So per usual I have been very lazy with this blog. I have raked my brain for a really great excuse for why I made promises of entries to come and have been terrible at fulfilling these promises…and the only excuse I could think of was the terrible internet we get in our house. It seems that just about every other computer can connect to the internet besides mine, but that is a bad excuse…so simply –I’m sorry!
Ok so what do we do for work? I am sure that the five people who still check this knowing that I will come through eventually are wondering. Our work consists of clearing blackberry bushes (which are very thorny), digging up the root, and planting trees. We work Tuesday through Saturday. On Saturdays we get to work with volunteer groups often consisting of boy scouts which are always a blast. It is not terrible work, sure the blackberries get monotonous after awhile, sure I have scratches all over my legs, and sure digging up roots is not my idea of a goodtime, but we get through it, it’s mixed up enough that it is just fine. I do not think I will have any interest in seeing blackberries after this project, but we get through it, we try to make the days fun sometimes. For example, last week we played the question game where you simply ask a teammate a question, they answer and then are able to ask another teammate a question and so forth. Today at work we “dared” people to eat weird things, we had people eat a worm, dirt, a fern, drink river water, eat pine needles, and of course a blackberry root. I ate the pine needles; they tasted like a lime rind.
To speak very honestly for a minute, I want to admit to everyone that this project can be quite difficult for me. There are some days where I just cannot understand why I am pulling blackberry bushes and what that has anything to do with why I chose to join Americorps. It is very easy to lose site of the overall goal and my own reasons for joining the program. However, there are also days that are fun and times when I look around and am able to see how much we have cleared and in those moments I remember just why we are here. The work we are doing may be tedious and boring but it could not be done without us, there is a lot of blackberry to clear and without our assistance they would be much worse off. Clearing blackberry is necessary because it is an invasive species to the region; therefore it affects the soil and kills native species. I don’t feel comfortable enough really trying to explain invasive species and why it is important to remove the, however if you are interested in more information regarding that check out solv’s website at www.solv.org
So that’s the work we do. In terms of our living situation it’s not bad at all. We are getting along just fine, I really love being in a house and there are very little problems with so many people living together!
I hope my loyal readers are doing well and haven’t given up on me yet, I promise I will keep up with this until the end!
4 comments:
Experiences come in every different size, shape and color. Keep up the faith..... It's a good thing you're doing.
Experiences come in every different size, shape and color. Keep up the faith..... It's a good thing you're doing.
Ha ha ha ha ha... Now do you feel like someone is reading your blog?
The title of your latest blog post was very intriguing. I think it is understandable that at times something tedious like digging up blackberry roots might seem meaningless or pointless or whatever, but I also agree with the mom that all experiences are different and a lot of times people don't realize the impact or progress they are making until long after it has been completed. Just keep up the great work!! Not everything can be perfect every day otherwise it wouldn't be worth doing! As far as knowing what pine needles taste like, I am glad you told me so I won't have to find out for myself. Hopefully now you reallyyy know that people DO read your blog haha. Misss you!!!
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