2022 FLOAT TRIP

Forty-five of the family braved the oppressive heat to spend time cooking, eating, visiting and playing in the Niangua River together. Arrivals on Tuesday evening set up in the southern pavilion and got the camp kitchen going. Matt & Rick and Jeanne had campers and everyone else had cabins in the Village. Both Emerson and Becca were got deep bruises from the oak picnic table; and Rick’s truck was also “bruised” by an oak tree. Oak does not accommodate movement.

Wednesday Linda took most of the children, Bonny took more, Deborha, Anna, Jeremy and Cora all spent part of the day in Lebanon. The rest gathered up and went to sit and play in the river. By supper time we had added the Simmons and their group of 3 more camping units. With the heat we voted to start the float 2 hours earlier this year and were on the river on Thursday morning by 9 AM–it was so cool and a very easy float. Amy was the only dog floating but 6 more were back at camp (Banjo, Butters, Grandpa, Benny, Cloe, and black dog). The most fun according to the experts (the kids) was running up the gravel bar, jumping in swift water, and bobbing down the rapids till one of the grown up-kid-catchers helped you get to shallow enough water to get back on your feet so you could run back up the gravel bar and jump in again! We ate lunch at the mud bank and watched the jumpers dive into the river.

Some ended their float at NRO and some went on down to Maggards (the take out point was changed this year) but no one told Garret and he went a bit farther and had to paddle up stream. Tuesday was spiral ham; Wednesday pulled pork and old settler beans; Thursday was hamburgers, chicken, brauts and hot dogs. Desserts were watermelon, fruit pizza, strawberry shortcake, cookies, cake, cupcakes for Kate’s birthday.