Labor Day 1989

Shady Beach, Noel, MO.  Thompsons and Terry Mitchell were the only ones to bring campers.  Donna was introduced to the family.  

1990

NRO, Niangua River.   Jeanne & Wayne both had campers and the HILL astounded everyone.  Jeanne arrived first with kids from church camp.  When the rain hit, all the tent people piled in campers and Ruth unintentionally made the headlights.

1991

Corkery Campground, Niangua River.  Ruth set up the float.  Albert brought Marjorie & Roy’s camper.  We hated being charged for showers.  And some of us went to NRO to the store anyway and dealt with The Hill.

1992

Shady Beach, Noel, MO.  Lightning hit the well house with us camped next to the well house.  Thompson's attended church where Steve preached in West Fork.  Kathy cleaned closets and she shared her clothes with any who wanted an item. The float lasted forever and ever. 

1993

NRO, Niangua River.  Mother & Dad and Linda and David rented campers.  Roy and Marjorie came, too and we camped near the branch.  A teenaged frog practiced his song most of the night.

1994

NRO, Niangua River.  We had more campers with Vic and Julie joining us and Aunt Cleora to watch baby Sam.  Adam got a splinter that his mother removed.

1995

NRO, Niangua River.  Rather than going south from the store, this year we went north.  We camped on the point of the north campground along the river and enjoyed walking to flush bathrooms.  Before we had been too far to walk to the shower house.  Jay brought an RV with air conditioning and ran the generator to help Mother cope with the heat.

1996

NRO, Niangua River.  This was Garret’s debut.  And it was also the year of the mud.  We couldn’t get the “point” campground so we took a grassy one further south.  Big rain, big mistake.

1997

NRO, Niangua River.  Linda Punch planned the float trip and she requested and got the pavilion!  Wow!  We were right downtown now and directly across from the flushes!  Punch's rented an RV that had ventilation problems.  Mother and Dad now had the Land Yacht.

1998

NRO, Niangua River.  We were back in the pavilion and worked over the electricity to run the air conditioner.  

1999

NRO, Niangua River.  The pavilion was taken so we camped just south of the bathrooms.  We had tarps up on both sides of the road.  This was the first float for Tess, Jalen and Garret.   Uncle Roy was very ill.  It was hard to "play" since he was so sick back in Bolivar.

2000

NRO, Niangua River.  This was the year Judy and Randy’s son brought his army buddies and Judy had to go to ER to get one of them sewed up after a fight on the river.

2001

NRO, Niangua River.   We barbequed a deer that Steve had killed with the hay bind.  Andy was walking among us after his spring jeep wreck.

2002

NRO, Niangua River.  This was the first mid week float.  All Jeanne’s kids were there.  Grandpa started doing the cooking due to Mother’s health.  It was Anna Grace’s first trip and the electric service to the pavilion had been upgraded and ran both air conditioners.  Thompson’s had borrowed a large 5^th wheel.

2003

NRO, Niangua River.  Grandma and Grandpa resumed actually floating again!  Her health improved with the reduction of medicine after the ablation of her heart.  Nita was a new bride.  Allen, Adam and Terry missed.  Allen was installing storm cellars, Adam was en route to Afghanistan, Terry in nursing school.

2004

NRO, Niangua River.  The year of the children.  We had 20 less than 10 years old.  The river was dry, but the day was rainy.  We had to float down from NRO to the Rendezvous Point.