Friday, June 30, 2017 – Thank You Breakfast at FM, Cleaning Brick Yard & Land and Records, Tomato Hornworms, Manny Banda & Family

The Director of all Nauvoo shows, (Pageant, Rendezvous & Sunset, etc.) Elder Schultz, treated everyone at FM to a huge pancake breakfast after our prayer meeting this morning. Elder Schultz wanted to thank everyone at FM for their tireless work over the past few months in building, fixing, painting, preparing and setting up for the Nauvoo Pageants that start next week. Work for the 2017 Pageant season actually started last summer as soon as the 2016 Pageants ended. Since then there has always been ongoing projects to prepare for this year. Quite literally, it is a herculean task each year. Elder Schultz is very appreciative for all the hard work and getting everything done on time.

Our work day was almost identical to every previous day this week. We weeded and cleaned flowerbeds, grounds and sidewalks of the Historic Sites in Old Nauvoo. Today we worked first at the “Brick Yard.” It’s been months since we cleaned it last and the weeds needed to be removed from the planters & brick sidewalk and the whole place spruced up.

Next we were at the historic home of Heber C. Kimball. Here too, it’s been months since the last cleaning but our crew worked hard and fast in order to be finished before noon.

 

After lunch we finished our work day at the “Land & Records” office. Once again the weeds had overtaken the flowerbeds. We didn’t finish all of the grounds there before quitting time. We will have to come back early next week to finish the job.

 

How sweet it is to have surprise visits by our friends from Arizona. This evening Manny Banda and wife and family were at our “Sunset by the Mississippi” show. We have been friends with the Banda’s for over 30 years. They will be here in Nauvoo for two days to attend the sealing of one of their sons in the Nauvoo Temple.  

When we got home from work this afternoon I discovered Tobacco Hornworms on our Nicotiana plants (Ornamental Flowering Tobacco plants) in our garden. Tobacco Hornworms are exactly the same worms we call Tomato Hornworms when they are on the tomato plants. I knew I had an infestation problem with them in my tomatoes but I didn’t realize our pretty Ornamental Flowering Tobacco plants were inundated with worms too. In fact I found and disposed of over 50 worms in the Nicotiana plants this afternoon.

After we got home from our “Sunset” show this evening it was right at dusk and I was surprised to see a “Sphinx Moth,” the adult version of the Tomato Hornworm, sipping nectar from the Nicotiana plants. I probably should have killed her but she was too pretty. No doubt she will be laying her eggs in my tomatoes or Nicotiana plants soon. Oh well, just more worms to find and dispose of.