April 2006

INFORMAL ACTIVITY WEEKEND OF 17-19 MARCH

DONATION KUDOS:

• To Jackie and Marion, Bound By Desire, for hauling in and donating a pickup truck load of wood for the Fire Pit.
• To Dan Murdoch, TCC Independent, for hauling in and donating a. pickup truck load of wood for the Fire Pit.
• To Dale Arndt and Mark Adamson for donating various plastic serving and storage dishes to the Kitchen.

KUDOS:

• To Jim Newsome and Randal Louk, Lone Star Leathermen, for continuing their work of installing ceiling insulation in the Pole Barn over the prior weekend.
• To Dale Arndt, TCC Independent, for de-winterizing the Kitchen by removing and storing the doors, and removing the tarps from the dish washing and ice machine areas.
• To Ken Witt, TCC Independent and Landsite Caretaker:
  • For correcting the wind damage to canopies and gathering up blown down tree branches.
  • For taking the Green Tractor to Cameron Tire and having the worn out rear tire replaced.

OTHER LANDSITE ROUTINE MAINTENANCE, RESUPPLY, REPAIRS, REPLACEMENTS, AND MINOR IMPROVEMENTS ACCOMPLISHED:

• Ken Witt, TCC Independent and Landsite Caretaker:
  • Kept the Restroom, Showers, and Kitchen clean between and during Activity Weekends.
  • Prepared the TCC Trailer and Bunkhouse for camping season use.
  • Removed trash from cans to the dumpster for removal from the Landsite.
• Dan Murdoch, TCC Independent:
  • De-winterized the water system by removing insulating muffs from faucets.
  • Repaired a split fuel line on the Ryobi string trimmer.
  • Restrung the string head of the Homelite string trimmer.
  • Cut back the briars and early spring brush growth on the knolls flanking the Storage pit and on the front slope of the hill behind the kitchen.
  • Procured with petty cash funds:
    • Five quarts of motor oil for tractor and mowers.
    • Large bottle of peroxide to replenishment First Aid kit.
    • A Restroom faucet fixture that fractured during winter freeze.
    • Weed killer for gravel path maintenance.
    • Two boxes of Rid-X septic system treatment.
    • Twenty one metal posts and two eighty pound bags of ready mix concrete for the boundary marking and path project.

ACTIVITY WEEKEND OF 24-26 MARCH

DONATION KUDOS:

• To Jack Elsbree and Gerry Garcia, for donating a box of food staples to the Kitchen for future communal use.

KUDOS:

• To the Heart of Texas Bears club group for de-winterizing the Pole Barn by rolling up the tarps.
• To the Heart of Texas Bears club for work done on their Adopt An Area site.
• To the Heart of Texas Bears assisted by Jim S., Chain of Command, Jim Newsome and Randal Louk, Lone Star Leathermen; and Bill Cary, Austin Gay Nudists, for moving the donated stainless steel vent hood body to a location behind the Kitchen pending future installation.
• To Jim Newsome, Lone Star Leathermen, assisted by Hal Pryor, TCC Independent, for researching means of possibly installing the vent hood in the Kitchen.
• To Ray Moore, Austin Gay Nudists, assisted by Ken Witt, TCC Independent, for raking leaf accumulations from around the Kitchen, Shower building, Pole barn, and ditches, and mulching flower beds and stone terraced areas.
• To Bill Cary, Austin Gay Nudists, for mowing the Flag Pole Field.
• To Ken Witt, TCC Independent and Landsite Caretaker, for mowing the sump area across the entrance road from the Bunkhouse.
• To Larry Perry, Trinity River Bears, assisted by John Szewczyk, Houston Firedancers, and Dan Murdoch, TCC Independent, for replacing all of the boundary survey wooden stakes with metal stakes imbedded in concrete.
• To Dan Murdoch, TCC Independent, for installing guide string on boundary segment between front gate and first surveyors stake for boundary marking and path project.
• To Peter Reid, Heart of Texas Bears, for improving the eroded path from the Chicken Ranch down to the Compound area by filling a large hole and creating steps with wood and rocks and back filled with donated woodchips.
• To Jack Elsbree and Gerry Garcia, Lone Star Leathrmen, for providing the crispy fried chicken entrée for the Saturday night dinner.
• To the following clubs/individuals for providing the listed side dishes and dessert for the Saturday night dinner.
  • Ken Witt, TCC Independent, peach cobbler;
  • The Heart of Texas Bears, several kinds of cakes;
  • Peter Reid, homemade Cole slaw;
  • Bob Whittaker, mashed potatoes with gravy and black eyed peas.
• To the following for Kitchen clean-up after the Saturday night dinner:
  • Jack Elsbree and Gerry Garcia, Lone Star Leathermen;
  • Ray Moore, Austin Gay Nudists;
  • Ken Witt, TCC Independent.

OTHER LANDSITE ROUTINE MAINTENANCE, RESUPPLY, REPAIRS, REPLACEMENTS, AND MINOR IMPROVEMENTS ACCOMPLISHED:

• Hal Pryor, TCC Independent, serviced the ice machine by changing the water filter and cycle flushing the machine with cleansing fluid.
• Ken Witt, TCC Independent and Landsite Caretaker:
  • Kept the Restroom, Showers, and Kitchen clean between and during Activity Weekends.
  • Kept the TCC Trailer and Bunkhouse in good order.
  • Removed trash from cans to the dumpster for removal from the Landsite.
• Dan Murdoch, TCC Independent:
  • Procured with petty cash funds:
    • Fifteen gallons of mower gas.
    • Parts and repair of Homelite string trimmer muffler by Cameron Seed.
  • Changed oil, serviced air cleaners, and serviced batteries, and inspected blades, as applicable, of Green Tractor, Snapper riding mower, and Craftsman and Murray push mowers.
  • Procured from the Cameron Chamber of Commerce and replaced the Cameron and Milam County phone books in the Kitchen.
  • Replaced missing tire valve cap on Green Tractor.
  • Replaced damaged Restroom faucet fixture.
  • Burned off accumulations of branches and twigs.
  • Replaced weak battery in TCC Trailer smoke detector.
  • Treated septic system with Rid-X.

INFORMAL ACTIVITY WEEKEND OF 7-10 APRIL

KUDOS:

• Dan Lindquist, Lone Star Nudist Group; and Hal Pryor, TCC Independent and TCC Treasurer; for successfully conducting the routine transfer audit of the TCC books and accounts.
• Ken Witt, TCC Independent and Landsite Caretaker:
  • For mowing the Parking Lot, the sides of entrance road, and the Flag Pole Field.
  • For raking leaves in common use areas.
  • For keeping the Kitchen, Showers, and Restroom in good order.
• Dan Murdoch, TCC Independent, cleared a line of sight path through the underbrush and strung a temporary marker tape between boundary stakes on the three unfenced sides of the Landsite.

OTHER LANDSITE ROUTINE MAINTENANCE, RESUPPLY, REPAIRS, REPLACEMENTS, AND MINOR IMPROVEMENTS ACCOMPLISHED:

• Dan Murdoch, TCC Independent:
  • Made repairs to the trailer for the Green Tractor to re-attach the rusted loose front support pedestal.
  • De-winterized the Ice Machine by turning off the standby warming heater.
  • Removed the freeze protection muff from the Well Head area faucet.

SUGGESTED TASKS FOR THE APRIL ACTIVITY WEEKEND:

• Expanded path clearing for the boundary line project.
• Rolling and tying up the tarps in front of the Kitchen serving line.
• Spraying weed killer on weed sprouts in gravel and paths in common use areas.
• Refilling of hand soap dispensers at Restroom, Kitchen, Shower, and Walk-In Cooler sinks from bulk supply.
• Draining the Swimming Pool, re-contouring pool pad to correct pool tilt, cleaning of pool and accessories, refilling pool, and testing and chemical treatment of water, and cleanup of pool area.
• Trimming spring foliage sprouts on tree trunks in tenting and common use areas to maintain park like ambience.
• Mowing and/or weed eating, as necessary, of the Parking Lot, shoulders of the entrance road, Flag Pole Field, pathways, and common use areas.
• Path weeding and clean up of the Buzzard's Peak and Boundary trails.

WANT LIST:

• Donations to restock the running low supply of toilet paper, plastic forks, paper plates, and regular grind coffee and granulated sugar to wake up and keep volunteer workers going at peak performance.

PROJECTS LOOKING FOR A COORDINATOR & HELPING HANDS:

• Walk-In-Cooler door seal replacement: Existing seals on the front glass-paned doors are old, brittle, split, and do not seal properly. This causes excessive running of the cooling unit/excessive electrical consumption and excessive condensation formation inside the cooler and adjacent to the doors on the outside of the cooler building. Replacement task involves measuring to determine the length of seal needed, taking a sample of the existing seal to a commercial refrigeration supply house to find a suitable match, buying a bulk length of new seal, removing the existing seals that are held by a riveted in place metal strips, replacing the old seals with properly cut lengths of new seal, and pop-riveting the retaining strips back in place. Reimbursement for the cost of new seal and associated material can be arranged by the undersigned.

As always, looking forward to seeing everyone,

Dan Murdoch