Cancelled Camping Trip

Weather has been beautiful here the past several days. Our yard is still soft from all the rain but it is drying out.

Several months ago I watched a TV show that featured Lebanon, MO. It looked like an interesting place to spend a few day. It is about a 2 hour drive from here, pulling the travel trailer. Last Friday I made reservations for a campsite at the state park very near Lebanon for Tuesday & Wednesday nights this week. We have the trailer ready to go except for hauling out some food and clothes.

Early last we I received an email, part of a mass emailing to all people who are certified in at least one of the Missouri Baptist Disaster Relief disciplines. It mentioned 4 sites across southern Missouri and 2 in St Louis where DR (Disaster Relief) would be sending work teams. One of the requests was for "runners" to haul supplies down to the teams. I replied that I would be willing to do that, before making the camping reservations. I didn't get a reply so I figured they had all the "runners" they needed. This morning as I was finishing readying the trailer I received an email saying they needed "runners" as soon as possible. If some could come this morning it would be great.

I took a shower, put on clean clothes and about noon I called them to see if they still needed help. They did so I told them I would take a load somewhere. I ended up taking a load to Van Buren, Missouri. I hauling bottled water, Gatorade, throw away coveralls, gloves and ShockWave (after places are "mudded out" and the wet wallboard, carpet, etc. is removed, they spray the area with ShockWave to kill any mold). It was a 390 mile round trip.

Kathy and I volunteered at a camp in southeast Missouri in Nov 2011. We did some sightseeing while we were down there and Van Buren was one of the places we visited. We had lunch their and got an ice cream cone from a small ice cream shop. Most of the outside mud had been cleanup up but from what I was told it was almost impossible to believe that the river had flooded so much of the town. The Disaster Relief guy I visited with while we were unloading said that many of the owners of small businesses in the little town had said they would not reopen their business. Sad.

It was a nice day for a drive, and the scenery was beautiful. Hwy 19 between Salem & Eminence is a 45 mile BEAST!  The two lane pavement is not bad but I don't think there is one 1 mile stretch in the entire 45 miles that doesn't have a curve. Quite a few with posted speeds of 30 mph and MANY with posted speeds of 40 mph. There is even a bridge, maybe 150 yards long, that is only one lane. Not because of construction, it is just to narrow for two modern day vehicles. No flashing lights, no stop lights, just a sign that says one lane bridge ahead. You come around a corner and you hardly have time to stop if there is a car/truck already on the bridge coming toward you.

Kathy had Nolan today or she would have went with me. We decided to cancel our camping trip (30% chance of rain Wed & 60% chance Thru) and do some more "running". We pick up another load between 7:30 & 8:00 tomorrow morning. We won't know the destination until we are loading. We could get sent to Neosho, MO which is over 210 miles from here, down in the southwest corner of MO, almost to Oklahoma and Arkansas. Or we might get sent to Doniphan, MO, which is about the same distance but down in the southeast corner of the state. Or maybe West Plains, MO which is straight south of us about 180 miles, just a few miles from Arkansas.

Nolan checking out the kitchen.

The Hollywood Starlet having breakfast with Papa last Saturday. She had a cheeseburger & fries for breakfast.

Then is was on to the park. California has a wonderful city park with asphalt walking paths and lots of playground equipment around the perimeter of the lake. (It was a little muddy, but we had a good time.) Lydia checked out the lion.

She tried her hand at the balance table. The squares that cover the ground look like concrete but they are thick rubber.

Then it was on to the stepping stones. The first time she stepped from one to the other then she decided to crawl from one to the other.

And finally she climbed the wall.

She made it to the top OK but then got a little scared and called for me to come get her down. I "talked her down" and she did just fine. But I could see it was really hard for her to see where she could find places for her feet on the way down.

God is good. May He bless you and yours.