Full sail ahead

It is the end of January and the Destin Snowbirds have truly arrived! The number of northern license plates appears to outnumber Florida tags in the parking lots of stores, restaurants and golf courses. Jan. 18 a large crowd was on hand at the LA Lounge for Banjorama. Rusty and Jabbo welcomed back their snowbird friends with a great performance as guest snowbird musicians and vocalists took to the stage along side the regular band.

The Surfside Jammers, another group of snowbird entertainers, invite audience and participants to join them Wednesday afternoons from 1-4 p.m. at the Surfside Condo Conference room.

Jan. 19, fishing coordinator Jack, accompanied by a group of 39 hardy fisher people, sailed into the Gulf of Mexico aboard the Destin Princess. A large catch ensured fun for all. More than 40 pounds of fish, out of the 100-pound catch, was donated to First Presbyterian Church of Destin to be used in their program to feed the homeless. Further trips will be planned when the weather cooperates.

The weekly meetings always feature great local entertainment and this week was no exception as Chuck Lawson gave us a preview of the music for Pirate’s of the Caribbean this Saturday, Jan. 28, at the Seascape Conference Center. This event is a sell-out. Good news for those who missed out. Chuck will provide the entertainment for our first TGIT party, Jan. 31 from 3-6 p.m. at the Seascape Conference Center. This event is open to all Destin Snowbirds and their friends. Cover charge $5, $1 beer and wine. Who has more fun than Destin Snowbirds?

We also had an educational speaker this past week. Florida Sate Park Ranger, Linda Smith, spoke about the two state parks located right here in our own neighborhood. Visiting these areas is like going back in time, before development came to the Emerald Coast. Next week we will hear Dr. George VonHilsheimer, a board certified dermatologist,  from the Gulf Coast Dermatology Center.

This coming week all regular activities are in full swing. Check the website and bulletin board for times and locations. Starting Monday, Jan. 30, from 1-4 p.m., Chris Nastal will start a group playing/learning Mahjong at the Destin Fishing Museum. Jan. 31 the Friendship Club luncheon will be at Indian Bayou Golf & Country Club. Tickets continue to be sold for the upcoming Soundsations Concert Sunday, Feb. 12, 2 p.m. at the NWFSC Mattie Kelly Performing Arts Center. The general public is most welcome to join us as we assist the college bursary fund. Tickets are $10 and can be purchased at the door, no reserved seating for this performance.

The New Orleans Mardi Gras bus trip is set to depart Feb. 10. To guarantee your seat on this sold out trip you must pay Don Cooksey for the bus. Call 837-3637.

Plans are underway for the annual Snowbird Craft Show, which will be held in conjunction with the Feb. 14 regular meetings at the Community Center. Destin Snowbird member crafters are invited to book a table by sign-up on the bulletin board. Payment for tables, $10 large and $5 small, is due at the Jan. 30 registration. Crafts are to be handmade/homemade only, no manufactured items. For further instructions, please check with the coordinators listed on the activity sheet.

Almost all items have been retrieved from the storage locker for this season. For items still in storage, please contact Jim Galea at 651-2077. Tickets for storage in the locker this summer will be sold starting Feb. 14.

Thanks to the friendly Maritimers who are going to contact Rick and Sherry as they plan their trip to Nova Scotia.

Nancy Hewitt is publicity director for the Destin Snowbirds and can be reached at pnatthebeach@gmail.com.