"The Palm Tree Bikers" are back...sort of!

Well, almost! We're still waiting on a couple of members, Bill and Angela, and they should be arriving in a day or two. In any case our ridership is just about topped off. Twenty-five riders, spouses and friends enjoyed the loops of Fort Wilderness and/or a lunch at "The Wave."

 

Pete and Joan are enjoying a cruise so Jim and Judy picked up the reins for a seamless transfer of power and leadership. Judy managed the roster roll-call while Jim provided suggestions so that our group of eighteen riders and seven add-ons for lunch enjoyed the day.

We formed up in front of the registration building and split into two groups; one led by Larry and one by Jim. One group was supposed to be the "fast group" and the other the "slow group." Actually, seeing as we past each other a couple of times, I'd say speed wasn't a big factor for this ride.

 

Here we are "meeting" and "passing" along the loops.

I'm sorry I didn't get a photo of the "Pet Pig" a camping guest was walking about one of the loops. That certainly would have been a "headliner!"

Both Jim and Larry did an awesome job leading our groups. No one ran over us and we didn't run over anybody!

 

I think we can all agree the highlight of the day was our boat ride from the Fort wilderness beach to the Wave. Our Captain, Clark, started us out with a notice that "Gummy Bears" will assure your ride to The Contemporary. That set Judy and Jim into scheming about the ride back.

 

 Ah lunch! On this day, twenty three out of twenty-five attendees ordered the Reuben. Jack and Rose were the two renegades!

Our favorite hostess, Betty was off but Mel and Brian had our tables all decked out and Mel introduced us to their newest Manager, Andrey. It turns out that Larry and Judy know Andrey and we were provided a terrific welcome to lunch.

It took but a couple of minutes to get our group into some semblance of order for the "Official" group photo....

 

Hold it! I think you're going to like this picture.

Then, as we broke up we caught sight of Judy walking to us from The Contemporary. What, she missed our "Official" group photo????

That just can't be....

so we just have to settle for this one.....

She was on a mission. "The Gummy Bear" caper!

Remember, Clark? Well, Judy purchased a bag of "Gummy Bears" as a "ticket" for our return ride with Clark.

 We had our plans outlined as to just how we were going to spring the bag on him. However, he remembered our group and hit us with the "Gummy Bears fee" and this time Judy was at the ready.

She presented him our wayfare and totally caught him off-guard.

 Anyone who rode with us to and from our port of entry and departure had a grand time. Clark was completely caught off guard and everyone had a terrific cruise....even if it did cost Jim and Judy a bag of "Gummy Bears!"

 

 

A trio of Marathoners joined us for our final leg of our boat ride back to the Fort Wilderness Beach. The trio proudly displayed their metals of the event. The one gentleman of the trio had a "Dopey" metal which means he entered all of the events of the weekend.

Judy congratulated them and we all got to learn a little more about the Disney Marathons from a runners point of view. All of you may recall that our very own Judy is also a Disney Marathoner. Stay tuned this year Judy will be running a shorter Marathon with her granddaughter.

 

It's safe to say the 2013-14 "Snowbird" season is well underway.

 

Activities, parks, dining out, you know, all those things we do down here while everyone back home is still thinking all we do is sit on the porch in our rocking chairs waiting for time to pass!