The Roof is Done

Mrs. Betty's roof is done and we have made it safely home. There will surely be many stories to follow from the trip and all our experiences. I could not have had a better group to work with, I just want to thank them all for letting an old Sailor tag along. In what may have been the best pay check I ever got, Mrs. Betty told me as I was leaving "I thank God, I thank Jesus, and I thank you". Nough said.

Old Chief Sends,

Thursday Morning

Dinner By The Pond

Mrs Betty"s New Roof Update

It is hot here! We skipped breakfast this morning to get a jump on the heat, and though it helped some, we are still drained. Also bear in mind we are using a lot of recycled material and making the best with what we have at hand. We are not professional roofers but one thing is for sure this house will be drier than it has been in some time.  Almost everything that has been un-covered has had to be repaired or replaced. We still have not received our metal roofing, hopefully tomorrow, as our days here are becoming short already.

I am proud of this team and they are representing Folkston United Methodist very well. To my liberal friends, this is people  taking care of people and not big government, and I highly encourage anyone who can to spend some time doing this or something else like this. You can make a difference. Thanks to all for the support and prayers.

Old Roofin Chief sends,

Tuesday in Cambell County

10 Followers!

Capt Scotty nows has 10 official followers! Thanks Mandy, for being number 10.

Hoo Ya!
Old Chief Sends,

Roof Rats at Work

We are all very tired, but have had full filling day. I know I will sleep well tonight! By the way it was the hottest day they have had here so far this year. Good night all!


Old Chief Sends,

Work Starts

Today was a very full day of demo and repair of our project houses roof and support structure. It is the single largest ASP project any of our group have under taken. So much water damage and rot that had to be removed. Decking had to be replaced, and hopefully tomorrow we can start putting on the metal roofing.


It is a large house perched on the side of a mountain, owned by a widow lady who shares the home with her disabled son and grandson. She is so very thankful for our help and seems to think we will be able to finish the whole roof this week. That is a tall order, but rest assured we will do our best. Please keep us in your thoughts and prayers.

Old Roof Repairing Chief Sends,

ASP

Night One of ASP

Night one of the Appalachia Service Project. We have settled into our quarters at the Lafollette Middle School. We have had introductions all the way around with every one , had a good meal of pasta , and received our work assignments. Our job will be replacing the roof on a house that was built in 1940. We will have to remove the existing shingles and replace them with metal roofing, making structural repairs as needed. J. P. has gone with the staff member to see the job site and to meet the family that we will be working for. Also he will assess where we need to start in the morning.



Today was Father’s Day and I have been blessed to spend it with both of my sons, who are also here as ASP volunteers. I am very proud of them both. I miss my Dad every day and most especially on this day, but I know he would also be very proud of my sons as well.


I had lots of reasons not to come on this trip, having been deployed for the last nine months, but it seems I have been deployed most of my adult life. My wife is at home recovering from knee surgery and I have plenty to do around my own house, but to be here now with these young people it is impossible to imagine not taking the time to be here to work for good. To those who much is given, much will be asked. I look forward to the rest of the week.

Old Chief sends,

We Made It

We have limited signal strength, will try to post pictures later. Not a bad set up, we are sharing a school with a group from Louisiana, and are waiting for a group from Kansas to get here. For now know all is well.

Tennessee Rocky Top Tennessee Nashville TN Memphis Blues Art Photography...

Lenoir Day 2

We are up and have had our hotel breakfast and are getting packed and ready to contenue on our way. On a side note the weather outlook is not the best, so keep us in your thoughts and prayers.

Old Chief sends,

Lenoir City

Ford tough, and surfer dude Son land-locked in the mountains.

Bimbo's

We have now been to Bimbo's food court and fireworks and fried chicken emporium. All I can say is wow! If you think you have seen it all I can assure you that you haven't, if you have not been to Bimbo's. Now in my world Bimbo refers to something other than firecrackers and fried food, but here in Lenoir City, well let's just say it's entirely different. If you have ever seen the Rob Zombie movies with Captain Spalding, then you might have an idea what we encountered within the walls of this place. My youngest son the want to be surfer dude says "I worry about land- locked people, they just seem a little different." I don't know about that, but once again this old Chief finds himself quite a ways from salt air, we certainly aren't in Florida any more.

Old Chief and Sons send,

Lenoir City Tennessee

We have arrived at the Comfort Inn in Lenoir City Tennessee. This is where we will spend the night, and then continue on tomorrow to our final ASP camp. This is the last real bed for a week, and most likely the last clean shower as well.

We had a fast trip from Folkston today which included stops at Chick-fil-a in Tifton and then Zaxby's in Tennessee, so we have made the chicken tour of fast food, maybe we can hit KFC for dinner and score the hat trick.

We flew though Atlanta Georgia about 10:00 this morning, and I mean flew through on I-75. I am now convinced that Baghdad is safer to drive in than Atlanta. Could not get over the amount of traffic on a Saturday morning, wow. Don't know how you do it V.M., I'd go postal if I had to stay in that town now days. Just kidding, I think.

Anyway Mark and I are going to explore the town of Lenoir, there is a shopping center across the road called Bimbo's, I am not kidding that is the name. Looks like it has fire works and a fast food store. Anyway out for now will post more.

Old Chief and Son sends,

Tifton For Breakfast

Fist stop Tifton Georgia. Heading North

Truck Is Packed

Our truck is packed, we leave in a few hours headed north. It is my understanding we will be working on roofing. Will try to keep everyone updated with pictures.

Old Chief Sends,

Glenn "Tex" Evans And ASP

The Appalachia Service Project was founded by the Rev. Glenn "Tex " Evans. The following is a short bio and story of the founding of ASP from their web site.

In 1969, Rev. Glenn "Tex Evans- a United Methodist minister- became one of the first people to connect the energy of youth with the needs of the poor.

During Tex's 13 years as director at Henderson Settlement in Frakes Kentucky, he witnessed the great need for home repair assistance. So as part of his already - thriving outreach to the people of Appalachia, he recruited 50 teen and adult volunteers to repair homes in Barbourville Kentucky. They worked on - site during the day and worshipped in the evenings. By summer's end, four families had safe, warm houses for the winter, fifty young lives had been changed forever - and a forty year- long legacy was born. 

But Tex was more than a leader,he was a born motivator. A true student of Appalachian culture and a legendary storyteller. He set the tone for what ASP is today: an extended family where laughter is king. Where relationships matter, and where changing the lives of families and volunteers alike is the highest priority of all.

My sons and I will be working for the ASP next week, more to follow.
Old Chief Sends, 

.

Flag Day!

June 14 is Flag Day, but I bet you can't find one in ten U.S. citizens who know that now days. Heck, it does not even show up on my government desk calender. President Woodrow Wilson signed a proclamation that officially established June 14 as Flag Day back in 1917. We federally approved day off, or a three day weekend for Flag Day, maybe that is why it gets so little attention.

A better reason to remember Flag Day is that it is also the birthday of our United States Army. The very people who brought you the right to wave that flag every day. To those of us who wear a uniform I can't even tell you how much that flag means to us, and when I see people not stand at attention and place their hands over their heart when the Star Spangled Banner is played it makes me very angry.

So today please pause and give a thought to what that flag means to you, and also wish our Army a happy 235th birthday!

Johnny Winter & Dickey Betts - Pistoia Blues 2008

World Cup 2010

While I am not a huge soccer  fan, I must admit that I am excited about the World Cup. The tournament starts this morning in South Africa with the opening game being Mexico vs South Africa. The real excitement for me though comes at  1430 Saturday afternoon, when the USA team will take on England, and I get very excited at the aspect of kicking some Limey butts. Historically, the last time these two teams met was in 1950 with the US winning what is now referred to as the "Miracle on the Green" by a score of 1 to 0.

Every where else in the world soccer is known as football, and I know it will never take the place of our beloved sport here in the states, but we are still a couple of months away from the kick off of our own season, so lets embrace the World Cup and cheer on our team USA. Here in Florida we are not to fond of the English right now with the tragic debacle of Bp in the Gulf of Mexico. I always like to remember why there were two stars on the flap of my Navy cracker uniform, they represent the two wars that we kicked England's butt in to gain our independence.

Back in 1950 the English team was known as the "Kings of Football" and they were in fact considered to be the best team in the world.  The Belfast Ireland Telegraph referred to the USA team as "a band of no-hopers drawn from many lands," ostensibly because some of the men were recent immigrants to the United States. What a great story for our country! With immigration also being such an issue today, could this be a unifier? What ever the out come, in this time of the year when some of us are starting to jones for our own dear form of football, let's get behind our TEAM USA and beat England!

Old Chief Sends,

Gene Hill

When I need to be reminded what things are really so important in life, I read Gene Hill. When it turns hot in summertime Florida, and I start dreaming of hunting season, I read Gene Hill. I read Gene Hill when I need a laugh and sometimes end up with a tear.

Gene Hill was for many years a columnist for Sports Afield magazine, a periodical that read while growing up hunting and fishing in the red dirt country. Gene had a peculiar way of seeing things and his stories always ended up being about so much more than just hunting and fishing tails. He loved bird dogs, guns, fly fishing, and good whiskey, what more could a man want for.

Anyway it is the beginning of that hot time of year here in Florida and the depression of the oil slick looms heavily over us now, so I turn to old Gene to lift my spirits and remind me that in a couple of months I'll be back in the blind and waiting on the birds to fly in.

Old Chief Sends,

Facebook Threads

It amazes me how a simple random status post on Facebook can ignite a fury of response.  One thing that is for sure is people are passionate about what they believe in. No matter what party or system that you back, I think we can all agree the gulf oil leak is tragic. We are all to blame because we all drive cars, some even collect cars owning more than they need, and we all want cheap gasoline.

I have to guard against a lot of political opinion on my part, because I still work for the Commander In Chief, and no matter who that is or what party they hale from. Like it or not he is the boss, and I am under oath to follow his orders. I do have strong convictions of my own and most of my friends know what they are, but I have to be careful about posting my personal opinions on-line.  Also I opt not to become engaged in post to post arguments on Facebook, because I will not be pulled down to the level of the uninformed. I have spent more than my fair share of time in defence of this country, like a lot of my friends have, and I know this we all have the right to say what we want, even if what is said happens to be wrong. Brave men and women have fought and died to give us this right, and we should be ever mindful of that. Just don't post to  me about decorated war veterans being mistreated, because if you have never spent one night of discomfort in your life in defence of our nation, you may not understand who you are addressing.

Old Chief Sends,  

Exile on Main Street

The Rolling Stones have re-released "Exile on Main Street".

Check out this great music with some previously  un-released songs.

Graduation Day

Today is graduation day, for my oldest son Paul. He will wear this cap tonight as he leaves High School behind and heads to college and the adult world. He will graduate with honors and his Mother and I could not be prouder.

I am blessed with a great family, and especially  with two awesome sons, who continue to amaze and inspire me.

Tonight though belongs to Paul. Well Done Son, Keep up the good work. Remimber you High School Motto, "Achievement, Character, Leadership".

Proud Old Dad sends,