Many thanks to Roger Clay of the Alabama Wildlife and Fisheries Department for his presentation at tonight's meeting about birds nesting on Gaillard Island.

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A friendly reminder: If you plan to come on a paddling trip, please call the "contact" for the trip and tell him or her you plan to come. Otherwise, we can't tell you about last-minute changes due to weather or illness (or whim :-) If you do not tell the trip coordinator that you are planning to come, then don't be surprised if you are "stood up" and left waiting at a dock or in a parking lot when the trip is rescheduled or moved.

Also, if you tell a trip coordinator you are going to participate in a paddling trip, and then you realize at the last minute that you can't come after all, please call the trip coordinator to cancel. Even if you just leave a message on voice mail, you could be saving the coordinator a lot of trouble and your fellow paddlers a lot of delay with this simple courtesy.

FEBRUARY CALENDAR OF EVENTS

Rib Night (with a strong possibility of paddling)
Date: Thursday, February 7
Time: 6:00 p.m.
Meeting place: The Oasis Truck Stop off I-10 halfway between Fairhope and Pensacola, at the highway 64 exit
Contact: Lisa ersmoore@bellsouth.net home: 471-2050, cell: 689-3934
Comments: Call Lisa to find out whether there will be an afternoon paddle before dinner. Then meet at 6:00 at the Oasis to go to dinner at Corky's Memphis Barbecue in Pensacola.

Paddle: Sepulga River
Date: Sunday, February 10
Time: 9 a.m.
Place: the Hardee's in Evergreen, Alabama
Contact: Mark, 458-7574
Comments: This is a good whitewater paddle for beginners, appropriate for short kayaks and downriver canoes. It is not recommended for touring kayaks. If there is flooding on the Sepulga, this paddle may relocate, so it is important for you to contact the trip coordinator, Mark, if you want to come.

Fritz' Surprise Paddle
Date: Sunday, February 17
Contact: Fritz, 990-5987, phritz@bellsouth.net
Comments: That's all you need to know. It's soon, it will be fun, everybody will be there, call Fritz.

Bob's Surprise Paddle
Date: Wednesday, February 20
Contact: Bob Andrews h/w: 344-8664; cell: 367-4144
Comments: As usual, Bob's monthly "surprise paddle" will probably last all day. The only way you can find out the time and meeting-place is by calling Bob. (Hint: Bob knows the area waters better than anyone reading this, and you will always have a good time on his paddles.)

Roll Class
Date: Thursday, February 21
Time: 7 - 9 p.m. SHARP.
Contact: Bob Andrews h/w: 344-8664; cell: 367-4144
Place: Homestead Village Pool
Comments: This is a heated, indoor pool. You will learn rolls and other safety skills from experts. Even if you don't plan to roll yourself, you will still learn a lot from simply watching the class. We need about ten people to make this cost-effective, and non-participants who attend just to watch should expect to pay the course fee, so please notify Bob if you plan to come. (Ten participants can expect to pay about $10 a head, which is, like, FREE, compared to a typical class on kayaking skills.) Clean your boat before you come (including a dry wipe-down) and wear the clothes you plan to roll in.

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We also have an unusual number of paddles scheduled in advance for March and April -- including overnight paddles in the Sipsey Wilderness in Alabama the last week of March and on the Okatoma River near Hattiesburg, Mississippi on Easter Weekend -- but I'm too tired to write all the details right now. Stay tuned to this website for further details.