Our Service Term at Lakewood is Half Done

The locals say this has been a wet winter compared to normal. This week it feels like we have turned the corner from chilly days to nice warm and sunny ones. With the warmer temps also come more mosquitoes which I don't tolerate well.

Monday morning after devotions and instructions for the day we all helped with moving tables and chairs to the porch area. For the next three days the dining hall floors will be stripped, cleaned and waxed by Dave and Carol.

Monday night our whole group including our boss Neil and his wife Patty went to The Great Catch Restaurant in Zephyrhills for supper. It was Monday - all you can eat Shrimp - but Jim and I opted for fish.

I continued with palmetto trimming for a day and half, after which I moved to painting at the maintenance shed and the back, side and porch wall of Cardinal - the 2nd volunteer apartment.

LaVonne pressure washing the office building in preparation for the painting to happen there this coming week.

Jim & Dennis continued with the kitchen reno Monday. The new 36" door created extra work to fit in the rough opening that happened to be too small. Jim has been feeling unproductive this week on the kitchen job. He has taken on the wiring job apprehensively, trying to establish where to place receptacles for the kitchen counter when you don't know the layout or what size the cabinets will be. Earlier we were told that new cabinets would be purchased, but late Friday we saw the truckload of used ones, which they got from the Habitat Restore for free. Soooo.......hopefully things come together next week.

Jim looking over the cabinet boxes and contemplating his options.

The tiny house is making some progress. Here are some pictures and the blueprint of it. Some Mennonite folk from Sarasota are the ones working on it.

Looking in from the front door. What looks like ladders are really part of the pocket door frames.

The loft without any windows. Still wondering how someone will get up there.

Travel in Florida takes concentration for old folks like us. From learning the use of toll highways, crowded interstates with 70+ mph to curvy very narrow country roads without shoulders and often having a deep drop off from the edge of the pavement right next to the white line. So far we have traveled safely.

A morning shot through the palmettos of the RV's on volunteer lane.

The Azaehlia's are in full bloom and are stunning. Spring is coming! This evening shot looks a little like the garden of Eden.