6 Months later

From the street you can see the garden, the steps, the fences and the bare trees. This is much different than the dense greenery which I trampled through everyday while working in the Danny Woo Community Garden.  Monday Grold 65 was deposited in Seattle's International District, specifically in the Danny Woo Garden.  This was so all teammembers could gather before departure and have a set pick up location. I practically sprinted up the steps to see the chickens and the garden. So many memories came flooding back. There was trash, used condomns and syringes (all the things we moved everymorning) but at the top of the stairs was a brightly colored sign and rainbows and poultry palace.  There were chickens! Our chickens! It turns out Tracy was in fact a rooster and is no longer living in the palace...I'd like to think (s)he's off on a farm somewhere with lots of pretty hens...unfortunately I doubt this. Mary Tyler Moore was no where in sight but Pigeon Chicken, Scarlet, Barack, BB, Evian, etc were pecking around. They rushed to the gate when I walked up and I wished I had the key. I obviously bored the CMs who were with me with Danny Woo facts. Most of the plant identification signs were still up, our rainbows were still snugly in the dirt, the pieces wood and rocks the kids painted were still there. I swear if I just closed my eyes the weather would have transformed from hazy to sunny; Minna would run up to me holding Pocky: I could hear Yasha sharpening the Machetes, Stephen building the compost sifter (which is still there), Sara and JFB running around with the kids and the chickens, Eric and Sophie digging holes and Iman just insisted on painting the rocks. I sat nostaligically on the worm bin for a few minutes and caught all sorts of subtle hints of my existence in this garden. There was a long piece of mulch which had been dipped in bright green paint (a mixing stick), there was a rock with a blue brush stroke and a green stripe (which I stole and took home) and lots of love.

Earlier that day, due to van reasons (see a lesson in flexibility) Katie and I had to travel into Burien. Where I lived fourth round! I cried like a baby all the way there. I knew how to guide her there without the GPS, and then suddently there I was...sitting at KCs eating a club and using their wifi, walking to the apt, walking down the alley, tripping over shopping carts and staring at flapjacks. There is aboslutely no signal that a rove of nine gypsies made Cascade Vista their home. If it wasn't for the burning images and memories in my head....it would be like it never happened.

..and then the rain came.

So our first day of work was pretty simple. We were pounding rebar into the ground, pulling it out and putting in Willow Stakes. This helps with all sorts of erosion in the flood plane. Because there were only 1500 stakes, and also our first times together we spent a lot of time playing. There was one group who was doing blackberry removal (this is painful and dirty) so whenever we rotated groups, the group who did blackberry lost a "game." We played rock, paper scissors and then the team played kickball, while Laura, Deverton (the WCC lead) and I had a business meeting...by playing golf. They dug a hole in the dirt and flagged it, then used the tennis ball as a golf ball. It was a lot of fun. Aren't I cute?

Then there was a snow day!!! We got too much snow on wednesday to get out of the Valley! Unfortunately it was pretty lame. Since then, Gold six has been fighting the urge to mudslide all day at work. Wednesday we had a snow day and then the rest of the week it's been raining. As we drove up to the site on Thursday, and the windshield wipers squeecked quickly to keep up with the rain I just thoguht about how happy it was raining. I love working in the rain. I love the way it feels on my face, and the temperature difference of it vs my skin. I also love the mud. I love being dirty. We were still pounding in rebar for willows but this time it was in shin deep water and in the rain. We continued to play games during the day, some groups removed invasives. The work has just gotten better. The team has been so great. The sponsors are awesome. And its been raining! It's just been getting muddier and muddier. Tomorrow we're leading volunteers in some tree planting.

Sorry this was so short but trust me I'm happy. I love Washington.

Yours, Mine and Ours

As my roommate and I try to figure out the logistical nightmare of merging two families into our one very non-traditional 22 person zoo, the team seems to be rather content. Yesterday, we pulled into Valley Camp to meet Teena, Tom and their four dogs. They are incredibly kind and considerate. They showed us our way into the house. It was raining but hey, this was at least expected. In the NCCC world, you learn to understand even if the forecast is bad, if it stays true its a bonus! Anything that turns out the way it was foreshadowed is welcome. While Laura and I did a quick run through of the house and rooms our twenty "children" carried all of their belongings inside and just piled them on the floor. As I stared at the mountains comparable to Rainier of our things, I wondered how we got it and 22 people into only two vans.

Teena and Tom came out shortly after to give us some camp vitals. I again cannot even begin to tell you how kind they are - willing to give us whatever it is we need and honestly very excited to have us. SEveral times they told us they liked 'noise" so to play and have fun as much as we wanted. WHAT A RELIEF! Gold 6 is nothing if not boisterous. While they were talking the Washington Conservation Corps groups we'll be working with showed up and were soon followed by Ty, our sponsor. The teams introduced themselves and gave us some warm weather tips (mostly regarding hands...which is my biggest fear. I am a BIG FAT BABY about cold fingers). They left after about a half hour. I can't lie, I was a little nervous at how overwhelmed Grold 65 (gold six and green 5) would be after being in the van for 2 days and then swarmed by another 15 people. They were great though. They got an hour to unpack and play before the team meeting.

Two of my CMs came running down the stairs and bolted out the backdoor because they just wanted to play; I quickly shouted after them "theres balls in the closet" and ten fishetd out some balls and a whiffle ball bat." They batted some snowballs around for a while in the backyard. Most everyone else nested into their bunk beds, while I nested into the kitchen.

One of the things we discussed at the team meeting was assigning everyone a "hook." I am somehow really in love with all their parka's hanging up on their pegs. Its no longer a "dorm" its a home!

After the team meetings, we went to Tweeds Cafe which I guess is rather famous thanks to "twin peaks" a tv show which was filmed in North Bend and featured the cafe a lot. Their burger selection was amazing! We took the kids home and Laura and I ventured into town. It was raining as we left town and as we got closer to our exit and then finally into our camp the rain turned to hail and then to snow. As Laura and I drove into Issaquah to go to Fred Meyer we decided we'd grocery shop in Issaquah too to avoid driving more than we had to. The rain was now mostly snow until we actually got half way to Issaquah and then it turned back into snow. I'm not really a nervous driver and I've been driving in snow/rain/slush/wind/storms since I started driving (thanks Iowa!) but I was definitely a little nervous with Betty our 15p (you remember the ditch incident right?).  We go to Fred Meyer and was shocked. It was huge and clean compared to the one in Burien. We got a little excited and then went to grocery shopping/personal shopping. For 22 people for 3 days we were budgeted about $300.  Our teams have very different food habits and likes and Laura and I do too. However, I think we managed to compromise and everyone hopefully won! On our way home the snow picked up again half way back to North Bend and Laura and I started discussing the possible need for chains. Now, I have put chains on before BUT i have put on chains that you drive over...these were not those. My VST (the CM repsonsible for van and tool safety) was teaching us the NEXT day about putting on chains. Well there was no way we were getting up to camp without them, so in the the rain/sleet/snow and about two inches of slush we learned and put on tire chans and drove expertly back to camp, where almost everyone was asleep...thanks for helping carrying in groceries guys lol.

Today our sponsor came and took us on a driving tour around the area, including Issaquah falls. As most things are going to be this round we had to stop for pictures of Green 5, Gold 6 and Grold 65. I'm so excited for this project. Its interesting how much the location affects how I feel. I am not highly motivated by environmental projects but I am IN LOVE with their housing. Camping in Malibu and now living here. I love being outside and i love hiking and all the snow and pretty much everything but the actual work. Since we got here and it snowed, I've been all grins. This is going to be so great!

Merry Christmas, Happy New Year and Hello North Bend

Well, It seems that I have yet again, neglected to write in quite sometime. I always have things I want to say and somehow just get too exhausted to actually write them...hmm I wonder why.

Gold Six finished out round one strong. There was some Site Sponsor drama but that is bound to happen no matter what and my team handle it extremely well. We then had to survive transition. I could only remember how much I loathed transition last year. It seemed to be full of people whom I realized throughout the round, I didn't really care about, or they didn't really care about me and transition was just a game of avoidance and survival. As a TL it's not much different but the relationships are fewer and the work load is MUCH higher. I felt like I was running around with my head cut off but we survived and I finally got to fly home on December 18. I have never been so happy to be headed back to Des Moines. The full day of travel was excruciating as I anticipated landing and the babies waking me up in the morning.

The first week of Christmas break was filled with all sorts of family things and mom reteaching me how to vacation. I worked for approximately 6 hours. This is the most consecutive days off I've had since high school. It was so weird. I literally had to be retrained into relaxing. Lucky for me my house is very comfortable and small blonde children were around to keep me busy. We went to the Leonardi DiVinci Exhibit which was amazing. We say Jolly Holliday Lights, which was fun. I hate way too much food and had Christmas. I got a Nook! I was very happy but all of the christmas gifts were overshadowed by the arrival of Sara and Iman!

 We went sledding, out to eat, played sega genesis and scrabble. In true Go1d fashion we just sat around and talked, laughed and made fun of each other. I haven't seen Iman since the beginning of July and Sara since the end of July. I nearly cried when they pulled into the driveway. It was so easy to fall back into Go1D comfort and happiness of all last year. When they left, I was definitely depressed but I am going to strive to hold onto that happiness. I feel like I am lacking these sorts of connections this year. I've been pining for last year intrinsically a ton. New orleans, Malibu, St Bernard, Burien. Just feeling, accepted, connected and like I belong. I have a much more minute sense of that this year. I miss it.

Going back to campus was probably the hardest thing I've ever had to do. I realized that as much as I LOVE this program, I also am getting tired of living out of a suitcase. My family is making some big changes and I should be there for these. I just have to wait go home til August now. SHUCKS!

We transitioned our way through the first three days and today Gold Six and Green five left McClellan (finally!) for our one night stay in Eugene and then onto North Bend. Laura (green five TL and my roomie) and I had an EPIC meeting tonight trying to orchestrate the logistics of merging our two teams, our two units, our two leadership styles and twenty two personalities. Not to mention we have a TON of matching names. We have Lauren, Lauren and Laura, Krista, Kristin and Kristina, Lauren and Lauren, Steph S and Steph S, Brittany and Brytnie.  This is going to be a rather EPIC game of "yours mine and ours" this entire round.

I am very excited about this opportunity to pick up learning styles and connections but I kind of just want my team alone and bonding. I feel like I'm still going to be left out. Working on becoming Ms. Independent I guess.