Celebrating the year!

We are not on a project currently but we are still celebrating our 50th anniversary year and our good friends at Camp Barnabas asked us to go on a cruise with them and help then to get the new camp on Table Rock ready for Sowers.

Of course in order to go on a cruise one must get to the water and Missouri isn't very close to the Gulf.  To get there we must take a bus ride.  The only real problem, just as we were leaving Springfield the freezing rain started to fall.  Consequently, the 35 mile trip to Branson took 2 hours.  After loading the Prep students and Fellows the rest of the night and half of the next day was consumed on the rest of the trip to New Orleans.

Here is the whole crew and our boat in the background, the Carnival Elation.  We set sail that evening on a course to Cozumel, Mexico.

The next morning we were blessed with this glorious sunrise.  There were not many of us up to see it.

Our table for the cruise was a great group of old and new friends.

Roger and Kay Osbourne, the camp contact and good friends ate with us---

---and so did Jim and Eula Fluckey, our new friends.  Jim is the man who interviewed us via phone in December of 2010 for Sowers.

We spent a lot of time in conversation both above and below deck---

---and the Fellows had a great time in the ship's pool.

They also diligently cared for their Prep charge at meals---

---and by the pool.

One of the Brauner children attentively reviewed the model of the ship which was at the entrance of the dining room---

---and several of the Prep students joined the dining room crew with their singing during the evening meal.

Anytime there was music on deck the Prep students were up and dancing, wheel chairs and all.

Also in the evening the crew gave a lesson on towel animals and Billie took part creating several animals like this one.

When we got to Cozumel we decided to take a tour to a Mayan temple ruin. We were blessed to get this young lady, Bianca for a guide.  She was very knowledgeable and funny. 

She explained the Mayan calendar and assured us that in December of 2012 the calendar did not come to an end, it just started over again. 

We saw a lot of these big guys protecting the grounds.

There were remains of temple structures--- 

---and other structures as well.  This building was a place where the young women went through a ritual to become a "woman".  The ritual consisted of entering this building which was heated by steam from hot rocks and they stayed there for 7 days with no food or water.  Unfortunately, nearly half of the girls died before the 7 days was completed.

After we left the ruins we took a trip around the island.  One stop was at a small "snack shop" on the other side of the island.

Our next stop was Progresso, Mexico.  When we left the ship we had to pass through these buildings which were your typical tourist run.

When we got to town we found this lovely fountain---

---but the big draw was to the beach.  Everyone went, wheel chairs and all---

---and they all really enjoyed themselves.

Of course some of us spent a good deal of time in thoughtful, deep conversations.

Billie and I ate in this quaint beach restaurant---

---and of course we shopped.

After another long buss ride home we got back to Camp Barnabas just in time to move down to the RV sites just before it snowed and froze again.  But we were able to hang our bird feeder and see some of the beautiful birds which are resident here.

The new snow really set of their beauty---

---as well as the snow on the branches.  

 The cardinals were here in force---

---and we even drew in a red bellied wood pecker (I have always thought this was a red headed wood pecker) until---

 ---this guy showed up.  He is, according to our bird book, a red headed woodpecker.

Of course our old friends the ground hog is still in resident under the old pool.

 When it finally warmed up and melted the snow, we made a trip to Barnabas on the Lake, the new camp that Barnabas recently took charge of.  Of course there were a number lines which were not drained properly and they froze and broke.  Here we had to repair a 2 inch line going to the fire station in front of the dining hall.

 Then we attacked the project which we were actually here for.  Last October we had to remove the swing cylinders from the back hoe because they had been broken.

 After having them repaired, we had the task of putting them back on.

 The cylinders are in place but they still need to be connected to the hoe.

Finally, the last pin is in place and the back hoe is again ready for service.

Another exciting month at Apple Tree

We have finished another month and a week at Apple Tree Learning Center.  There has been a lot of things going on and we will try to bring you up to where we are.

 If you thibk this roof configuration looks funny----well it is.

 We have had trouble with this steel roof leaking for quite some time.  To get to the bottom of the problem we removed this entire section of roof to see what we could see.

 We patched what we suspected was a problem, installed new flashing and re-installed the roof.  With a bit of black jack to seal around the edges we believe we have the leak fixed.  We did flood the roof with a hose and saw no leak but the real test will come when the next monsoon season hits. 

We did take time out to watch the Super Bowl.  This is really the next room where the ladies (except for Arlene) spent most of the evening.  Arlene was glued to the screen since she was a native of Seattle.

 

Then it was back to work.  We took the old motel sign down last year and after refurbishing it we are ready to put it back up.  Don is preparing the pipe for welding.

Then it is time for a paint job and since you all know my love for painting I got the job.

 Finally we found a piece of tubing which would fit snug in the main tube and welded it in place.

 Since we didn't have any way to pick any of the pieces up we contracted a local sign company to help us.

 We also called on Don's good friend Joe to do the welding for us.  It was right up his alley as he had welded gas line for years before he retired.

 The pole is in place and pretty level.  Now it is time for welding again.

 In total, Joe welded for the best part of three hours that day.

 Now comes the placing of the sign.

 Up it goes with the help of another friend, Mike.

 The sign in in place and preparations are being made to hoist the arrow into place.

 Now we are getting up there!

 A little more weld and everything is ready for cleaning and painting.

Why am I the luck one to always get to paint?

 For anyone coming to work at Apple Tree, look for the Orchard sign when you pull into town.  That is where we hang out.

 We did do several other things.  Kieth took on the job of repairing the toys for the playground.  I believe that there were only 2 of the 12 or 14 pieces of equipment still in working order.

He also replaced rungs in 5 of the 8 chairs in the break room.

 Another job was to move the wifi to another location.  The original position did not give any service to the apartments at the Orchard.  The only real problem with moving it to the house in the center of the compound is that there is no power in that house. 

 Sooooo.  What to do.  Borrow a backhoe and trench in power.

 We went out to one of the RV sites which is seldom used---

 ---dug a trench to the house---

Pulled in wire and like magic we have electrical power.

It is now the weekend and this cute couple is preparing to walk around town as twins.

 

On the way to Las Cruces we noticed the fields really beginning to green up---

 ---and in the morning we have some beautiful sunrises over Turtle Mountain.

 One evening we made a trip to Las Palomas to see our friend Brad and the new 14 hour old foal.

 What a beauty she is---

 ---but she is having a bit of trouble getting her bowel to work.

 So with the help of myself and the mother---

 ---we gave the little one an enema---

 ---then did a little work on some tight tendons---

 ---all the while under the close supervision of mom.

 While we were there we also saw a herd of about 9 mule deer.  They were in no hurry, just grazing along about a quarter mile from where we were.

All in all we had a great day and soon Kieth and Darleen would be moving to their next project in Arizona.

Of course when the next crew came to town it was just in time for a Valentine dinner together.

 

We were treated with a creme-brule floating in a bath of water and dry ice.  That completed the evening.