Shari and Dave staining the Baker Building We lost little time upon returning to Pocahontas to get started on preparations for the Cabin Work Week project. Being at Pocahontas also put us near our daughter’s family and our grandson Droz. So, we enjoyed reconnecting with them as well.
Advertising for Cabin Work Week in the park Cabin Work
The primary reason we need to be back in the park in September is to prepare an order for the rough cut lumber that we want delivered during the fall project. Since this year we will tackle the last of the 6 Group Cabin sites that remain standing, and our wood order is primarily for next year’s project, we needed to understand what 2024’s project would look like. After some discussion with park management, we worked out that plan, and were able to assemble this year’s order.
The primary reason we need to be back in the park in September is to prepare an order for the rough cut lumber that we want delivered during the fall project. Since this year we will tackle the last of the 6 Group Cabin sites that remain standing, and our wood order is primarily for next year’s project, we needed to understand what 2024’s project would look like. After some discussion with park management, we worked out that plan, and were able to assemble this year’s order.
Some of our younger recruits Another focus of our time early in September is the recruiting of volunteers. We post flyers throughout the park, talk to our fellow campers, hikers, former volunteers, etc., and work with Max to respond to inquiries about the project that come into the park directly. But our most unlikely volunteers came about in a conversation with Twila and an 8th grader who was camping with his grandparents in the park. Thinking he might join a work day later in the year, Dave gradually came to understand that he didn’t want to wait weeks, he wanted to do something now. Never one to turn away a volunteer, we agreed to set up to paint screen trim at our site the next day. He quickly volunteered and recruited his brother to help. Just to make sure all was well, we stopped by to get their mom’s OK that night. Sure enough, first thing the next day, the boys arrived and began painting. Over the next couple of days, the boys finished enough trim for one of our 7 cabins, and they felt great about it, too.
Cabin Work Day volunteers in front of the newly-stained Baker Building And we did a little work ourselves too. There are many historic buildings in the park, not just in the group cabin area. They are in the day use area, the CCC field and even in Maintenance. The focus of a few weeks of effort was the Baker office building in Maintenance. The entrance had a small platform approached by a couple of stairs and a ramp. This needed resurfacing. Maintenance started the work, and a pair of our long-time volunteers called out of the blue and volunteered to finish the ramp and stairs. Greg, who runs monthly work days when we are not around, pressure-washed the building, and set up a work day to stain it. On that Saturday, we joined Greg and his volunteers to stain the building. The 7 volunteers made short work of the building, and left it looking better than it had in years.
Dave works on a fallen tree limb over Cabin 4 in 2nd Branch. Ironically, this porch roof had a couple of holes repaired in last year's project. Back at the 2nd Branch cabin site and at one of next year’s buildings, we took a saw and some loppers and moved branches back off the building, including a large one that had fallen on a porch roof, luckily doing no damage.
Grandpa Dave, Droz and Grandma Cathy at our Labor day weekend picnic. Family Fun
Camping at Pocahontas gives us free passes to the pool, and arriving just before Labor Day, we had only 3 days left to use them. So, we invited Droz and his hosts for the past few months, Brian and Jessica and family over for a swim and picnic on Saturday. We had a few errands to run, so we sent them up to the pool while we set up for the picnic. It was a beautiful day for a picnic, and everyone seemed to enjoy themselves. It had been several months since we had seen Droz and much longer since we had been with the Mounts.
Camping at Pocahontas gives us free passes to the pool, and arriving just before Labor Day, we had only 3 days left to use them. So, we invited Droz and his hosts for the past few months, Brian and Jessica and family over for a swim and picnic on Saturday. We had a few errands to run, so we sent them up to the pool while we set up for the picnic. It was a beautiful day for a picnic, and everyone seemed to enjoy themselves. It had been several months since we had seen Droz and much longer since we had been with the Mounts.
Taylor solves a feline felony. Unlike Saturday, the following Monday was going to be scorching hot, so we gladly accepted an invitation to visit with Bonnie’s family for some good food and good times together. Grandma Cathy and Taylor went several rounds solving Cat Crimes, and Troy tried to match his virtual road racing vehicle to Grandpa Dave’s truck. It was a great day, and we were glad to get the time together after so many months apart.
Parting Shot
This guy visited us and posed for a photo one day at our site.
This guy visited us and posed for a photo one day at our site.
