ACTIVITY LOG Nov. 13, 2023 through March 30, 2024
ACTIVITY LOG Nov. 13, 2023 through March 30, 2024
November 13, 2023
Gwyneva Winters (GW) and Kathy Ann Reid (KAR) met at cemetery to look at plants locations and mark with surveyor pins to begin planning for no mow areas. Trish Driesen (TD) and son, Jared (JD) brought their mower and bagged much King Ranch Bluestem (KRB) that had gone to seed. We also mowed privet with another lawn mower and chopped a thistle that covered the southeast quarter of the acre.
Dec. 13, 2023
GW and KAR begin marking and planning mow and no-mow areas on the ground. Transplanted, marked with surveyor pins and watered five American Beauty Berries, and two Possum Haw Hollies, five Gay Feather bulbs and a tiny Yucca. Dug privet. We fill plastic jugs with water from our houses since there is no water source at the cemetery.
Dec. 21, 2023
GW and KAR marked no mow areas with stakes and string. Attached “Pardon Our Mess” sign to gate and dug privet. GW planted Engleman Daisies transplanted from Western Heights Cemetery. Watered all transplants.
Dec. 30, 2023
GW, KAR and Bill Vilbig met and he took required photos this day. Pictures are in CLM Group Folder. Watered all transplants. Cleaned up fallen limbs and litter.
January 13, 2024
2nd Saturday Volunteer Day - Met group of DCPA board and members at Circle Grill for breakfast, Brenda Greer of a neighborhood improvement group (Urbandale United Association) introduced herself and sat at our table. Bill Vilbig brought laptop and showed us the required pictures that are now in the CLM Group Folder. TD, also joined us for breakfast and at the cemetery. Watered all transplants, removed privet, litter, fallen limbs.
Feb 10, 2024
Pictures show clear plastic bags holding the privet dug up. Estimate of 1,000 square feet of privet removed so far. Brad A. Sullivan (BAS) hit a stone while digging up privet and then unearthed the stone. Watered transplanted Engleman Daisies, understory trees and Gay Feathers. Started brush pile to serve as wildlife nesting and hiding place.
Feb 22, 2024
Washed unearthed tombstone with water and sprayed with D2 (pictures 143459 and 143353)
Feb 24, 2024
-GW flagged plants so they would not be stepped upon
-Digging to find other parts to the unearthed stone, we found a masonry structure
-Digging to expose masonry structure
-Close up of corner of masonry structure
-GW stepping over no mow marker string
-Plants seen: Dandelion
Liriope beautiful blue flower from bulb
Grape Hyacinths
Rosettes
White Rain Lily
-BAS pointed out an animal trail in grass
March 1, 2024
Working at the cemetery we have found 4 tombstones that were underground and are adding the locations to the tombstone sketch. A 2 inch thick stone with the words, “SEP THE 21ST, 188_.” No known dates matches this. The others have no words.
-Underground masonry structure partially exposed. We asked Tom White of Oakland Cemetery to look at it and separately, GW called Victoria Clow.
-GW and BAS marked and prepared ground for flowering native plants.
-Measuring to add masonry structure location to graphed sketch.
-BAS brought water in an ice chest and we carried in milk jugs to water plants. Watered all transplants.
March 2, 2024
GW told us that Monica of Oakland Cemetery is using a tool to extract privet, Extractogator. GW looked at plant lists, went to nurseries to plan what plants we would use and figured the mulch and topsoil we would need to start the trail from the gate to the Garrison’s wrought iron fence. Tom White came to look at masonry structure and said he has seen similar at other cemeteries that were for infants. Tom added gps locations to many tombstones.
March 3, 2024
Victoria Clow looked at the structure and said it looks like an infant vault, similar to a cradle. KAR has seen a masonry cradle at the Pioneer Cemetery in downtown Dallas.
March 3-8, 2024
KAR picked up 16 bags (topsoil and mulch) from Ace Hardware in Kaufman. Looked at plants in a Kaufman County virgin acre and identified Cow Parsley, Borage (both not native) and Carolina Geranium. We were wondering how all the foreign plants could have gotten there and jokingly said that they must have been spread by Warren Ferris’ survey crew.
March 9, 2024
Our third 2nd Saturday volunteer day. KAR’s truck was backed into the cemetery to accommodate the unloading of the 16 bags (topsoil and mulch). Five people worked (GW, BS, KAR, TD and JD) putting topsoil in low places and made a walk way around the Garrison’s Wrought Iron Fence. The last 2 volunteers left after a neighborhood businessman stopped to talk and look at our work. I (KAR) asked him to stay until I closed the gate behind me and he stayed much longer that we expected because my truck was hopelessly stuck in mud on an uphill incline. He and the minister of a nearby church got muddy helping me for a solid hour to no avail. As the men were wondering how long they would be babysitting the crazy-woman-who works-in-the-cemetery, and I was calling a wrecker service, a heavy duty four wheel drive truck arrived and those kind gentlemen pulled my truck out. Praise the Lord and bless all their hearts.
March 12, 2024
BAS, GW, KAR, TD and JD met at the cemetery to prepare ground for planting and fill in the ruts made when the beautiful 2002 Dodge pick up was stuck. We had corn chips, bean dip and water to celebrate BAS’s birthday. Spring grass of some sort was removed from around two Hunnicutt tombstones that are very old and delicate. JD added to the brush pile and cut other limbs to a nice size for stacking. Moved wild purple violets and Liriopes from walk area near gate to inside the Youngs' wrought iron fenced area.
March 16, 2024
Took a break from the Glover to work with Dallas County Pioneer Association to clean up Wesley Cockrell Cemetery.
March 22, 2024
GW, TD and KAR went to Home Grown Plants, a beautiful huge nursery in Farmersville, Collin County to buy native perennials. We bought: 5 Pink Muhly Grass, 3 Blackfoot Daisy, 2 Pin Cushion plants, 2 Turks Cap, 4 Coreopsis, 2 Guara, 2 Skul Cap, 2 Red Lantana, 3 Salvia Greggi
March 28, 2024
KAR purchased 5 bags topsoil and 5 bags mulch.
March 30, 2024
On Glover Planting Day No. 1, GW, BAS, TD and KAR planted approximately half the plants using bags of topsoil to mix with existing dirt and mulch was put on top of bare ground around plants. The largest prepared area was taken over by fire ants. We encouraged them to move by application of Ortho.
**Note that some pictures are in the Google Drive shared folder. The dates appear as numbers in the pictures' names. Other fun pictures, we text among ourselves.**