A month at Shocco and a month at Acadian Baptist Center

Here we are again, behind on the blog.  We must either be getting slower or older (or maybe both).

We started the September project with two of three couples.  They were Dick and Toni Howard and Bob And Billie (yours truly).

After two weeks we added John and Connie Nicholas.  This was their first Sower project and because they were having some difficulty getting things ready for the road, they were a bit late.  They, however, made up their time by staying another week at Shocco.

 We also had another nice surprise when two RVIC couples, who were headed to South Carolina, had to find another project as South Carolina was under several feet of overflowing banks.

 Their are several great things about working at Shocco.  This is just one of them.

 We really did work also while at Shocco.  Last month I painted a couple of classrooms, this month
Dick and I painted the other two.

We also had to remove headboards and pictures from the rooms of two inns to prepare the rooms to receive another bunk bed instead of the single twin.

 Besides having to take the things down---

 ---we had to patch and paint all of the walls where we took things down.

 Next we started on a project at Twin Lodge.  The object was to tear out the floor in all twenty bathrooms and two kitchens, replace them with concrete board underlay then get them ready for new ceramic tile.

Boy was it a mess.  there was a 3/4" layer of leveler on the floor and a layer of linoleum.  The stools had to be pulled and the baseboard removed. 

By this time John and Connie were aboard and we began the process of laying the board.

After the tile company had installed and grouted the tile we replaced the baseboard, caulked then reset the stools.

The final touch up was to replace some of the carpet squares.

 For most of the time this month the ladies folded mountains of laundry.

We and the RVICS had a great time visiting and playing games on game night.

On the weekend we took a drive  through the  Cheaha State Park which contains the highest point in Alabama, a whopping 2409 feet in elevation.

 The above building was built by the CCC in the 30's.

One could see a lot of Alabama from the "summit".

It was a beautiful drive and just a little way down the hill---

---was a restaurant.  From the window above one could see the Talladega racetrack off to the southwest.

While we were at Shocco we attended the Eastaboga Baptist Church.  One weekend we were able to help in a project to remodel a sister church in Talladega.

 

During the week between Shocco and ABC we were invited to visit new friends in Lynn Haven, Florida.  We had met Ernie and Judy Brannon, who were members of Campers on Mission, our first month at Shocco.

This is a view of the back of their house which is on a bayou in Lynn Haven.

They happened to have an RV hookup in front of the house and they were gracious enough to allow us to park there for a few days.

This is the view from the pier in back of the house.

Across the isthmus (about 5 blocks wide) was a bay which connected to the gulf.

The scenery on the bay was beautiful, or maybe it was just the subject matter. 

Here on the bay the water was calm and the brown pelicans leisurely glided along looking for lunch. 

But we made a journey to the gulf at Panama City and the gulf was a bit choppy.

From there we went to Acadian Baptist Center.  It just happened that John and Connie were headed there as well.  We met a new couple, Dan and Nancy Ragatz were there as group leaders and we were able to get a lot of things done as well as have a good time.

The ladies cleaned in the rest rooms and guest rooms.
 
They also polished the wood in the rooms---

---on the windows---

---all of the wood.

They also helped to touch up some of the damage that happens when things get moved around.

Nancy and Billie helped send out mailings to a lot of people---

---while the men spent most of our time repairing water damage caused by leaky roofs.

Some times we had to hold a conference to determine which toolbox we needed for the job.

A little side project came up which required some welding and a trip to town for parts.  The return line of  the sewage treatment plant broke and had to be taken apart and repaired.

My job was to repair the damaged ceiling---

---and try to match the texture on the existing ceiling.

Then we painted the ceiling---

---and walls and installed crown molding.

We had some 14 or 15 Campers on Mission join us for a week and they asked John and Connie to provide them with a short concert one evening.  They, of course, jumped at the chance.

It was a great evening.

One of the places that we visited in Eunice was the Cajun Cultural Center.  They had a Cajun ensemble play for all who came to enjoy.

After the music we were treated to Chicken Sauce Piquante which was very tasty.

We also visited the rice museum in Crowley, La.---

---and Avery Island, which is the home of Tabasco.

On the island there is also a nature park---

---and some of the local favorites---

---at least for some.

The moss hangs from every tree---

---and is just wondrous in the sunlight.

There are also a number of egrets---

---blue herons---

---and every ones favorite critter, the alligator.

We wander down a few trails---

---some of which came to an abrupt end.

Even as late as it was in the year there were still beautiful blossoms.

Of course, the most beautiful blossom I brought home with me.

Some of the trees were very large and a little gnarled.

When we went back to work the ladies took on a project to clean and repair all of the air deflectors in the Lodge rooms.

It seems that each of the ladies---

---had a different way of doing the job.

Twice we were incited to Kelly's Landing for Cajun cuisine.

Kelly happens to be a toy collector, especially John Deere.

Before the end of the project we were invited to dinner at the Loewer farm.  They raise 3800 acres of riced and soybeans.

What a couple!