What! It is September already!!!!!

It is a beautiful day in Nauvoo! We got a soaking rain day before yesterday so things are still beautiful, green, and humid.  The corn is as high as an elephant's eye and then some, about 10ft. tall. Each week more people are leaving. We will be down about 60 missionaries by the end of October.  Next week they will combine the 3 casts of Rendevous into 2, at which point the casts that are left will have to start putting the play on every other night rather than twice a week.  It is fun performing but I hope we still have someone to put it on for.  The number of visitors has dropped off significantly since pageant ended.

This weekend has been the Grape Festival here.  They raise lots of grapes and make wine out of them here.  For the festival they had a 5K run/walk which several of the missionaries participated in.  A number of those that entered won an award for their age group, some medals and some trophies. There has also been a carnival and a parade, an Archery shoot, and car show.

I have a new assignment.  They have asked me to be an assistant in the mission post office.  Every time I turn around there is something new to learn. We pick up the out going mail from the offices, take it to the real post office, pick up the mail, take it back and put it into the mail slots in the mission mail room after which we deliver the mail to the Visitors Center, the Facilities Management, and the Lands and Records office, (where you can go to look up info. about your ancestors on the computers if ya wanted to know.)

 I will be doing mail 3 days a week for about 3 hours and then going to the Family Living Center for the rest of the shift. At Family Living Center we tell how to make candles, bread, and get fibers ready for spinning. At the other end of the building the men tell about making barrels, rope, and pottery.  In the rope making the families actually get to help make a rope and take it home.

Also they have scheduled me at Tickets and Tours.  Tickets and Tours is where you come to get maps and information about Nauvoo, tickets for wagon rides, plays, etc. So if you want to come out for a trip I can possibly be the one who reserves things for you. I can give you info. on housing too.

On Aug. 23, Brook had her little baby boy. He is still trying to gain some weight at the hospital so he can come home. Sure is a cute little fellow; black hair, 5' 11", 18 in. long, with a little turned up nose like Elena's.  Brook is sure getting tired of hanging out at the hospital waiting for him to come home.

Well school is starting every where.  Makes me wonder what everyone is doing this Labor Day weekend. Would you believe the Grape Festival ended today, Sunday.  Seems so weird for them not to carry it through Labor Day.   Have a lot of fun at the fair.

That's all folks.