090715

Labor Day 2015.  While not in Kalifornia this year, we are in Nauvoo.  Decided to just stay home and relax a bit, get some stuff done.  It was supposed to rain all day, but it didn't.  Not a drop.  The grass is showing it, too.  The corn is drying in the fields and some of the crops are not doing too well but I have no idea if that's a good thing or a bad thing.

We had a "Sociable" or get together this afternoon over at the Nauvoo State Park with all of the missionaries.

Some sitting out in the shade enjoying each others company.

 

Some packed in under the cover.

Picking up their food at the potluck table.  That's President Hansen, counselor in the temple presidency, on the left.

The open Bar-B-Que for everyone to cook their own whatever from veggies to steaks.  We had tube steaks and chicken breast.

We all gathered around the next missionaries to leave Nauvoo as their time has come to "abandon" us.  The Wilsons, on the left, will be leaving this Friday morning and the Fords, to their right, will be leaving the next week on the 15th.  Tears were shed as we've gotten to know these wonderful brothers and sisters as they serve in various capacities here in Nauvoo over their stint.  When you see them every day they become like family in a very short time.

The Fords and the Wilsons are the last of the 18 months missionaries here in Nauvoo.  The church will be limiting the length of stay, for the most part, to 6 months to 12 months for most missionaries from now on, with the exception of the engineers as we are so hard headed and take a lot longer to get trained.  It's a bit counterproductive to have an engineer stay for only a few months.  About the time he gets to know what's going on, he leaves.  That's not a good thing.  Both summer and winter missionaries.  We have a few coming in over the next couple of weeks to replace those leaving.  Odd thing is, some of them think this is a vacation and not a mission.  We haven't quite figured that one out yet.  We're putting in a 40+ hour week and doing a session once a week plus online work once a week so we're really doing about a 60 hour week.  I'm guessing that qualifies as a full time mission.  One of the other engineers always remarks that I am always here.  "Well, yeah, I didn't come here to play, ya know.  I'm here to serve."  However, it makes for some really long days.  Friday starts at about 6:45 Am and ends at 10:30 PM.  Pretty long day but worth it....

...and, of course, the obligatory Happy Birthday song to the September birthdays.  Note the change when they get to the names!  That was funny.  Couldn't get in everyone's name...  Well, we do try...

So, when I went out for my morning Flog, it was 75 degrees and 88% humidity since it rained last night, finally...argh, that was ugly!

BTW, it takes a lot of people to staff the Nauvoo Temple.  These pictures ought to prove it.  Come November 8th, or thereabouts, the summer missionaries will be leaving and we go to our winter configuration and hours.  Only a couple of sessions a day and closed on Mondays.  Open on Saturdays all day.  So, we should have a lot of time to get some engineering projects done in the temple.  Not so sure I am looking forward to it.  We'll need to shut down the chillers/cooling towers and get everything ready for winter.  The boilers are already running so that's no biggy.  Just the winterizing the other equipment.  Having been living in the West, this will be a new experience for me.  Haven't lived in cold weather in a few decades either.  So, looking forward to that...