Michael's winds brought this limb down on our RV As we pulled into Pocahontas State Park at the beginning of October, we thought we knew how the month would go. We would finish painting Hotel Pocahontas, then help with Park after Dark and then Cabin Work Week as the month ended. Well, that was the plan at least. And reality was about to hit us square in the face. By week’s end, we were on our way to NC to support Cathy’s sister and mom after the sudden loss of Carolyn’s husband, Clint. Cathy stayed, but Dave returned to Pocahontas to honor our commitment there. That was just the beginning of an eventful month.
Hotel Pocahontas Holding the Fort
With Cathy away in NC, David tackled a number of projects that were on our plate. More windows were finished and the railing on the front steps repaired at Hotel Pocahontas. But the weather and other priorities meant that was as far as he could get. For the big Park after Dark festival and Cabin Work Week, we would need several working generators. He began testing and servicing the ones that had been sitting idle for months. Over time, he managed to get 3 working reliably, although one had an unusual shut-off feature.
With Cathy away in NC, David tackled a number of projects that were on our plate. More windows were finished and the railing on the front steps repaired at Hotel Pocahontas. But the weather and other priorities meant that was as far as he could get. For the big Park after Dark festival and Cabin Work Week, we would need several working generators. He began testing and servicing the ones that had been sitting idle for months. Over time, he managed to get 3 working reliably, although one had an unusual shut-off feature.
"New" light on the park host golf cart Our golf cart needed a little work done, since the flashing light had stopped working and we were missing a “slow-moving vehicle” sign. Using parts from an old golf cart that would be going to salvage, he replaced the light and added the sign to make us now legal again, and more importantly, safer. Besides helping with concerts or moving a stranded camper to a new site, he spent the rest of his time getting ready for Park After Dark and Cabin Work Week.
New hay wagon under construction Last year’s hay wagon rides at the event suffered from long lines that ran long past closing time. The solution was going to be a 3rd wagon. Dick, a Friends of Pocahontas member, lived nearby and had volunteered to modify his trailer to become the new hay wagon. Dave and he began the work early one morning to transform his trailer. By sunset, the work was mostly done. Brackets had been mounted to the trailer support the uprights, the cross-pieces installed and a channel was routed out to hold the LED lights along the side. All that was left was to install a step on the back and install the lights. A shorter second day finished it off and it was good to go.
Finished hay wagon ready for Park after Dark There were also less strenuous activities – meetings about both Park After Dark and Cabin Work Week, phone calls and the laborious task of sorting and distributing Park After Dark flyers to local schools. For a number of reasons, Dave was the only one available to do this work, and his efforts were limited not just due to lack of resources, but the schools he was attempting to visit began closing early in advance of Michael’s arrival.
Michael arrived with lots of wind and rain. That meant widespread flooding and downed limbs and trees. The normally routine sound of acorns dropping on the RV roof became incessant during the height of the storm and one unusually loud thump had Dave trying to look at the roof in the middle of the wind and rain. He quickly abandoned that idea. But what he found the next day meant that he would have to take some time from Park activities to work on repairing the RV.
Hole in RV roof before repair Did you hear something?
That “thump” Dave heard was not just a big acorn, but a 4 foot branch that had impaled itself into the roof, creating a 2-in hole. Dave put a temporary patch over the hole with a plastic bag to create some height covered by duct tape. A couple of days later, Tom from Trailer Time RV Service, was on site to fix the hole. After cleaning, filling and patching the hole, he cleaned the rest of the roof and applied a Di-Cor Roof-guard for UV protection. While he was up there, Dave had him replace the vent hatch from our bathroom, which had been deteriorating pretty rapidly. A side benefit of his cleaning the roof, was that Dave and Adam were able to clean the sides of the RV as well, something that was long overdue.
That “thump” Dave heard was not just a big acorn, but a 4 foot branch that had impaled itself into the roof, creating a 2-in hole. Dave put a temporary patch over the hole with a plastic bag to create some height covered by duct tape. A couple of days later, Tom from Trailer Time RV Service, was on site to fix the hole. After cleaning, filling and patching the hole, he cleaned the rest of the roof and applied a Di-Cor Roof-guard for UV protection. While he was up there, Dave had him replace the vent hatch from our bathroom, which had been deteriorating pretty rapidly. A side benefit of his cleaning the roof, was that Dave and Adam were able to clean the sides of the RV as well, something that was long overdue.
New Wifi Antenna pointed at Camp Store One of the reasons we had so many acorns falling on the roof in the first place was that we had taken a site in the older section of the campground for the first time. This area is more wooded and the sites are not always as level as the new section. However, there is one significant advantage with the site that we took. With a little help from a new Wifi antenna, we can pick up wifi from the camp store. It is has been a tremendous help as we have been collaborating on Cabin Work Week and Park After Dark. Oh yes, and searching for a new vehicle. More about that later.
Accepting award from Preservation Virginia We Won!
After 2 weeks, Dave came to pick up Cathy from NC in time for us both to join the closing session of the Preservation Virginia Annual Conference. After submitting the Cabin Work Week project to them as part of their “Preservation Pitch” program, we were anxious to see how the voting went. We were thrilled to hear that the project won the $2,000 grant. In a facebook live event, the winner was announced from the conference in Danville. We accepted it along with the park’s CCC Museum curator, Aaron Paula Thompson. It was a tribute to how much support these CCC-built structures at the park have.
After 2 weeks, Dave came to pick up Cathy from NC in time for us both to join the closing session of the Preservation Virginia Annual Conference. After submitting the Cabin Work Week project to them as part of their “Preservation Pitch” program, we were anxious to see how the voting went. We were thrilled to hear that the project won the $2,000 grant. In a facebook live event, the winner was announced from the conference in Danville. We accepted it along with the park’s CCC Museum curator, Aaron Paula Thompson. It was a tribute to how much support these CCC-built structures at the park have.
Supplies lined up for Cabin Work Week Back at the park, we worked with the project coordinator, volunteer Rich Buhrman, to assemble purchased supplies close to the job site, and to help another volunteer, Paula Labieniec, to pressure-wash the buildings that would be part of the project work the next week. Although we wouldn’t be there for the arrival of participants and the kick-off meeting, we assembled welcome packets for the office to distribute to them upon arrival.
Troy (in mask) and Taylor at Park After Dark It’s Spooky
Park After Dark is a festival put on by the Friends of Pocahontas for the community around the park. Growing every year, a couple of thousand people attend. There are hayrides, face painting, Trunk or Treat, Crafts, Story Telling, Raptor encounters, and much more. It takes over 100 volunteers to pull it off. It was a family affair for us. Adam was in charge of the face painting. Droz floated between assignments and we drove a haywagon. Bonnie, Troy and family camped in the park for the weekend and the kids were dressed and ready to go when the festival opened.
Park After Dark is a festival put on by the Friends of Pocahontas for the community around the park. Growing every year, a couple of thousand people attend. There are hayrides, face painting, Trunk or Treat, Crafts, Story Telling, Raptor encounters, and much more. It takes over 100 volunteers to pull it off. It was a family affair for us. Adam was in charge of the face painting. Droz floated between assignments and we drove a haywagon. Bonnie, Troy and family camped in the park for the weekend and the kids were dressed and ready to go when the festival opened.
Adam face-painting one of many customers Even though there were more people than last year, there were shorter lines and less crowds due to some improvements. We added an extra hour, another haywagon and tripled the number of face painters. By all measures, it was a huge success and a lot of fun. The only down side was an “incident” when Cathy was driving the haywagon. No injuries. And once the tire was changed, it was back in service for the rest of the night. Cathy decided to step away from the tractor though for the rest of the night.
Tribute to Clint Saying Goodbye
The family gathered for the celebration of life for Cathy’s brother-in-law, Clint, on the last Sunday in October. It was a beautiful tribute to an amazing man. Clint was a talented engineer, a respected and admired leader, a loving husband, brother, and uncle, and a tirelessly effective servant of those in need. In a service that filled every seat of a sizable sanctuary, we felt the impact of a life well-lived, and a challenge to pick up the torch he set down way too early. An inspiration to all of us.
The family gathered for the celebration of life for Cathy’s brother-in-law, Clint, on the last Sunday in October. It was a beautiful tribute to an amazing man. Clint was a talented engineer, a respected and admired leader, a loving husband, brother, and uncle, and a tirelessly effective servant of those in need. In a service that filled every seat of a sizable sanctuary, we felt the impact of a life well-lived, and a challenge to pick up the torch he set down way too early. An inspiration to all of us.
A rare picture of the family together
