Big Shoals State Park June 3, 2010

• Well here we are our last night at Big Shoals State Park,So this is my last entry for Big Shoals. We had a good time while we were here. even though it did get hot early this year. 90’s for most of the month of May. Good thing for the ac.OK let’s get this done. Friday14th Dan went back to Stephen Foster shop to take the Holliday tractor apart,and I mean he and two of his helpers Gary and Rick had to split tractor in half. Need to change the clutch,pressure plate and throw out Bering. They got it torn down old parts out and then get new parts the next day.Saturday15th. Gary came about 7:30 in the morning and he and Dan were off to Live Oaks to get parts,but on the way Gary told Dan that he was not going with Dan but Ben was.( Ben is the park manager at S.F.S.P.) They got the parts and back to the shop to put it back together.Sunday16th. We took the day off pretty much.About 2:00pm we took the gator and patrolled roads 1,2,6 and 18.Then back to the camper and just chilled out rest of night.Monday17th.Another hot day.We did Wood Pecker trail and did the bathrooms. Dan did some mowing. Cooked out on the grill tonight had smoked pork chops very good.Tuesday18th. Did some leave blowing in parking spaces and walkway.Rain started about 2:oopm and rained most of the night.Wensday19th. We were getting ready to go food shopping when Dylan called. He wanted to see if Dan could check out two trucks that wouldn't start.The 97 Chevy pick up has been down for a few weeks and the 2001 Dodge pickup just would not start today. So we went there first and the battery in the Dodge was oozing out acid when Dan had Dylan start it.And the Chevy the battery was just no good. So they got two batteries Dan put them in after cleaning the cables and they up and running the roads now. Now to go food shopping oh yea.That’s done now what’s for dinner?Thursday20th.Did Woodpecker trail with blower. And took the bubba truck  and did patrol on the fire roads and roads 16,6,2 and1. Took trk. back and brought the canoe back with us towed behind the gator.( Got family coming in from Tampa and we are all going down the river.) Dylan ( our ranger) stopped by while out doing his night rounds and asked Dan if he would go into S.F. with him in the morning to put skid plate back on tractor and weld a piece on one of the JD mowers.Friday21st.Dan and Dylan left here about 8:00am and off to S.F.They got the skid plate back on welding done on mower and back to camper about 11;00am.Had lunch and then he watered the yard,washed the trk. he brought back with him. I made sure all bathrooms were done and checked out picnic area.Saturday 22nd. Took the day off.Family is here time to chill… We all went canoeing  down the Suwannee River. There was 14 of us. We went as far as the rapids and docked up on the sandy beach.The 4 guys took there canoes back up river!!! and got the gator and trk came back for the rest of canoes and coolers. Brent and Mel drove the trk back Dan and I had the gator with the canoe on it what a sight.The rest of the crew walked back to camp a mile walk.We had a good cook out and a great visit.Sunday23rd. The family got here about noon with food to cook on grill. Mel did the cooking. Good job Mel. We hung around camp and just chilling out. It was a great to see them again. Monday24th. Did some leave blowing around picnic area and walkways. Dylan and Gary dropped the small JD mower off so Dan can change the pulley and put on new belts. Well the pulley was the wrong size and so he took the coolant fan off the Gator cause it stopped working. Now waiting for those parts.They dropped off the right size pulley but no fan.Tuesday25th. We did not get out to early today.It is pretty hot out.Dan got the pulley on and replaced the belts. We did a few things around camp and then called it a day. Made diner and was done. Wensady26th.Walked the girls this morning and the temperature was fairly nice but that did not last long. Woodpecker trail needs to be cleaned up from a tree top falling in the trail. But the gator is down and now he has to put blower behind 4 wheeler.But first we tried  it with Dan sitting on the front of 4 wheeler going side to side with hand blower. It was not to fun but we got it done.Back at camp I got lunch and Dan did a little mowing.Thursday27th.Dan checked out W.P. trail because it rained pretty hard the night before. Well Gary bush hogged the side of the trails and it left a mess in the trail. So Dan hooked the big blower to the 4 wheeler and blew off the trail. Then off to Lake City to get a battery for the camper and his pills. Back at camp Dan watered the yard and I got dinner cooking. Friday28th. Had another good storm last night so Dan did woodpecker trail with blower again. I did bathrooms and cleaned up around picnic area. Did some raking .Saturday 29th.We did trail patrol on road # 1 and woodpecker trail. Got busy today most people  we have seen here at one time. Cooked out tonight had burgers. Had another storm tonight wind got pretty gusty at times. Sunday30th. Dan did wood pecker trail, I stayed at camp checked bathrooms and fill the kiosk  with more maps . Got busy again today. We went to S.F. Folk Festival and did laundry while we were there. Festival was alright.We took rd.# 1 on way home and about half way through the road there was a Hugh oak tree down. Turn around go get the bubba trk. and go back out to the tree and get some of it cut up before the storm sets in.We got half of it cut and moved off the road. Here comes the rain. Monday 31st. Dan went back out to cut up some more on the down tree. He got it cut and moved what he could and left the rest for Gary to move with his tractor.Dan had it so you could get by it. Tuesday June 1st. Packing things up.Dan washed the camper top to bottom. I been doing the same inside.Dan did his last mowing .While he did that I got all the outside stuff packed away.Pot-roast,potatoes veg and fresh picked cucumbers for dinner. Wensday2nd.Opened gates this morning. Gary and Dylan are both off for a few days. We took all the parks tools and mower, blower and gator to Dylan’s place. And all rakes ,shovels in the storage room. Still packing things up. Closed gates. Thursday 3rd. Our last day here so we are just doing last minute things. Went and did laundry and got chops for dinner. we wanted smoked chops but they did not have any today. so I got regular chops. Dylan came over for dinner tonight.He gave us each an cert. of appreciation and a letter stating  what a well job we did. Like I said it was fun did a lot of yard raking and leave blowing but it was worth it. It looks so much better. OK that is it for now folks. We leave Friday 4th. and be in Tenn. Saturday for a couple of weeks. Then stopping at Dean’s place for a day then home.. I should being doing a blog when we are in Tenn.