Tuesday, Oct. 25, 2016 – Transplants, Pumpkins, Temple Housing, Shaded Benches

Once again we started our work day transplanting rooted cuttings to 4” pots. This time all of the plants were various varieties of “Flowering Maples.”  

Our first outdoor project was to finish cleaning the flowerbeds at the “FLC” (Family Living Center). We’ve been working there since last week. Today we finally finished the job. All of the flowerbeds beside the sidewalks look great now.

Our next project of the morning was to clean the flowerbeds around all of the Temple Housing here in Old Nauvoo. Back in 2000 when the Temple was under construction the Temple Department knew they would need housing for the Temple workers. They built dozens of duplexes for the Temple missionaries. They were built in the “Federal” style to look like all of the other original buildings in Old Nauvoo.

The Temple grounds keepers don’t have the equipment or the manpower to maintain all of the grounds, lawns and flowerbeds around all of the duplexes so they contract with FM to do all of the maintenance.  That’s were our boss, Richard Hancock, and his crew including Sis. Johnson and I come in. Before noon we cleaned the flowerbeds & grounds around several of the duplexes. There is a lot left to do but this is a project that can be done as our spare time permits. 

Yesterday afternoon Scott Higley and his crew went to the field of a local farmer in Nauvoo and harvested about 200 pumpkins from his patch. The pumpkins are all shapes and sizes but they will be great for the “Boo-tiful Nauvoo” pumpkin carving event that will take place in the mower building here at FM. Tomorrow they plan to pick up the rest of the 500 pumpkins they will need.

President Durell Nelson volunteered to sketch all of the faces in felt marker on the 500 pumpkins to be carved by the town’s people for the parade (Pumpkin Walk) through downtown Nauvoo this weekend. For each pumpkin he is required to use the exact sketch in a book of patterns for Jack-O’-Lanterns the Mayor and City Council provided. In the past some residents have tried to carve personal, political, religious or even obscene images or messages into the pumpkins.

 

 The city fathers found a pretty trustworthy person to oversee the pumpkin carvings. Pres. Nelson was the head groundskeeper for all of Nauvoo and Carthage for 38 years before retiring. He also served as the Stake President of the Nauvoo Stake for many years. Now he is the First Counselor in the Nauvoo Temple Presidency.  He’s doing a great job sketching faces pumpkins.