FORT PARKER

Sunday February 14: We left Lackland AFB and met up with Lois and Bill Rush along I-10 east of San Antonio

We then moved on to meet Rita and Bill Weidendorf at La Grange, TX. They are folks we met the first year in Texas and are currently volunteers at Monument Hill State Park. After a tour of their little park we had lunch at, what else but, a Mexican restaurant and then headed on to Fort Parker.

When we left Rita and Bill in La Grange it was sunny and near 65, however, as we moved north the skies became grey and the temperature began to drop. By the time we arrived at Fort Parker it was 40 and a cold, cold wind was blowing out of the north. Because they had their schedules a bit messed up, there are five volunteers for four sites. This means that the Rushes and the Samples have to ‘share’ one site location. Fortunately it’s at a spot near the maintenance area and we have about a half-acre to ourselves. We backed in and set up temporarily as it was getting dark and we were tired. The position of our units is a bit awkward as the Rushes have to watch how the walk out the door so they don’t walk right into the front of our unit. The power was not on, but Tom Fisher, the park manager, came over to meet us and took care of turning the power on to our location.

We had been set up for a short time when Laura and Becky, Tom’s daughters came over and gave us home-made valentines. We had a nice little visit with them. Becky is 13 and Laura is 18. Tom has two boys too, a 21 year old in grad school at Baylor and Jacob, a ten year old. All of the kids are home schooled.

Monday February 15: At 7:30, I walked over to the shop/maintenance area to meet Dan, the lead ranger. He had just started to work here when were here five years ago. Later that morning we walked to the office to meet with Tom and get his ‘briefing’ on what he expects and what jobs he has planned. The first thing he did was dig out volunteer hats for us. Bill had worn his Texas Longhorns hat and Tom is at Texas A&M grad. There is no love lost between the two schools. He told us his general plans for us, but said we would be ‘working for’ Dan (Lead Ranger) and we should talk to him. After the session with Tom, we took a tour of the park and we showed the Rushes around, then it was lunch and time to re-arrange our units. It took some time to make the move but we are situated much better now, though there is only one sewer connection. We looked at ways to make a “Y” to share, but think we will just alternate dumping days.

This is the “Cushman” that we’ve been assigned to haul our equipment around in. It has a 3 speed transmission and a motorcycle engine.

Wednesday February 17: Tuesday morning I walked over to meet with Dan to find out what he had planned for us to do. Just as Tom had listed first, he wanted us to give the group area buildings a thorough cleaning. These are nine buildings built by the CCC in the 1930’s. It consists of four sleeping buildings with 20 bunks; two restroom/shower buildings; an open ‘activity’ building; dining hall with full kitchen and a counselor cottage that sleeps six. We started to work on the first of the group barracks buildings. It took some time to gather all the materials we needed and we finally got started about 10:30. We finished everything but the lights and knocked off about 3:30. (We took 90 minutes for lunch and break) After dinner we walked Lilly to the campground area and really think that we will move to one of the host sites there at the end of the month. They overlook the campground and lake and even though it was chilly, the sun setting over the lake is quite a sight.

On Wednesday we finished up the light fixtures and moved on to a bathroom. As you can see we are busily working.

A number of the screens must be repaired (my job) and some of the glass panes need to be replaced (Bill’s job).

Thursday February 18: Another Chilly day in Texas, but the sun is out and feels warm. It was back to the group area and the next dorm barrack building. This was a bit dirtier than the first and required more work. There were more broken/cracked windows to replace and more screens to repair. In the afternoon we took Lilly with us so she would not be in the trailer. She was able to see some different sights and smells. As it was a pleasant afternoon we decided to have a campfire. It was nice to sit around a fire and cook. Judy made several nice big juicy s’mores.

Bill is busy cutting Plexiglas to replace the broken/cracked windows.

Judy and Lois are off on the Ohio Crew’s Cushman.

Friday February 19: Because the group area is rented for the weekend, we decided not to clean and let Judy and Lois rest. Bill and I joined another volunteer (Everet) to look for wood duck boxes. These are wooden nesting boxes placed around the lake for the wood ducks that migrate and hopefully some will remain through the winter. These boxes had not been checked for over two years. Our job was to locate them and pin-point them with a GPS unit. We went out on a flat bottom boat in overcast skies with the air temperature in the 40’s. It was even colder on the water. We located 20 of the 30 boxes Tom said were out there. We were on the water for nearly two hours cruising along the shore line and checking the reeds. The lake was formed in the 30’s by a dam placed in the Navasota River by the CCC. It’s a 700 acre lake.

Tom also would like to GPS all of the water and electric lines as well as the hose bibs and shut off valves. Looks like that will be another job we attack – after the group area is completed.

As an aside, here is a link to an article that appeared in the NY Times about volunteers working in State Parks. For us it’s not that we have to do it or need to do it. We do it to be out and be active during those months when, if back home would be hold up and snug at 2020 Tricaso Drive. Even Lilly enjoys the change of scenery and new smells. What other Ohio dog has gotten to see Axis deer and follow their tracks?

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/18/us/18campers.html?emc=eta1
Saturday February 20: Big day here and it looks like most of the park staff knows who has a birthday today. We slept in some and just took it easy most of the morning. We took a nice long hike with Lilly down by the Navasota River and then by a spring and then back into the campground. We are having trouble with the cell phone and the air card making any connections. Yesterday had a nice solid roaming signal on the cell, but today nothing. The phone tells us we have four messages, but we can’t retrieve them. Maybe we can get something when we go into Mexia for church and shopping on Sunday.

In the late afternoon we went into the big town of Groesbeck and checked out a couple of shops. The one big antique shop had started out as a grocery, later it was a plumbing and electrical shop and for the past 20 years it’s been an antique shop. We then went to ‘Stevens Steak House’ for birthday dinner. It was a unique little place right next to Stevens Grocery. Judy had a sirloin and baked potato and the rest of us had chicken fried steak. Everything was very good and when we were done, the lady doing the cooking came out and asked how we liked it, and then she bused the table. It’s a return place for sure!

Ah well, time to end this week and see what next week will bring.