Reconnecting

Such a cool day that began when we shared breakfast with fellow DGE Paul and Sue Rogers. They were fully versed with the layout and foibles of the resort and were able to guide us through the buffet, the best shops, cafes & and bars, and take us directly to the Registration desk.

On the way we caught up with most of the contingent - found out Wayne got in at 6.30am and still didn't have a room, chatted with Prath & his wife who flew in from Darwin, heard that some got stuck in LA, some in Dallas and some had been in the area acclimatizing for several days.

It was a beautiful, balmy 25-degree day perfect for walking around the complex to check out the facilities. I counted 4 swimming pools and 3 hot tubs. Philip was most interested in the full championship golf course designed by Arnold Palmer, Then there were the volleyball and tennis courts, and of course, the fishing dock. But most interesting of all ... on the other side of the water hole was a quite large alligator soaking up the sun too!

We had an informal Australia, NZ, Pacific Islands meeting in the afternoon to sort out our "costumes" (t-shirts and scarves) and other important business ... like when to wear them!! Following a reviving margarita in the bar, it was time to pipe Gordon and Heather into the welcome reception. It was very colourful and social, and after a taste of the delicious Italian buffet, I spent the rest of the evening catching up with Ravi and Shobana. It felt like it was only a few months since we'd stayed with them, not 11 years. Amongst all the family news, I was fascinated to hear that a bear and her 2 cubs had moved into their home in Kotaguri during covid. Those bears have good taste 😁

We talked and talked, promising to spend more time together, until the jetlag finally kicked in, and it was time to say, "See you later ..."Read more