With the end of a successful 2021 Cabin Work Week, we had a week to clean up the cabin sites before it was time to leave Pocahontas for points south. But our first jump was a short one, since we accepted an invitation to spend Thanksgiving with Bonnie and Troy and the kids. From there, we took 2 days to drive to Jacksonville, arriving on Tuesday, about 30 minutes before Pat and Fred. The temperatures had warmed up, and we began to settle in for the season.
Joe and Fred remove rotten siding from Paspahegh Cabin 4 Clean-Up Week
Our clean-up team was small, but very effective at sorting, packing up, and moving supplies from the work sites to the storage site. With the additional tools that had been purchased, we needed more shelves to make the best use of the storage rooms, so Joe , Roger and Fred spent an afternoon building them. Marguerite tapped Dave Davis, another member of the clean-up crew to help her finish installing hardware cloth and screen in the upper vents at Paspahegh. By week’s end, all but 2 of the 13 vents had been addressed. And there was a small amount of painting, staining and caulking required to finalize the site as well.
Our clean-up team was small, but very effective at sorting, packing up, and moving supplies from the work sites to the storage site. With the additional tools that had been purchased, we needed more shelves to make the best use of the storage rooms, so Joe , Roger and Fred spent an afternoon building them. Marguerite tapped Dave Davis, another member of the clean-up crew to help her finish installing hardware cloth and screen in the upper vents at Paspahegh. By week’s end, all but 2 of the 13 vents had been addressed. And there was a small amount of painting, staining and caulking required to finalize the site as well.
Joe finishes Cabin 4's siding repair With the supplies stowed, Joe and Fred turned their attention to siding and sill repairs. They were making significant progress before we left, and their work continued for a couple of weeks after we pulled out. As Cathy made the final pass through the cabins, she was greeted by a snake that was seeking a warm spot to spend the winter. It was his bad luck, since his entrance was sealed closed. Guess he’ll have to look elsewhere.
By Thursday afternoon, our work at the site was done, just in time for a surprise visit from Pat and Fred.
And, of course, we had already begun working on Cabin Work Week 2022.
Shaking Off the Cobwebs
After sitting for 3 months, we had some work to do to get moving again. Besides packing up and stowing supplies, the truck needed an oil change and tires rotated. We were using more propane heat as the temperatures plummeted, so topping off the propane tank seemed like a good idea as well. Dave checked the trailer tire pressures and inflated them as needed.
We did have one new device that we were able to test for the first time as we hitched up again. Dave positioned a “Backseat Baby camera” behind the backseat headrest to give him a display of the hitch and hitch pin. It allowed him to better align the truck and trailer for hooking up. Not what the camera was marketed for, but it worked well.
By Thursday afternoon, our work at the site was done, just in time for a surprise visit from Pat and Fred.
And, of course, we had already begun working on Cabin Work Week 2022.
Shaking Off the Cobwebs
After sitting for 3 months, we had some work to do to get moving again. Besides packing up and stowing supplies, the truck needed an oil change and tires rotated. We were using more propane heat as the temperatures plummeted, so topping off the propane tank seemed like a good idea as well. Dave checked the trailer tire pressures and inflated them as needed.
We did have one new device that we were able to test for the first time as we hitched up again. Dave positioned a “Backseat Baby camera” behind the backseat headrest to give him a display of the hitch and hitch pin. It allowed him to better align the truck and trailer for hooking up. Not what the camera was marketed for, but it worked well.
Fred pulls out of Pocahontas Family and Friends
It was March of 2020 when we last saw Pat and Fred. They pulled out from Faith, heading north for home in NH. We didn’t know that it would take 20 months to see each other again. We enjoyed catching up, giving them a tour of the cabins, and enjoying the park during their stay. They headed out on Sunday, but this time we were pretty sure it wouldn’t be long before we saw each other again.
It was March of 2020 when we last saw Pat and Fred. They pulled out from Faith, heading north for home in NH. We didn’t know that it would take 20 months to see each other again. We enjoyed catching up, giving them a tour of the cabins, and enjoying the park during their stay. They headed out on Sunday, but this time we were pretty sure it wouldn’t be long before we saw each other again.
The next day, we headed out for a week with Bonnie and Troy and the kids. We were able to park at their house, and plug in, which was valuable as the temperatures in southern Virginia were getting pretty cold. In exchange for their hospitality, we helped them install some fence posts (24, not that we were counting). Thanksgiving Day brought a feast that included a turkey cooked on the grill that was delicious. And we had so many leftovers, we ate them for the rest of the week.
By Monday, it was time for everyone in the Hawkins clan to head back to work and school, so we headed out as well. Our way station for the night was the Cartersville Country Winery in Timmonsville SC. After a bit of miscommunication upon our arrival, we managed to work out where we needed to park, and were once again grateful for the full hookups, which gave us the ability to empty tanks, take hot showers and run the heat to fend out the cold. Waking to a hard frost the next morning, we knew that we were headed in the right direction. By the time we arrived at Faith, the temperatures were up to the 60’s and the forecasted highs were rising. It must be Florida.
