one going to Feather Falls (Debby, Jay, Jenna, Julian, and Alec) to do some drywall installation. The second group comprising the rest of us started at Tiny Pine to paint the tiny home that is being worked on - on the lot. As it already had one coat, we taped the parts that shouldn’t be dark forest green and went to town painting! Much of that tiny home got a second coat! Then it was off to ConCow!
The trek to Concow was curvy! Thank you to whomever invented GPS -whether using Maps app or Waze (an amazing interactive app I hadn’t heard of but was very impressed with!). We saw a fox, wild turkeys, turkey vultures (I think) and mountain goats on our way in! After reaching our destination, I finally got to meet Michelle and Aurora. Now I knew what the fuss was about. What a sweet family!The kids were immediately drawn to her! What a charmer! Onward to the task at hand! Perusing the inside, what a great layout! Michelle explained that there would be a spiral staircase that would lead up to the loft area. Mike, Aiden, Kirsten, Laura and Cam installed insulation to the exterior walls while Lia and I added paint to the missing spots here and there on the trim outside. Looking above the porch’s roof, I decided to be REALLY brave and get out of my comfort zone. (Adventure is good for the soul!) So, up I went (slowly) and eased myself up onto the roof. I DID have a vision of myself rolling off the roof but that did not occur I’m happy to report! Meanwhile, the Insulation Mission WAS on a roll! They quickly finished the main floor. Alyssa gave direction of how to put plywood upstairs and how to secure it so the group could safely install the roof and wall insulation. Since everyone wasn’t needed above, we replaced round washers with square ones as they needed to swapped out from the lag bolts.
The other group started at Home Depot getting 40 sheets of drywall and screws that got loaded onto the trailer. They then navigated their way to Feather Falls. Drywall was then offloaded and the installation took place. While Jay and Alec put in the drywall for the ceilings, Debby, Jenna and Julian worked on erecting the walls. They made the cuts to all the electrical boxes for access.
The Concow group arrived at Tiny Pines first and waited for the Feather Falls group. Mike went on an errand to Walmart. He went there to pick up a lint roller as he had heard it would help remove fiberglass fibers from your skin and clothes. After picking up the roller and strolling through the parking lot,
Mike was mistaken as a homeless person and given $1.69. (I guess that counts as fundraising….) You can follow #HomelessMike for more tips and tricks…
When the second group arrived, it was difficult saying goodbye. Alyssa is an authentic powerhouse of a woman. She possesses an unwavering spirit. She has the ability to handle challenges with grace and wisdom. Her kindness shines through. She literally radiates positivity. Alyssa’s family - Legacy (aka Leggy), Raine (aka Rainey and Chubba will be missed. Quite incredible seeing the youth interact with her Littles. The adoration is definitely reciprocated! We said goodbye and headed on out.
After a pasta, meatballs, salad and garlic bread dinner, it was time for entertainment! The adults have been treated with skits by the youth, but Mike thought we needed to turn the tables and have the adults try their hand. (For the record, I’ve always been behind the scenes in drama, not ON stage!). Each one of the adults transformed into one of the youth. What followed was hilarious “self groupies” pics, a music intervention, an overheard van conversation, as well as a homage to Redemption. We were sure to include dated teen-speak as we’ve been super confused by conversations they’ve had amongst each other. (By the way, “skibidi” is bad and “sigma” is good. Oh, and “bussin” is when something tastes good). They HOWLED with laughter and were just as confused with outdated teen terms - “gnarly”, “bodacious”, “don’t have a cow” and, “eat my shorts”. Our air keyboardist, air drummer, air guitarist, and air microphones while singing Three Dog Night’s “Mama Told Me (Not to Come)” was stellar and somewhat on key! Somewhere out there is a video we adults need to find
Got to bed early! Tomorrow is a new day! Our travel home will include thoughts of all the people we were blessed to meet.
