Despite rain, dropping temperatures and atypical complications, we were able to complete all the tasks scheduled for the first day of the build, and were pretty much done by 4PM.
After our obligatory orientation program at the Habitat for Humanity warehouse, half of the 40-some volunteers (3 from St. Martin) went to the site and prepared the foundation and subfloor, while the rest of the group (wisely) stayed behind to build exterior and interior walls. Our group at the site completed the flooring in what seemed like record time, and as we waited for the walls to be delivered, we watched the skies darken and ultimately let loose on us. Many of us sought shelter under 4’x8’ pieces of light blue Styrofoam insulation, holding them over our heads as makeshift shelter. They didn’t do a whole lot of good.
The exterior walls were finally delivered, while it was still raining, and there was a fleeting moment of indecision as to whether or not pack up the tools and hardware and call it a day. But, the weather cleared long enough to dissolve any thoughts of warm showers, dry clothes and the couch in front of the TV, so we forged on.
Our wiser, drier counterparts arrived in time for lunch.
As we were finishing lunch, the interior walls were delivered, and most were unloaded by the time we realized that they were the walls for the other house being built that day. So, we loaded them up on the trailer again and waited for the correct walls to arrive. Fortunately, there were extra sandwiches and fruit left over from lunch.
Once the proper walls were delivered, the action picked up and soon we had a fully framed house. Things went very smoothly even though a couple of the walls were built to dimensions that, shall we say, didn’t match the master plan? Our house Leaders quickly determined the approved “modifications” necessary to make things fit, and all was well.