Amaryllis on the church grounds In Florida, Spring’s arrival isn’t heralded by the first blooms of the season, since flowers are in bloom all winter. However, it is the quantity of flowers in bloom along with the warming temperatures that tell us Spring is here. And the other thing that tells us Spring is here is that the campground gets pretty empty. While we were not the only ones left in Faith’s campground by March month-end, it was close to it.
Dave patches the larger hole on the C-building roof Up On the Roof
In our last entry, we had pictures of a massive live oak limb that had broken off in the church courtyard. Once the limb was (very carefully) removed by a local company, the extent of the damage to the nearby roof became apparent. Luckily, the base was concrete, so there was no penetration beyond the rolled roofing and underlayment.
In our last entry, we had pictures of a massive live oak limb that had broken off in the church courtyard. Once the limb was (very carefully) removed by a local company, the extent of the damage to the nearby roof became apparent. Luckily, the base was concrete, so there was no penetration beyond the rolled roofing and underlayment.
With a hand to give perspective, the hole is deep and wide After watching several videos on rolled roofing repairs, we bought some supplies and headed up to the roof to patch the holes. Our YouTube advisors were all patching seams or small holes. However, once we had cleaned out the debris from the larger holes, it was obvious that these were over an inch deep and several inches across. So, we were going to need some filler in the hole to support the roofing for the patch.
Applying fiberglass tape to support the patch material Using a somewhat unconventional material (rubber baseboard molding), we were able to fill the holes. Then we applied some roof patch, fiberglass mesh tape, and some more roof patch. Since the tree had lain on the roof for a couple of weeks, the roofing was not laying flat on its own. Luckily the church had a LOT of bricks (thanks to the recent masonry competition), that we used to flatten it so no water would collect in ridges from raised roofing.
Finished repairs By the time we were done, we had patched 10 holes across the roof. It should hold for quite a while, or until the next limb falls . . .
Before we said goodbye
With a firm departure date set, Pat and Fred made ready to head out on the last Thursday of March. Before that, we made the most of their talents and company. Pat helped Cathy prune the last of the trees that hung low over the parking lot and Wesley Hall. The two also installed some more cove molding in the sanctuary building. Meanwhile Dave and Fred put the finishing touches on the well, installing a check valve, and repairing a faulty switch in the church’s faithful golf cart, nicknamed Lazarus.
We managed to check out some outdoor dining opportunities at Culver’s, Moe’s, Bono’s, and even the Assumption Catholic Church Friday fish fry. But like all good things, our time together had to come to an end. Unfortunately, their departure day was going to be a terrible travel day. (Maybe Mother Nature was trying to tell them to stay?) Sure enough, we woke up to pouring rain that eased up only a little between cells. The irony was that Fred had just made an emergency repair to his windshield wiper. Nothing like a trial by fire.
We did our best to see them off, but the rain finally forced us back to our RV to change our drenched clothes as we wished them well. By mid-day they were out of the rain, and the windshield wiper repair had held up fine. Whew!
With a firm departure date set, Pat and Fred made ready to head out on the last Thursday of March. Before that, we made the most of their talents and company. Pat helped Cathy prune the last of the trees that hung low over the parking lot and Wesley Hall. The two also installed some more cove molding in the sanctuary building. Meanwhile Dave and Fred put the finishing touches on the well, installing a check valve, and repairing a faulty switch in the church’s faithful golf cart, nicknamed Lazarus.
We managed to check out some outdoor dining opportunities at Culver’s, Moe’s, Bono’s, and even the Assumption Catholic Church Friday fish fry. But like all good things, our time together had to come to an end. Unfortunately, their departure day was going to be a terrible travel day. (Maybe Mother Nature was trying to tell them to stay?) Sure enough, we woke up to pouring rain that eased up only a little between cells. The irony was that Fred had just made an emergency repair to his windshield wiper. Nothing like a trial by fire.
We did our best to see them off, but the rain finally forced us back to our RV to change our drenched clothes as we wished them well. By mid-day they were out of the rain, and the windshield wiper repair had held up fine. Whew!
New coat of varnish on Orion Jr Boat Stuff
With Pat and Fred’s departure, Dave turned his attention to several internet issues, replacing and reprogramming routers, and providing a “tour” of the network to help users troubleshoot in his absence. However, Cathy turned her attention to the boat, giving the cover its annual cleaning and waterproofing. To her dismay, the wood trim was looking pretty dull. So she took time to sand and apply 3 coats of varnish – not so easy when crawling around under the cover. However, the results made it worth the effort.
We also took the opportunity to disconnect the batteries from the solar panels to check their health. They held their charge for several days, which is a good thing.
With Pat and Fred’s departure, Dave turned his attention to several internet issues, replacing and reprogramming routers, and providing a “tour” of the network to help users troubleshoot in his absence. However, Cathy turned her attention to the boat, giving the cover its annual cleaning and waterproofing. To her dismay, the wood trim was looking pretty dull. So she took time to sand and apply 3 coats of varnish – not so easy when crawling around under the cover. However, the results made it worth the effort.
We also took the opportunity to disconnect the batteries from the solar panels to check their health. They held their charge for several days, which is a good thing.
Dave works to re-program the well timer Done with the Well? Not Quite
While there was no more hardware to install or change to ensure the well was pumping water for the Burmese gardens, there was some software that needed to work to ensure the pump would turn on and off at intervals that would ensure the tanks were filled when the water was needed. Dave and Fred had installed a programmable timer that would allow an app to control the schedule for the pump. However to ensure it could be done remotely, he needed to ensure a reliable internet connection at the well. We tried installing different wifi access points at the closest point to the well, until we found one that worked consistently. Once in place, the app worked as planned to adjust the timer.
The next challenge was figuring out when and for how long the pump should run. This depends a lot on how the gardeners use the water. Dave spent the next couple of weeks visiting the well at different times and different days and adjusting the well schedule based on what he saw. If it still needs adjustment after we leave, he can always make the change on his phone from wherever we happen to be.
While there was no more hardware to install or change to ensure the well was pumping water for the Burmese gardens, there was some software that needed to work to ensure the pump would turn on and off at intervals that would ensure the tanks were filled when the water was needed. Dave and Fred had installed a programmable timer that would allow an app to control the schedule for the pump. However to ensure it could be done remotely, he needed to ensure a reliable internet connection at the well. We tried installing different wifi access points at the closest point to the well, until we found one that worked consistently. Once in place, the app worked as planned to adjust the timer.
The next challenge was figuring out when and for how long the pump should run. This depends a lot on how the gardeners use the water. Dave spent the next couple of weeks visiting the well at different times and different days and adjusting the well schedule based on what he saw. If it still needs adjustment after we leave, he can always make the change on his phone from wherever we happen to be.
What a Treat!
Being so close to I-95, Faith is an easy stopover for folks heading north or south. We extend the invitation to visit to many, and occasionally some take us up on the offer. The most recent visitors were Tom and Debbie, who we know from Cabin Work Week at Pocahontas. Not only was the visit a sweet treat, but we also got to sample Debbie’s Key Lime Pie, which was even sweeter.
We had recently created a recruiting video for Cabin Work Week volunteers, which Tom and Debbie graciously reviewed for us. While they agreed with our assessment that we will never be Youtube stars, we got a thumbs up. Publishing the video on Youtube will hopefully reach some volunteers that we might not get otherwise. You can check it out here: https://youtu.be/BODD_vxGV-g
Being so close to I-95, Faith is an easy stopover for folks heading north or south. We extend the invitation to visit to many, and occasionally some take us up on the offer. The most recent visitors were Tom and Debbie, who we know from Cabin Work Week at Pocahontas. Not only was the visit a sweet treat, but we also got to sample Debbie’s Key Lime Pie, which was even sweeter.
We had recently created a recruiting video for Cabin Work Week volunteers, which Tom and Debbie graciously reviewed for us. While they agreed with our assessment that we will never be Youtube stars, we got a thumbs up. Publishing the video on Youtube will hopefully reach some volunteers that we might not get otherwise. You can check it out here: https://youtu.be/BODD_vxGV-g
Parting Shot
This guy decided to sun himself by the laundry one day.
This guy decided to sun himself by the laundry one day.
