Terrapins of the Mountains

Fourteen strangers
on Spring Break
breaking boundaries,
shingling sheds,
snoring softly while sleeping
side-by-side.

Lots of laughter and
painting, painting, painting.
Eating, eating, eating...
And dishes.

Saturday, they were wary
but time and toil and togetherness
turned awkward beginnings
to comfortable companionship.

The second Saturday will come
too soon,
and mountains will fade
in rearview mirrors.

The moments,
though, forever changed lives.
And fourteen strangers,
now friends.

- Mb

It's Not Over 'til the Rooster Crows

We all woke up extremely tired today after last night's engaging conversation. Since our schedule was adjusted for Thursday, we had to work a whole day Friday instead of a half day. Some of the group went to continue painting the handicap ramp, while the rest of us went to paint the interior of a house north of town in Jackson county.

Our destination was the Isaacs' house on Begley Road. On the way there, we got lost in the countryside, labyrinth neighborhood. After getting in touch with the Kentucky Mountain Housing association members and working the directions out, we finally arrived. Mr. Isaac welcomed us to his home and the work was to commence.

Our task here was to paint the entire house an eggshell white color from the aged cream color the house had acquired over many years. The first task involved moving furniture out of the two bedrooms so that they could be cleaned and painted. We were all a bit surprised to see that the rooms had not been readied for us, but we learned that the Isaacs' only had 10 minutes advance notice. After moving Ms. Isaac's impressive collection of angel statues we got straight to work.

Mr. Isaac bred his own champion-quality roosters and gave us a tour of his coops during one of our breaks. His birds were handsomely colored and he took a lot of pride in showing them to us and exercising them. It was quite a sight to say the least.

"Obama" Mr. Isaac's prize rooster

We were able to paint about half the house during the day. Ms. Isaac was recovering from two strokes, so both she and her husband really appreciated our help.

The other group returned to finish painting the handicap ramp we had started to paint the day before. They braved cold temperatures and were able to get the job done quickly.

The group was able to meet with Ms. Vanila, the elderly woman who owned the home. Ms. Vanila had recently broken her tail bone and was having trouble getting around. She was accompanied by her two nurses, who were extremely polite and thankful to the group. Unfortunately, the painting group learned that Ms. Vanila previously had been robbed by a person posing as one of her nurses. It was sad to hear that someone would stoop to such a level, but it fueled our efforts to get the job done.

Interestingly, we learned that Ms. Vanila had been born in a small one room house we had mistaken for a shed. It still stands next to the current house that is being improved by Kentucky Mountain Housing.

"Ms. Vanila's Birthplace"







"Ms. Vanila's current home on the same property"





After the day's work was completed and we had eaten, we went to East Manchester's Bert T. Combs City Park. This camping ground was quite a site to see. The beautiful landscape encompassed rugged mountains engulfing a clear still lake. The breath-taking site set the mood for our group reflection.

As our final reflection, we played "Tap me if...". In this game we sat in a circle with eyes closed. The leader read off various statements such as, "Tap someone who became a true friend". A few of our members went in the center of the circle and tapped groupmates who completed the statement for them. We then had an "open mic" session where people shared anything they wished reflecting on the overall trip. A common theme was "from fourteen strangers to fourteen friends". The setting and the topic created a great atmosphere to end our trip on.

To end the night Scottie came by to visit. He has been a great friend all week. We were all sad to say goodbye to someone who was so pivotal in helping us achieve our goals. Scottie's goodbye included him asking us to come by again in the future.

As we write everyone is busy tidying up our dorm in preparation to leave bright and early tomorrow at 7 AM!

On a Mission... Thursday, March 19th

Painting a wheelchair ramp

Today began with a sense of uncertainty as we realized that a 30% chance of rainfall would affect our plans to paint a local lady's wheelchair ramp. The woman, a widow, welcomed us with a warm "good morning" to start off our day's work. The air was humid and chilly as we opened our paint cans; and as we began to cover yesterday's paint job, it was obvious that the weather was not going to make today a good painting day. As we brushed away, we realized that our paint was tacky and refusing to dry. Two hours later, after covering almost the entirety of the ramp, the first drops of rain began to fall. Fortunately, the weather did not stop us from completing our first coat. We worked as a team - talking, laughing and bonding along the way. Though the rain sent us back to the Kentucky Mountain Home office, our efforts were not for naught.

It was almost time for lunch! After a brief interim filled with card-playing and catnapping, we set out to a popular hamburger joint in town, recommended to us on Wednesday by the mayor. We really made an appearance as we entered the cozy and friendly eatery. The cook asked us what we were doing in Manchester ("Are you lost?" were his exact words) and we told him about our reasons for being here. He and the store's owner grabbed a 1-subject notebook and asked for all of our orders. Offers to upgrade our single burger patties to doubles were met with enthusiastic replies. Most of us got to sample Grippo's, a favorite potato chip of the area. Full and happy, we made our way to the billiard room after Kasey challenged "Lightning," the restaurant's main man to a pool game. (Side note: his nickname was derived from the skill he displayed during his years as a professional billiard player. Uh oh.) The three games that Kasey and Lightning played were entertaining for all parties involved, especially for the players, and Kasey showed remarkable grace under pressure. After getting creamed by the pro in the last game (which Kasey almost won), the playing was done; clock was ticking and we realized we had a drive to make. Onward to Red Bird Mission, 16 miles away by windy road.

After a fast-paced, roller-coaster-like ride through the mountains, we arrived at the Mission, which is a comprehensive medical facility and K-12 school designed to cater to the disadvantaged population of Leslie County, KY. Our first stop on the tour was the Christmas Room, where George, our tour guide, let us peek at the gifts (board games, dolls, under wear) given to very needy Appalachian families at Christmastime. This section of the facility is run primarily by devoted volunteers, who sort and package gift boxes for distribution (over 400 each winter). We moved down the hall to a "learning room," so to speak, which is meant to socialize geographically isolated toddlers and pre-schoolers in preparation for kindergarten. Greeting us down the hall was registered nurse Tracy Nolan, director of community outreach at the Mission. She described to us her role in bringing the services provided by Red Bird to the people of the community, who often are unaware of just what the Mission provides. Blood drives, pregnancy assistance, senior citizen activism, nutritional consultations -- these services are just a few of those meant to respectfully educate those in need. Additionally, the effort put into executing services is compounded by the energy needed to receive funding for implementing them. Mrs. Nolan seems like an energetic, purpose-driven person extremely sensitive to the needs in her surrounding community ("That's why I love being a nurse," she said).

At Red Bird Mission

After meeting with Mrs. Nolan, we walked outside and peeked into the buildings where donated clothes are delivered, sorted, and packaged for sale in the Mission Store (and for delivery). We then entered the facilities of the Red Bird School, where George proudly showed us several murals detailing the history of the Mission, introduced us to the teachers, and led us through a number of classrooms. It was a comprehensive tour, to say the least :). Finally, we headed back to the craft store, where many of us purchased such goods as jams, recipe books, jewelry and toys made by Kentucky artisans.

Piling into the van, we set off for a ride back to Manchester. Along the way, however, we encountered the unexpected. They don't call this "Elk Country" for nothing. With her eagle eyes, Marybeth spotted a large elk buck resting among the trees along the road. We (of course) played up our touristy role, pulling alongside the highway to take countless pictures of the beautiful creature.

Once we were back to town, we proceeded to El Cazador. This colorful, local Mexican restaurant served up some great dishes, which we all quickly scarfed down. We had a ballgame to get to!

Our contractor, Scottie, helps coach his son's middle school baseball team. Our group wanted to go out and show our support, so we made our way to the ball fields at Town Branch Park. There, we watched the Clay County team decimate their Harlan County opponents. We had a great time in the bleachers - acting a bit silly, cheering on the home team, and cuddling against one another to keep warm as the sun set over the mountains in the distance.

The evening ended with a trip for coffee, dessert and reflection at Starwood Mountain. This coffee shop has only been in business for three weeks, but we learned a bit from Theresa, the proprietor, about her experiences in Manchester. Back at the dorm, we dialogued about our power and privilege reflection activity. It was a moving conversation; people really offered a lot of themselves to the group, and the conversations continued late into the night...

Interaction with Clay County

The shed is done!

Today was the third and final day of building the shed. We had to redo some of the siding three times due to miscalculations, with assurance from our contractor Scottie that we need to learn arithmetic! We had no idea how much physics and math had to do with our next problem solving adventure. When the shed was finished, we had to come up with a way to lift it up onto a trailer to bring it to the home that would be needing it. Unfortunately, the trailer was too small to fit the shed. So Ahsan constructed a way to move the shed with planks and piping onto the top of the trailer.

By this time, the weather was beautiful. We had stripped down to our t-shirts and were getting very warm. After lunch, a few of us drove behind the trailer to help bring the shed to its location while most of us went to a handicapped woman's house to paint her railing. Some of us started working on the railing and had the opportunity to meet with the homeowner. She was very thankful for the work we were doing for her and that definitely made us want to continue. During this time, the other group with the shed had started to move it to its new location and had some interesting struggles trying to take it off of the trailer and keep it steady at the same time. Luckily, with the help of Scottie and some other workers, we finished with success.

Maneuvering the shed onto a trailer

After the groups got back together we went to visit the Mayor Lewis of Clay County. She spent most of our meeting explaining the plans that her and her coworkers have planned for Clay County. Many of the programs and events they have started have been making strides towards moving this area away from its drug problems and helping create a sense of family as well as community for the younger generation. She also mentioned many ideas to help attract tourism, including hunting, camping, fishing, hiking, and salt mine attractions. It was very interesting to note all of the county's rich culture and how a lot of it is not recognized.

Later on in the evening, we all took showers and had a very filling pasta dinner. Then we went to a local park to reflect on the day's events. We played our typical game of Thorns and Roses, listing the worst and best parts of our day and wrote a Haiku about our day as well. Most of these poems were very amusing and it was fun to see our peers get creative and adventurous with their writing.

Meeting with Mayor Lewis

Overall, with the sun beating down us most of the day and the accomplishment of a completed shed, we were very exhausted by the end of the evening. It has been another successful day in Manchester, and we look forward to the new projects that await us tomorrow.

"Shedding" light on rural poverty. Part II

Working on the roof

Nailing up the siding

We're making good progress on the shed!

Today, we woke up with soreness but that didn't stop us from going back to work! It was our second day of building the shed. Everyone was eager to get back to work and continue the construction. The weather was cold and foggy during the first half of the day, but after lunch, it was totally the opposite. The sun started to shine and the temperature was warm. This was perfect timing because we were getting ready to put up sidings and shingles on the shed. Moving the shed from inside of the garage to the outside required a great amount of team work. We thought Scottie was going to use some kind of truck to move the shed, we learned that there was another way to move it. Instead of using a machine to lift the shed, we used plastic tubes, long pieces of lumber, and most importantly the cooperation from all of us to accomplish this task. When the shed was outside, the workload was divided among us. We diligently hammered in sidings around the shed and shingles on the roof. We came close to finishing the shed and expected to finish this project by tomorrow morning.

Not only was it a productive day at the construction site, but it was also a fun and exciting day. Some of us had a chance to take a walk around and explore the town. We went to the local library, got a library card, and check out some books about Appalachia. Then, after we left the library, we walked up the hill to Trudie's Gift Shop and some other stores. Many stores were closed as early as 4pm on the weekdays. Most of people in the neighborhood recognized that we are from out of town, but they asked us about it anyways. They are such friendly people.

Our evening included home cook meal from Genna and Hema, who made Jambalaya, side salad, and scrumptious mash potatoes. We did several reflection and activities that made us understand each other better. We also watched the beginning of the documentary "Country Boys".

"Shedding" light on rural poverty

With our hammers, starting the shed we built.

The group gets to work on the floor of the shed.

Putting up the first shed wall

Today, we started our first work project. It was dark when we awoke... sleepy-eyed, we met around the dining table to eat breakfast and pack lunches. Donna joined us around 8am to give us the lowdown for the day. We are building a shed for a family for whom Kentucky Mountain Housing is already building a home... the shed is a priority because the family has to have their old one torn down to make room for a septic tank.

After a quick briefing, we went into the Kentucky morning mist. We loaded into our van and Donna's car, and Donna led us to the site where the existing home and storage space is. The current house looked decrepit and unlivable. Donna explained to us how the family had been living there with only a dirt floor. Slightly above the house on a hill stood the new house; with its shiny aluminum siding, it stood in stark contrast against the old home.

After seeing this sad situation we were eager to get to work. Our task was challenging for those of us with limited work experience; however, our fearless leader, Scottie, guided us through the process of framing out the shed and putting up plywood walls. Scottie is a contractor with KMH, and this was our first encounter with him. He was very patient and a good teacher. He showed us the steps and encouraged all of us to try each step until we succeeded at it. We also are fortunate to have some folks with prior building experience - like Ahsan and Corey, 'cause they also helped lead the way. Let's just say, we've all learned a bit about how to hold our hammers :)

Overall, we spent the better part of the day in a garage space owned by KMH. Our evening plans include a home-cooked meal, courtesy Corey and Mara's mad skillz with chicken, potatoes, and salad. Then, we'll be watching "Walmart: The High Cost of Low Price."

We're tired... but have lots to look forward to.

First Day Exploration!

Our group at the site of a salt mine demolished during the Civil War.

At the original KFC in Corbin, KY.

Quick update about last night: we got in late around 10, after a very long car ride. Nothing like some curvy roads and some dense fog to welcome us to the wonderful state of Kentucky. Kentucky Mountain Housing, where we're staying, is absolutely beautiful and spacious. Donna, the executive director, was nice enough to come meet with us despite the late hour.

Today we got to sleep in a little, and after breakfast we took off on an adventure exploring Clay County. The landscape is breathtaking, but its clear that there's a disparity between here and where we've come from. However, the people here have been extremely warm and welcoming (Shout out to the Baptist pastor of Manchester and the Hardee's cashier in some unknown town in VA!). We also explored the town of London in nearby Laurel County, and we visited the original KFC in Corbin, which was awesome. As we traveled, we noticed the difference in availability of stores, the sizes of the houses and maintenance of roads, which changed greatly between the two counties. It was surprising how uneven resources are distributed in the state.

The rest of the day was more difficult. The sink started backing up during lunch. Then during lunch time reflection we heard a noise and thought nothing of it. Then someone went to the bathroom to find the toilet tank had cracked and water spilling everywhere. This was promptly followed by the security alarm going off which even the property owners didn't know how to turn off. While this was unsettling, it was a great bonding experience.

Donna came to speak with us, and gave us an idea of what we would be doing. Kentucky Mountain Housing is working with three families, two are headed by widows suffering from physical disabilities and one headed by a middle-age couple, to either repair their existing houses or build anew. We shall see how helpful we are tomorrow either making repairs or building a shed. Hopefully we will have a less eventful time than today.

We finished the night by watching "Harlan County, USA" which told the story of coal miners in nearby Harlan Country in the 1970's. It detailed the struggle of union coal miners to achieve better pay and safer conditions. It was useful in teaching us the local history and the struggle for economic improvement. Sadly, there is still work to be done.