Our Time at Lakewood Retreat Ends

As we reflect on our six weeks here we know we will miss this place and the people whom we got to know. The busy weekends with laughter and shouts of children contrasted the quiet and serene work days when we could hear the sound of the sandhill cranes and the hoot of the barred owl.

The ladies painting crew completed the exterior on the cabins and then moved to the Pinecone assembly building to thoroughly clean it while the guys completed their renovations.

We have been working under the direction of Tony the camp maintenance man and were treated to a chili supper which he prepared for us in appreciation of our help.

It's been our pleasure to have had Larry & Dorothy and Bernie & Agnes join us in service at Lakewood.

Thursday Bud and his staff put on an appreciation pizza lunch for all the volunteers. Due to some people missing the previous photo shoot we took another group photo which now included three staff.

The sign that campers see as they leave Lakewood speaks to us too. Bud, Tony, and Susan welcomed all the volunteers to come back next winter to continue making improvements that campers notice.

We will be taking a one week break as we make our way to our next volunteer assignment.

A Picture Tour of Lakewood Retreat

This map will assist you in the tour to understand where the different buildings we feature are located. The property changes in elevation from the lake up 100 feet or more to the high area where the pool is and is scarred by several ravines from the springs in the hill side.

Lodging is available in four styles: motel, mini-lodge, cabins and campground. The Cedar (shown) and Cypress motels have a total of 17 rooms each with a meeting area, screened porch and amazingly comfortable handcrafted rocking chairs.

The Oaks (above) and Robin/Wren (below) are mini-lodges designed for small groups.

Lakewood has four pairs of cabins like Redwing & Tanager, of which the ladies have been painting the exterior.

The well treed campground has a mixture of tent, pop-up and RV sites with two pavilions and a bathhouse and playground. The volunteers mostly stay in their own RV's.

Frequently Lakewood hosts eight to ten different groups which can total 500 guests.

Lakewood runs a full service dining hall capable of seating 186 guests. We as volunteers may have meals on weekends when they are being served to groups.

The Magnolia meeting room also includes two smaller meeting rooms and an outside deck.

Pinecone meeting room has a capacity of 100 people. This is the room where volunteers have installed ceramic tile and this past week has had its panelling replaced.

Jesus said "Come with Me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest." The lake-side chapel is such a place.

The unheated swimming pool is fairly quiet at this time of year because it feels like a cool Manitoba lake in summertime.

We have enjoyed the opportunities to view many birds here, but this week's highlight has been observing the Sandhill cranes with their newly hatched chicks.

Spring Arrives in Florida at Lakewood

As gardeners we take pleasure in seeing spring flowers begin to show their beauty around the camp. These Azaleas were found in the bush a short distance off the nature trail.

Right next to the Azalea bush was this spring fed stream with these large elephant ears.

The little yellow blossoms of the jasmine are pretty, but these vines are invasive.

The Lakewood property has many large and majestic live oak trees that create an impressive atmosphere.

Hancock Lake has been shrinking for several years now, due to lack of rain and possibly from the heavy use of nearby citrus groves as they pump water from the aquifer.

One of the attractions for young children is the camps petting zoo which includes 2 ponies, 2 donkeys and 3 goats. We often hear the donkey braying in the distance for attention or feed.

Here is our group of volunteers that were around after Monday's lunch. Six others missed this picture.

Each Tuesday we have a supper potluck or "carry-in" as the Americans call it at an outdoor pavillion which is right behind our trailer. There are always great new dishes to test, like the kumquat pie.

This week Larry and Jim finished the panelling and trim on the second cabin. Tony our maintenance supervisor got wind of the fact that Jim could do carpet installation, so was then asked to install an outdoor carpet in the porch of the Cedar motel. This 8 by 132 foot room was a bit of a challenge due to its length. Another project for Larry and Jim was the installation of a door in the dining hall. This project had been on the work list for the past year or more.

This week some of the ladies spent time staining trim, cleaning windows, hanging curtains, washing ceilings and the old bunk beds got a new look with a fresh coat of paint.

We have completed four weeks here at Lakewood and have only two weeks left to go. Our March plans took shape when Mennonite Disaster Service invited us to join the crew at Cordova, Alabama.

Another Weeks Work and Play

This past week work began with the removal of carpet from the Pinecone assemby building. Annette and Agnes did their part of pulling up the carpet after being cut in strips. This made for stiff and aching hands the following day. Darrel and Bernie have made good progress in laying the new ceramic tile.

Some of the gals cleaned and painted at least two dozen picnic tables which freshened up the look. Many more tables need this special treatment yet.

Larry and Jim take a coffee break from the panelling and trim work at the cabins. Thanks for the treat ladies.

Because we are within a short walk of our work places we are able to have lunch at the RV and often take in a little rest in the hammock.

Another project taken on by Dave and Carol this week was stripping the wax from the dining room floor and rewaxing it. Friday morning 11 of us spent an hour and a half to bring in the cleaned tables and chairs before heading out on a picnic lunch and a hike at Fort Cooper State Park.

Annette holds a pine cone from the long leaf pines that grow in this park and are the same variety of pines that Stan planted at Lakewood in the last few weeks. A group of volunteers have planted 250 of these seedlings and are watering them faithfully to get them established here on Lakewood's property.

On our hike on the nature trail we saw God's handiwork in the colorful fungi and lichen on this tree trunk. We stopped to admire the massive spreading live oak branches and wondered how they became so twisted. Note the branch next to Jim in the bottom photo.

We know that the work happening here is not without its hazards and dangers. This week Don injured his thumb in an accident on the table saw that required a few stitches. We are glad it was not worse. An event Friday evening in support of Lakewood Retreat was a gospel concert by Archie Walker and Smokey Mountain group which we enjoyed. A thought in todays church bulletin reads "A Christian is one who does not need to consult his bank balance to see how wealthy he is".