First Week Back at Sumatanga

Sunday, April 13, 2025

We arrived in Gallant, AL at Camp Sumatanga on Friday afternoon, April 4. It was an uneventful drive from Red Bay and we were fortunate to get out ahead of the storms.  Saturday, we had a list of errands to run.  It reminded us of when we were still working, trying to get everything else done on Saturday.  Retirement is so good!  Sunday we were blessed to be able to return to Lester Memorial again as we do so much prefer in person worship.  We are very thankful for being able to stream the services when we are out of town but in person is definitely the best.

Monday morning Barry joined us to begin work at the camp.  Our first priority is the completion of the remodeling of Cabin 5 as it is needed for summer camp.  Cabin 7 is also being remodeled but is not needed quite as soon.  Some of you may remember that this time last year we were here with a NOMADS team and demolished the old bathrooms in these two cabins (link to last year’s project).  Since then the camp contracted to extend the concrete slabs, frame in new bathrooms and install new metal roofs. This year’s spring NOMADS project was cancelled for lack of sign-ups. (We need more new members – hint, hint.)  We had a few weeks available and decided to spend them here.

Monday and Tuesday the roofers were still working on the cabins and we certainly didn’t want to be in their way so we were sent to start on the girl’s staff hut (with a few detours along the way).  It needs lots of love but we are making progress. Barry did lots of cleaning, while Anne worked on some dry wall and Max worked on some flooring.  On Tuesday, John from our church joined us and he and Barry replaced the leaking vent turbine on the roof.  Barry’s life before retirement was also very helpful because he was able to repair the camps mini excavator.  We also repaired a deck on Cabin 1.

After the roofers finished their work, we began concentrating on Cabin 5 and assisting the plumber with roughing in the plumbing.  We also were able to get a lot of work done on the plumbing rough in on Cabin 7.  On Friday, Donna joined us and we began the electrical rough in on Cabin 5.  It was a good week, and we are enjoying being back with friends at Sumatanga and attending our church in person.

A Swamp Hike and a Another Visit to Red Bay

April 12, 2025

When we last posted, we were still in South Carolina, still visiting with Randy and Debra.  We still walked at least 10,000 steps every day and on Sunday 3/23 we did another new to us hike.  This one was in Augusta, GA at the Phinizy Swamp and Nature Park.  It is a very unique and fun place to hike and all the better entry is free.  While you might not be excited to visit a place with swamp in its name Phinizy actually has some pretty amazing hiking paths through some beautiful wetlands.  We saw all kinds of critters including some very small and very big alligators, beautiful birds and one of the largest snapping turtles we have ever seen.  The park was built by the Augusta wastewater treatment system and the treated waste water is now sent through the constructed wetlands system before being released into Savannah River.  It was a great place to spend a beautiful Sunday afternoon.

The remainder of that week was spent preparing to hit the road again.  We left Johnston Saturday, and spent the night in Oneonta in our church’s parking lot.  We got to worship at Lester Memorial Sunday and attend our Sunday School class.  It was so great to be back at our home church.  From Oneonta we drove Fred to Red Bay to get a slide repaired and new tires installed.  With everything completed, we left Red Bay Friday afternoon just in time to avoid some severe thunderstorms.  We are now back at Camp Sumatanga helping the staff prepare for summer camping season.

Follies and Fallen Trees

March 31, 2025

In our last post we ended by letting you know that we would be in South Carolina with Randy and Debra until the end of the month.  So now it’s the end of the month and we should be getting you up to date.

The first Sunday afternoon after returning to SC (March 16) we were excited to attend the Anderson Senior Follies 2025, show “It’s Electric” with Randy and Debra.  The Anderson Senior Follies is an outreach of Anderson University in Anderson, South Carolina. It is recognized as one of the premier senior theater performance organizations in the Southeast. This year’s show was loosely based on Anderson, South Carolina, being known as the “Electric City” and featured a locally-written story about a family who puts on a follies show, facing a new mayor who wants to shut down their theater.  All the performers are over the age of 55 with some into their nineties.  The performers were very interactive with the audience and extremely talented.  They produce a new show every year with auditions beginning in August and the premier performance being in March.  Again, this year it was such a fun and entertaining afternoon.   In addition to the main stage performance in March of each year, Senior Follies also produces a traveling show called “Follies to Go”. Its mission is to take the entertainment to school and church functions, community festivals, retirement and nursing homes, and cruise ships throughout the year. If you are ever in the area in March, we would highly recommend arranging you schedule to see one of the performances – and you might just see us there.

On Monday March 17, the four of us decided to spend the beautiful spring afternoon hiking Lick Fork Trail which is in Sumter National Forest in Edgefield County, SC.  The trail is/was 1.9 miles around the Lick Fork Lake and is rated an easy hike.  However, this area was severely damaged by Hurricane Helene last September.  After seeing all the downed and damaged trees we were surprised that the campground and trail were open.  We found that the trail had been cleared and re-routed in several locations and the trail was not open quite all the way around the lake.  We hiked most of the way around the lake and then came to an area that had not yet been cleared of downed trees.  We tried to find a way around but decided it was a little too hazardous and turned back.  It was a nice hike in a nice location and we would consider taking BB there to camp.  Fred is just a little too big.  Anyway, it was the first hike in the woods we have done since Randy’s last surgery and we were very pleased with his progress.

Atlanta Botanical Garden

Saturday March 22, 2025

Wednesday 3/12/25, was another beautiful, sunny, blue-sky spring day and we visited the Atlanta Botanical Garden with Jim and Susan.  Gorgeous!! The orchid exhibit was beyond any we have seen.  We also couldn’t stop taking pictures of the tulips and daffodils.  We visited the Garden in December 2023 when everything was decorated for Christmas.  That was a great show, too.  Jim says that they have something for each season that makes it worth a visit anytime you are in the Atlanta area. Not a lot of words today.  We will let the pictures speak for us.

While we hate the Atlanta traffic, Atlanta does have so much to offer a visitor. We just wouldn’t want to drive in that traffic every day. Thursday morning, we drove back to South Carolina to catch up on Randy and Debra.  We are very appreciative for the prayers for Randy.  He is doing well, and we are enjoying our time together.   We will be here until the end of the month when we have an appointment in Red Bay for a little work on Fred.