Fall 2018

Here it is October already and we haven't updated a post in a while.  Let's get started.

While clearing and leveling some trails on the camp I noticed I had picked up some hitchhikers.

Then the neighbor's tree across the road decided to fall across Academy Road which is the road in front of our house.  In fact, the gravel just right of the man standing in the road is our driveway.  if you look closely you will see what looks like a crooked tree or post by the drive.  That WAS the 150,000 volt power line that carries the power to this area, including the camp.

 This is one of the branches I cut from the tree that the power line fell into.  It was a three phase line and unfortunately did not take all three phases out at the same time.  The result was the loss of a single phase and at the camp the loss of a couple of large three phase motors, including the pump motor for the pool.  By the time we found a replacement three days later the pool was a lovely shade of green. To make things a bit worse, there were 500 kids there for summer camp. 

 I thought this would be a fitting transition.

 The clutch on the Grasshopper mower locked up and wiped out the bracket which keeps it from rotating.  We replaced the clutch---

 ---and after a bit of torch, hammer and welding we had a renewed bracket.

Oh yes, at the same time a bolt fell out of the manifold of another mower and the resulting vibration broke the manifold.  Again, with a little preheat and some cast welding rod I was able to put it back into production.

Do you remember the ramp we built for one of the cooks when her husband was sick?  He unfortunately passed away two weeks later and we dismantled the ramp  and were able to shift it to a house with a young boy in a wheel chair.

The husband was away working much of the time and his wife had to disassemble the chair, carry and the boy to the car and transport him to doctor visits.

Now with the ramp, he cam roll himself to the car and ---

 ---with the modification of the gate, the dogs are kept in the yard.

 In July Billie and I made our first major journey to Denver for our grandson's wedding.  On the way back we stopped at the farm I grew up on and noticed termite damage on the front of the garage.  After tearing away all of the damaged material---

 ---and assisted by my brother---

 ---we replaced the plywood---

 ---and all of the bad siding---

 ---and with a coat of primer and paint, the garage is ready for another 40 year.

Tadaa!

 Another chore we accomplished while there was to power wash the 150 year old house. 

 Then it was time for another knee replacement.  This is one week after the surgery---

 ---then back to the same therapist that helped me with the other knee a year earlier. 

 Then it was back to work.  We were rebuilding one of the mower decks when we found seven cracks in the frame.  To stop the cracks from migrating I drilled a hole in each end of the crack---

 ---ground off all of the paint---

 ---then welded each crack closed.

 There is a group of four or five men from Virginia who try to come to the camp once a year for one large project.  This year it was to remove the old leaky windows from three rooms---

 ---lay block in the empty space---

---adding necessary openings for additional air conditioning.  I truly hope they finish all of the block work before their week is up as I am the only one here who has ever laid block.

Into the new year

Since we are not moving every month we forget to get pictures of what is happening all around us at Acadian Baptist Center.  Here it is nearly 5 months since the last post and we have a lot of catching up to do again.  Things have been very busy at ABC as several SOWER groups have come and gone and now it is almost time for summer camp to start.  Oh well, here we go.

We left our Christmas lights up for most of January because they were so beautiful.

We did get a little snow---

---and a brief spurt of freezing weather---

---including some of the piping at the pool.

A little PEX and some fittings and we shouldn't have to worry about it for some time to come.

The laundry shed holds the breaker for the laundry and for Shop 1 and the main was continually tripping so the decision was made to replace it. 

This SOWER is not eating a powdered sugar dough nut, he (Les Turkelson I believe) is actually marking some wire.

We didn't get the project completed before they had to leave so I had the opportunity to complete it---

---including closing up the space around the new box.

Now we don't have a power problem.

ABC has an area which is designated as Native Prairie.  It was becoming overgrown with non-native plants and the decision was made to burn the entire area to restore the native species.

The area has begun to regrow and it looks like a couple more burns will do a good job of restoring plants we want.

Meanwhile, the March SOWER group got into a real difficult project.  The house used for the Summer Staff Director, known as the Bellard house, had a pond under the floor which rotted the floor joists and caused the floor to fall away from some of the interior walls.  Before they were through, they had removed nearly all of the living room and kitchen floor, one bedroom floor. most of the bathroom floor and part of another bedroom floor.  After replacing the joists and re-flooring the areas the building was fairly stable again.  Of course we moved a large amount of dirt and landscaped the area to keep the water from running under the house. 

Meanwhile, there were several tiles which fell off the wall of the Chapel.  I tested the new knee and climbed to the top to replace the tiles.

Some of the areas which had been repainted over some decorative border.  The paint covered the area but the raised decorations on the border was plain to see yet.  Our solution was to cover the area with a little texture and another coat of paint.

Apply some tape, mix some mud---

---spray it on and repaint.

The opportunity came up to extend on our Widows Ministry.  In the Mamou flood of 2016, this house was flooded and men from the North Eunice Baptist Church mucked the house out and cut the inside walls at 30 inches. The problem came when no one was able to get back to replace the walls.

We picked up the materials at Lowe's---

--gathered a crew a couple of weekends---

---made a plan---

--and worked the plan.

It is amazing how great a group can build---

---and grow together---

---to get a job done.

Some times the work requires some easy positions---

---some "different" positions---

---and then we have walls again.

Back to the Bellard house. The cast iron bathtub had to be removed so the floor could be replaced.

After re-running the plumbing which was a real puzzle, then hanging a vapor barrier---

---then green board (or blue)--- 

---then apply a waterproof sheeting---

---the bathroom is ready for laminate flooring and move in.

Meanwhile, there is a large water leak on the incoming line to Westbury.  The old steel line had six patches in the first eight feet of pipe, so the decision was  made to replace the entire 35 feet of pipe with a new PVC line.  Fortunately we had a track hoe to uncover the line---

---then the new line was laid in the trench and covered, first by hand then completed with the tractor.

Another Widow Ministry project came up when her husband was released from the hospital in a wheel chair.  Since the steps were fairly high, the ramp required had a length of 21 feet.

Another small project was to repair the tailgate on one of the mules (4 wheel type)

During the month of April we attended a meeting at Dry Creek Youth Camp. Like ABC Dry Creek has gospel cabins.  But unlike the Matthew, Mark, Luke and John at ABC---

---they have Matthew, Mark, Luke and "Bob"?

We had the opportunity to play our first round, at least part of a round, of disc gold and had a good time.

Miscellaneous items, Miss Peggy asked if I could build one of the stands they use to hold things like ketchup, salad dressing, etc.  I answered yes so she asked for two.

On the "out of the ordinary" side, we had the SOWERS over at our house for a visit and as they were ready to leave we noticed an unwanted guest guarding the shoes outside our door.  I went out the other door and picked it up (it was an eastern rat snake), took it out and released it in the yard.

He immediately headed for their truck and climbed into the engine compartment.  After releasing the hood I was able to grab it again before it went back down into the engine.  This time I took it out back and released it into the field behind us.  Fortunately it did not return to their truck.

Spring is really here and so are the cardinals.