DreamPower Park: Bring Your Picnic Basket!

DreamPower moved to California Stables on February 1, 2007. Those of you who were around then may remember the enormous pile of manure, brush and junk that occupied the area in front of the wash rack barn, under the big oak tree, on the way to the DreamPower barn. Over the past several years that area has gradually been cleaned up. Children's Camp has met under the oak tree for Arts and Crafts and the Horses for Heroes with Heart folks met under that tree for lunch. That lunch prompted Garry Stauber to make it his project to turn that area into a nice meeting and eating area. Don van Straaten went to the San Martin Lions Club and asked if they would give DreamPower some used picnic tables from the Lions Hall. The Lions said "no." Rather than giving DreamPower used picnic tables, they said they would buy six new picnic tables and give them to DreamPower!

Ramon helps to spread the sand.

Garry levels the sand around the picnic area.

So - this past week-end - the project came together. Ramon Juarez was recruited to help Garry get the site ready.  They loaded all the remaining junk on the tractor and hauled it away. They drug the area and levelled the ground. They placed landscaping cloth, spread the wood chips, added landscaping touches and brought in sand. Garry dug a fire pit for bar-b-ques and put bricks around it. Flowers were planted around the oak tree. By Saturday night, the entire site was beautiful and ready for the picnic tables to come the following day.

Bricks are laid, flowers are planted, ready for the tables!

Garry and Ramon pat each other on the back for a job well done!

On Sunday, Don and Dirk van Straaten pulled up in their van with six state-of-the-art picnic tables packed inside.

Don and Dirk start assembling picnic tables.

Power drills in hand, they started assembling the tables, donated by the San Martin Lions Club.

These guys know how to build tables!

One, two, three, four, five, six tables!


This is how you build a picnic table.



The end result is a beautiful picnic area where we can have groups, meetings, camps, lunch, and just enjoy the beauty of nature under a spreading oak tree!

Garry, Dirk and Don celebrate a completed project!



The next time you see Garry, Ramon, Don, Dirk, or any of the San Martin Lions, please tell them all thank you for giving us all a beautiful new space to enjoy!

And here is "DreamPower Park!"  Bring your picnic basket!