Tics on tics on tics

Me and the Ditch Witch...from last post.

Hello readers! Here I am in Lorton, VA at Mason Neck State Park still blazing our lovely trail.  This past week has been the longest week that we have had here, by far.  Go figure, it was our first full week of work in Virginia, poor River 10.  Anyway, let me start with last week.We had the greatest ISP.  Our team got to volunteer at a festival being firework Marshall's.  Let me tell you, it was hard work....not.We got to wear cool colored vests and make sure that nobody skipped the do not enter sign onto a lovely golf course.  Who did we actually stop you ask?  Well, Sam and I were guarding and watched one cat come on to the fairway of this particular golf hole we were at and scurry away.  Man, it was hard work.  We really are feeling the fact that this program is never just a 5 day a week program.  Given this fact and knowing how tired we were, we got Sunday off, thank God.  This Sunday was the only day we had to ourselves.  I took advantage and literally did nothing.  It was perfect. 

Monday through today we were at it again, blazing our trail at Mason Neck with Ranger Marc.  Marc really is a Virginian gem.  He is so sarcastic and witty that he makes us laugh everyday.  He has taken note who the hardest workers are on our team and uses us enough to make us tired and sore at the end of the day.  This week had a few highlights.  First, we finished the trail!  We were told it was a mile long, but in all reality, it is around 1.5-1.6 miles.  We knew at the end it was totally done because there is a beautiful field where, eventually, there is going to be a field where animals can roam, especially deer and there are bird nests for eagles.  Real live bald eagles.  So cool watching them fly around.  We finished the trail and felt an immediate sense of accomplishment. 



Some trail pics with my cool app on my smarty pants phone



The trail may be finished, but trail work never ends.  There are places along our trail that will hold water if Virginia so happens to "storm" aka rain.  Crazy southerners/everyone else in the nation calling rain just storming.  Anyway, these places that are deeper in the ground and have places where water could build up, we have to build boardwalks.  We would call them bridges, but Marc informed is that bridges need architectural approval and we don't have that.  So, we are building raised boardwalks...bridges.  These aren't your ordinary boardwalks. They encompass many aspects of life, such as 6x6x8 pieces of wood, 4x4 flat wooden structures, and 5ft pieces of telephone poles.  Since all of these wooden structures do not have their own arms and legs, us AmeriCorps Members need to get things done and move them ourselves.  Yes, this includes the 5ft pieces of TELEPHONE POLE.  Imagine that, telephone poles.  So, the first day we were using the poles, Marc decided to take me with him and teach me how to cut the pieces and carry the poles, just me and him.  Since, as I previously mentioned, I am jacked, this seemed like a task that was easy to complete.  Little did I know, these pieces of telephone pole are treated wood and are heavy as all Hell.  I struggled, so did Marc.  For one boardwalk, we cut 6 5ft pieces.  We then carried each of the 6 pieces to the truck and loaded them up.  To cut these large heavy blocks of solid wood, we used what I described to my team as Outback Steak House steak knives (that the Conceison household has several of).  Literally the blade of the "sawzall" was tiny.  It too a while, and I was sweating.  Needless to say, today, the day after my power lifting telephone poles day, I was dead. 



Boardwalk number 1...note the telephone poles



We have 2 boardwalks ready to be boarded up so they can be waked on by people really soon.  My other accomplishment of the week had nothing to do with the trail, but more so the environment.  Being in the woods is really awesome, legs covered in mosquito bites, drenching myself in bug spray every morning, wearing a hard hat so tics don't nest in my hair, and being completely head to toe full of dirt.  Sarcasm.  My big accomplishment this week was successful killing about 5 tics.  3 on me and 2 on my teammates.  Needless to say, I fear no insect anymore.  They're all great, spiders, tics, beatles, bring em on. 

Today marks the end of week 3 here in Lorton.  We love the project and are happy with our work, however, I think River 10 needs a change of scenery.  I look forward to working with Marc for another 5 days, but then I am ready to move into our 15p again to head to Hattiesburg for the remainder of our spike #2.  One week from Sunday and we will be on the move. 

I am just so happy to have 2 days off, in a row, this weekend.  Who knows what this weekend will bring for me...we will see.  Have a great week everyone!



I cut a tree down with a pole saw.  I was a liiiiiittle
happy it finally came down.