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Well, the road trip is over for a while and it's time to get settled in and ready to begin work, hopefully Nov. 2. Here at Walter Johnson Park in east Coffeyville, most of the regular sites were already taken by workers who began earlier. And, there is such a wide variety of rigs here. Here's part of the main campground--seems very crowded to me--and the sites are all on grass. When I walked through there after a heavy rain, it was pretty muddy and gloppy.




Those of us who arrived later are in temporary sites until they finish the new area. However, no one knows when that area will be finished. To be perfectly honest, I really like where I am. We have electricity and the honey wagon comes by three times a week. The only thing we don't have at each site is a water hookup. We're taking care of that by leaving one site open that does have a water spigot so that we can either pull in and load up or possibly even attach extra hoses to reach our sites. Several of us have extra water hoses, so that might work. Beats unhooking.

Here's our "temporary" site. Several of us want to stay here as it's quiet, near the playground and bathrooms, and is on gravel with grass behind us. I'm at the very left end.



Here is a picture of the "new" sites. It had just rained heavily and they don't have gravel in yet. We'll see.


Here are a few pictures of the part of the park closest to me. Those are pecan trees and there are still pecans all over the ground, just ripe for collecting. I understand there's a place in town that will shell them, so will check that out.

This is the view from my kitchen window.

One of the pecans on the ground


This park is home for rodeos, fairs, and other special events, so they have a variety of buildings, such as livestock barns.


And of course, the necessary sign near those barns:


An interesting fungus - lots of these on the grass the other day after the rains. I think it looks like a flower.


Several days ago I shared a few websites with you regarding the flood and oil spill here last summer. The nearby Verdigris River overflowed. To add to that, the nearby refinery spilled oil into the already flooded waters, making for a disaster. Here are the websites that describe the problem better than I can.

http://www.mahalo.com/Coffeyville_floo
http://www.taylornews.org/2008/07/03/coffeyville-flood-one-year-later/

The flood pretty much inundated this part of town. More later on today after we walk around a little and I can take some pictures. There were many, many homes and businesses destroyed. There has been some rebuilding already, but lots and lots of concrete foundations and sidewalks with no buildings and many boarded up stores and other buildings.

Here are a few pictures showing how high the water got.

This is one of the buildings in the park. The little sign with red printing is the high water mark.


Another park building with a sign.


A pecan tree right outside my window--the mark is the black ring about halfway up the tree


Several pictures of the now-innocent looking Verdigris River.



I drove into the nearby city of Independence the other day to finish my paperwork for Amazon and passed the company on the way back. Apparently it's Amazon's largest fulfillment center in the world.


And here's a field of yellow on the way back into town. Still need to find out what it is are there are many fields like it around here.


Last night I attended a free presentation of "The Odd Couple" done by students at the nearby Coffeyville Community College. Hilarious! They were really good.

Subscribed to the local paper today and they'll actually deliver it right to my door here at the park--$13 for three months, every day except Saturday and Monday.

Found the laundromat on the other side of town and did a week's wash. That's the place to meet other workampers--talked to about 7 more - very interesting and fun people. Got a library card and stopped at the Chamber of Commerce for maps and other stuff.

We're going to have a workamper get-together Saturday afternoon in the main campground - BYO everything.

I'd forgotten how much I enjoy small towns. Lived in Coquille, Oregon for seven years and was able to get immersed in the activities of the town. Am finding the same thing here.

More later. A friend and I are going to walk downtown in about 20 minutes, so better look at least presentable.

Moss doesn't grow under your feet, Chris. You've checked out that town pretty good already. I so much enjoy your tours and as always, I look forward to more. thanks!

Wow Chris, you will be elected mayor soon the way you are going. i like it that you get acquainted and engage with the community. Gives a sense of place. I tried to do that the year I was in Alabama. i think it leaves a person with fond memories.

My new friend and I drove all around town today, stopping at the newspaper office, library, post office, the old jail, Chamber of Commerce, two laundromats to check prices, and a Sonic, where she bought us both lunch. I'd never been to one. We also decided to drive around the city residential areas because we've both fallen in love with this area. I've even got a line on a possibly perfect part-time position, with benefits, at the local community college. However, will take it slow and easy and not rush into anything. Anyway, I mentioned earlier there were many vacant lots still with foundations because of the flood last year. We saw a lot of them and I took a few pictures. We found one site with two lots together and she called about the price. Get this: $1,000 total, or $500 each. If nothing else, we could most likely put our RVs on them, perhaps a modular home or two. Will need to find out about zoning, insurance possibilities since this is the area that was flooded, if there's water, sewer, and electricity available, and so forth. But any way you look at it, $500 for a city lot is pretty decent. I look at it this way: this area of town is in the process of rebuilding and when that's done, property values should go up quite a bit. Need to do a lot more research, though, especially finding out why the price is so very low for these two lots.

Here are a few pictures:

Chamber of Commerce and old bank building


Old jail, in the alley across from the Chamber of Commerce building


One of several large red brick churches in town


The lots we looked at - First one:




Second one, next to the first:


Views from both lots:

View cross the street - yes, that's my pickup.


This could all just be a pipe dream, excitement from being here. But, we're thinking along the same lines. And I've realized for quite a while that although I love traveling in the RV and seeing new places, it's always been on the way to actually staying some place and working for quite a while. I've got a need to become part of a place and a community again. Haven't been able to get even close to that California, though.This area reminds me a lot of Coquille, a small town of about 4,000 people in Southern Oregon where we spent six years. I think I was the happiest there I've ever been before or since. So, we'll see. In the meantime, this park of RVers is becoming more and more a home for all of us every day.

Keep exploring that thought. If you bought a lot for $500, and stayed for a year or so you still could get that much out of it if you wanted to move on. I can "hear" in your words that you really like this town. I remember a year or so ago when you were talking about trying to find a place to call home again,.... good luck!

Hi, Cedar,
That's what I've been thinking. When I returned to Portland in March, it was with intentions to stay as I'd enjoyed living there for so long. However, that wasn't the place for me now--might have been when still married and raising my son. Nope, I'm pretty sure what I had in mind was someplace like Coquille, Oregon--in other words, a small town.

Chris, looks like a lovely little town. I've seen a lot of the small towns in Kansas and I love them too, I love the old buildings and the history and the people do seem so friendly. I love the mountains so have found my small town in them. I have the old buildings etc. all here. So I wish you lots of luck in your decisions. After you've been there for the work time period, you'll surely know by then. Keep us posted as to the restrictions and keep the pictures coming, I have so enjoyed your travels. Maybe a home place and then travels from time to time in your r.v. to visit friends etc. would be your thing too. Good Luck !!!!

Carol

Chris, have you inquired about the pollution level in the area since the flood. That was a huge oil spill and wasn't there various other plants that were involved.

Redetotry,

Great minds think alike, it seems. That's what I've been researching for the past hour. My friend Lou asked what lots were going for before the flood and when the last flood was before the one in 2007. So, I started googling and came across several articles that pointed out the refinery had offered to buy up property from homeowners whose houses were uninhabitable after the oil spill/flood.

http://www.newsinferno.com/archives/1769#more-1769

"…The Coffeyville oil spill occurred just as the town was being deluged by a massive flood brought on by several days of heavy rains. The combination of the flood and crude oil created an enormous disaster, as the flood waters carried the oil far from the Coffeyville Resources Refinery. Even after the flood was gone, much of Coffeyville was still covered in an oily muck.

The oil spill displaced more than 2,000 residents, and some of them may never return. Many homes are so contaminated with crude oil that they will never be habitable again. Coffeyville Resources has offered to buy and demolish the most badly damaged homes, and the town has said that those home sites will not be built on again."

It's looking more and more like the old adage, "if things sound too good to be true, they probably are," applies here.

Yep, but disasters are also what can make dreams come true - so keep researching - and go to city hall and find out specifically about those two lots. It's unfortunately that the misfortune of some in disasters often leads to the fortune of others.

I lived in a small town in WI that was hurt by the Mississippi River flooding. While many sold for pennies, losing a lot, a friends son saw the value and bought. He didn't even have to tear down the house, but was able to raise it on stilts, and do damage repair - which allowed him to get insurance because the house then became above flood level, etc. He was young with a wife and a couple young children - who moved in with my friends while they spent over a year with this house - but could never have done it without buying so inexpensively - then doing much of the work themselves and with friends.

My point - yep, maybe it is too good to be true, but maybe not - look at all the sides of the story and get all the answers.

Good luck to you. It does seem like a neat town. The other question I'd have - is would there be employment to be found the rest of the year?

Enjoy and I hope it works out to be the best for you.