Thanks Susan, Your hints will be helpful. I am especially interested in the skunk remedy. Where do you buy orange-oil? We will be careful and try not to disturb, destroy or damage the graves or stones. Yes, there is a lot of stones that have been toppled over. I saw one metal marker that was laying in the dirt deteriorating, not even sure it belonged where it was laying. Peggy ----- Original Message ----- From: "Hawkins" <hawkins@texoma.net> To: <TXFANNIN-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Wednesday, October 23, 2002 4:08 PM Subject: Re: [TXFANNIN-L] Porter Cemetery Cleanup Project > > I'm leaving on a trip and can't be there but I love that cemetery. I > would love to live on the lane its on. It is what is left of a road that > went past the cemetery at one time but the flooding cut the cemetery up. > I have not gotten out in the field over the little creek to see if > graves are on that side marked or not so I have no reference as to how > big it might have been at one time. A road crossed in front of it, > bypassed completely by roads, the only road left is the L shaped one > that went to the chapel years after the roads were not in use any more. > Lots of little footstones and broken bits of stones are in the > cemetery when I saw it last. > Be sure to bring something to handle snakes with. Copperheads ,and with > the creek so close, cottonmouths will be there so you need something > handy to remove them if they are too close for comfort. This time of > year they are sluggish and more dangerous. > Skunks are on the roam right now also. I make up a sprayer of water > mixed with orange oil and it makes them abandon the area. There were at > least two skunk burrows there. They will leave if that is sprayed > around, or stay hidden. > Dawn Soap & water in a sprayer , used on an ant hill is a trick I > learned from funeral directors and tombstone folks. They spritz the area > with it before a funeral , it dries and the soap keeps the ants away for > a day or so. That way they can continue the work in the cemetery without > bug spray and other troubles for the people at a funeral. > When I was webmaster for the Historic Texas Cemeteries website I > collected some good ones. The best website I saw for > clearing/cleaning/restoring a cemetery is this website. Maybe it will > help. > http://www.rootsweb.com/~inpcrp/repairtoolbox.html > > > ==== TXFANNIN Mailing List ==== > How can just one ancestor cause so much TROUBLE ?? >

SKUNK Remedy # 2 Tomato juice. Supposed to be the acetic acid from the fruit kills the odor. Works on Dogs John Philip Adams Baytown ----- Original Message ----- From: "Lonnie Roe Realty" <lonnieroe@etxrn.com> To: <TXFANNIN-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Thursday, October 24, 2002 11:36 AM Subject: Re: [TXFANNIN-L] Porter Cemetery Cleanup Project > Thanks Susan, > Your hints will be helpful. I am especially interested in the skunk remedy. > Where do you buy orange-oil? We will be careful and try not to disturb, > destroy or damage the graves or stones. Yes, there is a lot of stones that > have been toppled over. I saw one metal marker that was laying in the dirt > deteriorating, not even sure it belonged where it was laying. > Peggy > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Hawkins" <hawkins@texoma.net> > To: <TXFANNIN-L@rootsweb.com> > Sent: Wednesday, October 23, 2002 4:08 PM > Subject: Re: [TXFANNIN-L] Porter Cemetery Cleanup Project > > > > > > I'm leaving on a trip and can't be there but I love that cemetery. I > > would love to live on the lane its on. It is what is left of a road that > > went past the cemetery at one time but the flooding cut the cemetery up. > > I have not gotten out in the field over the little creek to see if > > graves are on that side marked or not so I have no reference as to how > > big it might have been at one time. A road crossed in front of it, > > bypassed completely by roads, the only road left is the L shaped one > > that went to the chapel years after the roads were not in use any more. > > Lots of little footstones and broken bits of stones are in the > > cemetery when I saw it last. > > Be sure to bring something to handle snakes with. Copperheads ,and with > > the creek so close, cottonmouths will be there so you need something > > handy to remove them if they are too close for comfort. This time of > > year they are sluggish and more dangerous. > > Skunks are on the roam right now also. I make up a sprayer of water > > mixed with orange oil and it makes them abandon the area. There were at > > least two skunk burrows there. They will leave if that is sprayed > > around, or stay hidden. > > Dawn Soap & water in a sprayer , used on an ant hill is a trick I > > learned from funeral directors and tombstone folks. They spritz the area > > with it before a funeral , it dries and the soap keeps the ants away for > > a day or so. That way they can continue the work in the cemetery without > > bug spray and other troubles for the people at a funeral. > > When I was webmaster for the Historic Texas Cemeteries website I > > collected some good ones. The best website I saw for > > clearing/cleaning/restoring a cemetery is this website. Maybe it will > > help. > > http://www.rootsweb.com/~inpcrp/repairtoolbox.html > > > > > > ==== TXFANNIN Mailing List ==== > > How can just one ancestor cause so much TROUBLE ?? > > > > > ==== TXFANNIN Mailing List ==== > Threaded Archives > Search List by subject line in a time period > http://archiver.rootsweb.com/ >

I get orange oil at a gardening center because I use it with my herbal preparations and to clean house with ( thats the Thyme part of my Roots & Thyme byline on my emails, my favorite hobbies.) You can get it in small amounts at any place they sell essential oils but it is less expensive though large bottles at gardening centers. I can help you figure out what to do with all your leftover oils if you buy a big container! It is good for a lot of things. You probably could use vinegar water to scare them also but I've not tried it. Porters needs a lot of tombstone repair, cleaning isn't much to do because killing the lichen out of old tombstones does more damage than leaving it. I use flannel and just buff off the outside lichen. The broken ones take more work . There are at least two ( maybe more , my memory fails me, above ground crypt covers on the right side of the cemetery ,that someone drove a car over many years ago. ( I heard someone did that in the 60's and did a lot of the big damage) it cracked them up. I was wishing I had a way to get and mix cement and then 'fill' the main empty box of the grave cover and place the broken outside shell on top of that with epoxy. I haven't looke at this in years but they may be in the same shape. Sand filling won't work as it could wash out or worse provide a fine animal burrow. That metal marker may have some marks on it or the name of the home. Maybe it will unlock the records for another missing touch of info. I have a bunch in the Porters list that are only found in records and I've not found their stones. Hopefully yall will uncover some more. I sure am hoping your group will photograph each stone and send me a copy as well as a picture of the group in action, check the Coontown listing in the site and I can fix pages for the Porters assoc. the same. Since the stones are nearly gone in some cases, taking their pictures would be a really good thing. So many folks will never be able to get back there. I wish I owned the land there and lived on the road it would be fun to raise roses around the cemetery and fence it properly . I've got a bunch of stories in my head told to me over the years by several people but especially Mr. Euell Garner , b. in 1904. He died at 96 and 'did his sangin' at Porter's mostly. They had " Chautauqua's" there . He loved to tell about them, this was in the 1920-and 30's. Though I forgot most of the names he would tell about he mentioned Herman Tilger being one of his best friends who appeared in most of them. Herman could 'dance like fred astaire' according to Mr. Garner. Anything he wanted to dance he could do it. At this time movies were still silent! and Fred didn't come along till later but Herman could watch someone do a dance in Dallas or in a silent movie and then copy it in one try. Mr. Garner could sing. Though I only heard what was left of his elderly voice in my mind I went back in time. If I was a swearer I would swear I could practically smell the leather harness's on the horses tied around the old chapel for these performances. Going out there I can easily imagine what a fine place it was and what an important place. I wish it was restored and wish the church was still there . They had singings there for everyone , it was the place to go courting a lot of 'sparking ' happened in the wagon yard and the long rides home or walks home were treasured. He lived around Medlintown and had to walk everywhere for a long time. Eventually got a Model T. finally he met Mae Moats while going to the Chautauqua over there ( the 'circuit' was Pilot Grove ( in grayson co.) to Porters chapel and sometimes over to Grove Hill or Shady Grove) He sang many a time to me from his wooden kitchen chair bits of the old songs from long ago. When he died in 99 his son gave me a gift so that chair is in my home. Sometimes I just grin from ear to ear I ( here I go swearing again! ) sware I hear the tune' Tie your apron strings around me again mother..' Herman no doubt was a handsome man and could dance rings around anyone at Porter's .I wish I had a picture of Mr. Garner and Mr. Tilger. If anyone comes on these performers at the Porters I would love to put it up. There were some sisters who did duets, a couple of folks into magic trickery, mostly singers and some dancers who did routines. They wore silk tophats and tails. Some of the shows were done in blackface but most were not. A couple of piano and violinist were around. There were no regular dances though, these happend in folks yards or barns and eventually at school buildings. the church was too small and that was a bit racy. Porter's cemetery sat there within hearing distance of the little schoolhouse and the chapel. The sounds of both would waft through the air there . I'ts a happy place to me. Full of life and living memories. I always park down on the main road and walk in. It's a long walk but a beautiful one. I've been there when nighfall came and had to walk back that was a little dangerous but pleasant in the moonlight. I'ts a lovely place. Cleaned and repaired or not its a happy place to me. Susan in Texas Lonnie Roe Realty wrote: > > Thanks Susan, > Your hints will be helpful. I am especially interested in the skunk remedy. > Where do you buy orange-oil? We will be careful and try not to disturb, > destroy or damage the graves or stones. Yes, there is a lot of stones that > have been toppled over. I saw one metal marker that was laying in the dirt > deteriorating, not even sure it belonged where it was laying. > Peggy > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Hawkins" <hawkins@texoma.net> > To: <TXFANNIN-L@rootsweb.com> > Sent: Wednesday, October 23, 2002 4:08 PM > Subject: Re: [TXFANNIN-L] Porter Cemetery Cleanup Project > > > > > I'm leaving on a trip and can't be there but I love that cemetery. I > > would love to live on the lane its on. It is what is left of a road that > > went past the cemetery at one time but the flooding cut the cemetery up. > > I have not gotten out in the field over the little creek to see if > > graves are on that side marked or not so I have no reference as to how > > big it might have been at one time. A road crossed in front of it, > > bypassed completely by roads, the only road left is the L shaped one > > that went to the chapel years after the roads were not in use any more. > > Lots of little footstones and broken bits of stones are in the > > cemetery when I saw it last. > > Be sure to bring something to handle snakes with. Copperheads ,and with > > the creek so close, cottonmouths will be there so you need something > > handy to remove them if they are too close for comfort. This time of > > year they are sluggish and more dangerous. > > Skunks are on the roam right now also. I make up a sprayer of water > > mixed with orange oil and it makes them abandon the area. There were at > > least two skunk burrows there. They will leave if that is sprayed > > around, or stay hidden. > > Dawn Soap & water in a sprayer , used on an ant hill is a trick I > > learned from funeral directors and tombstone folks. They spritz the area > > with it before a funeral , it dries and the soap keeps the ants away for > > a day or so. That way they can continue the work in the cemetery without > > bug spray and other troubles for the people at a funeral. > > When I was webmaster for the Historic Texas Cemeteries website I > > collected some good ones. The best website I saw for > > clearing/cleaning/restoring a cemetery is this website. Maybe it will > > help. > > http://www.rootsweb.com/~inpcrp/repairtoolbox.html > > > > > > ==== TXFANNIN Mailing List ==== > > How can just one ancestor cause so much TROUBLE ?? > > > > ==== TXFANNIN Mailing List ==== > Threaded Archives > Search List by subject line in a time period > http://archiver.rootsweb.com/