Rebel’s/ Dillo’s Wine and Cheese Party and Arctic Dive “IS STILL ON”

The Scubadillos will join with the Diving Rebels and any other interested divers and non-divers for the annual Arctic Dive/Wine and Cheese Contest on February 24–25, 2018. This event will take place at the Marietta Landing campground area at Lake Murray State Park about 24 miles north of the Texas border and 7 miles northeast of Marietta, OK. Hopefully, this year we will be blessed with good weather like we experienced last year and not stymied by a blizzard like we had in 2015.

There will be a number of activities associated with the outing. For those hardy souls with thick wet suits and with dry suits, the pool (lake) will be open for diving. We’ll dive on an ad hoc basis, with no certain times scheduled for diving. Talk to other Diving Rebels or Scubadillos who will be diving, and coordinate your dive schedule with them.

As in previous years, we’ll have a silent auction throughout the day on Saturday during which participants can bid on that item that is missing from their dive gear inventory or that is needed for a backup. If you have gear that has been lying dormant in your garage or storage shed and you’d like to have your dive club reap the revenue gained by the sale of that item, please consider donating it for the silent auction. We’ll note the donor’s club on each item, and that club will receive the money generated by the sale. You can bring items on Saturday, February 25, or, if you won’t be able to attend the outing but would like to donate nonetheless, you can bring them to either the Scubadillos’ or Diving Rebels’ January or February meeting or contact Steve at (214)[masked] to arrange for them to be picked up. We anticipate that, as in past years, we’ll have some great items in the auction provided by one or more dive shops. Any unsold items will be rolled into the raffle drawing that we hold in the evening, which will also provide some great diving-related treasures for the taking. Our raffle will also include dive shop gift certificates and other general use dive-related items.

Rebel’s plan to serve a meal at about 5:00 pm, consisting of a main dish of pulled pork as well as side dishes and dessert. To assist in meal planning and preparation, we’re asking attendees to purchase tickets. Through February 18, each ticket costs $10. After that date and at the event, each ticket costs $15. You can obtain a ticket at the January or February club meetings and also by contacting Steve at (214)[masked]. I’ll hold your ticket if you can give me a firm commitment for attendance.

After dinner, we’ll start our wine and cheese contest. So scour your wine cellar or favorite liquor store to bring your best/worst red and white wines that will be judged by an erudite panel of vintner wannabes who will closely taste and scrutinize the entries for bouquet, flavor, clarity, and all such hoity-toity wine things. We’ll award “winner” gift certificates for first prize for the best red and white wines. We’ll also award a “loser” gift certificate for the worst wine. After the wine contest, we’ll choose the best cheese, and the winner will also win a gift certificate (no entries for worst cheese, please!!). We need judges for both contests, so if you are not a contest participant or related to a contest participant and would like to judge, please let me know.

Assuming and hoping that there won’t be a fire ban, we’ll plan to have a rip-roaring bonfire going most of the day and well into the night. So if you have some wood/old fencing that you would like to rid yourself of, please consider bringing it along. I plan to bring my typical trailer load of wood.

Those wishing to spend the night at the park have several options. Rooms at the Lake Murray Lodge as well as cabins are available for rental. To reserve a cabin or a room at the lodge, call toll free (800)[masked] or direct line (580)[masked] (Lake Murray State Park http://www.stateparks.com/lake_murray.html). Trailer and tent camping is available on a first come, first served basis. The three maps below provide directions to Lake Murray and the Marietta Landing campground.

THIS IS AN EASY DAY TRIP. ONLY 1:30-2:00 FROM DALLAS.