PLT OF SMA HAS EXCITING DAY DURING INFLT ENCOUNTER WITH WX AND AN NMAC WITH AN ILLEGAL PARACHUTE JUMPER.

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ON APCHING CLL; I OBTAINED ATIS INFO ON THE HANDHELD ON 126.85 RPTING 600 SCATTERED WITH A CEILING AT SOMETHING LIKE 12000 (ABOVE MY ACFT OPERATIONAL CEILING); AND SKYDIVING IN PROGRESS IN THE AREA (HAD TO BE VFR). AT MY POS ABOUT 270/20 DME OUT OF THE CLL VOR THE WX WAS CONTINUOUS IMC AT MY ASSIGNED ALT OF 5000. HOUSTON CENTER REQUESTED AN APCH REQUEST; SO I REPLIED THAT ATIS INFO HAD COLLEGE STATION AS VFR SO REQUEST THE VOR 28 WITH A CIRCLE TO LAND ON 16. ALL RWYS EXCEPT 16/34 HAVE BEEN CLOSED FOR QUITE SOME LONG PERIOD OF TIME. SINCE I WAS APCHING FROM THE W; THE CTLR CAUGHT MY ERROR AND ASKED IF I DIDN'T MEAN THE VOR 10 APCH WITH CIRCLE TO LAND 16. I ACCEPTED THE CLRNC FOR VOR 10 CIRCLE TO 16. HE WAS BUSY WITH OTHER TFC; AND HAD PUT SEVERAL INTO HOLDING. AFTER POSITIONING; CENTER CLRED ME FOR THE APCH AND TURNED ME TO TWR ON 118.5. I DSNDED TO THE VOR XING ALT WHILE TALKING WITH TWR; MENTIONING I WAS IMC. TWR REPLIED THE FIELD WAS IFR. I INQUIRED ABOUT ATIS INFO AND THE TWR RESPONDED THAT THE NEXT ATIS UPDATE WOULD BE CURRENT WITHIN A FEW MINS AND THAT THE FIELD WAS IFR. THIS WOULD SEEM TO HAVE PUT A SMALL PROBLEM INTO COMPLETING THE CURRENT APCH CLRNC; SO I REQUESTED SPECIAL PERMISSION TO LAND 10. THE USUAL HOLDING AREA IS OVER THE VOR. TWR REPLIED WITH AN ORDER TO EXECUTE A L TURN TO STAY ON THE NW OF THE ARPT WHILE CIRCLING TO LAND 16 (TURN TOWARD THE HOLDING IMC)! I STOPPED THE DSCNT; EXECUTED THE TURN; AND INQUIRED OF TWR IF THEY WANTED ME BACK ON HOUSTON CENTER (SINCE CLL HAS NO RADAR). I WAS IMMEDIATELY INSTRUCTED TO COMPLETE THE PUBLISHED MISS ON THE VOR 10 AND CONTACT HOUSTON. I REPLIED IMMEDIATELY THAT THIS CLRNC WAS NOW IMPOSSIBLE SINCE I WAS WELL NW OF THE ARPT AND OFF THE APCH AND IMC. I WAS ORDERED TO A HDG OF 270 AND CLB AND TO CONTACT HOUSTON. HOUSTON WAS A BIT BUSY; PUT ME ON A HDG OF 290 TO 3000 WHEN THERE THEN 350 AT 3000. I STAYED THERE FOR AT LEAST 20 NM; ACCORDING TO THE DME AND THE LORAN; WHILE HOUSTON CLRED UP THE TFC AT CLL. I SPENT THE TIME SETTING UP FOR THE LOC BACK COURSE 16 APCH ON THE VOR AND LOC EQUIP AND REVIEWING THE PLATE. WX WAS IMC SO I DIDN'T SPEND ANY TIME IN A TFC SCAN; SPENDING MY TIME IN AN INST SCAN; AT LEAST UNTIL THE SKYDIVER WENT BY. I DIDN'T HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO OBSERVE HIM LONG. I MUST HAVE MISSED HIM BY A GOOD 300 FT. HE HAD TO HAVE HEARD THE AIRPLANE ENG IN THE FOG GROWING LOUDER AND LOUDER FOR QUITE SOME TIME. I ATTEMPTED TO CONTACT HOUSTON AND AFTER WHAT SEEMED LIKE AT LEAST A COUPLE OF MINS; THEY RESPONDED. I RELATED THE INCIDENT; AND THEY GAVE ME AN IMMEDIATE TURN TO 080. THE REMAINDER OF THE APCH WENT NORMALLY EXCEPT FOR THE FACT THAT I WAS TOO FAR OUT (PROGRESSING AT MIN AIRSPD) TO RECEIVE THE LOC. ONCE DOWN THROUGH THE OVCST; I RPTED TO TWR THE WX AS BASES ESTIMATED AT 1600 MSL (VFR) OVCST WHILE SETTING UP FOR THE LNDG.