9 August 2018 - Thursday

9 August 2018 - Thursday

Mom and I were up at 4:30am to begin this work day.  Mom called out to me from the kitchen and told me she was up for the three mile walk, this morning, if we could start no later than 5:30am  She has been saving up for our Rocky Ridge trek next Tuesday, so this was a real bonus morning!   We had very cool temperatures, this morning, in the low 50's.  It smells like Autumn each morning and I love this time of year!  Only it is a little strange to be feeling like Autumn in August!

The morning air is clearing up a little as well over the last few days.  The haze that we were seeing has diminished, and the skies are looking better each morning!  I was able to catch some pre-dawn color from the impending sunrise over the Martin's Cove skyline;

The picture was quite clear this morning and the colors were brighter

That sun is very close to Martin's Cove about 10 miles from this picture spot

Here is a nice close-up of the peek-a-boo sunrise!

I just love seeing the morning sunrises and greeting the day on our three mile walk together.  Our first assignment is the correlation meeting at 8:30am, so we had plenty of time getting ready.  We left on our walk at 5:30am, and got back to the trailer at about 6:20am.  We have been very blessed to have the three bedroom/two bathroom trailer!  In just less than a week, now, we will be able to share it with the Lasher's from Rexburg!

Mom and I are well versed in unique missionary work assignments.  Today was no exception!  We were assigned to scrape down the vault bathroom's cement flooring, and prep it for painting.  This process was given to mom and me, under the direction of another missionary couple whose career was in the building, maintaining and refinishing built-in swimming pools.  

So, here is the process; we brought all the tools we needed to the Cherry Creek campground.  Those tools included generators, cement scraping power tools, fans, vacuums, eye, ear, mouth, and knee covers.  Our goal was to time how long it would take the first of 30 areas to sand down and seal and paint.  From the beginning of this effort, and in accordance with the blessing I received about recognizing unsafe conditions, I knew we would not have the correct equipment.  This was not a safe assignment!

The initial equipment organization

Putting on just some of the safety equipment

The early "cloudy" results of the sanding effort

So here we are sanding down cement paint, to the core of the cement pad.  Look at the dust being generated!  I was not at all interested in participating in this project!  The other senior missionary has done this kind of work for the last 40 years.  I asked him what we were missing in equipment from when he would do this professionally.  His only response was that he usually did this in the open.  Here at these restrooms we are attempting to do this in an enclosed area.  You can't see, and you can't breathe, so tell me what is wrong with this picture?  

There have been several times that the warning I received from being set apart as a full time senior missionary has come to my full attention.  This situation today is probably the most apparent.  The other missionary doesn't seem to share my concerns, so he will probably continue doing this project.  I just want to survive and be able to come home and play with my grandchildren!

With Bob and Mary coming next week, we were surprised and grateful for our schedule for next week.  As a bonus, the mission president gave each couple an extra preparation day.  So we work the Visitors' Center Monday, Wednesday and Friday, all scheduled in the morning.  We trek Rocky Ridge on Tuesday, and we have P-days on Thursday and Saturday.  It will be a fun week and hopefully Bob will be up for coming to see us with that toe illness!  We are praying hard that they will be able to come and enjoy our visit together!  The grandchildren better be ready to be roughed up by grandpa!