August Meeting – International  Peace Gardens
August 18-20, 2006

Attendees:
Hosts John & Helen, Mark & Anne
Special guests Guy, Marianne, Missy & Buddy, WIT Central Area Reps
            Marshall & Juanita, former WIT Centeral Area Reps
Guests Harlan & Pat (guests on Friday, members by Sunday!)
Jerry & Betty
Jane, Juan & Champ
Denis, Betty & Molly
Judy & Adam
John, Cathy & Snoopy

Friday
Campers arrived.  Host John assisted in parking
Dinner was served - quite a spread!  Hosts provided ham & chicken; sides and     desserts were provided in abundance by all.

Jerry conducted the business meeting.

Helen distributed "goodie bags" -   WOW!

Marshmallows roasted at the campfire for S’Mores, washed down with a little       wine, topped off the evening.

Saturday

Hosts served "Eggs in a Bag" for breakfast, amidst huge quantities of other          delectable foods.

The group headed for a self-tour of the Gardens.  It was an extravagantly              beautiful day for a walk in the park, and the Peace Gardens did not disappoint.     High points included the re-dedication ceremony for the Peace Poles, the             reflecting pond, the 9/11 memorial, the chapel, the bell tower, and the gift              shop!    

Many of the group gathered for lunch at the Park Cafe.

Ah, dinner.  The hosts grilled beef burgers, buffalo burgers and brats, with a          buffet of sides brought by all.

Part of the group took in a bit of the International Country Gospel Festival at         the auditorium; the rest stayed at the camp to fight off the flies.

Sunday

Hosts cooked up buttermilk and blueberry pancakes, with sausages.  But, for        anyone who wanted a little something more, there was more than a little to           choose from.

Everyone lined up for a group picture.

Cleanup was followed by breaking camp, hugs, and plans of meeting in Minot,       September 8-10, at the Swenson RV Park.

Thank you, Anne & Mark,  Helen & John, for a wonderful weekend!

Thanks also to the International Peace Gardens, for accommodating our group.

 
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NODAK FLICKERTAILS MINOT, NORTH DAKOTA CAMPOUT
SEPTEMBER 9-11, 2006

Nodak Flickertails gathered in Minot for the last campout of the season.  We met at Swenson's Valley View RV Park and were greeted with the Red Carpet Treatment. Jerry and Betty Nelson and Adam and Judy Leier hosted the campout.  Ten RVs were at the campout, 20 members and 1 guest.  The main part of Friday evening meal were 3 different kinds of grilled chicken breast, plain, barbecue and seasoned provided by the hosts and other members provided the side dishes to round out the meal including desserts.   The business meeting followed the dinner.  Camping suggestions are as follows:

No camping will be in May; June campout will be in Hettinger with hosts, Betty and Jerry and Dave and Dorothy.  July 15-20 is the Grand National Rally in Iowa so the meeting will be there for July.  August campout will be at Icelandic State Park near Cavalier and the hosts will be Colleen and Allen and Cathy and John.  Helen and John will help if needed. The September meeting will be at Ft. Ransom State Park with Joyce & Chris and Judy and Adam as hosts.

Saturday Morning greeted us with a temperature of 38 degrees.  Since we had a building for our activities, the eating facilities were great with a kitchenette provided.  Breakfast was as 9 a.m.  The hosts had several places lined up for the weekend to visit.  After breakfast we gathered back at the building on site at 11 a.m. to caravan to Pointe of View Winery, located about 10 minutes west of Minot in Burlington.  It is said to be North Dakota's first winery, which was established in 2002. The Winery sits on a hill, a spectacular view, overlooking the Souris Valley. Here, wines are made from native fruit and honey.  We also had a chance to taste a few of the tiny grapes that is used to make some of the wines. After the tour, members had an opportunity to taste test the apple, rhubarb, chokecherry and other wines before buying. Dakota made products were also readily available to buy.  When the tour was over there were 2 other places to go, either to the citywide flee market or the Dakota Territory Air Museum. Most of the women went to the sales around town and found time to stop for a cup of "Jo".  Of course the men went to the Air Museum located just north of the Minot International Airport. An employee of the museum greeted us and gave very detailed information about the first airplane flight. The museum displays a variety of civilian and military aircraft, and collections of aviation memorabilia.  After the tour we were on our own until 5 p.m. Three members of the group took a side trip to the Minot Air Force Base.

Sunday morning was special.  It was labeled "male bonding".  So just what was that?  It meant that the men worked diligently together and cooked breakfast for the women.  Breakfast was at 9 a.m.  The men cooked and served, eggs, sausage, toast, coffee, juice, hot homemade bread, sweet rolls, including the butter and Jelly.  They even cleaned up the kitchen!  During the breakfast it was suggested that at every campout, we should have a "male bonding" session.  The women agreed.  A group picture was taken after breakfast.

Saturday evening the group went to Michael's Restaurant, which offered Italian-American cuisine. We kept our waitress busy with 21 meals and beverages to order and serve.  After dinner the White Elephant Auction was held.  The auction is a fundraiser for the club.  The auctioneer was John Evans and received hand pats on the back for the excellent job he did.  A variety of gifts were beautifully wrapped especially, including the "sucker" and red potatoes.  Our special guest, David, bid on quite a few items and he brought joy and laughter during the bidding.

It was a fun weekend.  The weather was nice; the camaraderie superb, great gift bags with all kinds of goodies, and the hosts for the weekend were very accommodating.  YOU MISSED A GREAT OUTING IF YOU WERE NOT IN MINOT!