Hey all you good folks!
I hope a bunch of you are planning to come to Nature Camp to help
prepare Camp for the winter. The main task will be to re-roof the
Kitchen and Cooks’ Room of the LS. We need to remove all the shingles
and roofing felt, replace most of the fascia and some sheets of plywood
or 1”x6” tongue-and-groove sheathing, and reapply the felt and shingles.
We won’t attempt to replace the entire roof at this time – that would be
too extensive a project for a 3-day weekend. Please bring a flat-blade
shovel for removing the old shingles, a tarp to lay on the ground below
the eaves to catch shingles and nails that don’t want to go into the
dump truck, work gloves, sturdy shoes, a hammer, a flat bar, a chalk
line, a utility knife, and anything else you think will be useful.
If you are uncomfortable on a roof, don’t worry, we will have other
projects that need to be accomplished. We will need to do some work
moving rocks and soil behind the Infirmary. That will require a shovel,
work gloves, and sturdy shoes. There is also other landscaping to be
done, some electrical work, and some general carpentry work which
includes rotten fascias. So woodworking tools will be helpful – hammers,
skilsaws, sawzalls, drop cords, 6-way plugs, that kind of stuff. Much of
the rotten wood is around fascia level, so if you have the means to get
a step-ladder to Camp, please do. We have some ladders at Camp, but will
need more than we have there.
There are always leaves to rake, roofs and porches to sweep, and paths
and trails to repair. There are always shutters and screens to repair,
and a list of other projects too long to mention here.
Flip and I will be gathering building materials on Friday afternoon
9/19/08. If you arrive at Camp and are looking for a project before we
return, please start removing the shingles above the Cooks’ Room. We
will have a dump truck positioned in front to handle the roofing
materials we remove. I think it will be easier if we start removing the
shingles from the back side of the Kitchen and Cooks’ Room and carry
them over the roof before we start on the front.
These tools are always helpful: ear protection, eye protection, hammers,
battery drills, electrical cords, 6-way plugs, dust masks or respirators
if you have a problem with dust. Sturdy shoes or boots, leather gloves,
a rake, and a tarp are always useful. We may be doing some plumbing and
some electrical work, so tools for those projects will be helpful.
Please bring what you can, but don’t worry if you don’t have any of
these items. We share. If you bring any tools, it is a good idea to put
your name on them. Eventually they will make their way back to you.
If you aren’t an experienced woodworker, electrician, or plumber, we
still need you for the unskilled projects. We always have brush to
cleanup and NCF has adopted 608 above and below Nature Camp Trail. We’ll
have a crew on litter patrol along that section of highway, so brightly
colored clothing that is easily spotted by motorists would be a good
idea. We always have a blast, no matter what the grunt work.
I will arrive about noon on Friday the 19th and leave about 3:00 pm on
Sunday the 21st. We will stay in the Bunkhouses and use the T-houses,
LS, and Kitchen. NCF will feed you lunch and dinner on Friday, 3 meals
on Saturday, and breakfast and lunch on Sunday. In the evenings we play
music and Saturday we will dance some contra dances if there is enough
interest. Sound like fun? It is great fun. Please attend any or all that
you can. If you can’t make it during the day, I hope you will at least
come Saturday evening for dinner, music, and to visit.
The NCF website (www.naturecampfoundation.org) is really great. If you
have a digital camera, please bring it along to share the fun with those
who are unable to attend. We’ll send the digital photos to Michaux and
she can put them on the website.
I hope to see you there.
Jim Brooks
NCF Service Committee Chair
1041 Hillside Dr.
Chapel Hill, NC 27517-7741