Today is our last day here at Horton Haven, as we pull out tomorrow morning headed for Rose of Sharon in Burlison, TN. So we took a short walk, and I thought I'd share some of the sights along the way with you!

There are several different types of thistle growing on the property...this seems to be the most prevalent.....they are really pretty when they are in full bloom, but this one hadn't gotten enough sun yet today (now THAT is a commodity that has been scarce around "these parts").
Something else that we have seen an abundance of are moths like this one! Earlier this morning there were 7 of them (yes, all at one time) on the door of the motorhome....right now, I think there are four....no, make that five!These beauties are blooming profusely, but I guess that's what "floribunda" do. At any rate, I sure do enjoy seeing them....bring a smile to my face every time!
And then there were these thistles. I THINK they are thistles....stalks complete with sticky thorns....but the flowers look more like orchids and have the same waxy texture! And THEN.....just as we were heading back, I saw this "thing" starting to cross the path....and it was watching us intently! I was watching it intently, too, and started backing up immediately, only stopping long enough to take a picture of it with the telephoto lens extended all the way! As it slid on across the road and into the woods, we heard this "rattle"....YIKES! We quickly retraced our steps and found another way back to the motorhome!

Tomorrow brings a new day and a new project.....so check back with us later this weekend to see where we'll be parked!

MEMORIAL DAY.....a day to pause and remember all those in the military who have and are serving our country. Thank you for all of the sacrifices (by service members AND their families) made to keep our nation safe and free!

THANK YOU!

Yes, we did lots of work while here at Horton Haven, but we also enjoyed meeting and fellowshipping with other Christians....some long-time friends and now, some new friends! The ladies took a day off and drove to nearby Columbia, where we had lunch at a cute little cafe on the town square. Tomato asparagus soup was one of their specialties....and, boy, was it yummmmmmy!

And then there were the desserts.....my choice was homemade key lime pie.....makes my mouth water now just to think about it. What I don't like to think about was how many calories had to be in that gianormous slice of culinary heaven!
We spent some time walking around the square and checking out some of the shops, and then on to a produce stand where we DID buy healthy "stuff", i.e., tomatoes, cantaloupe, squash, raw honey, etc. What else were we supposed to do when our very own "eating healthy" guru was with us?! Just kidding....we have enjoyed all of the produce and are going back for more!

Thursday night saw us headed to Cracker Barrel for our "official" dining-together experience. Some of us took the "eating healthy" to heart, and others, well.....not so much! But a good time was had by all. Emmett and JoAnne will be joining the Smiths and us at Rose of Sharon later this week, while the others head off to other projects or back home. In the case of the Conradi's, they are heading back home to prepare for a 50th anniversary trip to Alaska! Congratulations, guys....have fun and come home safely!
Here is our prankster, Al Conradi.....doesn't quite look like Toby Keith in that hat, but he sure tried!
One of the wonderful benefits of being involved with this ministry is meeting fellow Christians whose goal is to serve the Lord in their years of "retirement"....what a blessing we receive on each and every project. Wonder what God has in store for us next month?

While the men were involved in a variety of tasks, it seemed like the ladies each had their own "special" chore.....here is Pat Conradi, our champion giant cookie maker (birthday "cookies" for the summer camps) hard at work. She spent her time in the kitchen...and even taught this SOWER lady (yeah, me) to make pizza dough from "scratch"! She also shared her insight and talents by leading a study for several of us on how to eat more healthy....God's way! Under her tutelage I also made my first yeast oatmeal bread.....yum, yum!!
Several of the ladies spent LOTS of time wielding paintbrushes...they were occasionally assisted by a couple of the men, but they sure did get a lot of work done. Here is Esther Smith showing us just how much (?!!) she enjoyed all this painting....it may not be her favorite thing to do, but she is always willing to do whatever needs doing for the benefit of the Kingdom.
Our "next-door" neighbors in the parking area here were JoAnne and Emmitt....turns out they are from King William near Richmond!
As I mentioned, the ladies were assisted by men....and Al Conradi was an able assistant!
There was also a little landscaping done, a lot of mini-blinds were cleaned and shortened to the appropriate length...not a fun job by anyone's definition! As for me....well, I did stay busy, tho' there are no pictures to prove it! I spent my time in the office helping with registration packets, making copies and assembling booklets for the campers. It wasn't physically hard work, but I know that it was much appreciated, and I definitely felt blessed to be able to of assistance to the wonderful staff here.

God truly is good....all the time!

APPRECIATED....that's how we feel! We have finished our three weeks of work here at Horton Haven Christian Camp, and they have certainly let us know how much our efforts have been appreciated! Training for the college-age staff begins next week, quickly followed by Senior Teen Camp the week of May 31st. So it is now time to "rock 'n' roll" or lock 'n' load" or "hit the road running" or "git 'er done" or whatever your favorite expression is!

The men did a variety of jobs, from ceiling tile replacement, to floor tile replacement, to removal of vent covers (below) and then installing metal louvers....
...to building BADLY needed retaining walls.....
.....to building bridges...literally!
This bridge, however, has a special story to tell.....a story of God's love and protection.

Willie and Emmitt (one of the other SOWER volunteers) had been tasked with designing and building this bridge. They were well on their way, and had turned it up on its side to finish and attach the decking. They were safety-minded and had checked out the stability....everything was going well UNTIL......a BIG gust of wind caught that bridge on the back side and it toppled....headed straight for Willie. He managed....with the Lord's help....to scoot out just in time. A chair sitting there wasn't quite so blessed, and was mangled.....a vivid reminder of how the Lord protects us on a daily and even minute by minute basis! Thank you, Lord Jesus!!!

Check back soon for more photos of the work accomplished, and also pics of some of our "fun" times!!

Well, it may not be the wild beauty of Doe River Gorge, but a walk down the lane today just goes to show that no matter where we may be there are evidences of God's love and beauty all around.....

These honeysuckle remind me so much of my childhood, when the sweet smell of honeysuckle heralded the arrival of summer....and I remember the time my older brother, Ray, taught me how to suck the "honey" out of the end....aaahhh...the simple days of childhood!
And just a little further down the country lane, these wild daisies were proudly lifting their heads against the wind that had picked up....shining out there in the field of grass....not caring if anyone saw them or not. But we did, and we appreciated!


Looks like this little bug was enjoying the daisies, too....tho' I don't think it was the beauty that got him, but rather the pollen in that pretty yellow center!
Another part of "nature-watching" that I have always enjoyed is observing the myriad birds that come to our feeder whenever we put it out. Shortly after we arrived here, Willie braved the mud and muck to put up my feeder and stock it with seed. We waited, and waited, and waited....never really saw any birds enjoying our largesse. Not that is, until today! I am sitting here now watching four goldfinches gorge themselves....
God really IS the master designer...they are so beautiful....and I am so enjoying His creation!

DUCKTONA - Where we had hoped to be tomorrow night....but I do believe it might still be knee deep in mud! Last weekend when we were "out and about", we drove over to check out the local dirt track....and cracked up when we saw this sign! The track is literally out in the middle of nowhere....
We did enjoy our time driving around and seeing just a few of the sights in this part of Tennessee...some pretty spots. Only trouble was having enough time between rain showers to enjoy them....


And then this little beauty right outside our motorhome....seems to love my verbena!
Last night we drove up to Franklin and had dinner with Jon....we enjoyed the dinner, but enjoyed visiting with him much more....thanks for dinner, Jon AND for the visit. He is still hurting some from his fall in the rain last week, but we are praying for God's continued healing!

Let's see....today brought some clouds and some sunshine...but no downpours. Willie and Lee made their way down to the river to check out the fishing....no fish, but Willie did see his bobber move! That could be listed as an improvement over the last couple of fishing expeditions! Oh....and Willie had the "thrill" of a snake dropping out of a tree - right in front of him! Thank goodness it was a green snake and not one of the more poisonous varieties. Enough excitement for one day, I'd say!

Tomorrow I am driving up to Nashville to take a laptop to Dad (in the nursing home)....he has missed being able to keep up with everyone through e-mail and FaceBook. After I get that all set up and have him back on the internet, it will be nice to just sit back and visit with them for a little bit. And then it will be back to Horton Haven and some more work on LFI documents.

I hope you have a wonderful day.....and be a blessing to someone God places in your path!

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY to all of the mothers in our lives....and especially to my Mom, Dorothy Fox, who is 88 years old!

Now for a quick update....the sun IS shining today, and we have had no more visitations from pests and vermin!! Cause to celebrate!

Have a great Mother's Day....and God bless!

Update - day 9 - IT RAINED!! But we are grateful that we didn't have any of the severe weather they were calling for last night.

Okay....now for an update on our evening battling an ant infestation.....it quickly turned into an all out war. I spent the next hour clearing and cleaning out cupboards and putting everything into sealed containers before putting down some of the fearsome ant killer (and, yes, it is where Daisy can't get into it). But THEN.....our focus shifted.....we looked up at the overhead lights and there were what seemed like a gazillion tiny flying creatures. Willie spent the next hour killing them....thinking he was over only to see another swarm! We finally gave up the fresh air desire, closed the doors and windows and turned on the AC....only thing we could figure was that they were coming in through the screens! Now we were getting ready to settle in and head to bed....but what do we hear.....a mouse that has gotten caught in one of the traps....AND it is dragging the trap around with it! I kid you not. But locating the little sucker was a bit more challenging....after taking out drawers and clearing out stuff from under the sinks, Willie had to resort to removing a shelf under the bathroom sink to access the subflooring....and there he/she it was (didn't bother to gender identify...hope you understand)! It was still trying to get away....but Willie, the great white hunter, prevailed. It was kind of sad to see its little eyes looking at you, seeming to say, "What IS this thing I'm caught in, and please take it off." Unfortunately for the mouse, I didn't give in, and mouse was soon on its way to the garbage heap. Good thing....we now know where he had gotten in, and that will be one hole that will be taken care of!

Amazingly, after that we went to bed and as far as I know, did NOT dream of ants, flying bugs or mice!!

We arrived at Horton Haven camp 8 days ago and here is what has happened since then! Day 1 we arrived in a pouring rain. Day 2 it rained. Day 3 it rained. Day 4 it rained. Day 5 it rained. Day 6 it rained. Day 7 it didn't rain. Day 8 it rained. Can't wait to see what happens on day 9. Did I mention that we are under a tornado watch as I am writing this.

Oh yea about the camp. It is a small christian camp with a big heart for youth. As we do so often we are helping the maintenance department with various chores. The maintenance department is one person named Kelton. He says thank you a lot. It is really great to be of service to those who are serving the Lord.

As you can tell Willie is writing this so it doesn't have the same flair as when Mrs. Sandy does it.

Currently we are doing battle with an ant infestation. The little boogers are into everything. But the lady in charge says we will prevail over the pesky invaders.

Have you ever had one of those days when you wished you were like Samantha, the witch of television fame? Well, I certainly have, and today is one of THOSE days....if I could just twitch my nose and make everything "OK"! When people you love are hurting and you can't fix it for them, you can't make the pain go away and you feel so helpless...you fall to your knees in prayer and simply cry out, "Lord, please help! Help my loved one, help me!" The hurt is so deep that at times it simply comes out in "groaning"....I'm so glad that God understands my groanings!

For those of you who understand that kind of pain, that kind of agony....please pray that God will answer in mighty and wonderful ways....and if any of you know a good lawyer in the Norfolk/Va. Beach area who would "work cheap" or even better, free....let me know! But most of all, PRAY!

It's raining, it's pouring, the old man is....ooops, that's just a nursery rhyme, but it IS raining here, it is pouring, but the "old man" isn't snoring...yet, that is! Actually, he's in the back of the motorhome, aka our bedroom, reading!

We haven't had much of a chance to get out and explore the area around Horton Haven Christian Camp, as the whole area is under a flood watch....with good reason. The Duck River is overflowing its banks in places, and small streams and creeks now look like raging rivers! Hopefully, things will dry out a little later in the week, and we will be able to get out and at least see what the area looks like and share it with you in the days to come.

There are currently five SOWER couples here on the project, with another couple joining us next week. As is usually the case, there is a lot of work to do in just the short time we will be here. Several of the ladies will be painting, one will be helping in the kitchen, and I will be working on some of the landscaping....if things become less bog-like, anyway! The men have all sorts of work lined up for them, so I know they will be busy.

We really enjoyed the morning service at a local community church, and were warmly greeted by the pastor and members of the congregation (not always the case). The pastor spoke on seeking your satisfaction only in Christ....nothing else. Not your spouse, your kids, your grandkids, your activities....but only look to Christ for your satisfaction.....something we all need to be reminded of when we tend to get busy doing "things"!

After the service, the rest of our group headed out for lunch at the local state park restaurant, while Willie and I made the drive up to Nashville to pay a quick visit to my mom and dad. It was good to see them, and to know that they are being taken care of....guess it's my job to help see that they get the "little things" that will make them feel more comfortable and at home in their current situation. Dad did appear to be stronger, which made me feel better as the last time I left them, he seemed to be in a rapid state of decline.

Thanks so much for all of you who remember us in prayer....it is greatly appreciated, and we thank the Lord for you! Have an awesome week serving our even more awesome God!

Now that we are safely "settled" in our new location (Horton Haven in Chapel Hill, TN), it's time to do a little catching up. Thought I'd start with some photos from our time at The Carter Fold last Saturday night....you know, the place/event Willie was really looking forward to?!! We were actually surprised that we were allowed to take pictures. The lighting wasn't conducive to good (?) photography, particularly with a point-and-shoot camera, but I'll share a few with you just so you get the "flavor" of a night of bluegrass!

The bluegrass band from East Tennessee State University was worth the trip....and I was struck by the wide range of styles represented...I wouldn't exactly have pegged the girl on the left as being a member of a bluegrass band. Guess it's that preconceived idea kind of thing!
Part of what made the evening unique was the enthusiastic "crowd" of cloggers/dancers that made their way to the floor in front of the stage....and there they stayed for most of the evening!
We didn't join the crowd on the "dance" floor, but we had a great time anyway!
On Tuesday we made the return trip to Jonesboro, site of last week's adventure in storytelling. It was a beautiful day, and we really enjoyed walking through the historic downtown and ducking into quaint shops. Of course, I had to take a lot of pictures....
This (photo above) is the International Storytelling Center building, which is undergoing "rejuvenation" and will reopen later this month, and this is just one of the quaint vignettes seen throughout Jonesboro.....

Ummmm.....it's beginning to look like I like towers/spires again blue skies, doesn't it? Well, I must admit it....it's true. There's just something about the crispness of a colorful building against a brilliant blue sky...and adding an American flag just makes it even better!
Today we made the trip from Doe River Gorge to where we are now parked at Horton Haven. The journey was made in torrential downpours, and we were VERY glad to pull into the camping area here. The rain, thunder and lightening made it interesting getting set up, but as always, God provides, and there were small breaks in the weather, allowing us to get the basics done. Now I am in the midst of putting everything inside "to rights" and getting ready to head up to Nashville later this weekend to visit Dad and Mom.

We ask that you continue to pray that God will use us daily for the glory of His kingdom....it is why we do what we do!!