John Parker is a homeless veteran. He winters in Houston, but spends each spring, summer and autumn traveling around the United States, working odd jobs — building log cabins, laboring on farms.

Parker found himself in downtown as the Occupy Houston protesters marched through the streets last Thursday. He recognized a few friends from the group Food Not Bombs and thought, "This is stuff I'm passionate about." He joined in immediately, and he's still occupying.

The protesters moved from their anticipated base at Hermann Square Park in front of City Hall in deferment to the Bayou City Art Festival, relocating to Eleanor Tinsley Park off of Allen Parkway instead.

"We didn't want to crowd them, and we didn't want it to seem like we were protesting the art festival," said occupier Trey G., who preferred not to give his last name. He is unemployed and inspired, for the first time in a long time, by the movement. Trey has been involved from day one, going home only to recharge.

"This location does reduce our exposure," Trey said. "But we kind of need it to focus. Our process is still evolving."

The crowd at the park has dwindled from the several hundred that ended up at City Hall last Thursday. It's now a solid dozen, with others joining in for twice-daily General Assembly meetings.

The rain on Sunday presented a bit of a difficulty for the protesters, but the Houston Police Department allowed them to set up tents to keep dry. Occupiers now have picket signs laid out on the hedges, tarps and bedding drying on the sunny hillside.

They had a nice set-up on Monday morning: An easy stroll to the skate park for a restroom or to the Federal Reserve Bank for an early-morning rabble-rousing. A tent for provisions, like batteries, hand sanitizer and bug spray. Another for media, with computers set up. A third for food — lots of granola bars, fruit and three stray Taco Bell burritos that a few protesters were quick to claim.

Vanessa Capistran is the self-appointed food supervisor. "Nobody asked me to, but no one else really wanted to do it, so I don't mind."

As we talked about her recent layoff and the vegan meal donated by the Hare Krishna temple, another occupier sprinkled cinnamon around the edges of the tarp, which acted as a makeshift carpet for the food tent.

"We are non-violent towards the ants, too, even though they're attacking us," Capistran said.

Later in the afternoon, the Houston Police Department approached and asked them to disassemble the tents, and occupiers posted anxious tweets, imploring others to bring reinforcements to stand their ground.

Tents or no tents, at Eleanor Tinsley or in front of City Hall, the protesters plan to occupy indefinitely. Until something changes.