One of my favorite groups to visit with us here in Tuscaloosa is the Presbyterian Disaster Assistance (PDA) folks. They come from all over the country in response to natural disasters whereever they occur. This past week we were blessed to host a group from Gaithersburg, Maryland and the Gaihtersburg Presbyterian Church. On Monday morning meetings, you can always spot the PDA folks by their distinctive blue shirts with white lettering. Brandon, our construction director, set the goal for this week at the quadraplex to have both of the newer homes (on 5th street in Alberta City) under roof by weeks end. It's not everyone that feels comfortable enough to work on a roof, even though the pitch on our trusses is a relatively shallow 5/12. We are installing metal roofs on all of our homes here. They last longer that asphalt shingles and the cost of the materials is not that much different. It is more a courtesy for the future homeowners- no maintanace or replacement for at least 50 years and metal roofs hold up better in storm situations. So, Mya's new home has a hip roof- that is all four sides of the roof are sloped. This style is a bit slower, since even though the supplier of the metal delivers the pieces cut to length ( you tell which one goes where by the little piece of paper they give you), you still need to make a diagonal cut at the top of each of the pieces going down the four "hips" of the roof. I still say they need to make a shear that cuts them before they come out. . . At any rate- it took us a day and a half, monday and part of tuesday to install the whole roof on Mya's home. At days end Tuesday, I announced to the group that on Wednesday we would start the next roof (the future home of the Word family) at 8:00 am and would be completed by lunch. This roof was a simple gable (two sides only that slope: no cutting required) I was actually thinking 11:00 but I didn't tell them that. We had done one previously, same style of roof and had done it in four hours, but this crew was now fully trained with blazing impact guns, all of the metal had been expertly schlepped and predrilled by Sandy and her crew of schleppers. We started at around 8:15 and installed the last piece at 9:58! A new world record!   Woo-hoo! Part of this excellent roof crew was the Ross family with two strong teenage sons, Christian and Grant, with Dad Doug keeping right up with them. Doug celebrated his 50th birthday while with us along with young Mel (73).    
     INside the house, we set up our carpentry shop and Lt . Col Karen, Jill (Doug's wife) and some of the other ladies set about making the window trim units for all three houses. Production! Routers, table saws, screwguns blazing, all in the hands of former novices.
     Thursday, we got our roof test, as the heavens opened up and washed off our two new metal roofs, with nary a drop inside the house! One of the volunteers , Mr. Dave, who was a onesie in the group from Michigan, and whose Dad had been a sheet metal worker, finished up the metal trim pieces on both of the homes.
    Also this past week said goodby to new friends Pete and Judi Dripchak, who have been working with us for the past three weeks and are headed back up Noth the Connecticut. They have been traveling around alot in their RV working with Habitat.
     Speaking of installing metal roofing and speed, that's not what I have been experiencing at the Lion's Den at our YMCA camp. It takes longer without 30 volunteers. Anyway, steady pressure and don't panic seems to be paying off. The front is looking good, but the back still needs a little work (see pictures).
     Attended beautiful sunrise service down by the river here this morning put on by Pastor Charlie at the 1st Presb. Church. and then later to the 9:00 at Capstone. Both very inspriring. Happy Easter to all!   See ya next week. Love, Peter