We Have Progress

Just like so many other things, making all the preparations and making sure the proper paperwork is done takes longer than the actual work. The roofers from SWAT came out and went to work early. If there had not been a delay in getting the new shingles here, they would have completed this project in one day I believe.

By the end of the second day, the roof was finished, including the BBQ Pit and all new fascia boards were installed on the pavilion. The next day we had a really good rain so I was quickly able to inspect their handiwork. The roof not only looks good but the leaks we had are gone as well.

All this and it did not cost the MBA anything. The best way!

We wish you a . . .

And the Flood Came

It rained and rained and when it got through raining, it rained some more. The news said in some places we got 4 inches in 24 hours and I believe that must have been the case here at the camp.

This is not the creek -- it's the road:

Serenity Pond:

The Secret Creek (not such a secret, here):

The next day I went looking around and had to do it by foot, as Easy would surely have gotten stuck. On my morning walk I went down Beech Bottom Trail--which leads to the Secret Creek--to see just how bad it got. The creek was so far up in the woods you could not tell where it was supposed to be. Best estimate was I could only get within 300 yards to the original creek bank. I went around clearing the roads of limbs that had blown down and occasionally ran across a crawdad or two in the process.

Several days later, when things had almost returned to normal and the Secret Creek was a little more secretly again, I went on trail patrol this time with Easy. It is amazing how powerful moving water is. There were huge logs across the trail in a few places. Some I had to cut away and a few I was able to move just enough to get off the trail. I set out to find a new way down to the creek as there were a couple of places on Beech Bottom Trail that were low and too wet to cross over with Easy.

I discovered an old trail that had been forgotten and actually had large trees across it from a long time ago. I spent half a day clearing it out and making a few detours here and there and finally managed to make it once again connect to the Beech Creek Trail. This "Hidden Pathway," as I am going to call it, was a great new route and has already been marked with trail markers that I had ordered and which came in a few weeks ago.


The camp is officially closed and I kind of look forward to things settling down a bit and watching the critters during the winter months. Oh, I still have a project or two in the works, and will continue to make improvements during this slow time of the year.