(NOTE: View a larger picture by clicking on the photo(s) above.)
We have mentioned before that we have little in the way of materials to work with here in the Park due to budget constraints. But never fear, resourceful Volunteers are here! Fort Yargo Park is named for a Fort built here on this spot back in 1792 to help defend a small colony of settlers. The Fort is still here in an area by the lake, along with a separate out-door kitchen and a recent addition of a small smoke-house built in a rustic manner to blend with the old fort. The first picture shows the old Fort.
Some week-ends during the summer, volunteers dressed in period clothing go about working at the Fort in ways common to the time: weaving baskets, making tools etc.. As I am sure you are aware, old Forts have no bathrooms. To keep visitors from having to walk or drive to another area to use the facilities, the Park decided to put in a Port-A-Potty. They placed one at the edge of the woods, on the rise above the parking area.
Problem---it is bright blue. It certainly doesn’t blend well with an old Fort atmosphere. The Park wanted to do something to correct this situation. But what? Just painting it wouldn’t do. It should be disguised in some way. But no money is available.
Volunteers to the rescue! I and Verna, another Host, got the task. We decided to build a three-sided fence to cover and hide the Potty from the road and parking area view. We found some 4x4 posts we could use that were ten feet long. Fine. We would make a fence that stands seven feet high. That should hide it. The second picture above shows Verna using the circular saw, in the Shop at the Park, to make notches in the posts for the cross rails.
OK. That takes care of the skeleton, now what are we going to cover it with. Another search begins. No plywood seems to be available. We found some old half-inch paneling that had been ripped out of some building. It was not in good shape. But, then again, paneling would not look good on the out-side even if it is rustic. OK, maybe we can turn it over to use the back-side. Well, it still looks like plywood, not very appealing. We don’t want to have to paint it. What else can we do? Humm! Maybe we can cut it up. Yeah! Let’s make strips out of it about eight inches wide and hang it in a ship-lap fashion, like the new smoke-house is made. OK! We did. The second picture is of our creation. I know, it doesn’t look like much, but you can’t see the Port-A-Potty! When it “weathers” it should blend right in with the woods. Mission accomplished. See picture number 3.
Now, look at picture number four. Strange looking things? These have been put together in the Shop. What do you think they are? Maybe it will help if I describe them. First, there is a sphere with 24 holes. Into each of these holes is glued a piece of ½”, schedule 40, PVC pipe, 32” long. Does that help any? No? Well, what if I tell you that onto two of these pieces will be glued a tee that is first stuck through a hole in a brick. Does that give you any clue. Well, maybe I have to tell you that after they do all this, they drop them in the lake.
“Sure“, you say, “now I know what it is. I just can‘t think of what you call it.” Well, what we call it is a fish attractor. Yep, that’s right. They place them in areas where most fishing occurs. They sink to the bottom, thanks to the weight of the bricks, and stay in place aided by all the pipes that fill with water. Over time, algae forms on the outside of the pipes and fish gather to feed. Thusly, fishermen have a better chance of finding something on the end of their hooks, and the slick pipes aid in keeping the hooks from snagging as they would on natural limbs.
The last picture shows two very special people. Now I don’t know there names. Although I stop often to talk with them I just haven‘t thought to ask there names. What they are doing walking the roads is collecting trash that has been carelessly discarded by park visitors. They do this five days a week, voluntarily. The road you see them on now runs from the entry of the Park to the beach, a distance of some mile and a half one way. The other road they cover goes from the entry to the campground, two miles one way.
They live across the road from the Park and up one tenth of a mile. They have been doing this for the Park for the past 13 years. They keep a record of their walking and have calculated that they have now walked some 4,800 miles picking up litter. Good for them! I’m sure it helps keep them young.
I have indicated often how much I like to read. You may also remember that I am something of a history buff. One of my favorite characters in our American history is Benjamin Franklin. There is a book you can find on the Internet, free to download, titled The True Benjamin Franklin, by Sydney George Fisher, published in 1898. A most interesting read. I also found three of the five volumes of his writings that can be downloaded.
As you may also know, Ben published a newspaper in Philadelphia called The Pennsylvania Gazette. I have included a couple excerpts here. I think you will find it interesting, as I did. Notice the spelling and abbreviated words. You will notice that it seemed to be the practice in 18th Century America to capitalize every noun in a sentence, not just proper nouns. They had a “funny” way of speaking, as you will note, but the humor is there. A trade-mark of old Ben. It appears also to be the trade-mark of “young” Ben. At the time of these writings, he was only 23 years old. He had only two years of formal “schooling,” when he was eight and nine years old. He later acquired five honorary Doctor Degrees. Ben wrote:
"One Piles a Fidler"
And sometime last Week, we are informed, that one Piles a Fidler, with his Wife, were overset in a Canoo near Newtown Creek. The good Man, 'tis said, prudently secur'd his Fiddle, and let his Wife go to the Bottom.
The Pennsylvania Gazette, October 16, 1729
A Gallant Duel and an Unhappy Man
Saturday last, about nine o'Clock in the Morning two young Hibernian Gentlemen met on Society Hill, and fought a gallant Duel before a Number of Spectators not very usual on such Occasions. The Cause of their Quarrel is it seems unknown; and as they were parted without much Difficulty, and neither of them received any considerable Hurt, it is generally looked upon to be only a Piece of Theatrical Representation.
The same Day an unhappy Man one Sturgis, upon some Difference with his Wife, determined to drown himself in the River; and she, (kind Wife) went with him, it seems, to see it faithfully performed, and accordingly stood by silent and unconcerned during the whole Transaction: He jump'd in near Carpenter's Wharff, but was timely taken out again, before what he came about was thoroughly effected, so that they were both obliged to return home as they came, and put up for that Time with the Disappointment.
The Pennsylvania Gazette, February 10, 1729/30
As I write, we are still in Georgia. Come Sunday morning, August 30th we will be heading back to Tennessee. Carolyn’s knee replacement is scheduled for September 9th. Debbie, our daughter, will be flying in from California after Carolyn’s surgery to help out for a week. That will be great. While in Tennessee, we will be at the same RV Park as before, Shady Acres in Lebanon, through October. We’ll let you know how it all turns out.
Heritage makes the person; Attitude makes the life.
