Day 4 - Staying on Target

Mary reports: Well, today was a big day. We arrived at the site a bit earlier than usual and in very chilly weather. Those work gloves and carpenter's aprons provided much-welcomed extra warmth.

We broke into teams of 2 and began putting baffles up under the eaves and doing other chores including cutting out the doorway 2 x 4s so the nearly 2 inches of rain collected there yesterday could be swept out in an attempt to start the drying out process. Drip boards were installed around the edges of the roof. Who knew this would be such an exacting job?

Bart and Paula did a tremendous job and showed us all what the term "patience of a saint" really means.Vicki and I finished the fiberglass wrapping of the rear exterior wall above the porch and shed. Those extension ladders go up really high, I discovered. It was fun and a real sense of accomplishment overtook me when I finished.

The Habitat crew kept us busy with a variety of tasks which took us up to the lunch break. Mark was right "on target" following lunch, and good-naturedly kept us laughing well into the afternoon. (Note: red clay really does stick to everything.) The home-made fudge I brought disappeared quickly as did crackers and yogurt snacks.

We got the roof sheathing finished and the tar paper on top of it all installed. All of the windows are in, and it surely looks like a real house now. The siding had begun to be installed by the end of the day and should be finished tomorrow. We think the doors may go in tomorrow.

The most fun thing of the week happened about 3:30 when we all went over to the next street to take part in and observe the dedication of 4 homes there. Seeing and meeting the new owners and local Habitat officials and taking part in the ceremony was extremely moving and brought everything into perspective for us all.

These are the first 4 of 32 homes scheduled to be built in the area. Local media was there, and we'll be on the evening news.

Tonight we went to the headquarters of the Mobile Association of REALTORS for a delicious dinner and some fellowship with their officers. It was quite pleasant, and, thanks to Deb, we all wore several strands of Mardi Gras beads. We were very festive, if tired.

Happy and relaxed and full of terrific food, we returned to our motel about 8 and are now winding down for our final burst of energetic building in the morning.

Some of us will return to Maine tomorrow while others will depart on Saturday. It has been a truly inspirational week. We must do this again. The next time, you come too.

Note: Mary Kuykendall is president of the Bangor Board of REALTORS