1 week down......

So since we last spoke a lot of things having been happening (obviously). My whole first week on the Island and what an experience already.

We are building 4 houses. Each house is for a community member. These 4 members are all in their early to mid-30s, they have kids and all are partnered, but one. What a great place to grow up. We finished the bottom plate work on 2 houses and are pouring the other 2 slabs starting this week. I think on one of the houses that's further along we're going to raise some walls this week too, thats pretty exciting. I've been learning how to use/feel comfortable with a myriad of power tools from a chop saw to a cement mixer.

Last week the weather was so beautiful and I actually got a sun burn. ouch! I forgot about those.

The week of building from 8am-5pm left me (and my fellow builders) exhausted. On Saturday, they have a cute lil' farmer's market, which is actually (right now at least) more of a craft fair. But its super awesome. Then my housemate Luke and I took a bike ride out to a preserve on the tip of the island and hung out on a secluded beach for quite a while looking at rocks and building things with drift wood. What a beautiful bike ride! Then we stopped at the best community free area I've ever seen. Super organized, lots of stuff, completely free! I've tried contacting city council people in Arcata about a community free box for a while, but i get no interested responses. It's such a great idea...and...it really works. I got a pair of perfectly good shoes, a hat, magazine, 2 shirts....it rocked.

On Sunday, i went to a work party to help put in an earthen floor in a guy's newly build barn addition. It was so much fun! Lots and lots of digging, passing, wheel barrowing, mixing, etc. Definitely was pooped at the end of the party (1pm). I had to come home and take a rejuvenating nap. And besides alla the building and working, I've been meeting so sos so many people. I can barely remember most of their names (but I will). Went to a woods party the other night, pitch black except for the fire.

You know how usually people saw watch out when ur driving and dont hit a deer? Well here, you have to watch out that the deer dont hit you. When theyre starteled at night (from a bike) they'll just leap out! People say that sometimes there are deer hitting people accidents. eek! You just have to sing while biking so ther know you're coming (kinda like bears).

So I have a plethora of pictures and here some (a lot) of them are:

 

Sprout out.