Busy Friday

Yesterday dawned clear and chilly, with temps in the 40's.  I fixed my famous buckwheat pancakes for breakfast, although I added blueberries to please the crew.  After we cleaned up from breakfast, Roman, the Project Director, took us on a tour of some of the houses we are building/fixing.  Our first stop was the Lawrence house.  It was situated on the lowest floodplain, right beside the old house, which has been condemned.  The couple currently lives in a mobile home next to the new house.  Kent, the client, is a cabinetmaker, and has done a lot of the work himself.  He also designed the really cool ceiling angles that give the interior a lot of depth and interest. 

This view explains why they love the location in spite of flooding

Lots of dihedrals make this vaulted ceiling special.

Roman (L) talking with Kent, the client.

Linda, our head cook, talking with crew leader Jan

On the way out, we drove up the steep driveway that took us to the next flood plain level.  You can see all the hundreds of layers of sediment, each one from a different flood.

Looking back down to the house

Next on the tour was the  Norwood House.  This client is also living in a trailer while his repairs are being done.  The house has a really nice wood ceiling, and a huge weeping willow in the yard.

We saw these quail crossing the road near the house

The Norwood house

This house had a great view also

I made friends with this dog.  This is a big step for me since I am not dog-friendly, and dogs usually know it.  I always liked dogs when I was a kid, but in 1972 I was attacked by a farm dog while sleeping on the porch of a farmhouse in Kitchener, Ontario.  I was there to begin a two-week bicycle ride back to Harrisonburg with OutSpokin, a Mennonite cycling group, and I was staying at the farm until the ride started.  I had played with the dog that day, but that night while I slept, it attacked my sleeping bag and pretty much shredded it.  It bit me in the process, but didn't break the skin.  It was rather traumatic.  Several years later, I was riding our motorcycle near our house with my brother Don on the back.  We were rounding a slow corner and one of the neighborhood dogs came up and grabbed my foot in its mouth and pulled me off the bike.  Don got the bike back up and I kicked my foot loose and we hightailed it out of there.  Both these dogs were "good dogs" and their uncharacteristic aggression laid the foundation for my fear.

Overcoming this fear was a definite prerequisite for our next stop, the Yates house.  This house was just around the block from the house we recently dedicated (Dedication Day)  The house is also in the South Ruckle neighborhood, which saw some of the worst flooding.  I visited this house a week ago and it was neat to see the progression.  It is coming down to flooring, trim, and details now.  There is a big , BIG dog that lives here, and I was determined to show no fear.  I succeeded.  

Ray installing vinyl plank flooring

Heading North across the Granby River, we visited the Watts house.  This is also known as the Food House, because the wife insists on feeding the crew all day long.  Those assigned to the house are warned not to pack a lunch, and given strategies for how to not get too stuffed.  She brings snacks that are meal-sized, and then has a real feast for lunch.  She really enjoys doing this, and will not take no for an answer.  She even has gluten-free snacks since one of the crew has a celiac diet.  This house is also very close to the river, and was mostly repaired already, but needed new skirting around the crawlspace.  In the one picture you can see me in the garage pointing to the high-water mark.

Next on the agenda was a really interesting tiny house, being built on an old trailer chassis.  Jennifer, the client, is trying to use as much reclaimed material as possible.  Almost all the interior wood, the cabinets, and other things are made from donated materials.  MDS even figured out how to add storage drawers on the floor level where the cabinet baseboard would be.

Roman and Jennifer

Under-counter storage

This is my buddy Bella.  She hurt her leg last week

Finally, we were off to the Fillo house in Westbridge, about an hour west of Grand Forks. I wrote about visiting this house on my birthday, and it was cool to see the progress.  Most evident was that a huge pile of old wood out front had been cut into short, usable pieces and stacked neatly.

I guess I didn't take any other pix there.  It was a great day of seeing the work done by all the many MDS crews, and how it is changing the lives of those we serve!