantastic event!  We rushed back to Mesa on Sunday to our own Sunday night dance!

URDC, Joplin, MO - URDC was spectacular this year!!!!!  We really enjoyed all the teaches, including the education seminars.  The way they are spotlighting certain rhythms is quite a nice idea.  We had a great time teaching our Argentine Tango and even got a standing ovation!  That sure made us get the big head!!  Heard lots of MOO's from our growing herd.  Pretty funny what Mark & Pam started for us!!  As to important issues:  1) Laurann is the Hall of Fame dance for this year!!!  Very very nice!  Happy to have that happen!  2) URDC has now got a new name!  There was an overwhelming vote to change the name to International Choreographed Ballroom Dance Association (ICBDA).  There are some legal aspects that have to be taken care of and we'll still call ourselves Round Dancers, but this was the first step in a plan to bring our beloved hobby into the here and now!!  Sure hope we can start to grow again!  3)  The San Antonio Convention for next year had a date change, it will be July 3 - 6, 2008  4)  We voted to allow video taping of 2 dances with everyone on the floor.  These 2 dances will be on the professional Showcase DVD/Videotape from the convention and will be used to help advertise!  The 2 dances were Laurann and Fine Brown Frame!!!  We were soooooooo excited!  So that's the highlights, it was really a fun week, plan on being in San Antonio next year!!!!  

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This site was last updated 06/28/2008