We had a group from two competing universities in South Carolina put aside their rivalries and join together to help build homes for people they had never met. There were around twenty people in the group. About half and half men and women.   We divided them up and the women went to work on the Women's Build while the guys got to move dirt around at the home at 114 Juanita.
      I have had the privilege to help Nancy McDaniel run the Women's Build . The home is now going in to it's third week of construction. In addition to the out of towners, there has been a pretty good turnout of local women, some of whom have returned numerous days. Kathy and Susan both have been great help showing the other women how to build a house.
     I've tried to back off a little, not be so bossy and directly involved with leading and rather suggesting to Nancy what comes next or helping her tofigure out the next steps. The young ladies from Clemson and USC were quick studies. Most had not used power tools before coming to Tuscaloosa, but after a week they were all confident enough to pick up a circular saw or nail gun. Very inspiring.
      Our Mennonite friends jumped up on the roof for the last two days of the week and installed the metal roof.
      The pre-painted soffit plywood got installed all the way around the perimeter as well as the porch ceiling.   Corner boards were installed and the lines for the siding were snapped with chalklines, using the story pole to mark where the lines go . One of my many pet peeves is wrong chalk lines. So much so that for a while I wasn't letting volunteers snap them and I would do it myself. Not so this week. I trusted but verified. And they done good.
      We also worked on the installation of the saferoom with the 973 big screws.
      The plumbing and HVAC subs have also been in the house and done their rough-ins. Still waiting on the electrician who will be there two days ago.
      Did a little fancy fru-fru on the front gable in the form of a sunburst. Sorry, can't help myself.
     
      We got some sad news via FB two days ago.     Good friend and long time volunteer Lee Struck went into the hospital, went into a coma and then passed away. Lee has been a friend since 2005. He worked with us in Biloxi, Texas and Louisiana.   He also was part of the group that came to Tuscaloosa initilally after the April 2011 tornado. Lee, together with Nancy and Steve Marksolf worked quite hard one week to prepare for a blitz build we did in Plaquimines Parrish a few years back .   He will be missed.

     Son Alex is off this week at an Americorp gathering in Raleigh, NC. They will be building houses with the affiliate there. It is a Buildathon and about 140 Americorp folks were flown there from around their regions to participate.

      This weeks blog is being written on my new laptop. I did enjoy my Sunday jaunts to the library before this to use the computers there, but it is also nice to sit here at the camp sippin the coffee and shoeing Habicat away.

       Last two weeks I have been rising with the sun and doing three laps around the field out back. It feels very good and I have lost 6 lbs since starting.  

       That's all for this week. Love ya'll.   Peter