Harmony Lakeside RV Park

Event Write-Up

46 Cascadia Chapter rigs gathered on 45 sites at Harmony Lakeside RV Resort near Mossyrock, Washington.  This diverse set of vehicles contained an even more diverse set of individuals including 60-70 people, countless dogs, several cats, and at least one bird. 

The resort is located on Mayfield Lake which is actually part of the Cowlitz River made into a lake by a dam.  Underneath the water are the remains of a town and of historic Indian villages.  No one went diving to check out this piece of information. The weather was perfect, that means warm and sunny, from Thursday through Monday for the first time in 30 years according to one of the park model residents. 

Cascadia RVing Women took full advantage of our time in the woods.  A few brought boats to try their hand at fishing but no one bragged about any big catches.

Friday we kicked off the event with a delicious salad potluck, greeting old friends and welcoming a few new ones.  With full stomachs we caught up on RVW business and reviewed the activities planned for the weekend.  After the necessary break for dog walking, the poker players returned to the lodge for an evening of play.

Saturday morning the auction volunteers held an organizational meeting for Sunday’s auction.  This annual event provides funds for special Cascadia activities throughout the year.  There was a silent auction and a live auction on Sunday afternoon and evening.  Sunday morning the donations came pouring in.  The volunteers were ready to sort and tag them.  The crowd returned between 3pm and 5pm for silent bidding.  Well, it wasn’t very silent because Cascadia women have too much fun to be quiet. 

When the silent auction closed, we moved to the playfield for an old fashioned, bring-your-own picnic.  Folks feasted on everything from sandwiches and Coke to steak and wine.  Some brought grills and tables others brought a plate and a chair.  Several large circles formed and stomachs were filled again.  Another round of dog walking followed. 

Then, everyone returned to the lodge for the live auction.  We had a well dressed group of supervisors – pointers, bookies, Ms Money Bags (Treasurer Nancy), the Auctioneer (Diane), and, of course, Vanna, the beautiful and fashionable assistant (Elaine).  After a wild evening of bidding, checkout was slick as a whistle.  What’s even better is that the event yielded over $3,000 to keep us rolling along until next year.

Another tradition of Memorial Day Weekend is the Cascadia Triathlon.  Teams of two compete in three throwing events – Bocce Ball, Ladder Golf, and Hershoes.  Hershoes not Horseshoes.  This is a new event this year and proved to be more difficult than either of the other two sports.  Hershoes involves throwing a pair of high heeled shoes, one at a time, into a bucket on the stake of the horseshoe pit.  Many hit the bucket but very few actually got a shoe inside.  Even fewer were able to hook the heel on the rim of the bucket for extra points.  In fact, most of us scored 0-0-0 in Hershoes. 

Prizes were awarded at the Mexican Fiesta Potluck Saturday evening.The overall winners scored a total of 31 points – The Twins (Kay and Shay).  Second place with 24 points went to Twisted Sisters (Cheryl and Barbara).  Coming in third were the Lazy Twosomes (Laurie and Christine).  The prize for lowest score (5 points) went to The Sheriff and the Deputy (Barbara and Jan).  The prize for best costume went to the only team wearing costumes the Lazy Daisies (Diane and Nancy).  The prize for best team name went to Throws Like a Girl (Barb and Jeanette).

After expending lots of energy on the Triathlon, it was time for what we do best – eating.  We had a Mexican Fiesta with several pots of Chili, lots of chips and a variety of salsas, crunchy salads, and rich desserts. Since it is Memorial Day, we took time to honor the Veterans among us as well as Mothers and Grandmothers with children currently serving.  Barbara led a moving yet informal ceremony where each veteran came forward and told us a bit about her service.  All branches of service were represented.  The group included career officers and enlisted women as well as those who served a few years or in the Guard or Reserve.  Occupations ranged from Meteorologist and Pediatric Nurse to Airplane Mechanic and Spook.  We appreciate your service and honor your courage especially those who blazed a trail for other women to follow.

Saturday evening was topped off with a dance.  Malka provided recorded music.  Folks enjoyed everything from line dancing to waltzes. 

Monday morning we christened three new rigs, said goodbye to friends, and headed on down the road until we meet again next month near Kelso, Washington. 

Jan Secor

Marcie, Pat and Sherrie had a successful fishing outing on Mayfield Lake.

Several folks enjoyed an inpromptu game of Mexican Train out of doors, thanks to the beautiful weather all weekend.

The weather allowed Cacasdaia to hold its silent auction outside on Sunday afternoon.


Auctioneer Diane and her lovely assistant
"Vanna" (aka Elaine) were dressed for
the festivities.


Kay Piehl lets the Bocce ball fly.

Sandy Cyr takes careful aim in
Her-Shoes.