Month: August 2019

Friday, August 9, 2019

It was a beautiful cool morning. It as 53 degrees this morning. Anne actually had the fireplace on for a few minutes. Calvin and Marsha pulled out early this morning. Max heard their slides going in early – around 5:00 am. We were not up yet. We were up to say goodbye to Barb and Jack around 7:30. We will see them again in September. Safe travels everyone and safe travels to all the NOMADS traveling this weekend. Please keep them in your prayers.

We had a relaxing morning and then left to go ride one of the many bike trails in Wisconsin. We have been surprised at the many miles of trails available. Some of the trails are state supported and there is a permit required to ride the tails. Daily use is $5.00 and annual fee is $25.00. We considered the Omaha Trail but found online that the part we were looking at riding is actually still closed from the flooding last year. We elected to ride the Elroy-Sparta Trail with plans to begin in Wilton and ride toward Sparta a couple of miles and go thru tunnel #2, return to Wilton and ride toward Elroy 6 miles through tunnel #1 and return to Wilton. What we didn’t know is that the first 3.5 miles from Wilton north toward Elroy is also still closed from the flooding. It’s obvious they have been working on the trail section we rode and just as there are a lot of homes still in need of repairs, so it is with the trails. We road about 7 miles from Wilton past Norwalk, a quaint little village along the trail and back to Wilton, for a total of about 14 miles. It was a ride through some beautiful countryside – lush green fields, dairy barns, farm equipment. In Norwalk, right on the trail is a little Mexican diner with really good soft serve ice cream. We toured around the village for a while because they were setting up for a big truck and tractor pull festival starting tonight. It appears to be a big deal for this little town. On the way back to Wilton, Max had a flat tire. God blessed with a really helpful local couple stopping to help us. Their son worked his way thru college working in a bike shop so they could change a tube in short order. We didn’t get to visit with them for very long because they changed the tube for us so quickly. It was a great ride and a very nice day.

On the drive we saw some of the many rock outcroppings this area is known for.

Thursday, August 8, 2019

Last night’s storm pretty much died before it got here. We had some thunder and a little rain but basically nothing. Those clouds sure looked ominous. Today was a cool day with cool breezes. It almost seemed like an early fall day. The high today was 75, ten degrees cooler than yesterday. Nice! We didn’t see the deer on our morning walk today and the sand hill cranes were well off the road, but there are always Canada geese around.

Today’s devotion was given by Norm. He reminded us that when we turn away from God we forfeit the spiritual abundance that can be ours. It’s our choice. After devotion we all headed back to our houses. Harry went with Max and Anne back to Teresa’s house where we sanded the drywall and then did some more finishing where it was needed. We had done everything we could do at Teresa’s before lunch and then headed to Kendall, Wisconsin, to another job site. The other part of our team had been there earlier this week working on installing siding on a garage/lean-to. They were unable to complete that job because they ran out of siding. More siding was delivered this morning. The three of us were able to complete the job this afternoon. The garage looks nice. We really enjoyed the drive out through the countryside to the job site. Beautiful lush green fields, trees loaded with apples, beautiful flowers. The backyard at our house was beautiful, too. We had lunch sitting out under a tree in the shade. With the breeze it was almost chilly. Interesting, the bike trail we have been thinking of riding tomorrow is right next door. We could see the trail head from the back yard.

The rest of the team worked at Rhonda’s all day, painting, staining trim, installing windows and working in the bathroom. Tonight we had another excellent meal provided by Roxy and Winding Rivers UMC. It’s nice to get to have a quiet meal together rather than in a noisy restaurant. We have two couples leaving early in the morning, Jack and Barb, Calvin and Marsha. It’s been a great week and we wish them safe travels.

Wednesday, August 7, 2019

No storms again today, although they were predicted and came close to us. We are happy.

Again this morning we were able to walk before devotion. Today we saw a large doe and two sand hill cranes. It was so neat because the cranes were on one side of the road, facing the deer on the opposite side of the road. We didn’t know what they would do as we approached. The cranes took flight toward the deer and the deer ran to the crane side of the road and into the woods. Unfortunately, we did not get a good picture because we were walking directly into the sun. When we first saw them they were just silhouettes. We still see them in our memories.

Marsha and Calvin shared devotion with us today. They combined two devotions, one from Upper Room and the other from Max Lucado. Really good. They reminded us that our God of the Bible cannot be contained. In our quest to know and understand Him, we place constraints on Him. Isn’t it great to know that God is never surprised and never wonders “How did that happen?” He is big enough. Thanks, Marsha and Calvin.

After devotion, Harry and Anne and Max went back to work at Teresa’s home. Today we hand sanded the drywall joints and completed the second coat. We primed the door casing and installed the closet doors.

We completed those items shortly after lunch and went to join the rest of our team at Rhonda’s home which they started this morning. There is lots to do a Rhonda’s. There Max worked on installing new windows and Anne worked on staining and putting polyurethane on some beautiful door and window trim. This house is old, with some plaster and beautiful yellow pine paneling. Rhonda’s house is in the process of being bought out because of the amount of flood damage and the house we are working on is her replacement. We need to get two bedrooms, and bathroom usable so they can move in and they will complete the work as they live there. They are currently with some family but it is time to move. The family is doing a lot of the work themselves but they just need a little help. We will probably be working at Rhonda’s with our team next week. It was a good day.

BTW – you can forget the first line of this blog. Max is now outside taking pictures of a big storm going by us.

Tuesday, August 6, 2019

No storms today – about time. It was a little warmer than we would like but it was a beautiful day.

We had time for a little longer walk this morning. We again saw a beautiful deer while on our walk. She was right beside the road in the ditch that was full of tall grass. We almost walked by her without seeing her. She was not at all bothered by our presence. Cool.

Max and Anne led devotion today. We used Proverbs 18:21, Words kill, words give life; they’re either poison or fruit – you choose, and Proverbs 15:21. We challenged the team to speak nothing but life and encouragement. We all need to pray that God helps us to be a carrier of peace and hope amidst the chaos of our world.

Harry, Max and Anne returned to Teresa’s house after our morning team meeting. Today Max and Harry completed the installation of the drywall and Anne started the work on the taping and finishing of the drywall. Anne and Harry got all the tape up and everything with a first coat of mud. Max completed the trap door into the crawl space. It was a busy but productive day. The other part of our team worked installing siding on a small storage building. We all had dinner with some of the members of Winding River church. Such a sweet congregation. Hope you are having a great week. We are.