Category Archives: Volunteer Projects

Bet I’ve got something you don’t have

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An FBI number.  Eight of us piled into the federally owned van and rode 35 miles.  We unloaded and trudged into the Rockport city lockup.  The cold stark entry way afforded only an unmanned window and a push-button call box.  The blue uniformed officer pressed my fingertips one by one to the ink pad then a fingerprint card.  It was a bit creepy.  It was all in the name of a background check to work at a national Refuge.  It seems bit overkill; but, hey what do I know?  Anyway, Kent and I are “in the system”.

Whoopers

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Whooping Cranes, alligators and armadillos call Aransas home.  We have seen them all everyday so far.  It is a great place to bike and once we get some trail maintenance done, a fun place to hike.  They have nearly all trails closed for some type of maintenance which is a bit of a bummer for visitors.  We hope to help remedy that.

I’m back in Texas

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It was a great visit with Mom.  We cooked a little. We listened to the Christmas banders.  We just hung out.

Today we moved to Aransas.   We get a couple days to settle in and do all the clearance paperwork required to volunteer at a National Park or Refuge.  It’s quite different than what is required at a Texas State Park.  We even get finger printed and a background check.  We ought to be able to get to work by Thursday.

It looks like there will be 10 or 12 of us in the RV encampment helping out with whatever the local staff decides is most pressing.  We met three other couples today.\

We are looking forward to getting started.

Moving on from Sea Rim State Park

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We met and enjoyed working with some really great folks here.  The staff was considerate and a pleasure to work with.  Kudos to Ben, Linda, Russell, Laura and Buddy.  We also met some exceptional volunteers.  Gary & Denise, Dan & Carol and Jim and Sharon made the time a pleasure.  Hopefully we will cross paths again someday soon.  Significant progress was made during our stay toward the park’s grand reopening in Mid April.  The cabin is ready for exterior paint and the beach area has water and will have electric when the power company arrives to install the wire.  The last couple of weeks I spent in the campground instead of a host site.  It made enjoying sunrise much easier when you only need to roll over and look out the window.

Sunrise Crop Comp0398

For now we must move on to honor previous commitments at Aransas National Wildlife but, we’ll be back.

It looks more cabin-like every day

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At least on the outside.  It has been a good week for the little bunkhouse cabin we have been helping build.  The doors and windows are in and as of today the siding and roofing done except for trim.  That is to finish up tomorrow if the rain holds off.  It is still bare concrete floor and stud walls inside so there is plenty to do, after we wait for the plumber and electrician to do their thing.  I am afraid that we are going to have to return some other time to see the finished building….at this pace a December 26 finish is Possible but, unlikely!

Thanksgiving at Sea Rim

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The food was fantastic.  Smoked turkey, two kinds!  Sides and pies of every kind.

Great setting.  The superintendent’s house is perched on poles nearly 20 feet above the marsh.  The gulf stretches out to the south and marsh in every other direction.  It is not the classic over the mountains and through the woods but it is beautiful.

New friends.  We hung out with all the folks from here Thanks Comp_0026at the park and their families.  It was a enjoyable day.