2000
This was my first trip. I took five teenagers with me. Betty was sure this was going to be a good thing. I wasn't so sure. She was right. I was wrong.
We met up with our friends in Rifle, CO again. I was given the keys to an old Ford van. It was old in 2000. Our group and another couple left Rifle on Saturday morning. Now, in subsequent years, I have the group caravan. We didn't. Everyone took off and traveled at their own speed. I had a rough idea of where I was going (south to San Diego). My problem was the van got about eleven miles to the gallon with a twenty gallon take. Yep, every few hours we stopped for gas. At first, I thought there was a hole in the tank or I wasn't getting it full. No such luck.
The scariest part was arriving in Mexico. I thought someone would take the keys and drive to the camp. Nope. I did. That was very nerve wracking. Now, of course, it's been fifteen years and I don't think anything about driving in Mexico.
The whole group built four houses. This house was added at the last minute, because of the size of the whole group. We had to pour the foundation on Monday. Normally, we put up walls on Monday, the roof and trim on Tuesday, doors, windows and touch up on Wednesday and then finish on Thursday. This put us a day behind, but we made it. When we tried to level the land, we hit a rock (two story house size rock). . We had to move the house to the front of the property.
We built the house with the door facing south. After we got the walls put together, we found out the neighbor was going to put a brick fence on his property that would be 18 inches from the door. Without having to compensate for the rock on the north side, it wouldn't have been a problem. However, now it was a problem. Rather than take the time to cut another door openning and patch the current one, we turned the house. We put 2X4s on the walls inside and everyone, but me (who else would take the picture?) grabbed them, picked up the house an inch or two and turned the house 90 degrees. If you look closely (second picture) you can see light at the bottom of the house on the right. Fortunately, we build them square then.
We came back to the same area the next year. The neighbor hadn't built his wall. In fact, to this day, there's no brick fence.
We met up with our friends in Rifle, CO again. I was given the keys to an old Ford van. It was old in 2000. Our group and another couple left Rifle on Saturday morning. Now, in subsequent years, I have the group caravan. We didn't. Everyone took off and traveled at their own speed. I had a rough idea of where I was going (south to San Diego). My problem was the van got about eleven miles to the gallon with a twenty gallon take. Yep, every few hours we stopped for gas. At first, I thought there was a hole in the tank or I wasn't getting it full. No such luck.
The scariest part was arriving in Mexico. I thought someone would take the keys and drive to the camp. Nope. I did. That was very nerve wracking. Now, of course, it's been fifteen years and I don't think anything about driving in Mexico.
The whole group built four houses. This house was added at the last minute, because of the size of the whole group. We had to pour the foundation on Monday. Normally, we put up walls on Monday, the roof and trim on Tuesday, doors, windows and touch up on Wednesday and then finish on Thursday. This put us a day behind, but we made it. When we tried to level the land, we hit a rock (two story house size rock). . We had to move the house to the front of the property.
We built the house with the door facing south. After we got the walls put together, we found out the neighbor was going to put a brick fence on his property that would be 18 inches from the door. Without having to compensate for the rock on the north side, it wouldn't have been a problem. However, now it was a problem. Rather than take the time to cut another door openning and patch the current one, we turned the house. We put 2X4s on the walls inside and everyone, but me (who else would take the picture?) grabbed them, picked up the house an inch or two and turned the house 90 degrees. If you look closely (second picture) you can see light at the bottom of the house on the right. Fortunately, we build them square then.
We came back to the same area the next year. The neighbor hadn't built his wall. In fact, to this day, there's no brick fence.
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1999 Group - This is the group from our church that went This wsa the end of the trip.You can see the "I want to go home" expressions. -
House Turning - The house had to be turned, because the neighbor planned on putting up a fence 18" from the door. He never did. -
Bathroom Veiw - The ladies wanted door on the S. and the window on the N. so the window didn't open on the bathroom (the bushes). -
Finished House - The house was completed and the window ended up facing the bathroom (the bushes - see previous picture). -
Handing over the Keys - There's no way to describe how handing the keys to a family impacts those on the trip. -
Family - Here's the family that got the house. When we came back the next year, they added 8 more feet. Anna is on the far left. -
House 1 Group - Here's the group for the first house. -
House 2 Group - Here's the group for the second house. -
House 3 Group - Here's the group for the third house. -
Fun Day - On Friday we have a fun day for the kids and the adults. We were able to rent some ATVs and ride on the beach. -
Head Painting - Jenny wanted to put her handprint on Michael's head all week. Michael finally aquiessed. -
Hand Print - The hand print on the head lasted a few years. Michael put the kabosh on it, because the paint was hard to clean.
