Christmas is coming to Beagle Bay

A little at a time. I wanted to get the big wreath up in the front of the building before Thanksgiving. I'll be working at the hospital Mon, Tues & Wednesday of this week. Friday and Saturday when I was home, the wind was blowing hard enough to blow the bark off the trees. So, I was not going to ask Berlyn to climb the ladder and hang the wreath.But he did! And got it done. Woo hoo!
Today was the last chance! Fortunately, the wind quit. Unfortunately, the mist and haze blew in. Good sport that he is, Berlyn did it. Next week, more lights and decor.

Welcome to Autumn

Autumn will be here tomorrow! Wow. Summer sure flew by fast. Looking back, the campground sure had some big changes this summer. It is looking SO much better. Here's a review:

The pool was renovated and opened in July. It was a very popular place to be during those 100+ degree days.
Having a working pool, inspired work on the fence as friends and family showed up to take down the old rickety privacy fence and put in a new white picket fence. So pretty! It really brightens up the place.
Goofy is hanging out in the office. Folks get a happy smile as they come in to the office for some Schwann's ice cream treats.
The raised flower bed in front of the office building had hundreds of blooms. It looks so much better than the prickly pear cactus that was there.
This walking stick is inspecting the new guttering on the east side of the office building. I think he approves.

We're not stopping the improvements just because summer is over. Stop by and see what's happening at Beagle Bay! See ya later.

Many changes over the summer

We have really changed the place over the summer. Folks arriving will notice the new pool fence, playground equipment, and a cleaned-up entryway. Stop by to see if you're in the area.

In order to rebuild, we must destroy..

We re-used the existing pickets on the old fence. ripping them off the framework, sawing them lengthwise, cutting them to the new height, putting little points on them, and giving them a fresh new coat of white paint. Dad's idea, and a good one! Very green to repurpose the old pickets, and very thrifty, too!
Dad and Rick working on the fence rebuild. Thank heavens for Dads!

Our dear friends John and Dana from Savannah, Missouri came to help.

Getting toward the end of the rebuild. This is the last side of the fence! Grandma Barbara came out to supervise. Don't lean back!Here's the pool, up and running, but before the rebuild of the fence.

The new playset. A used set, completely rehabbed by Dad and brother Lee. The tent cover was made by Mom. With good friends and family to help, we grow. Thank you all so much! It is a blessing to have you around.

Fish are hoppin...

Right into the arms of our guests. Well not quite. But this young man had a great weekend fishing. Caught several bluegill, bass and these beefy catfish. Ben is anxious to return to attempt to catch the giant bass that have been seen in our pond.

Bonfire

May God bless all the rescue workers and volunteers in Joplin and other communities hit by the latest round of powerful storms. We wish you strength as you clean up and rebuild. The people of Joplin have come together in an amazing way to help each other. The radio stations are broadcasting helpful information 24/7 instead of their regular programming.

Since the storms seems to be setting down,

A bonfire is planned for Saturday night here at Beagle Bay RV Haven & Campground. Bring your lawn chairs and marshmallows. And, of course, find a good green stick to cook it on before we burn em all up.

The fish are biting, the grass is green, plenty of shade. Let's relax.

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year to all from Beagle Bay RV. We sincerely wish for a happy and healthy 2011 for you!

The Event Hall is decorated and ready for tonight's New Year's Eve party. A group has rented the hall for their party. They did a great job decorating!

Well, Well, Well!

No pictures, but we have a new well pump here at Beagle Bay RV Haven & Campground. It has been a rough few days, but everyone persevered.

The well pump went out in the wee hours Sunday morning. After pulling the old pump, Terry Jack (Jack's Pump Service) determined that it was dead for good, beyond CPR (Critical Pump Repairs). So, they sent off for a new one and all the necessary hardware to install it.

By noon today, we were flushing and showing and washing our clothes again!

Its going to be a freshly washed Christmas.

No wonder they all fly south!

We traveled to Phoenix and the surrounding area to promote our park. We saw 20 beautiful RV parks and left info for the snowbirds who might travel past our park on their way back home in the spring.
We saw beautiful cacti of every kind while in the Sonoran desert. Beautiful scenery.


Vistas like this are all around. It was fabulous!
This little guy was at the Rooster Cogburn Ostrich Farm where we went in and fed the donkeys, deer, ostriches, goats and the beautiful rainbow lories.The temps were in the upper 70's and it was really tough to come back to Missouri with freezing weather!

Have a good winter, snowbirds. We will see you in the spring.

A Touch of Christmas

Santa is keeping watch for you at the entrance. He's posted outside the office watching for you to arrive!

Guest Room Ready and renting

The new guest room turned out great, if we do say so ourselves. We've already rented it a couple of times, with compliments on the decor! So, if you don't like tents, don't have an RV, or your tent or RV or house get too crowded over the holidays, check out this lodging option.

Private Dance tonight

The Beagle Bay Event Hall will be hoppin' tonight. A private group is having a "Back to the 80's" theme party. What fun! The leg warmers and blue eye shadow are already showing up!


A plug for the D.J.s who are awesome! They've created an awesome 80s mix for the party tonight.

Catching Up

Event Hall - Before

I have been terribly neglectful of the blog. We have been so busy getting summer projects wrapped up. The Event Hall is open and we have had 2 dances held there already. It has been very exciting to see our hard work being enjoyed.

Our friends, Fran & Jerry worked so hard on the Event Hall. When they volunteered to work on it, little did they know that some of the bones of the building would have to be replaced. I think they are happy with the outcome. I know we are. It is a beautiful room that is suitable for wedding receptions, parties, reunions, meetings, dances or other social gatherings.

We've spent the last couple weeks trimming trees around the place. Trying to identify trees that could be potentially damaging during an ice or snow storm has been quite time consuming. Not having a bucket truck, we have had to be creative to reach some of the really high branches. Lets just say we went above and beyond the height of the ladder. :'\Junior the Hedgehog

On a more exciting note, I have finally been able to photograph one of the elusive ground hogs that we have here at Beagle Bay RV Haven & CG. I believe it is Junior, who was born here this spring, but it was hard to tell, because he/she ran quickly for cover when seen.

Happy Reunion

The little dog that showed up for the show last weekend has been reunited with his family! We called on a lost dog ad in the local paper this morning because the description met with our found dog.
Turns out "George" had wandered about 10 miles from home after he escaped from his leash during a walk. They say that a loud clap of thunder scared him and he bolted, freeing himself from his master's grip. They hadn't seen him since.
We are so happy he is reunited with his family. We enjoyed his visit. Come back and visit some time, George.... With your family!

Hot Time On a Saturday Night

Increasingly, Beagle Bay RV Haven & Campground is becoming the place to be for family fun on a Saturday night.
The music started early and lasted until our campground quiet time, with a variety of individuals getting involved in an impromptu jam session.
Andrew started off the festivities early, playing the digital keyboard and singing, as campers began to gather in the music hall.
One of those campers, Joseph from Harrisonville, Mo., decided to bring his guitar along and join the festivities.
After several songs by both Andrew and Beagle Bay mainstay Berlyn, The high schooler decided to try his hand. But not without some hesitation, even though it was all just for fun.
Berlyn coaxed, "Hey, this is an RV park. We're just here to have fun!"
Joseph's guitar playing and deep vocals pleased the crowd, which by now had swelled with the addition of several local residents who had heard about our jam sessions.
Even a stray dog happened by, perhaps attracted by the music or maybe by the prospect of getting a little human attention.
If music is supposed to soothe the savage beast, it did plenty for this stray, who eventually closed his eyes for a little nap, right in front of the stage.

A sign of the NEW times

At long last, the day has arrived when we can say that passersby will know for sure they are looking at Beagle Bay RV Haven & Campground.
This day started early, with a wake-up call from the sign man at 6 a.m. (Is there really a 6 o'clock in the morning, too?) They had arrived, and it was time to put up the 12-foot x 12-foot vinyl sign that erases the final print evidence of the past at the park.

Earlier in the week the electric company had come out to shield the line, preventing any problems with electricity jumping from the line to the worker installing the nearby sign. We emerged from the house droopy-eyed, camera in hand, bringing the entire family of beagles with us.Peaches, our model for the photograph on the sign, didn't appear to be at all excited about seeing her image 20 feet in the air. She just preferred to take a nap under one of our many picnic tables.
But we were excited.In about an hour, the sign was up and the workers were on their way. But their work will be visible for years to come. So as you pass by on Interstate 44, take a peek over to the park to see the prettiest sign on the block.

Baby Bird Rescue

Try as we did, we missed a nest that was hiding in a cedar tree.


The weekend project was to trim out some of the trees that were encroaching on the campsites. Inspecting the trees carefully for nests is challenging. A well-hidden Mourning Dove nest was deep into the thick branches of a cedar and was missed.
Thankfully, the babies were noticed on the ground, huddled together. Momma was nearby, fretting about what to do.

Kayakers are staying with us this weekend who are avid animal lovers. When they returned from their float, we told them about the dilemma. Ben went into action, building a nest shelf and installing it in a nearby tree.Their nest was located in the cut-down cedar and placed on the nest shelf. The babies were carefully scooped up off the ground and returned to their nest.


Mom disappeared and we worried that she would not return. Dad sat by on a perch within sight of the nest shelf. We watched all evening and didn't see the parents return. We thought they wouldn't return.


How thrilling it was to find Momma Bird sitting on the nest this morning when we went out! Hallelujah.

Remodelling Under Way in Main Building

The lack of postings is due to losing our camera! Thankfully, a friend took some pictures of the construction for us and emailed them. Thanks, Rhonda!


First we are working on the banquet/meeting hall. The guys have constructed a new wall between the office and the side room.


They then ripped out the wall dividing the front and back meeting rooms to make one huge room. Its an awesome 30 x 70 room! We could put in a bowling alley if we wanted to!


A new doorway into the laundry room has been opened up so that guests can enter through the back and right into the laundry room. This will provide privacy for the group hosting an event, as well as make it a shorter trip for our guests when they are carrying those heavy laundry baskets.

At the north end of the hall, a 10' x 10' stage will be built to accommodate a DJ, band or speaker.

Lighting was selected today. We tried to combine functionality with ambiance. Hopefully we hit the mark.

I can't wait for the meeting room to be finished. It will be awesome.

Thank you to Jerry and his group of workers for their hard hours of work. (By the way, without air conditioning in the wrenching heat and humidity of the mid-west!)

Floating Center Creek

Center Creek is just 1 mile from Beagle Bay RV Haven & Campground. There are multiple put-in points in the area providing varied lengths of float trips.

Our scout team went out yesterday to try a segment and reports that it is a wonderful river, quite clear and flowing very well. They say small fry as well as big fish in the deep areas.
Becky got some great pics while out on the river.