Tornado Entry: 15

In a way I’m sort of sorry this is not November Journaling Month where-by a journal entry a day is required. I have more happening in my life now than I can daily record!

For whatever reason my camera is not downloading all its pictures: Stray shots are turning up. I need to show these shots from my Thursday crew.

This house picture starkly shows the warlike landscape we are working in. Two people were killed when crashing trees pushed it off the foundation. This is just down the road from the house we worked on.

This was my Thursday crew. Clay on the far left: Jimmy on the far right

Friday I was so happy to see Clay and Jimmy at the church. Clay is the main man on roofing in my book! We picked up two more workers. Sara and Laura (?) Forgive me I am so horrible with names!

We picked up tools and supplies and headed right out to Crescent Ridge Road to finish out the house we were only able to ½ tarp. The weather was expected to turn ugly. We had three jobs total in the book.

Clay took charge of the roofing detail. He had been wearing my old nail belt. That roofing tar encrusted belt was given to my back in 1978 by one of my oldest friend’s Dad. Ted (his son) was helping me shingle my garage, the first project I undertook upon buying my house. I told Clay the story behind that nail belt and passed it on to him.

We finished up the house in time for lunch at the Moose Lodge. The folks there know us on sight and greet us like old returning friends.

The sky opened up and it poured while we ate. There is no way we can climb on roofs. We returned to the church. Jimmie headed back to Mississippi. While we are at the church the sky cleared a bit. Clay, Sara, Lara and I headed out to the other two jobs.

One was on Crescent Ridge Road. It had already been taken care of. We then headed to 25^th Ave to the last job in the book.

This was a cute 1930’s house. There were some bad areas in the back that needed covering. The old three tab shingle roof was in horrible shape before the storm hit. Clay, Sara and Laura tackled the roofing work. I took care of taping over the smashed out windows.

Part of the enjoyment of doing this work is the bonding between the teams. Sara is a surgical nurse. She loved hearing my stories of my mother, who was a WWII Army nurse. I’m adamant about my team wearing gloves whenever they get near any form of metal roofing. I show off my “wound” as an example.

At the Moose Lodge I had to change out my dressing, meaning another piece of duct tape over the cut. Sara laughed! I told her how it bled really well and I had cleaned it out. “It’s the puncture wounds which don’t bleed that hold the germs in. That’s what my mom always told me!” I said to Sara. “She sounds like a wise woman.” Sara replied to me. If she could only realize what an understatement that was!

Sara, Clay in his nail belt and Laura holding onto the tarping.

We got back to the Church to drop off our supplies. We had some tarping and two SP hammers to turn in. Sara said she would turn in the hammers as she picked up my new framing hammer. “Not that one!!!!” I yelled. How she laughed… she played me just like a piano.

I told Les after we went through the work book that I would be back on Monday as they should have more than enough people turn out for the weekend. Les replied “We have people but not experienced team leaders.”

As I walked to my truck I saw Todd, who had invited me to the church supper Thursday night. I apologized for not being there, explaining the circumstances why. This exchange followed.

Todd: Where do you go to church?

Jamie: I’m not much on organized religion, but I do believe in the teachings of Jesus. I believe how Jesus taught by example to do good and I try to follow in his footsteps.

Todd: Well, organized religion is man’s way of finding God.

Jamie: Thank you Todd.

At this point I was so tempted to tell Todd that his organized religion does not treat people of my sexual orientation very “Jesus-like”. It was not the time to have "that talk".

I decided to do a ½ day today (Saturday) Paul is having a cook out at his Gordo Farm tonight. Just the kind of distraction I need right now…..