Our second MMAP project

Camp Maranatha Christian Conference
Idyllwild, CA

  Project date:  February 1 to 21,  2008

Idyllwild

"Credit for Idyllwild's origin should go to Michigan-born George Hannahs and his wife Sarah, who arrived in Strawberry Valley in 1889 and promptly built a sawmill on upper Dutch Flat.  In the summer of 1890, they opened a tent resort on a forested bench just west of Strawberry Creek and called it Camp Idylwilde.  In 1893 a post office was established at the Hannahs' store.  "The town has kept its "small town" atmosphere. Locally owned shops and restaurants are all you will find here.

Some of Idyllwild's many small shops

Christmas Is

Merkaba
Rustic Cabin Petit Bijou The Village Lane
The shops along the boardwalk are very small.

Turned wooden lamp shades that we found at one of the shops. 

 

On our way to Idyllwild we had seen the top of a similar tree.  Then when we were out for a walk we found one nearby and gave it a closer look.  It is a fake tree to hide the fact that it is a cell tower.  


Purchased in 1950 and donated to the Advent Christian churches of Southern California, Camp Maranatha is 25 acres of forested mountain land dedicated to the purpose of bringing people to Christ. It is a peaceful place where spreading oaks and tall pines pierce the deep blue sky. 
For more pictures of the camp, taken in summer, go to  http://www.campmaranatharetreat.com/index.htm

               

Sights around the camp
This is a pine tree that has been impacted by Acorn Woodpeckers.  They are a little smaller than a robin and live in colonies in holes where dead limbs have rotted on oak trees. They drill holes like this in Douglas Fir or in this case a Coulter Pine into which they stuff acorns from the oak trees that also grow in this area.  The acorns are wedged in so tightly that the large grey squirrels that live here can't get them out.

The acorns are not, as one would logically suppose, left there for the woodpeckers to eat later, but left so that a worm will infest the acorn which the woodpecker eats.  This pine and the one next to it have what must be thousands of acorns stuffed into them.  Apparently the woodpeckers reuse the holes over and over again

This table was made in 1950 and is made of 1,500,000 pieces of wood.

Darlene Rigney 1960-1993 Memorial Gazebo

            

"Sunset Bowl"- The Camp fire circle.  Apparently will seat 3-400! This is the nicest camp circle we have ever seen.

Fountain

Oak Lodge.  This has 16 rooms with private baths, and a meeting room/chapel.  2 of the rooms will sleep up to 8, and the rest will sleep 6.  This building was almost totally built by MMAPers.

 

Feb 1 - After getting the trailer leveled etc. Rick shoveled a path to our trailer.  He did NOT expect to be shoveling snow when working with MMAP.

Feb 2 - the five MMAPer's rigs in the camp parking lot.  So far the favorite past time is talking - Jerry and Steve in the center, Rick and Larry near the cars, under the tree. 

Our rig.  
We awoke to fresh snow a couple of times.

                                                                    

The team

Dean & Dori - Project Coordinator
85th project

Lana & Jerry
24th project

Mary Ann & Larry
17th project

 Clara & Steve
9th project		 Rick & Helen
2nd project

 

There is work to be done 

Walt Shirley, father of the camp director and go-for for the project, discussing an idea with Rick.

 

Knives sharpened
Rick sharpened all the camp knives and...

installed this magnetic knife board so that they would stay sharp.

 

Made 16 chair rails to prevent the gouging of the wall by the futon.  
Steve is routing the edges of the boards that he and Jerry have planed.  The wood is rough cut pine that was sawn on the property from trees that had been beetle killed After sanding the boards they stained and Varnished them

An installed chair rail.  

 

 

Made 70 frames 
Cutting the boards Sanding the boards Putting the pieces together. 
 Frames were made in two varieties.... stained bulletin board frames for the newer rooms.. red frames for the more rustic cabins. 

 

Made 16 shelf/clothes hangers for the rooms in Oak Lodge. 
Starting with rough sawn lumber, Rick and Larry ripped the boards and then cut to length.  Larry planning the edges smooth and square. After the two pieces were laminated Larry stained and varnished them.  
Installation was amazingly swift with the quickly developed "leapfrog" technique. The finished product.

 

Made 128 curtain rod supports
Rick made the supports out of the rough cut pine and Helen painted them. The curtain rod supports drying.

Rick installing the curtain rod supports. 

 

Four of the ladies took on the job of repainting the concrete block cabins. 

There are four rooms on this side and four rooms on the other side with a doorway between.  Each room has three bunk beds, one small closet and one chair.  

Walls needed to be scraped... 

Staples and stickum removed from the doors...

Walls cleaned

 Holes caulked. 

Ready to be painted.

Mix the paint.
Paint the closet Paint the ceiling Paint the walls. 

 

All dressed in our work clothes. 

Spare Time

Feb 7 - We celebrated the February birthdays.  Rick and Lana.

Feb 7 - The coordinator had to leave as we were preparing to take a group picture.  The guys are holding whittlin' projects they started the night before at a class Rick had for the two who wanted to get started. 

                                        

About three times it was nice enough to have our break outside.  

 

Feb 15 - Five of us traveled to the Hometown Buffet in Loma Linda to have lunch with other MMAPers in the area.  There were about 45 present.  

 

Feb 6 - first carving class.   The almost finished results.   Feb 17 - Rick and Larry whittlin' behind the office building which was supposed to be our project. This picture was shot from the door of our trailer.

                          

Feb 22 - Farewell/Thank You  Breakfast provided by Keith Shirley, Camp Director

Keith Shirley is seated to Helen's left. Four of the group had already left town. 

Cooks:  Paula and Lorissa Shirley and Maria

                                                   

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