All is well and wonderful here, as usual. I've been thinking about how it will feel when I leave this place and I'm going to miss it a lot (though I am staying at present as possible). I've decided I will most likely travel back here in January to visit my friends and see the houses in their finished state. Since, when I leave in August the finish work will just be getting under way.
Two weekends ago a bunch of people from the University of Idaho came to tour the project site and meet the interns. They are starting a really cool program there where students will build their own housing for college credit and they want to use LCLT as an example to lead by. So a few of the interns were invited to a big dinner/potluck/mingle session at a crazily opulent house on the cliffs of Shark Reef. Since it's strawberry season there are strawberries coming out of everyone's ears. It's amazing. This couple who owns the house gave everyone a tour and turns out the have a hot tub over looking the cliffs. So, I, not wanting to pass up a sweet opportunity cajoled alla the other interns to relax in the hot tub. As it was a fancy dinner party, some interns felt weird about it. But as expected everyone got in (half naked) and we all had a great time, lotsa bonding!
Ever since July 3rd, it's actually felt like summer here. Very warm and sunny. I definitely have turned olivey. The 4th of July was fun---though I have no holdings for the "holiday"---the LCLT had a float in the heavily attended community parade (lotsa people come in from Seattle). Most of the interns participated and we drummed for at least 2 hours parading the route of 1.5 miles. After the parade we went to Otis Perkins Beach and hung out with alla the friends, drank beers, did acrobatics, and had a great time. As the day got later it was just the intern crew left chillen on the beach and we all were really bonding and getting comfortable with each other. I love that feeling, it's so warm and fuzzy. As night came a long, there were so so so many things happening that we all just decided to have a bonfire BBQ at Hummel House (where 4 of us live) and relax. We ate steamed veggies from the fire and Copper River Salmon. Oddly enough, Copper River Salmon is what I ate a lot of when I was working in AK and it was soo fresh there and so free :) So it was wired to pay top dollar for something that was so abundant in a previous summer in my life.....so it goes.
Last weekend there was a solar panel installation work party going on. I went there for about 1 hour or so, but decided that I wasnt in to it. My good friend Kiera had mentioned the night before at "happy hour" that she needed help setting up her canvas tent cabin in the woods of Callie's place. So I rode the 30mins or so down the road to her forest spot---so much moss!!! She wasnt there so I hung out in her hammock for an hour. I decided to leave and on my way down the road back to home, there came Kiera and Ralph (as expected) traveling down the road. They pulled over and I tossed my bike on their roof and hopped myself up there! We took a short dirt road ride back to their place and proceeded to set up the canvas cabin. It's a really awesome cabin and even has a mini woodstove! We all ended up hanging all night, eating local beef burgers and local ground lamb (raised at the place my silks are) and then i got picked up by my intern buddies after they had just come back from smelting. Smelting is a commnity event where people get together and pull in nets and catch small fish called smelts. We all ended up at The Galley--the local waterin' hole. That day was so great, because I really felt the flow of it all. I was just fine doing whatever happened to happen and so was everyone else. It all just felt so free form and how life should be.
Some health things have been coming up with me: I've been waking up at night with numb/tingly hands (and Im not even sleeping on them, they are totally flat) and pain in my wrist. I asked around to all the other interns and our head carpenter, Pamela, and everyone said they are or had experienced that. I began asking around to experienced people and massage therapists and figured out that it's a pinched nerve issue stemming from not being mindful of ergonomics when hammering or using the nail gun. To treat it I have been stretching a lot, not bending my wrist at weird angles, getting massaged, and rubbing arnica and st. johns wort oil on the joint. It's still happening, but not every night and I learned a very important lesson in ergonomics.
I'm still loving building everyday. I learn tons of new things all the time. Using and feeling confident with power tools is really great. The houses are fully sheathed with OSB (Oriented Strand Board) and the rooves are on and tar papered. Almost all of the houses interior walls have been completed and electrical and plumbing has been added to 2. Next will be hanging the doors, installing the windows/sills, roofing, and dry walling. Through doing every step of the process I have realized (like i have in other aspects of my life) that I am very detail oriented and love that kind of stuff in the carpentry world as well. We probably have the most fun construction site that has ever existed. So many smiles, laughing, and trust.We all do this thing (pretty much every day) where we talk in accent all day. hah. Yesterday was pirate day and most days are Irish, Scotish, British day. It's the best. Puts a smile on me face.
That's all for now. I'm off to have a great Saturday filled with farmers market, music, and friends. Thanks for reading!
Sprout Out!!
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