Settling down for three weeks

Gore, OK

Now that a week has passed since we arrived in Gore, we have somewhat settled down. 

Our first week of work went well.    On Saturday afternoon Olan and Lola Halbert from Houston, TX arrived.  We had worked with this deligthful couple last year in Hayesville, NC.   On Sunday Jim and Karen Caldwell arrived.  They live in Ohio.  Today we expect Jan and Bob Wood from nearby Arkansas.   Unfortunately Jim and Karen Hansen from Iowa had to turn around midway here as Jim had fallen the week before and has having some problems.   We were so looking forward to seeing this couple again.  We had worked with them on our first project in Jacksonville, TX.

Office with the 13,000 acre Tenkiller lake in the background.

A view of the lake

As for our work,  lots of painting and construction work.  There are 10 boys in the main house, two to a bedroom.  Three bedrooms were in need of various stages of painting and patch work.    Recently the Ranch had a department of health inspection and were told that inside of the kitchen cabinets needed painting as there was some paint chipping off.

Morning devotions

Lola in the kitchen

Doing some wall patching

The activities director and his family live in a trailer down near the lake.   We will be replacing windows, removing old insulation, installing new and hanging and painting Sheetrock in the master bedroom.

Yesterday we had off and did some touring.   We went first to the Cherokee Heritage Center in Park Hill, OK.     The musuem tells the story of the Trail of Tears.   The outside tour explains the Cherokee way of life. 

 We learned many things about the Cherokee.   One thing we found interesting is that our own Constitution in great part is based on the Cherokee constitution, being one of the first Democracies.

After lunch in nearby Tahlequah we drove to Natural Falls State Park and walked to the waterfall.   I declined the last part of the walk as it was very steep and I just knew I would be all in after the climb back up.  I do need to get in better shape.  Knowing that, Len and I got up this morning and took a nice walk around the campus.

Leonard with Lola and Olan Halbert

I sat this one out.  Whew!