Nauvoo, Almost Summer

Plants and trees and flowers, as I have shown you, grow amazingly here. But that fast growth and abundant water can cause real problems. Because there is no need to send tap roots deep for water--the water table here is so high--these huge trees have very shallow roots. And in addition, the frequent rainstorms just continue waterlogging the already saturated soil. We had a wind and rainstorm last night that was frightening. We were at our performance of "Rendezvous" when it hit. People and branches were flying by. And by the end of the show, we were all wet because we have to exit and enter the theater from the outside. We finally just had to laugh about it. Sorry, I got sidetracked from my original thought that shallow roots can cause weakness. Today there are big trees and parts of big trees everywhere for cleanup tomorrow. One road was blocked this morning as we went to church by a huge tree toppled with roots up.

Now, there must be a gospel teaching in all of this. Having an easy life without trials can cause one to not have to send out that deep tap root. Why work hard if everything comes easy with no real effort? So we should welcome those times of drought in our lives, when we have to send that tap root deep in order to keep ourselves upright and able to withstand the windstorms. So many of you who read this blog know exactly what I am talking about--your trials and challenges in your lives have caused you to send your roots deep. As a result, you continue to be the great examples to me of strength brought on by adversity. I love all of you.

We went to Iowa City, Iowa, this week because LeRoy has been having trouble with a tooth. One of the missionaries here taught at a dental school and recommended a dentist there. Sure enough, he needs a root canal, so we will be traveling to Iowa City more than once. We discovered a new Costco there--picture this, a completely enclosed parking lot, and not a person in the checkout lines!! Amazing! We told the checker that we had never experienced Costco with a covered parking lot and without MANY people to bump into. He seemed to be used to that story. Here in the Midwest, Sam's Club is the place to go, so Costco is trying to get a foothold. Meanwhile, we will enjoy the shopping experience there!

My "flower of the day" for you to enjoy is the Big Leafed Magnolia. I had to put LeRoy in the picture just so you would see the relationship of size. (Of course he is pretty handsome too) This tree is native to the Appalachian Mountains and grows very tall with blossoms up high. There the leaves and blooms get even bigger, if you can imagine! We were fortunate to find one of the trees here that is smaller and we could actually get a decent picture of a bloom.

Big Leafed Magnolia

This week we were doing our watering job. Next week I will give you a count of pots and flower beds that we water almost daily. I think our horticulturist is just about finished planting for the season. Here is a view of our watering truck, I think I will name her Big Bertha. She holds 500 gallons of water, and on a normal day we have to fill her twice to finish our watering, and it takes us anywhere from 3 to 5 hours to finish our job. The pots decorate all of Old Nauvoo and then we go up town to the main street by the temple and water many more additional pots. They are going to be gorgeous as the season progresses. I will keep you up on that.

Big Bertha
 

 

As we were watering the Visitor's Center this last week, a man walked up to us and said sincerely that he would give anything to be on a mission with his wife doing exactly what we were doing. I admit that morning I was hot and tired and it gave us a real boost to hear such a statement. I know it renewed my commitment to find joy in what we have been asked to do. We feel so responsible for the beauty of the flowers here in Nauvoo!

Our nightly routine of "Sunset by the Mississippi" and "Rendezvous" are quite enjoyable. The crowds of families are growing and it is fun to see the children enjoying all that Nauvoo has to offer--from carriage and wagon rides, to enjoying games and laughter, to marching in a parade with the Nauvoo Brass Band. What a wonderful place to bring a family--there is not one thing we offer that costs money! So COME!

 

 

 



The Mississippi River has been closed to barge traffic for the last few days--the lock in the dam below us was closed because of high water. So, it was fun last week to see one pushing along. We hear them throughout the night because the deep channel comes right up to our shore below us on the river. They haul everything up the river and down.

 

 

Prior to going on stage for "Rendezvous", we meet in the basement of the old Cultural Hall. It is called the "Green" room (I guess because it is painted green). On the wall next to our nightly instructions as to our individual roles is a great quote by Neal A. Maxwell:

 

Illinois Nauvoo Mission Show Philosophy

The Lord does not ask about our

Ability

or

Inability

But about our

Availability

And if we prove our

Dependability

The Lord will take care of our

Capability

 

I see this totally here in Nauvoo. Sure, there were men specifically called to come to Nauvoo because of their experience and expertise with horses and driving wagons. But I really feel that the rest of us are fitting here in Nauvoo by the above rules. Anything is possible with the Lord's help and our willingness!

 

We were picnicking along the Mississippi recently and we discovered the stone arched bridge that was used in the movie, The Work and the Glory. You might recognize it as the place where Joseph was courting Emma. It was originally built as part of the canal system which drained the swamps here when they were building Old Nauvoo.

 

The most recent Nauvoo insect that I really hate is called
a Buffalo Gnat. They swarm around your head and zoom in for an ear, an eye, or even a nostril! They bite! One got me on the eyelid, and today it is swollen and very itchy. According to all the natives, there are many more "bugs" to look forward to. I can't wait! I laugh each night as we complain about our latest woe, either the heat and humidity or the bugs. There are all sorts of homemade concoctions and remedies to help us prevent or heal whatever is ailing us, and to some of those I just have to raise my eyebrows!



 







 

 

 

 

 

 





 



Blessed are the Flexible for They Shall Not be Bent Out of Shape

The title of this post summarizes our last mission training meeting with our Mission President. This is his version of a new beatitude for Nauvoo Missionaries. One might think or hope that everything that happens or that you experience on a mission should reflect goodness and light--not so. But we go forward with the admonition that if our mission is not what we expected, then do whatever we have been asked to do and accept it and let the Spirit guide us in every aspect of our work.

Nauvoo Peonies

 

My work has expanded as of this week. LeRoy and I water on
Saturdays because the Facilities Management part of the
mission is closed on that day. We don't want all the beautiful
pots to go without water for two days in a row. Well, after
about 10 inches of  rain last week, we certainly did not need
to water, so LeRoy taught me how to use this awesome John
Deere zero-turn riding lawnmower. It was like riding a go-cart! Great fun, and I didn't hit a tree or anything! So, I am now an expert at weeding, planting, dead-heading, spreading bark, watering, pruning, and now mowing. Life is good!

We had a great day of service this last week. We got to participate as "Mormon Helping Hands" as we went to Hannibal, Missouri, to assist with the damage they had about two weeks ago after an F1 tornado went through their town. That was a storm that threatened us the same night. Their main damage has been downed trees, uprooted trees, or trees on houses. We assisted with cleanup at three homes. It was hard work on a very hot day, but we slept good that night!

 

We have planted a garden of sorts--a straw bale garden. Our soil in the little spot we have is HORRIBLE. So, we are trying something completely new to us after researching some Master Gardener ideas gleaned in Yakima. Supposedly, it is a great way to garden when you really have no place else--it can be done on asphalt or cement or on poor soil. We put out 7 bales of straw and watered them for two weeks after applying a high-nitrogen fertilizer which helps break down the straw. We then scooped out small holes in the straw and put in potting soil and the little plants. We are trying green and yellow peppers, crook-neck and zucchini squash, English cucumbers and cantaloupe. Planted between the bales are four tomatoes. Right now we have an amazing crop of unusual toadstools which appear each morning on the tops of each bale, but by mid-afternoon the sun has baked them away. (Very strange) The plants are kind of sitting because of so much rain, but we have high hopes. The garden has an unusual smell--moth balls. That is the current deterrent for our visiting little deer who loves the leftovers under our bird feeder. Subsequent blog posts will keep you up to date on all of this.

We continue to enjoy our involvement in the two
productions here. LeRoy has been given a speaking part in the play "Rendezvous in Old Nauvoo". He plays the part of a medical doctor who has come to a home to treat a woman named Agatha. Agatha supposedly has "heart flutters", but in actuality she doesn't have both oars in the water. It is a humorous part and the audience is usually laughing loudly, so much of what LeRoy does is adlibbing just so he can fill in while there is too much noise from the audience. He eventually finds a place to insert his needed lines and escorts the distraught Agatha out the stage door to "a nice, quiet place to rest". He performed it for the first time last week and did a great job. It has been fun to watch and listen to him practice his lines. He practices his stage blocking outside the RV using the trees as the other characters and his best stage voice. I do have to laugh!

The storms have been frightful, but afterwards, there is always a rainbow. This one was almost double, but my camera does not do it justice. Notice the standing water in the cow pasture in the foreground. This is a field right up the road from our RV park.

And to finish the post, enjoy a beautiful Mississippi River sunset after a storm.