Sunday, May 17 – Saturday, May 30, 2009
Sunday, May 17
Happy Birthday to niece Keylin Roberts in Cleburne, Texas!!!
It was great to get back to the Sunday morning worship service at the Rim Rock Cowboy Church this morning. We always enjoy the service and the fellowship there. Ladd and Angela were back in church after being gone last week, so we sat with them and got caught up on what was happening with each other (after the service, of course).
We came back to Big V for lunch and an afternoon nap and then drove to Mineola to visit the family. When we got there, we found that Mother had gone with T.J. to pick up Alathea, one of Rob’s daughters and one of T.J.’s granddaughters. Alathea was going to spend a week or so with her grandmother while Rob was recovering from his motorcycle accident.
In addition to Mother being gone from the house, Ernie was over at T.J.’s taking care of the dogs and Billee was on the phone with one of their daughters, so we quickly told her we’d be back another time and let ourselves out of the house.
After a quick shopping trip at Wal-Mart, we hurried back to Holiday Village to put away our purchases and settle in for a quiet evening.
Monday – Saturday, May 18 – 23
Except for the odd trip to Mineola and time off due to occasional thunderstorms, this was a week of 10-hour work days on the lot.
We pulled vines and branches until our arms felt like they were going to fall off (or be cut off by the briar thorns) and built a couple of mountains for the burn piles. We discovered more old branches to be burned and I took the chain saw to some dead branches on one of the large cedar trees in the creek bed.
While cutting through the dense foliage that grows in our little ravine, Barbara discovered several large and very productive blackberry bushes. We don’t know how long the berries will last, what with all the birds that fly around our place, but we’re hoping for a good harvest off our own land.
We also received three more loads of fill dirt to build up the slab area…much of what had been delivered before was washed away by the heavy rains while we were on our trip to Tennessee and Georgia. And, we found that we had all miscalculated the slope of the land from the rear to the front of the projected pad…nearly a three-foot difference on one corner.
Glenn’s father-in-law, Larry, came out to visit with us about what we wanted to do, and in the course of the conversation, we decided that we needed to extend the front ramp by five feet and cut down the level surface (the parking area for Big V) to 20’ X 35’. Those changes, along with the inclusion of footers all around the edge of the slab, should give us a solid and stable parking and living area for many years to come.
One of the highlights of the week was when the family came out for a hotdog cookout on Tuesday. Ernie, Billee, Mother, T.J., and Alathea joined us for the evening. One of the first things Alathea saw when she entered Big V was my trumpet. It became evident to all of us that there would be a trumpet lesson before the evening was over. Alathea took to the instrument like a natural…had little, if any, trouble puckering her lips and getting them to buzz so she could make the horn sound.
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The end of the week found us battered, bruised, and pretty well shredded by thorns, but the dream was coming alive…now if we could just shut off the rain for a while (who would ever think that we, from southwest Kansas, West Texas, and southeastern New Mexico would ever say anything like that!)..
Larry’s able-bodied assistant, Juan, began preparing the slab area on Friday after all the strings were in place to mark the edges and set the height for the dirt. Juan promised to return on Sunday (God and weather willing) to finish spreading the dirt and packing it in place so the concrete people can do their thing…life is good and getting better by the day!
Also, while we were in town on Friday, Alathea decided that she’d like to stay the night with us. We weren’t sure how she would take to staying with virtual strangers, but she was an absolute delight to have as a house guest.
Sunday, May 17
Happy Birthday to niece Keylin Roberts in Cleburne, Texas!!!
It was great to get back to the Sunday morning worship service at the Rim Rock Cowboy Church this morning. We always enjoy the service and the fellowship there. Ladd and Angela were back in church after being gone last week, so we sat with them and got caught up on what was happening with each other (after the service, of course).
We came back to Big V for lunch and an afternoon nap and then drove to Mineola to visit the family. When we got there, we found that Mother had gone with T.J. to pick up Alathea, one of Rob’s daughters and one of T.J.’s granddaughters. Alathea was going to spend a week or so with her grandmother while Rob was recovering from his motorcycle accident.
In addition to Mother being gone from the house, Ernie was over at T.J.’s taking care of the dogs and Billee was on the phone with one of their daughters, so we quickly told her we’d be back another time and let ourselves out of the house.
After a quick shopping trip at Wal-Mart, we hurried back to Holiday Village to put away our purchases and settle in for a quiet evening.
Monday – Saturday, May 18 – 23
Except for the odd trip to Mineola and time off due to occasional thunderstorms, this was a week of 10-hour work days on the lot.
We pulled vines and branches until our arms felt like they were going to fall off (or be cut off by the briar thorns) and built a couple of mountains for the burn piles. We discovered more old branches to be burned and I took the chain saw to some dead branches on one of the large cedar trees in the creek bed.
While cutting through the dense foliage that grows in our little ravine, Barbara discovered several large and very productive blackberry bushes. We don’t know how long the berries will last, what with all the birds that fly around our place, but we’re hoping for a good harvest off our own land.
We also received three more loads of fill dirt to build up the slab area…much of what had been delivered before was washed away by the heavy rains while we were on our trip to Tennessee and Georgia. And, we found that we had all miscalculated the slope of the land from the rear to the front of the projected pad…nearly a three-foot difference on one corner.
Glenn’s father-in-law, Larry, came out to visit with us about what we wanted to do, and in the course of the conversation, we decided that we needed to extend the front ramp by five feet and cut down the level surface (the parking area for Big V) to 20’ X 35’. Those changes, along with the inclusion of footers all around the edge of the slab, should give us a solid and stable parking and living area for many years to come.
One of the highlights of the week was when the family came out for a hotdog cookout on Tuesday. Ernie, Billee, Mother, T.J., and Alathea joined us for the evening. One of the first things Alathea saw when she entered Big V was my trumpet. It became evident to all of us that there would be a trumpet lesson before the evening was over. Alathea took to the instrument like a natural…had little, if any, trouble puckering her lips and getting them to buzz so she could make the horn sound.
The end of the week found us battered, bruised, and pretty well shredded by thorns, but the dream was coming alive…now if we could just shut off the rain for a while (who would ever think that we, from southwest Kansas, West Texas, and southeastern New Mexico would ever say anything like that!)..Larry’s able-bodied assistant, Juan, began preparing the slab area on Friday after all the strings were in place to mark the edges and set the height for the dirt. Juan promised to return on Sunday (God and weather willing) to finish spreading the dirt and packing it in place so the concrete people can do their thing…life is good and getting better by the day!
Also, while we were in town on Friday, Alathea decided that she’d like to stay the night with us. We weren’t sure how she would take to staying with virtual strangers, but she was an absolute delight to have as a house guest.
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Saturday the Mineola clan came back out to check out the progress of the land and to have another Little meal with some homemade ice cream that Alathea and Barbara whipped up.
Sunday, May 24
After last night’s downpour, and anticipating more rain today, we decided we’d better get over to the new lot, assess the damages, and began any repairs we might be able to make. So, by 7:30 we were hard at work trying to fill in all the low places around the pad area and building little dams to divert water away from our dirt. While there wasn’t any serious damage to Juan’s work within the area of the forms, it was obvious that when he is able to come out and work again, he will have some smoothing out to do.
We worked until after 10:30 moving mud and dirt around and then decided we’d done all we could for the day. If it was going to rain, it was going to rain and there was nothing else we could do about it except pray that our efforts would help prevent any further problems. It was obvious that Juan would not be able to start digging the footers in such a soggy mess, so we locked the tools in the shed and went back to Big B to clean up.
Because we needed to get to the nearest Wells Fargo Bank (in Terrell, about 65 miles east of here), we got dressed and started out in the Vibe, looking along the way for a Sonic so we could have breakfast (didn’t take time this morning…too much to do on the lot).
We finally found a place to eat at Wills Point, so we stopped long enough to order some breakfast burritos and then headed out again, reaching Terrell in about 20 minutes. We took care of our banking (thank goodness for 24-hour ATM service) and then went to Home Depot to see what we couldn’t live without.
From Home Depot we drove to Wal-Mart to get some things we would need for tomorrow’s family dinner in Mineola and then drove as fast as the law allowed to get back to the park and get things in the refrigerator.
The evening was spent in preparing our contributions for the Memorial Day dinner at T.J.’s house. T.J. had requested our Puerto Rican potato salad and Barbara whipped up a new dessert she had learned while we were at Toccoa-Heidi’s Peanut Butter Pie, made with peanut butter, chocolate pudding, Cool Whip, and topped with halves of Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups.
The work, driving, and cooking took its toll on us and we were in bed and asleep before 10:00 pm…weary with well-doing.
Monday, May 25
Lest we forget…this is Memorial Day, a day of remembrance of all veterans who paid the ultimate sacrifice so that we can enjoy the freedoms in this wonderful nation.
Happy Anniversary to Cousins Ladd and Angela Thompson in Mineola, Texas!!!
There was still plenty of dirt to move around and briars to fight, so as soon as we woke up (which was earlier than we wanted), we went over to the lot and started to work. The morning was spent in clearing out vines, weeds, briars, and broken branches from the little ravine that runs west from our lot to the creek just before it passes under the road. We don’t know that we ever intended to do all this, but as with many projects, there just isn’t a stopping point.
Meanwhile, Juan showed up, giving up his holiday morning to work on the pad area and repair the small amount of damage that had been caused by yesterday’s rain. Juan is perhaps one of the most conscientious workers we’ve ever met. Everything has to be done as close to perfection as possible, and in the end, his work is almost art.
By working the way he does, Juan has put two children through school…his son is an engineer in Canada, his daughter is a lawyer in France, and Juan is taking classes (in between jobs) to earn an engineering degree…true American success stories.
Sometime after noon we finally called it quits at the lot and returned to Big V to get cleaned up for the “big do” at T.J.’s house.
Later in the afternoon we drove in to Mineola where we joined T.J., her son, Rob, his wife, Michelle, and their children, Joseph, Alathea, and Arriana. Cousin Madeline was also there, but her parents, Ladd and Angela, passed on this occasion since it was their anniversary and they had other plans for the evening.
We were soon joined by Mother, Ernie, and Billee, and soon the house was full of conversation and the smells of a wonderful family dinner – brisket with all the conceivable trimmings.
When we had eaten all we could hold and said all there was to say, we got the place somewhat back in order and started saying our goodbyes…Rob and his family had a long drive ahead of them and we needed to get to the store for a few things before heading back to the lake, checking out the new lot one last time for the day, and then going back to Big V to collapse.
Tuesday, May 26
The big day finally arrived!
We got out early and headed to the lot at 7:00, just in time to see a large cement truck backing into the lot. Juan and Larry were already in place, and soon the first of two loads of concrete were pouring into the forms…what a beautiful sight for us!
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As Juan and Larry were moving the heavy wet concrete into place, we heard thunder rumbling in the distance and the sky started clouding up…not at all what the weatherman promised for the day. It appeared that the approaching storm was going to break to the north of us, but just to be on the safe side, Larry asked us if we would mind going to town to get a roll of plastic sheeting to cover the newly-poured concrete.
After a few phone calls, Larry located what he needed in Winnsboro, about 23 miles away. We hopped in the Vibe and took off, hoping against hope that 1) this trip would be unnecessary and we would be able to return the plastic for a refund, and 2) if this trip was necessary, we would make it back to the lot in time for the plastic to do any good.
As soon as we got into Winnsboro, I dropped Barbara off at Sonic to order us some breakfast while I went to the lumber yard and got the plastic sheeting…a roll 50 feet by 100 feet, and plenty heavy…we may have to think about getting some heavier shocks for the Vibe…or, get that Jeep I’ve been dreaming about.
We rushed back to the lot and arrived just as the cement truck was pouring out the second load of concrete. So far, so good…the clouds were breaking away from us and it looked as if everything was going to be on schedule. But, just as Juan and Larry finished spreading the concrete and getting it set just right in the forms, the sky darkened, the thunder rumbled, and it started raining. We quickly unrolled the plastic sheeting and got it spread over the slab just in time for a real downpour.
For the next hour or so there was nothing to do but take a break, so we returned to Big V to ride out the storm and hope and pray that it would end soon so they could finish the work.
When the rain stopped and the sky started clearing, we returned to the lot to find Larry and Juan peeling the plastic sheeting off the slab and moving the finisher into place. They spent the rest of the day doing all the finish work while we alternately watched their artistry and worked at gathering weeds, vines, etc. for the burn pile.
By 5:00, the work was done, and we were the proud owners of a 20’ X 45’ foot slab of concrete…maybe not much to look at for some folks, but it was a thing of beauty for us…the foundation for what will one day be our East Texas home site.
Wednesday, May 27
It was with more than a little excitement that we returned to the lot this morning to begin moving dirt around to shore up the slab and begin the landscaping for the lot. But, the excitement soon wore off as we discovered the enormity of the job of moving dirt a shovelful at a time and raking it into place; especially on the north side of the slab, which has a tremendous amount of slope.
Bob Royar had recommended a friend of his as a good source to bring in some dirt to help shape the sides of the slab and some caliche and gravel to build up the driveway, so we gave Gert a call and asked him if he would mind coming out to give us estimates on what it would take to get the job done.
Unfortunately, Gert was tied up on another job today, but he promised to come out tomorrow morning to look at the place and let us know what he could do.
Since the ground was still wet from yesterday’s storms and we couldn’t get to the vines that needed to be cut out or even get the burn pile started, we decided we’d just go to Mineola to visit, pick up the mail, and do some shopping.
By the time we were finished in town, we looked like the backside of hard times as we drove away with both a wheelbarrow AND a 55-gallon steel drum (we decided that we needed a burn barrel on the place) packed into the back of the Vibe…it’s amazing how much will fit in that little car!
On the way back to the lake we stopped at Peralta’s, a Mexican restaurant in Quitman that we had heard good things about, and enjoyed a wonderful meal…definitely a place to keep in mind for great food and outstanding service and a very moderate price.
Back at the lot we unloaded our new purchases, tried once again to burn off some of the trash in the burn pile (still too wet), and tried out the wheelbarrow by moving a few loads of dirt around. Then, it was time to just take it easy for the evening since we had what we hoped would be a hard, but productive day ahead of us tomorrow.
Thursday, May 28
As promised, Gert and one of his helpers, Josh, showed up at the lot this morning to give us some advice and estimates on what it would take to do the necessary dirt work to dress up the slap and shore up the driveway.
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After visiting for about a half hour, we agreed to let them get to work on it. Gert said they could begin this morning and that he would have Josh come over with a tractor to move the dirt around the way we wanted it. Since we’d already tried to do the job with a small wheelbarrow, shovel, and rake, we voted that it would be well worth the price to let them take care of the job.
We continued pulling vines and gathering debris for the burn pile and soon we had a dump truck load of topsoil pulling into the lot.
We watched in amazement as Josh demonstrated his artistry in moving large scoops of dirt into place and then gently smoothing them out. It didn’t take very many minutes to figure out that what we were paying him to do the work beat the hound out of what it would cost us in blood, sweat, and tears (not to mention time) that it would take us to do the same job.
We finally got the burn pile burning down in the gully and just stayed out of the way as we received a truckload of caliche and a load of rock and then watched as Josh moved everything into place and smoothed it out. By the middle of the afternoon, the place was really looking good (at least in our eyes), and we were feeling much better about our decision to make this move. Now, if we only had water, electricity, and a sewer hookup.
Friday, May 29
While Barbara stayed at the RV park to do laundry and take care of some chores around Big V, I rode the motorcycle to Mineola and then drove with T.J. and Alathea to take Mother to a doctor appointment in Tyler.
As usual, we had a lengthy wait before seeing the doctor, but we did get some good news from him. What we thought was a serious back problem can be alleviated by injections rather than surgery.
In the course of the examination, the doctor found that a tendon has become detached from one of Mother’s fingers. She thought that the finger was popping out of place, but the doctor showed us exactly what was happening and suggested a surgical procedure to take care of the problem…yet another doctor to face, but at least there is a solution to a pesky problem.
When we were finally finished in Tyler, we headed back toward Mineola. Mother had a rehab session scheduled for 1:30, so she decided to go on home and rest a bit before going there.
I got the cycle at Mother’s house and then followed T.J. to Quitman, where Barbara joined us for lunch at the Texas Tea Room, a nice little restaurant/Texas gift shop that we’d heard a lot about, but hadn’t visited yet.
We spent the rest of the afternoon just piddling around Big V and the lot, not doing anything of great importance.
Saturday, May 30
This was another big day in my continuing education. Bob came by around d 8:00 and picked me up so we could ride up to Lowe’s in Sulphur Springs to buy the supplies necessary to run the water and electric lines to the new slab. Bob is a retired electrician and all-around handyman, so he was the perfect person to guide me through this experience.
By noon we had returned to the lake with a trailer full of PVC pipe, one size for electrical conduit and another for the water line, as well as assorted fittings and other hardware to accomplish the jobs.
Since we were going to park the trailer at Bob and Mary’s place for safekeeping until tomorrow, I called Barbara to come pick me up there. Once the trailer was unhooked and put away, We decided to ride down to the lot and check with our neighbor, Gary, who had agreed to dig a trench for us, to see whether he would be able to start digging tomorrow or Monday.
Imagine our surprise when we pulled up to the lot to find Gary sitting on his tractor, operating the backhoe, and already halfway through the job! He was digging a trench about 140 feet long, 2 feet deep, and nearly 14 inches wide…more than enough to bury the lines that we would be setting.
While Gary’s backhoe was a wonderful machine for digging the dirt and breaking through tree roots, it didn’t remove the roots or smooth out the ditch, so when he was finished, I grabbed a shovel and an axe so I could smooth and level the bottom of the ditch and hack away those pesky roots that could keep us from laying the pipes. Meanwhile, Barbara was busy picking up the roots and branches that had been dug up or broken off and hauling them off to a new burn pile for future destruction.
As we were finishing the job, Bob and Mary drove by in their golf cart to see what we had done. When they left us, Bob went back and picked up the trailer load of pipes and other supplies that we bought this morning and brought the trailer down to park it on the new slab…ready for another day’s work.
All in all, it was a very successful day…we accomplished far more than we had dreamed for the day and, although worn out from the heat and exertion, were looking forward to what we might be able to do tomorrow.
“Feed your faith…starve your doubts” …marquee at Harvest Acres Baptist in Mineola
From Holiday Village at Lake Fork,
Jim & Barbara.
Sunday, May 24
After last night’s downpour, and anticipating more rain today, we decided we’d better get over to the new lot, assess the damages, and began any repairs we might be able to make. So, by 7:30 we were hard at work trying to fill in all the low places around the pad area and building little dams to divert water away from our dirt. While there wasn’t any serious damage to Juan’s work within the area of the forms, it was obvious that when he is able to come out and work again, he will have some smoothing out to do.
We worked until after 10:30 moving mud and dirt around and then decided we’d done all we could for the day. If it was going to rain, it was going to rain and there was nothing else we could do about it except pray that our efforts would help prevent any further problems. It was obvious that Juan would not be able to start digging the footers in such a soggy mess, so we locked the tools in the shed and went back to Big B to clean up.
Because we needed to get to the nearest Wells Fargo Bank (in Terrell, about 65 miles east of here), we got dressed and started out in the Vibe, looking along the way for a Sonic so we could have breakfast (didn’t take time this morning…too much to do on the lot).
We finally found a place to eat at Wills Point, so we stopped long enough to order some breakfast burritos and then headed out again, reaching Terrell in about 20 minutes. We took care of our banking (thank goodness for 24-hour ATM service) and then went to Home Depot to see what we couldn’t live without.
From Home Depot we drove to Wal-Mart to get some things we would need for tomorrow’s family dinner in Mineola and then drove as fast as the law allowed to get back to the park and get things in the refrigerator.
The evening was spent in preparing our contributions for the Memorial Day dinner at T.J.’s house. T.J. had requested our Puerto Rican potato salad and Barbara whipped up a new dessert she had learned while we were at Toccoa-Heidi’s Peanut Butter Pie, made with peanut butter, chocolate pudding, Cool Whip, and topped with halves of Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups.
The work, driving, and cooking took its toll on us and we were in bed and asleep before 10:00 pm…weary with well-doing.
Monday, May 25
Lest we forget…this is Memorial Day, a day of remembrance of all veterans who paid the ultimate sacrifice so that we can enjoy the freedoms in this wonderful nation.
Happy Anniversary to Cousins Ladd and Angela Thompson in Mineola, Texas!!!
There was still plenty of dirt to move around and briars to fight, so as soon as we woke up (which was earlier than we wanted), we went over to the lot and started to work. The morning was spent in clearing out vines, weeds, briars, and broken branches from the little ravine that runs west from our lot to the creek just before it passes under the road. We don’t know that we ever intended to do all this, but as with many projects, there just isn’t a stopping point.
Meanwhile, Juan showed up, giving up his holiday morning to work on the pad area and repair the small amount of damage that had been caused by yesterday’s rain. Juan is perhaps one of the most conscientious workers we’ve ever met. Everything has to be done as close to perfection as possible, and in the end, his work is almost art.
By working the way he does, Juan has put two children through school…his son is an engineer in Canada, his daughter is a lawyer in France, and Juan is taking classes (in between jobs) to earn an engineering degree…true American success stories.
Sometime after noon we finally called it quits at the lot and returned to Big V to get cleaned up for the “big do” at T.J.’s house.
Later in the afternoon we drove in to Mineola where we joined T.J., her son, Rob, his wife, Michelle, and their children, Joseph, Alathea, and Arriana. Cousin Madeline was also there, but her parents, Ladd and Angela, passed on this occasion since it was their anniversary and they had other plans for the evening.
We were soon joined by Mother, Ernie, and Billee, and soon the house was full of conversation and the smells of a wonderful family dinner – brisket with all the conceivable trimmings.
When we had eaten all we could hold and said all there was to say, we got the place somewhat back in order and started saying our goodbyes…Rob and his family had a long drive ahead of them and we needed to get to the store for a few things before heading back to the lake, checking out the new lot one last time for the day, and then going back to Big V to collapse.
Tuesday, May 26
The big day finally arrived!
We got out early and headed to the lot at 7:00, just in time to see a large cement truck backing into the lot. Juan and Larry were already in place, and soon the first of two loads of concrete were pouring into the forms…what a beautiful sight for us!
As Juan and Larry were moving the heavy wet concrete into place, we heard thunder rumbling in the distance and the sky started clouding up…not at all what the weatherman promised for the day. It appeared that the approaching storm was going to break to the north of us, but just to be on the safe side, Larry asked us if we would mind going to town to get a roll of plastic sheeting to cover the newly-poured concrete.After a few phone calls, Larry located what he needed in Winnsboro, about 23 miles away. We hopped in the Vibe and took off, hoping against hope that 1) this trip would be unnecessary and we would be able to return the plastic for a refund, and 2) if this trip was necessary, we would make it back to the lot in time for the plastic to do any good.
As soon as we got into Winnsboro, I dropped Barbara off at Sonic to order us some breakfast while I went to the lumber yard and got the plastic sheeting…a roll 50 feet by 100 feet, and plenty heavy…we may have to think about getting some heavier shocks for the Vibe…or, get that Jeep I’ve been dreaming about.
We rushed back to the lot and arrived just as the cement truck was pouring out the second load of concrete. So far, so good…the clouds were breaking away from us and it looked as if everything was going to be on schedule. But, just as Juan and Larry finished spreading the concrete and getting it set just right in the forms, the sky darkened, the thunder rumbled, and it started raining. We quickly unrolled the plastic sheeting and got it spread over the slab just in time for a real downpour.
For the next hour or so there was nothing to do but take a break, so we returned to Big V to ride out the storm and hope and pray that it would end soon so they could finish the work.
When the rain stopped and the sky started clearing, we returned to the lot to find Larry and Juan peeling the plastic sheeting off the slab and moving the finisher into place. They spent the rest of the day doing all the finish work while we alternately watched their artistry and worked at gathering weeds, vines, etc. for the burn pile.
By 5:00, the work was done, and we were the proud owners of a 20’ X 45’ foot slab of concrete…maybe not much to look at for some folks, but it was a thing of beauty for us…the foundation for what will one day be our East Texas home site.
Wednesday, May 27
It was with more than a little excitement that we returned to the lot this morning to begin moving dirt around to shore up the slab and begin the landscaping for the lot. But, the excitement soon wore off as we discovered the enormity of the job of moving dirt a shovelful at a time and raking it into place; especially on the north side of the slab, which has a tremendous amount of slope.
Bob Royar had recommended a friend of his as a good source to bring in some dirt to help shape the sides of the slab and some caliche and gravel to build up the driveway, so we gave Gert a call and asked him if he would mind coming out to give us estimates on what it would take to get the job done.
Unfortunately, Gert was tied up on another job today, but he promised to come out tomorrow morning to look at the place and let us know what he could do.
Since the ground was still wet from yesterday’s storms and we couldn’t get to the vines that needed to be cut out or even get the burn pile started, we decided we’d just go to Mineola to visit, pick up the mail, and do some shopping.
By the time we were finished in town, we looked like the backside of hard times as we drove away with both a wheelbarrow AND a 55-gallon steel drum (we decided that we needed a burn barrel on the place) packed into the back of the Vibe…it’s amazing how much will fit in that little car!
On the way back to the lake we stopped at Peralta’s, a Mexican restaurant in Quitman that we had heard good things about, and enjoyed a wonderful meal…definitely a place to keep in mind for great food and outstanding service and a very moderate price.
Back at the lot we unloaded our new purchases, tried once again to burn off some of the trash in the burn pile (still too wet), and tried out the wheelbarrow by moving a few loads of dirt around. Then, it was time to just take it easy for the evening since we had what we hoped would be a hard, but productive day ahead of us tomorrow.
Thursday, May 28
As promised, Gert and one of his helpers, Josh, showed up at the lot this morning to give us some advice and estimates on what it would take to do the necessary dirt work to dress up the slap and shore up the driveway.
After visiting for about a half hour, we agreed to let them get to work on it. Gert said they could begin this morning and that he would have Josh come over with a tractor to move the dirt around the way we wanted it. Since we’d already tried to do the job with a small wheelbarrow, shovel, and rake, we voted that it would be well worth the price to let them take care of the job.We continued pulling vines and gathering debris for the burn pile and soon we had a dump truck load of topsoil pulling into the lot.
We watched in amazement as Josh demonstrated his artistry in moving large scoops of dirt into place and then gently smoothing them out. It didn’t take very many minutes to figure out that what we were paying him to do the work beat the hound out of what it would cost us in blood, sweat, and tears (not to mention time) that it would take us to do the same job.
We finally got the burn pile burning down in the gully and just stayed out of the way as we received a truckload of caliche and a load of rock and then watched as Josh moved everything into place and smoothed it out. By the middle of the afternoon, the place was really looking good (at least in our eyes), and we were feeling much better about our decision to make this move. Now, if we only had water, electricity, and a sewer hookup.
Friday, May 29
While Barbara stayed at the RV park to do laundry and take care of some chores around Big V, I rode the motorcycle to Mineola and then drove with T.J. and Alathea to take Mother to a doctor appointment in Tyler.
As usual, we had a lengthy wait before seeing the doctor, but we did get some good news from him. What we thought was a serious back problem can be alleviated by injections rather than surgery.
In the course of the examination, the doctor found that a tendon has become detached from one of Mother’s fingers. She thought that the finger was popping out of place, but the doctor showed us exactly what was happening and suggested a surgical procedure to take care of the problem…yet another doctor to face, but at least there is a solution to a pesky problem.
When we were finally finished in Tyler, we headed back toward Mineola. Mother had a rehab session scheduled for 1:30, so she decided to go on home and rest a bit before going there.
I got the cycle at Mother’s house and then followed T.J. to Quitman, where Barbara joined us for lunch at the Texas Tea Room, a nice little restaurant/Texas gift shop that we’d heard a lot about, but hadn’t visited yet.
We spent the rest of the afternoon just piddling around Big V and the lot, not doing anything of great importance.
Saturday, May 30
This was another big day in my continuing education. Bob came by around d 8:00 and picked me up so we could ride up to Lowe’s in Sulphur Springs to buy the supplies necessary to run the water and electric lines to the new slab. Bob is a retired electrician and all-around handyman, so he was the perfect person to guide me through this experience.
By noon we had returned to the lake with a trailer full of PVC pipe, one size for electrical conduit and another for the water line, as well as assorted fittings and other hardware to accomplish the jobs.
Since we were going to park the trailer at Bob and Mary’s place for safekeeping until tomorrow, I called Barbara to come pick me up there. Once the trailer was unhooked and put away, We decided to ride down to the lot and check with our neighbor, Gary, who had agreed to dig a trench for us, to see whether he would be able to start digging tomorrow or Monday.
Imagine our surprise when we pulled up to the lot to find Gary sitting on his tractor, operating the backhoe, and already halfway through the job! He was digging a trench about 140 feet long, 2 feet deep, and nearly 14 inches wide…more than enough to bury the lines that we would be setting.
While Gary’s backhoe was a wonderful machine for digging the dirt and breaking through tree roots, it didn’t remove the roots or smooth out the ditch, so when he was finished, I grabbed a shovel and an axe so I could smooth and level the bottom of the ditch and hack away those pesky roots that could keep us from laying the pipes. Meanwhile, Barbara was busy picking up the roots and branches that had been dug up or broken off and hauling them off to a new burn pile for future destruction.
As we were finishing the job, Bob and Mary drove by in their golf cart to see what we had done. When they left us, Bob went back and picked up the trailer load of pipes and other supplies that we bought this morning and brought the trailer down to park it on the new slab…ready for another day’s work.
All in all, it was a very successful day…we accomplished far more than we had dreamed for the day and, although worn out from the heat and exertion, were looking forward to what we might be able to do tomorrow.
“Feed your faith…starve your doubts” …marquee at Harvest Acres Baptist in Mineola
From Holiday Village at Lake Fork,
Jim & Barbara.
