May 15, 2005 was a warm beautiful spring day. Sitting in a boat house that belonged to Jan and Norman waiting for those who had come to ride the boats around the two hundred and two acres body of water , the Lake belonged to the residents who lived in Piedmont. Piedmont is one of the neighborhood in Harris County that only God could have drawn up the plans. The houses are beautiful spaced just far enough to have the Country feeling around you but yet close enough to reach out and touch a neighbor when needed. I heard two residents of the Piedmont talking about their neighbors and the meetings they have had thru the year and he said, he hadn't met a neighbor he hadn't liked . As you ride around the Piedmont Lake you pick up on the beauty that only God could have created. Each and every tree was placed where it could have been seen and the sun light coming thru, the lake in the center that backed up to most of the residents homes waiting for them to untie their boats and fish or just ride around with children and grandchildren and enjoy God's creation. And, to think he planted this beauty in Harris County.
Well, the above paragraph was about the Spring of 2005 and the Train and Boat Day was held at Norman and Jan Martwitz, it was a beautiful Spring Day and it was successful for the members who set up the Trains and also for the North West Volunteer Fire Department out of Whitesville, Georgia which was just across the Interstate from Piedmont.( October 15, 2005) This morning or the first day started out beautiful and it got even better. But, it started out cold and you couldn't find a place to sit where it wasn't shady and cool. The water in the lake was moving quickly and the wind was beating the water and it was bouncing off the water and hitting us. Some of the men had enough sense to wear long pants and jackets. Not like this this writer who was in a short sleeve shirt and knee shorts. The wind didn't back off until after lunch. By the time the children had started arriving the weather had warmed up, you couldn't have asked for a better day.
Even thou we started with a cold breezy day it did get warmer and the Children with their parents just kept filing in to ride around the Lake. You wouldn't believe how excited they were to climb on the board and take a almost thirty minute ride. One little boy who could hardly walk kept saying " Do It again". The parents enjoyed the ride because the children were entertained the whole ride. They went on very quite but came off wild eyed and bushy tail. This wasn't just an everyday treat for them , it was trains, boat rides, hot dogs, drinks and cookies. (free).
Milissa , my daughter help with dragging the boats in and also giving them a shove off after she had help everyone on the board and assisted in seeing each child had a life jacked. Sandra , help with collecting the donations and this was an all day an affair (10 a.m. until 5 p.m.) families were more than willing to help out the firemen and Sandra was telling me that most of the parents were explaining to the older children what the Volunteer Fireman did and she would point them over at me and said that's the Chief and they were impress that they were able to see the Chief. Sandra noticed that many of the children walked out with the navy blue hat with the red lettering N W V F D (North West Volunteer Fire Department.) like I was wearing.
What seem what was going to be a long day at ten am in the morning turned out to move rather quickly and it was time to go home and time to bring the boats in and gather up the life jackets. That's it for this year but we look forward to next Spring when we get together and enjoy another day in Piedmont in Harris County like we did today.
A special Thanks to Jim Frank who was there from the git go and also Mike Horton , Jan and Norman for the wonderful day, the women who cooked the hot dogs, the men who ran the trains and the men who drove the boats and most of all to all the families who came and enjoyed the day with us. Also with a little pride Thanks to Billy and Hannah Rollins . My grandson was in awe of the trains and felt the same way about the boat ride. Little Hannah, my granddaughter, will have to wait until next year to enjoy it when she is a little older.
Thanks for your interest .
Ron
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Ronald J. Rollins > Spring of 2005 Train and Boat Day