Monday 9-19

PICTURES: http://community.webshots.com/album/457060882dhkJlz

On the Road from Hattiesburg to Biloxi 7:50 AM

I was writing about yesterday’s activities last night. Then, I took a nap. Those who know me best know would have predicted that I wouldn’t wake up. We were up yesterday by six o’clock. Most of us had showered the night before, but I had to get up extra early and we were sharing one shower with another group of at least seven.

We left Biloxi, and met with Pastor Dwayne, who led us to our first job. We were needed to clear up a women’s drive-way. We weren’t prepared for what we saw. The drive-way was situated in a forest where numerous trees had fallen. It was quite the endeavor. We started working right away, while Jay went to get some additional supplies. Jay proposed that we “get our feet wet.” Big Dave and I thought that was a great idea. Jeff and John said nothing. We soon found out why. It took Jay nearly four hours to get back. It was time for lunch.

I learned how to use my first chainsaw that day. Chainsawing was the best job, as it kept the hundreds of love bugs surrounding us away. Often, we had two people doing that, while the rest of us cleared the braches and logs. With the large amount of work, the chain saws started to dull, get stuck, and break. Of the three chainsaws, we were often down to one working machine. The times for repair provided a nice break, in which we all drank a Gatorade and plenty of water, and swatted away at the love bugs. (Eventually, we all got used to being surrounded by hundreds of bugs who seemed to constantly be having sex)

Jay still had plenty of energy when he came back in the early afternoon, as he had spent most of the day driving around in his nice air-conditioned truck. The rest of us were dying. We were taking breaks more often and for longer amounts of time. The Pastor brought us some pizza. I chowed down four pieces, while the more experience Jeff and John only ate two. As a result, they were able to keep going, as I got a headache, stomach-ache, and became pretty much useless. I just fell over onto the tarp and took a nap. When I woke, Jay was back from a second trip. It was the home-strech.

We got everything finished. in the next couple of hours We used the trucks to drag the logs out of the drive-away onto the side of the road, where FEMA is to pick them up in the upcoming weeks. We then raked all the dry pines, leaves, and grass into piles on the side of the road. At the end of the day, Dave calculated that we had moved about 30-40 tons of lumber.

After we had left, we decided to get something to eat. We went to Lone Star, where everyone had a nice large meal. I ate a little of all three appetizers (Texas Rose-giant onion ring, Cheese Fries, and something else), a salad with Honey Mustard, 6 oz Steak and Shrimp, and an extra of Shrimp). It took a long while to get the food, but we kept ourselves busy with plenty of chatter. We then headed back to the Grace Temple Church. They had prepared some very nice air mattresses for us. I took a shower, and quickly fell asleep. We were up this morning at 6:15, and ready to head out by 7:00. That’s all for now. AMF

David Qasem

PICTURES:http://community.webshots.com/album/457060882dhkJlz

9/19/05

We got up in Biloxi a 6:15 a.m.and pulled into the church parking lot of Grace Temple in H’berg at 8:30. The pastor there took us to a home about 10 miles out of town. It had about 200 yards of driveway covered with downed pines, some more than 2 feet in diameter, with their roots still in the ground, others piled like pick up sticks. We had trouble with the saws all day, and the temperature was probably 95 or higher, and because we were sawing all day, the black love bugs were swarming.

Jay spent a lot of time off site getting supplies we needed, finally going to chainsaw repair place. Between 11:30 and 1::30 we worked very inefficiently, dazed by the heat. So dazed in fact that we were not sure we could finish the job. But Jay gave us the managerial spark we needed when he got back with saws in better working order. We then cut through the thickest of the trees and hauled them out by chains with Jay’s pick-up truck. The team pushed through completing the job about 5:30 or six, cleaned up the site, took a picture with a very grateful homeowner named Carol, packed our tools and went to the Lone Star Café for Dinner. All in all we probably cleared 30 to 40 tons of debris today.

We got back to Grace Temple at about 9. It took several hours to get organized for showers and to set up our temporary sleeping quarters in the ante room to the nursery school room, where I a now laying in the dark at about 11:00 pm Mississippi time.

Tomorrow we go down to Biloxi to hang drywall in the in the relief center/church we worked in on Sunday. The dry wall was cut out by the army corps of engineers while the floodwaters were still in the building to prevent swelling and mold.

Miss you so much. Love David.

(David Evanson)