Cookout THIS WEEKEND! Time now set!

Outdoor adventurers, I hope the photos I've been posting have generated some interest in the cookout! We now have a time set and all the details confirmed. The cookout will be on Saturday, May 9 (as planned) from 1-5 PM. Meet us at Drury in the FSC circle (by the fountains) at 1 PM to carpool to the place. We are requiring sign-ups, so if you want to come, you must RSVP! You can do so by talking to me.

Check out my previous posts for more details on this event. It's going to be a ton of fun. Please consider attending if you can make it!

More Previews of Coming Attractions

And now, presenting more photos of previous excursions to Jude Ranch! Be sure to come with us on Saturday, May 9 if you can free your schedule. Please feel free to comment on these posts whether you're able to attend the event or not!


This photo should give you an idea of how close the cooking area is to the beautiful woods and lakes. There is plenty to explore! Shown here is our equipment person emeritus, Jim.


Ring the bell for supper time!


Equipment person, faculty sponsor, and anonymous affable canine walking around one of the lakes.


Just one example of the many beautiful wildflowers that will be in bloom when we go!

Hope to see you there!

Getting burned by schoolwork? Come burn some hot dogs in vengeance!

Hello Outdoor Explorers! We have scheduled our end-of-semester cookout for Saturday, May 9 at Jude Ranch.

This will be a fun and laid-back but awesome event. Free food, free fun, hanging out, the chance to explore a beautiful woods, lots of streams, big waterfalls, neat lodge, the whole place to ourselves! What more could you ask for?

Jude Ranch is located in Rogersville, Missouri, just outside Springfield. It is the private property of Drury president Todd Parnell. I told you that it was a beautiful place. Now I intend to prove it!

Yes, it's a bridge over a lake with a waterfall. How much more scenic can you get?

Looking out across one of the lakes of Jude Ranch. On the other side, you see an Outdoor Club explorer and one of the super-friendly dogs of the ranch.

This is the awesome lodge. We can take shelter here if it rains. Off to the right of this photo is the cookout area, here partially blocked by a hill and greenery.

And here is the actual cookout area. You can see the lodge right behind it. Excuse the antics of our faculty sponsors.

Hanging out in the cookout area with one of the super-friendly and ever-present dogs.

Another view across the lake, with more ODC explorers off in the distance.

In the woods, a waterfall cascades down a sheer cliff face.

And I stand before it in all its poetic glory.

Well, what do you say? Are you convinced yet that this is an amazing place? I do hope some of you Editing and Publishing crew want to come hang out with us on May 9!

Pictures from Float Trips of Previous Years

Hello outdoor adventurers... First of all, we will probably have to cancel the float trip due to lack of interest. But if we suddenly get 10 or more people interested, we can probably do it. If we get enough interest, that will happen this weekend, on Saturday, April 25. I thought I'd show you some pictures from previous float trips to maybe get people interested or show you what you'll be missing out on.

Here are our two faculty sponsors on the Hootentown River in Fall 2006. Dr. R at the back end is no longer a sponsor, but Dr. L at the front still is.

The water was fine, so I had a swim. Please excuse the crazy hair.

This photo is from the Spring 2006 trip to the Buffalo River. Yes, people were cliff diving into the water. It's deeper than it looks from this angle!

Hootentown, fall 2005.

Buffalo, Spring 2007.

Our last float trip was in April 2008, but I can't seem to find any pictures of that event. I did not go, at any rate.

So, we will probably not have the float trip this weekend because no one seems interested. The Club is at a sad state, or we are all too busy with end-of-semester stuff. I know I am.

Since no one expressed any interest in the cookout either, we have chosen a date of May 9. This will be advertised in my next post.

Your President is Peeved.

As you know, we had a climbing trip scheduled for yesterday. I showed up in the FSC circle shortly before 6:00, the appointed meeting time, and waited for the drivers to show up. (I know that at least two people who said they were coming had cars and had driven the carpools to Petra in the past.) The drivers never showed up. My first thought was that they had all left early and left without me. But no, as it turns out, NO ONE showed up to Petra except the faculty sponsor, who drove there on her own (and told the group beforehand that that's what she was going to do). We had created a Facebook event for this trip, and 8 other people said they were coming. Apparently, 8 people--including two officers--flaked out without telling anyone.

I was looking forward to a happy post-event update with some photos and reminders of things to come. Now, I need to write a not-so-happy e-mail to my fellow officers so we can sort through whatever organizational issues led to this mess. Sorry for the lack of exciting times. But, I can still post reminders for upcoming events. We'll have to require sign-ups so people will actually show up.

Saturday, April 25 - Float Trip, Niangua River
I still have to call and set the details of this trip, such as the location (second choice is the Buffalo River). This will be an all-day event. If you want to know what a float trip is all about, please see my earlier posts, "Take Me to the River!" and "Drop Me in the Water! (Wait, Do Fish Pee in There?)"
Sign-ups WILL be required.

Saturday, May 2 OR Saturday, May 9 - Cookout at Jude Ranch
Evening event
See my previous post for more details. If you want to come and have a preference between these two dates, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE tell me which date would work better for you. Come on, someone must be interested in this. Free food, free fun, hanging out, the chance to explore a beautiful woods, lots of streams, big waterfalls, neat lodge, the whole place to ourselves!
Sign-ups WILL be required.

I was glad to see some of the Editing and Publishing crew at the range trip. I hope some of you are interested in these upcoming events too. They're just as fun as playing with guns and even less intimidating. But they'll be a lot less fun, and I'll be a lot more intimidating, if no one expresses any interest.

Wanna Have a Cookout? Just Say When!

Hey outdoor explorers! Here is a friendly reminder about our next two events. You should already know about them from previous posts. But wait, there's more! Maybe YOU can help us plan our next event.

Climbing at Petra Gym
Monday, April 13 (the day after Easter)
6 PM - 9 PM

Floating/Canoeing at the Niangua River
Saturday, April 25
Times/details TBA (See my previous post for what you may need on a float trip)

So, those events you already know about... But what about our traditional end-of-year barbecue? If you, dear reader, want to come, then we want to work around your schedules.

End-of-Semester Cookout at Jude Ranch
Date: Whenever YOU want!
Saturday is the most convenient day of the week for all us Outdoor Club officers to have a cookout, but it should really be whatever works best for our fearless explorers. Here are some possible dates:

• Saturday, April 18
  
• Saturday, May 2
• Saturday, May 9
  

I put the 18th on there to give a wider range of choices, but if we do it then, we'll be having 3 events within 2 weeks. That sounds a little crazy to me! We normally like to have a week to advertise before trips and get the word out. The event would be easiest to coordinate for early May. Which of the two weekends before finals works best for everyone? Please leave a comment to let me know, if you are interested in attending, of course.

So, what is this cookout all about? It will be a very casual get-together that does NOT require any strenuous activity or mad skillz. We're just gonna hang out and grill up some burgers, brats, hot dogs, and veggiemeats for herbivores like me. A good time will be had by all.

And let me tell you, Jude Ranch is a beautiful place. It's actually President Parnell's land, but he will let us borrow it. For cookouts in the past, we have just gone to local parks and used the grills and benches. We thought that was a good setup, but then we discovered the Ranch. Once you go Jude, you never go--uh--you never go back. Darnit. (Once you go Jude, you never go nude? Well, naked cookouts sure sound like a bad idea...) Aha! Until you go Jude, you haven't really barbecued. Or something like that.

Jude Ranch is a gorgeous natural area with lots of woods to explore, huge ponds stocked with fish (bring some poles if you'd like), and rock cliffs complete with waterfalls. Yes, waterfalls. There are many beautiful wildflowers that should be in full bloom when we go. You can explore in the woods if you want, or you can just hang around by the fire pits and enjoy your cookout from a lawn chair. The huge grill and fire pits are located in a nice little outdoor patio with plenty of sitting room. And right next to that is a guest lodge, designed for indoor gatherings when the weather isn't so nice. It's just about the most amazing lodge ever. It has a very rustic design with natural wood paneling, rock slabs underfoot, and even a mini stream/waterfall setup inside. We will have complete run of the Ranch whenever we decide to have our cookout, and while we will spend all or most of that time outside, the lodge is still worth peeking into.

Things to watch out for: There may be ticks in the woods, so wear long pants. And there are two or three dogs that enjoy the run of the place even when there are no people around. They're super friendly and harmless, but they may be hard to fend off if you don't want them near you.

I think that about covers it. I'll look through my Outdoor Club photos and try to find some good ones of this place (as well as pics from our float trips so you can get a feel for those too).

If you are interested in attending this cookout, please leave a comment here letting me know which date would work best for you!

Drop Me in the Water! (Wait, do fish pee in there?)

So, what is a float trip all about? It's all about fun, that's what! Grab a canoe and a partner (or a kayak and your awesome solo self) and enjoy a relaxing float down a beautiful river. Yes, fish might just pee in there. (Where else would they go?) If you object to that, as does our "fearless" faculty sponsor Dr. L, then try not to fall overboard.

Here are some Things You Need on a float trip.

• Clothes that can get wet. Please tell me this one is self-evident. The rivers should be clean enough to swim in, so feel free to wear a bathing suit under some old clothes.
  
• Clothes that can get muddy. It's not always smooth sailing down any river, unfortunately. We may just have to wade in shallow places. If you absolutely have to wear your finery, hope for a lot of rain in the preceding weeks so the river is nice and deep.
• Close-toed shoes. The idea of wet feet inside wet shoes may not appeal to you, but I bet it sounds better than open-toed shoes floating away downstream or bleeding bare feet. (The rocks underwater are typically smooth and the mud typically covers them enough, but you should be prepared for anything.) If you jump in for a swim, you may want to take your shoes off, but make sure there's nothing too sharp underfoot before you do.
  
• A set of dry clothes and shoes to put on after you come off the river. Not strictly necessary, but it's a lot more fun to go home warm and dry than cold and clammy.
• A towel. Beach towel, bath towel, whatever.
  
• Plastic bags or other containers to store those things that should not get wet. I usually just go with the plastic shopping bags that everyone has lying around the house, but you may want something more waterproof, especially if you bring a camera.
• Life preserver. Everyone will get one along with the canoe rental; no need to bring your own. Will you need it? Not likely. Should you have it? Of course.
• Sunblock and bug spray. These things sort of go together in the category of surviving the elements. And they make those nifty two-in-one bottles. If you don't have any, no worries; the club will provide some.
• Oars - Again, please tell me this is self-evident. These come along with the canoe rental as well. You don't really need paddling experience. You should get the hang of it pretty quickly. These are gentle rivers that do not require mad paddling skillz to navigate. (Yes, I said skillz.)

Things You Do Not Need on the river:

• Non-waterproof electronics. Please don't bring your iPod, laptop, etc. on the float trip. The sounds and sights of the natural world will be plenty stimulating enough, and civilization should function just fine without your input for half a day.
• But what if I want to take pictures? A perfectly natural desire. If you do bring a camera, try to get the waterproof disposable kind; I believe they are pretty cheap. If your camera is not waterproof, PLEASE be careful with it. Keep it in a sealed bag when not using it. Note: Digital cameras are NOT waterproof unless they say they are. Unfortunately, I speak from personal experience. (I swear I thought I left it in the car, and it was too late when I realized my mistake.)
• Cell phone. We won't get reception on the river. Keep it in the car. If you have an emergency, you'll have your life preserver, your canoe partner, and several other floaters to help you out.
• Books/papers/homework, etc. But feel free to bring them in the car; we may have a long drive ahead of us.

I hope this gives you a good idea of what to expect on a float trip. It's not a do-or-die list, just some things I recommend from personal experience.


Will your canoe capsize? Probably not, if you know what you're doing, but it can happen. It's not the end of the world if it happens as long as all your stuff is waterproof. The rivers are not very deep, so don't worry about losing your stuff or drowning (you should be wearing your life jacket anyway).

Will your stuff get wet even if your canoe stays the right way up? Most likely. Water always collects in the bottom of the boats.

Can you collect the pretty shells? There are some small clams and snails in the river. If you see a shell you like, please don't take it unless you are absolutely positive there's no one living in it. We don't want to kill little critters. (Use common sense: if a clam shell is closed, it's occupied.)


All right, I think I've rambled long enough to give you some good information about float trips. If you have any questions, feel free to post here. And don't be intimidated by my lists either. Float trips are quite safe and loads of fun.