Red, White and Blue!

Good day everyone! It's a beautiful day in Pontiac. We're gearing up for a busy weekend. I can't believe the 4th of July is upon us. Summer is going by way too fast! I'm sure you all know, but here's a quick rundown of the local fireworks displays on Bull Shoals Lake:

Saturday, July 1: Theodosia
Sunday, July 2: Pontiac (woo-hoo!!)
Tuesday, July4: Bull Shoals dam

Bill Bauer was in charge of the fund-raising for the Pontiac fireworks for the third year in a row... We can't thank him enough. Without his hard work, we wouldn't have fireworks! Also, Skip and Angie Dechau are planning to shoot the fireworks again this year. Thanks ahead of time to them for their hard work. (Especially in the heat!) And it is heating up again, after a couple days of 70-some degree weather at the beginning of the week -- it was pretty nice, really. But the weekend is almost here, and we want it to be hot and sunny!

Remember: If you watch the Pontiac fireworks from the cove, be sure to stay clear of the shooting site. I think there was a bit of a problem last year with folks getting inside the markers. And the reason those markers are there is because that's kind of a danger zone. (Just think of that Kenny Loggins song from the movie Top Gun. And be safe!)

Okay, that's all I've got for now. Blowout invitations will be in the mail soon. Get excited... we're totally revamping it this year, with a whole new location. :)

Spearfishing Recap and a Name Change

The second event of 2006 at Pontiac Cove Marina was a soaker! Similar to the Blessing, it rained ALL day on Saturday for the spearfishing tournament. But that's okay! Also similar to how the Blessing went down -- the great success that it was -- we still had a grrrrrreat turnout for the tournament. Fifty-five divers entered this year -- last year there were 51. The entry fee was bumped up from $20 to $25 and so the purse was that much sweeter -- $1,375.00. The tournament is 100% payback, so the winners all got a percentage of that money. The biggest prize went to Roy Waddell of Mountain Home, Ark. for first place catfish. It was a blue cat weighing in at 9 pounds, 11 ounces. The prize was $412.50. PCM's own Josh Simpson took second place with an 8-pound, 7-ounce blue cat. And PCM's Chris Shaw took third place with an 8-pound, 1-ounce blue cat. First place rough fish went to Jeremy Manier, of Highland, Ill., who shot a 10-pound, 8-ounce carp. Don Heskett, of Centerview, Mo., and Bob Benson, of Imperial, Mo., tied for second, both having shot a 10-pound, 7-ounce carp. Ken Rader of Rogers, Ark. had the biggest walleye at 2 pounds, 12 ounces. We handed out awards and door prizes at the Pontiac Park Pavilion. Just Jackie's catered the event. More than 100 people showed up at the park for our after party. It was really fun!

Different subject... I'm sure if you're a devoted reader of this blog, then you noticed I changed the name! There is a large group of friends who come down here practically every weekend during the summer, and they spend many, many weekends here all year long. They refer to our little piece of paradise here as "The O.C.", which stands for Ozark County, of course. But it's a little inside joke among them. And it's really catching on. The reason being: You've at least heard of the elitist society of Orange County, California, right? And perhaps you've even seen an episode or two of the hit television series, The OC, on FOX. Anyway, it's a funny comparison, the West Coast O.C. to our O.C. that is. But for those of us who love the lake, whether we live here full time or we call this place our second home, we know there really is no comparison.

Bubble, Bubble, Bubble...

We're excited and ready for the spearfishing tournament on Saturday! We're hoping to see the same divers back from past years and new ones, too. We have some great prizes to give away this year. So even if you enter and don't place, you still have a chance to walk away with something really cool. Maybe even a brand new speargun??? I don't know... You'll have to wait and see. :)

Remember, registration is from 7 to 9 at the dock Saturday morning. We'll give you all the details you need for later at that time. The weather is supposed to be beautiful. Mid-90s and sunny. We'll have food after the weigh-in and prizes at Hollingsworth. Anyone can eat. Cost is $5 a plate. Jackie is catering the event, so we know the food will be good!

We have a new face at PCM. Valerie Geroff has joined the staff for the summer. She is a native of Pontiac, and she grew up around this boat dock. (I remember when she was born, which is a little scary for me... Makes me feel like I'm gettin' old... NEVER!) Anyway, we're very excited to welcome her to the staff. If you see her, introduce yourself. She's a bright young woman, very friendly and eager to help you.

That's it for today! Call or e-mail anytime with questions or concerns.

SMILE! You're on PCM's cammm-era!

So, I've had several people ask me when we're going to put a gate on the main walkway, and here is my answer... The reason we haven't put it up is because Lakeland Industries (the company that supplies all our materials to build the docks) is building the gate for us. And they are soooo far behind schedule. Just to give you an idea... Tim called them the day the storm hit (Feb. 16) and ordered materials for a new dock. Those of you who have been down here know that we got the materials 3 months later, and our guys finished it just in time for Memorial weekend. Yikes. But I assure you, as soon as we get the gate we will put it up. Now, having said that... You can rest easy knowing that 1. We do not have a major theft problem here, although I do acknowledge there have been instances in the past, which is why we put the gate up in the first place, but still, most definitely not a major problem; and 2. We have a new security system this year. There are cameras in and around the dock recording who comes and goes, and what goes on at PCM 24/7. So, if you have any problems, please come see me. Believe me, I will be delighted to go back to the tape and see (literally SEE) exactly who caused the problem. Hee hee hee. Mwah ha ha.