Mark that off the “to do” list!

As some of you know, Dick and I were asked by one of the rangers to paint the wooden screen at the Reynolds Creek Park amphitheater a few weeks ago.  Well, first, it was too wet; then, it was too cold; and, then, we had to prepare for the burn.  Then, it was too wet and too cold again!  Oh, and then our neighbor, Dave, was gone and we did not have his 4-wheeler to carry the can of paint, which was definitely too heavy to lift into our vehicle.  Excuses, excuses!!  Obviously, this was one project that had to be done to get it “off our plate” and, as you can tell, painting is not our favorite “job”.  Well, Dick finally scraped the old paint off the screen last weekend (and I promised this was another story to tell another day).  Yesterday, Dave went with Dick to deliver the paint to the site and, yesterday afternoon, Dick and I finally painted the screen.  Not a hard job, but the first thing I did was touch my warm-up pants with the wet paint brush – and I actually got the paint off in the wash.  Now that this “job” has been marked off the “to do” list, we can begin to reorganize the RV and get ready to move in a few more weeks.

Playground at Reynolds Creek Park (near amphitheater)

Bridge on trail - near
amphitheater

Amphitheater with screen to scrape and paint

Dick scraping paint on screen

Dick finishing paint job on screen

Finally!  We're done!!

Dick has been trying to get me to hike with him and I actually did so the other afternoon – and hope to do more now that the weather is so nice.

Dick has finally been able to complete a couple of indoor projects to make our RV more of a home!  I am so excited with my computer desk (no more having to move my laptop every time we eat a meal at the table).  As you can see, we also added a plastic holder to keep files handy that I am working on - which I thought was over when I left my career job.  I honestly can relate to Mom telling us she had so much to do, as I now find that happening to me.  At least most of it is what I want to do - and not what I have to do!  I am also excited with the shelves Dick made to get the meds off the bathroom counter and have a place to display my angels, which were made by a good friend of our family and former bookkeeper at Photo & Copy (who worked with Dad and Dick), Judy LaGrange.  These angels remind me so much of Dad and Mom, and I am glad I was able to “inherit” them!  Dick also installed the outlet to the right of mirror, which has an extension cord on the outside of the RV that connects to the park's outlet.  Now, we can use both electric heaters without blowing a fuse.  I really think Dick should submit his RV home improvement ideas to Motor Home magazine!!

Computer "desk"

Computer "desk"

Bathroom shelves

Not much excitement since we are getting ready to make our move to another camping area at Reynolds Creek Park toward the end of March – when the gatekeepers move in and the park is opened for camping on April 1^st.  We will be going to Tomball next weekend to celebrate our grandson Colby’s 5^th birthday.  Then, Michelle and Logan will be spending their spring break with us, so we will be doing more fun things and posting more pictures.

It’s hard to believe that we will be leaving this area by mid-April to visit family and friends in TX and LA and, then, pick up our RV in Waco and travel to Estes Park, CO until October 1^st!  Our first visitors will be Mike and his family, who will visit the week before Memorial Day, and we would love to see anyone who can make the trip!

Thanks for checking in and see ya’ll next time!  ~Judy~

More of this and that at Reynolds Creek Park!

As y’all know from Dick’s last posting, we had a control burn at Reynolds Creek Park last Tuesday.  Well, here is our friend and fellow volunteer Sue driving the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers truck away from the flames for Ranger Jay Morris and having fun doing it!

Sue driving Corps truck

While in the closed camping area of the park for 2 days, I realized I felt like I was really camping for the first time since becoming a full-time RVer.  The first day (Tuesday) was too crazy, but I sat out and read my Kindle with a cold drink in hand for a few hours on Wednesday afternoon (knowing that whatever I had to do would wait a day or so) – after attending a planning meeting for a water safety seminar with Rangers Liz Anderson and Randall McCartney.

Ranger Liz Anderson speaking at planning meeting

Ranger Randall McCartney at planning meeting

The first night, we had Dave and Sue over for a taco meal and, the next night, Dave and Sue invited us for brats on the grill.

Dave grilling brats

Waiting for dinner at Dave and Sue's RV

After having lunch on Wednesday at the Burger Barn, I wanted to bring our friends back on Friday for the all-you-can-eat-fried-catfish meal – and here we are with Dave, Sue, Terry and Joan “passing a good time”.  Dave and Sue are from Minnesota and will be at the Waco Lake Corps parks for a few more months and are currently our neighbors.  Terry is from Illinois and Joan is from Seabrook, and we met them in San Leon in May.  They will be leaving this area in April heading to a summer volunteer position in West Virginia.  With Facebook and blogs, we will all be able to keep in touch and, hopefully, meet again one day!

Judy, Sue, Dave, Joan, Terry and Dick at
the Burger Barn

On Saturday, Dave, Sue, Dick and I had visitors from our old park in West, TX.  First, Ben and Mary stopped by and, then, Paul, Terri and Spanky stopped by.  It was their first time to see where we had moved and they were impressed, I think.

Ben and Mary

Dick and Spanky

Terri, Paul, Sue and Dave

Dick, Judy, Paul, Terri and Spanky

 It’s hard to believe but, with the 70-80+ degree weather (which is very unseasonable for this area in February), the wild plum trees in our “back yard” are in bloom.  One morning recently, I looked out our window and saw a red-bellied woodpecker up close.  On Sunday, the park had numerous fishermen and boaters, including an air boat that launched from our boat ramp.  While Dick scraped the amphitheater screen to ready it for painting (which will be a story for another day), I picked up lots of trash Sunday afternoon.  Then, we both cleared an access road to the lake that had been underwater after the rain a week or so ago.  Finally, we inspected 2 playgrounds (and now have 1 more to do by tomorrow for a total of 4), which we were asked to do for February.

Blooming wild plum trees

Red-bellied woodpecker

 

Fishing on the lake

Airboat on the lake

Dick clearing access road of debris after flooding

Judy assisting Dick with
playground inspection

As y’all can see, it’s different every day at the park and we are loving it!  Thanks for stopping by and see ya’ll next time!  ~Judy~

Controlled Burn At Reynolds Creek Parkl

Shortly after 3 p.m. Monday afternoon, we got an unexpected call from our Volunteer Coordinator, Ranger Jay Morris, and were told they had moved the date to burn the 180-acre sea of Johnson Grass prairie behind our motorhome up to Tuesday morning.  Baylor University was predicting the conditions would be best at that time.  So the rest of the day was spent sterilizing and refilling our water tanks, flushing the gray and black water tanks and generally getting prepared for moving to a “dry” campsite for at least the day, possibly more.

Johnson Grass - The objective: to remove

Dave and Sue, our comrades here at the park, had already scouted and found a couple of really nice campsites in the closed section, on a bluff, overlooking the lake.  It wasn’t to be a real “dry camp”; electricity was available.

If this site would have had sewer and running water, you couldn't have gotten me out of here!

With the exception of not opening the gates at 6 a.m., the day started normally.  Professors with their students from Baylor and COE Rangers with their equipment soon began to arrive.  While they were getting organized, we and our neighbors began the move to our temporary home for the next couple of days.

Sorry Folks!  We're closed, for your own good!

Our site and the grass in the back yard?  Johnson Grass, of course...all 180 acres!

Activities began with the burn crews making small “back burns” as a stopgap for fires that might possibly do unwanted damage.

Small back burns were created at first to protect telephone poles, etc.

All the back-burns around the perimeter of the pastures were completed before the crews broke for lunch.  As soon as their lunch was over, Dr White of Baylor University gathered his students and the fire crews and proceeded to go over a plan of action for the main burn.  Emphasis was heavy on the safety aspects.

After a short lunch, Dr White of Baylor University, gave instructions
and procedures to both COE rangers and his students.

After the brief meeting, the business of getting on with the “burn” began.  For those of you who have never seen or experienced a control burn up close, take my word for it.  It is an awesome experience.  It is not by any stretch “fun”.  It is real and dangerous.  The only difference between a controlled burn and a true wildfire, as I see it, is the burn crews start the control process before the real fire ever starts; whereas, with an out-of-control wildfire, all of the efforts are made to bring the situation under control after the fire is well underway and doing unwanted damage.  Both are equally dangerous and constant caution must be taken.
 

Burn crews are working under the most grueling conditions imaginable, in stands of Johnson Grass taller than the fire crew members themselves. Once started, flames jump from one clump of the dry weed to another, sending flames upward to heights of 20 and 30 feet.  Heavy gusts of wind push the flames first in one direction, then off to another.  The oily smoke, heavily laden with soot and hot embers, creates a hell on earth for those in the midst of all of it.  Fire crews must watch not only the burning in front, but the flames directly behind and off to either side.

Next time you are griping over the “inconvenience” of a park or campground closing when you want to go in, think about the following pictures and thank the rangers for opting to close, rather than put you at risk.   As for myself, I thank you, USACE Rangers, for a job well done and a chance to watch you in action. 

I really hope you enjoy these pictures.


~dick~

Dr. White directing crew in starting initial blaze.

Fire with back-fire well under way.

Baylor students creating back blaze directly behind our RV pad

Judy had to escape across the street to get this shot!

The fermament when both fire and back-fire collide!

Ranger Liz Anderson.  Vigilance is a must!  

Shimmering waves of heat can suck you dry.

     

The beauty of the beast!

...and out of the firmament...

This little fellow got the hot foot!

Visibility was less than a car length

 

All of this ... took only about 10 minutes to completely burn and put itself out ... frightening!

180 acres up in smoke!

A Good Day At Reynolds Creek Park

Every day that passes here at Reynolds Creek on Waco Lake carries with it new surprises!  Saturday evening, we were sitting around, visiting with Dave and Sue, our volunteer neighbors, when suddenly two Waco PD cars raced through our entrance silently, with lights flashing.  Dave and I hopped into my SUV and hurried after them (not as recklessly I might add) and found them pulled up on one of the points looking out over the lake.  It seems a group of guys had rented a houseboat to celebrate one of their son's birthday.  Somehow, during their cruise at one point, they fouled the boat's prop in the anchor rode.  We were having steady winds across the lake of about 20-30 mph and the party was, to put it mildly, in deep doo-doo!  While we were there, the approaching Waco Fire Dept. Rescue Boat lost power and they were dead in the water.   Finally, after about another 10-15 minutes, they were able to get under way and make progress to the hapless houseboat, tie a line to it and tow it to one of our boat ramps and floating docks.

Early Sunday morning, they bribed the birthday boy into going for a swim in the freezing water and freeing the prop.


Also Sunday morning, I was making my rounds, checking on how much the lake had risen - we had over 2" of rain in the past 24 hours - and the water was rising steadily.  This didn't deter a horde of hopeful fishermen as they launched their craft with the prospects of the heavy rains bringing about good fishing.  I was engaged in a conversation with a couple when I noticed what looked to be a dark shape slinking across the road about 200 yards away.  I immediately grabbed my camera and started shooting, and I was lucky enough to capture a few shots of a fairly rare sight.  It was a really large and very dark bobcat.  I apologize for the lack of clarity in these shots, but my equipment and my ability to hand-hold the camera steady enough was beyond its limits.

Soon afterwards, I arrived home and saw a couple of birds twittering and playing up on our utility pole next to the motor home.  Once again, I grabbed my camera and was able to get a few good shots before they flew away,  The Eastern Bluebird is a regular here, but I usually can't see their colors because the bright back light makes them look a nondescript black or dark gray. 

 

Thanks for your interest...more to come.


~dick~