Man! it was cold this week. The "polar vortex" they callled it and it made it's way all the way down to Alabama last week. Single digits before the wind chill. I accused Amy Logue and her band of twelve of bringing the cold down here with them from Massachusetts. It was Assumption College's 3rd trip down to work with habitat/Tuscaloosa. The group stayed out at the Y's Acres camp. On the second night, they came in the kitchen and found the faucet in the sink. The freeze had popped it right off the water lines. Over at the Lion's Den (the little cabin on site where I reside) only the hot water lines froze. Don't know why that is. Didn't burst though, which is a good thing, and after a few days, thawed out and we were back in action, no harm did.  
     OK, OK, how cold was it? It was so cold that we couldn't work outside, so we all went over to our warehouse, which isnt really heated, but it is out of the elements, and we could keep everyone working . We made all of the window trim boxes with the casing already applied and then caulked and painted them. Stephen Scott (fellow Habitat staffer) also led a group making bird houses as a fundraising products (Jeannie Kozak suggested Habirdtat).
     Even with the cold snap, we were able to substantially complete Audrey Harris's exterior. Finished installing all of the Hardi siding and fascia and soffit and Stephen finished installing all of the colyums on the front.   The Mennonites, God bless 'em, installed the metal roofing panels on the coldest day of the week. They couldn't be stopped.
      We also are hosting a new group of our beloved RV Care-A-Vanners. Unfortunately, they are not staying at our camp due to my poor engineering guesses on sizing the holding tank for the waste water. Brandon has been working with the real engineers on fixing the situation in preparation for next months arrivals. In the mean time, we have them set up just down the road at another regular RV park that cut us a good deal for our guests .
     Still seriously psyched about leaving this Thursday for a mission trip over to
Zambia. Thankful for the support from Habitat and two local churches, Capstone and Calvary Baptist for helping out. Capstone (my adopted church here in Tuscaloosa) is sending me off in prayer after Sunday service tommorrow. Small world story regarding Zambia. In 1992 I was house leader at the Jimmy Carter Work Project in Valdosta, Georgia. One member of my crew was the former president of Zambia, Kenneth Kaunda. He had just left office in his country (he was president from 1964 to 1991 and had come to see how Habitat runs the work projects. He was going to start one is his country. We was a beautiful Christian man who went around the site with a beautiful smile and singing, "This little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine" and waving a white hankerchief.    I hope I can meet him there, although he will be 90 years old and not sure if he's still with us or not. I'll let you know when I get back.
      New subject- so , on the last night we shared a wonderful evening of food and fellowship and an awesome new game called Mafia at Mike Land's Mom's house with this years Assumption College team. Mike Land is a professor up in Mass. and we have had this now third annual gathering at his Mom's home.   She just recently celebrated her 80th birthday but certainly doesnt seem that old attall.
      That's all for now- Ciao- Peter