Sower projects

Hi. Our January 2009 SOWER project was cancelled so we will be heading to AZ after the middle of January. We will work a February project then take March off and then work an April project. Then back home about the first of May. More later--must get to bed. nlsower

Christmas 2008

Family pictures from Christmas 2008.

Kevin...

Rodd...

Paul...

B and C with grandkids.

Finally Back

Hi everyone. Sorry that I have been gone soooo long. The pictures below may help to explain that I have been rather busy.

This is son Paul/Terri's project that has been keeping me too busy to do any blogging.

Notice that the patio doors on each side of the chimney are rather high off the ground--well they were at ground level when we started in the spring. The lower windows were added.


The excess dirt was pushed over the hill to fill some of the back yard.



Since we removed about 4 feet of dirt, we had to build a retaining wall and new patio. Of course nothing could be square--lots of blocks and pavers to cut.

Patio at Christmas--
The addition is 14 by 22 and poured concrete in "lego" blocks (from the footings to the rafters). This is a very neat way to build. The windows are in but the interior work will be in 2009.

Of course we couldn't stop with just the back yard and the addition, so we went on to make a mess out of the front yard too. We had to remove old timbers and then excavate for retaining walls, patio and water falls.No project is complete without neighborhood supervisors. Grandson is the shy one way in the back. He has been my helper all summer. He has been collecting rocks for the water falls and stream.

This is a view of the front yard from the front door. 2009 will involve planting and finishing water falls, stream, patio, steps and walkway. Plus new driveway etc.

It has been a fun summer--working and getting to know the grandkids. Memories!!!!!!!!!!!!

Just a little update

Hi, everybody. We are busy decorating our house to appeal to a buyer. Have an open house this weekend. Housing market is not good so will have to be patient. We are are also busy landscaping and building an addition for P and T in Eagan. Looks like the backyard patio is getting close to completion. Hope a contractor will get the walls for the addition poured next week.

We are looking forward to going to AZ Jan through April--only signed up for one project so far--other projects are waiting for updates. As soon as they are available we will sign up for more. nlsower

Busy in Minnesota

Hi everybody.

We are getting into a routine now. We lived through the last snow storm--more than a foot of wet snow. C has been having fun with her crafts and B has been getting several house projects done. Also have several family b-days. B spent a weekend at Lake Beauty Bible Camp at a men's working/fellowship retreat. He was going to dig a hole but too much frost yet. He helped with the siding of three cabins instead. He is planning to go back this Friday to dig the hole and help with the siding project. It is just like a SOWER project.

We are planning B's summer work--he has several small handyman jobs and a BIG project for one son. Looks like we will be spending lots of time in Eagan. It will be fun to be close to all our children and grandchildren.

Love to read your comments. nlsower.

In MO for the night

Hi. We are in Neosho MO. Our campground is nice small neat and cheap. We plan to go about 300 miles tomorrow that should get us Eaglesville MO--almost to the IA border.

We had a head wind all day today but good traveling. Take care, C and nlsower

Heading North Slowly!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hi everyone. Thanks for the comments.

The reunion is over and we left TX after devotions this morning--Monday. The weather forecast was for a cold front to move in. That means some wild weather when the warm and cold air meets. The worst was to be in central OK so we didn't travel too fast north. We decided to camp in southern OK so we would be south of the severe storms. However about 5:30 pm the cold front decided to move into south OK. We spent almost 3 hours visiting with the camp owners in their home since they had a storm shelter. One storm cell would go past to the south then the next one to the north then three more would be heading our way from the west, but all we got was 2 or 3 inches of rain. Several areas got baseball size hail etc. So much for believing the weather forecast. Tomorrow should be in the 50's. Hope the cool weather doesn't mean the wind will switch to the north. It was great today to have a south wind all day.

We heard that it was snowing in MN today--hope it melts fast!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

We had a great time at the reunion--lots of visiting and singing--plus good devotions. Lots of hugs and tears when we had to leave. Working together develops some very good friendships. That is what SOWERS is all about--fellowship and some work.

Hope we make more than 160 miles tomorrow--that is all we made today.

Great to have wireless at this campground--no cell phone and one poor tv station. Love to all, nlsower

Done with projects

Hi. We are done with our projects so just resting, visiting and working on taxes. We will go to the SOWER reunion on Thursday then head north next week.

Two of the windows installed by Dave and Elmer. The inside of the new chappel-note the size. Makes my truck look rather small.

This is the soffit that Jay, Jake and I were working on. Quarter inch thick Hardiboard.

This is the group of SOWERS that was working at Trinity pines during March.

We are camping in Hideaway TX for four days. It is near Tyler TX, where there are a couple Azalea tours--this is one of the houses on the tour. Beautiful!

Hideaway is a gated community with about 1500 homes around 3 lakes. There are new homes as well as some that are 50 years old. The camping area has only 5 sites in the woods. You have to be a guest of a resident to stay here--really nice. See you soon. nlsower

Wow--Summer came

Hi everyone. Thanks B (kmaj too) for the comments. I would love to see "The Coach" in action. A too.

We had a good week of work--got west roof ready for metal and got the south end sheeted and started to put on the siding. Also did some more soffit work. The metal workers came on Saturday and got metal on--now if it rains we can work under cover.

The center section will be Austin stone.

This is a view of the inside where the stage will be.

Summer came on Friday--91 degrees and 85% humidity. Good thing the AC worked. Saturday was a little cooler. Today it is just beautiful--maybe about 80 with a nice breeze.

Saturday I spent a couple hours building more road with the dozer--a kid and his toy.

Saturday evening seven couples went to Huntsville to a music jubilee time at Old Time Theater. Really fun entertainment.

We are winding up our project this week. Kind of different to be 2 months in the same place--so the week following the project we will head to northern Texas to visit friends and go to the SOWER reunion.

Looks like it is time to grille some hotdogs for supper. See you soon. nlsower

Where did spring go?

Hello from Texas. It has been cool to cold here--even had some snow flakes the other morning. The weather has cooperated with our work schedule--rains late in the afternoon or at night. The rains haven't been too heavy so my road hasn't washed away.

I did have to make a trip to the eye doctor to have a piece of metal dust removed from my eye. I thought it must huge but when the dr showed it to me it was tiny. He gave me some drops to use for three days. Today the eye feels fine. I was using either a face shield but one of the other fellows finished one cut and the wind blew the dust back into my face--guess I must have raised the face shield when I was done cutting.

C and I went to Conroe TX yesterday--shopping and out to eat. Today we went for a couple of walks and I built a platform bird feeder. We have cardinals plus other birds--also several squirrels--both gray and fox. It is a challenge to keep the squirrels out of the bird feeders. We had a flock of finches fly through before I got the thistle seed feeder up--now I haven't seen any since I got the feeder up--don't know where they went.

C has been working on her quilts and knitting projects. Several of the ladies are interested in new craft projects.

C did some deep cleaning in the motel rooms but the dust and chemical got to her asthma. So she has been working in the laundry--folding sheets and towels. The laundry has huge commercial machines. I have been working on the metal cutting and installing metal flashing.

Tomorrow we will go to another church--this time its Calvary Baptist.

I like to go out to eat at the Country Buffet because it has good catfish--now I know I have been in the south too long.

Miss you all--see you soon. nlsower

Ready to Start Our March Project

Hi Everyone!

We are at Trinity Pines Conference Center for another month.

Most of the new couples have arrived--one couple will arrive on Wed. Fun and exciting to get to know each new couple. There will be a total of eleven couples when everyone gets here. The men will be continuing on the worship center but the women will be CLEANING about 60 motel type rooms. Good thing the camp feeds us some meals since no one will have enough energy to cook.

We enjoy visiting different churches in the Trinity area. It is so encourages to see God working throughout the country. Warm Christian fellowship where ever we go.

Pray for safety and health for all the SOWERS. There is a virus going around.

Love to hear from you. nlsower

Finished Feb Project

Hi. We are done with our February project so this week is a time to catch up on shopping, sightseeing, cleaning, fixing leaky water lines in camper, sorting tools, scrapbooking, relaxing, attending HEE HAW show at a local church, etc. B can't resist using the dozer so he plays some. Throttle linkage on the dozer kept falling off so he had to fix that too--rather old machine but runs good. Nine new SOWER couples will be coming in on Thursday and Friday--will be fun to get to know them. Three couples are staying over from February.


This week several members of the Mennonite Disaster Service are working here at Trinity Pines because they ran out of work on one project and another project was cancelled--they put the metal on the lean-to and purlins on the high roof--they are younger so can climb around much better than us "old" SOWERS. The MDS are from "up north" most from PA. Also here this week are the TBMs (Texas Baptist Men) brick layers. About 15 of them. They are laying up the rock facing, These men just lay brick, block or stone but they have worked in Africa and Russia besides the US--many are retired but not all them.

It has been fun to interact with all the volunteers who come from all over the country.

C and I are planning to visit the prison museum in Huntsville today and take a driving tour of the twelve prisons around Huntsville.

B enjoying the break between projects--sunshine and about 80 degrees.

The 32 ft trusses are set on the 16 ft side walls. MDS is putting up lower common rafters

MDS put the metal on the porch roof.

COM (Campers On Mission) built the lower structure of the deck and MDS put on the decking and railing.

You may be wondering what do the SOWERs do--Since there are no blueprints for this building, most of the SOWERs do the design, layout and prep work to keep the other volunteers productive. Lots of fun and lots of progress. A little side line on how God provides--As I said earlier. One of the MDS projects was cancelled when the workers were already on the road so rather than turn around and go home they were available to work at Trinity Pines. Also two of the TBM bricklayers projects were recently cancelled so they too were available to come to Trinity Pines.

Glad to hear that MN is finally warming up. We will be glad to see you the first part of April. We are fix'n (oops, guess I have been south too long) to attend the SOWER reunion in Big Sandy TX the last week of March.

Continue to pray for safety on this project. nlsower

Week 2 at Trinity Pines

The pool looked inviting but rather cool. The cross by lake Livingston.
These ladies made sweat shirt jackets one afternoon.
One of C's painting projects.
The men continued to work on the worship center and B spent thursday running the dozer to build roads--rained Saturday so he may have to repair some washouts. The ladies were painting, cleaning and crafts. Lots of good fellowship--played putt putt golf Sunday afternoon. Five SOWER couples went to the local Cowboy Church--fun. Of course we went out to eat too. Looks like the weather this week will be great for working. Lows in the 40's and highs in the 60's. Must get to devotions this morning. Thanks for the comments. I was beginning to think my readership was very limited. Even a single word would be encouraging. nlsower

Great week of work

Flower pots that some of the ladies are painting on.

Fish and crosses that are being painted
One of the picture frames that was painted. These items are sold in the gift store.

Rafters etc that we worked on this week. Notice the handy lifts we use.

Stone faced wall one of the SOWERs worked on and he is teaching some other guys how to lay the stone. This facing will be on three sides of the new building--lots of stone to lay. Austin Stone.

This is how the stone arrived. Just dumped in a pile.

The geothermo drilling truck. I am waiting until they get out of the way so I can build the circle driveway with the dozer.
One of the high lift we use to reach the top of the building.The Dozer I will use to build the driveway and to rebuild another road. It works good--just no brakes and the foot throttle is backwards--push to go slow and release to go fast--I'll try not to run over any cars.
The deck the COM's (Campers on Mission) are building on the end of the Chapel. They are only here one more week, so they have lots to do yet. Hope the weather cooperates--could rain Tuesday. The deck is about 30 ft x 70 ft.

We go to a different church each week--lots of fun to see all of the fellow believers worshipping whereever we go. Lots of friendly people--including "southern" greetings--C says I turn bright red from these greetings. This northern Swede isn't use to so much hugging in church.

Been nice weather this past week-lows in 40's and highs in the 70's with low humidity. Next week the winds are to change--come from the gulf. That means the high humidity will be back.

We went to Huntsville on Friday--drove around the main prision--will go back sometime to see "old sparky". Must get to bed. nlsower

At Trinity Pines Camp

Entrance to Trinity Pines

Pines by the entrance


1000 seat auditorium we will be working on.

Porch along auditorium we will be working on

New guest house that the ladies were painting last month--got too wet to finish the painting.

Hi. We made it to Trinity TX yesterday. We are about 25 miles from Huntsville TX. Cool yesterday but beautiful today--took a long walk around the camp and then a nap in the lawn chair.

There are 10 sower couples working here this month. nlsower

Completed our Jan Project

Hi--it is cold and rainy today. I have been trying to organize my tools and stuff today. When the sun shines again I will pack the truck and camper. We are planning a few days of rest. We will leave this project next Wed morning. We need to be to the next project on Friday. It is north of Houston.

The pictures are of one of the entries and one of the rooms that was painted.

This project has been fun--plus great fellowship with fellow believers. It is heart warming to know God is working here--1600 miles from New London. That is Pastor Willie behind his desk.

Pray that we have safe travels. Thanks nlsower.

Two weeks down and one to go.

Hi everyone. This week has been rather rainy and cold. We had to work around the showers, so didn't get the metal on the roof of each entry. Got the starter sheets on the west entry. Also the framing of the east entry is ready for metal.Hidalgo is well kept. Neat lawns around schools and public buildings.

Hidalgo is known as the location where the killer bees entered the US in 1990. I don't think they were this large.

Hidalgo is known for their Christmas lights--this year they added about 30,000 new lights. The picture below is one of the displays by the city hall. All of the parks and many other locations have light displays. We found out about the display late New Years Eve but the displays are lighted through Dec 31st and we were several miles away. From what I have seen, it would be worth a trip Hidalgo in Dec just to see the lights.

Hidalgo's pump house was the source of water for irrigation for the valley until 1983. I think that is the right year.
Of course SOWERs never miss an opportunity to have fellowship. Sowers from Pharr project, Harligen project and Hidalgo project out to eat. A few RVIGs joined us.


Next week's forcast is for warmer weather in 70's but several shower. Hope we can finish the metal roofs and some siding. The offices are getting painted too.

We are having lunch with Pastor Vern and Bonnie tomorrow. Eldy's too. Bye nlsower