Hot Flash in Hot Springs! May 14-18, 2014. See the photo gallery at: http://www.texaschapteraomci.com/?p=3026. Some early birds arrived on Wednesday, but most folks arrived Thursday. It was great to meet and greet the Arkansas folks including several day trippers on Saturday. Friday morning some folks made a nice run up to the dam and back. John and Cindy Slator were the on-site event coordinators and planned the evening activities. Friday night we had a big tableful at the Fisherman’s Wharf in Hot Springs. On Saturday, a few of the wives headed for the Hot Springs bath houses and also witnessed the final heat of the downtown Annual Charity Bath Tub Races. Saturday night we were treated to a great BBQ dinner hosted mainly by David Coffey, Sr grilling burgers, thin-slices ribeyes and fantastis sausages. Those attending divided up responsibilities the sides adding salads, appetizers and beans and more. Great dinner! 
Dennis and Sharon Schmidt ran their frisky jet boat around but hit a submerged sand bar and the impellor ingested a rock big enough to create several hundred $$$ of damage. The recovered rock became an ungrateful souvenir. Suzie and Di Johnson stopped for two days on their way to the Finger Lakes of New York. They towed their Feathercraft up from Houston but couldn’t get any spark going to fire up the Mk-58. Better luck in NY. 
Jerry &
Rocky Lindamood brought their big Lindy Craft with the Merc 1150. 
John & Cindy Slator had their trusty Johnson 35 powering their Lone Star and a front porch of motors and parts for sale.
David Sr., Sylvia and David Jr. Coffey brought their Elgin runabout which became the weekend test-run boat with energetic assistance by David Jr.
Richard & Rayleen Reich ran his MK 20 on a boat rented from the park.
Jon and Kenra Wiggins Brought a couple of motors to run including an old Evinrude Ruddertwin and a 3hp.
The Ruddertwin sounded great, but got a frowny face from the Park Ranger on the waterfront pier as it decorated about a 100 sq ft area with a beautiful rainbow slick of two-cycle oil. Glad we aren’t in California.
Carl & Tanya Fryar camped out around the point and brought three boats with his group – all powered by late 50s Johnsons which included an Arkansas Traveler and ’57 Javelin, a Glasscraft with ’57 Sea Horse 35 and a flats boat and ’57 Johnson 18.
Damon & Gloria Johns had a comfortable 50hp Mercury powered pontoon rig. Twas quite a site watching them launch the rig behind their motor home while keeping his tailpipe from being submerged on the very gradual slope of the boat launch ramp.
Andy Zawacki brought his self-made Hurricane plywood runabout powered by a Merc Mark 28. What a beautiful boat and very clean motor. The plans for the boat came from a 1958
boat plans catalog. The motor had an unusual shift and throttle rig. 
Don Johnston came up from the day from Little Rock with his son and grandson and their beautiful Cadillac runabout powered by a Golden Javelin. 
Jerry Morris also came for the day and ran his Elgin and Mk-25.
We had launching and recovery assistance pretty much all day on Saturday from a very helpful non-member local fisherman named Donald Smith. His unusual boat started life as a square stern guide canoe, powered by a Briggs and Stratton 4cycle. Donald, a Duck Dynasty look-alike, has beefed up the center section of craft with two snow skis to accommodate his coolers and rod racks. Most noticeable are the red and green running lights which are the eyeballs of his pink flamingo bow ornament, thus inspiring the boat’s name, “Pink Floyd”. 
Event coverage and photos contributed by Di Johnson along with more photos from Dennis Schmidt. Please send corrections or additions to Di Johnson at dijohnson47@comcast.net. Be sure and make reservations for next year; May 13-17, 2015. Cabins and camp sites are available now.
