Byron Nelson Golf Tournament 2007

April 26-29, 2007

This was an exciting year for us as volunteers at the Byron Nelson Golf Tournament. (Pictured is our view of the 17th hole - where we work.)

Joni got her 20 year pin, even though this was her 21^st year. And Delton got a distinguished banner with his name on it, which was flown in the volunteer tent. Pictured we are standing in the volunteer tent under Delton’s banner. We were very surprised when we walked in on the first day of the tournament.

Also pictured are the Laser Volunteer committee chairmen, Charlene and Barbara. They are the best. They make us all feel very special. We look forward to seeing them every year.

Our job is to measure the distance each player hits the ball from the tee box to the hole. The information we gather is transmitted to the media and that is how the announcers know how far the ball has been hit and far they have to go to get it into the hole. We are located in a tower that stands about 10 feel high and use survey equipment to “shoot” the ball.

Pictured are Joni and Ron, Delton’s brother, in our tower. This is Ron’s 2^nd year to work the Byron and we’ve enjoyed having him work with us on our hole in our tower. Next to us is the CBS Sports tent.

Gulf Shores State Park, Alabama

April 12 - 15, 2007

We visited Gulf Shores in 2002, before we started full timing. It was one of the most beautiful parks we visited, with tall pine trees, in a heavily wooded area on a lake, and 1/4 mile from the Gulf of Mexico. It is only 100 miles east of Destin and the beaches are just as nice.

We met Diane and Ken at Top Sail in Destin and they were on their way to Gulf Shores, so we said we'd meet them there. We parked across the street from each other. We were shocked when we pulled into the park and saw the devastation left from Hurricane Ivan. The trees were GONE! It looked like a desert with just sticks for trees. Our BEFORE picture, taken in 2002, is just a few RV sites away from the site where Ken and Diane parked. Notice all the trees in the before picture.

The destruction was caused mostly by the flooding rather than the wind of the hurricane. The water rose about 14 feet and covered the area. The salt water killed all the vegetation and trees. The park only recently reopened and will take a long time to return to the beauty that it once was.

Top Sail State Park - Destin, Florida

April 2 – 12, 2007

On our way back to Texas we decided to stop at TopSail State Park in Destin. We had stayed there on our way to Florida in the fall and loved it. It’s beautiful.

Sue and Fred Beeman are park hosts at Top Sail and we liked each other right away. One of their jobs was to drive the shuttle back and forth from the park to the beach - 7/10s of a mile. Pictured are Sue and Fred in front of their shuttle.

We met Peggy and Marion (and Larry, who is not pictured). They were parked next to us and we enjoyed getting to know each other.

Also, in our backyard, was our friend, the alligator.

It was a cold week, which was disappointing, but we made the best of it. Playing tennis, walking the beach and biking kept us busy.

Ocean Resorts At a Glance

April 1, 2007


We have finally left Ocean Resorts. We have made some very good friends over the last 6 months and will miss them all. Highlights of our winter include: tennis, kayaking, golf, bridge, beach, Bible Study, biking and Mom. Please excuse any repeats from previous stories, but we've tried to summarize our stay in Ocean Resorts.

Our RV site was outstanding. Pictured is our view. Being able to see the ocean from our windows was great. Notice the boardwalk leading to the beach, right across the street from our spot.



Being on the beach for 6 months was like being in paradise, for Joni anyway. Shown are Nancy and Anita playing scrabble while enjoying the sun, surf and sand.


Tennis was a learning experience. Delton took some private lessons from Jean Smith and together we took some doubles lessons. Jean and her husband Emery became good friends. We loved the daily matches and ALL the tournaments.

Nancy White is Joni’s Italian friend. She could “almost” keep up with her energy level, but not quite…… Joni tried to tire her out as best she could!!!!!!!! Nancy's the one in the beach picture - in the chair on the right side.

Delton enjoyed his golf game twice a week, especially getting his first “hole in one”.

Our extended stay allowed Delton to teach his 12 week Bible Class. Everyone learned about the Book of Revelation and now have a deeper understanding of prophesy.

And, most importantly, Mom is feeling better and is getting her life back to normal. Our weekly overnight visits with lots of love and caring mixed in, have allowed Mom to get back on her feet again. It was very very hard for us to leave the area. We will see Mom again real soon through…..at Jim and Barbara’s wedding on June 1…..in New York.

And now….we’re on our way back to Texas.