Tornado Entry: 11

At the boathouse Sunday, everyone was exchanging their stories. Margaret related as to how she was living in Nuremburg, Germany in 1947 and the devastation left in Tuscaloosa paralled the bombed out remains she witnessed.

There seems to be an order now as the signing up for volunteers has become routine. I had two job assignments and some 10 people. Seven of the ten were only on for four hours. I split the jobs and put Josh in charge of the one crew. Josh seemed really capable and was flying out later in the afternoon.

Myself and four other guys headed out to our job on East 13^th St. Two of the guys were not able to do any roofing, so I put them to just doing some general cleaning up. Kyle and Phillip were two young boys from Missouri who were right on it.

Kyle left, Phillip right

Margaret’s words were all I could think of as I viewed the destruction from the rafters of this house. There was no roof left. This house was a first structure to remain standing in the hard hit area of 15^th St and McFarland. It is a shotgun style house that did not move from the foundation, so it should be able to be rebuilt. To the east was a clear view of the old Big Lots, and Hobby Lobby. The Krispy Crème and Blue Moon Bar-b-que are pretty much gone without a trace.

The radio was blaring as we arrived. Climbing the ladder to assess the job I saw the old cloth wiring and immediately thought about the disaster of nailing through a live wire. Then I thought “You idiot there is no power to this house!!” There were good tunes playing on the boombox which brought back my "party days". (The house owner later told us how well Duracell batteries work in that radio!)

Kyle and Phillip were great in that I was able to leave them on their own and they knew what to do. I had to run back to the church to get more supplies. Stopped home on the way and picked up my old ice chest. The ice machine at the church is getting a workout! My boys will have cold water to drink now!

We were able to get the roof covered as best we could. The homeowner was thrilled with the job. We were starved. I told my boys I knew the best place for lunch. They piled in the back and we headed to the Moose Lodge on 25^th Ave. I drove slow as they were in the back of the truck. This is a common sight now in town: pick up trucks with all kinds of tools and people in the back!

Success.. pretty well finished.

The madness and shock is wearing off and as the streets and roads get cleared things are returning to a form of normal. The outside food set up was gone at the Moose and I was afraid they had stopped serving volunteers. No, they had moved the operation indoors. They remembered me from Friday when I wore my Utilikilt. I explained how I was asked by the powers to be to not wear it as a team leader. I was kind of annoyed, but there is too much to be done to argue a small point. We pigged out on fried shrimp and fries. I washed it down with lots of iced tea.

We turned in our job paperwork and went out on another tarping. This was located across the street from the last minute tarping I did last Monday. A 20ft storage shed had a tree fall right in the middle, making a twisted mess. There was inventory of a business that needed to be protected in the short term. This was kind of dangerous and it was shifting a bit. I was taking a piece of tarp over and my footing shifted. Instinctively I reached to the side which was a section of metal roof. Yup I got a good cut… boy did it bleed! A little bit of duct tape sealed it up fine!

We returned to the church to dump off the supplies and paperwork. Kyle and Phillip were wondering where to get breakfast. I told them “My House!!” They can’t believe I get up at 4:00 a.m. Breakfast is the easiest meal to cook.

Got home and crashed: Once I got moving again I washed out my cut. It was clean and since it bled really well it should be O.K. It is the puncture wounds that hold the germs in. Mom taught me that! A long hot shower did wonders to revive me.

I had a steak in the ice box from the other day to cook up. Since I had so much food for lunch I was only able to eat half of it.

It was a warm night. I settled in on the porch swing with a glass of box wine. I was clean and all I had on was my Utilikilt. As I type this out all I can think of is the famous quote by Mae West, “Come on in, all I have on is the radio.” It did not take Stumpy long to find me. He hopped right up on my lap for loves. I left a brick in the door so Daggy could join us at her leisure. She finally came down from the upstairs, making a vocal entrance onto the porch. Poor Daggy was annoyed her lap spot was claimed. She was content to roll on the mat rug instead.

On the surface just sitting on the swing interacting with my cats does not seem like much, but the contentment and bliss from this means the world to me.

Tornado Entry: 10

1

Debbi and I walked the neighborhoods Sunday morning. It is so mind boggling to think that just a couple miles from this green oasis there is complete devastation.

I tried to work some on my spreadsheets and paperwork for the upcoming run in September. I need to stay ahead on that duty; there is a lot riding on my performance and organizing.

Speaking of organizing: I threw out the idea of a Sunday afternoon “Row For Normalcy” to the Black Warrior Rowing Club. I’m so proud of my club…it boiled down to Robin taking over the sign ups for the row. At the boat house Melissa took charge of seat assignments, and I did the coxing.

It was a ragtag group that did drills and easy rowing to the bridge and then back to the dock. We had not been on the water in weeks. I made it clear this was to be just a fun row with no pressure. Everyone needed to relax. I’m remiss to call myself a coach, but I did the best I could to coach the rowers. It was so amazing to see them progress as we got into the row.

Docking the boat is the part of coxing I dread. It is a real skill to bring it in. We went real slow and had pretty much a perfect return to the dock.

I’ve gotten used to my phone ringing off the wall since the tornado hit. Just before I was to leave to the boat house I got a call from the Volunteer Coordinators from the city. They uncovered my name and number and wondered if I was still interested in helping. I explained how I went to Samaritan’s Purse on Monday and had worked through Friday and was taking the weekend off. Without warning I broke down crying just thinking back to what I had experienced. This gives me a feeling of what our armed forces are going through.

After our row I stopped by to see Debbi and Greg. They were cooking up turkey burgers, sweet potato fries and corn on the cob. Again, to just relax on the patio with friends and good food was heaven.

My weekend away from the chaos and tragedy has made me appreciate so my mundane, low key life in ways I never imagined. You never fully appreciate what you have until it has been taken away..

Tornado Entry: 9

Happy Mothers Day Mom! For the record, my mother did not care much for Mother’s Day. She always said how it had turned into to a day for children to assuage their guilt. She used to say, “I’m in contact with my children, I know they love me. I don’t need them to send me candy once a year to prove it!”

When I was little and could save up the money, I always gave mom a Whitman’s Sampler box of chocolates bought at Sweet and Brophy Drug Store on Main Street. You would have thought I gave her the world. Mom related to me as an adult how she really did not care for those chocolates! No wonder she did not care when we kids ended up eating most of them!

Friends posted on their Facebook pages this link which is about the best I have seen showing how the storm progressed through my city. If you go to the first “P” to the right of 359 and go up 1 ½ inches you will hit my house. The only “P” on the left of 359 is Delphi Thermal, the factory I worked at 1998-2004.

http://www.tuscaloosanews.com/article/20110506/MULTIMEDIA/110509767/1291/NEWS#

My team member Mark sent me some of the pictures he took as we drove on Crescent Ridge Road Friday. I downloaded them to my Photobucket account here: http://s293.photobucket.com/albums/mm80/brick1101/Tuscaloosa%20Tornado%20Crescent%20Ridge%20Road/

I awoke this morning just as the kitchen clock was chiming four. Right on cue, a mockingbird started his song. I had slept through the entire night! What a wonderful feeling. Saturday was getting a weeks worth of paperwork/e-mail taken care of.

In the late afternoon I decided to get some groceries at Publix. After a nice hot shower, I put on a clean Utilikilt and headed off on foot through the neighborhoods.

They had cat food on sale 10 cans for $4.50. It never fails. I ended up with 20 cans of cat food, 5 pounds of potatoes, ½ gallon of milk, two little steaks, and a dozen eggs to fit into my backpack. It was heavy!

I cooked up smashed potatoes, and steak smothered in lots of onions for supper. After that feast I stretched out on the porch swing with Daggy on my lap. Stumpy made a pass by, annoyed that the “lap spot” was already taken! After witnessing total destruction, I now so appreciate the simple act of being able to relax on my front porch. My view is still the same. The ancient water oaks are standing tall and green, ready to shade my home from the brutal setting sun.

I took this picture at 7:45 Sunday morning to show the view from my porch swing when I recline back and stretch out. After working in the mist of the tornado destruction this is a paradise to me. It came so close to being ripped away from me.

This is the time of day I reflect on all that has happened. I so needed to be able to “recharge my batteries” from the relief work. I’ll be ready to go Monday. I was talking with Michelle and her crew who had been on the front lines for two days. Harpo related to me FEMA has stated the Tuscaloosa area has accomplished in about one week what took months for Katrina disaster. I can only give the highest credit to our Mayor and the volunteers.

If there is one good thing that came out of the depression, it was how it delayed the introduction of Television as an entertainment medium. Radio programmes such as Jack Benny, Burn’s and Allen, and Amos and Andy became an art form by the late 1930’s through the 1940’s. The writing was so tight and polished.

One New Years Eve show of Amos and Andy from December 1944 has been replaying in my head. (http://ia700209.us.archive.org/13/items/AmosandAndy1944/AA__441229__Jacksons_New_Years_Eve.mp3) A line I’m remembering concerns the saying of “If you cast your bread on the water and it will be returned tenfold.” Andy Brown says, “I done throwed some crumbs on the water and got back a bakery.” Now I realize how Andy felt…..

Tornado Entry: 8

I’m taking the weekend off from the volunteer work. Burn out is setting in. There is not a lack of bodies so I really won’t be missed. If anything, there are too many volunteers at this stage to effectively organize.

I’m amazed at the variety of people who have turned out from all over the country. This has opened my eyes to a dilemma I can see no answer to. So many of the kids I’ve worked with have no mechanical skills. They are great at using their I Phone applications, but they can’t fathom how to roll out plastic and nail furring strips. I won’t even go into how to use basic hand tools. They are afraid to climb a ladder: let alone walk on a roof. We are only working on low pitched roofs on single story houses.

I’m guessing it is generational. I have to realize the world I grew up in does not exist anymore. The other day to kill the time while working, I told the story of how disappointed my dad used to be when he was teaching me to swing a hammer and use a hand saw. “You will be handicapped for the rest of your life because you are left handed.” he used to moan. It was a goal of my life to prove him wrong! I can’t imagine a parent telling their child that today. My dad did not say that to belittle me, it was just how he saw the world. At that point in time it was a right handed world. The nun’s were still smacking kids’ knuckles with rulers if they used their left hand. In hindsight, fighting that “handicap” made me a stronger person and taught me coping skills. I’m just hoping the kid are learning from their experience.

Let me document my adventure to Birmingham on Thursday. I first had to unload the tools from the truck bed. I pulled up a map to the Yellow Freight Terminal. It did not look right, remembering the map I checked weeks ago. What I should have done is go to the Yellow Freight Sight and search out the location there. Instead I used a Google Search. I pulled the map from the top search.

I get there fine, but the terminal is for UFS Holland. I went to the shipping office. The shipping clerk was unbelievable. I’m always in awe of how competent people can manipulate the system. She told me how this location USED to be that of Yellow Freight. In no time at all she had the new address and a phone number I could use.

BINGO!!! A phone number!!! The biggest uncertainty I have had for this entire transaction was the lack of contact. I went to the trouble desk of the Yellow Freight Site and was able to make E-mail contact with the Birmingham office. The numbers I originally had directed me to “Voicemail Hell”.

I programmed the address into my GPS and called the number. Mercifully a human answered. I told him where I was and I would be at the terminal ASAP. He told me to NOT follow the GPS. “It will take to places you should not be.” Is how he phrased it. Instead, he gave me detailed directions. Having worked in shipping and directing truckers to my old plant, I relaxed and followed his instructions. They were perfect.

The trucker brought out my fire hydrant. It was braced to a large pallet. It arrived in great shape. The tow-motor operator was kind of incredulous over this. He was a “good old boy” and could not understand the attraction of this old hydrant! We were abke to easily lift it out of the bracing and load it onto the back of my truck. I then had to repack the 15 boxes of tee shirts.

From here I had to head to the Samaritan’s Purse location in Hueytown. I had the vaguest directions as to where this location was, just off I-20/59. I did a Google map printout for the general area. I had the road name and exit number. I found the church easily and quickly unloaded the tee shirts. I wanted to just get home.

I drove on autopilot getting home about 6:45.

Friday I showed up in my Utilikilt. People loved it. Got my crew together and we headed back out to Alberta City. A tree had to be chainsawed up, roof tarping needed to be put up, and lots of cleaning had to be done. This job was the area we were at on Tuesday. There was already tarping on the roof, but it needed a lot more coverage.

Myself and my roofing partner were the only ones with the courage (?) to attempt the roofing. We were the oldest ones on the crew! He had a long 20oz carpenter’s hammer he let me try out. I need to get me one of those!

My roofing partner and I.

This group came as a church function. I’m real careful to watch what I say, but sometimes things slip out. I just got back up on the roof when I realized I had forgotten to bring up the pail of nails. “Oh shit” I said in frustration. It so happened one of the ladies was peeking over the ladder for a view of the carnage and heard me. She gave me the most horrified look. I apologized profusely… it just slipped out.

The police are still searching the area with cadaver dogs. I was relating to Sherri later how I saw the crew do a double take at me as they passed the house. “Jesus, they have had enough shock already, they don’t need anymore from you wearing that kilt!” she laughed back to me.

The homeowner came by and was overwhelmed at the clean up. He told me how he is working four different jobs to make ends meet. This house is where his elderly mother lives. She was in physical rehabilitation at the time the storm hit. He is thinking the house may be borderline on saving. He broke down and told me how he had made a promise to his mother he would not remove anything from the house until she was dead.

I’ve heard more stories like this. I’m getting to where I don’t choke up anymore, which means my amour is bring formed for dealing with this. This reminds me too much of how I lived in the late 1980’s dealing with losing friends to the AIDS epidemic. The first deaths were devastating: after I hit 20 or so I became numb. I stopped counting when I hit 50 in the early 1990’s. I don’t ever want to see that list I kept again.

My crew headed back to the church once we did the final clean up. Only one guy, Mitch was working an eight hour shift besides me. There were only a few small jobs. I picked up another addition, Mark and we headed out.

We stopped on the way at the Moose Lodge where a food distribution center was set up. There is such an abundance of food being handed out to those who need it. I got a bar-b-que sandwich, beans and corn, and ice cold water. Mitch had a ¼ chicken and I don’t know what else. I can’t eat heavy in the middle of the day anymore.

Three guys joined us. They were burly guys, one looked like “Dog” the bounty hunter. They were there representing some firm (I’m not going to give it here) to represent homeowners against the insurance companies. They gave us cards to pass out. I did not want to say we were not in that position to influence the homeowners in any way. We are just there to clean and secure the house as best as we can. I just took a stack of cards to close the issue. If anything it just smelled of scam to me.

To get to the next job we had to drive down Crescent Ridge Road. This is closed to all but residents and emergency vehicles. Browns Nursery, where I get all my plants is on this thoroughfare. This is some of the worst damage I’ve seen. Mitch pointed out how the trees were snapped off where the tornado was not on the ground. Then we got to the area where it was on the ground. This is not a “high rent” area: rubble and bare ground seemed to stretch for miles.

Our next stop was to check out a tarp and tree removal. This is a scary roof in the house is built onto the hill. The back is some 3 stories off the ground. No way I’m going up there. The tarp looked like it was professionally put up: much better than we could have done. I’m thinking people are assuming we are roofing experts.

Mark, Mitch and I cleaned up the brush we could. The large trunks are going to need a bob-cat to clear. We met with the homeowner. We explained what we had done and what she could expect for removing the tree trunks. Then she asked the fatal question, “What church do you belong to?” Mitch gave his church right out. I explained I did not belong to a church, and let it lay there. Religion is so touchy here, you really have tread on eggshells sometimes.

There was one last call on Arcadia Dr. My GPS got us there with only one wrong turn. This was called in for turned up shingles, and possible tarping. Three of the three tab shingles were blown up. I was able to untangle them to lie flat. Some roofing tar would have made the job complete. We can’t do repair work… just the major covering. The last thing you want to do is to nail holes in a good roof when they are not needed. I pulled out some of the small sticks jammed under the shingles and cleared off the small branches.

We had to drive back on Crescent Ridge to get back to the church. I went real slow and was able to make out the metal frames of the greenhouses. Hopefully, Browns will recover.

I returned all my Samaritan’s Purse supplies. I told them I was taking the weekend off and would be back Monday. I need time for myself to recoup after all I have witnessed this past week….

Mitch, Me, and Mark the afternoon team

Tornado Entry: 7

The initial shock of the disaster is wearing off. Things are getting to be routine. I report to the church by 7:45 and get assigned a team, give them a talk about what we will be doing, pick up the work orders, and get to it.

The response of the people who want to help is pretty overwhelming. I must have had charge of some 15-20 people on Thursday. I did not have any of my old team on hand so it was starting from scratch. Using the lessons I learned from setting up the run last fall I designated authority. There was a girl who stood out as a leader. I split the team in half and sent her off as the leader with the “chainsaw boys” to do tree removal and tarping. I then got my crew together and we went to do tarping only.

I’m seeing first hand the effect of 30+ years of technology and soft living. My childhood was like that portrayed in the “Our Gang” comedies. We were out the door and on our own pretty much till supper. We built tree forts from scrap wood, played in the freight yards, and thought nothing of crossing the New York Central RR trestle crossing the Erie Canal.

I had a lot of kids today. I try to pick the most able to do the climbing. The roofs we were working on were of shallow pitches. I try to do an assessment to assign people to the jobs they can do. It can be difficult when only three can climb a ladder.

The one boy I had on the roof had barely used a hammer before. I asked if his dad ever taught him how to use tools and he replied, “Oh no sir, my dad didn’t want me to do that kind of thing, I might get hurt.” I’m usually a bad teacher in that I’m left handed, so it is nearly impossible to convey the proper techniques to right handed people.

I need to cut this short today. Debbie and I walked this morning so I’m a bit behind. I wanted to have a bit of normalcy.

This is a shot of my crew and the homeowner whose roof we patched up.

After leaving this job I attempted to join my other crew over in Alberta City. It can be impossible to find addresses in that area. On the way I stopped home and changed into my Utilikilt. I could not stand wearing pants anymore!

I got a call on the way they cad finished the job and to just head back to the church. The guys were surprised to see my Utilikilt and I made my explanations. There was no orders to not wear it, so I’m heading out in half an hour for my assignments in my “dress”!

They asked if I wanted another job or not. I said how it was nearly 3:00 I could make it to Birmingham for a pick up and then could work a full day Friday. The leaders face lit up, “You’re going to Birmingham?” “Yes, anything I can do to help you?” I said.

It turned out to be about 15 boxes of Tee Shirts needed to be delivered to the Samaritan’s Purse set up in Hueytown. I loaded up the truck and drove first to the Yellow Freight Terminal, and then found the church. The tee shirts were dropped off and I arrived home about 6:30 exhausted.

I don’t have time to chronicle the adventure of the trip. I’ll do that tomorrow. I’m going to take the weekend off. There will be more than enough people, and I need to get caught up on so many things. I want to see if I can organize a quick row on Sunday to just get back to a degree of routine and normalcy.

See, here is a picture of the new fire hydrant!! I’m getting back to normal!!!

Tornado Entry: 6

I’ve shared my journal entries on this disaster on many sites, forwards and e-mails. I think it is so important the outside world know how things are from low level perspective. This side of history always seems to be so under recorded. To me, the large world events are made understandable through the actions of everyday people. The journals of Victor Klemperer, “I Will Bear Witness” taught me how the third Reich functioned and controlled German life as no history book ever could.

I would never journal this disaster for personal profit or gain. I am so humbled and honoured from the feed back from my friends. I like to consider anybody who has taken the time to read my writing as my friend. I’ll be keep this up … I can’t wait till I can shift the focus of my life back to what had been a “crazy rut” of collecting and working on my various projects and collections. Sadly, I’m afraid that day will be far off…

Wednesday morning 8:00 a.m.

My team was intact with a few additions. We are able to get our work assignments right away and head out. Our job assignment is to help sort through rubble and drain a swimming pool in Wood Manor, a very hard hit area. The destruction here is pretty grim.

We were just getting ready to leave when a team leader on a roofing assignment came into the office frantic as there were no ladders left. “I’ve got one, Come on.” I told him. I keep my extension ladder in the truck bed 24/7 now. Who could have ever imagined this ladder my dad bought 30+ years ago would be assisting in disaster relief. Spattered on it are house colours from so many different houses. Another example of how my possessions have stories and histories.

It turned out the family we are helping are people I know from the “Y”. This puts a human face to what we are dealing with. After assessing the situation I realized we could use my wheelbarrow and other tools. This is not far from my house, so I left to collect the extra tools.

The smell from this water is really putrid:

Not a tree left in the "core area". Note the new power lines already. The utility crews are unreal.

When I returned two guys had joined our group. One had an orange Samaritan’s Purse tee shirt the other did not. It is not uncommon for people to shift and join and change groups so I did not think much of it, but something just seemed to be wrong.

Homeowner: Are your guys supposed to be taking stuff?

Brian: No never.

Jamie: We are just here to secure and clear.

Homeowner: Well, those guys are taking metal.

There have been reports of looting. This is the lowest of the low. Just Wednesday morning the mayor addressed the issue is working to have photo ID for all relief workers.

Brian and I ran to the National Guard stationed at the corner. Within half a minute these two guys were surrounded by National Guardsmen with guns ready to be drawn.

The head guy was pretty “street wise”. I could tell by the interactions I witnessed between he and Judy, the homeowner. It turned out he asked Judy if she had any need of a copper pipe fitting. When she said “No, she had no use for it.” That opened a gray area as he claimed he thought he had the right to the hot water tank and other metal he had loaded into his van.

His partner in the volunteer Tee shirt was sorting like mad when he was fingered.

“I’m with this team” he protested when pulled aside by the police.

Jamie: What is the name of your team leader?

Looter: I don’t know, there are so many people; I was assigned to your team.

Jamie: You were not assigned to my team. We left in a convoy. Who did you ride out with?

Looter: They told me to meet up with you all out here. Lights up cigarette:

Jamie: (I lost it) YOU ARE NOT TO SMOKE WHILE WEARING THAT SHIRT!

Looter: Ruefully throws it away.

In hindsight: right then and there we should have contacted Samaritan’s Purse to check the volunteer sheets. You can’t be in the field unless you sign up that day. The police had a lot more important things to worry about. The loot was unloaded and the two guys were banished: all their ID is on a watch list. (This guy in one of our shirts had signed up Monday and had not been on any list since.) This is all such a learning experience all the way around.

There was a food distribution center just across the street.. we had a wonder bar-b-que for lunch.

We cleaned and sorted as much as we could and then roamed the neighborhood. A neighbor was assisted with clearing out his mess, then we went next door to help two others clean out.

This wood is murder on chainsaw blades. One of the team who knows engines worked full time just sharpening blades on the chainsaws till they were worn out.

My truck as a work station:

The crew is working well. I can tell they are happy to be making seeable progress in the chaos.

Some folks on their own were passing out sandwiches, water and soda. A little boy about four is happily distributing peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. His mom wants him to be a part of all this. These acts of kindness and compassion overrule the ugliness of incidents such as the near looting.

The young guys scarf these sandwiches down one after another. They are so much fun to be around. I swear I’ve been aging backwards!

Let me close this out with a picture of my team…

Tornado Entry: 5

I have decided to simply title my journal entries as: Tornado Entries with a number. I’ll continue to do this till things calm down a bit.

I heard my ships bell clock chime eight. This meant it was either 12:00, 4:00, or 8:00 o’clock. I whispered to myself, “Please let it be 4:00 a.m.” No, it was midnight. I was in bed at 8:00. It has been a week since I’ve slept a full night.

My journal is my salvation… I sit and type out what has happened with my morning coffee and it is so cathartic to let my emotions out.. and believe me those emotions have been going all over the place. There are so many directions I can take my entries since my life has turned upside down.

I’m afraid I’m going to have too long to express where those emotions are going so I’m going to ration them out!

It was raining, chilly and drizzly Tuesday morning. I was tempted to blow the day off… but my inner voice told me that was the cowards way out.. that was the same as being a fair weather friend. That inner voice also told me; I already had a days work under my belt, probably more than most of the people who would be signing in.

I figure there has to be a reason I’m here. In reality there are not many people in my age bracket who have unlimited time to devote. Working a job really inhibits volunteer time.

My team from Monday was gone. After orientation an assorted group was assigned to me. I’m just so amazed how people have volunteered from all over to help out. I had people from North Carolina, Students from the university, and a homeless man who lives in a tent.

Tuesday we were assigned to Alberta City. This area was one of the first suburbs built just east of Tuscaloosa in the 1940’s and 1950’s. It was home to some of the first strip malls. It has seen hard times in recent years.

We had to loop around and approach from the north down 25^th ave. This would be my first foray into this disaster zone. As you approach Alberta City by this route you crest over a hill and drive down to University Drive. Once over the crest the destruction is the entire view. There is hardly a building standing; all the trees are gone. The tallest fixtures are the cranes removing trees and clearing rubble. The National Guard is directing traffic and keeping order.

Our work assignments were all located on a street that circled off University Ave. We assessed what we could do. The two jobs we worked all day on centered on clearing downed trees.

I heard someone say than in working these jobs you can’t be flexible, you have to be fluid.

We had some chain saw troubles at first and I had to return to the base to get another saw. I could drive into Tuscaloosa down University. The scenery was like seeing an “end of the world” movie. Rubble was bulldozed into piles, there was no vegetation, soldiers and police were everywhere. I held my breath as I drove over the rise. Daggy and Stump’s vet is located here. On a happy note the building was intact with little visible damage.

I’m so amazed with the relief efforts. The Red Cross distributed food. I gave a bit of comic relief… they asked if I wanted anything and I replied, “I’d like a rubber band sandwich, and make it snappy!” That got groans and smiles from the crew.

We all put in a full day. It appears this crew will be together for all week which is good as we can all bond and build up a routine.

The home we were cleaning up backed up to the railroad. Amtrak passes through twice a day with the "Southern Crescent", the train that runs between New York City and New Orleans’s. The Southbound Crescent passed through a bit late with official government cars on the back.

It is 43° as I type this out. It is supposed to be sunny and 71° later on in the day. I wish I had a bit more organization to this entry… but I feel it is important to record this ordeal as it unfolds.

I don’t like taking pictures of the devastation, but I feel OK doing shots of my crew and the immediate areas we are working at. Here are some pictures from Tuesday….

This gives an idea how we find our clean out jobs:

Clearing out in progress:

Professional tree removal swinging entire trees:

A wet, tired, but happy crew: