Thursday, October 05, 2017 – Weed/Clean/Pull Lyon Drug Herb Gardens, Historic Home Site Cleaning, Visitor’s Center Bananas

Today we were very busy. Most of our time was in the beautiful Lyon Drug Herb Gardens weeding, cleaning and pulling the annual plants and flowers. At this time of the year some of the annuals are getting a little ragged around the edges and need to be removed. They would be going soon anyway because the first frost of Fall is around the corner.

We had a large crew all morning in the Lyon Drug. We literally filled our trailer full of plants and weeds that had to be removed. When we finished, all of the grounds around the Lyon Drug looked much better. We did leave some of the annual flowers that still look good but their days are numbered and we’ll be pulling the last of them as soon as the weather turns cold.

After the Lyon Drug we went around to several of the historic sites and homes to pull weeds from their flower beds and do our usual general clean up. We did the Nauvoo Pageant Office first followed by the Yearsly,  Weiler and Weeks homes.

We finished our day back at the Visitor’s Center removing the large Banana plants and trimming back the Peony foliage.

Wednesday, October 04, 2017 – Zone Trg Mtg, New Grove Hauling limbs, Pull More VC Flowerbeds

This morning we had Zone Training Meeting. Once again it was a very good and instructional meeting put on by our Zone Leaders, Elder & Sis. Hughes.  Once again Elder Hughes concluded the meeting with a very good spiritual thought and message. He said, too often we kneel beside our beds and pray earnestly, fervently and even pleadingly for answers to our problems. But, if we would just look over on our night stand and read the Conference issue of the Ensign and our copy of the Scriptures, we would find all of the answers to life’s problems. A point well taken!

Our work day started in the New Grove again. This morning continued the process of cleaning up the New Grove. We hauled away a lot of the “Rogue Tree,” limbs and weeds.  It started to sprinkle on us so everything was wet and a little messy but after we stopped for our mid-morning break the whole area looked a lot nicer. There is a lot of work left to do but we will keep after it. This morning was a good start.

The rest of the day, before and after lunch we were back in the flowerbeds of the Women’s Garden and the Visitor’s Center. We finished pulling the flowers and plants in the last of the flowerbeds in the Women’s garden. There is a little left to do, like remove Richard Hancock’s prize banana plant and a few others but the Women’s Garden is finally pulled and ready for Tulip bulbs. Maybe in the next week or two we’ll be planting those.

We also pulled more of the flowerbeds in the front of the Visitor’s Center. These big beautiful show pieces of flowers have adorned the Visitor’s Center all summer and they’ve been a wonderful “Welcome to Nauvoo” invitation to all of the visitors who come and visit this very special place. 

Tuesday, October 3, 2017 – Pull Women’s Garden, Year Ago Today, The Grove

We started in the Women’s Garden again this morning. We continued pulling the flowers and plants out of the big flowerbeds. Next we continued pulling flowers and plants out of the smaller flowerbeds.  

It was pointed out to us by Facebook that exactly one year ago today we were in exactly the same place pulling the flowers and plants out of exactly the same flowerbeds. It looks like we are right on schedule.

Our last project of the day was back at the “New Grove” on the side of the hill just east of the Temple. We continued to cut down and poison all of the volunteer trees (I like to call them “Rogue Trees). I think we are finally getting a handle on this project. There are no more “Large” patches of Rogue Trees but only scattered volunteers here and there.

 

I did come across a very large patch of Poison Ivy that needs to come out. I spent about a half hour there but it will take me a lot more time to eradicate all of it. 

Monday, October 02, 2017 – Pulling flowerbeds, Dentist Dr. Max Rodeffer,

This morning we did our usual leaf blowing in all of the high profile areas of Old Nauvoo. The leaves weren’t bad today so we finished rather quickly. Then we went right to work at the Visitor’s Center pulling the four large entry flowerbeds. They are so beautiful that it seems a shame to pull all of those beautiful plants but it has to be done. I looked at my journal from a year ago and the Visitor’s Center flower beds had already been gone for a week. And according to last year we will be planting Tulips, Hyacinths and Jonquils in only 10 days. We’ve got to get on the ball; we still have a lot of flowerbeds left to pull.

Mid-morning I had to leave the crew and drive south 15 miles to the town of Madison. I had a dentist appointment at the office of Dr. Max Rodeffer. For the past six months I’ve had several tooth issues but today I only needed my teeth cleaned. Today, as every time in the past, Dr. Rodeffer, the Hygienist, and the office staff were great. I highly recommend them.

While I was in Hamilton I needed to buy a Cashier’s Check to go along with my State of Arizona Department of Air Quality “Out of State Exemption” application. My car’s registration is due for renewal and since I’m not in Arizona I can’t get the car emissions tested and I have to “jump through a lot of hoops” to renew the car’s registration. 

My biggest problem was finding a bank that would sell me a Cashier’s Check for $9.50. It turns out almost all banks only allow account holders to have Cashier’s Checks. It has taken me three days but I finally found a bank in Hamilton that would let me have a Cashier’s Check.

The drive to and from the dentist took me along the scenic River Road. I was hoping for more fall leaves but unfortunately the weather has been too warm and there isn’t much color yet.  But it was a nice drive anyway.

Back on the job in the Women’s Garden after lunch we finished several flowerbeds. There are several left to pull but hopefully all of the flowerbeds will be pulled in the next few days. 

Sunday, October 01, 2017 – Gen. Conf. Elder Zwick, Walnut Harvest, Fam. Living Ctr & Sis. Eppich, Young Service Missionaries for Dinner

Today’s sessions of conference were great to watch live. And they were the first Sis. Johnson and I have been able to watch live in a year and a half since we’ve been on our mission. The last two conferences, Sis. Johnson and I were assigned to give tours on Sunday so we weren’t able to see those session live. Today was a real treat for us. 

In the morning session the second to the last speaker was Elder Zwick, the Emeritus 70. We have a particularly keen interest in Elder Zwick here in the Nauvoo Mission. Last Spring he and his wife came and taught us in our Mission Training meetings. And as it turns out Elder Zwick and our Mission President, Pres. Hall have been lifelong friends. Elder Zwick gave a very good talk this morning.

Between conference sessions Sis. Johnson and I had a couple of errands to run. We went over to the Family Living Center to see one of the Single Senior Missionaries, Sis. Eppich.  She asked me for a copy of my mission pictures so I was returning her external hard drive. She was serving and giving tours in the Family Living Center along with Sis. Wright and Elder & Sis. Nelson. Unfortunately it was their turn to give tours and miss the Sunday sessions of conference.

During our errands, we noticed a husband and wife picking up Walnuts by the mission mail room. They are Harold & Shirley Baker from Ft. Madison, IA.  For many years now they’ve been helping out the grounds crew at FM by gathered the fallen Walnuts on the grounds of Old Nauvoo. Once on the ground the Walnut husk turns black and makes a terrible mess all over the sidewalks, streets and lawns. Anyone willing to volunteer to pick up Walnuts is welcomed to.  

After the final session of Conference we had all of the Young Service Missionaries over to our house for dinner. These Young Service Missionaries are great hardworking young men and we enjoy having them over for dinner. They seem to like it too! Tonight’s menu was chicken enchiladas, tacos, bean burros and taco soup, topped off with brownies and ice cream. Mmmm-Goood!