Well today was pretty good i guess...just kidding everything is great so far. Turns out I am in group! We are so excited to be together. This morning Cathy, Sylvia and I went jogging/walking at 6 am. We will see how long that lasts. This year we are working on a bathroom in a trailer. We have made good progress so far and began some of the plumbing and electric. We have already hit some problems but we will find a way to work around them. Sylvia is an amazing leader...most of the time. :)(K.L.)
Today was a very eventful, yet frustrating day. Katie, Cathy and I hauled our butts out of bed and went for a run at 6am. Who would have thought I would have been up that early? It was the highlight of my day... not haha actually Cathy made me go out with her since they have been seeing a ton of bears we have to do the buddy system. I made Katie come with me because I knew she would go. Later that day, we went out to our sites and began to work. Our task is to wire the bathroom and do all the plumbing inside the bathroom. In the beginning I was skeptical about the work because I know so little about plumbing, but with a little guidance and faith, my group made me feel more confident about the project. Things were very slow to start off because we discovered a lot rotted wood on the trailer, so we had to replace all of them before we could really start work. By the end of the day we were able to put in the cabinet and the top of the sink. Katie is in my group and the work is a much better experience considering I am group leader. It is nice to have a familiar face to help me out when I am a bit lost. She is such a good follower... most of the time :) (S.O)
It was a hot and sunny day at our worksite, where we are repairing and adding a railing to a front deck to make it safe. Team Cathy was assisted by Gordon Bowen, the new Executive Director of EAM. He is a hard worker! Mountain Engineer Jerry made sure we had what we needed to get started, and gave us tips to make the work easier. We are stabilizing the deck with new supports and having fun getting to know each other and the homeowner. The team is from Michigan, Massachusetts, Virginia and New Jersey. The roads to the worksite are quite an experience in driving. (Don't worry, Louise!) (CLD)
Sheetrock, plumbing and light fixtures O'my! Day one of work and my team is finishing a job started last week. Mudding sheetrock, sanding, trimming, painting, connecting sinks and faucets and installing new light fixtures. We will then have a small roof project to stop a leak where three sections of the house come together-sound familiar to anyone???? We are having a great time making new friends and reconnecting with old friends. Our host is pictured here, she is a wonderful lady that is very much enjoying having people to talk to. She is holding a purse that she has sewn from samples of upholstery materials that she picks up at the local stores, she is hoding one. She is very talented and loves to tell you all about her family and life. Tonight we have a guest speaker who is going to tell us all about the mining industry in this area; should be very interesting to hear their side. Looking at these mountainsides and already knowing a little it will probably be like BP explaining what a great industry oil is to the resisdents of the Gulf. It is great having Cathy back and we are enjoying a few stories of her sabbatical when time is allowed. (BMW)
The St. James' crew has returned safely after an uneventful all day trip yesterday. We all agree that this was one of the best trips ever, with an awesome group of people --both host families and fellow workers. 
