Globe

     I spent two weeks at Arizona Reservation Ministries.  Their bus was in the shop for major repairs so the children's ministry was not being done during that time.  I was, though, able to help with other things.  A new bus is being prepared to be put into use an the children have been tracing handprints on the outside and requesting a color for them to be painted.  I painted many of the handprints.
     I was able to attend a house blessing.  This is a ceremony/party that ARM does when they have completed a house and turn the keys over to the owner.  Because the director's wife had hurt her back, I baked the cakes that were to be taken for the party.
     I also helped at a Fun Day.  This is a designated day that ARM goes to a neighborhood and provides a hot dog dinner, games, prayer, and support for children and adults.  A couple of volunteer groups from other areas were in for the weekend, so there were lots of people doing lots of things.
     I also helped with some clerical work and general odd jobs in the office.
     After that I headed to Mesa and back to Towerpoint.

I actually wrote this the end of September, but for some reason it wasn't posted (probably had something to do with trying to learn how to use a new computer).  So here it is now, one month later.
Still having trouble putting on pictures.  Oh well.

Family time

     The family reunion was great.  It was good to see everyone.  There were 33 members there.   Many were not able to attend, and they were missed.
     After the family reunion I was able to put the RV in storage (over on the grass) at the RV park where I was staying.   I then flew to Cleveland, OH, NYC, and Madison, WI.  It was a wonderful time visiting family and friends.  I was able to enjoy so many activities.  Besides the awesome visits some highlights were; went to Amish country, attended a Mets game, went to the world's largest antique store (didn't make it through all of it), and a lot of shopping, shopping, shopping.
     When I arrived back to KC area, I was treated to a Clint Black concert.
     Good times everywhere.
     I then drove from KC to CO to do some more visiting.  I got off the interstate and took US 50 across the mountains.  Beautiful drive and then a nice visit.
     Now I will be heading to Globe, AZ to volunteer again with Arizona Reservation Ministries on the San Carlos Apache Reservation.

Fayette, MO

     On my way to Fayette, MO, I stopped in Council Bluffs, IA at Camping World and bought another bicycle.  I was not happy with the new one I had bought after the second bike was stolen.  Yeah, locks can be useful objects.  I was able to exchange it and now have the fourth bike in 3 months.

     At Fayette I met up with the other 4 team members.  We went out to supper in a nearby town that was on my Santa Fe Trail trip.  When I had visited two years ago I wasn't able to eat in the still existing inn.  That's where we had supper.  So excited to have had that opportunity.  There is no dinner menu.  Everyone gets the same- delicious fried chicken, biscuits & gravy, mashed potatoes, several veggies, salad, rolls.  Very good.  I recommend the Houston Tavern in Arrow Rock, MO.  

     Our work for this project was to paint interior walls in apartments for married students at the Central Methodist University.  It was very hot and humid (no AC) and we were exhausted at the end of the day.  

     I stayed there for two weeks and headed to Independence, MO for a family reunion.

On the road again

     We completed the three week project.  Did lots of small jobs, since the job we were to do (build a cabin) had been put on hold.  The area was beautiful, in the Paradise Valley north of Yellowstone.  We were able to go the Park a couple of times.
     Traveling east I spent a couple R&R days in Buffalo, WY.  I love WY.  In Buffalo I was able to walk into town and go to a museum and see the 'old' town.  I also was able to wait out a couple of storms, so I was not in any major hail storms that went through nearby areas.
     In Rapid City (where I no longer have out of state license plates) I stopped at my place of address for a photo op at 'home.'  
     On to Wall Drug where I shopped, had dinner, and went to the Wounded Knee Museum.   I was able to get a discount at one of the stores, because I was a local resident.  haha.
     Now I am visiting a friend in eastern SD. Then it's on to central MO for a short project.

It's Official!!

I am now recognized by the national government as a senior.  I was able to go to my favorite place, Yellowstone, to get my National Parks senior pass on my birthday.  It was a great day.
To help prove that status, I seem to no longer be able to post pictures on this blog.  I can't figure it out.  I'm hoping it's because of the poor internet service that I have at this camp.  (Yeah, that sounds like a good reason.)
I will try to add pictures later when I have better connections.

Luccock UMC Camp Livingston, MT

     I am now at Luccock Camp for a three week project.  There are 8 on our team.  The camp is old and in need of lots of repair. We were scheduled to build a new little cabin, but it has rained so much the foundation was not able to be laid.  So we spent the week doing odd jobs.  Mostly I helped move firewood into a shed from the outside piles.  It took 4 of us all day to do that- lots of firewood.  Another day we hauled old cedar shingles from a pile to a burn pit.  Again it took all day to do that.  The rest of the week involved cleaning, making sure cabins had firewood, repairing foot bridges, and helping to build a small shed.
     This camp is also on the National Forest land.  We see lots of deer, turkeys, and even a bear.  It certainly is in a beautiful area, just north of Yellowstone.

Sisters, OR

   I had a very good visit with my sisters, then headed to Sisters.  Here I worked one week at Suttle Lake UMC Camp.  Here I cleaned, hauled brush, cut limbs into wood cookies (used for name tags), and put together two end tables.
    The camp is on National Forest land and is beside the small Suttle Lake.  There is a 3 1/2 mile walking trail around the lake maintained by the Forest service.  I was able to do that and enjoy the mountain views.

     On the way to Sisters, I visited Crater Lake National Park.  It was foggy the day I was there, so I wasn't able to see the vivid blue water.  It was still a beautiful sight as the fog blew away and the landscape was more visible.
     I stayed at Collier State Park for two nights, which is near Crater Lake.  It has a beautiful campground and a very large logging museum.  I spent a couple hours there (between bouts or rain) looking at all the machinery and buildings.

California

The second week at Gleanings was another great week of work and making new friends.  Unfortunately, during that time my new bike was stolen by someone who crawled over the fence.  I feel perhaps, that I have started some sort of bike ministry, because I had gotten that bike because my other one had been stolen in Mesa.  When I left Gleanings, I stopped at Camping World to get another.

I then went north and visited with family.  It was good to be together with sisters on Mother's Day.

Next, I will be traveling north to Sisters, Oregon.  There I will be doing clean-up at a church camp on Suttle Lake.

Gleanings

     I am on the road again!  I left Mesa, AZ on April 23.  I returned to Gleanings for the Hungry near Fresno, CA.  I was here 4 years ago.  It was good to be back.  This is an awesome place.  They completed their RV park, so now there are beautiful accommodations.  Last time I was here was in February.  Now, there are not as many people.  The soup season is just about done.
     Again, I worked the soup line.  They make dried soup mix that is put in plastic bags and delivered to  places all over the world.  Two containers went out this past week, one to Kenya, and another to Israel. We worked one day bagging soup for Mexico.  I worked various parts of the line; scooping, sealing bags, adding spice.  When the bags ran out, we opened packages of dried mashed potatoes and dumped them into barrels.  There were two groups here; one from a baptist church, and another from a non-denominational church.  Both were from CA.
     Each person seems to have a special story.  One lady was blind.  She worked the soup line right along with us.  She has created a ministry and goes all over the world handing out canes to the blind in third world countries.  She also teaches how to use the canes and how to be more mobile.  She then hands out talking Bibles that are solar powered and speaks in that person's language.
     Being a small part of this global ministry has been very uplifting.
     I will be here one more week.  Then it's on to visiting family.