Whitesburg RA's and Challengers - Fall Camp Out

It is always good to have the group from Whitesburg up to the camp.  The RA's and Challengers do a group camp out in the fall and a separate one in the spring.  The more I get to know these men the better I like them.  Tim Lawrence, Richard Silar, Ray Romine and John Crocker represent quite a few years in the ministry when you add it all up....somewhere around 1,000 I believe. 

The older group, the Challengers, were looking for a service project and just so happened there was one to be found.  I took Tim and Richard down High Ridge Trail--the one the tornado in the spring had completely shut down--to look around.  Now I was not expecting much as there had already been groups up here who had taken one look and were overwhelmed by the destruction.  I said, "Gentlemen, I know there is not much you can do with this, but anything you can do will be a huge help."

Now this trail is probably the steepest in some places and has some narrow spots so really the only way in would be to carry the necessary equipment with them.....well that's what I thought anyway.  On our way back out I heard Tim mumble something to Richard about his truck being four-wheel drive and he was sure they could take it down there.  It is a good thing I am not a betting man because I would have definitely bet against the truck making it in and out again.... without any damage anyway! 

Ten minutes after I had gone to get the camera I heard voices from down in the hollow and chainsaws firing up.  I went back down the trail and there were men at work everywhere.  I got a few pictures and then left them to the task.  It must have been a couple of hours later when they finally came back out.  Once they were gone I snuck back down there and saw where they had made some huge progress.  As a matter of fact there was really only one bad spot left!  What an outstanding job by the whole crew !

Earlier I had been over at the Pavilion talking with Ray Romine, who seems to have drawn the role of camp cook.  I usually get to sample at least one meal from every group but not this time.  Oh, they offered, but I had other things to attend to.  If memory serves me correctly, Ray cooks every time they come up here...probably because he is pretty good at it. 

The group brought a surprise with them when they came up this time...a brand new grill.  John Crocker told me that they wanted to donate this to the camp.  I thanked them all many times for this most generous gift as it is a wonderful asset. 

Speaking of John, I heard him mention something to the younger guys about the Lake Monster.  Just when I thought this had passed completely out of memory.  Very few know anything about this and we had hoped it would just remain a legend, but there John was talking about it in broad daylight!  Now he should know that only on certain nights when the moon is full is the thing even capable of leaving the lake, and even then for just a few hours.  There really is no need of me even talking about this ... but there have been a couple of times when whole suet feeders have come up missing, coupled with strange sounds outside of the RV.  Oh, and there was that one time down at Serenity Pond where I saw a head come up out of the water that was so big that.......oh wait it surely had to be an Alligator Snapping Turtle.

Anyway, I took a few more pictures and then most everyone pulled out around lunchtime.  I secured everything down and then later settled into an afternoon of college football.