TO THE BEST CLASS, THE CLASS OF 61The 33rd edition of the Odell Lake Extravaganza has now come to pass!!!!!!!!We had our usual GREAT TIME!!! 4 inches of snow couldn't diminish our fun and frolic. However it did curtail some of our activities.We started with the dysfunctional meeting on Tuesday at the Prime Time. A group of 17 classmates including all the way from Newport, Bill Guempelein, from Redmond Darrell Linklater, from Foster, Jack McCreary and all the way from Eugene, Mike Bebout!!!!!!! You imagine a few brews were imbibed as we laid our plans for a golfing, fishing, game playing and generally a great weekend.We met at Manley's at Crescent to get the ball rolling. Jack Starmer, from Joseph, was there to greet us!! In rolled Larry Bruhn and Jack McCreary who had gotten up way before dawn to try their luck at Diamond Lake.....ALAS, NO LUCK. Dave Love was the BIG WINNER on the video poker machines with Richard Tennent, Jim Thompson, Mel Paxton and Jim Baumgartner showing modest to good gains!!!!!! Bob Jorgensen came all the way from Turlock, Ca and was his usual great asset for our extravaganza. We were fortunate to have two Rookies for this trip, Royce Kirk from Prineville and Ed Cole from Portland. It was great to have this new blood in our camp!!!!!!On to THE KOKANEE LODGE where we readied up for a scrumptious barbecued steak dinner. The potato king was Bill Guempelein with Dave Hollandsworth on Garlic Bread and Dave Love creating saladsThe golfers, Merwin Logan, Darrell Linklater and Fred Dellinger entered the fracas, but little was said of their prowess on the links. A little poker and other card games carried us thru the evening. Dave Sears was the poker guru giving lessons to the likes of Bill Erickson and yours truly. Jack Hathaway and Russell Harris held sway at 31 with Fred Dellinger coming in second (something he isn't used to) every game!!!!We were surprised with 4 inches of snow in the morning but went right along on our merry way. Brian Whitlow and the indominatible John Harper showed early to be day campers with us. They came early to enjoy the breakfast buffet provided by Dick Jones, Eric Skinner, John Hales and whoever I omitted....Roger Hansen stopped by and regaled us with lots of stories, some might even be true!!!! I remember Roger being quiet and shy.... I obviously have CRS!!!!With the lottery at $150 million we all chipped in for a pot of $120 to make our fortune. Our return did not put us on the Forbes 500 fortune list, a meager $14...... WHAT TO DO WITH THIS GIGANTIC AMOUNT OF MONEY!!!!!!!!!!Oh well, we had a great burger lunch grilled by Chef Jack Hathaway, delicious baked beans by Wayne Compton and chips by Lays. Those beans were to provide dividends for us later!!!!!!!Richard Tennent put out his fit for a king Salmon and halibut spread for dinner with the afore said assistant chefs doing their thing!!!!!! After dinner the poker game was on. Sears was winning until Guempelein whined Dave Sears out of his lucky quarter and couldn't lose. Bob Jorgensen and Richard Tennent were up and down with Hollandsworth, Baumgartner and Erickson mostly down!!!!!The next morning another splendid breakfast buffet from our honored chefs and then, on to the awards....... The coveted GRIZ FISH AWARD was given to Larry Bruhn and Jack McCreary because they actually went fishing!!!! They wouldn't accept the award because they never had a bite!! The sorriest ------- fisherman award was garnered by Royce Kirk for losing his fishing rigging while not even fishing, Quite an accomplishment!!!!!!!! The nominees for THE PAIN IN THE ASS AWARD were Jim Baumgartner, Fred Dellinger, whom I thought should have won. But John Harper, in only one short day was his usual eloquent, quiet and humble self to win in a landslide. CONGRATS JOHN!!!!THE 34TH ANNUAL ODELL LAKE EXTRAVAGANZA WILL BE HELD AT THE USUAL PLACES ON MAY 20TH, 21ST AND 22ND 2011. COME AGAIN AND BRING OTHER CLASSMATES!!!!!!!!! WE SINCERELY HOPE ALL WHO ATTENDED HAD A GREAT TIME, WERE NOT DEEPLY OFFENDED BY ANYONE OR ANYTHING, AND PLAN ON ATTENDING IN 2011!!!!!!!!!Any comments or ideas you have to improve our weekend, please keep them to yourself! NO, SERIOUSLY, IF YOU HAVE SUGGESTIONS, PLEASE CONTACT EITHER DAVE SEARS at dlsears@bendcable.com OR JIM BAUMGARTNER at jbaum43@qwestoffice.net
