It’s been a crazy camping year for members of the Wheeler Dealers Camping Club. Finally in September eleven couples met for a somewhat normal group campout. Although a few couples met in April and May the large majority hadn’t camped together since March.

Hosts for the September campout were Ponca City members Cecil and Linda Sparks. Originally scheduled for Fall River in southeast Kansas, the campground is still under construction following the 2019 floods so the Sparks chose to relocate the campout at Pawnee Lake. Eleven couples from Ponca City and Bartlesville pulled into the campground including one new couple, Charley and Vie Bottger, Ponca City.

Some members arrived on Tuesday and Wednesday with the majority arriving on Thursday and the rest on Friday. Wheeler Dealers members enjoyed visiting while the newer arrivals set up their rigs. The campout got into full swing Friday night with a “movable feast” hosted by the Sparks. The original idea of a movable feast explained our host was one long table. However, due to the weather the group divided between four smaller tables with each enjoying an appetizer tray placed between each couple featuring olives, grapes and variety of cheeses and crackers. This was followed by pork sliders, potato salad, cole slaw, a selection of wines, tea and water, with individual pies for dessert…all prepared and served by the Sparks.

Saturday morning Linda Sparks challenged everyone to come up with a unique fall wood craft with pumpkins as the theme. Using their imagination and some ideas from magazines, the women painted and designed unique fall crafts while the men and dogs visited. Some of the husbands were drafted into the project with assembling, calligraphy and drilling holes to put the various creations together to decorate our homes and campers for fall.

That afternoon some Wheeler Dealers participated in a corn hole tournament and Saturday night each couple prepared a dish to be served to the group pot luck style

Sunday morning following a potluck breakfast, the business meeting was held with Lowry Blakeburn, president, presiding. Karla and Clarence Hill reported on the upcoming October campout at El Dorado Lake in Kansas which will be co-hosted by Gary and Charlotte Piersal. November Wheeler Dealers will return to Wa Sha She, Hulah Lake’s campground hosted by Joe and Pat Brown.

Wheeler Dealers monthly campouts usually are held weekends from March to August with only a lunch or breakfast gathering in February and a special Christmas Party in December. Members can make their own reservations at many of the Corps lakes through recreation.gov, the Corps of Engineers reservation service.

Current members are from Bartlesville and Ponca City. However, anyone from northern Oklahoma or southern Kansas is invited to join.

Persons interested in joining or knowing more about the Wheeler Dealers Camping Club should contact Lowry, president, at 580-304-5445 in Ponca City or Joe, secretary, at 918-977-0805 in Bartlesville.